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Pata Pata - Miriam Makeba

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The more one does and sees and feels, the more one is able to do, and the more genuine may be one's appreciation of fundamental things like home, and love, and understanding companionship.

Amelia Earhart

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Groundnut Soup with FuFu

One of my favorite traditional Ghanaian dishes.  Groundnuts (the Ghanaian version of peanuts) are used to make a spicy and fabulously delicious soup that can easily be served without meat (for all of my fellow vegetarians.)  

The Fufu, is a combination of plantain and casava (Ghanaian yam) pounded and pounded and pounded in a giant wooden bowl.  Watching women pound FuFu makes me think of how we used to churn butter in the U.S. before the Industrial Age usurped the manufacturing of our food.

If one is to eat Groundnut Soup properly, hands must be used instead of utensils.  You use the middle and ring finger to take a piece of the FuFu, dip it in the soup, bring it to your mouth, and lick your fingers with the finish! 

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some silly snippets of our Spring Break adventure

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Spring Break Itinerary

Saturday: Kakum National Park

-overnight stay in tree house

-night tour of the jungle to see nocturnal animals

Sunday: The Stilt Village in Nzulezo

-overnight say at Beyin Beach Hotel

-1 hour canoe trip into the village for site seeing

Monday/Tuesday: Axim Beach

-overnight stay at TBA

-relax and hang out on Axim's beautiful beaches

Wednesday: Kintampo Waterfalls

-overnight stay at TBA

-hike up the highest waterfall in Ghana

-cannonball into the water once we've reached the top

Thursday: Mole National Park

-overnight stay at the Salia Brothers Lodge

-explore the most famous park in Ghana on a Safari, hike around, and take tons of pictures of all the wild, wacky animals

Friday: Larabanga

-overnight homestay in Mognori Eco Village

-explore the oldest mosque in Ghana- the Larabanga Mosque made of mud and sticks

-enjoy Mognori's local, celebratory traditions - drumming, dancing, basket weaving...etc.

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stumbled upon this beautiful photograph as I was flipping through some dress designs this morning.  It's made it's home as my desktop background.

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As the mosquitoes in Africa have finally found my sweet skin, Medi Soft has replaced my daily lotion lather.  It's been a blessing in a bottle.

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An African woman carrying cassava (Manioc), which I had the pleasure of trying this morning.  I paid 50 pascuas for a chunk, fresh off the fire and ma belly was like, "MMMHMM!"

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a living wound under the patchwork of scars

Ghanaian poet and scholar Kwadwo Opoku-Agyemang on Slavery

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Down on One - Sarkodie Fan Club ft. Akon

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touring Elmina Slave Castle

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Altar Boy by Julia Deutsch

(a response to Elmina Slave Castle)

Within these walls, so wicked white,

singes sin on skin, black as the night.

This sunshine stabs, blinding blue eyes.

But still, my soul sees through your lies.

Oh, won't you salt my sweaty tears?

Wipe clean my face?

Fry all my fears?

You ask me why

I heave and sigh

These people did not have to die.

Manicked by dreams of gleaming gold,

Those greedy hands reach out to hold.

Addicted, ever-craving more,

all empathy flails on the floor.

Pathetic, putrid, pasty, pale

chokes innocence for holy grail.

These wretched sick suck strength and lick,

degrading beauties. Take your pick.

Breathe in as toxic bile bursts free,

from bone to stone, eternally.

This pain swims up my feet’s two soles

burns through my heart- a million holes.

The petty pain,

such piercing pain

pounds and pulsates through my veins.

How can you eat, sleep, fuck, and pray

when you shit on such sweet life this way?

Confess your sins, you vile boy.

Tell God you treat life like a toy

and rip from brave hearts blooming joy.

Don’t worry now, silence those shrieks.

Your sentence now, our dear God speaks,

“Boy, stuff your face with flesh that wreaks,

Your murder made you meals for weeks!”

Now don’t you whine, your wretched swine.

Shove their blood down your throat like wine,

swallow the death on which you dine,

drown in the pain you called divine.

A storm of tears tore down my face,

for fierce friend’s lives lost in this place.

I cry, for they died of their race.

and mine has been my saving grace.

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Makola Market

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…the elder did not fail to caution her young pupil: “My child, pay close attention to the world around you at nightfall. Hear how it sighs after the excesses of the sun. Darkness brings relief. The golden light tantalizes our eyes. Do not ever let yourself be carried away by greed.

from Queen Pokou by Veronique Tadjo (via jkdcat)

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Blitz The Ambassador

Afropolitan Dream Tour

Alliance Francaise, Accra

(a buttload of friends attended this concert our first weekend in Accra, here's proof: http://accradotalttours.files.wordpress.com/2014/01/blitz-concert-bw-crowd.jpg)