Chopping a Pig!

Chopping a pig -a conversation about meat, marriage ad mentality here in Ghana.

My housemother's father recently passed away and many preparations are taking place around my compound for the funeral. She is responsible for preparing all the food to feed everyone who will be attending the funeral. From the amount of rice, pito and pig meat that is presently being chopped up, I think they are expecting a crowd. (As a side note I really wanted to attend the funeral, but due to health problems was unable to travel....also missed a wedding because of the same reasons.....gosh darn mosquitoes cramping my style) So the pig's life ended before I arrived home from work (thankfully) but I came home to the chopping and butchering. From my almost vegetarian perspective, I thought I would find this repulsive, but that was not the case. I actually found myself quite interested in which parts were the best, how they were cut up, and so on. I sat with my house brother Titus (who is 27 years old and a carpenter, graduating secondary school 2 years ago) and two other young men from around the area and chatted while they chopped the pig. Right off the bat, when Sei, Bayour and Titus found out that I was 22, not yet married or with any children, they were surprised! I asked why they were not yet married and my favorite answer was that they were waiting to find a white lady. I wished them luck. The second big shock in the conversation came when I explained that I did not cook, clean and do all the household chores for my boyfriend in Canada. I explained that we shared the duties and responsibilities, just like my parents did in my household growing up. They explained that a woman here is expected to cook, and clean and care for the children, while also providing livelihoods, such as farming and brewing pito. I asked them why? And the response was that this is the ways things are. They work fine, and why change? I asked why they do not help with these tasks and they said their neighbors would laugh. I understand tradition but what I do not understand is this reason for accepting that because that is the way things have been that they should continue this way. I know I am not going to change a whole patriarchal culture in my time left, but I think by asking why, this will maybe get people thinking about their traditional roles.

I also explained to them my reasons for not eating meat (which include that fact that it doesn't come skinless, boneless or fatless here, or also that it runs around the courtyard mere hours before it is in soup... and also how my digestive system is having a mind of its own. I have never been able to talk more openly about it!) and they wondered how I got enough protein in my diet (which I am sure I am not at the moment). I told them about how my diet is very different and tried to explain tofu...which was entertaining to say the least. Another topic about food we discussed was how we take our meals here and how it is so different in Canada. Here a large bowl of food will be shared with many people (although men eat separate from women and children...although things get muddled when a white person is put into the mix). They all eat with their hands and you do not talk, because if you aren't eating, no-one is saving your food for you. They asked why we all have separate plates and spend meals talking and socializing. I thought this was an interesting take on meals. We use them in Western culture often as social events, for business and pleasure. Here, meal time seems to be more time to fuel your body and that's it (I think that explains why I have had such a hard time trying to have a friendly chat with my housemother when we are taking our supper).

So overall, I think my interest in these fellows and their culture and their interest in me and my culture sparked a good discussion. I really enjoyed this impromptu opportunity to discuss cultural differences. Although watching Wilbur going into pieces wasn't a beautiful memory, it was an interesting one. Hughie, sign me up for cow duty at Thanksgiving!

Until next time:)