Just before gaining independence in 1957, Ghana had been the British colony of the Gold Coast. A lot of Ghanaians had received education and craft coaching in Britain and following independence the flow northwards expanded. The pursuit of a superior life led to expatriate communities becoming established in all main British cities. Newly arrived visitors to Britain naturally sought out their countrymen for companionship in a strange land. In his novel The Colonial Gentleman's Son, John Powell describes how Kwame Mainu in the age of 27, came to Britain on his initial pay a visit to in 1984, and set out to discover some compatriots inside the city of Coventry.
Kwame took a bus towards the centre of the city. He was heading for the bright lights and he located them. What a contrast with Tamale, he believed, but I doubt if there is certainly any roast Guinea fowl to be had. The nearest that he could see was Kentucky Fried Chicken. McDonalds and Burger King provided hamburgers and Pizza Hut provided pizzas, but getting already eaten Kwame was not searching for far more food. Neither was he prepared for a drink so he decided to appear about the city centre. There had been lots of individuals about as well as a number of them appeared to be from Africa. He mingled using the crowds drifting along the pedestrian precinct and listened out for words in his mother tongue, Twi.
Kwesi had told Kwame that in England a city was defined by the presence of a cathedral. So Kwame was not surprised to discover a cathedral near the city centre. He had believed from what his father had told him that all cathedrals in England had been old. He was surprised to discover that this 1 was new. He also remembered his father saying that all cathedrals had been gorgeous. This 1 was not. Was his father wrong about all this? Then Kwame caught sight of the floodlit ruins of an old cathedral standing behind the new structure, and his faith in his father was restored. He read from a plaque that the original cathedral, built within the 14th century, had been destroyed by German bombs within the Second Globe War. It had been replaced by the new 1 in 1962. Kwame wondered why the old constructing had not been restored to its former glory.
Understanding how interested Ghanaians had been in religion Kwame loitered near the cathedral hoping to run into some of his compatriots. Positive sufficient, a couple of moments later, Kwame saw a black couple with two young children. The young boy was complaining in English "Oh Mother! you like church an excessive amount of. Let's go and eat. I'm hungry." Then he heard the mother remark towards the father in Twi, "They are often hungry and trouble our minds." The parents had been staring up in the floodlit ruins of the old cathedral, bracing themselves against the pull of their offspring intent on answering the call of their stomachs. The kids prevailed inside the tug-of-war as well as the two adults turned reluctantly away and allowed themselves to be towed towards the scent of hamburgers.
Getting identified his compatriots Kwame was uncertain how ideal to method them. So he followed them towards the commercial region till they became separated from the general throng. "Are you from Ghana?" he asked in his vernacular. The family members turned round in some surprise. Kwame continued in Twi "I beg you, there is certainly absolutely nothing poor, I heard you speak Twi and wanted to greet you." "We are pleased to meet you," replied the father in English, "It is generally excellent to meet somebody from Ghana. Come and join us at McDonalds and we'll have a chat. The youngsters cannot wait to obtain to grips with double cheeseburgers."
"You need to have been in England a lengthy time if the youngsters like cheese," stated Kwame when they had been all seated within the restaurant, "They say it takes a Ghanaian as lengthy to like cheese as it takes a European to like kenke!"
"That is almost certainly accurate," replied Isaac, "but the children had been born here and they developed the taste from an early age. "Amma", he added, indicating his wife, "is nonetheless not really keen on cheese, specially the far more potent varieties."
"I can appreciate that," stated Kwame, "The smell puts me off. I haven't been in a position to give it a severe attempt."
"Your mention of kenke," interjected Amma, "makes me really feel very homesick. Cannot we go household for a pay a visit to this year, Isaac?"
"It's the price," replied her husband, "Not the airfares, but the presents you happen to be expected to carry property. It'll wipe out all our savings."
"I must leave it for a year or two prior to going residence," stated Kwame. Isaac looked relieved, but Amma wanted to know what he meant. So Kwame explained the hard conditions he had left behind in Ghana only several days ahead of. "When had been you last in Ghana?" he asked. "We left soon following the Acheampong coup in 72," stated Isaac, "That's twelve years considering that we sat within the shade of a mango tree." "What's a mango tree?" asked Kofi, aged 11.
