The first three weeks in Ghana have flown by while also feeling like a lifetime… if that makes sense. While learning and experiencing so much each day, the days feel long but the weeks feel short. Does that make sense? – Probably not. Here is a compiled list of some of the things I’ve learned the first half of the Media in Ghana program — it would be impossible to list all of what I’ve learned because the list is endless and I may not even comprehend all of what I have learned until I get home.
- Washing your underwear in the shower IS the move
Throughout our stay in Ghana we have no access to a washer and a dryer. This has taught me a few things about how/when to efficiently and effectively wash clothing. I have found that doing all your laundry at once is NOT the move. It will take you hours and you will finish feeling sad, exhausted and defeated. Instead, wash your clothes in categories. Categories may include but are not limited to: Undergarments, shirts (work and casual), shorts, pants (long and capri) – I think you get the picture. This way the work will not seem so daunting and you will be done with energy left to do things like feed yourself. Regarding underwear, if you wash your underwear that you wore that day WITH you in the shower, you’ll always have underwear! Yay! ~Laundry tips by Rachel~
- If you skip out on breakfast-do not fret, the hawkers have everything you need
The long 8+ hour work days tend to take their toll ESPECIALLY if you skip out on breakfast. However, on the traffic ridden commute you will have ample time to grab a multitude of snacks that will be sure to fill you up. Amongst my favorite is “bouflats”. A bouflat is a round piece of fried bread that resembles a doughnut but without the sugary glaze and fillings. You can also get fruit, common choices are mango, pineapple and papaya. You can also get a millet and milk drink “brukine” that is known amongst Ghanians to fill you up and help you power through the rest of the day. Be careful however, you never know where the food the hawkers sell have been, you might be at risk of getting sick.
- Ghanians don’t believe that fish is meat… or really anything else for that matter
As a vegetarian coming to Ghana I have found that when I ask if anything has meat in it the person serving the meat will almost always say no. They will then go on to point at the assortment of foods and explain what’s in them, “Fish, chicken, pork, eggs”. At work I have even gotten into a few heated arguments regarding whether or not fish is meat. To end the argument and rest my case I was forced to google “is fish meat?”. The answer arrived and I happily read aloud, “Fish is meat due to the fact that it is the flesh of an animal”. All my coworkers scoffed and replied, “In Ghana we learn that fish is not meat”.
- Ghanians REALLY don’t use street names
Before arriving to Ghana our professors warned us that Ghanians don’t use street names, but rather names that the locals have given the roads. For example, the street we live adjacent to is called “American House Road” but in reality the street sign reads “La-Bawleshi Road” I must confess that I did not believe them, how could a society function without a set list of names?! As I’ve been here I have quickly realized that this is true and the Ghanians REALLY don’t use the names on the street signs. The street signs seem like a waste and honestly just add confusion to the matter for us obroni’s. Backpacking off the use of street signs, as I have been taking ubers to work most days I have found that even though uber drivers have GPS that tells them exactly when and where to turn, often times the uber driver will not listen and you will get lost. I am assuming that this has something to do with the name of the streets, but I still find it confusing.
- Nothing is as easy as it seems
Whether it’s ordering an uber, getting food without meat at a restaurant, doing laundry, getting more wifi for your mifi, or writing an article about politics you know nothing about — do not be fooled, nothing is as easy as it seems. Uber drivers will not follow directions on the GPS and make you an hour late to work, the Vodaphone workers will give you minutes instead of gigabytes of data, egg rolls that claimed to be meatless will have beef in them, laundry will dry crispy, and the club you drove 45 minutes to will not exist.