Wednesday, October 1, 2008

GHANAMAN!!!

This post will seek to find answers to a few observation made by my friends about Ghanaian society. I hope so one is out there who can provide some form of response to them. I observed that whenever we get visitors at home in our part of the world, we either turn on the TV or put on the DVD player so that the person watches a movie. But for young guys who usually eat together with their friends, we turn to give them a well serve dish on an isolated table and leave them to eat whiles we eat in the kitchen or sit somewhere we will not get in the way of the visitor. Does anybody out there feel what i am saying? Let me know.

I suppose we do that with the intentions of making our guest feel welcomed and comfortable but are they comfortable when we do that?

Another thing is the claim by my friends that we (Ghanaians) are easily irritated. I don’t know about that but i know i am easily irritated by questions which the questioner knows the answer to. It does irritate me. It makes me feel stupid. But are Ghanaians easily irritated?

Just be careful in you attempts at answering this question so that you don’t get irritated. That was the case of a man who flew from Europe to Ghana to find out why Ghanaians answer question with questions. He got down from the flight in decided to start his search at the airport. He asked the first person at the airport while going through arrival formalities
“Excuse me sir, i need to ask you a question. I heard in Ghana, when you ask a question you are answer with a question?
This is the response of the man
“Who told you?”
Think about this for the week.
Meet you next week with serious business.

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

To the first issue; I guess Yngvild has talked to you about this not being the usual way in Norway. If a visitor in a house in Norway is put on a separate table or in front of the TV alone I think he will feel quite strange. He came to visit the people in the house, if they don't spend time with him then he will feel he came at an inappropriate time. He will usually excpect some kind of food, coffee or tea but always together with the host. I have visited some African friends here and they always serve me something but they don't always eat with me. And that feels a bit awkward. I try to remind myself though that it's just their way of being polite.

But things are different and that's how it's done here, not necessarily "right". When you come here you will see, and judge for yourselves! Anyway, you are very welcome!

Anonymous said...

hehe, have you read "The imported Ghanaian" or what? ;)