Happy New Year!

Happy New Year! So, I started off my personal celebrtion with a true Ghanaian breakfast-- rice, hot pepper sauce, and entire smoked fish. I finally ate my first fish head. I spent most of new year's eve beginning my seamstress apprenticeship! I learned to make buttonholes and hemmies, as well as the four different types of pleating-- knife, box, and two others that are currently escaping me. There are also guarders, but I'm not quite sure what those are yet. And, there's "shoulder" and "cut and join" style when it comes to shirts.
I also fetched my first bucket of water with my fellow apprentices. They thought it was a riot, and theyw ouldn't even fill my small bucket the whole way. Sofu (my landlord) was absolutely appalled when I strolled up with a bucket on my head. "Don't do that again, you hear!"
The firsts don't stop there, though! I also helped braid my first weave. On someone else, it should be noted. Not my own weave. Everyone gathered around, laughing at me, as per usual, astounded that I knew how to braid.
After than I learned to make a Ghanaian stew out of these small kala seeds. I also pounded some fufuo with one of my fellow apprentices. I got in about 15 good pounds before they decided I was too tired to go on. That's the most I've gotten in yet! I usually get stopped after one.
After dinner at my counterpart's house, I went home for dinner at my own house. Living in Ofosu has been such a balancing act when it comes to food. Everyone wants to feed me, and they don't take "no thanks" or "I'm full. I've already eaten two lunches, two breakfasts, dinner, and four sticks of fried ground nuts (kuli kuli) today." for an answer.
Before dinner #2, I made tea for everyone as my own mini new years celebration. I find I'm less homeisck if I do something notably "special" or atypical on holidays. I never make tea here, and my family certainly never drinks it. It's comparatively fairly expensive. Which, is exactly what it was perfect for this special occassion.
After tea and dinner #2 came the real new year celebration-- Ghanaian style. Or, Ofosu style. Four hours of church. They even rented a small generator, mics, a light bulb, speakers, and an electric guitar for the occassion. We dances, sang, clapped, prayed, and gave thanks until midnight when everyone whipped out scarves, twirling them through the air and sweaping the floor with them, yelling "Happy New Year!" for my sake and " Efi shia paaaoo!"
I was shocked I made it until midnight. I have stayed up past 9 p.m. since being in Ofosu. That was part of my motive behind the tea.
The next morning, New Years Day, we met for church in the morning again, still using all the rented equipment, minus the light bulb. I was invited back to the church in the afternoon for a party they were throwing in honor of the preschool they just opened-- definitely party-worthy. I've yet to see another preschool in Ghana. They opened the celebration by saying, "We have with us today a pastor from Dambai and a white lady!" Hilarious. Anyway, all and all, a happy beginning to a, hopefully, happy year!