ENSKINNED!!

WOW – I never even thought I would meet an African village Chief and now I are one!! My “enskinning” date was April 4, 2008 and no, it doesn’t have anything to do with them removing any of my skin! It is called that because Chiefs sit on animal skins when they meet. In southern Ghana, they sit on stools and it is called being enstooled. Hey – I’m not making this up!!

Anyway – I want to send my deepest appreciation and my most heart-felt apology to Cheri, Dahria, and Alicia who saw my original announcement with the date set at 3/31 and really went the extra mile (actually, a LOT more than one mile!) to come and be with me during the special day. They even brought gifts (no gold, frankincense, and myrrh though) and put up with one of the hottest days of the year. You guys are terrific and I am very glad you got to see my site but sooooo sorry that it was the wrong day. I know there were many others who would have loved to have come but it’s not like jumping in the car in the States and heading cross town! I still felt your support. And Cheri was amazing….she spent her last Ghana cedi to come BACK on Thursday so she could be there for the ceremony. Seeing her there really made me feel like I was seeing not only my other PCV friends but also folks from back home so an extra special THANK YOU to Cheri. It was so nice to share that day with you.

I also have to mention the HUGE appreciation I have for my counterpart and friend Musah, even though he has no access to internet and will probably never read this. Talk about going out of your way! He not only educated me on what to expect and my responsibilities, his family did all of the cooking (I was responsible to feed what seemed like the whole village!), he opened his family compound for the celebration following the ceremony since my place is too small and too far from the Chief’s Palace, he arranged for all the gifts to be delivered to the 35 or so Sub-Chiefs that are due gifts, he helped me shop for all of the food, he wove my smock and hat (see pics if I can figure out how to post any!), and he was an absolute rock of support even though there was a lot going on in his life at the same time. Seriously do not know how I would have done it without him.

So, what was the day like? I was at the Chief Warrior’s house at 6:30 am just to receive any Chiefs that might want to greet me early. The drums called me out to start the ceremony around 9:30. The same way that you can’t recall a lot of details about your own wedding, I’m not sure I remember much of the ceremony but I do have video for those who I see when I get home! I know there was drumming and ceremony including donning my new smock, hat, and walking stick and at the end, they picked me up, put me on the shoulders of a horse of a young man (who is in my English class so he daren’t drop me or he’d flunk for the year!) and then carried me in the midst of a screaming throng to Musah’s compound. I remember the ride clearly enough because, although I smiled all the way, I was scared to death! They don’t just “carry” you, they bounce you like a trotting horse! Put that together with the uneven, unpaved ground and the milling throng and I smelled the recipe for disaster. Visions of my epitaph crossed my mind: “Here lies Larry Pearlman – killed by a fall from the shoulders of a crowd honoring him”.

Of course no such fall happened, I was ceremoniously ushered into the compound and seated on a big cushion with young girls fanning me to keep me cool. I was VERY happy to have Cheri close by to talk to as my Gonja still does not lend itself to prolonged conversations! I sat there most of the afternoon as people came by to greet me, eat, and generally enjoy themselves. Late in the afternoon, the drummers came back and the girls from Musah’s school did the Tora dance for me. What a kick! Kind of a cross between the Bump (if you remember that, then you’re well over 40!) and Bumper Cars. Great fun to watch but I’m betting that several of those girls needed ice packs on their hips that night!

So now I am known as QuartersWura, which means Chief of the Quarters, referring to the hostel in which I live and the Teacher’s Quarters that are in the same area. Anything that relates to those places comes under my “jurisdiction” so I’m hoping no conflicts come up in the next 2 years!! I also have to wear my hat and carry my walking stick everywhere I go or I can be fined by the Paramount Chief! And EVERYWHERE I go, people greet me with shouts of “Garba” which means Chief. I’m sure the novelty will wear off after a while but it’s fun now.

Speaking of that, it IS fun but I also realize that it is a huge honor and I appreciate that. My Peace Corps supervisor, who has been in Africa for 5 years, told me that he has never heard of any Peace Corps Volunteer being enskinned (or enstooled) in such a short time so it is a responsibility and privilege that I take seriously.

Well – that’s the big news from my end of the pond for now. I’ll be in touch again soon.

Oh - And I am getting my cell phone back tomorrow! So for those who have been trying to or wanting to call me, you can, starting Sunday afternoon, 4/6.

Love you All …………QuartersWura