It was about a 4hour drive..maybe more. Stopped on the road to get fruit and pee..thats about it.I noticed people treating me a little differently because I was black (of at least mixed as far as they could tell) and a foreigner. I would hear people talk amongst themselves, I caught small phases like Obama or black american. A security guard at the mall the day earlier pulled me aside personally and told me that if I was a Black american than the means I am Ghanaian and that mean I am home....well...Im half Native American with a little bit of mystery blood in me but I wasnt about to argue with a man carrying a night stick.
I just couldnt wait to get away from the group and explore by myself and chill with some black Africans...part of me just really wanted to wonder into a crowd and disappear, In the group I stick out..I have to listen to all the complaints and all the ignorance and not say anything because I knew them in there white arrogance wouldn't want to hear about themselves and It frustrated me because...we're in Africa..why do I have to deal with you AT ALL?!..yea the faculty likes to say that where ever we are on a school trip we still represent Northeastern, but Northeastern didnt birth me, Northeastern isnt on this trip listening to the 'girl scoots' in the back seat bitch about how 'hot it is' when its only like 70 out side and 'omg how do they wear their hair like that"..so as far as im concerned my blackness comes first because despite all the other things in my family, society treats me like im black so there you have it.
We finally got the Cape Coast University. To me the entire area seemed...safe...to someone from the NorthEast I guess its like leaving Boston and going to Newport or the more 'urban' parts of Connecticut I guess....its -clearly- not a big city, more like a compilation of small towns real close to each other with and a few small markets. It was a good area though, I learned to love it once I made friends but thats further down the road.
We were staying in a part of campus called Sasakawa. We had little Chalets with 1 bathroom and two twin beds....and lets just say Chalet #5 was shady but it was cool cause we were far enough from everyone else to make get aways with out any tag alongs.
That night every one went to eat at the Sasakawa restaurant, which mostly served visitors and grad students it seemed like. I took one look at the menu and as soon as I saw pizza I knew this place wouldnt cut it. I didnt come this far to eat pizza and fries in an expensive ass restaurant, I dont even do that at home.
The sun got darker earlier since the seasons shift. Rachel and I wandered around the campus at night trying to find any life forms since the place was so dead. We headed toward Valco, one of the bigger dorms on campus. We ran into an off duty security guard who felt it was his personal duity to walk protect us and show us the area. Inside Valco we found small stores and a litte restaruant. Nkruma hall, the dorm next door to Valco had the exact same thing. our tour guid was getting a little to into his job so in an effort to get rid of him and just chill we settled on some Fanit kenkey and watched the world cup game they had playing on the big screen in one of the huge function halls. We got extra attention (A) because Rachel is a white girl with long blond weave in her hair (B) we where the only girls and were sitting up front.
Fanti Kenkey:: Kenkey is basically a tamales before they put the meat and sauce in it...and more fermented..for people who have no culture at all or just dont know anything about tamales or kenkey lets ask wikipedia:
Kenkey or Dokonu or Komi is a staple dish similar to a sourdough dumpling from the Akan, Gaand Ewe inhabited regions of West Africa, usually served with a soup, stew, or sauce. Areas where Kenkey are eaten are southern Ghana, eastern Côte d'Ivoire, Togo and western Benin. It is usually made from ground corn (maize), like sadza and ugali. Unlike ugali, making kenkey involves letting the maize ferment before cooking. Therefore, preparation takes a few days in order to let the dough ferment. After fermentation, the kenkey is partially cooked, wrapped in banana leaves, corn husks, or foil, and steamed. There are several versions of Kenkey, such as Ga and Fanti kenkey.
- 6-8 cups of corn (maize) flour or cornmeal (ground corn or ground maize); (White cornmeal is preferred, it should be finely ground, like flour. Latin American style corn flour, as is used in tortillas, tamales, pupusas, etc. is the right kind)
- Banana leaves, or maize or corn husks, or aluminum foil to wrap dough in (the leaves or husks may be available at African, Asian, or Latino groceries
There you have it
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