Day Three - 5 things I love about Ghanaians

1) They laugh. Lots. On the whole Australians can take themselves way too seriously. When was the last time you saw someone let out a great big deep belly laugh? Ghanaians laugh like it's a gift. Pure and rich and simple. If wealth was measured in laughter I imagine Ghana would come up as one of the richest countries in the world.

2) They are not unattractive to the eye. I'm sure they are out there but I have yet to come across an ugly Ghanaian, and some of them are just jaw-droppingly gorgeous. I think this might also have something to do with the above.

3) They are SO polite. Call me old-fashioned but I LOVE manners. This Ghanaian attribute has obviously influenced the students at the international school here where I am running workshops because just about every student I pass offers me a friendly greeting or a smile. Anyone who has wandered through the corridors of an Australian high school recently will get why this is something I find so impressive.

4)They can carry things on their heads. Along with the baby wrapping I wrote about in an earlier post, carrying a full load of groceries on your head is utterly impressive to me. I had a little practice in the privacy of my room with a single text book and couldn't even keep it up there for three minutes let alone try to cross the floor. This also means Ghanaians have beautiful postures. See note 2.

5) They don't raise their voices. Ghanaians regard someone who loses his temper and shouts as childish and so doesn't deserve to be taken seriously. Anger in Ghana is show in three ways. Here they are in order of gravity.
A little bit angry: 'Ooh! Ooh!' This is a warning that you've displeased them.
Very angry. 'Tsk! Tsk!' A gentle clicking of the tongue
Absolutely furious: Slapping your hand into your palm. Not even slapping someone else but slapping your own palm.

I know I risk sounding like my own grandmother but all the same I will come right out and say: What is there not to love about a straight back, level temper and nice manners? Does it for me every time.

Day Two - Trashy Bags

What is there not to love about a shop called Trashy Bags? On our way home from school yesterday, my hosts made a detour past the new Trashy Bags store in Accra for me to do a little souvenir shopping. Essentially Trashy Bags employs over 60 people full-time to collect plastic bags off the street, sort them and then recycle them into these SUPER groovy hand bags, shopping bags and wallets. Impressed? I was! We pulled up outside a brand new two-storey building where out the front two women sat amongst a pile of plastic bags sorting them into colour and design. Then, inside the building the first floor was full of men and women on sewing machines turning rubbish into art. And, really, the bags are pure Art, with a capital 'A'. (see pic) Upstairs is the showroom, where all the bags were on display, and before I knew it, I had bought more recycled bags then I could ever know what to do with. (Yep, anyone close to me will know what presents they have coming to them!) I was so impressed not only by the work and design but also the concept. Streets in Accra are unfortunately littered with plastic bags but I was so inspired to think that this kind of intiative exists. If you think you're doing well getting your old milk cartons into the recycle bin on time you really should check this out: www.trashybags.org Now, if someone could only organise Posh Beckham to be photographed carrying the latest Trashy Bag tote - just imagine...

Day One - Snapshots of Ghana

Wow, I'm here. In Africa. My first time ever and I can't quite believe it myself. After an exhausting flight and suffering a complete reversal of my body clock, I still can't stop grinning just to be here.
My hosts are lovely. An Australian couple who just decided one day to pack up their family and explore the world with their two daughters in tow. Since then they have been teaching in international schools and travelled extensively for over fifteen years. Their zest for life and fascinating stories remind me just how important travel is to broaden your mind and how hard this can be when you live in a country like Australia. Especially when you live right down in Melbourne and it can take many hours (and many dollars) just to get out of the country. In Europe, Asia and Africa you can just jump on a bus or train and within a few hours be in a completely new country: new language, culture and completely different environment. I have a friend who lives in London who has been known to go to Italy on weekends just to catch an opera!

When I first came back to Australia after living in France, this is what I missed the most. Even though we were dirt poor I still managed to get to the Bologna AND Frankfurt book fairs just by travelling overnight on the train to cut down on accomodation costs. The thought of getting to the Bologna Book Fair from Melbourne nowadays seems like a pipe dream.
Anyway - enough about Europe. Let's get back to Africa. Here are my impressions after only half a day here. I will try to attach some photos as soon as possible but, until then, imagine these as photos in words.
Babies tied onto backs with a piece of fabric. (Unfortunately the above is not my photo - I never seem to have my camera at the right time!) Forget all those complicated backpacks and front packs with confusing clips and buckles and straps, I will never cease to be blown away by watching how simply and easily African mothers tie their babies onto their backs. I was fascinated to watch the woman in front of me on the plane, swing her sleeping baby up onto her back, pull out a large square of cotton and just tie him on. Imagine getting out of the shower and wrapping a towel around your chest, except with a baby tucked into the back. That's how easy she made it look. And the baby didn't even stir - just kept right on sleeping with his head lolling about in the most awkward looking angle.
The light. It is the end of the season called the Harmattan here, where dust from the Sahara blows into Ghana for about three months and covers everything. Even though the Harmattan season has officially past, the light is strangely yellow from what remains of the dust still in the air, bathing everything in a warm glow. Photos to come - I hope I can somehow capture this light despite my pathetic photography skills!
Speaking in doubles. Not a photo as such, more an expression I am fascinated by. What I understand by this is that instead of using the word 'very' Ghanians say a word twice to convince you of its meaning. Something very small is 'small small', something happening very soon is 'soon soon'. I'm guessing that this use of these double words provides a different emphasis depending on the context, because I had lunch at a school cafeteria today called Zoo Zoo. (Don't know if this is meant as a description of the school or the food - I will keep you posted on this. So far the kids have been delightful and I wasn't served anything that resembled zebra for lunch.)
But that's all I have time for today. So that I don't get into trouble trouble, I'd better log off and prepare my next worksop. Back soon soon!

