Friday, October 26, 2012

The Day of Celebration continues

P1030047Home from Mosque and preparations to feed many many people.

 

P1030050Carrying lots of water.

P1030055P1030053Children playing

P1030060Sheep killed – if you want to know the details get picture

close but me I just ate it and it was wonderful!! Best meat in Ghana, of course I don’t eat meat in

Ghana.  Made a huge exception today!!!

P1030066Again don’t look close but the seasoning was good.  Bob would

have loved it the rest of us got water!!!

P1030067Chicken plucked and ready to cook.  I eat chicken

here when it is hot so I just concentrated on the sheep.

P1030062Dishes still have to be washed.

P1030064Cooking rice, spaghetti and sauces in small pots???

P1030068Told you it was spicy.  No more cups so I got one of

my peanut butter jars. 

P1030074No room on porch so kids sat on corn that had been

harvested.

P1030076Here is where everything was moved when a big rain

storm came.  The kitchen was full of food.

P1030079Everyone full and happy!!!

I ate meat because I can get rice any time.  I enjoyed it all especially

learning things about my family.   Hope you enjoyed my story in pictures.

To continue our morning Celebrating Eid al-Adha

After everyone is dressed, and that is no easy thing when there is over 30 people in and out of our house not than anyone thinks anything of walking through in a towel and dripping water, or putting on their top and no pants (I threaten to take pictures but they thought I was serious!!!) , I wanted pictures outside.

I hope those that follow see all our new furniture and new floor covering.  They came last night bringing it and I was ready to decorate and get rid of TV.  The children had a fit so I left it to them.  This morning all was set up, (yes with ear plugs and being so tired I slept through it all)  including a hole already put in the floor covering.  But it was fun to have something to sit on while they got ready this am.  And yes TV was gone but I hear it on with the kids that did not go to mosque.

P1030007Everyone in immediate family ready to go.

P1030015Ella, Senior wife, is having so much fun.  If I am not mistaking she was the shopper for the family.  She danced all over the floor and you felt her happiness.

 

Getting assistance with ear rings and head piece then finished look. Ha!!!

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Here they are ready to leave!!! Tieheru with Senior Wife, Tolota, with youngest and oldest daughters.

P1030034P1030030P1030041P1030042

Oldest son and oldest son with Tiehru’s brother, Mubarack

P1030038All climbed into a Trois to go to Mosque.

Beautiful clothes, wonderful smiles, lots of laughs so like home and yet So….different!! of course holiday meaning was not even close but the celebration was just as much fun.  Notice children in back seeing the camera and wanting in the pictures!!!

Will follow day and send up dates.  Enjoy!!!  Barbara

Celebrating the Muslim holiday Eid al-Adha

 

As you can imagine I know little (but am learning) much about Muslims traditions, holidays etc.  Well, last night we found no buses would be running today October 26th because of Eid al-Adha.  So I decided to get on Internet and find out what this is all about.  It is a very important holiday because this is when God appeared to Abraham in a dream and was asked to sacrifice his son as an act of obedience.  Won’t go into detail but when Abraham was to sacrifice he shut his eyes because he could not watch himself doing this to his son.  When he opened his eyes a lamb had been sacrificed and his son was not harm.  Proving to God Abraham’s obedience.

This is just the first part of the day and as things keep going I will document what I learn. 

All the noise started about 6 am and I thought about our Christmas morning how many we had been up that that time.

P1020981Everyone gets dressed and oiled up!!!

P1020982Waiting for new clothes – new shoes and

underwear all ready!!

P1020980These shoes are two big.  Oh yeah

Mom put paper in toe.  She tried and tried to walk – like watching a 12 year

old in their new pair of heals and yes there was very small heals on all girls

new shoes.

P1020979 Here I am just like Christmas morning

taking off tags, cutting string, and impatient kids wanting their new clothes.

P1020971Here is Tieheru’s Oldest daughter all dressed

in new clothes.

P1030002Baby brother’s shoes are to big and he is having

none of it but the other two children are ready to go.

P1020996See Barbara how big my shoes are!!!

P1020986        P1020993 Here is corner or room sort of like under our Christmas tree.  Going through things that have been purchase looking for something for each person.  It is all clothes and looks like our Christmas when everyone is teenagers and clothes are about all they want except for money. Ha!!!

 

 

 

Thursday, October 25, 2012

My Life in Ghana

This basket is made of left over scraps P1020938of tailor material and water sachets.        P1020937Leatherman putting on the handles
We sold one at the craft show in Accra.

P1020940P1020942Neighbors helping neighbors.  All these men own small plots of land, so they go around the village and sit in groups talking and getting the ground nuts off the roots.

P1020944So my little neighbor was outside and I joined Her to take off the sukums' (peanuts) and she told me “you’ve done well”! Pretty good praise.     




   P1020948She wanted her picture taken but I told her I would not unless she smiled.
P1020949Of course Peter said he would smile if I would
take his pictures also.  These are bricks they have made to fix up their house. The man of the house is
my lories driver when I can catch him.



                    P1020967Here we all are waiting for the bus to load.
 
    Get Close and see the way they tell you where the bus is going   on the window shield!!!  My Live!!!!!
                                                                P1020968

Monday, October 22, 2012

Craft Show in Accra sponsored by American Embassy

Had a fun weekend in Accra.  We brought lots of baskets from our Craft Centers, between the two of them they represent over 1000 women in Nyariga area so this is wonderful if we can hook up with some local vendors and stores to sell their wears here in Ghana instead of shipping.  Of course our wonderful Exporters from the United States keep us in orders and this would be an additional income for them. 

The women use their money for school fees, uniforms, books.  They also buy animals or seeds for their farms from the income.  There is no middle man so the ladies are paid well from the craft centers.



Scott and I - he had on apron that Deaf students made at his Helping Hands Store.  Scott is going for his 4th year as a PCV.  He hopes to continue teaching at the school and help Promise with the store.

Suzanne and I with baskets waiting to be purchased.

This was lunch with bratwurst.  The polka was playing in the background.  Such fun!!!

Showing my basket and taking orders - Teihru is man in white shirt the other young man is a friend and co worker of Teihru and customers!!!!

The young man David working hard and pouring it back into his community.  Such a nice man and beautiful work that he does stamping!!!  He gave me a shirt to thank me for helping him get with Embassy.

Linda and Suzanne emptying our boxes.  Owen on the left.  He and Tiehru decided to redo our booth So many baskets!!!!

Dinner at Kris house.  Kids had pizza's we had olives cheese crackers and yes WINE with good company.  On left is Susu, Kris next to her, Suzanne, Linda, Sean and Josie!!  Some ex pcv's, spouses, from all over the world.  Such a nice evening.

Scott and Promise.  They are working with Helping Hands they are both artists and their ideas are wonderful. The students at the deaf school in Ho is where these products are made.  I will sent some home. They make the pants that look like pj pants out of this material.  The young kids loved them.  The bedspread in the background was sold and ordered a number of times.