Atticus
:)
Yup, I can't tell you how many times I pulled out my credit card when I saw that head tilt slightly while waxing on about so many good things.
Kavasseur Site Closes in January 2019
- Thread starter Kojo Douglas
- Start date
Kojo Douglas
The Kavasseur
Whenever i visit the U.S., I will come back with at least 15 kgs of Kava! I still have about 4 kgs left (mostly N@H and Kava Vinaka).
saltminerrr
Kava Curious
I have always enjoyed your reviews, even when I was on a Kava hiatus. Best of luck to you in your new endeavors and thank you for your work in the Kava world!
Honolulusurfer88
Kava Curious
I learned a lot from you. Thank you for everything you did for the community and best wishes (and a shell raised of course) on your next journey!
AZcat
Kava Drinker
Is Kojo a common name in Ghana ? the reason I ask is someone emailed me offering to supply me with large amounts of Gold, and his name is Kojo.
Krunkie McKrunkface
Kava Connoisseur
About one out of every 7 men. You may even be Kojo yourself. In much of Bight of Benin men and women are given, in addition to their given name and family name. A name that indicates what day of the week they were born. You may see variant spellings, like Cujo or Cudjo or Kojo, but it is the same weekday of birth.
There are also sometimes names assigned because of circumstances of birth. For example, an infant “born dead” who then revived in southern Ghana and Togo would be named Kudadje, literally “death lied.”
So everyone has at least one “African name” to which they are entitled, at least in that part of Africa. It is not considered cultural appropriation or otherwise frowned on for an outsider to claim and use what all see as one of their real names. It is both accepted and approved. It is in no way a “fake” name, unless Doug wasn’t born on a Thursday.
Disclaimer: Enyea, mu se Ewegbe deka deka.
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Kojo Douglas
The Kavasseur
Ame aɖe do na yevugbe le afisia? 
Krunkie is correct, Kojo is one of every seven men's name. I have been given like three other names in my wife's village - Kwadjo, Aseda (which means "giving thanks"), Nkusuohene (which means "sub-chief of village development"), and Obunitsi (which means "hunter of ideas").
Krunkie is correct, Kojo is one of every seven men's name. I have been given like three other names in my wife's village - Kwadjo, Aseda (which means "giving thanks"), Nkusuohene (which means "sub-chief of village development"), and Obunitsi (which means "hunter of ideas").
Krunkie McKrunkface
Kava Connoisseur
Mudekuku la, Amegan. Nyem se yevugbeo. Nyao!Ame aɖe do na yevugbe le afisia?
Krunkie is correct, Kojo is one of every seven men's name. I have been given like three other names in my wife's village - Kwadjo, Aseda (which means "giving thanks"), Nkusuohene (which means "sub-chief of village development"), and Obunitsi (which means "hunter of ideas").
Kojo Douglas
The Kavasseur
Have you done some work or traveling in Eweland? It's not a culture or place that many people know about. Cool that you do!
kastom_lif
Kava Lover
That's a pretty cool system. Wikipedia has this table on the Ewe Language page.
So, Kofi Annan was born on a Friday? (Kofi Annan. Let me see you do the Kofi Annan.)
So, Kofi Annan was born on a Friday? (Kofi Annan. Let me see you do the Kofi Annan.)
Kojo Douglas
The Kavasseur
Yes, Kofi Annan was born on a Friday
Intrepidus_dux
Kava O.G.
Those are some pretty awesome names. I was given a second name in Japan and it translates to "beautiful flower.".....less awesome and exciting. The last two names in your list seem particularly cool.Ame aɖe do na yevugbe le afisia?
Krunkie is correct, Kojo is one of every seven men's name. I have been given like three other names in my wife's village - Kwadjo, Aseda (which means "giving thanks"), Nkusuohene (which means "sub-chief of village development"), and Obunitsi (which means "hunter of ideas").
kastom_lif
Kava Lover
Just be glad your Hawaiian name isn't "beautiful flower."
