Eleventh Day March 26.

Today starts with Catholic mass at the school.  Many students take the opportunity to break out and dance during the mass.  Specifically, when the offering of gifts takes place, the students are dancing to the front, dancing in the aisles, dancing at their seats........  I was raised Catholic and I have never seen anything like this in an American Catholic church.  I love it!   The spirit and happiness at this school is, once again, so impressive.  I wish I could bottle this and take it back home.  What is the secret?  I don't have an answer for this.


Next we had an  opportunity to talk to the kids about the US.  I have a classroom of kids with whom to trade questions, answers, and comments.  We discuss many things, but the major ideas I take from the conversation are these:

• the students really like boarding school
• the students like wearing uniforms
• despite the school rule against dating or "fraternizing", romance abounds
• kids in Ghana LOVE to have their picture taken
• social networking is alive and well in Ghana

In the evening, we are escorted to a farewell dinner at a local restaurant.  There is a buffet of delicious food and great company with some staff from St. Francis.  One of the most curious things I have experienced in Ghana is the wide enjoyment of rap music.  At tonight's dinner the background music is rap. Not only that, the music is so loud it is hard to carry on conversations.  I ask the gentleman across the table from me if this is common dinner music for adults on an evening out.  He smiles and says "Sure" as he bounces to the music while eating.  This was one of the most curious and surprising things I experienced in Ghana.  Most places we went, it seemed that loud music was being played.  This included in vehicles as we were driving, in the office at faculty meetings, and at restaurants.  Everywhere the music seemed loud and often rap was the choice.  Hmmmmm.  I don't know the "why" for this cultural characteristic.  The Ghanaian's say that rap was imported to them from the US.  But I have heard experts here in the US say that rock, blues, and rap all started in Africa.  What is the answer.  I need a music expert.

Around that time, dancing begins, quite suddenly, in the middle of dinner.  During the midst of some spirited dancing, a prayer circle suddenly forms.  Now we are praying together where moments ago we were dancing.  Then it is suggested that this would be the best time to give out gifts.  So Bonnie and I give our gifts to the headmistress and now the hugging and picture taking commences in full force.  I absolutely love this.  Dancing, hugging, praying.....at all a moments notice at a faculty dinner. The Ghanaian spirit and love of life is beautiful.