Ghanaian Differences

As in many countries, Ghana has many differences compared to the United States. Here are a few of them:

• Although Ghana was once a British colony, Ghanaians drive on the right side of the road. They used to drive on the left side of the road like the British, but changed over to the right side of the road on August 14th, 1974. On this day, Ghana gained independence from Britain. So, they decided to change the side of the road that they drive on so that it was easier to come in and out of the country for Ghana's neighbors, who all drove on the right side of the road (because they were French colonies).
• Like in Britain, they have many roundabouts.
  
• In order to buy clothes, you can either go to a market and pay a high price for ready-made clothes, or you can buy fabric and go to a seamstress to have it personally made for you.
  
• They have mostly one-lane roads, sometimes two. Roads are often very congested with taxis, trucks, and motorcycles, which causes for a great amount of traffic.
• Time does not really matter in Ghana. If someone has to be someplace by a certain time, they will usually be late. This is because relationships really matter in Ghana. So, if someone sees someone who they have not seen in a while, they will stop and chat with them, even if it causes them to be late. The Ghanians are very "go with the flow" people, rather than hustle and bustle Americans.
• Church is a huge aspect of their lives. Ghanians will go to church on Tuesdays for Bible Study (fishermen do not work on Tuesdays), go on Friday, and go on Sunday to pray and dance. There are also messages from the Bible and about God on store fronts, as well on the backs of vehicles.
  
• Personal space does not exist. Americans live in a little bubble, and very rarely do people interfere with this bubble. In Ghana, people are not afraid to be in your personal space. Do NOT be alarmed if someone grabs your hand or holds onto your forearm. This is not a threat, it is just a way to get your attention. You are NOT in danger if this happens, its just how they get attention in Ghana.
• Another way to get people's attention in Ghana is to make a kissy noise. This is thought of as very rude in America, but it is not rude by any means in Ghana.
  
• There are a lot of animals running around the roads. There are mostly tons of goats, and some chickens. They are their pets in our sense, but they are not treated as pets in Ghana. They do not have names, but they are also not eaten.
  
• Although English is the official language, many people start out learning their tribal language. This is the language that is spoken first, and then English. There are many different tribal languages. Akan is one of the major ones, which was spoken in Takoradi and Accra. Ewe was spoken in the Volta region. For those few Ghanians who do not know English, they may speak Pidgeon English, which is a mixture of bad grammar. They may say "Charley, wassup?" This means "Hello friend, how are you?" Also, someone may say, "I'm coming," which means "I'll be right back." Most of the phrases are easy to figure out, but they sound strange if you're not used to them.