Before I arrived in Ghana I had many stereotypes and ideas of what it would be like. I thought that I knew what to expect and that I was prepared for it, but I was wrong. Being in Africa was nothing like I thought it would be, but I love it just how it is.
During my first few weeks in Ghana I was overwhelmed with the culture change. Almost everything is different here than in the United States and I was bombarded with the differences. I slowly started to feel more comfortable and after a few weeks I was able to emerge myself more into the culture and notice more things. Ghana is not what I expected. There are many things that I love about it along with some things that I don’t.
There are many things that I like about Ghana include the friendly people, the sunny tropical weather, and the lack of industrialization in many areas. I love the adventure of being in a new place and having a completely new daily routine.
In the United States I always have to worry about being on time for everything, which is difficult for me. I love that time is not a issue here because of “ghana maybe time”. I can be late to most things and it doesn’t matter, which has saved me a lot of stress. I can tell that it is difficult for some people to adapt to “ghana maybe time”, but I think that it is wonderful and that it should be adapted everywhere. People can even show up to work late and it isn’t as big of a deal as it would be in other countries.
I enjoy the music and how ghanians freely dance to it. The atmosphere here is much different here than in the U.S. and I like it a lot. The music is less electronic which just makes it sound better. The average ghanian can dance much better than the average american. People here can really move their hips and move with the music, which I like much more than the popular grinding style that I see in the U.S. The only problem with going out dancing is that we are often bombarded with men, because men are rarely shy towards us at all in Accra.
There are also some things about Ghana that are unpleasant and have been difficult for me to adapt to. The open sewer system and the lack of drinkable tap water are some of those things. Walking down the street I can look at the water, or whatever it is, mixed in with pieces of trash and debris floating down the sewer. I can see and smell it's contents, although I try not to. Every now and then I will notice someone using the roadside sewer as their bathroom. I will also notice chickens, dogs and goats drinking and eating out of the sewer, the same animals that are used for eggs and meat. The sewer is often clogged with trash such as water sachets. Having to find water sachets to drink out of has made me realize how spoiled I have been growing up where the tap water is so pure and fresh.
Poverty is something that has also been a little overwhelming for me. In some areas it is so immense that people living there don’t even realize how horrible their living conditions are, because it is all they have ever known. The poverty has opened my eyes to how well off I am and how luck I am to have grown up in such a nice family.
The gender roles and relations are very different here from any that I have ever experienced. The men are very outgoing and the women seem to be much more shy and reserved. The men are always trying to talk to us telling us how beautiful we are and trying to hangout with us. This rarely happens in the U.S. and it often makes me feel uncomfortable.
Overall I have been enjoying my experiences in Ghana very much and I am extremely happy to be here. It can be difficult at times, but I am grateful to be here now! I am glad that many of the stereotypes and ideas I had about Africa are wrong and I am excited to tell my friends back home about all the wonderful adventures that I’ve been having.
