togo & benin

Day 1: Lonnie, Nina and I arrived at Circle (the place where we would get the bus to Lome) around 2pm, and pulled out of the chaotic bus station that is Circle approximately 30 minutes later. The three of us dozed in and out of sleep as the bus moved slowly through traffic, until we noticed – about an hour and a half later, might I add – that we were just passing by the university. We have no idea why the drive that usually takes 20 minutes took five times as long…Oh, Ghana. We were told that the drive to Lome from Accra would take about 3 hours, but we ended up at the border in almost double the time. I got excited as we neared the border to start speaking French again – while getting our visas at the Togo border, I married off both Nina and Lonnie to one of the security guards, who also wrote down his number for us and told us to call him. Good times. We made it to our hotel and then wandered around looking for a place to eat, after which we crashed into bed to try and get some sleep

Day 2: After leaving our not-so-lovely hotel room, we had an amazing breakfast of omelettes and our first moto ride of the trip along the coast of Togo…it was awesome! We wandered through the market in Lome, and after deciding that markets in West Africa pretty much all look the same, headed to the fetish market. The fetish market is where people who practice voodoo go to get their medicines…it was certainly an interesting experience. We met the son of the fetish market chief and saw how many stones/animal parts/random stuff was used to do voodoo, and then got to walk around and take pictures of all the musty dead animals.

As Nina put it: “Thank God for the World Wildlife Federation.”

After we had enough of snake skulls and horse heads, we got a taxi to Togoville, the village that the whole country is named after. We took a pirogue ride through Lac Togo to the village, which boasts of the voodoo religion (stone statues of gods were everywhere) and the place where the Virgin Mary supposedly appeared in the 80’s (the pope even visited Togoville after that happened). We then pirogue-d it back to the shore, which was a memorable ride as Lonnie met another future husband and an old man blessed us about 50 times…pretty sure “God Bless You” was the only thing he knew how to say in English. We crossed into Benin in the afternoon, and made it to Ouidah in what we thought was a too-full taxi with 4 people crammed in the back. Little did we know what was to come….anyway, we made it to Ouidah, which is a small town with a Portuguese fort, slave history and a museum full of snakes (but we stayed far away from that!). Our hotel was blue bungalows right on the ocean…amazing! We had a lovely French dinner, laughed when the power flickered on and off numerous times, and swam in the saltwater pool.

Day 3: We first walked to the Door of No Return, which was located pretty close to our hotel and then took a motorbike into town…with all THREE of us, along with our backpacks and purses, behind the driver…it was crazy. We took a tour of an old Portuguese slave fort, taxi-ed to a bank in Cotonou to take out money, and took a moto ride to Ganvie, the largest stilt village in Africa -- It is comprised of 4 villages that total around 80,000 people. They even had two hotels you could stay in and a gift shop, where the store owner outfitted Nina like an African woman which was pretty funny. We then headed north to Abomey in a shared taxi, walked around a little bit in search of French food, only to realize that Ghana has a disproportionate amount of street food compared to Francophone West Africa. We pulled out the guidebook and found a place that sounded good, found it and sat down to learn that they had no menus (we are used to only getting one menu per group, but no menus??) and that they were only serving rice and meat. Since I don’t eat meat and Lonnie and Nina were rice-ed out, we decided to give up on and head to our hotel, which turned out to be a great idea. The hotel was very cute and despite the lack of running water, we had a great dinner and lots of fun hanging out there.

