One does have to remind people nicely but persistently to get things done but we've certainly learned not to expect things to happen quickly, much less immediately. Trying to negotiate the completion of a house is but one example.
Always use the right hand for eating, shaking in a greeting, motioning, and giving things to someone. The left is associated with unclean activities.
When beginning to eat, "just eat" without trying to smell the food first which is often a reflex action for us in the West. Here, it is impolite and especially rude to wrinkle your nose at a distasteful smell.
Do try to practice the local language, even if your pronunciation is poor and often unrecognizable to the native speaker. Jim has absolutely no problem with this. Whereas I sometimes hesitate to try and make sure of a correct phrase, he plunges right in and experiments with how ever many expressions he can remember. Some people are convulsed with laughter but at the same time always give him a lot of credit for trying.
Finally, affection is not generally shown in public. So, any thoughts I had of Jim and I walking hand in hand under a Ghanaian sunset are "on hold."
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2 comments:
Maman,
I love your blog posts! Great to hear that you're learning the do's and dont's of Ghana. I remember learning similar things when I was in Benin, and I think it's important to "go native" as much as you can. I'm sure you blend right in by now :)
I can also recall Dad's attempts at Dagbani, which were nothing short of hysterical... don't doubt that he's keeping all of Tamale entertained. Saw a French movie last night. Tu me suis manquée!
Bonjour à Papa! Je vous aime,
Elizabeth
just wanted to let you know that i let beth have the first comment.
love the frequency of your posts. it's great to learn about the differences we might never know exist.
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