Some Tings

On Saturday, I went to the W.E.B. Du Bois Center for a meeting that is held once per month by African-American expatriates. I read that there is estimated to be around 1,000 African-Americans living here. I read an article before I left the States on the founder of the organization and how she relocated here from Philadelphia. I corresponded with her via email and was excited about attending the meeting.

Not knowing where the place was, I left early and I am proud to say that my foot is almost all better. I walked to the front gate and got a taxi. He eventually found the place which is located by the U.S. Embassy. It had been raining all day and when I got there, the security guard dialed up another expat. who told me that she did not think that the meeting would be held today because of the rain. I was disappointed as I was really looking foward to meeting some Brothers and Sisters from home and getting their take on life here in Ghana and the relocation process.

Not knowing my way around the Center, I asked this Brother if he knew where the meetings were held. He said he thought they were in the back and walked with me to the back of the Center, (through the mud, mind you) and waited for me to find out whether they were going to meet or not. He then walked with me to the front to get a taxi. He was there for a funeral that was being held at the Center and totally blew me away that he would go out of his way to assist me. I mentioned that to say that I have received so much kindness since I've been here from so many people and it has renewed my faith and is helping me to be a kinder, more helpful person as well.

I was talking to a friend yesterday and he said that you need alot of patience to live in Ghana. I am really seeing that more and more as the days go by. The Western style of rushing, being impatient and wanting instant gratification does not work here. Either you will slow down and appreciate the system here for what it is or you will be mad and frustrated alot of the time. I'm choosing to slow down and while I don't understand how or why many things are done here, I have to admit that it works for them, and I have to respect that.

Getting used to men calling out Rasta when I past by. Because of my locs many here think that I am one. I was surprised to learn that locs are frowned upon in employment and school here. I've only seen a couple of people who wear them. The women who maintains my locs said that Ghana is behind the States when it comes to embracing natural hair. I was surprised to hear this, but when I refelected on it, Africans were subjected to the same racist ideology as African-Americans and are having to fight to reclaim many of their indigenous practices, such as utilizing their African names and embracing their natural hair. Like Blacks all over the Diaspora, Africans are having to throw off the yoke of colonialism and racism.