Being Obruni

Well, let’s just say that I don’t exactly blend in.  I think I might need to visit Dr. Duah, because, if you read his sign from a previous post, you will see that he can cure “white”.  And one thing I’ve learned since I’ve been here is that I’m definitely white.  Some of the reactions I elicit from the Ghanaians are amusing; kids will follow me and chant “obruni”; they’ll run up close, grab my hand and touch my arm to see what I feel like.  They get all giggly and excited because I’m such a novelty.  Adults will call out obruni too - they’ll point at me and gesture to the people around them to look.  Unlike with the kids though, I could do without this from other adults (if I had a say in the matter, that is). 

People also call out, “give me money”.  The perception is that if you’re white, then you’re wealthy.  And, relatively speaking, this white person certainly is.  But, they’re thinking along the lines of Mitt Romney rich, or better yet, English royalty.  Someone actually asked me if I know Princess Diana -I had to be the bearer of bad news on a couple of fronts with that one.

All in all, even though being white has been a little more challenging and intimidating for me than for Steve (he works with other American expats and I’ve been forging my way alone at the school –as best I can tell, the only obruni to have ever turned up there), who knows, in the end maybe it’ll have been better that way –full Ghanaian immersion!

AC, Funerals and Politics

Well, it’s coming up on a month in Ghana.  We actually have had some extremely hot weather.  When the clouds clear, the sun becomes pretty brutal.  Fortunately it’s still the rainy season.  The Ghanaians have told us that December will be terribly “cold”; we’ll have to see about that.

When I described our house in a previous post, I omitted some very important luxuries.  But, first, that particular post was about my initial impressions, and, second, I felt like bitching and that would have ruined it.  So, in the interest of full disclosure, the best news about the house is that we have AC in the bedrooms; we have an air-conditioned room to sleep and another to use as a workout room, thanks to Jim and the P90x videos.  We are also on a backup generator from the hospital; so when the town loses its power, we can tap into the hospital’s source (when they turn it on).  Power outages are a daily occurrence, but fortunately, typically not too long lasting for us.  We did lose our electricity for most of last weekend due to an issue at our house specifically.  That was when we learned it’s customary at funerals to play music all throughout the night, full throttle on loudspeakers directed outward, the same continuous, repetitive loop.  Water outages are common too, but, again, we have backup with a tank and can switch over in a pinch.

On another note, there are some interesting politics at play here that really affect how things get done or don’t.  I still haven’t been connected with the guy who heads up the local mental health initiative.  But, given that the person who is purportedly the liaison to make this contact is the same person who is continuing to blow off the medical staff from the U.S., my expectations are pretty low at this point insofar as that project turning into anything viable.  From what I gather, word is he’s not too keen on outsiders “meddling”.  It’s complicated, and probably not ultimately a constructive approach, but I can’t say I don’t get it from his standpoint.  Westerners float in, do a little something that for the most part isn’t practically sustainable, leave basking in self-congratulatory feeling about what wonderful people we are to have made such a significant contribution to mankind, and go back to our comfortable lives. 

So, I switched gears a bit in the job department and last week met with the District Director of Education (aka superintendent) and the headmaster at the school down the street (the woman who cleans for us brought me over to make the introduction).  Since then, I’ve been hanging out there everyday learning about the school, kids, culture, helping out where I’m welcome and trying to find a niche.  I have lots of ideas for things that I think would be worthwhile.  But, everything works a certain way and I need to be patient.  The headmaster was frank enough to tell me that they are skeptical of obrunis (white folks) and it will take time to establish trust.  The kids on the other hand are incredibly sweet, open, and welcoming.  So far I’ve been working at the junior high and love it; it’s really become a bright spot in my day.  Because (even though I have AC) it ain’t easy livin’ around these parts.  It’s incredibly isolating and lonely being an outsider.     

Top to bottom: Dr. Duah can cure anything (and don't miss the fine illustrations)!  A men's shoe store. A random hole in the sidewalk; watch out!