Home!

Today, after dinner me, Jenny and Sonja went to a bar to have an Alvaro (local drink). Jenny was saying that Hohoe feels like home. And it’s actually true.

I leave the house and 5 or 6 kids shout “Yavô, how are you?” right away. Some steps further I say “Beatriz, efoa?” and I get a “Constança! ee mefon!” back which means “How are you” and “I’m fine” in ewe, the local language of The Volta Region. Beatriz is one of the thousands tailors here.

By lunch time the lady across the street laughs when I say “watse” (rice and beans) because I’m a “yavô” pretending to speak ewe.

In the afternoon I just walk in the street and stop to talk to Marcus or to Kofi. Marcus is a very nice guy who does paints for living. Kofi owns a small shop with souvenirs. One day we stopped by and he thought us how to play “owari” – a game played in some developing countries.

On the way back home I hear a “Constança!!” and then Edem (not the one who works in Care Net; this is a 10 year old kid) shows up with his big smile together with Kobi (his friend). Because it’s holidays they hang around most of the time.

In the days that I eat Anita’s food I get home and I hear a big “Constançaaaaa!” followed by a big laugh. I usually sit in the kitchen while Anita cooks and we just talk. She laughed at me the first time she saw me eating with my hands – usually “yavô’s” don´t do that J

In the days I don´t get Anita’s food I buy kenkey. As soon as I enter the place I hear also “Constança!”. She immediately knows what I want so she just confirms the quantity of kenkey: “deka?” and I say “ee” (yes).

After dinner, I go to a small shop to get the next day’s breakfast: “ma fle botato abolo”. I get a “nenie?” back and answer “cedi deka” – “I want to buy butter bread”; “how much?”; “one cedi”. The quantity of some of the things we buy here is defined by the amount of money. So if I want to buy beans I might ask for 50 pesewas, 75 pesewas or 1 cedi and the quantities are in accordance to that. After that I say “mea do go echó” – I’ll see you tomorrow.

I like it here J

15/08/2012

 Note: some of the ewe words are written as I hear them not as in their local language.