Friday, May 28, 2010

House Hunters: Ghana Edition

Well, if yesterday was a gentle intro to Ghana, today was a sort of crash course.
Today I set out find long-term summer housing, something I’ve never really done in the US, let alone in a new country. Not only that, I was determined to go on my own, braving public transportation. The first tro-tro (mini-bus) I got into made it all seem deceptively easy- I simply made a circle motion with my finger, signaling I wanted to go to Nkwame Circle.

After that, a significant portion of my day was spent trying to figure out which tro-tro to use- most tro-tros don’t have signs showing their destination, so it can be a bit overwhelming having repeatedly ask where they are going, and half the time not being able to understand one another’s accents.

One of the most challenging parts of walking around is that I get a lot of attention constantly, 97% from Ghanian men. They will shout out to me- “my wife”, “white man”, “Gloria” being some of the more unique name’s I’ve received. And many are quite persistent- they will grab your arm, or try to walk with you, repeatedly asking questions.

But good news- I did find housing, and I did make it back to my hotel, so maybe not too bad for a day’s work, and only my second day here.

1 comment:

  1. Calling you "white man" must surely be the quickest way to your heart ... lol. I wonder why they use the name Gloria? Does it have any significance there? You should ask. I'm really glad you found housing. Where are you going to be living?

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