I  have wanted to go to Africa for a long time.  But I never wanted to go as a tourist or on a fancy animal safari. 

I learned of an opportunity to go to Ghana, in West Africa,  last summer and stay with the Ewe tribe, living with a Kente weaver and working with a traditional potter in a village about an hour's distance by various buses, taxis and Trotros.  So off I went by myself having no idea of what to expect about anything.  I discovered the Ghanese people are intelligent, beautiful and oh so friendly.  The children are polite and mannerly. 

I was the only white person for the almost one month stay but I had no mirror and so I just felt like one of the gang.  Bobbo, the Kente weaver and my host, has eleven sons and seven daughters and is thrilled by all of them.  The youngest is perhaps twelve years old and every one of them is intelligent, speaks English and is accomplished.  Bobbo is 74 years old and has had several wives. 

I was expected to wear a long skirt and a head covering as is the style for women. 

Being on the Equator I was expecting Ghana to be beastly hot.  Instead, I left the beastly hot Washington, DC weather behind and found it comfortable in Ghana by comparison. 

Not having worked in clay for ten years I wondered how it would go.  Since their techinique is so different from mine that didn't matter.  I was a dilettante no matter what.  The women with whom I worked spoke only Ewe and my English was of no help but they were so patient and kind it was all fun using hand gestures.  The kids are adorable.  Ghanese are strict with children so they learn at an early age to toe the line, although as soon as I got my camera out the kids popped up in front.

Now I'm studying African drumming from Kofi Dennis, a Ghanese drummer here in Northern Virginia.  I'd enjoy going back, perhaps as a drummer.

Ursy Potter