Long before I was of age to realize it was already a quote, my grandmother instilled the belief in me that experience is the best teacher. I think that simple proverb accounts for a big part of my decision to come to Ghana. It ran through my mind as application duties turned into long nights, immunizations became less than convenient to obtain, and as I stood in line in JFK feeling so unprepared for such a journey. I knew that no matter how much I could learn about Ghana via Google, nothing could replace learning about Ghana from the Ghanaians. Every first time and new piece of knowledge comes with a longing to share it with everyone “back home”, so here is a bit of my new life experiences so far!
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The other side of the Atlantic!
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1. The Geography of Ghana
It is quite an accomplishment that I am not only able to place myself on a map of Ghana but also the regions from which my Ghanaian friends come. Ghana is split up into ten different regions, home to their own people groups and languages. The average Ghanaian speaks between three and six languages. Usually, he/she speaks the language of his/her people group, the local language of Twi, and of course English. That, to me, is amazing! The Akans were the native settlers of Ghana and have descendants in five different regions today – Western, Central, Eastern, Brong Ahafo, and Ashanti. (The Akans also gave us the Twi language.) Anybody from the other regions descends from other parts of Africa. I’ve finally learned/memorized enough to know which buddies are “Gas”, “Ewes”, “Brong Ahafos”, and other people groups I don’t even dare try to spell yet. I met a former buddy the other day who came back to visit with everyone. Once she said she was from the Greater Accra region, I asked if she was a Ga. Her response was, “How did you know? Did Esther teach you all of that?!” Yes, both Rex and Esther very patiently taught me all the ins and outs of a map of Ghana on three different occasions.
2. The Ghanaian Identification System
Once you know which region of Ghana a person is from (or even before you know that), you can usually determine which people group he/she comes from based on the dialect/accent of any of the various mutually intelligible languages in Ghana. The next important piece of information is which day of the week the person was born. Each Ghanaian has a name descending from the Twi word. For example, I was born on a Thursday (Yawoada), so I am a “Ya”. Eddie is a “Yaw” because it’s gender dependent. If I understand it correctly, a person’s full name goes day of the week, designated first name, people group, designated last name. No other Ghanaian has that exact same information! Some Ghanaians use their “birth day” as their first name, but many use it interchangeably with their “English” name. They especially respect that I’m still learning the days of the week and that getting a necklace proudly proclaiming I was born on a Thursday is a new concept for me. I did meet two classmates who introduced themselves as Afia (Friday) and Ama (Saturday) though. Unless I meet another Afia or Ama in that class, I think I can adapt! 3. Where does your mother come from?
As soon as I thought I knew where all my Ghanaian friends came from, I realized I didn't. Well, I didn't have that information in American terms. That realization struck as I was walking back to my dorm with Richard today. I asked him if his siblings were living in the Volta region, and, understanding my confusion, he specified, "I have never lived in the Volta region." At first, I was confused because that's where he told me he was from. Two seconds later I remembered what my Twi professor taught us. Since Ghana is based on matrilineal succession, Ghanaians refer to where their mother is from when asked where they are from. When Richard told me he was from the Volta region, he was simply saying that his mother is from there. I now know to ask, "Where have you lived" or "Where do you live when you are not at school?" to get the American equivalent.
4. The African Handshake
The African handshake is not too different from the one we use in America (and elsewhere). I start off with the normal handshake position, but instead of going up and down, I turn my hand clockwise. Then, I pull my fingers apart from the other person but find his/her middle finger and snap it. It took a lot of practice to master! At the beginning, I either felt I “aggressively” pulled the person’s middle finger while trying to snap it and/or my hands were so sweaty/greasy that I didn’t hear a snap. However, I am happy to say that my buddies educated me well and I can now greet people with an African handshake!
