Day 7: Questions

Talayah Hudson
Aug 29, 2017 · 3 min read
Balme Library at the University of Ghana, Legon.

Wednesday, August 16, 2017 10:08 PM

(I didn’t finish this post until today, Tuesday, August 29, 2017. Yikes!)

At this time, I’ve been in Ghana for exactly 1 week. I still haven’t gotten the rush of emotions I think I’m supposed to have. It’s almost as if being here is typical for me. As if this was the next place I was supposed to go to and my mind was already ready for it. I’m sure some writer has said that same thing a lot more prolific than I have, but I’m pretty exhausted and that will have to suffice.

So far, I’m really enjoying my time in Ghana. I’ve only fallen a couple of times and had my first sip of wine (wine is gross 10/10 would not recommend). I’m slowly getting used to the heat and humidity but it’s still taking a toll on me. Ghana is currently at the end of its “rainy” season and the hotter, more humid weather is in the way. RIP me.

If you know me, I question everything and have a ton of questions about things in general. During all of our lectures and discussions, I’ve had a multitude of questions, smart and not so smart. Here’s a list of them.

Please note: I am not including any background/context to these questions, so, don’t be too taken aback.

  • Do Ghanians consider themselves “developing”?
  • Is the election of chiefs more political than spiritual?
  • Why do white people come to Africa?
  • Why do people walk in front of the person who’s leading the group?
  • Why does sachet water taste so bad, worse when boiled?
  • Omg why is everything so beautiful here?
  • Who are all of these people on the cedis?
  • Is that a cocoa plant on the pesewa?
  • Why doesn’t the night market sell cocoa?
  • Lol, fam, what is sunburn?
  • Why is the California program racially divided?
  • Seriously, where can I buy cocoa?
  • The tour guide said two elephants can walk on this canopy at a time. How is that possible if I can barely fit on it?
  • Are there really any elephants down there?
  • How do I get my thighs from sticking together?
  • Why do I look so American?
  • Why do I sound so American?
  • Will Ghanians get offended if I butcher Twi?
  • WHAT THE HECK IS A METRIC SYSTEM?
  • Wow will my legs be toned after walking up all the stairs in ISH?
  • If you fall into an oburoni trap and no one sees, did you really fall into the oburoni trap?
  • Why are the pineapples white?
  • How am I, an English major, supposed to learn in a lecture?
  • Why is there a White Ohioan teaching my “History of the Black Diaspora” class?
  • Why is my sleep schedule so out of whack?
  • Do I have malaria?
  • Jeez, am I sweating already?
  • Do Africans consider themselves Black?
  • Do Europe and North America feel horrible about their continued exploitation of African countries? (lol no)
  • Do y’all not realize Ghana was a colony until 1957?

This is by no means all of the questions I’ve had in the almost 4 weeks of this trip. I’ll make periodic question listicles, like this one. Uh, thanks.

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