It's A Celebration!

(quoting at legnth my update email to MelRay)
To be in Ghana during the World Cup has been amazing. Yesterday in the USA vs. Ghana game, Ghanaian co-workers hosted a game-watching party. Oh after that first goal the condolensces started coming (and they kept coming all night:) The Americans there were gracious in defeat and then hit the streets for the parade!

After Ghana beat USA, oh the streets were packed in Accra. I just started walking around. Those who knew immediately that I’m American were all giving me their condolences. Others just said the typical greeting to me when meeting younger people in the streets "Hey Rasta, one love!" It is hilarious. People always start quoting Bob Marley if they are very young and meet me randomly. It is all good fun - and much better than being called "obruni," a term some of my friends-with-less-melonen do not appreciate. Then, one woman who knew by look that I am American walked up, offered her condolences, and then gave me a lanyard with the colors of the Ghanaian flag – telling me that "American or no, now you are in Ghana and will cheer for the Black Stars!" and I said "Yes ma'am!" :)

So Oxford Street in the Osu neighborhood (restaurants, pubs, open air marketplaces district in eastern part of the city) was packed with a parade. Traffic stood still. Guys played soccer in the streets in between cars. Some people came out dressed only in the Ghanaian Flag! Whistles, horns, trumpets, drums, boom-boxes and cheers were over powering. People were everywhere – hanging out of cars screaming; posted on balconies video-taping the parade; or just standing on the side of the streets waving and laughing and dancing.

After the fun in Osu, I walked over to meet my friend Kwaku over at his dad’s restaurant/bar. Then we geared up to view the match that would determine who Ghana would face next Tuesday: the Brazil vs. Japan match. Oh it was painful to watch Brazil toy with Japan so terribly, because Ghana will have to face an amazing Team Brazil next.

Things got a little more quite then.
Some guys at the bar prophesized that all was well. The bigger Brazil is, the harder they will fall to the Black Stars. He proclaimed it history in the making. Stay tuned.