Long Over-Due Post

I got a message from a former PCV (months ago!) and I'd like to finally answer her questions:

1. What Ghanaian customs/practices make a lot more sense than what Americans do?

Most Ghanaians are extremely welcoming to foreigners. When I go to my friends' houses they insist on making me comfortable -- giving me a seat and offering me water or another beverage. Once seated, we greet each other and thank each other for days' past and the current day. This is another great thing about Ghanaians: just being happy to be alive and to have friends.

A great African practice is carrying heavy objects upon ones' head. What a smart idea: leaves your arms free and distributes the weight along your body. I did, just today, have a discussion with a teacher in my village about whether or not the pressure on ones' head would affect the brain and spine. I'm sure it does, but to what extent I do not know.

2. Where is the place I feel most comfortable, though I am the only white/American person in my village?

In my house I feel most comfortable -- I can wear shorts and tank tops and, of course, be alone where no one is watching me as if I'm a zoo animal.

Outside of my house I feel most comfortable at the chairman's house (the chairman of the TMT) because him and his family are very calm and pleasant. I also enjoy going to the seamstress' shop. I can go there and just sit with her and her workers and watch the 'goings-on' in my village.

3. What is the craziest thing I've seen in town?

I've seen an all-out physical fight between some of the women in my village. Punching, kicking, slapping, screaming -- everything! This was on Valentine's Day (when I was just about hitting the 3-month mark living in my village) and my counterpart told me (obviously sarcastically) that 'they are just celebrating Valentine's Day'. Ha! But actually it had to do with a daughter and mother-in-law problem that I could never quite get the full story on. It was an interesting occurrence -- Ghanaians are really not violent people at all.

4. What is something that is, 'No big deal' to live without?

My music. I listened to my music so much in college. Here, my Ipod broke a few months ago, so aside from my radio (which doesn't work well at all) I never listen to music. I listen to my boyfriend's Ipod when I go to his house and, of course, I hear African music and American music here and there at friends' houses or in town. I do miss my personal music, but have adjusted to a somewhat very silent house devoid of music.

5. Are there weevils in my rice?

Yes! Really interesting-looking bugs.


Thanks for writing to me!