(late post)
So it is Friday in Patriensa. I know this not because my smart phone reminds me of the day or because a weekend social was planned. I was not made aware of the day because of my usually NPR and KUT fix as I would prepare my for mornings in Austin. I did not recognize the day because of a class or a meeting that I have scheduled on Fridays. So how did I know?
This morning outside my guesthouse the road was heavily traveled. This passage way connects Patriensa to Agogo. On Fridays in Agogo...it is market day. On this day many who earn their living from the tending the fields travel to Agogo sale their goods. Many others travel here to purchase goods to feed their families. Tuesdays are market day in Konongo, another town near here. Even more villagers travel to this market day. Monday and Thursday are farm days. It is on these days you can see hundreds of people all over town start the walk to work on their farms, some over four miles away. It is dry season right now so the crops are a bit different than when I was here last. Prince says that for now most farmers are just weeding the fields and preparing for when the rains come and they can once again plant their crops.
It is very interesting to be in a place were time has no relative meaning, yet the days of the week are celebrated in the naming of the children. One is given several names when born. A surname, a family name, and a name for the day of the week they are born. My Ghanaian name is Kwame Tim. The days progress yet the passing seems to be more measured here by the position of the sun in the sky one day at a time rather than the day of the week. My favorite response when talking to someone about future plans is "with God's grace." In Mississippi it was always, "Lord willing...and the creek don't rise!" Faith is not just about a Sunday ritual here, it is a way of life.
The mornings are busy. People move about the city. The adults hustle with vigor as the children scurry around and wake up. Work begins very early and continues hard throughout the day. People rest as the sun intensifies in the afternoon sky. The cool evenings are spent in community with each other. From some distance in the dark of night you can hear pockets of people around the village. They are laughing and talking. You can hear music all around.
It is a peaceful existence for me here. Which for those of you who know me well expect...at some point will drive me crazy!
For now I wait for the sun to set and to rise again on a new day.
Kwame Tim
So it is Friday in Patriensa. I know this not because my smart phone reminds me of the day or because a weekend social was planned. I was not made aware of the day because of my usually NPR and KUT fix as I would prepare my for mornings in Austin. I did not recognize the day because of a class or a meeting that I have scheduled on Fridays. So how did I know?
This morning outside my guesthouse the road was heavily traveled. This passage way connects Patriensa to Agogo. On Fridays in Agogo...it is market day. On this day many who earn their living from the tending the fields travel to Agogo sale their goods. Many others travel here to purchase goods to feed their families. Tuesdays are market day in Konongo, another town near here. Even more villagers travel to this market day. Monday and Thursday are farm days. It is on these days you can see hundreds of people all over town start the walk to work on their farms, some over four miles away. It is dry season right now so the crops are a bit different than when I was here last. Prince says that for now most farmers are just weeding the fields and preparing for when the rains come and they can once again plant their crops.
It is very interesting to be in a place were time has no relative meaning, yet the days of the week are celebrated in the naming of the children. One is given several names when born. A surname, a family name, and a name for the day of the week they are born. My Ghanaian name is Kwame Tim. The days progress yet the passing seems to be more measured here by the position of the sun in the sky one day at a time rather than the day of the week. My favorite response when talking to someone about future plans is "with God's grace." In Mississippi it was always, "Lord willing...and the creek don't rise!" Faith is not just about a Sunday ritual here, it is a way of life.
The mornings are busy. People move about the city. The adults hustle with vigor as the children scurry around and wake up. Work begins very early and continues hard throughout the day. People rest as the sun intensifies in the afternoon sky. The cool evenings are spent in community with each other. From some distance in the dark of night you can hear pockets of people around the village. They are laughing and talking. You can hear music all around.
It is a peaceful existence for me here. Which for those of you who know me well expect...at some point will drive me crazy!
For now I wait for the sun to set and to rise again on a new day.
Kwame Tim
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