Adaptation

Some of you may have noticed larger gaps increasing in between posts. I think that is because my life has become rather routine here. It isn’t boring, it’s just become more like a regular experience at any new job. Gradually, things are less new and less surprising and you being to adapt to your new circumstances. When I walk at home from the office where I have spent a pretty typical day of many people in the world – working at a computer, spending time in meetings, chatting with co-workers, IMing – I still think about how crazy it is that I am walking home in Africa. With this in mind, I thought I could do a little list to assess my stage of adaptation at the midpoint of my time in Ghana.

Things I am well adapted to:

¨ Showering from a bucket

¨ Being driven around by a driver (this one is quite nice!)

¨ Eating cereal for dinner

¨ Being the only white person in most situations

¨ Saying my name several times and adding “it is like weather with an H” to help people understand my name. Oh, and one other time someone told me that they thought my name was Hitler – from then on I have overly emphasized every part of my name to avoid any possible confusion.

¨ Answering to Akua (born on Wednesday), Wind, Windy, Enframa (Twi for wind), Heather, Hilda

¨ Sun everyday

¨ Sleeping in a mosquito net

¨ Sleeping in temperature that hover in the high 80s

¨ My insomniac rooster neighbor

¨ The insomniac rooster’s brother who likes to hang outside of World Ed’s offices

¨ Goats walking around on the street

¨ The sweet, icy goodness of Fan Ice ice cream

¨ Eating food made on the side of the road – it’s all been very good!

¨ Women and men carrying amazing things on their heads. Tonight one guy had two 2X4s on his head and I’ve seen women with a bowl full of fried fish with all of their tails sticking up. Sometimes it seems like witnessing something out of a Roald Dahl book.

¨ The vibrant fabrics worn by women and men from head to toe, but also seeing many Ghanaians dress very “Western” with suits and ties.

¨ Shaking hands softly and including a snap of the fingers at the end of the shake

Things I am gradually getting used to:

¨ Spicy food, even at breakfast

¨ Eating with my hands

¨ No sidewalks and just hoping the cars won’t hit me as I am walking on the side of the road

¨ People saying “obruni” to get my attention

¨ Sweating all of the time, even at breakfast

¨ The gecko who shares my apartment with me

¨ Bats flying overhead when I walk home at night

¨ Ghanaian accents, only occasionally do I need something spelled out

¨ Haggling with taxi drivers to not overcharge me just because I am a foreigner

¨ Street vendors thrusting their goods into my car window

¨ That people know Bono. but not U2 because of his work on African debt

¨ Not biting my nails, it has been just under two months and I have only taken a few nibbles

¨ Taking a pill everyday – many of you might not know this but I REALLY hate swallowing pills

¨ The variety of smells doesn’t seem to bother me anymore. Only occasionally do I struggle with the smell of burning garbage, dirty water ways and exhaust. (Boston and LA have their fun smells too)

¨ Hearing planes take off over my apartment and hostel. I now understand why airports are constructed so far from most cities.

Things that still trip me up a bit

¨ That my hostel room is larger than many people’s homes and much sturdier

¨ Traffic unlike anything I ever saw in LA

¨ Watching people dispose of their water bags and other litter on the side of the road

¨ People peeing in public without shame

¨ The desire for change amongst many but the frustration at the obstacles, often government related, that stand in the way of real change

¨ Fires on the side of the road

¨ Swallowing fufu

¨ Receiving a black plastic bag for every item I purchase. They must use millions of plastic bags in this country.

¨ The postal system – as efficient as many of the other systems are in Accra, the post office has some improvements to make

It is clear that things that you have to get used to tend to be the negative things or the things that are very different in a new setting. In an effort not to give too much weight to the things that are especially challenging, this list will be contrasted with the “Things that I will miss” entry that will be one of my last blog posts. Also, I can only imagine the list that Tawiah could create about her level of adaptation to Boston during her time at the Kennedy School. Even though driving here is kind of crazy, at least the drivers aren’t mean like they are in Boston. The bottom line, every place has its pros and cons which is why traveling is a fun way to challenge yourself in adapting to the idiosyncrasies of every new place. The only really perfect place out there is 2008 Canal Street in Venice Beach and even that had termites.