Happy New Year!

I cannot believe it is 2012!! I hope everyone had as enjoyable of a New Year as I!

Isaac made sure I did not spend my New Year in bed! I went with him, Grace, and Patient (Grace’s Niece who also lives with us) to Church. Isaac told me he only goes to Church on New Years. He knows there is a God; thus, does not feel he needs to go to Church more than one time a year! Haha! I like his logic!

The Church was packed! People had to stand outside the doors and listen to the service since there were not enough seats inside. Everyone was dressed in their best African clothes! The men had on the more traditional African shirts. The women had on dresses made out of the beautiful African fabrics. Some had elaborate hair wraps, also. The wraps sort of reminded me of the British hats which the women wore to the royal wedding!

The church service started at 9pm and ended at 3am! Needless to say, I did not stay that long. Isaac and I left around 10:45pm for a beer in town. All the teenagers were congregating about the main strip in town singing, dancing, and lighting rockets (fireworks). I think I saw a few fights too! Haha! Considering there really isn’t a drinking age here, it’s curious to me that they were not all hanging out in the bars.

After our beer, Isaac said we had to go back to the Church to ring in the New Year. Haha! We went back to the church 3 minutes before midnight. They had turned off all the lights and were praying that God should let them turn on the lights again if He lets them enter the New Year. Once the New Year was ushered in, the lights and candles slowly started glowing! Then the celebration began!!! Everyone started singing and dancing. The music being played that has a very elaborate drumbeat was called the Brobobo (I am not spelling it right at all, I thought they were saying bobo last night). It is the traditional celebration dance for the Volta region. The atmosphere was electrifying. I took a video of it with my camera, but watching it today I just did not get the same feel as when I was there! I think Africans do Church services the right way!! They are entertaining and so they actually want to be there. (Well not for 6 hours)

After about a half and hour Isaac and I left and went to another drinking spot (spot means bar in Ghana, they have advertisements saying it J)! I had Savannah Cider. I’m calling it African Strongbow! I wouldn’t have had 2 if I knew that they were twice as expensive as a liter bottle of Star, one of the Ghanaian beers. Oh well, it was New Years!

This New Years was definitely not like anyone I’ve ever spent in the US! It was so refreshing to see how another part of the world celebrates it! Maybe next year I will show everyone how to dance the Brobobo at New Years!!

Shortly I will be heading to Lake Volta to spend the afternoon! Getting a little sun next to a gorgeous lake sounds like a great way to get over the New Years hangover (luckily I don’t have one J haha!)

Happy New Year!!! Wishing everyone a wonderful New Year!

Love, Kari