Traditional Clay Pottery Lesson

Time in Ghana has its own very unpredictable rythym...and it does not feel linear, so it makes sense to me while I am here that my posts may be a bit out of sync

...slept until 7 am amazingly. Awoke to a rooster crowing...

Sitting outside, with the ocean crashing quietly in the background, with Ellie, Talk True, Ben and Aviva, a ceramicist who teaches art at a high school in Israel and is staying in the room next door. We discuss education and all have similar philosophies and issues...teaching is not all that different across countries and continents.

Breakfast, prepared by Talk True, is scrambled egg whites and veggies and a platter of the sweetest white pineapple and mango. 

After breakfast we learn how to make traditional African clay pots right on the ground. The woman who teaches us makes them look as if she threw them on a wheel. Small children come and go, laughing, playing and singing softly.

Arrived in Ghana at night...and promptly went to bed

 Here...at Aba House.

My room, which has a small bathroom too...only cold shower

Arrived late in the evening, 9:30 or 10 Ghana time, Ben K and a taxi driver brought me from the airport. On the way from Accra we passed many homemade structures, shacks selling food and stuff, much like Jamaica but more densely packed.  It's dark.

Palm trees, overcast muddy blue-orange night sky, and the smell...smoky, dusty, a bit of gas, a bit of food, a bit floral...unique. When we arrive, Ben K showed me to my room and closed his eyes and raised his hands and said a blessing for me to have a safe, healthy and enjoyable stay here in Africa.

My room is super rustic, but with a small bathroom-only cold water-and a light bulb hanging from the ceiling. I wish for a beer or someone to talk to but it appears I am the only one here or the only one awake. I am happy for the electricity. I can hear the ocean outside my screen window.

Tonight I leave for Africa!

The Republic of Ghana is unique in so many ways. On March 6,1957 it was the first African country to attain independence from colonial rule. It is an English speaking country surrounded by French speaking Togo, Cote D'Ivoire and Burkina Faso.

The southern border is a stretch of beautiful coastline with inviting beaches. Each of its 10 regions offers a different experience-from infamous slave castles and traditional artisans, to game parks and the only canopy walk in Africa.

Originally a fishing village, Accra is now a cosmopolitan capital with an international airport.

Ghana is near the equator with warm and humid temperatures, a summer rainy season, and a beautiful spring like August.
"Feel Free" is an expression you hear often in Ghana. It means that you are free to be yourself and to explore what interests you. The people are known for their friendliness and hospitality and Ghana has a democratic government that makes keeping visitors happy a priority.

Although Ghana is a small country, about the size of Oregon, the indigenous crafts are collected worldwide and there are many festivals and activities that celebrate its rich culture and heritage. From Cross Cultural Collaborative