Now that I am proficient in the handshake, every time I go up to greet the buddies, they either open their arms for a hug or indicate they want a fist bump. As Vera said, any greeting but a kiss is acceptable. “We’re not French,” she added. It’s obvious I’m not from here, so many people go for a normal handshake when I introduce myself. Who knows though until we’re halfway through?! 😉
6. The Family Concept
5. Socializing in Ghana
One of the most important pieces of advice I would share with anyone coming to Ghana is to greet people. Greetings are of foremost importance here. I'm not sure what would happen if I greeted people in the United States as often as I do in Ghana. I’m still learning the happy medium, but our program resources pressed us to be sure to greet every person in authority on campus. If you don’t greet someone and you need something, that person has every right in Ghanaian culture to refuse your request for assistance. Some past international students have experienced that misfortune.
However, once you greet a Ghanaian, it's usually not too hard to find yourself in a conversation. You'll likely exchange numbers within minutes of meeting the person and get invited over for a visit. It can be a bit disorienting and strange at first because people are a lot more outgoing here than in the United States. Though I'm always on guard, most times, people are not what our program calls "professional friends" and really mean well. Last night, I suggested to a classmate that we go out to the night market for food and then eat at the International Student Hostel. Once we got to the market, she insisted that I was invited to go back to not her room, but her best friend's room. I met her best friend five minutes before! I was treated like royalty and met all of her best friend's roommates. It also gave me an opportunity to practice the introductory phrases I had learned in Twi twelve hours earlier and learn even more! Ghanaians love to practice the language with foreigners and appreciate every effort they put forth to learn it.
From the little knowledge I gained about Africa 5,000 + miles away, I always assumed that African society was more inclusive and less individualistic than the United States and France. It’s interesting to see those differences in daily life. In Ghana, it means that everyone around me is either my mother, father, brother, sister, aunty or uncle. “Nua” serves as the Twi word for both “brother” and “sister” and is used for people of similar age, such as my buddies. One of my favorite things to do is say “Me nua, maakye!”. That means “My brother/sister, good morning!” “Maame” and “Agya” is “mother” and “father”. Here, anyone who is related to your mother or father is automatically your mother or father. I guess that means on African terms I have about thirteen mothers and fathers in addition to my biological parents because that’s how many aunts and uncles I have. Wow! Lastly, “aunty” and “uncle” are normally reserved for people not related by blood or marriage. We call our program advisors “aunty”.
One of my buddies stays with his aunt, uncle, and cousins during his studies because his region of origin is so far away. However, I wouldn’t have known that if I didn’t ask him. When I asked if he lived with his siblings or cousins, he said “They’re both”. I don’t even know how many biological siblings he has. It’s not too hard for me to adapt to this cultural custom though, and I think that’s because I have so many people who played (and still play) a vital role in my life other than my biological parents. I like it!
7. Personal Space Does Not Exist
Whether I’m in a car, on a tro tro, with friends, or on my way to class, I've found that personal space is perhaps just as limited as consistent wifi access. I was busy admiring my surroundings at Independence Square with my teammates the other week when I felt an arm extend around my shoulder. Though startled because I was lost in thought, it was one of the buddies just starting up a friendly conversation. Guy friends will link arms and walk hand in hand with girls too. It doesn’t mean any more than, “You’re my sister.”
I've also accepted that cars drive closer to each other and people in Ghana than in the United States. I thought my friend was exaggerating when she said that in Ghana, you could literally hand something to another driver. It’s true though. Some guys were even flirting with us the next car over! The closeness is also quite a shock on the first few walks around campus, but I’m used to it now.
8. Dining Etiquette
Eating a meal here in Ghana differs not only from the United States and France in spice level but also how you eat your food. Though Ghanaians do often use silverware, there are many Ghanaian dishes where only hands are advised. Yesterday, my American friends and I tried fufu for the first time. Fufu is basically a ball of flour pounded and thrown into a bowl along with a spicy soup (peanut/groundnut, goat, cow, chicken, etc.) The gracious locals saw us struggling and taught us that the index and middle finger is used to “cut” the dough. Then, we are to dip it in the soup before swallowing without chewing. It can get messy, so there is a communal washbowl in the middle of the table. I have yet to master eating soup with only my hands. Halfway through our meal, the cook (and server) offered us spoons. Looking at me, she said, “You’re really trying! Are you sure you don’t want a spoon?” With my newly bought water bottle almost emptied, I politely declined, determined I was going to eat like my Ghanaian friends since I was in Ghana or not at all.
