I am thankful for sweat. I understand that sweat is an important bodily process that allows heat to escape and reduces the risk of overheating. As an active person, I enjoy sweating during physical exercise or while sitting in a nice sauna where I intentionally sought the heat to relax my muscles and body. However, I think by the end of this trip I’ll be excited to return to cool nights in Oregon and have a break from the constant state of sweating that I find myself in most days in Ghana. One night during our first week, I was frightened in bed from the sudden feeling of something touching the back of my leg. I immediately wiped this spot, fully prepared to swipe off a horrible mosquito; I chuckled to myself when I instead felt a drop of rolling, warm liquid. I can feel the sweat run down my arms as I type this. Last week I had a conversation with one of my kind Ghanaian colleagues who was wearing a thick, long-sleeved sweater because it was a “cool” day and he described the previous night as “cold.” I had a hard time getting to sleep that night in just my underwear and a thin sheet because of the heat. When I laughed and described to him what “real cold” we experience in the U.S., I once again felt frustration when discussing weather and temperatures in other countries. (Why the hell has the U.S. not made the switch to the metric system or at least to Celsius scale for measuring temperature?)

Perception is such a funny thing. I am sure by the end of our time here our group will be more adjusted to the heat and sweat but we will not come close to the viewpoint of our Ghanaian friends on climate preferences. After following the end of the AFCON (African Cup of Nations) football tournament, we have enjoyed this international sport in a way that simply doesn’t occur in the U.S. but still not at the level of Ghanaians’ enthusiasm for the game. We are appreciating Ghanaian’s kindness and warmth towards outsiders including returning the friendly waves we receive from countless community members in the small villages we pass during our weekend travels; however, I don’t expect we’ll transport this greeting norm to every stranger we pass in Eugene. (Not to mention agreeing to take photos with random people who request one in the U.S.)
Some perception differences have proven to be frustrating for many in our group. Perceptions around time and what it means to be “on time” here in Ghana is a common irritation. Differences in the perception of safe driving have caused great fluctuation in my blood pressure. One of our drivers described his job as “understanding the rhythm of the chaos.” I have witnessed too many close calls of pedestrians seconds away from being struck by a speeding car or motorcycle for comfort. The condition of roads adds to my overall distress in driving in Ghana as many are littered with large potholes. Ghanaian’s perception of appropriate levels for media audio is much louder than my preference; even in a normal restaurant setting it is not uncommon to have to yell at my companion to hear them over the music. For most of the women in our group, the perception of an appropriate “friendly compliment” from some men has been the most disturbing as their behavior more closely resembles what we would perceive as sexual harassment.

Cultural differences manifest themselves in many ways. As creatures of habit, we are naturally frustrated by many of these differences. Experiencing difference is nonetheless healthy and beneficial. Discomfort facilitates learning, growth, and gratitude. Most importantly, this type of experience allows us to better understand that people simply have different perceptions and to practice respecting those differences, as long as they do not cause harm to others,  whether that person is in Ghana or your next-door neighbor.