. He was the son of the weaving teacher at CRASE, a trade school which we, lived in for three months. He was one of the only children who didn't scream or cry out in fear or run away from the white skin of the Yovo's in our small goup of 12. He must have been about 7or 8 months and the name Kofi showed he would have been born on a Wednesday. This is my absolute favourite picture of myself...I was 20 I was in Africa, I wasn't anybody's daughter, I wasn't anybody's girlfriend, I wasn't party Caroline, I wasn't running from anything, I was just Caroline in a beautiful breathtaking place up in the mountains, no electricity, no running water. I believed there was good in all people and that I could save the world. I was also a girl who was extremely homesick and missing a boy named Carp. It was in this place that I began to realize how unSwedish I was, it went deeper than the roots of my hair and the colour of my eyes, it was the way I approached people while the Swedes in my class stood back, it was the way I understood the whole "tid i U-land" the time factor when you are in a developing country, it was how I naively believed that we were all the same. I began to I see that things were bigger than me and that I could do it on my own. It was a time I learned I don't know it all, I don't have it all and I don't want it all because that is not what brings you true happiness and joy. Here are some more observations living in Kuma Dunyo for three months..
* I realized to that life isn't fair and isn't meant to be
* that class does matter, that you don't become and understand Africans their culture and their struggles in three months
* that I really don't have it in me to marry and become anybody's second wife
* no matter how much I promised I would eat and try everything a chicken head in my soup is my limit but a large rat isn't
* when everyone is drinking the beer with the blood in it you should to
* you can get drunk on Palm wine made from a tree especially when you have walked many miles and eaten only fruit in the hot sun
* some parts of the voodoo belief make sense and seem very very real
* that you can feed a large family on some pounded yams and sauce
* that being a moslem woman doesn't neccessarily mean that you are oppressed
* West African women are some of the most beautiful, resourceful, strong, incredible women I have had the honour of meeting
* a pineapple a jar of freshly roasted peaunts and a loaf of bread constitutes a meal
* do not cook your drinking water in the pot that you made fish sauce in the night before, if you are thirsty enough you will drink anything
* lemongrass doesn't take away the taste of fish
* your bathroom habits makes for interesting conversations and even a lovely poem
* you can survive eating stuff you shouldn't
* the mosquito net is your friend
* don't ever go barefoot
* ants can be horrible vicious creatures
* yes there are worse motel rooms but what do you expect for $8.00 a night
* No you will never see a more brilliant sky
* eat in the small hut, along with your group of 11 people, of a mother of 6 and truly understand the meaning of pride and making your food stretch and still taste delicious
* cockroaches are huge especially in the light of your oil lamp, especially when they are in your bed
* "just being with" the cockroach is better and less tiring than worrying about him
* there are very large snakes and yes you can hold it a very long time if it means going to pee in the dark or at first light espscially after the boys sighted one going down to the bathroom
* your dignity is left at the door of the bathroom
* yes you can shit that many times
* celebrating the dead instead of mourning them what a concept
* mosquitos and other creatures can make you very very sick
* bring your own help if you are needing medical attention or you will be very hungry
* education is something we truly take advantage of watch a 6 year old skipping to school with a big grin on her face knowing she has just walked 7 km's just to get there
* a bag of Hickory sticks, playgirl pictures and a Stephen king novel in english make a lovely gift for someone from Canada living with Swedes, living in Kuma Dunyo even if that is not something you would have ever purchased for yourself at home...(ok ok maybe the Playgirl)
* yes you can get dirtier and not care
* you can wash long hair and your body in one maybe two buckets of water carried from the cistern
* you need a very strong neck and coordination and a strong sense of balance to carry said buckets on your head to arrive to the shower area with any water left in the bucket
* flip flops make excellent fly swatters in the bathroom
* finding butter, ice, swedish cookies ( which were actually french) and a bottle of coconut rum in town can make you extremely excited and then wrack you with guilt after it has been consumed
* you can truly see hatred in someone's eyes
* the written word in the form of letters best thing ever
* I can survive without a phone
* distance can be good for the relationship and make the heart grow fonder
* a machete is not a good weapon to see after you have fought off someone trying to rob you
* if you want to see corruption at it's finest visit a police station,
* yes you can fit more people or livestock in that "taxi"
* best ever Sweet potato fries, spaghetti salad and fried dough balls
* I have never seen more smiles or contrasts, heard more joyful singing or laughter, smelled such sweet perfume and air, touched such smoothly carved and sanded wood carvings or tasted such freshness in fruit in any other place I have visited.
thanks for the flashback kids (ahh pre pregnancy body ... priceless)
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