January 18, 2010-- Possible Earthquake and Soccer Ball

January 18, 2010

Well, today has already been very exciting and it is just 5 in the morning!!! At 4 o’clock am, Berth came running in my room, slipping on the lights, and saying “Come, Come. We must leave. Turn off the lights when you come. Follow me.” So I grabbed my phone and my top layer shirt and follow her outside. Elisabeth and the boy from the US, the Incoom family and Elvis were outside waiting. So I followed them. I found out that the whole town was gathering in a field because there was going to be an earthquake. Now I do not know yet how this information came. Elvis said that some friends called from Accra and said there had been an earth quake there. So the people were scared that the earthquake would come to Asebu. I just sat back and enjoyed the experience. Once we were in the field, about a 5 minute walk in the dark, people began talking and I called Aaron and my parents to see if they could check the news reports or other reports to see if there had been an earthquake. Maybe their belief about this earthquake came from the earthquake in Haiti awhile ago, which is nowhere near here. But either way, we were all waiting in the field, nearly the whole town at 4 in the morning. Around 4:45, they starting mentioning something about Fm Radio. So I guessed that someone checked the Radio and everything was okay, so we were then allowed to go back home. I found out that the 6 US people are doing research papers in specific areas. Some are focusing on Experiential Education, others on after-school programs. While we were there, they jokingly said that they could take surveys here and interview people. They began to talk about how illogical the whole thing was. North Africa has not had many earthquakes, especially recently they said and to gather the whole town by word of mouth or by a dream or whatever is what doesn’t make since. I saw it as science verses tribal. This is how the people have lived their whole life with this community idea. They gather together and sing and praise God and pray together. I can still here the singing. Maybe they are praising and thanking God that the earthquake did not come. At some point I heard that our town was praying it would hit this other town and this other town was praying that it would hit us. Either way, Elisabeth was wondering how they could improve the people. How they could change the way they handle things like this. I think it is good to educate people and bring new ideas. This is also the way this people has lived their whole lives and to change that might be very hard. Either way, I am home now and it is 5:20 and the whole town is up now. The rooster is already awake and I am sure the goats will start baa-ing soon too so I will see if I can get some sleep or not. This has been a great wonderful, learning experience night.
As the day has gone on, the whole town is still talking about it. Mrs. Incoom says “I will always remember this day. Ghana. Oh Ghana. Ghana.” They love to laugh. Frod comes over often and so he told many funny things. They say that all of Ghana knew about last night and that it had never happened before. They explained to me that it doesn’t matter who started the rumor you just don’t really ask. But to do the neighborly thing and humble thing, if someone tells you news, you tell it to all your neighbors. So I think that is how it started. Excepted it went all over Ghana, including North Ghana.
So I got 10 minutes of sleep before my alarm clock went off at 6. I went to the Orphanage and tried to learn what I will be doing. I will be bathing the two children and dressing them because they are not yet old enough. I will help cook, clean dishes and we did some laundry. I was there until 9. The Annita and Teresa were too tired this morning but they are going around 2 or so. I am planning on going around 1 or 1:30 and then go with the Incooms to their after-school organization. I am very excited about that. Earlier today, I went to go fix the soccer ball that has a hole in it. I went to the local shoe fixer that also does soccer balls. He invited me to take a seat. It took about a half an hour in a hot lean-too-ish looking building. He was very good at what he does and very kind because he offered me a seat. While I was waiting an old man and boy around my age came in and sat down. The old man, being around 60 or so, says, “I want to marry you.” So I of course laughed it off and the rest of the men in the little shop laughed too. Then they went to talking in Fante. I could catch some English words and looks every now and then knowing they were talking about me. Two times a new customer would come up and he would talk like old friends to them. All I could catch was “Wife, marry, America, Obini.” It was very funny. He asked the young man who came with him why he does not talk to me. He said “I am not afraid of anything. But I am not in her class.” It took me be surprise as I was just listening and not participating in the conversation. When he was almost done fixing the ball, he said ‘How old are you?” I hesitated but in the culture you must respect the elderly and your community and I did not want to give any offense. Plus, this community has welcomed me. So I answered 19 and everyone laughed. The boy mentioned something about the old man being the wrong age. So the old man again said “I have always wanted to marry and American women.” I laughed it off again and said “I have a boyfriend.” And a laughter went through the whole place.
After the soccer ball, I went to go buy more minutes. I was tired of just buying one at a time for 5 cedi so I decided to stock up and get 4 minute cards for 20 cedi. This made him very excited to see that he was getting such good business. Walking home, everyone wants to talk and ask me my name. Some elderly people stopped me on the way to the orphanage and would speak to me in Fante and thinking I would understand. Thankfully one lady caught on and said things in English. They told me their names. Sometimes you are known by what day you were born. So the man was born on Wednesday and his name was something and Sunday was the other lady and that was a name. I was born on a Thursday so I said my name is Yaah. At least I think that is how it I said at least. After I fixed the soccer ball and paid 3 cedi which seemed responsible, I went back and played some soccer with Bertha and Sister Incoom. I am really feeling at home here now. For lunch I had bread sandwiched with cooked egg, tomato and onion, like an omlette in a sandwhich. It was so good. The bread here is amazing. It is even better then homemade bread in America. I think it because of how it is ground by hand, mix by hand, and cooked by hand in a stove made by hand it is amazing!!!