Me and Scott, my valley view roomate, both just woke up at the same time, about midnight tonight, for no aparent reason. There's a slight cooling in the air which is incredibly refreshing compared to the sweaty past few nights. In talking I realized most of my writing has been about what I've done and not what I've experienced, and some stories come to mind.
So let me try to bring you in, see if you can understand where I am. I'm at the college sharing a room that's about 12'x14'. Our beds are wood frame with high density foam mattresses, aparently these are the expensive kind... they feel like regular foam to me...
I've put my head lamp on to not bother scott too much, and I'm sipping from my bag of water as I think back on some of the experiences I've had till now.
In Accra (pronounced aCCRA) on our tour I was approached by a man. I was at the back of our group, so noone saw. He was from another african country which name escapes me right now. I was walking through loud Accra and heard yelling all around. At one point , one of the repetitive yells goes "Hello, I'm talking to you." He had a very thick african accent and seemed very friendly. He started asking my name and where I was from. He asked me for my #, and I explained I didnt have one in Ghana yet. So he asked for my email, and how long I'd stay here. I told him 2 years and he said (him, me) oh we must talk then about what? oh, prosperity man... do you like prosperity? yea, of course ok then we must talk. what is your email? I continued to deny him and eventually we parted.
The issue that bothers me is that supposidley ghanians are extremely hospitable and welcoming. I've heard several stories about PCVs that are lost and complete strangers walk them all the way across the city or buy them a bus fare. In ghana if you're lost, it seems that just by asking strangers as you move along, collectively, the whole country helps you home. Ask one, he points, go a few blocks in that direction, ask another. He points. Keep like this and theyll get you home as a community.
So for me it's a challenge, growing up in miami, a forward stranger either wants to rob you or evangelize you. So since that encounter I've been wondering, did he want to hassl me by email over some issue he's passionate about? Or was this simply an african who's never seen a white man before and simply wanted a new friend to chat with.
I've learned that introductions, greetings, and small talk are exremely important in this culture. Take the time to introduce yourself and a stranger will stop whatever they are doing to help you. So I'm fighting the fine line. Be street smart and dont get played, but at the same time, be culturally sensitive and learn to appreciate this beautiful way of being.
Back at the college my Twi (pronounced chwi) lessons are coming along very well. Our professor Peter (Pee-tah) is very friendly and patient. Tomorrow we take a self managed tour of Accra called Accra Quest. Hopefully I can try some Twi and tap into this culture. But I'll leave you with one amusing note. White people are called "obruni" here (translates to foreigner/stranger) and Accra has areas wehre you can buy U.S. clothes. When you give to the salvation armythe clothes is shipped to Africa. This area of sale is called the obruni graveyard cuz the idea is when we die our clothes all gets collected and dedicated to the salvation army. How else culd people get rid of so much perfectly good clothes? Aparantly also when teams lose national championships the pre-printed "champions!" shirts are donated here as well. ex. you could find a OHIO STATE NATIONAL CHAMPIONS 2006! shirt/cap here.
But my favorite so far is in Accra, a local ghanian, dark as night, wearing a shirt at a bus stop which read:
"Not only am I perfect, I'm Irish too!"
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