Day 4: In the morning we visited the palace that used to be where the chiefs of the Abomey people lived – now it has been turned into a museum. The whole thing was so interesting, we saw many of their religious practices, the uses for the various compounds within the palace, and heard how all Abomey kings had more than 1,000 wives -- whenever one king died, the next king inherited all of the previous king’s wives! After our tour, we went to the bus station only to find out that there wasn’t another bus going to Natitingou (where we wanted to go) that day. We accepted an offer to ride up on what we thought was going to be a tro tro the whole way, only to find out that was NOT the case. Here ensued the hilarious events: from a squished tro-tro, to taxi #1, which included me straddling the stick shift, 4 people in the front row and 8 in the backseat, which is a total of 12 people, then taxi #2, which had three rows – 4 people in the front, we think 8 in the middle, 4 in the back (that’s where we were), 1 in the trunk and 1 on the roof for a grand total of 18 people. This was a seriously hilarious experience…we bonded with the Beninois people in the car, and I got to play with a little girl who was adorable. One of the guys in there (the one who was at first on the roof, but then came in the car when it started raining) spoke a little English and said “See? Africa no good. In America, this not happen.” He was laughing about it, but it’s true. I don’t know whether there is a shortage of taxis in Benin or that people don’t have enough money to pay for a reasonable number of people in one taxi, but it is so unsafe. Then, we were dropped off again to taxi #3 which I thought was the most uncomfortable. Lonnie and Nina were jammed in the front with the driver and another lady, I was in the middle with I think 7 others, and 4 guys were crammed in the trunk. We went through a police checkpoint….our driver bribed the officer to let our way-too-full taxi through with a bag of pure water. We finally made it to Natitingou around 10pm, found a hotel that had the friendliest workers ever who helped us get a guide for our SAFARI the next day!

Day 5: AFRICAN SAFARI! We rented a truck and a guide for the day, which turned out to be a great idea. We left our hotel at 5:30am and returned back at 5:30pm….it was amazing! We saw lots of elephants, crocodiles, monkeys, hippos, wildebeasts, gazelles, warthogs, monkeys, baboons, birds, antelopes, turkey-looking things and many other animals that we had no idea what they were called. We got to ride on the top of our guide’s truck….we felt like we were in the Lion King and so sang a lot of Lion King songs throughout our drive  After our safari, we took a tro tro through Benin into Togo which was amazing. The ride was beautiful and we saw so many interesting villages. One of the funniest parts was the “border” between Togo and Benin…it was literally a tree log. Since we didn’t get exit stamps, the three of us never actually left Benin, according to our passports. We stayed overnight in Kara, a city in the far north of Togo, at possibly the worst hotel I have ever been in in Africa…and that’s saying something!

Day 6: Travel day! We took a bus from Kara to Lome, which surprisingly left on time and got to our destination on time! From Lome (which, fun fact, is the only capital city in the world that is also a border town) we went through the border with no issues and then got a tro from Aflao back to Accra. We were so happy to be back in Ghana! As the three of us were sitting on the tro with people surrounding the bus trying to sell items, two ladies in the tro yelling at each other over something or another, and being able to use our beloved cedis instead of confusing CFA, Lonnie said, “I never thought Ghana would feel so much like home!” So true :)

a typical week in ghana

Whenever I read people’s blogs, I always wish I had an idea of what they did every day…maybe it’s just the American in me, but I LOVE when things are in chronological order. So…here is a short recap of a typical week here in Ghana throughout the past 3 months – but keep in mind that nothing in Ghana can be called ‘typical’…

Monday: I usually wake up debating whether or not I should go to the Urban Development class that I’m auditing. If I decide to go, I’ll leave the hostel around 8:50am, which gives me enough time to order an egg sandwich at the night market and walk to my 9:30 class. During class, I write notes and look around when the professor makes jokes to try and figure out why everyone is laughing. If I don’t decide to go, which has been the case recently, then I wake up later and head straight to my African-American Literature class that starts at 11:30 (which, unfortunately, is the same time that my first class ends…why they don’t add more time between classes is a mystery to me). But it’s okay because I’ve always made it there before my professor, an African-American, arrives. During this class I have the luxury of being able to stop paying attention periodically because I can easily understand what the professor is saying. I get out of this class at 1:30, and either get lunch at one of the nearby eating places (all of which are inside the individual dorms/hostels) or back at Night Market which is right next to my hostel. I usually arrive at my 3:30 class, Africa and the Global System, only to wait for my professor to show up 30 minutes later. At 5:30 I am very happy to be done with classes for the day, and usually head back with my obruni friends to grab my usual dinner at the Night Market – beans, white rice, and plantains. At night, we’ll hang out, get stuff made by the seamstress, watch movies, go to a movie at the mall, whatever.

