Hail to the Chief!

The entitled video speaks for itself. The very last day I spent in Ghana I took some time to go back to the school. We had a huge 'goodbye' dinner the day before so I was taken by surprise when they decided to honor me with a plaque and literally made me an honorary chief of His Grace School Complex. Chief is actually just a fancy way of saying spokesperson which may mean nothing to you, but I was everything to me! I was sooooo honor, especially considering no one before me had ever been bestowed that honor! Here I was worried if they would really like me and they made me chief! That was hands down the most meaningful day I had there, and it solidified the quality of my work teaching the students (Shout out to Taneisha and CEISMC). Days like that make me wish I was still there. Pay no attention to the silliness, I didn't know the camera was on me lol.


I took this picture the same day! I was so proud of being a chief I didn't take off the beads for a long time.

Arrival and the first couple of day's activities

This was recorded maybe an hour after arriving in Ghana. I had no clue what I was in store for, however it was the trip of a life time!

So this is the Saturday of the week I arrived in Ghana. I was at the Ga tribe's religious ceremony. Yeah that's a goat in the background...or at least it was one.



I didn't eat the goat but I tore this cow up!!! With some thick gravy and rice, you heard me?!


It was a lot of breast meat that day! I think I did a great job of missing it with my camera. The old negro spiritual comes to mind, "swing low" and that's all I have to say about that :/


R.I.P. to the homies no longer with us


Aw yeah "po it uuup!" Double shot of jungle juice coming right up.


This was like the Ghanaian steppers ball, I was looking for African R.Kelly. "Ain't a stain on me!" You couldn't tell them nothing with those fresh white dashikis on.

BTW I got my dashiki!


That's not the "peace" sign they are throwing up. Notice the roman numeral two markings everywhere. Sorry, no explanation. It was too much going on and I did not notice in enough time to ask.


Edna and Prince. When I left in the middle of the ceremony to eat at papaye's (popeye's) Edna went with us.


I hate when I see people with Asian tattoo that aren't Asian, because they don't know what the tattoo means. I am officially a hypocrite!


The major downtown areas have nice streets and highways with names and stop lights. Outside the city is another story. I still can't understand how you have a street with no name, it is beyond me. AND DON'T THINK YOU CAN DRIVE HERE. YOU CANNOT, PERIOD!!!!


The Next day (Easter Sunday) Hayford took us sight seeing. Nobody told me where we were going. I thought I was in a slave castle. It was a light house. I was wondering why so many stairs?! lol, silly me.


Too close for comfort but I did it!


View of independence Square from the light house.


"Wonderful God", religion was integrated into everything. You could take the "wonderful God" tru-tru (van) to the "His blessings" corner store and buy some "Jesus wept" bread. I kid you not.


Goats outside their pin. Farm animals were common.


A view from the light house at some kids playing soccer among some "houses".


I believe this was a fish market or depo where they brought in and prepared the fish to sale.


Coastal view with some fishing boats in the background.


The further out you go the less "glamorous". By the time you get to where I was living the road was dirt.


Still getting use to the heat. Just having fun with my camera.


The stadium where the Black Stars play (Soccer)


Independence Square is where they first announced Ghana was free from colonial rule in 1957.




This picture is out of order. It was taken from the light house. There was an Easter celebration below us. Most holidays are done really big but of course they don't have any "mega church" size venues so they are typically outside.



Their coat of arms...no their emblem of... I don't know, it is the equivalent of our bald eagle. Sorry I don't sound college educated at all right now. That's okay I will just go touch my degrees lol.


So in certain places you just pull out your willie and let her rip where ever you want. In fact I had a dude in the middle of conversation "release the peace" and gave it a whiz right in front of me. I was so weirded out, but its nothing to them.



What do you call an African with out a drum? Sell out, lol. I am only kidding. These Ghanaian's had drums for days! No wonder we love to here the beat drop.



Megan doing her thing with the kids. You should know I don't deal with "chill-ren" that small because everybody would be in time out! "Sit down and shut up. Ain't nobody getting Popsicles today" :)




Hope you enjoyed the video and pictures!

Dancing machine

If you watch long enough you will see me do my thing at the end. This was taken on Easter Monday. I was at a Presbyterian church celebrating the holiday (He rose Sunday but went back to heaven on Monday). They were having so much fun it was hard to believe it was church. It looked like a super huge family reunion. I guess that's how it should be huh?!

New-mo and Princess

New-mo and Princess! I have been waiting to post this for a loooong time. I could make 3 solid post just off the stuff in this video. Check it out. It was my first weekend in Ghana and it was off the chain!!! Off. The. Chain. Again, New-mo is the Ga high priest I stayed with and this was during the Ga's religious celebration.

These are some of my favorite things

This was my first night back in the States. I stayed the night in New York because I missed my connecting flight. Our plane from Ghana to New York was delayed 3hrs! Not because of Volcano ash in Europe, not twisters in the midwest, not oil spills in the Gulf, but because the pilots did not know how to fly from Ghana to New York! True story! They had no flight plans and were trying to figure out which countries they could and could not fly over. It was a very questionable experience for a well known carrier. It was Delta after all and they fly here all the time, how does that happen?! Anyway, I was very happy to be back and I still have to write a post on the thoughts I had while in route. Very unique for lack of a better word, but give me a few days and I will share.

BTW I had no idea I was cutting off half my face, sorry lol

African Heel Toe: I so got it!

I forgot I had this video, it was short enough to post. This was during a ritual last week

Killer Kitty (Part 2)

Same thing, low volume but the good news is I learned how to post videos. I have to wait late at night when internet traffic dies down and let them upload while I am sleep so more to come.

I love my family

When we get down to family business you better believe its going to be funny. Even my Mom gets her a crack in. (Hope nothing said offends anyone, they are just jokes and we talk about everyone)

Its my birthday and my last day in Dallas and I could not have had a better time! Started the day off well rested, we grilled, the homies came through, we ate birthday cake, laughed all day, watched baylor lose :( , and by the end of the day my phone and email was flooded with well wishes. My phone did not stop ringing from midnight to midnight and that was by far the best feeling in the world. Thank you all so much for the love...really

Create blog...check!

10:14pm Monday the 15th. I am soooo tired and stressed out and I am no where close to leaving Saint Louis. Today I got a Typhoid shot and filled a anti-malaria prescription. In the process of driving to and fro I got pulled over for expired tags. One more and one more hurdle to add to the list. I had a budget for the trip and I am swiftly approaching that "I can not afford it" number. I keep telling myself it's worth. I remember the unbearable stress I went through to purchase my condo and the reward afterwards which was so much greater than the initial stress. I think my visa will get rejected, I just found out I should have a white background (mine is Black!) I looked at the calendar and figured the worst case scenario would allow me to overnight it to reapply on time.

Enough with the negativity. I just had some spaghetti and popped a bottle of wine open so I feel a lot better about getting everything done and within the budget I set up. Well this is my first official post and there is a lot I feel I should explain like where I am going, what you can expect in future post, why I decided to create a blog, and what in the world does kesho mean???? Well i ain't answering any of those questions because I am going to bed lol. Next time i got you