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Ghana Day #28:
Wearing The (Adepa) Pants

By 28th May 2018Fashion, Travel
Seeing as my lunchtime walks have not turned out to be very successful (See Day#22 ), like an Oburoni vampire I now come out when it is cloudy.

 

Saturday was cloudy, so I went for a 2.7km walk down the road. (One road. Still, don’t know my own address.) (See Day#7 )

 

Partly for the exercise, and partly because I was sure I spotted a Vida from the Uber the other day.

 

Which could very possibly have been a mirage, due to withdrawal – 2 coffees in 20 days?

 

But, as I turned the last bend on Boundary Road, there it was. Complete with red umbrellas welcoming me into the (caffeine) fold.

 

Just before I crossed the road, however, my eye caught a pair of shorts dangling from a vendor stall across the road.

 

And you must know how special they were if I was willing to put my long-overdue coffee-fix on hold to take a closer look.

 

I don’t know what distressed Jifa, the stall owner, more:

 

The fact that I wanted to try on the “man short”. Or, the fact that I was also looking at a pair of black trousers.

 

Jifa: “..no, those are for the funeral.”

 

Good thing Jifa could not see my cupboard: I dress for the funeral every day. Hie hie

 

_________________________

 

This morning, as I got into the car, Richard says, “I see you are quoting..” and then something that sounded like “Due kroji mfrma bu ..”

 

(I can still only say “I am hungry” in Twi.) (Will ask Richard tomorrow to write the quote down for me.)

 

 

Translation: “One tree facing strong wind breaks easily.”

 

Which means, when you are doing well and you do not look after those around you, you will now be able to withstand the difficult times alone.

 

 

I knew that Kente fabrics convey a lot of meaning through their colours and patterns, but I had no idea that Adepa cloths actually depict entire proverbs.

 

And my Adepe pants had a lot more to say than just a fashion statement!

 

NAMES & MEANING OF AFRICAN PRINT.

From now on, when I wear The (Adepa) Pants, I will remember that I do not stand alone.

 

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