ABSTRACT
As I stepped out of the plane at Accra, Ghana, the atmosphere wrapped around my head like a hot, damp towel and seemed to remain there for several months. There was no escaping the heat and humidity as I moved up to Kumasi, deep in the Asante country, to teach at what was then known as the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology. On my arrival I was introduced to my new home – a large, lofty colonial bungalow, through which a light breeze blew. Its spacious interior was uncluttered by excess furniture; what furniture there was had been constructed of bent cane and there were no fabrics to cling to the skin. I changed into cotton shirt and shorts and sat back to watch the geckos (small lizards) chase each other over the wall and among the rafters.
