Now Arriving at Gate C

So....we're home.

After a 31 hour flight from Accra to Dubai to New York to Toronto/Halifax, we made it!!!

The flight was long and the days blended together....but we watched the new Star Trek movie 4.5 times....as well as Pocahontas, part of Hercules, the second half of Australia (the first half was on the way there), Dragonball Evolution (which was weird at best) and the Street Fighter movie (a total plot holed waste of everyone's time, but I made it through to the end because I could). There may have been others but at this point, they've all blended together.

While I've made it home, I haven't stopped moving yet. I spent all this week with my family in Rondeau, but we're now on the move again, driving out to BC. I won't stop traveling until I get to Ottawa (which won't be until September 8th).

The Ghana adventure is over...but only for now...and only in some ways. The work that we did is always continuing, even though the library is finished. We're already planning our next rip and a series of projects that we're working on. I plan to keep track of some things here, though my blogging will likely be less frequent than it was while we were actually there.

Aside from all that, the Ghana trip isn't really over yeet because we're still sorting through pictures, memories and reflections. I'm posting a bunch of pictures at:

http://picasaweb.google.com/goodquestion18

Not all of them are from Africa...but I'm sure you can figure out which ones are and aren't.

Thank you to everyone who helped make the library a reality!!!!

For information as to how you can help, you can email us!

Conor Falvey
sunbathing.turtle@gmail.com

Jessi Taylor
goodquestion18@gmail.com

Love,
The Spotted Jessicat

To Kpetoe and Away

Yesterday, we spent the whole day in a roadside village known as Kpetoe.

Kpetoe is larger than Nyive, but really still just a spit of buildings along the highway to get to Aflao and the Lome/Togo border....but its FAMOUS!

Well, its famous around here.

Kpetoe is the hubbub and happening center for one of Ghana's best known and special handicrafts: kente cloth.  When shopping for Kente, this is where you go.

Kente is a form of intricate and time consuming weaving that is done with some very elaborate looms.  Kente is usually a family trade and small boys start their apprenticeships very young.  Its very difficult to do and will require years of practice.  Initially, Kente was done only by men and boys but lately (contrary to all the guidebooks) I've been hearing small mentions of women taking it up too.  

Kente is very special to Ghanaians, especially the Ashanti and the Ewe (who I'm told have niftier patterns...but staying in Volta, my sources are a touch biased).  Biased or not though, Kpetoe's collection of Kente is amazing, especially when you take a few minutes to watch it being made.  Realising the effort that goes in to making it is a little breath taking.  We found out that it takes one person 18 days to finish the average cloth.  With a whole slew of apprentices working, they estimate they might be able to finish in 4 days.

Kente is woven in small strips, with varying patterns and colours, about the width of my land and 4 yards in length (I think that's about right).  Then, when someone chooses their kente, the weaver takes all the strips and sews them together into one gigantic blanket of cloth according to the size needed (its pretty standard).  Often, women have the kente sewn into a dress and the men wrap it around much in the way that they did at the inauguration.  I'm keeping it in one big sheet since, as a chief, I need to wear it in the "men's" style.  I don't know that its really a men's style, I just know they don't sew dresses out of it and some women do.

Also...sign of the day:  on a tro-tro coming in to Ho, one of them had a sign that said "Heaven's Gate, No Bribe"

Patriarchy on Top

Here are some helpful hints for women that we've had to learn on our own. About 2 weeks ago we picked up a fourth guide book for kids. This one was written by a man travelling with his wife and actually had one or two of the lessons we'd already learned. This isn't to say that they never had anything useful to women, but these ones were all missing. Please keep these in mind!

What the Patriarchal Guidebook Left Out

1) Moving to the tropics messes with everything you ever knew or thought you knew about your cycle...remember this in terms of kotex and ovulation.

2) The availability of Canesten/pads/tampons.

3) In a humid climate, pads CHAFE! Major badness here...>.<

4) A bra may be neceassary in a tro tro for even the most liberated of women, especially major roads to Accra. A rumble strip in Canada simply causes a noise. In Ghana, a rumble strip is a series of 5 speed bumps used to control speeding (necessary!). Rural roads have trenches the size of, well, tenches.

5) Hot, humid climates encourage Yeast Infection. Bring breathable panties or leave them at home. Canesten is your friend.

6) Probiotics and useful yoghourt are impossible to come by in Ghana. In the even that you have to take Cipro (or any other antibiotic) for digestive issues, there will be nothing to replace good bacteria. Canester is your friend.

7) There is no fool proof way to repel men.

8) When pretending to be married (which the guide book suggests) be sure to invent some kids as well or you will a) get lots of flack for not having children yet and/or b) a proposal from more "vigorous" and "potent" men than your imaginary husband.

9) Tro-tro drivers estimate how many people can fit on a seat based on male hips. Yours, and any other woman's (African or otherwise) will only ever be bigger than the skinny man they used to measure.

10) People WILL use the Bible (to attempt) to "prove" your inferiority.

Patriarchy rots!

Love,
The Jessicat