Saturday the 23rd

Some minor observances to relate you all before i go off adventuring.


1. The boys are sexist. Look, they don't apply their sexism to white girls, we belong to a separate category but still. The way they talk about girls, it's standard patriarchy. I mean it's not really surprising, but i suppose it is disappointing.


2. They are actually pretty intolerant of Judaism/other religions. Particularly Muslims. But also, probably not surprising really.


3. There was a grievance about a bucket here. The boys broke a neighbour's bucket and so the bucket owner asked them to replace it. He also told a local 'master' about the incident. The boys bought a new bucket but when they went to give it over the man refused to accept it saying that if he had to replace everything his children broke well, he'd be broke himself. So the boys gave the bucket to the local 'master' so he can settle the dispute. The boys have to be super careful b/c if you upset somebody they can curse you via the local river god and then you will die. No seriously, it's a real concern of theirs.


4. Meanwhile, i keep discovering new and disturbing issues in Ghana. For example they have a sex slave system in the Volta region where if a family is cursed by the local god they give their virgin daughter to the local priest as a sex slave and hence redeem their family. No but seriously, this is still happening.


5. Lastly I finished my book 'the state of Africa' by (forgotten first name) Meredith. I strongly recommend that you read it. Here's some gems of information that i learned from this book. In the Rwandan genocide it took only 3 months to kill 3/4 of the tutsi population. In Sierra Leone and Liberia during the civil wars they 'employed' child soldiers. They kidnapped them, trained them, had them kill their own parents, gave them amphetamines and these 8-13 year olds were the best and most ruthless killers in the conflict. Furthermore, as they killed people, particularly the heads of units, they would eat the dead soldiers hearts or any other part of the body if they were particularly hungry. In case you were wondering, they ate them raw.


6. On a related topic, this is the country to which my housemates are travelling to for this vacation to help rebuild the country. Cool/dangerous.


7. I on the other hand am going to Takoradi for the masquerade festival and then on to Butre beach. I then plan on spending new years in Cape Coast. Should be delightful!


Since I will not have my laptop. I wish you all and merry Christmas, happy new year and a Geshmuk Channukah.