The Chief

I am writing to you as a chief of Chanpe Village, Ghana. Chanpe is the village that we're helping to build the new school in and i am now in a position of authority. Let me tell you a bit about my day....

We arrived at the village at around 11.30 to some very talented drumming by some of the men in the village and we are led in a procession to the [big] chief's palace. We step inside and a small ceremony (that i don't understand as it isn't in English) and then we are led into the palatial compound. The girls (Jo and Sasha) go off to one hut and i go to another. As fits tradition the chief puts on my smock and then takes it off and dresses me in it. I then need a hat....PROBLEM: my head is too big for any of the hats but eventually i managed to stuff my overgrown cranium into the chiefs hat.

We then come back into the palace where i have to eat a Kola (sp?) nut, which is truly disgusting and then i must drink some water (PURE water, kindly bought with us by Mme Cecilia). and then the celebration continues as another drumming procession leads back to the main square.

Myself and the 2 girls (or should i say Queens) partake in a little boogy with the villagers and then i tell the village a story (in short: a religious man's boat sinks and he refuses help from any other boat or helicopter because 'g-d will save him', he dies, goes to heaven and shouts at g-d for not saving him. G-d says that he sent helicopters and boats. The moral being that if you want g-ds help you have to help yourself) and JO made a prayer for the village.

Asd we were about to leave, the called us back and told us they had gifts of thanks for us: a massive sack of yams, lots of tomatoes and.....a GUINEA FOWL (think large chicken), a LIVE guinea fowl!!!!

This has to be the most surreal day EVER: I'm royalty (yes, this IS going on the CV) and i have a live guinea fowl as a pet in my garage for the next 2 days (until we leave). So when you next see me you shall address me as 'CHIEF NacheNa' (Chief of all the youth) but 'Chief Daniel' will suffice.

Oooh, PS i have servant.