I recently visited my brother Nii Ako in Boston (see photo). Please note that why my mother chose to give her son such an exotic name still baffles me and my other brothers, "Rob" and "Brent." Nii has implored--read, nagged--me to visit for the last ten or twenty years and was understandably skeptical when I announced my plans to visit. Nevertheless, I was true to my word.
Massachusettians are a peculiar lot. They do not--or cannot--put fences around their yards, for one. They plant their universities in the middle of the forest (as I discovered when attending a children's literature conference in Amherst). They also choose, out of their own free will, to live in a state that's difficult to spell.
Nii Ako, my brother (see photo again), is married to a wonderful, hospitable woman "Atta." She is also called "Comfort," which can lead to no end of confusion when you answer the phone and encounter someone asking for "comfort." They have two exuberant sons, Sowah and Nii-Odoi. I trust that Nii, out of respect for our mother, will name any future sons something less exotic, like "Bert" or "Ned." However, he has no immediate plans to put any "buns in the oven," so to speak.
One of the highlights of my trip was the arrival of Kathryn Andrea Taxbock of Ottawa and her--get this!--fiancee Mark. "Kathy," as she is called, explained that she wants nothing more than to be like me, to emulate me in word and action. Naturally, since I recently married, she wants to acquire a husband as well. I will say here that as much as I enjoy being idolized, sometimes Kathy can be a little on the creepy side.
Massachusettians are a peculiar lot. They do not--or cannot--put fences around their yards, for one. They plant their universities in the middle of the forest (as I discovered when attending a children's literature conference in Amherst). They also choose, out of their own free will, to live in a state that's difficult to spell.
Nii Ako, my brother (see photo again), is married to a wonderful, hospitable woman "Atta." She is also called "Comfort," which can lead to no end of confusion when you answer the phone and encounter someone asking for "comfort." They have two exuberant sons, Sowah and Nii-Odoi. I trust that Nii, out of respect for our mother, will name any future sons something less exotic, like "Bert" or "Ned." However, he has no immediate plans to put any "buns in the oven," so to speak.
One of the highlights of my trip was the arrival of Kathryn Andrea Taxbock of Ottawa and her--get this!--fiancee Mark. "Kathy," as she is called, explained that she wants nothing more than to be like me, to emulate me in word and action. Naturally, since I recently married, she wants to acquire a husband as well. I will say here that as much as I enjoy being idolized, sometimes Kathy can be a little on the creepy side.
All in all, Boston was fascinating, though I regret not having time to visit Salem, where I understand they still burn witches. My gratitude goes out to my brother for showing me a good time--even though he started nagging me to visit again!
That is all for today. I will now field questions.
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