Tuesday: Up at 9am, I will usually get oatmeal or waffles at Tasty Treats (the eating place inside of my hostel), which can take from between 10 minutes to an hour to receive. I always bring a book out there to read while I wait, but inevitably I will end up talking with the other international students waiting for their food. Until around 2pm, I will either read for class, go online, write blogs, read one of the many books I brought here and am trying very hard to finish, or hang out with my roommate or other people. I then usually go to meet Rebecca, one of the social workers from Street Girls Aid, at Tema Station – which is right in the middle of Accra. The ride from campus to Tema Station takes about 30 minutes, depending on the traffic and the number of people getting on and off. After meeting Rebecca, we walk to the slum where Comfort, Ata, Afia and Adua live (or lived, since Ata and Afia are already back home trying to start their businesses!) and visit them and the others who lives there. This often ends up in me taking a million pictures of everyone, or in us walking to a nearby (well, nearby according to them, but not really by my standards!) pharmacy or market to get them either medicine for their children or something they need. I always love visiting them and seeing their smiling faces. I then travel back to campus, usually get stuck in a ton of traffic and laugh at the insane drivers until I get back to campus. Back at campus I then grab dinner – you guessed it, rice, beans and plantains from the Night Market – and then eat quickly before heading to our International Students Bible Study, which is held in the hostel right next to mine.

Wednesday: I’ll wake up at 8am to get ready, grab breakfast and go to Street Girls Aid – a process that includes a walk to the tro-tro stop at the nearest junction, a tro-tro ride past the main gate of the university, a wait at the tro-tro stop outside of the main gate for a tro to La Paz, the tro ride to La Paz, and then a few minute walk to the refuge house. I usually arrive there by 10am, and start doing school with the girls. They break for lunch at noon, during which I’ll go and sit with them and ‘be invited’ to all of their meals (Ghanaians say “you are invited” whenever they are eating and are trying to tell you that you can eat their food with them). Afterwards, we usually go upstairs to their room and hang out, talk, dance, be silly, take pictures, whatever  I’m always sad by the time I have to leave at 2:30 to get back to campus for my class at 3:30. I go to my Strategies of Development class where almost half of the students are international. One of my friends re-named the class “International Students against Professor,” which I think is pretty accurate, given that our professor does not always have the strongest or most valid explanations for things. I then trudge to my 5:30-7:30 class, Geography of West Africa with special reference to Ghana, where my friend Maggie from Elon and I sit in the front next to our friend, Pounds Sterling (yes,that is his name). He is really nice and very helpful in decoding the Ghanaian English spoken by our professor to us. By 7:30 I can’t WAIT to eat beans, plantains and rice and so we speed walk back to the hostel to get some food!

Thursday: Nina and I walk to tutorial for our Strategies of Development in Africa class which consists of an hour of discussing the topics covered in class more in-depth (which only sometimes happens since our teaching assistant really likes to hear himself talk), and then usually grab lunch at Tasty Treats or an egg sandwich at the Night Market. Sometimes I would go again (often Nina comes with me) to visit Comfort, Ata, Afia and Adua, or little Jon with Rebecca in the afternoons. At 6:30, I go upstairs to Selma’s room for my Ghanaian Bible Study, which is an outgrowth from a local church. I really enjoyed my time listening to Ghanaian perspectives and getting to know more Ghanaians here. They were all very welcoming and nice.

Friday: On Fridays I try to sleep in as late as the blasting music from the Night Market will permit, hang around doing random things in the morning, and usually leave to head to Street Girls Aid by noon. On Fridays I do different things with the girls, sometimes school, sometimes creative art-type stuff, and once I had my international student friends come in with their laptops so the girls could learn how to use computers! It was awesome watching them – they were so excited.

The weekends really vary, but if I’m not traveling, it will often include a trip to a beach or a pool, a movie or play being showed on campus, going to the mall to get pictures printed of the girls at S.Aid or getting on the super fast internet at the Apple store, watching movies and hanging out, going out to dinner anywhere that does NOT serve Ghanaian food, or exploring Accra.

jon

This is Jon and his father Charles. Jon is two years old and is thought to have cerebral palsy, although he has never been officially diagnosed. He has no control of motor functions and spends everyday lying on a mat inside his house. His mother left when she realized his condition. There is a social stigma against people with such disabilities in Ghana. Rebecca, the social worker, explained to me that many people used to believe/still believe that people have disabilities either because of something bad the family has done (so the person with a disability is bringing a curse upon their family) or because of some evil spirit. For this reason, Jon has spent most of his life indoors because a lot of people fear him. Fortunately, the people who live around Jon have started to become used to him, which has allowed the father to bring him outside more often now.