"You know mangoes" chided Amma, "We get them in the supermarket."
"Yes, but we did not know they grew on a tree," complained Small Amma, aged 9.
Kwame took a bus towards the centre of the city. He was heading for the bright lights and he located them. What a contrast with Tamale, he believed, but I doubt if there is certainly any roast Guinea fowl to be had. The nearest that he could see was Kentucky Fried Chicken. McDonalds and Burger King provided hamburgers and Pizza Hut provided pizzas, but getting already eaten Kwame was not searching for far more food. Neither was he prepared for a drink so he decided to appear about the city centre. There had been lots of individuals about as well as a number of them appeared to be from Africa. He mingled using the crowds drifting along the pedestrian precinct and listened out for words in his mother tongue, Twi.
Kwesi had told Kwame that in England a city was defined by the presence of a cathedral. So Kwame was not surprised to discover a cathedral near the city centre. He had believed from what his father had told him that all cathedrals in England had been old. He was surprised to discover that this 1 was new. He also remembered his father saying that all cathedrals had been gorgeous. This 1 was not. Was his father wrong about all this? Then Kwame caught sight of the floodlit ruins of an old cathedral standing behind the new structure, and his faith in his father was restored. He read from a plaque that the original cathedral, built within the 14th century, had been destroyed by German bombs within the Second Globe War. It had been replaced by the new 1 in 1962. Kwame wondered why the old constructing had not been restored to its former glory.
Understanding how interested Ghanaians had been in religion Kwame loitered near the cathedral hoping to run into some of his compatriots. Positive sufficient, a couple of moments later, Kwame saw a black couple with two young children. The young boy was complaining in English "Oh Mother! you like church an excessive amount of. Let's go and eat. I'm hungry." Then he heard the mother remark towards the father in Twi, "They are often hungry and trouble our minds." The parents had been staring up in the floodlit ruins of the old cathedral, bracing themselves against the pull of their offspring intent on answering the call of their stomachs. The kids prevailed inside the tug-of-war as well as the two adults turned reluctantly away and allowed themselves to be towed towards the scent of hamburgers.
Getting identified his compatriots Kwame was uncertain how ideal to method them. So he followed them towards the commercial region till they became separated from the general throng. "Are you from Ghana?" he asked in his vernacular. The family members turned round in some surprise. Kwame continued in Twi "I beg you, there is certainly absolutely nothing poor, I heard you speak Twi and wanted to greet you." "We are pleased to meet you," replied the father in English, "It is generally excellent to meet somebody from Ghana. Come and join us at McDonalds and we'll have a chat. The youngsters cannot wait to obtain to grips with double cheeseburgers."
"You need to have been in England a lengthy time if the youngsters like cheese," stated Kwame when they had been all seated within the restaurant, "They say it takes a Ghanaian as lengthy to like cheese as it takes a European to like kenke!"
"That is almost certainly accurate," replied Isaac, "but the children had been born here and they developed the taste from an early age. "Amma", he added, indicating his wife, "is nonetheless not really keen on cheese, specially the far more potent varieties."
"I can appreciate that," stated Kwame, "The smell puts me off. I haven't been in a position to give it a severe attempt."
"Your mention of kenke," interjected Amma, "makes me really feel very homesick. Cannot we go household for a pay a visit to this year, Isaac?"
"It's the price," replied her husband, "Not the airfares, but the presents you happen to be expected to carry property. It'll wipe out all our savings."
"I must leave it for a year or two prior to going residence," stated Kwame. Isaac looked relieved, but Amma wanted to know what he meant. So Kwame explained the hard conditions he had left behind in Ghana only several days ahead of. "When had been you last in Ghana?" he asked. "We left soon following the Acheampong coup in 72," stated Isaac, "That's twelve years considering that we sat within the shade of a mango tree." "What's a mango tree?" asked Kofi, aged 11.
"You know mangoes" chided Amma, "We get them in the supermarket."
"Yes, but we did not know they grew on a tree," complained Small Amma, aged 9.