Yet More Mundane Matters

* Electricity, internet, and coolness aren’t the only things in short supply these days. We’re months into the dry season, so the water supply is iffy as well. If I turn on the tap, will anything flow out of the faucet? There can be water at 7 p.m., no water at 8 p.m., and water again at 9 p.m. It’s entirely unpredictable: what an adventure! I’ve learned to keep a bucket full of water in my room so I can wash hands and bathe regardless of the supply. And if I didn’t plan ahead and refill the bucket when water was available, guess what? I get to take a wet-wipe wipe-down in lieu of a shower. Thank the Lord I packed so many wet wipes!

* Everyone at my workplace is my brother, my sister, my uncle, or my auntie; and I am everyone’s “Sister Leah.” If someone wants to be especially endearing toward me, s/he will address me in an affectionate tone, “Leah, Leah,” and I can respond just as affectionately, “Prisla, Prisla” (or whatever is the name of the person who addressed me).

* I actually generally prefer to eat with my hands: there’s less to wash up afterward.

* Ghanaians’ rule of thumb with twins seems to be that their names HAVE to pair up. The twins I’ve seen have had the following names – and I’m not making any of them up!
- Boy/Boy: Elijah/Elisha
- Boy/Girl: Patrick/Patricia; Jesse/Jessie; Wonder/Miracle (yes, they are from a Pentecostal family)
- Girl/Girl: Rosemary/Rosemond; Deborah Sr./Deborah Jr.

* To speak English Twi-style, all you have to do is add “O” or “Krah” to the end of your statements. “O” adds emphasis to what was just said (“I’m sorry-o!” “God bless you-o!” “I’m coming-o!”), and “Krah” means “at all” (“He’s not coming, krah!” “I can’t do it, krah!”). My Twi-speaking friends never notice this until I point it out, and then they laugh heartily and agree that they’re doing it!