Top 3 things I miss most about Ghana + Mucho Photos

 

The People

Well that’s obviously the first! You will feel the love from Ghanaians. You’ll be blessed with gifts from people with very little. Now that’s love.

The spirit and zeal of my coworkers and the students of Enactus were so inspiring. I lost calories laughing and have become more cheerful myself. My co-worker Elsie is the master of all jokes and things funny, “Hey, ask her to open the windows, it’s hot in here” to the airhostess! I can’t tell you how many times I’ve been sold into marriage. Once for a bowl of kola nuts!

Food

“Stop chewing, just eat it whole! And use your whole hand, all  fingers!”

I’ll be the first to admit, I’m not the biggest fan of the typical foods. So no palm, peanut, light soup, banku or fou-fou for me. That sounds like every Ghanaian dish but its not. I like red red, which is mashed black eyed peas with plantains and also stew.

Stew is tomato based and I’ve had it with yams and plantains where I took my plate back for more stew. Stew! Did I say I also like stew?? The best stew I had was in the Madina Market in Accra.

One of my favourite snacks was ‘graphic & times’ named after two of the nation’s many newspapers. It’s Ghana’s version of chana: peanuts, popcorn and soft kernels. You just keep eating and eating ‘til the bag or bottle’s empty. I also miss the sweet potato and yams from the Night Market on the Legon Campus of the University of Ghana.

Dance

I was reading an article that dispelled stereotypes about Africans. The writer got to the final stereotype that all Africans can and love to dance. They confessed to being unable to dispel this stereotype because toddlers and the elderly move their bones to the beat. I’ve had the same experience! The eyes of the very oldest women I met on the shea butter farms lit up when my co-worker and I shifted our shoulders in movement. One lady, probably 85 had so much swaga I know she invented the term!

 

It made me wonder about what West Indians lost along the way or was brainwashed to believe. Dancing too is our culture but you’ll be darn bold to dance in front of your parents. Unless of course you have very liberal parents. Dancing is not openly acceptable because a great percentage of our dances have become super vulgar. I think people distanced themselves since slavery where slave masters tried to beat out everything African. The drums and the dances were banned. I have found there to be a division where people that dance are worldly and wild and those that don’t are reserved and holy. Of course in Church they dance too but for the most part there is a division. What do you think? I regret not dancing more in my life and God knows I now dance everyday and proudly embrace my Africaness.

One good thing about azonto, when it hits me ah feel okay. I’m still watching azonto videos to get it right but I need to hop on a plane back to Ghana instead. Good excuse right?

I’ve had a hard time readjusting in the first few days of my return to the Caribbean. It’s the first time ever that I was unhappy to return home from any trip. I prayed Virgin was delayed, cancelled or needed someone to give up their seat. I had hopeful eyes with each hostess walking in my direction and then sulked with disappointment when they swiftly walked past me. Thankfully due to my post orientation, I am re-adapting with a new attitude, into my Caribbean culture. I do this while hunting for job and other opportunities in Ghana and the rest of Africa.

My next adventure? Just scroll down for beautiful St. Vincent & the Grenadines 😀 http://www.oneyoungworld.com/all-bar-none

Africa is where it’s at, go see for yourself O!