I first met Jon about a week ago. I sat next to him and tried to hold his hand. His whole body continually twists around, including his head, but he kept trying to look at Rebecca and me. He often looks directly into your eyes and it is clear that there is some sort of recognition there. I think he is pretty high functioning for a child who has not had much stimulation. Jon is also extremely malnourished, currently weighing about 14 pounds. His arms and legs are stick skinny. You have to be really careful when you hold him, because his head is too heavy for him to hold up (partly due to the malnourishment and partly due to the CP). He is malnourished because his dad can’t hold a job because taking care of Jon is a full-time job.

Unfortunately, there are not any government services to help provide for Jon's needs. He is in need of several things, including a proper diagnosis from a medical facility, a treatment plan that most likely will include medication, fees for an orphanage to help improve his condition, and immediate food to feed both Jon and his father. Rebecca has found an orphanage that helps children with special needs that will be able to take Jon in for a few years if funding for this can be procured. She believes this is necessary because it is the only way his father will be able to find a job that will hopefully enable him to take care of his son. The goal for Jon is to be able to live independently, so hopefully the orphanage will help get Jon to that place so that his dad can continue working after Jon returns home. Charles, Jon’s father, was at first very reluctant to part with him for a little while, but knows he has to in order to help him. Everyone is hoping that Jon will only have to be in the orphanage for less than five years.

Jon’s smile is contagious. Whenever I go and visit him I can’t stop smiling either. Watching him and his dad together is the most amazing thing…it is so evident how much Charles loves his son. Everytime Jon looks at his dad, a huge smile spreads across his face. If anyone would like to help Jon and his dad out, please don’t hesitate to contact me. I can assure you that any support would go directly to Jon and can even be specified to wherever you would want to contribute, whether it would be for food, orphanage fees, doctors fees, or medication.

Charles & Jon in front of their house

Comfort, Ata, Afia & Adua

Top row (L to R): Comfort and baby Bright, Afia and 4-year-old Comfort

Bottom row(L to R): Adua and baby, Ata and baby Vanessa

They told me that I was the answer to their prayers. I almost started crying when they said that to me. I’m not any better than them. They work harder than me, carrying babies on their backs and heavy loads on their heads for hours a day. They sleep on a hard concrete floor in a small shack with all of their babies. They do not have running water, and often eat one meal a day. Their babies have one pair of clothes each. They drink out of dirty containers and go to the bathroom out in the open. Their belongings are few and their lives have been hard and most likely will continue to be hard. All four of these girls are 20 years old. They are my age, and yet I can see in their eyes that they are much older. I have never gone hungry so that my child may be fed. I have never slept on a hard concrete floor or known what it is like to live in a shack that crumbles each rainy season. I have spent my years growing up going to school, and not just primary school but secondary school and college. Only one out of the four of them can read (although not very much); the others are illiterate. I have a world of opportunities at my feet and they do not. It is not fair. They want to go home to their rural villages for a number of reasons, one of which being that the government is about to bulldoze their slum in order to build a high-rise hotel.

I was first introduced to these girls through Rebecca, one of the social workers who works at Street Girls Aid. Two of the girls, Comfort and Ata, lived at the refuge house for several months until they had to leave because there needed to be room for other pregnant girls at the house. The other girl, Afia, is 20 years old and has a four-year old daughter. She has been on the streets for years now, and has gone home once, only to return to the streets in Accra because she could not make a living in her village. The Bible study I’m in on campus, which consists mostly of international students from Canada & America, has decided to send these girls home and try to help them have a sustainable life at their home villages. Ata is going to have a hairdressing and manicure/pedicure business, Afia a hairdressing business, and Comfort a manicure/pedicure business. To do this, we are providing them the money for the structures of the shacks where there businesses will be, as well as tables and chairs for inside and the necessary supplies (nail polish, hair extensions, etc) to enable them to run their businesses. We are praying that each of them will be successful and that they will be able to support themselves and their children through their businesses.

