i have learned...

• It is possible to live for a month without a cell phone (what I did after leaving mine in a taxi by accident)
• People who live in slums are not just statistics. They are REAL people with emotions, hardships, relationships and love just like you or me
• The Bible verse that says that when we give to the poor we will be repaid in their thanksgiving and prayers for us is so, so true  
• It takes work to live simply
• It is actually possible to live without A/C in a tropical climate
• Ghanaians, for the most part, have no idea how to read any sort of map
• Taxi drivers will always tell you they know where you want to go even when many times they have no idea
• Changing your accent slightly to mimic the local English accent really helps others understand you
• Although I don't like ignoring people, sometimes it is worth it....like when Ghanaian guys stand off their balconies yelling “I need a white lady to be my wife, will you take my number?” … uh, no.
• That practically everything can be carried on your head...refrigerators, beds, live chicken coops (I think this will always mystify me), books, baskets of food, etc
• Ghanaians believe that putting a tiny piece of cloth on a baby’s head will stop them from hiccupping
• According to Ghanaians, blowing your nose in toilet paper rather than a tissue will worsen your cold
• Ghanaians LOVE having their pictures taken -- pictures that are printed out are very special because they are expensive
• Pharmaceuticals come into Africa to test drugs on poor people that have not been FDA-approved without telling them the possible physical effects of such drugs (thank you to my Canadian friends for educating me about this issue)
• For every $1 in aid a developing country receives, over $25 is spent on debt repayment
• It can be really hard to be an African-American traveling to Africa...a good place to go to understand this perspective is Maya Angelou’s autobiographies -- the one I read was All God’s Children Need Traveling Shoes
• Many Africans believe that America is better than China – most who are politically aware realize that both countries are screwing them over, but also think that China is doing it in a really sneaky way whereas America just does it outright
• The only thing you can’t be late for in Ghana is class (if you’re a student) or a business meeting, everything else is fine
• I hate bargaining and am horrible at it