by phil | Aug 12, 2010 | Ghana, W. Africa
This is a documentary on a family of women who sell porridge. There were a few setbacks in making it – many of them came from my poor film-making abilities. The family was also very camera shy. They were most comfortable speaking Twi during the Q&A portion,...
by phil | Aug 1, 2010 | Ghana, Music, Stories, W. Africa
As I mentioned in the last post, I was invited to a graduation. It was a private school, well-funded for Ghana, and they put on a ceremony that was essentially western, but with much more music and dance. Several hours of music and dance in fact. Most entertaining was...
by phil | Jul 29, 2010 | Ghana, Stories, W. Africa
When I tell Ghanaians I am staying in the Newtown neighborhood of Accra, I receive one of two reactions: elation, because they live in Newtown themselves, or shock, because Newtown and nearby Nima are known for thuggery. It turns out that some years ago, Newtown was a...
by phil | Jul 26, 2010 | Ghana, Music, W. Africa
The Newtown neighborhood of Accra is loud. Almost all the time. “Allahhhh Huuuu Akbarrrrrrrr” is every morning from 4-530AM (some mosques start late I guess). This is my alarm clock or my second lullaby, depending on when I plan on getting up. My first lullaby, which...
by phil | Jul 12, 2010 | Ghana, Stories, W. Africa
After spending an hour and a half in two different cramped and dilapidated minibuses, I am looking for a shared taxi to my final destination: Beach Road. My first couchsurfing experience has led me to the western-most neighborhoods of Accra, Ghana. Dansuman, Shiabu,...