My heart breaks because their story is not the exception, but the norm. Most of the 60,000 street children in Accra come from poor rural villages where they have no access to education or any means of generating income with the perception that they will have a better life in the city. One-sixth of the world’s population - 1 billion people - live in slums just like Comfort, Ata, Afia and Adua. One-half of the world - 3 billion people - lives in poverty. Statistics like this often don’t faze us anymore because we hear them all too often and they don’t affect most of our everyday lives. Or maybe they do pull on our heartstrings, but we don’t know what to do about it because the problems are just so overwhelming. When I come into contact with such dire poverty, when I walk into the slums where these girls live, my heart is heavy. Often I wonder where God is in any of this. Many verses in the Bible promise that God is on the side of the poor and the oppressed, that He hears their cries and is working for justice for them. A lot of times I doubt that any of that is true. The suffering in the world just seems too great, almost unbearable. But then I think back to the fact that they told me I was the answer to their prayers. Things like that fill me with hope because then I see that God is working through people. The fact that you or I could be the answer to someone’s prayers is humbling and amazing. I think all it takes is our hearts being open to God and the needs around us.

Ata and Afia are going back north to their villages this coming Thursday. Comfort is waiting to sell the last bit of her candy before she leaves, so she will probably be leaving in about two weeks. We are praying that they will be able to support themselves and their children when they go back to their villages. Please join us in praying for these beautiful girls and their children.

destination: cote d'ivoire

Purpose: Eat French baguettes, renew our Ghana visas (they were only valid for 60 days so we had to leave and re-enter the country), have an adventure!

Language: French and other local African languages

Currency: CFAs (1000 CFAs = 3 cedis = $2 USD)

Day 1
Left the university: 5 am
Arrived in Abidjan: 9 pm

Nina, Arsalan and I started out bright and early in hopes of catching the bus that went straight from Accra to Abidjan because we figured that would be the easier way. When we arrived at the STC bus station at 6:30 am, however, we found out that the bus had already left two hours before. So, we found a tro-tro that would take us to Elubo (the town in Ghana closest to the border). We arrived in Elubo at 2 pm and walked off the tro-tro, only to be swarmed by taxi drivers who wanted us to take their taxi to the border and men who wanted to exchange our money into CFAs. Thankfully we had made a friend on the tro-tro who was from Cote d’Ivoire, and so we stuck close to her, her friend, and their huge pile of luggage to get to the border. We had absolutely no problems at the border, although it did take awhile. After several more tro-tros and numerous stops at police checkpoints, we arrived in Abidjan around 9pm. The cousin of a girl who lives in our hostel, Jean-Claude, met us and helped us find food and a hotel for the night.
Most important thing learned: Smiling at police officers and responding positively to winks will help you not have to pay any bribes

Day 2
The majority of our day was spent in Le Plateau, the commercial district of Abidjan. We stopped for a look at the one of the largest Catholic cathedrals in Cote d’Ivoire which has beautiful African-themed stained glass all throughout it, and the Museum of Civilization, which, unfortunately, turned out to be a museum about Jewish history with posters from National Geographic hung on the walls (??) In addition, we walked around several shopping areas that looked very European, ate many pastries and baguettes off the streets, saw a mosque, and took a water taxi. We also randomly met Jean-Claude’s brother, who works with the military, on the street, and then were invited to hang out with the Ivoirian military at their compound. So random…but still fun! We also had ice cream…and not the Ghanaian version of ice cream, but ice cream that tasted like American ice cream!! It was so great. We also got to try some Ivoirian food, including ‘acheke.’ So good!!
Most important thing learned: Finding a giant menorah and a large elephant skeleton next to each other in a museum is not considered strange in Africa

Day 3
Our guidebook told us that one of the most interesting sites in Abidjan was an outdoor laundromat, apparently the largest in the world, where men could be seen furiously washing clothing in a river on old tires and rocks. After some confusion, we made it to the place, only to find out that all of the people washing clothes are from a nearby slum and wash their clothes there because that is the only place for them to do their wash. We had to pay the ‘security guards’ there money in order to take pictures, and later found out that the people washing clothes never actually see any of that money. Sigh. We then traveled a few hours with Jean-Claude to his village outside of Abidjan, called Bonn. The village is named after Germans who came there and built wells for the community so they could have a water source. The kids in the village were enthralled by us foreigners, and often followed us around. We took a tour of the village, walked through a savannah and were fed an incredible dinner. At night, drummers came and everyone got together and danced. Little children taught me how to dance…it wasn’t very successful, but I had a great time!
Most important thing learned: I will never be able to dance

