Eighth update
Well well well. It has certainly been a while since last update, so - I am warning you - this will be a looong one. You can always read it in parts… :)

Hmm.. where to begin? Well one new thing is that I have become the happy owner (or 1/3 owner) of a fridge! It is really really nice to be able to keep things cold and just in general keep things for longer - and without ant trouble. I went with a teacher to Cape Coast on the 24th November and got a fine new one (luckily not one of those horrible second hand ones available all over Ghana by the road side). I know it might seem as a bit late buying a fridge as I am going to travel around Ghana and therefore only have little time left in Akonfudi, but I really think it was worth the money: I can now make some simple food myself and keep the amazing food (read: cheese, ryebread, more cheese and some nice Danish candy aswell) Mom brought me from Denmark - also, it will be useful for future volunteers.

Some days later I went with Dacosta to his cocoa farm. Since Ghana's second biggest export is cocoa (after gold - which is why this is called the Gold Coast) and since ALL of the around 3.000 people living in Akonfudi are cocoa farmers (more or less at least) I found that it would be nice to use the opportunity to learn more about this.
At first Dacosta didn't believe me when I told him that I wanted to go with him because you have to walk through some water to get there - he seriously thought that that would keep me from doing it, and the water didn't even come higher than the knees :) It didn't keep me from going, of course, so Dacosta was pleasantly surpised. We walked 5 kms in each direction and stayed at the farm for several hours. I wish I brought a book but time went by alright, though. He had brought three boys from the school to help harvesting the cocoa fruit. They collect the fruits from the tree, carry them on the head to a certain spot, and there they afterwards cut the fruits open and take out the cocoa beans(?), which are all white and sticky at this time of the process (when back home the beans are fermenting for 5-6 days, and then drying in the sun for 4-5 days, ending up being dark brown and ready to be sold). I several times asked Dacosta if I could help in any way, and he kept telling me that it wasn't a job for me. In the end, however, and sat down on the earth next to the fruits and helped the boys remove the beans from the shell. Again Dacosta was very pleasantly surprised and he has mentioned this several times since. When we came back to Akonfudi and he and I told people (in Twi) that I had went to his farm they were all smiling brightly, laughing happily and surprised and saying well done. I hadn't expected this, 'cause why shouldn't I be able to do what I did? Of course I wanted to try! But I suppose their reaction is related to the colonial times, and that going to a farm, like the one I went to, was definitely not a white man's job. You easily forget, but it is actually only 52 years ago since Ghana got independence.

I have been cooking quite a few times with Ben, which is always nice, and two times we have also cooked for the OCEP Ghana president, Bala, and for Mr. Raman, the owner of Ben's school. The first time we cooked Ghanaian and were very excited to hear their judgement which was surprisingly good - they gave us top grade! Second time Dacosta joined us as well, and since OCEP stands for Organisation of Cultural Exchange Programme, we chose do to some cultural exchange the other way round and made them lasagne - a really good lasagne! Ben and I were quite satisfied ourselves (it was really a challenge to find lasagne sheets in Ghana, and luckily Ben had had parmasan cheese sent from home, 'cause cheese is also difficult to get…), and the Ghanaian judgement was again that the food was excellent. To the Western meal was added a salad and pancakes for dessert. Mmh… :)

In the weekend 27th-28th November more culture was exchanged. Friday the 27th was the Muslim New Year. Bala and Mr. Raman invited Ben and I to join them in their celebrations, so we went to Bala's place in the morning and borrowed Muslim outfits before we went to an open-air-prayer. Everybody was very happy seeing us attending their celebrations and wearing their type of clothes - not a single person didn't like it, we were indeed welcome, even though we are not Muslims and they probably knew so. When we were seperated men and women a nice woman "took care of me" by telling me when to sit and stand and when and what to do with my hands. After the prayers (which luckily were short - I tell you it was hot sitting under the high sun wearing synthetic clothes and scarf!) we went by Mr. Raman's place where we greeted his family - his has the nicest mother, so so sweet - and then we went to Bala's place again, changed to our own cooler clothes and had early lunch, while others were slaughting cattles and cutting them up afterwards. We were given some extremely fresh meat to bring home and then the celebrations ended for us - the Muslims were going to pray a lot in the mosque, where we are not allowed in and which we also didn't want to attend (praying one time was enough..). It is amazing how open-minded they all were - a really nice experience.

