wow... that was a really long one, and I'm impressed I read through to the end! Yours has been an interesting read about my homeland. Anyway... first thing.. you should say "me pa wo chewo" it means "I beg of you" or please, pardon me, etc as the French use s'il vous plait. You'll find Ghanaians saying "I beg you" when saying 'please' as is a literal translation from Twi to English.
Second thing... where do you find all these Neanderthals? It's a bit sad to read about how disrespectful some men are in Ghana. I would hope theirs hasn't given you the impression that we're all the same. I have loads of male friends in Ghana who are quite the opposite, and we don't carry on like we're entitled to act that way towards women. I don't know if it's a generational thing (I'm 30), but growing up, boys/men didn't behave this way, certainly not with such brazing disregard for one's personal space. It's a bit unfortunate to have to suggest, but I'd advice you always try to have a trusted male friend with you whenever you imagine you'll meet with such behaviour. Also, if you have the time or the means, you should consider weekend trips to Ada, Keta, Busua, Axim, etc. They're all further from Accra with much nicer beaches.
Adrenalin! When I first got here, it was a lot like that, but since I've settled into a routine, it's actually pretty laid-back. There seems to be a lot less stress here than in the U.S. I like it. :)
Response to David I'm not quite sure about that area. I live in East Legon, a few miles away from Accra. But most of the areas of Accra, and the few areas outside of Accra that I've visited, are similar. The people are polite, and will generally try to help you if you ask them nicely. It is considered good form to say, before any sort of interaction, "Good morning/afternoon/evening". I've found that it helps to keep a sense of humor about things, and always try to remain friendly, even if something is really getting on your nerves. Get used to bad driving and terrible traffic. There is no such thing as "pedestrian right-of-way" here, and there are very few crosswalks or lights, so be very careful in the streets. And try not to fall into any open sewers. And if someone calls out "Obruni", it means "white person". Don't use your left hand to give or receive things, to shake hands, or to eat food. Especially in business transactions, this is very important, as the left hand is considered unclean and using it is a sign of disrespect.
I could go on for pages and pages, but most of the stuff you'll quickly pick up on if you visit.
Best of luck to you, David!
need some help if u hav time im currently on line with someone that lives in ghana she is a christian girl and im just interested in how it is there. i may be visiting there in jan she lives off the kanda hwy and 4th area just wondering how that area is
timeshares in Africa Today, Africa is becoming a haven of many timeshare properties. I hope that you will enlighten us with an article about timeshares in Africa next time. What we always hear and read nowadays are those owners trying to get out of their timeshares. An article about timeshare properties in Africa will be highly appreciated.
Accra Claire, it's ok to look at everything, including stuff street vendors are hawking. One thing you should do is say "d33bi, medaasi" d33bi (picture the '3' reversed; sounds like 'd+air+bi') means "no." So you simply wave your hand(s) with a a smile and say "d33bi, medaasi" "no, thank you" and they'll respect that. They'll also love and appreciate that you're learning to use Twi.
I'll miss you!!! Have a safe flight. I know that you'll have a great time. Don't forget you pepper spray and plastic toothbrushes to make shanks out of, just in case. You can never be too safe :p
1st blog entry Don't forget the caladryl lotion/ointment for the mosquito bites. It'll help once you do get the bites. And I do like your first entry. Should be an interesting time for you.
mike
non-member comment
wow... that was a really long one, and I'm impressed I read through to the end! Yours has been an interesting read about my homeland. Anyway... first thing.. you should say "me pa wo chewo" it means "I beg of you" or please, pardon me, etc as the French use s'il vous plait. You'll find Ghanaians saying "I beg you" when saying 'please' as is a literal translation from Twi to English. Second thing... where do you find all these Neanderthals? It's a bit sad to read about how disrespectful some men are in Ghana. I would hope theirs hasn't given you the impression that we're all the same. I have loads of male friends in Ghana who are quite the opposite, and we don't carry on like we're entitled to act that way towards women. I don't know if it's a generational thing (I'm 30), but growing up, boys/men didn't behave this way, certainly not with such brazing disregard for one's personal space. It's a bit unfortunate to have to suggest, but I'd advice you always try to have a trusted male friend with you whenever you imagine you'll meet with such behaviour. Also, if you have the time or the means, you should consider weekend trips to Ada, Keta, Busua, Axim, etc. They're all further from Accra with much nicer beaches.