Thursday, February 9, 2012

You're coming to Ghana and I've got beads! Both major and exciting!


Oh my gosh. The internet just lost my entire email. I might scream.

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA.

So, yes. Good addresses. Excited you're coming! And I think, from what dad said on the phone tonight, that you're set on the visa junk. Also, don't worry about my blog. It's straight up my emails to you. That's why I haven't told you about it. :)

I've tried to send you my Ghana wish list via text to Karl, but in case it didn't take:
1. Pepto Bismal chewable tablets (uff duh)
2. Jawbreakers (for me, craving like a pregnant lady)
3. PEZ for the kids (ask Karl if you don't know what this is)
4. Boggle, the game. A cheap version, something simple.
5. Catchphrase, the game. I think that's what it's called. The rules are that you must get your team to say a specific word without explaining it using various related words.
6. 2 flower hair clips. Like you got for Della's girls once. For adults, so please make sure they look lovely and womanly.
7. Laminating paper (enough to laminate 90 bookmarks the kids make)
8. The Umbrella Man, by Roald Dahl (for a gift)
9. Glow in the dark star stickers and/or hologram stickers. Essentially, stickers that are cool for big kids too (remember, my students range from 7-18)
10. Kids crossword, word search, and mad libs books. Grade 4 appropriate.
11. Free maps. I used to get them in the mail from charities and am guessing you do too. Bring them!
12. Pictures of my home and friends and family to show people. I will HOPE that friends send you a photo or two to bring. :)
13. My old big box of Crayons, in the spare room. There are like 300 colors of something ridiculous like that. The kids would go bananas for them (they're learning idioms now).
14. My computer? So I could put photos on and have you bring it back. What do you think? If no, it's okay.

That's all for now. It's a big list, I know. If you don't bring anything I'll still be overjoyed at just you. Many people are already getting excited to meet you. I've set the bar high.

Also, to dress: light dresses is my major suggestion. It's HOT always. Also, in Ghana showing any portion of your belly (even on accident) is a major taboo. So, be sure all shirts are long. Funnily enough, showing your boobs is less taboo.
On that note (belly, not boobs), all Ghanaian women wear beads around their lower waist from infancy through adulthood. It's tied on and never comes off (even to shower or anything). In my attempt to be more African Precious and I went to the market and got me some. Then she put it on me and told me not to get more fat or I would have to get new beads. Also, she told me that she practically saw my bits when I pulled my pants down a bit to get to my waist. ON THAT NOTE, also please bring some more panties for me. Lacy panties are not holding up well against hand washing. I've got some in the house there I think. Anyhow, I've got some beads on. I'll show you when you come and, mom, they make me feel incredibly sexy. I told this to Precious and she said, "Of course! Why do you think we wear them?" It's nice. You have to be real secret about them though because the men can't know the color or, so the rumor mill goes, they've had some business going on in your nether regions. I've blabbed a lot about getting them (terribly excited am I) and have been ragingly obtuse with my "BUUUUUUT I'm not telling you the CooooOOOlor" said in a sing-song way like a child (I'm perhaps spending too much time with grade schoolers). Related, I went to the market for the first time this week. It's 15 minutes away by bumpy dirt road taxi (unrelated, guess what? It'll be the Ghanaian 4th of July when you're here, wahoo!) and, mom, it was AMAZING. Nothing touristy, but cool stuff and beautiful fabrics and, unlike markets elsewhere, no one hassles you. I love it. I'm going back tomorrow with some of my students.

On that note, Lawer and Nicholas. I told you about them, right? They're my buds from class.They took me on a big walk/photoshoot on Sunday around the village. I laughed so hard my belly ached. They're killer. I'll attach a photo (one of the 800 they took) if it works. We sang church songs and I learned how to climb a palm tree (easier than you'd think).

Also, to get a taste of Ghanaian music, go to youtube and type in azonto. Find the most viewed video which has two people with white masks on and watch it. It's awful. That's the hip sound here. The kids are awesome at dancing to it though.

In other news, class went well. My 5th graders had their plays this week and, though we've been working on it for weeks, the day before when I wrote on the board "Remember: EVERYONE must have a costume and EVERYONE must have their lines MEMORIZED" I was greeted with blank stares and "Memorized? Madam, what is that?" and "Costumes? Everyone? Does the alligator need a costume? Do I have to memorize my lines? All of them? But Madam, there are many!" Repeat 47 times. So, I was terrified they would suck. (I tried to nicen the language to say perform poorly, but in truth, I was worried about them sucking.) Do you ever worry that your students will suck? Anyhow, performances were today and some on them did, in fact, suck, but some were WONDERFUL and, the most important lesson for me was to learn that, sucking or not, we all survived. And learned something from the effort. Glad it's done though. Poetry next! I'll try to include a photo to the email from the plays, of one of the billy goats from the 3 billy goat's gruff.

Whew. Novel. Mom, what do you want to do while here? Please be honest and frank. Also, what do you not want to do? I am thinking I'd like us to go on a safari but it is 12 hours by bus or a flight, thoughts? I'll research.

Also, I drank 1 liter of beer last night and it was wonderful. I love beer. I love coffee. I love fruit. I love my new beads. I love my students. I love Ghana (even though we haven't had water in a long while and I wish I could flush). I love sweating. I love the market. I love learning Dangbe (I've now learned 1-9 and how to buy a pineapple and say cow and goat. Ghanaians are very impressed/laugh at me a lot).

And, of course, I love you lots. Excited to see you.

1 comment:

  1. Dear mom,

    Everything is fine with my sista Nix and I. We're both excited to see you!

    But I hope it's not too much trouble to burden your suitcase with a coupla books that may be difficult to find here? My wish list includes:

    - National Geographic Kid's Almanac 2012,
    - Work Hard. Be Nice. (Jay Mathews)
    - Great Library Ideas: Tried and Tested Tips and Techniques by School Librarians
    (Claire Larson)
    - Booked In! (Louise Heyden)

    Thaaaanks! See you soon!

    ReplyDelete