1. The tortoise says: The hand goes and the hand comes.

Every Akan is expected to do good whenevr he or she ahs the opportunity to do so. This would include giftgiving, feeding a person, taking care of an elderly person, giving money to someone who needs it, etc. Akan thought is that if a person keeps everything to himself, eventually it can be stolen or destroyed. Therefore it is best to share the wealth no matter how small it may be.

Gift giving to Ghanaians is very improtant because affection and friendship are attached to the act. Sometimes the person may appear to be very poor or under immense hardship. This sometimes causes the intended recipient to decline this act of generosity. However, it wouldbe quite offensive to thedonor; it disgraces him. Remember, you can always find ways to compensate the donor at a later time to supplement what yoy feel they have lost.

One day i, Kemetian, was visiting a Colombian lady that lived in our building. i and all the other kids in the building used to call her "abuelita" because of her warm nature, and the fact that she took care of many us when we were babies and well.. we didn't know her name, that's what her grandson w/ whom we used to play called her so it was good enough for us. she didn't speak english so it was an opportunity para practicar mi espanol. well she offered me some tea, and i refused because i had just eaten and i didn't want her to go to any trouble. and even tho' she keep insisting (u think i would've got the point, i tell u, nothin' worse than a hard-headed kid) i still refused, determined not to let her have to do that. anyway she made the tea and drank it while we talked. that evening i learnt that i had insulted her. i'm embarassed until this day every time i think about it. pays to know protocol!

Peace.
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"There is something dreadfully wrong
with an education/socialization process
that leaves us ignorant of our past,
strangers to our people, apes of our
oppressors, and creatures of habitual,
shallow thought, and trivial values."
-Dr. Asa G. Hilliard,III

"general group behavior patterns matter
more than individual exceptions. and
past group behavior is indicative of
future group behavior." - yuckwheat

"Everyone has their myths which is
fine. However when one parades "myth"
as "fact" especially concerning ANOTHER
group of people independent of the said
myth-making group then we have a
problem. The myth now becomes a LIE." -
Solarus