Every place has it’s own small nuances to it that pervade everyday life. People who are local to that culture are able to navigate these nuances with no thought paid to them; that is just the way things are.
But when you come as an outsider to a new place, particularly a new country, these small nuances are things that you pick up on immediately and adopt, in order to make life go just a little bit smoother. I’ve been in Ghana for less than a week, and here are the things that I have picked up.
Things have been quiet here on my blog lately, but that doesn’t mean it hasn’t been on my mind. I arrived in Cameroon late on May 10th, and 3G arrived only about a month before me, so connectivity is a bit sparse and pricey. I’ve also been going “up and down the country,” as they say here, and along the way I’ve seen and experienced a lot of things. And I still have a week left! For now, here is a list of some of my favorite things about Cameroon.
“Hello!”
I hear this word often. Daily. Hourly. I’m called to as I walk the ten meters to the store. As I bike the two kilometers to school. As I bike the three kilometers to the market. As I walk through the market. As I sit at my desk trying to lesson plan. As I ride up to the school. As I walk to lunch. As I return from lunch. As the students leave to go home.
“Hello!”