Saturday, October 15

This one is long. Very long.

Coming home in the tro-tro today, I realized that it is so great to never
feel cold. In fact, I�ve even come to enjoy the cold bucket showers,
especially because the water can�t get too cold.

I decided to be a tourist today. First I went to the National Cultural
Center, which has a small museum about Asante (Ashanti) culture. It was
really interesting. Here are a few random details. The Asante fought the
British repeatedly. The last war was in 1896 and was led by Yaa Asantewaa, a
60 year old woman (who in the picture looks about 100). The Queen Mother is
a female relative of the Chief, not his wife. There was a fertility doll on
display. Women are supposed to take care of it as if it were a child (cradle
it, feed it, etc). According to the guide: �it works!� There were also some
war tunics on display. They are covered with little amulets that apparently
stop bullets. I was tempted to ask what would happen if the bullet went
between two amulets, but decided not to be a smartass. There were various
artefacts from other tribes that the Asante conquered, like a huge brass
bowl that the king of another tribe demanded the Asante fill with gold dust
each year as tribute. They killed him and took the bowl. There was also a
war drum. It was covered in leopard skin and was used to frighten enemies.
The guide demonstrated. Instead of beating it, she scratched it with a stick
and it did sound a lot like a lion roaring.

There was also a setup of the chief�s kitchen. Women were forbidden from
cooking for him because he was allowed to take as many wives as he wanted.
They couldn�t cook for him because they might try and poison him or put a
love potion in his food. The guide also said something about menstruating
women being unclean. The chief had a food tester to see if his food was
poisoned.

The most interesting thing there was this little satchel. It was made of
elephant hide (which looked like black leather) and looked to be stuffed
with rags and stitched up. It is over 300 years old and its contents are
unknown. It is said that if it is ever opened, the Asante will fall. It�s
pretty interesting that something so humble could be so important. It looked
like something you�d put out with the trash, which makes it all the more
amazing.

After that, I went to the zoo. And after being there, I think I might start
PETA here�it was pretty depressing. All the monkeys are kept in solitary
confinement. The place smells awful. The �river� flowing through it is grey.
There were a couple of lions and some types of deer, as well as thousands of
giant bats in the trees. I suppose it�s good that some protected species
have a home, but it was pretty bleak. I also felt like I was on display,
given how many kids kept coming up to me and following me. Some even kept
touching me and going �you�re smooth�. I guess I was quite novel for them,
but the novelty of them to me wore off quite quickly!

Finally, on my way to catch a tro-tro home, I saw a shirt for sale. On it
was the slogan �Peace not War�. But most prominent on it were several
pictures of the noted pacifist Saddam Hussein.