I love Ghana.
No questions asked.
My first night in Ghana was very interesting, I don't think I was really prepared for all that was about to come my way.
At the airport as I was checking in... I was getting hissed at. Hissing is not bad, it's the way people here in Ghana get each other's attention. I was just not expecting it.
Everywhere I go there are always people staring at me, the 'obruni'*, but that's really okay because in general Ghanaians are extremely nice. I can't count how many times I've shaken someone's hand and heard the greeting "Akwaaba" or the sayings "You are welcome" "You are welcome to Ghana." Everyone wants to talk to the Obruni.
My first full day in Ghana was exciting, but that's probably the biggest understatement. We had our orientation at the AFS office and then later was able to do a little touring of Accra. The things I've seen here are so different, different..that's going to be used a lot here. (It's also one of the AFS and YES Abroad sayings "It's not good, it's not bad, it's just different"). For instance, there are so many stray dogs here, everywhere. Back home I would always bring them to my house until I could find them a home, but here, most of them are afraid of people and it's just not part of Ghanaian culture to take home a stray animal. Different.
Another thing is that the wealthy and poor literally live side by side. You can be walking down one street that's nothing but slums and turn the corner and there be mansions. I guess in a way it is sort of similar to America..but not in the same sense. Different.
As we we werre driving away from the AFS office we stopped at a stop light and this man riding in the trotro next to me, was very friendly and asked me all sorts of questions. I think the most I can remember of our conversation went a little like this:
"Obruni! Obruni!"
"Yes?"
"How are you Obruni?"
"I'm fine thanks, how are you?"
"Fine, where are you from Obruni?
"America."
And then we were driving away and I look over to him and he's blowing me kisses, hanging halfway outside of the trotro screaming "I LOVE YOU OBRUNI!!"
I laughed.
We danced the night away and I think I'm sort of catching a groove here. Who knows, maybe I won't have two left feet when I return home.
This brings me to today! I've seen way too many people just 'do their business' on the street. And by this I mean use the bathroom. I knew it was going to happen. I was told so. But to actually see it for yourself is an entirely different story. Again, different.
One last thing that COMPLETELY throws me off every single time is that the stars and constellations are not the same as the ones back at home. I don't know why I was expecting them to be..but I don't know. It's just little things like that. Different.
Anyways, thanks for reading, I'm loving Ghana so far and cannot wait to see what all it has in store for me!
*Obruni means white person or foreigner