Monday, June 22, 2015

First Impressions...Kind of

            It is probably more conventional to write my first blog post after the first week here. That way I can probably capture what I truly thought were my first impression of Ghana. Yet, I feel that the description I would’ve given, at that time, of this beautiful country would only focus on the shallow differences instead of differences one can only observe by engaging in the culture.
            After being here for 3 weeks, what I truly think makes Ghana the country that I see before me are the people that inhabit it. One thing that I’ve observed is the multitude of different people that exist within this rather small country but how they still all seem to hold the same strong set of values. Everyone, no matter his or her specific ethic niche, is always friendly to one another and is always ready to assist their neighbor. What I find more striking is that Ghanaian people seem to do this, not out of some external obligation, but more of an internal drive to be hospitable toward one another. I really cant explain the phenomenon, but it really creates a unique, communal atmosphere that I don’t think I can find anywhere else.

            Aesthetically, the country is beautiful and their national landmarks hold, within them, tremendous history. I’ve had the opportunity to visit some of these places (Cape Coast Castle) and really dive into the culture, but I hope to venture to other parts of the country and immerse myself further into the culture here. I have another 4 weeks to do that, so hopefully I can talk further about the amazing aspects of Ghana in due time. J


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