Author Kuukua Yomekpe reflections

Life Beyond the Vacation

A place I hadn't lived in for 16 years. I am taking a big leap of faith dragging myself off to another continent and especially to a country where sexism and homophobia have lunch together every day. A place where any sense of progressiveness is sometimes seen as an adoption of Western ideals and a booting of the traditional homegrown ones. Homophobia and sexism are preached in the pulpit on Sundays at most churches, discussed and prayed about at Bible Study on weekdays, and argued about over Star beer in the local chop bars where men retreat to instead of going home to their toiling wives.

Author Kuukua Yomekpe reflections

Another Blog Entry Several Days Delayed

It’s the 28th of June. Technically, my return ticket is for the 29th of July. This means I have 31 days before I return to the US. This means I have spent about 41 days in Ghana— the longest amount of time I have spent here since I immigrated in January of 1996. I have dealt with the mosquito bites, the audacity of the fly population, the persistent ant infestation (at home), the smog-filled 2-hour plus traffic jams that no amount of smog checks can rid us off, the random electricity outages and water shortages, and my biggest peeve, the inefficient mobile phone system that has me scratching cards of close to 30 Gh cedis each week (equivalent of $20) to top up my “credit” just so I can have hurried 2-minute phone conversations or “flash” (akin to collect calls) my other family members for them to call me.

Author Kuukua Yomekpe reflections

first update from Ghana (long overdue)

In a throwback to my first time in an arcade, I settled into the 17-hour plane ride with two stops and 3 hours of layover, scanning the over 100 entertainment options with panicking and frenzied calculations. If I chose wisely, didn’t doze off, or take breaks while at the watering hole, I could potentially see 4 movies on the first leg and 3 on the second. What if I couldn’t decide which 7 were worth it? In the end, I didn’t make the 7 cut but I did see the period classics that I had missed in the theatres: the 7th Harry Potter (somebody needs to kiss already!), Black Swan (OMG!), Life As We Know It with Katherine Heigl, and Going the Distance with Drew Barrymore. I saw bits of Barney’s Version, No Strings Attached, The Rite, and Big Momma 3, enough to know not to spend any more shrinking brain cells on them. I believe that such nocturnal busyness is responsible for my current super comatose level of jet-lag.

Author Kuukua Yomekpe Uncategorized

34th year crisis-

I thought long and hard about writing this piece because it felt like whining, but then I thought, it’s my life, I can whine if I want to. It does seem a bit selfish to have so much else going on around me, and to focus on me. I have come to think of it … Continue reading 34th year crisis-

Author Kuukua Yomekpe Uncategorized

“They Are From the Motherland!” (International Women’s Day at Bard College, Simon’s Rock)

So I’m doing all the things I imagine celebs doing—shaking hands, nodding yes’s and no’s, thinking up quick answers to various questions ranging from “who inspired this or that story” to “why do you write”—when I glance over and see a group of giggling young women of African descent. Their excited faces give me the … Continue reading “They Are From the Motherland!” (International Women’s Day at Bard College, Simon’s Rock)