As I probably mentioned before, people also only eat with their right hand here. I’m getting good at not using my left hand at all to be on the safe side at meals and when handing people items. It is also culturally polite to offer (and insist nicely) that others eat with you if they approach you at mealtime. This goes for strangers, acquaintances, and friends. Rex gave me some of his kenkey today, which is basically fermented cornmeal. I was so eager to observe how he ate that I forgot he would actually make an effort to share his food. It was good though. Thanks, Rex!
9. My New Walmart
I'll always remember my first couple trips to the night market. Mangos, coconuts and other fruits were built up like a wall. I watched in fascination as women carried empty tubs on their heads to refill at the well. (That’s something I only saw on video in anthropology class before.) However, when Eddie told me to try to purchase a new laptop charger there, I was tempted to tell him, “I've already checked the Accra Mall, and if they don't have it, a street vendor won't. Let's just take a tro tro to Osu (the next town over)." I followed his advice though, and, needless to say, we didn’t have to go to Osu.
10. Stores/Vendors often do not have change.
One of the first questions I ask when I am ready to buy something "Do you have change?" After a few incidents, I learned that I was not as bad at math as I thought for a second. Ghanaians just often do not have change. One of my favorite snacks here are the frozen yogurt bars called “Fan Yogo”. (It follows my philosophy of “Fruit delights every day keep the adaptation shock at bay.”) When I told the cashier that I only had 10 cedis and it only cost one, she told me to come back later when I had the exact amount. No credit/debit cards are accepted either as most business occurs on the streets. On any other day, it would not have been a big deal. However, I really wanted that Fan Yogo! I’ve learned that Ghanaian friends are great resources for cash exchange 😉
11. The Ghanaian Time Zone
Although Ghana falls into the Greenwich Time Zone, I like to joke that it is on its own time zone. Let me just say that if you are on a date, I hope you like your partner because you will be at that restaurant for a long time! It can take over an hour to receive food at any given eating place. The “Ghanaian Time Zone” is visible elsewhere too. Professors often come twenty to thirty minutes late to class (if they come at all), and a 15 minute drive to the mall often takes over an hour with traffic. Ghanaians are very patient people, and I hope I will acquire that virtue soon. It's been a true test!
12. The Harmattan Struggle is Real
Today's forecast (according to my phone weather app) was dust. I've never seen that one before, but again this semester is my first time in Africa. Though the distance between Accra and the Sahara Desert is greater than the distance between my college in Pennsylvania and my loved ones in Indiana, the Sahara still announces its presence during what we call the Harmattan (a cooler name than “dry season”). During the Harmattan, winds from the Sahara bring dust down right to us. It is everywhere. It tickles my nostrils, turns my water brown as I’m washing clothes, and creates a haze that resembles fog. I literally walked into a pile of dust last week while doing a practice run for my courses. I guess one plus side is that it ever so slightly blocks the sun!
13. Who Needs Hot Water?
I’ll always remember (and laught at) my first shower in Ghana. As I stood there trying to figure out how to turn it on, I had to audibly pep talk myself into taking a cold shower. It was a stretch for me even despite the heatwave. Last week, I graduated from a cold shower to a bucket shower. I realize now that cold water is even a luxury because water outages are so common. Don’t worry! One can buy a bucket for showering as well as drinking water at the night market, and there is a water tank outside the hostel. I have tried my best to adapt but definitely appreciate not having to brush my teeth with bottled water more than I ever did in the States!
And lastly, but not least.....
14. The Lizard Problem
During my first week in Ghana, I received the following text in our group chat: Can someone help me get this lizard out of my room? Though I haven’t had issues with lizards in my room because I’m on the third floor (or second in Ghanaian terms), other teammates have had them in their laundry buckets, behind their dressers and even on their beds. I think we’re finally starting to accept it as normal. Outside of campus, it’s a world full of roosters, chickens and goats too! I have not seen one rabbit or squirrel yet, but Rex confirmed they exist.
I can't think of anything that excites a greater sense of childlike wonder than to be in a country where you are ignorant of almost everything.
- Bill Bryson
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