Into Africa!

Well, I'm packed and ready to go. Managed to squeeze a couple of pairs of undies and a toothbrush in around all the books and art materials and other stuff I need for my workshops. My request to visit my sponsor child has been approved, my visa has come back in time, I've bought presents, stocked up on anti-Malarials, and have even managed to get my suitcase closed - though god knows how much it weighs! So far so good. A mere 23 hours of flying (!) and I'll be there. Ghana is on the West coast and right on the Equator, so hot and sweaty, I'm guessing. That's fine by me - I love the hot weather. It's also almost exactly 12 hours behind so I'm hoping the jet-lag won't be too bad. Whatever happens, it will be an incredible adventure, I'm sure. Wish me luck!

Book launches in February

The Race for the Chinese Zodiac

by Gabrielle Wang

illustrated by Sally Rippin

& Regine Abos

10.30am, Saturday 20th February

at Book Bonding

409 Keilor Road

Niddrie 3042

RSVP: Natasha 9374 4458

Bring along your kids to get their faces painted!

Peeking Ducks

by Krista Bell and Sally Rippin

Saturday 27 February 2010

at 2:00pm

Readings Port Melbourne:

253 Bay St,

Port Melbourne

Free, and no need to book.

Out Of Africa

In exactly two weeks I will be stepping off a plane in Ghana, Africa. I am alternately excited and nervous, having never been to Africa before and having no idea what to expect, but my friend Valanga Khoza, who is from South Africa, assures me Ghana is 'Africa-lite' so I'll be fine.

My booking agency Booked Out have lined up some pretty wonderful school visits for me recently; trips to Darwin, Perth and Beijing, but this one would have to top them all. I am spending four days running workshops with kids in a big international school in Accra called Lincoln Community School, then have a few more days in Ghana before I head back to Australia. Coincidentally, my sponsor child, Elizabeth, lives in Ghana, apparently only a few hours away in an area called Ahanta West Area Development Project (ADP), so I am hoping to visit her on my second last day there. She is now ten years old and have watched her grow through yearly photographs since she was four, so it will be very exciting to meet her and her family, and I'm sure a stark contrast to the comparatively well-off students in Accra. World Vision have been extremely supportive of my visit, but all the same it's been weeks of preparation and forms to fill out including police checks and multiple vaccinations. I am so full of antibodies now I could probably just about trek through any jungle and eat off any floor in Africa! I am still waiting on a confirmation on this before I go out and buy presents. World Vision helpfully suggest a list of presents that won't create jealously or incite thievery so looking down the list I'm thinking coloured pencils for Elizabeth and Australian animal posters for her school might be the way to go.

Apparently, internet connection is dodgy in Ghana but if I can I will try to post regularly throughout my stay there, like a kind of travel diary, including photographs. If I don't have any luck getting online while I am away, I shall certainly write about my experiences when I get back on the 18th February.

Then, it will be straight into a row of book launches: The Race For The Chinese Zodiac on Sat 20th Feb, with Gabrielle Wang. Gabi and I will be painting faces so bring your kids along. The following Saturday Feb 27, is the launch of Peeking Ducks by Krista Bell. Then on Sat March 13, I am launching Gabi's new YA novel. I will post details on all these launches soon.

Meanwhile, can I ask you to check out this website and consider joining Peter Singer's pledge. If you earn under Aud$154,000 (which I imagine is probably most of you), by pledging only 1% of your annual income to charity we could virtually eradicate world poverty. If you earn more, you pledge more. Sounds too easy, doesn't it? Don't take it from me though - Peter's done the research: www.thelifeyoucansave.com - hope to see some of you there!

Procrastination

Well, I am really supposed to be working on my novel right now - only two and half days til my kids break up from school!! - but what does any procrastinating writer do when they hit a wall? Blog! So, here I am.

Earlier this month I was fortunate enough to participate in a brilliant masterclass at the Victorian Writers' Centre run by Antoni Jach, with a formidably talented and incredibly supportive bunch of fellow writers and, in the days following the course, boy, you couldn't stop me! I was churning out those words. But then, as to be expected, I had one crap day of writing and suddenly all my momentum goes down the drain. Now I approach my computer with a horrible mixture of fear and trepidation. When I read back over all those thousands of words that spilled out of me, will I be horrified to discover that they are all crap! That really, I have no idea what I am doing or where I am going?

I don't know about other writers but I constantly swing between feeling like a genius and a complete waste of space. There doesn't seem to ever be much in between. It's such a deeply personal and vulnerable thing to write, even if you are doing so behind the veil of fiction, that I find it almost impossible to be able to judge my work myself. Apparently, according to Antoni, writers become better at this over time - but this self-awareness and confidence is unfortunately still a long way off for me.

However, I am always comforted by the words of Peter Carey in despairing times like these:

'The whole business of writing is to live with doubt: to do what you don't know how to do, to place yourself continually in a situation of ignorance and inelegance. When you begin writing you're in a basic state of stupidity because you don't know anything.'

I figure if even PC feels like this after all those book sales and awards under his belt, I'm probably not alone.

Have a Merry Christmas everyone and if, like me, you're trying to write with a houseful of kids, my sympathies go out to you. :-)