During the lunch with Bala that Friday he invited Ben and I to a Christian wedding the day after, which we of course couldn't turn down - what an opportunity! :) So we thanked and showed up at his place again the day after, where he was not at all on time - we waited and waited and waited, tooooo long. I got very annoyed in the end but finally we went off heading towards Winneba 2 hours drive from Foso in the direction of Accra. And it was worth all the waiting time: what a joyful church ceromony! People were dancing, singing, and shouting with joy, there was a big gospel choir and also live music - and this was inside the church! :) There were about 250 people attending the wedding, and after the church ceromony it was picture time and then 'refreshment time' as they call it. It is not like at home where you invite less and have the following wedding party with the eating and drinking as a big part of it, spending lots of money on several courses of food and expensive wines. In Ghana all 250 guests are welcomed in a close by place where plenty of plastic chairs (they love plastic chairs in Ghana) are spread out and people will sit the next hours having a soft drink, some snacks and a to-go-food-box with rice, meat and a salad, while different things are happening such as speeches, songs and cutting the cake. At around 4pm we went the 2 hours back to Foso well satisfied with the experience.
Again this shows how open-minded Ghanaians are when it comes to religion: Bala, a Muslim and wearing Muslim clothes, is more than welcome in the church, and he himself also wants to go. Just one day earlier two Christians (at least in tradition) attend a Muslim celebration. Ben and I also attended the Muslim Eid celebration (when the Ramadan finishes) where both Christians and Muslims were celebrating together and discussing religion in a very friendly and open-minded way - nobody was yelling at each other, people were on the other hand listening and talking about where the religions part from each other.

Mom visiting
On December 2nd I went to Accra to pick Mom up in the airport. I had been looking so much forward to this day, and it was really really nice to see her again and to be able to give each other a real hug.
She was here for 12 days, and these days just flew by faster than ever. It was nothing less than amazing having her here. Even though we were together 24/7 we managed not to get irritated at each other but on the contrary we were having a very enjoyable time together, laughing and talking in a way we don't do at home.
The visit was perfectly timed since it was in the exact middle of my travels, and at a time where I felt like doing something else but the daily routine.

It was very nice to be able to show Mom how my life is at the moment and showing her the Ghana that I like and live in. I had premade an itinerary which also turned out well - both Mom and I were satisfied:
First we went to Akonfudi for some days, where Mom saw the school, my living conditions, me teaching and met the nice people surrounding me.
Afterwards we went to Cape Coast being cultural seing both Cape Coast Castle (which formerly had up to 10.000 slaves at a time) and Elmina Castle (which had around 12 mio. slaves through the years of which only 4 mio. survived). It is an ugly history but true nonetheless. From 1472 to 1957 Ghana did not have independence - that is a lot of years…
From Cape Coast we travelled to the brilliant beach resort Green Turtle Lodge near the small fishing village Akwidaa on Ghana's Westcoast close to Takoradi. We spent 3 nights, almost 4 days, at this place just relaxing, sunbathing, reading, eating good food, drinking wine and coffee (rare in Ghana), and enjoying each others company. Some very nice days.
Then we went back to Akonfudi for two nights, and then headed off to Kumasi for one night, where we - after my standards especially - stayed in a quite luxurous hotel, and where we also did some souvenir shopping in the Natural Cultural Center and went to West Africa's biggest market (this however was slow waking up - at 9am almost all the stalls were still closed). From Kumasi we went to Accra - in an air-conditioned tro-tro! - from where Mom had to fly home the same day, Sunday the 13th. Before she flew home we met up with an old friend of Dacosta, Grace, who had had a dress sewn for Mom, even though she had never met my Mom before, and she had only met me once before (she is the nice lady who helped me out in the airport earlier trying to book a flight). Anyway, we invited her on dinner to thank her for the dress and her kindness, and after a cup of coffee, just Mom and I, it was goodbye time. I had just got used to her company so it was strange having her leaving, but I am very grateful for the visit being possible - it was such a good time.

