(or....Ghana-ism #2)
The title of this post is something any visitor to Ghana will hear on a DAILY basis, from taxi-drivers, waitresses, street vendors, and passing children. Well, passing children will probably just yell "Obruni!!" at you, but still. They'd probably say it if you gave them the chance.
West Africans are known for being especially friendly, and Ghanaians are the prototype. When they say they want to take you as a friend, they mean it! Giving out your phone number will result in them calling you 10,000 times a day to "chat," "see how you're doing," or invite you to their wedding. Seriously.
I like to take my time in getting friends, and usually treat strangers with a healthy dose of skepticism, so this approach has freaked me out several times. I've learned my lesson though. Unless I actually want a new Ghanaian friend, I just tell them that I reserve my number for "work only." And in response to the question, "But when will I see you again?!" I say simply, "You'll just have to pray we meet again." Ah, the power of prayer.
Thursday, March 18, 2010
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Ha ha, that's awesome. I love cultural stories like this, snippets of everyday life that would be totally foreign here.
ReplyDeleteIt sounds like you have come up with the perfect way to answer these questions. But we must know, did you learn these by unknowingly giving out your phone number and having people call you, or did someone else warn you in advance?
Oh i gave out my number at first. Got invited to 2 weddings, and once had someone ring me >10 times from 12midnight to 3am! Definitely learned the hard way!
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