Day 4
Early in the morning we walked around the village to say our goodbyes. Little children started following us around, and before I knew it, there were children all around me, touching my hair, rubbing my arms, and holding onto all of my fingers. It was adorable. We traveled back to Abidjan, and then went to Grand Bassam to go to some of the markets there. Marcel, Jean-Claude’s brother, went with us and was extremely helpful when we were bargaining. The best part was our taxi ride back to Abidjan… we were on a two-lane highway, and there was a ton of traffic on our side of the road. Our taxi driver got annoyed, and so started driving in the other lane. When cars started coming at us, we went for a little off-roading adventure on the opposite side of the road we were supposed to be on. Then, our taxi breaks down. Arsalan and Marcel get out to push the car, but it won’t start because we are stuck on rocks and dirt. So, we had to wait until cars weren’t coming to push the car on the road, where, after a little while more of pushing, the car started again. We finally got back into our proper lane…Would you think that the taxi driver would stay in that lane? Of course not…so we went off-roading again, this time at least on our side of the road. What were Nina and I doing this whole time? Laughing hysterically, of course. When we got back to Abidjan, we went out for French dessert and then went to a club. When they played some popular American songs, Arsalan, Nina, and I got up and did stereotypical American moves…the Ivoirians were all laughing and videotaping us on their phones.
Most important thing learned: I LOVE taxi rides and dancing very embarrassingly in public

Day 5
Left Abidjan: 9:45 am
Arrived at the university: 10 pm

We woke up and found the most incredible food on the streets…on our last day! A French baguette with hard boiled eggs, avocado, beans and other vegetables…a vegetarian’s dream! I think it was the best thing I’ve eaten since I’ve been here. The ride back to Accra was similar to the ride there, although we did encounter far less police checkpoints on the road which was nice.

All in all, we had a great time and no problems considering we were in a politically unstable country with no real government and a dissolution of the peace process just a few weeks earlier.

street girls aid

Accra, the capital of Ghana, has a population of around 3 million people. A recent study estimated that there are 60,000 street children in Accra. Since I’ve been here, I have had the privilege of working with an NGO called ‘Street Girls Aid.’ This is a non-profit organization which houses girls who are pregnant or have children. There are 10 social workers employed with Street Girls Aid, and each of these social workers is assigned to a particular part of the city. Each night they go out to their field area to meet street girls, educate them on health issues, tell them about services offered by Street Girls Aid, and try to earn the trust of the street girls. I have gone out with several of the social workers to their field areas in the city. At night it can be easier to meet girls as they are often done their work for the day and congregate in areas to eat and sleep. The social workers often try to educate the girls about basic health concerns, proper maternal care, and the dangers of the streets. They often talk to the girls about returning to their villages, especially if the girls have children who they are unable to care for properly while living on the streets.

In addition to the social workers who go to the field, Street Girls Aid has a refuge house which gives pregnant girls and girls with young babies a safe place to stay. Every Wednesday I go to visit with the girls. Most days I help teach English or math. The majority of the girls cannot read or write; I have taught several girls how to write their names. One of the girls is from Cote d’Ivoire, and so obviously speaks fluent French. She does not know how to read or write in any of her three languages (French, English, Twi) and so I have the privilege of teaching her how to read and write in French. She is so smart and is catching on so fast. She really, really wants to learn.

Most of these girls come from rural areas in Ghana. Life in villages is hard, as there is often not enough food or any way to get an education. Most girls believe that coming to Accra will bring them economic opportunity. Unfortunately, most of them end up living on the streets. Many of these girls turn to prostitution in order to survive. Others opt for selling various items, such as water or food items, or working as porters carrying bags for those who come off buses. I have been told that neither of these jobs bring in as much money as prostitution. Many of the girls are sexually abused, some are raped. Many have more than one child. They do not have adequate sanitation, access to clean water, enough food to eat, or money to pay for hospital fees or medicine if they are sick.

