Christmas 2008

And then it was Christmas! Just as I was winding down from my holiday spirit/holiday homesickness, I start to notice people bathing in the middle of the day. I notice new earrings on Dori (the young girl I live with), new hairdos, and a lot of rice. I myself have had three servings by 5 p.m., and we usually eat dinner around 7 p.m. And then, like beautifully colored fireworks going off, the streets are filled with big, bright Ghanaian dresses and people shouting, "Efi shia paaoo!" I say to Sofu (my landlord), "Everyone is dressed so nice. Why?" He looks at me completely confused and says, "Because we're celebrating Christmas!" Me: "Aye! No one told me!" Sofu: "Ohhh, for this you must forgive us." I do, of course.
The minerals and biscuits are abounding. City Club (one of the villages youth clubs) is having a party-- lots of music until late into the night. I stepped out early, exhausted and it seeming primarily a high school student function. Not like the Muslim Club party I'd been to on the 26th where I was able to dance with a number of older women carrying children on their backs. Champion Club is having their party tonight (Jan. 3rd), so we'll see how it goes. Solomon told me later that they celebrate the Christmas and New Year together on the second and third days of the year. So, today is still Chistmans, and Solomon is taking me to greet the chief and elders today. We'll, undoubtedly, eat another round of rice in enormity, accompanied with palm wine, soda, and biscuits. Merry Christmas!
Oh, and as for Christmas surfacing without my even knowing, I feel like that's a lot of how things go for me here in Ofosu. Everyone seems to know what's going on so much so that they rarely need to talk about it, or at least not in English to me. It's a small village, and everyone knows their role without really having to be told. So, I, consequently, never know what's going to happen until it's already happening, which can be confusing but always adds a little bit of excitement to my life.