ghanaian folk stories

Why Hippo-po-ta-mus Sleep in the Water

Long, long ago, all the animals were living together in one place.  Every year Hippopotamus organize a feast for all the animals. During one of the feasts Hippopotamus ask all the animals his name. But none of the animals was able to tell Hippopotamus his real name.  So nobody knows Hippopotamuses name except his six wives.  So Hippopotamus told all animals to leave without eating their food.  They were very sad.  But when they were about to leave, the ant asked Hippopotamus what he would do to them if he mention his name.  Hippopotamus promise to leave the land and go live in the sea with his six wives.  So when all the animals leave, the ant climb on Hippopotamus’s wife and bite her on her ear. The moment the ant bit her she shouted “Hippo-po-ta-mus, I am bit!” So the ant was very happy and run quietly to his house.

At the next feast, Hippopotamus ask the same question, and ant shout “Hippo-po-ta-mus!” with joy.  So Hippopotamus went together with all of his six wives to live in the bottom of the sea.

That is why Hippopotamuses all live in the water up to this time.  (Ama)

Back to PST

Spencer has a house-Two Bedrooms,
Two Baths.   Oh my Gosh!

This week was spent with Spencer Campbell a PCV teacher in Wonoo, near Kumasi. Although it was the week for District tests to be administered, the tests came in a day late so Spencer “gave” me the opportunity to teach them a lesson on percentages. No lesson plan or much time for even an outline.  Fortunately, I had prepared for that lesson during Practicum teaching and didn’t get to it because of a school holiday.  So I was able to teach the material and the students seemed to understand it better than they did during my first week of practice teaching.  Also it was nice not having a Trainer in the back of the room checking boxes while I taught.  Spencer is just finishing his first year teaching and it was great to watch him.   In the evening of the first day,  Jessica came down from the upper west region to join us.  And two other nearby volunteers came over and we fixed American style hamburgers, with guacamole and tomatoes in olive oil.  I ate two of them.  The first large amount of beef since I came to Ghana 7 weeks ago.  I got the runs!  The first time since coming here.  It lasted only a day and a half but I was reminded of a saying we had in DaNang: “Happiness is a dry fart!” I will try to stick to Ghanaian food except in small-small amounts.  Jessica and I returned late Friday and my lovely homestay mom, fixed me banku with pepe sauce.  My all time favorite!

Kente Weavers-The Legend.

A Kente Loom in Wonoo

When the world was new the spider, Kwaku Ananse, was wise, cunning and clever.  Whenever you needed an animal to be clever you choose Kwaku Ananse.  One day a hunter in Bonwire saw Kwaku Ananse making his web. He decide to study the pattern which Kwaku Ananse was making in the web.  So when he came home, he describe to his friends how Kwaku Ananse makes his web.  So after the discussion, they decide to try to see how Kwaku Ananse goes about it and do likewise.  That is how kente cloth weavers began.

You have to be clever to be cunning.  (by Peter, a teacher at Wonoo, a weaving town in the Ashante region.)

Peter arranged for me to have two sashes made
in less than a day.  They are fast.

Site visit

I have been assigned to work at the municipal JHS in Sanfo Aduam, about 30 km from Kumasi – to small for any map that i've seen.  But it's a great place and the people are excited to have a Peace Corps teacher in town.  Everyone in town seems to know my name already.  Tomorrow I return to training, but I will begin teaching here in August after I am official.

My Headmaster, Mr Kofi Asante Bruce and my Counterpart, Mr Tim in front of my flat.

My Neighbors,  James, Esther, Kashia & Evander

I'm helping Esther make fufu.

James and Esther attend the Sanfo Aduam Church of Christ which meets in one of the elementary school classrooms.

one month almost

We have finished our two weeks of practice teaching called "Practicum". I was assigned to work with one other volunteer to teach at Presbyterian Jr High School in Kukurantumi.  During the first week I taught 7^th and 8^th grade mathematics while Jessica, my co-instructor, taught science.  The second week I taught 7^th and 8^th grade science.  During the second week, I had to prepare 10, mostly 70 minute lessons on ecosystems and force, both subject that I had some prior experience, but that only tended to get me in trouble.  There were too many examples that the students were not ready to understand.  I struggled to limit my discussions to the material in the lesson book. But on Friday the 29^th of June we finished our “practicum” teaching and we spent the last period of each class tell the students about America and ourselves and our favorite food in Ghana. They had a photographer take pictures of us with the students and the faculty and the headmistress.  It was all fun.  Even the lesson (I still presented one period) went well.  I was not expecting to actually teach today, but I had some leftover material from Thursday that worked well.  I’m so glad that this week is over, but it exposed so many of my class-room management challenges that I almost wish I had a little more time to perfect my teaching abilities.

Jessica is giving her students in Form 1 a test.  note that the only thing on the board is "NO CHEATING"

 

On Friday (6/28) afternoon we all gathered at the shell of the Presbyterian Church in Anyinasin and waited anxiously to find out what language we will be taught during the final 7 weeks of pre-service training.  I now know that the local language of my area will be Twi , but I do not yet know exactly where I will be stationed.  They say that will come near the end of next week and then we will be sent to our station to shadow an established volunteer for two or three weeks. After that we will spend our final two weeks preparing to pass an oral language examination before we are sworn in. The rest of the story are pictures from the past two weeks.

Last Sunday they took us to a park with two beautiful waterfalls and a nice hike in the country.  It was a great break from practice teaching:

Beku Falls (first Cascade)

From the back side everyone.

 

 

 

 

 

Second Cascade about 2 miles away. 

Cocoa is great if you like low hanging fruit.

 Then we all took a trip to the Cocoa Research Institute in New Tafo.  It is a prestigious place to work and interestingly they make many by-products of Cocoa Beans, including Gin. I've heard that it tastes a little like rubbing alcohol, but I wouldn't know.

Martin is one of our teaching and language instructors.  He is sucking the juice from raw cocoa beans.  It's pretty good, but you don't want to bite the raw beans.

The Beans must be fermented then dried.  this is one of the drying racks.  These start to taste like real cocoa. My homestay Father, Mr Akato explained all this last week, but I didn't understand until I saw it.  He worked at the CR|IG for 20 years.

I am beginning to like Fufu. I had it three times this week.

My homestay mom, Sese Ago, and my sister, Ama, are making fufu.