For more information, check out http://www.said-ghana.com/

random things about ghana

Here's a list of a bunch of things that I've learned since being here...hope you enjoy it!

• Catching a tro-tro going in the correct direction requires that you understand the hand motions and strange pronunciation of places such as ‘Madina,’ ‘Accra,’ and ‘Circle,’ none of which sound as they should when being yelled by the mates (the person who collects the money and directs people on and off the tro)
• Ghanaian men are very forward, so knowing how to deal with marriage proposals is a great skill
• When telling a creepy Ghanaian man that you are already married, you must have the story about your ‘husband’ already prepared…or else he will not believe you and will continue to pester you. However, even when you do tell someone you are married, be prepared to answer why you don’t want a Ghanaian boyfriend
• Ghanaians respond to both good and bad things with the saying “Oh, Ghana”
• Greet people with ‘hello, how are you’ before asking for anything – if you don’t greet, you will not receive the answer you need
• The thought of peanut butter and jelly sandwiches are repulsive to virtually all Ghanaians
• Ghanaians express their dislike for something by making a clucking noise with their tongue
• “Ey! Ey!”—commonly used words to express excitement, anger, surprise…you name it
• Ghanaian theater is very interactive – don’t be surprised to see African dance incorporated into everything and people carring things on their head any time there is any sort of street scene. Even when the play is Beauty and the Beast. 
• Americans talk extremely loud. Ghanaians talk quietly.
• Honking is a necessity and can be used in pretty much every situation….to alert others cars, people and animals on the road that a car is coming, to say hi to another taxi driver or someone they know on the side of the road, to replace a turn signal, to express anger at another car/tro-tro/truck that has cut them off...
• Learning even a few words in the local language, Twi (pronounced chwee) makes Ghanaians so happy. Even though they laugh every time you say something, they really do love it
• There is a special Ghanaian handshake where you shake hands and snap your middle fingers together as you are pulling your hand away
• Most Ghanaians ‘bath’ twice a day. Everyone will think you are gross unless you do the same (oh well…)
• Not wearing shoes to the bathroom is also considered very gross (whoops)
• Sleeping past 8am is considered late
• It is always necessary to check the cup of sugar that comes with your oatmeal to make sure there are no bugs crawling around
• “Almighty Stamps” or “God’s Time is Best Fried Eggs” are common store names
• Men call each other 'boss' (American equivalent of ‘hey man’)
• All Ghanaian clothing (unless handmade) are secondhand and imported from the United States or Europe
• Soccer (or “football” for us Westerners) is a serious national obsession
• Ghanaians think it is very strange that Americans decorate their rooms with pictures and other various things
• Many things, including sache water, ice cream, and juice, are packaged in plastic, and you drink them by biting off a corner of the package and sucking the liquid out
• It is extremely unladylike to walk & eat at the same time
• You can make ice cream sundaes here! Only trick: you must run from the supermarket to your room to make the sundae as fast as you can, because ice cream is never actually frozen here and it melts VERY quickly
• You can buy almost anything while sitting in a taxi or tro-tro from people who walk around and sell things. Things you can buy include:
•  20 x 24 picture frames
• Ghanaian flags
• Mentos/gum
• Cell phone minutes (called ‘credit’ here)
• Various food items: Fanice (ice cream), plaintain chips, dough balls, Tampico fruit drinks, meat pies, chocolate, peanuts
• Cuff links
• Push-up bars/ ab workout matsWater saches (bags of water, much cheaper than buying bottled water, usually are safe to drink, and what all Ghanaians drink)
• Handkerchiefs (used by all Ghanaians as sweatrags) 
• Make-up products
• Steering wheel cover
• Sunglasse
• Q-tip
• Poster-size world maps (I had to restrain myself from buying one, it was difficult)
• Hair trimming kits 
• Pirated movies
• TV remotes
• Toothpicks

All of these items are sold by people who walk in between cars on the highway – I like to think of these people as the walking Walmart of Ghana. If you look just a little past these people, you will find even MORE objects being sold on the sides of the highway – shoes, clothing, buckets, fresh fruits and vegetables, dustpans, fabric, kitchenware, furniture, skin lighteners, jewelry, you name it.