Drums

This morning, we had no bus pickup. After breakfast, we head down to the beach behind the hotel for a 3-hour drumming lesson. This was intense! Each student picked out a drum and carried them to the conference room near the beach. The fans were on and the windows were open, inviting a cool sea breeze. I chose a seat in the circle that allowed me to see out the windows to the waves crashing on the beach. The drum instructor began by having us practice repeating a simple beat. Next, he had the group split into three separate groups and taught us three different beats. The three groups played the different parts and then all together. After about hour two, my hands were hurting. I actually still feel it in my thumbs this evening!

Drumming Video

There was a banana bell (named because it looked like a melon… just kidding) that was passed around so that each student could lead the group in beating the drums. After drumming as a group in harmony, or the best that we could manage, we learned some dance moves and an African song. Finally, our instructor gathered some of our drums (each one was stretched/constructed differently, so they had different pitches when they were hit) and gave us a bit of a performance. It was very impressive the way he could get so many different ranges of sounds on the drums by hitting it in different places, with different pressure, and different parts of his hands.

After the drumming lesson, we had a little lunch break until 2:00. I skipped lunch in favor of taking a nap. I actually did this yesterday, too. I think if my apartment was closer to NYU, I would do the same thing; my commute keeps me eating three meals a day back home. At 2:00 I got up and waited for the bus, which came 30 min. late today due to traffic. We stopped at the seamstress’ house on our way to NYU Accra campus to pick up our dresses. Mine was 45 cedis ($20) and I got the extra fabric that wasn’t used to make the dress also. I want to make a bookmark, a scarf, and a head wrap or two out of the extra fabric!

Class today at campus was composed of students giving brief presentations about their experiences here in Ghana relating to themselves as a practitioner, the ways their perspectives changed from beginning to end, the ways they could integrate their personal educational goals into our class trips, etc. I spoke from an OT perspective and did a miniature activity analysis on bead making (from the Cedi Bead Factory trip). I also spoke very briefly about the need for OT in many settings, particularly in the School for the Deaf where there was no transitional program and a great need for one. My classmate Isi, who presented last, made an exceptional video that wrapped up our class perfectly. Before leaving the campus I copied it on my thumb drive to show people when I come home.

Farewell dinner selfie. The lighting sucks because the electricity had gone and there was only candlelight for the first fifteen minutes we were there.

Class ran 30 min. late because of our bus, which meant when we went back to the hotel we only had 45 minutes to shower and beautify ourselves for the farewell dinner. I did so rather quickly, shaving my legs in record time and putting on my necklace and earrings made of shells. I’d lost a shell earring earlier in the week, much to my disgust, but it turned up just in time for tonight.

With the seamstress who made my dress.

Ghanaian flag. Red is for the blood of those who fought for independence. Yellow is for the bountiful minerals. Green for agriculture. Black star for the hope and freedom of Africa.

Last time I ate dinner at Headlines Hospitality I ended up pretty sick, so I was a little wary. I ate a couple of spicy meatballs (uh oh), chicken, fish, and rice with lots and lots of pineapple juice. Dessert was a special cake made for seeing us off. It was unfortunate that Abigail wasn’t there, but I have her email address and will be able to keep in touch with her.

Checkout at the hotel tomorrow is at 12:00 noon. There will be a bus that picks me up from the hotel at 6:00 p.m. to bring me to the airport for my 10:10 p.m. direct flight (Delta flight 479, if you want to track me). I’ve got a few hours to kill in between. The touristy art center is within walking distance of the hotel, so I might go there to burn my last few cedis. Or I might read my Joe Hill book which I still haven’t finished (haven’t had time to read here). As much as I have enjoyed my time here and as educational as it has been, I will be happy to be home. I know I'll look at things a little bit differently from now on...