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| Our studio in Kumasi. Regina, from Ohio, is hard at work! |
Mr. Omari's Village
Thursday and Friday we had studio, and critiqued the designs we'd each been working on. Our assignment is to create 20 "plates" that use patterns we design that reflect our experiences in Ghana, and tell a story we've experienced or observed. One series I'm currently working on will respond to the issue I wrote of last time regarding their natural resources. Lumber is a big industry in Kumasi, and all of the lumber mills are owned by the Lebanese. Unfortunately, as with the cocoa and the coffee, the Ghanaians are not the one's reaping the large profits from this resource. Meanwhile, their magnificent forests are diminishing.
Yesterday we visited Joseph Omari's village, which is also Fusini's village. Joseph is our main contact in Ghana, without whom our experience in Ghana would be as every other "tourist" experiences it, rather than the intimate view we have been privileged to have. The main chief of the area, as well as a sub-chief, were there to welcome us, and put on a spectacular show with dancing and drumming. Their village is just below a huge mountain range that sits along the city of Nkawkaw, about 3 hours south of here, and we were taken to the top of the mountain to check out the view. Later we drove towards the lake, which we learned was, still, Lake Volta. One huge lake! We stopped the bus before the lake to enjoy the expanse of mountains in the distance. The sky was magnificent over the mountains, and a rainbow could be seen in the distance. The landscape looked like everything we'd ever imagined Africa to look like, and it was a magical ending to a very special day.
We're off to the bead market tomorrow morning at 7, and then to class at 9. Class again Tuesday and Wednesday, and then we leave Kumasi and head for Cape Coast on Thursday. Cape Coast is well known for the slave trading that was done at the many castles and forts built along its coastline, and has a unique coastal heritage of fishing and trade.
Until next week, from Africa,
Amanda
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