Programme on 11th December
While Mom was here Dacosta had planned and prepared a socalled programme (I would call it an event). Everybody at the school were looking very much forward to this and lots of rehearsals were being made. At 10am, where it was supposed to begin, Mom and I showed up - it turned out to be TWO hours too early! Ghanaians and time…… Anyway, it finally begun and it sure was a nice programme: a pastor was honoured, the school brass band was playing, speeches were held (including one by me and one by my Mom), poems were recited - two especially for me :), cultural dance was performed, and donations were made. Dacosta had even made invitations and Kama Kids School calenders for the event.
I used the opportunity to donate my personal laptop to the school, and Mom did the same with the laptop of my grandfather (Mom was so nice troubeling herself bringing these two heavy computers all the way from Denmark to Ghana, and also my brother for the preperation of the computers).
After having seen the teachers teaching ICT (Information and Communication Technology - well, a computer subject) without computers to children who have never sit in front of a computer and therefore understood nothing, I found that donating my laptop was needed. These computer donations came - luckily - as a big surprise for Dacosta and he really appreciates it. After the programme he has been telling me about his plans: He wants to make a computer center where everybody can come and be taught in computers - not only the pupils - and he wants to name it Signe's Computer Center and place big photo of me there :) Odd but sweet of him - and naming things after people is a way Ghanaians show gratitude.

School update
It has been a slow time at the school lately. Christmas and exams were getting closer, and rehearsals for the programme were being made. My enthusiasm is also smaller than it used to be, and I haven't been at the school so much the last weeks as Mom came. The enthusiasm thing is connected to the fact that I have done what I can do for the school. I cannot really change more so my job there is more or less finished: The structural changes I have made are working partly, and I have finished my English teaching in class 6 now that the exams are done. I will continue reading when I am at the school and I will introduce this to the before mentioned compentent teacher Michael Adam who I really hope will continue this extra reading when I leave. I will also finish the installations on the computers and introduce these to the ICT-teacher.
And then I am done teaching at Kama Kids Prep. School and done living in Akonfudi. It is a strange thought. I only have one day left at the school before Christmas and one week in January after my travels around Ghana. I am happy about it, however. I really feel like it is time to move on and do something else, so the timing is perfect.

Because of rehearsels and travels etc. the reading lessons haven't been so regular as normal but one thing to be mentioned, however, is that the weakest group in class 6 (those reading b-a = ba etc.) have made quite a progress. In late November we finished reading 2-letter-words and moved on to read both 3-letter-words, I am, you are, he/she/it is … AND useful verbs such as run, walk, wash, learn, teach, dance and similar. This was a great success. They still have plenty of reading difficulties, however. To the English exam for instance these five pupils were the last ones in the class and I had to read the questions aloud to them so they better understood (still lots of mistakes, though..).

This exam thing is another thing to be mentioned. Since I have been doing the English lessons in class 6 I found it most fair that I also did the exam with them. The exam is quite simple luckily: It is a written exam, so I just had to make 20 questions covering the things we have been doing in the English lessons.
When finishing making the questions I handed the sheet of paper to Dacosta who would photocopy it and have it ready. When I then went to get the copies, they were all missing… So typical! So I had to write all the questions on the blackboard instead, having the pupils waiting unpatiently outside the classroom, and then they had to write the questions AND the answers instead of just the answers. Anyway, it went alright, and they did quite good. The marking thing is more difficult, however - it is a complicated percentage system. I will have to finish this later today.

Tomorrow, Friday, is the last day before Christmas break where the pupils will be given their exam results and else just enjoy the day with each other and without any teaching.

Finally
Wow, that was a lot of writing. I hope I am not tiring you too much… Lastly I just want to add my plans for the next period of time:
On the 22nd December I head to Accra to meet up with the Danish people there and spent Christmas with them.
Around the 26th December I begin my 3-4 weeks travels in Ghana starting out in the Volta region, then going towards the North of Ghana, and finally working my way down towards Akonfudi, where I will stay my last week.
On the 23rd January I leave Akonfudi for the last time and head to Accra with all my stuff getting ready to move on with my travels in Tanzania. First I will visit one of my favourite families from Akonfudi, who by then has moved to Accra, staying with them for about 2 nights. Then I will head to the airport, meeting up with Grace, and then flying to Tanzania on the 26th January - I look so much forward to this!
On the 30th January my good friend Natasha will arrive in Tanzania, and on the 1st February we will begin climbing Africa's highest mountain, Kilimanjaro!

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That is all for now - it was quite a lot, admitted… I hope you are all good. I am :)

Merry Christmas to you all.
Signe