Long before social media and email, there was letter writing – skip the classroom formal, informal and friendly letter thing. A number of us, especially the boys back at Burma Camp, did write letters actively in those days.
We’d rush to the Post Office at break to buy Aerogram – those foldable writing pads that also served as envelopes. Come back in time to write letters, letters mainly of requests. Request for overseas ‘friendship,’ i.e. penpals and for Bible tracts.
Aerogram definition as I found on google: "An aerogram, aérogramme, air letter or airletter is a thin lightweight piece of foldable and gummed paper for writing a letter for transit via airmail, in which the letter and envelope are one and the same."
Why I insist the boys were in the lead with this letter writing business? We wrote to especially Jean Claude Van Damme, we wrote to Schwarzenegger a.k.a Commando and to foreign football clubs – that was how I personally came to start supporting Blackburn Rovers – I have since seen the light, I’m a gunner to boot since I can’t remember.
Van Damme seemed like he had 1000s of his photos packed somewhere waiting for letters to arrive then he addresses envelopes for the photos to be sprinkled round the word to his fans who wrote to him in California.
It was not exactly a status symbol to receive a letter but it was a clanking and noisy cymbal when you were ‘beaten return.’ When your address failed to correspond to a receiver at the other end. Some boys could laugh at you, you’ll cry.
The headache was two – way, here you were having sliced part of your chop money to buy an aerogram and wind up having it back with zero results.
I particularly remember the Bible Tract societies that will send you a Question and Answer booklet with reading material. I was part of those that read and filled out the booklets and crossed my fingers waiting for a copy of the New Testament Bible.
Don’t get bored I am about to stray but still on religion, the Wednesday worship sessions were powerful as much as they were draining, we sang and danced round the assembly grounds, listened to guest preachers and winded up paying ‘collection’ before going to class.
Woe betide you if there was an impending test right after the worship, you will ‘worship’ alright but the Science or Maths onslaught added to the stress there was.
And I can’t forget the joint church service that was held for us at the Anglican Church – opposite the post office in the run up to the BECE. It was the first time I had entered that church.
As it was that I only once attended the Friday Muslim prayer at the mosque also at the time located in the same area. Fuseini, Sadat Sinare and myself left at second break – between 1 – 1:30 and if I’m right we returned during or possibly after closing.
Mr Collins’ trio-lingua worship song still rings in my head. The first language must be Greek, Hebrew or Latin – then he gave translations in Twi and Ga. Sing along if you remember:
‘Odaa yaaka yooruwa, Haleluyah 2x
‘Odaa yaaka yooruwa, Haleee luyah!
‘Yooruwa, Halee luyah!
‘Yooruwaaa, Haaaleee luuyah!
I maintain Burma Camp Basic School is the one academic level that I’d give anything to return to: True friends, real hustle, crack teachers, carefree disposition, tons and tons of memories – personal and collective.
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