Krunkie McKrunkface
Kava Connoisseur
A long time ago I lived in Togo. My Ewegbe isn't very good, because Ewegbe is very hard (Etugban e gbangbang ngbangbangbang - the big bottle is totally broken, twists my tongue pretty good), but my Gengbe is better as that is easier, until you get to the highest levels where it gets very hard. Sort of like the diff between German and Spanish. At the beginning, Spanish is "easy" and German is hard, but get to the grad student level and German gets easier and easier and Spanish hardness goes through the roof. Fongbe is sort of in between and I can get around in it. Spent some time in Rep of Benin, as well, but mostly just along the coast to Cotonou.
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Kojo Douglas
The Kavasseur
Oh cool! What were you doing in Togo?
I used to go to Lome with my wife to enjoy the beach, the food, and the juju market.
However, the last time I went to Togo was in 2009 (or 2010?). I took my wife and son with me. On the way back into Ghana, the Togolese immigration folks took my son from me because he didn't have any documents. It literally created an international incident. I tried to coolly get my family through the issue, but the Togolese weren't having any of it. Finally, the Ghanaian immigration folks came rushing over the border with weapons out and everything. My wife has an uncle who works in Ghanaian Immigration and she had called him. My son was only about 6 months old. The Ghana Immigration guys threw a sheet over my son and ran with him over the border. The Togolese immigration guys were trying to make sure the baby really belonged to us. It was a nightmare. I'm sure by now it would be fine to go back. I've been up north to Kpalime and surrounds. It is a beautiful, but desperately poor and corrupt country.
I used to go to Lome with my wife to enjoy the beach, the food, and the juju market.
However, the last time I went to Togo was in 2009 (or 2010?). I took my wife and son with me. On the way back into Ghana, the Togolese immigration folks took my son from me because he didn't have any documents. It literally created an international incident. I tried to coolly get my family through the issue, but the Togolese weren't having any of it. Finally, the Ghanaian immigration folks came rushing over the border with weapons out and everything. My wife has an uncle who works in Ghanaian Immigration and she had called him. My son was only about 6 months old. The Ghana Immigration guys threw a sheet over my son and ran with him over the border. The Togolese immigration guys were trying to make sure the baby really belonged to us. It was a nightmare. I'm sure by now it would be fine to go back. I've been up north to Kpalime and surrounds. It is a beautiful, but desperately poor and corrupt country.
Krunkie McKrunkface
Kava Connoisseur
When I was there in the early 80's, doing research, it was considered the "golden age" of Togo, before things went downhill. Heck, the village I lived in isn't even there any more, it literally washed out to sea. I used to go up to Kpalime sometimes, too, very beautiful there, and excellent coffee from a nearby monastery. I remember the bush was noisy at night with all the cocoa and gold being smuggled in from Ghana.
But even in the best of times Aflao was one nasty border crossing. People I knew who crossed it would budget 4 hours each way, even though Lome is right there, basically in town. Instead they'd make the detour up to the next crossing further north and then go back down to the other side, because it was quicker and easier than going direct. It was weird. Even a phone call from one side to the other, where you could throw a rock and hit them, had to be routed through Europe. I knew some folks who made a sort of living just smuggling pink Togo toilet paper into Ghana, as that was said to be preferred.
Kojo Douglas
The Kavasseur
The golden age of Togo - what a concept!
Kojo Douglas
The Kavasseur
Some pictures from Togo. Various from between 2005 and 2010.
Kojo Douglas
The Kavasseur
Krunkie McKrunkface
Kava Connoisseur
That first picture was taken from the Hotel Ariana, looking south down the Blvd 13 janvier to the ocean, right? I remember Peace Corp volunteers would stay there and there was, in my day anyway, a lady who grilled road runner right in front that was the best chicken in Lome.
The golden age thing mainly refers to when things were relatively safe and peaceful and prosperous. I think it was around 84 or 85 that the bombings started. Things were pretty relaxed when I was there. Relatively. Of course it was a right wing repressive police state and all....