Braids, Kente Cloth, and Spirits

Today was an exciting day. I gave in and decided to get my hair braided for a few weeks while I am here in Ghana. My hair was getting crazy and unruly so getting it braided would help solve that problem. I didn’t realize it would weigh so much so now my head is much heavier. Since I haven’t gone to Mampong yet (where we can upload photos) you will have to imagine me with long black braids all over my head. The local Ghanaians think I am much more beautiful with my hair like this.

Which reminds me that everyone here who knows Chelsea and meets me thinks I am her. It is very funny here but I tell them I am her senior sister and they laugh and say that we are the same except I am fatter than her. They are very honest here and supposedly fat is good so they are giving me a compliment.

It took about 3 ½ hours to finish my hair and amazingly enough it was only ten cedi or $10. I think it would something in the hundreds in America to get the same hair style. So I am getting use to my heavy head, long black braids, and all this new hair style entails.

After getting my hair done I met up with one of Chelsea’s friends named Isaac. He took me to his workshop where he makes Kente Cloth-the ceremonial cloth Ghanaians wear here. They wear them around their necks at graduation, for weddings, and other special events. He is going to make something special order for me that I will tell you about later.

Isaac was very kind and he even gave me a thorough introduction to the tools of his trade. He even had Precious write then down for me. They are: Briks ( in English Horse), Akrokrowa, Widea, Waitst stick (ayasedua), Nsadua, Pullar/ Budosar (Ntwisos), Nidai (in English Turner), Kyereye, Gia, Turnt, and Stepper. It was really amazing to watch him weave the cloth and I’m excited about my special project.

Later that night Chelsea Mike and I played a mean game of Phase Ten, Mike one. We have been playing Rummy every once in a while but Chelsea keeps winning so we decided to switch it up. We were going to go to this famous cave tomorrow but it is the day the spirits are there so we can’t go.

The story goes that the long ago the people of Wiamoase we taken to a large cave to be protected and told that they cannot shot inside or around the cave or it will collapse. After a long time the people got very hungry so they sent out a hunter to get them some food. He forgot that he can’t shoot near the cave and shot an animal to feed the people but when he shot then the cave collapsed and all the people died. So there are only certain days you can go or the spirits and demons will be there. Precious thought that on Saturday we would be okay so we planned to go tomorrow but when I was getting my hair braided she was talking to some women about and they got all anxious and told her that the spirits will be there tomorrow and that we can’t go.

So I think that we will clean the house, do some laundry, go to the market, and few other simple things.