Final Edition

SANKOFA
"go back and take"; symbol of the importance of the past

This symbol signifies the importance of returning in time to bring to the present useful past cultural values, which are needed today. ... This symbol teaches the wisdom in learning from the past, which helps in building the future.

--from Values of Adinkra Symbols by Adolph H. Agbo

• adinkra symbols guide
The Last Days at Geekhalla

Stophe, our vaunted country director, led the group into major mischief by introducing us to the Hash House Harriers, "a drinking club with a running problem." There are over 1500 branches of this organization (if you can call it that) all over the globe. It started out as a way for British ex-pats in Kuala Lampur to amuse themselves in the 1930s, if you believe the HHH history accounts.

The Accra hash runs on Mondays. The group meets in the evening, there is a run of approximately 5 km, the course for which is set up by that week's "hares". Back at the starting place, usually some drinking establishment, the group gathers for a circle where silly songs are sung and people are punished for real or imagined infractions during the run. The punishment usually consists of having to drink a mug of beer (or soda) in one go at it.

Ultimately, it was a great opportunity for us to get out, to see parts of Accra we would otherwise miss, and especially to meet both locals and fellow ex-pats. On the geeks' last night in Ghana, the hash was hosted at Geekhalla.

It was definitely a little sad to see our little group disband the next day. What great experiences we shared. Life back in Portland is rather quiet in comparison...

So here are a few hash pictures, plus pictures from my last day working at TSS, another big party. :-)

[click on the thumbnails to view the photos, use the "back" button to come back to this page]
Babak & Tomas served as hares for our last hash. (Note the unmistakable rasta hare hair hats...)

Geekhall was the starting and ending point.
After the run, the group forms a circle, where they toast members' achievements or (more likely) abuse them for their shortcomings. Large blocks of ice serve as the punishment seat for egregious mistakes.

A truck full of beer (and sodas too) is an integral part of the hash. Is beer the reward--or the torture of the hash? Depends if you break any hash rules, of which there are officially none, but effectively many, most made up on the spot.
Mina examines her shoe while Patrick looks on. She was compelled to drink beer from her shoe as penalty for wearing new shoes.

Here I am, working as designated serving wench for this week's festivities.
Stophe earned his hash nickname for completing his 25th run. I'm not sure if I am allowed to tell you what it is. :-)

Jason, a non-hasher, was pressed into service as photographer for the night.
The ultimate point of the hash is meeting new people and making friends. Peter, our Peace Corps friend Lura, and Annewetey Mustapha, an avid Accra hasher, share a happy moment.
My last day at TSS--what a farewell! It was more like a shower--the gifts kept coming and coming. I was very touched, and wondered if I was going to need another suitcase! Wonderful carvings, clothes, cloth, posters, jewelry, even a little Ghanaian mandolin.

The TSS team: seated: Emmanuel Owusu (managing director), me, Francis Hadzah. Standing: Gyesi Yamoah, Jojo Dadson, Sammy Peasah, Firestone Banini, Patricia Obiri-Yeboah, Sammy No. 2 (our accountant whose last name I still don't know), Archi Worwui, James Avoka, Vincent Parry, Tony Aboagye.

Almost everybody in this group is an HTML wiz, or is on the way to being one! (The photo enlargement is about 40K--a bit big, but hey, it's a lot of people....)
Rainy season on its way in just as we were on our way out. Goodbye, Ghana....for now.

View from the Geekhalla terrace.