Another great thing I was able to do was go back to a couple of practices with DrumGhana, which is the culture group I was initiated into last fall. They were also so warm and welcoming to me and all of them gave me hugs when I arrived. I loved sitting in with them and drumming. It was so great to return to this. The second week, there were not many people there, so the master drummer, Kofi, helped me work on the master drum part of a song I had learned last fall but was rusty on – the master drum part to Tokwe. It was really useful to have the dancers dance to it and see how they respond to the master drum part. Having dancers really does make everything make a lot more sense. I was grateful to all of them because for about an hour or so, we worked on this, and it was all for me. They are so patient!
I was also able to hang out with Antoinette, the leader of the group, and my drum teacher from last fall. She is one of very few female drum masters in Ghana. I learned a ton from her when I was there in the fall, because I took multiple private drum lessons a week with her. I hope it all comes back to me when I start teaching my classes this coming fall! Anyway, Antoinette cooked lunch for me one day, so I went to her house to visit. We ate and laughed and talked, and, of course drummed together. It was so great to see her! I was sad that she wasn’t able to come to DrumGhana rehearsals, but I’m so glad I got to see her a couple of times while I was here this time. I do believe I’ll be coming back to visit her again and again when I return to Cape Coast in the future.
I was also able to see Jonas. He is a good friend that I met through Antoinette last time when I was here. He was a good friend throughout my time last time and it was great to see him as well. He is building some hostels on his land and he went and showed me that progress. Hostels in Ghana equate to student housing. But he has built himself an apartment to live in as well. I’m happy for him that he’s made a lot of progress on it. He and I also went to eat dinner a couple of times, and every time we do, I choose for us to go somewhere by the beach because it's so beautiful!
This part of my trip was equally as fun and rewarding as being with my colleagues at UCC. Again, it’s so nice to feel like I have people here. My heart is so full as I leave Ghana. It’s so bittersweet. I’m sad to be leaving everyone after such a short time. But I’m also ready to return to the US and not live out of a suitcase. I am so excited to return to Ghana next summer, though.
And thus concludes my year-long sabbatical trip!
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