Throughout the semester I’ve been writing down things people say that I think are memorable. Since most people are leaving for home today, tomorrow, or Sunday, here are some quotes from my friends in Ghana. They illustrate life here pretty well :)
I’ve been trying to instigate the five-second rule in Ghana, but nobody likes it! -John Graubman
Do you have a birthmark on your ankle… or… is that just… dirt? -Katie Hughes to Evan Trout
If I get a motorcycle here, I want to get a side car and just put a goat in it. -Adam Folken
Never leave home without your toilet paper. -Evan Trout
The best part of my day is when I walk into a public restroom and see someone else’s roll of toilet paper that they left there. -Kelly Artz
Watch out, there’s a car. …doing whatever it wants. -Adam Folken
I wonder if you put a jar of milk in the trunk if it would be butter by the time we get there. -Alex, while we were traveling on a highway that didn’t really exist
Amanda: Adam, I’m not sure I believe your guidebook. Adam Schneider: Why?? Amanda: Because it says that lions occur in every habitat other than the rainforest and desert, and I’ve never seen one in Tennessee.
I’m convinced that I’m not fighting the entire mosquito population of western Africa but in fact one mosquito that is very diabolical. -Adam Folken
Ok let me translate that into Ghanaian English. -Professor after Chris’s ten-minute presentation
It’s difficult to fit in a car. -Kelly Artz, on why Americans usually don’t have families larger than four
I always freak out when I see other Obrunis. I’m like, what are you doing here?? I’m the white person. -Kate Gillett
Oh, you’re not married yet. You will marry me. I want to marry white. -Togo border guard
If you’re on a bike and you fall down kyale you’re dead oh. -Taxi driver
Great! There’s algae and mosquito larvae floating in it, it can’t be that contaminated! -Scott Riley, after stepping in a gutter full of water
They were like, we can’t have a party in the jungle, let’s just move it to the orphanage. …So we went to the orphanage. -Anders, explaining what happened when he met some American volunteers at the beach
Katie Hughes, talking to Adam Coonen about Swahili: How do you say Hello? Adam: …. Katie: How do you say No Worries?
Random guy at trotro station: Good morning! Is this your wife? Adam Schneider: No. Guy: Your sister? Adam: Yes. Guy: Ah! Your sister, your sister, always your sister!
There’s a vegetarian stand at the Night Market that sells only meat. It’s like, Vegetarian Specials! Avocado salad! Fresh Veggies! And there’s a picture of chicken. -Evan Trout
Katie Hughes, to Evan Trout: If you were really in control of the women you wouldn’t let them wander off into the dark with two unfamiliar Ghanaian men. Katherine Curtiss: No, we had known them for four hours at that point.
Hannah Kincaid: Would anyone like to be hired as a personal weave-scratcher? Adam Folken: What’s the pay like?
- Some cool people
The marathon’s five months from now. So as long as we’ve been in Ghana, then a little more, then we’ll all see each other again. -Evan Trout
Akwaaba Accra 