I Spy an Obruni

I woke up sticky, hot and overwhelmed by the smell of dankness or as Megan would say, the smell of the crocodile room at the zoo. After three days of uncomfortable breathing in our bedroom, Megan finally came to the realization that our windows were not open. This simple fix entirely changed our rooming experience.
Once my nose cleared, I realized that something scrumptious was frying in the kitchen. We were lucky enough to have a local cooking us a breakfast of pancakes, mangos, pineapples and oddly enough, hotdogs! Eating and cooking the local foods is a task I look forward too.

After breakfast, we went to the University of Ghana and listened to lectures from two professors about the Ghanaian media.

During a break from the lectures, several of us went on an adventure through the massive campus in search for butterflies and anthills. We chased the vibrant butterflies in awe of their variety and patterned wings. I even took a nibble of a rare seed from an unknown tree, quickly spitting it out because of the bitter, white juice within. Finally we found an anthill sheltered under a tree. It was nearly 15 feet tall and 5 feet wide. Our excitement made us an attraction to several Ghanaian students who walked by.
Not only do I feel like tourist in Ghana with my camera constantly in hand, but I have become very aware of my whiteness. We went to a football game (soccer in America) where around 5,000-8,000 Ghanaians congregated around the field. The moment we stepped off the bus, all heads turned our way. With thousands of eyes glued to us, I have never felt so conscious of my skin color. With the help of an eager Ghanaian woman, we were escorted through the thick crowd and into the football field. We then proceeded to walk around the inside edge of the crowd to the opposite side of the field. I was told, “I love you” by one Ghanaian and was verbally greeted by many others. In Ghana we are greeted as “Obruni,” a term used to describe white people and foreigners. Needless to say, we stood out like a sore thumb. When we stepped outside the field, children flocked around us, eager to have their picture taken. They laughed when we showed them their pictures because most do not often see pictures of themselves. The real excitement came when we climbed on top our tour bus with the bus driver, Eric. There we gained a new perspective of Accra and observed moments that would not normally be noticed on the streets.

On our walk home, we fraternized with locals and had our first experience with the marketplace. The sights, smells and hustle of the open markets was intriguing and a venue for discovery. We met several women who do hair, several who sell produce and several who weave cloth.
The best thing about Ghana thus far has been the friendliness of the people. Most Ghanaians are eager to greet you, shake your hand and respond to your broken attempts at speaking the language, Twi. Some will even slow down in their cars to get a closer look at you, or in my case, follow you around the grocery store.
I am most excited to get to know the way of life of the people in Ghana and take hold of the culture. I am driven by my curiosity and believe that it will serve me well in my relationships with the locals and in my internship.
-Ariane Kunze