Hot Hot Hot!

Hey there guys and gals. Sorry I've been late in my first Ghana blog. Facilities aren't always readily available. Well, after my long moratorium at home, I have returned abroad to try new foods, experience new cultures, see new medicine and basically sweat like a pig. There is so much to talk about I will try to give it in installments. Each post will feature an interesting aspect of Ghana and my life hear.

Today, let's talk about... talk. Suffice it to say, I was well excited to come to a country where i can finally understand the language which is being spoken around me. Much to my dismay, the moment I stepped off the plane and was picked up by the TPA employee, he started teaching me 'twi', the most widely spoken african dialect in Ghana. Apparently, there are 36 different dialects. While English may be the official language, it is not commonly used, however everyone knows how to speak it. So once again, I am in a sea of babel. The english they do speak can be confusing at times. For example, instead of saying "I'll be back", they say "I'm coming". Image arnold saying that instead... just doesn't have the same ring to it in that thick austrian accent. Language was a major barrier in china and india primarily because english was rarely spoken. You could also say the same thing about Ghana. It often takes me several tries to determine what it is they are saying even when i understand all the words. This is especially difficult in the hospital. It is also interesting that not everyone speaks any english. I believe this is because people only learn english in school, or if there particular tribe speaks it. My host mother, for example, speaks very little english and has to communicate to me through my host sister. For all i know, she could be playing some crazy game of telephone with me. If i end up doing all the house chores, I might start to suspect something... Anyways, let's hope my "talk" today wasn't too mundane and will keep you coming back for more installments. Hopefully they will be far more frequent. Take care all of you.