Getting Around


It was a great weekend.

After a week of hanging out with Mawulom and staying with Auntie Joanne and Uncle Tony, I was off for a weekend away.

My first stop was to meet my cousin Giles and his family. He lives with Cynthia and their three children (Aisha, Jay and Miranda). Jay and Miranda are twins, almost two years old, and Aisha is about to turn five.

After seeing Mawulom off for her venture to New York, I followed the detailed instructions (that she had printed out, adding notes to the map) to Peckham Rye, and headed to Giles’ house. Being at Peckham Rye was cool as it really reminded me of Eglington West.

Getting to there took about two hours, but once again, I made it through the intricate system of the London Underground (greatly due to the assistance of kind Londoners pointing me in the right direction).

That evening we had a really nice fish dinner and desert of rice pudding. The children didn’t all eat that much as Aisha was shy of me, and the twins are just rambunctious. After dinner, Giles showed me a bunch of the records in his collection. He DJ’s on the side, mostly on Saturday nights. He mixes up jazz, funk, disco, hip hop, pop and house.

Cynthia and I also had a good conversation as her family is from Ghana. She actually hasn’t been there in ten years, and was born in England, but we spoke about it a bit.

Once the children were getting ready for bed, Giles and I headed out to a local spot that he wanted to take me to. The name of the place was ‘Liquorish’, and was a trendy bar/club sort of place; not very big, and mostly people sitting talking over a drink, rather than dancing. The DJ was playing a mixture from Common to Micheal Jackson. We sat with a beer (I can’t really drink more than one), and then headed back to the house.

It was really interesting for me to meet Giles, as I was able to see elements of where my life could be. He is a nice guy, and their hospitality was great; he has his family, his work and his interests, but there is such a difference that really setting your life aside for God makes. When we live after our own interests and attractions, rather than seeking the highest will for our destiny, things can go in such a different direction.

The next morning, I was off to meet with Cheryce and Jospeh. I know Cheryce from York, and her wedding to Jospeh was the first time that one of my friends was married. The weekend of their wedding was actually a life changing moment, as Friday was the marriage and then Saturday was the funeral for Dudley.

That was September of 2003. Three and a half years later, I met with Cheryce as I climbed up the stairs of the underground station. As we got to talking, her British accent was making me smile, as she didn’t have one back in Toronto!

At the house, I was happy to see Joseph and their incredibly beautiful daughter, Olivia (7 months). Together, we packed up ourselves and headed downtown to the British Musuem. The sights of the London downtown (on the way to their house and on the way to the museum) have inspired a desire to visit London again during warmer months to see the many amazing attractions that the city offers.

















Olivia: She is a blessing and sweetness in the flesh!


Feeling hungry, we went for a lunch of fish’n’chips before taking on the many exhibits that this elite museum offers.

The first sight that we came across was the Rosetta Stone. It is a tablet that has Egyptian hieroglyphics with Greek and one other translation together. It was this stone, stolen by the French, then captured by the British, that after twenty-five years, led to the cracking of the hieroglyphic system of writing.

From there, we passed through exhibits on Assyria, Rome, Greece, the Americas, Africa, and the Enlightenment.

One detail that I have to share is that the entrance of the museum had a special exhibit on Ghana titled “The Fabric of a Nation”. To my sheer delight and excitement, they had a print from Radio Justice…in the British Museum…what are the chances of that!!!

We also attended a very moving art exhbit titled “La Bouche Du Roi” by Romuald Hazoumé. The display was set up to commerate the 200th anniversary of the abolition of the slave trade, which occurred 200 years ago today (March 25th, 1807). Hozoumé is from Benin, and ‘La Bouche Du Roi’ is a place on the coast where the currents switches from a fresh water river pouring into the ocean, to the salty ocean pushing up the river. It is symbolic of a dual exchange.

The art used a number of gas canisters, some with small beads and trinkets attached to them, and arranged them in the shape of the diagram of the cargo hold of ships used to carry those sold and bought into bondage across the Atlantic Ocean.











The presentataion mixed viedeo, audio and photography with the dimly lit rim. Stirring in me were memories of Ghana and Senegal, thoughts of the dialogue I have been hearing and reading about the 200th anniversary of abolition (Canada pretending it is not a part of our history and England, in a lot of cases, aware, but not very concerned).

Hazoumé stated, “We knew where we were from, but we didn’t know where we were going. Now we don’t know where we are going or where we are from”, adding, “I am dangerous, because I know where I am from”.

Seeing the spectacular arrangement of works form around the world in the Enlightment section, the pieces of Egyptian monuments, and the range of art spanning the African continent had me in a place of reflection summed up in the words, ‘the things that people do’.

Slavery. Worship. Art. Conquering, robbing, pillaging. Love. Learning and searching. Warring and killing. Building. It is overwhelming.

The jewels, the paintings, the globes, the carvings, the scripts…it is remarkable.

In the evening we attended a baptism for four people (including Jospeh’s nephew). There were also three young women, one of whom I have never met, but I kept thinking that I knew her. There was something so familiar about her, but I still haven’t fully placed it.

When we got back to the house, it was bun’n’cheese and mint tea that we purchased from a place called Lloyd’s.

In the morning, we went to church again, where Joseph was the overseeing pastor for the day, though he is usually the assistant pastor. I was called on to give the church a testimony as I was introduced as a visitor, which went well. One older lady was flirting with me, and kept telling me that I am handsome.

On the way home, just before we pulled into the neighbourhood, I saw someone grab someone else by the hair and slam their head into a bus shelter. I told Joseph what I had seen and we turned around. When we got closer, we could see that the violence was not man to man, but man on woman. The two looked quite run down, and seemed to have the air of drug addiction about them. I know it sounds sketchy (like what does ‘the air of drug addiction’ look like?, but when you see it a lot, you can tell). Rather than approach them, as the man was attempting to hug and kiss the woman he had just assaulted, we were going to call the police. Soon, sirens began to blare and police showed up, as someone else had already called. After speaking with an officer, I made a statement about what I had seen.

Once we got back to the house, we had a lunch to remember. Curry goat, lasagne, chicken, rice’n’peas, veggies and strudel with custard for desert. I was supposed to go back to Auntie Joanne’s and Uncle Tony’s in the evening, but watching a DVD turned into falling asleep, turned into a nap, turned into a full out sleep – I guess the week caught up with me.

I have to say also that doing my part to hold Olivia, help feed her, or keep her amused as been so warming to my heart.

So now, there are three days until I am back in Toronto. It has been wonderful being here in London, as my family and friends have been AMAZING to me. I could not have expected such great hosts. The anticipation of Toronto is also exciting me. I hope to do a bit more sight-seeing, as well as relaxing before I head to the airport on Wednesday afternoon.

P.S.
Grandma, glad to know you are doing better!

P.S.S.
To all my friends and family in Ghana and in Toronto, I miss you all so much, and wish I could have a week long international version of my annual bbq to get everyone together!

P.S.
Raptors are now third in the east, eigth overall, and making a strong run towards the playoffs.