Nothing like a tropical storm!
I have me feeling really down lately, on account of a little parasite or bug that took over my system for the past week or so, and recovery has been long. My blog-writing juices had come to a halt, while my body was working on overdrive to get rid of a bug I picked up. But now, since the wind has picked up, the skies have darkened and thundered has sounded loudly in the distance, I can feel the energy in the air and my mood has changed. I just spent the last little while running around the courtyard with my family putting things in a place where they will not get wet, a race against time to see if we can get it all done before the skies open upon us. This flurry of activity and energy is unlike any other. As soon as the dark clouds fill the horizon, the lazy humidity is filled with activity. Life in my household and like countless others in Ghana revolves around the courtyard. Almost everything takes place here, from washing, cooking, brewing pito, spending time with the family, hanging out with others in the community, drying Shea nuts, and even sleeping only really hot nights! We answer the call of thunder by tucking everything away and getting any thing that can hold water clean to collect the rain. Rain makes the women’s’ and children’s’ day shorter buy colleting water for all the household activities for them. This is one of its many gifts for Ghanaian people. Rain is life for farmers- as long as there is not too much. It creates life, and provides for the crops almost every family I know depends on. It scares me how much faith people here have in the weather. I have no idea when it will ever rain until it is on top of me. My Ghanaian friends can tell me when I wake up in the morning! Rain seems to make time and work stop. If only for a few minutes or for a few hours (or days I am told!) People spend so much of their time outdoors that these interludes provide a quiet moment. Activity still continues indoors, but the time seems to go at a slower pace. When the rain is over, it is like a new dawn. Everything seems greener and waking up at a slow pace, until the buzz of activity takes over again. I have to say, I love the rain. It brings a calm to everything, and also makes my friends and family here so happy! My only complaint is the bugs! They love to attack after the rain. Ghanaians on the other hand, only have one complaint about the rain. That it is getting cold! I kid you not. I have seen winter coats, hooded sweat shirts and long pants constantly since the rain has come. This is cold to them, time where people catch pneumonia. I have shown friends photos of snow and ice and they just laugh at me when I tell them I find the temperature just right now (at about 20 degrees or so!) I am falling in love with tropical rains. They are certainly a far cry from the Newfoundland gusts and gales.
Until Next Time☺
I have me feeling really down lately, on account of a little parasite or bug that took over my system for the past week or so, and recovery has been long. My blog-writing juices had come to a halt, while my body was working on overdrive to get rid of a bug I picked up. But now, since the wind has picked up, the skies have darkened and thundered has sounded loudly in the distance, I can feel the energy in the air and my mood has changed. I just spent the last little while running around the courtyard with my family putting things in a place where they will not get wet, a race against time to see if we can get it all done before the skies open upon us. This flurry of activity and energy is unlike any other. As soon as the dark clouds fill the horizon, the lazy humidity is filled with activity. Life in my household and like countless others in Ghana revolves around the courtyard. Almost everything takes place here, from washing, cooking, brewing pito, spending time with the family, hanging out with others in the community, drying Shea nuts, and even sleeping only really hot nights! We answer the call of thunder by tucking everything away and getting any thing that can hold water clean to collect the rain. Rain makes the women’s’ and children’s’ day shorter buy colleting water for all the household activities for them. This is one of its many gifts for Ghanaian people. Rain is life for farmers- as long as there is not too much. It creates life, and provides for the crops almost every family I know depends on. It scares me how much faith people here have in the weather. I have no idea when it will ever rain until it is on top of me. My Ghanaian friends can tell me when I wake up in the morning! Rain seems to make time and work stop. If only for a few minutes or for a few hours (or days I am told!) People spend so much of their time outdoors that these interludes provide a quiet moment. Activity still continues indoors, but the time seems to go at a slower pace. When the rain is over, it is like a new dawn. Everything seems greener and waking up at a slow pace, until the buzz of activity takes over again. I have to say, I love the rain. It brings a calm to everything, and also makes my friends and family here so happy! My only complaint is the bugs! They love to attack after the rain. Ghanaians on the other hand, only have one complaint about the rain. That it is getting cold! I kid you not. I have seen winter coats, hooded sweat shirts and long pants constantly since the rain has come. This is cold to them, time where people catch pneumonia. I have shown friends photos of snow and ice and they just laugh at me when I tell them I find the temperature just right now (at about 20 degrees or so!) I am falling in love with tropical rains. They are certainly a far cry from the Newfoundland gusts and gales.
Until Next Time☺
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