After a few days I had already settled in well. I have the advice of Henry (the Project Manager) seriously. At the orientation seminar from the beginning, he always said, namely: "The three most important things are, communication, communication and communication"
The communication was at first a little heavier, but it has improved. The Ghanaians have English as an official language, but with a strange accent. For example, they pronounce the word "ask" them as "aks" and the "th" in English is like a hard 'T' pronounced. In addition, they translate many phrases in their local languages out what is not proper English. Also unusual was that a question first of all an "OK" comes the answer. I often thought they did not understand me. Thus, it was initially hard to know what they mean. Some normal English expressions are strange to them again. I want to generalize it, but in my host family there is at least.
Otherwise they are very nice, responsive to my interest in the culture and explain to me often like something. My host brother showed me the first day of the city (Swedru) and helped me to focus. Currently is the holiday season, so is do not yet have the regulated life. work until the beginning of the school, my host mother must get longer, because more materials are sold. My host father is also no longer sit all day in front of his radio and my host brothers and sisters can not watch TV that much.
However, each has its particular role in the family. My host father is the master of the situation. My host sister has to wash all the dishes in the morning the previous day and often help with cooking. My host mother is generally responsible for cooking. My host brother in the morning sweeps the whole house and wash the clothes with her sister (on Wednesdays and Saturdays). I now share the duties with my brother.
My host brother was immediately agreed that I sweep with him in the morning, but my host mother would not let me to start washing. She had the idea that the skin of a white man is not as arduous as more vulnerable than that of a black man. Also, as we once were in town and it came to carry the heavy shopping, they refused me to take it to her. My hands would go broke, so she thought. I think it needs a little time to convince them otherwise.
The hygiene in the house is in order. Insects occurred to me until now none under. Only very small, barely noticeable red ants crawling around. That there are few insects is probably due to that regularly poison is sprayed. My host brother told me that a few times a year, spray all the rooms. Apparently this is also done in the area outside the apartment to destroy the mosquitoes. In the apartment itself might be something more order prevail. Clothes are usually stored in large bags or on the floor. Also in the kitchen, there are no shelves and it's all on the floor (in the corners). Since I share the room with my host brother, I do not have much space to spread out and so are my clothes still in my suitcases. My bed is a little uncomfortable but at least long enough. For the mosquito net over my bed, I wanted a particular design To build the network that I can remove easily during the day. Unfortunately, in the only "supermarket" in the city, the lines and hooks, which I do it, sold out - maybe I'll get back next week which ...
something is disturbing the continuous noise in and around the house. The radio is on from morning until night at 5:30 clock clock by 22 - and at full volume. If at least would run fine music, it might be more tolerable. The station is a news and sports channels and so constantly is just loud jabbering in their local language. During the meal, or generally from 15 clock is still on the TV. To to understand something, the volume is set Läuter than the radio. For this reason, I usually pull me back to my room because there is minimal, but a little quieter.
Since the residential area in which we live is still relatively new, there are very few street lights. Why my host mother that I always before dark'm home (17 clock). The lighting is generally anywhere from a little sparse. The windows in the house let by very little light, so you have to read almost always turn on the light. The lamps are, unfortunately, only 9 W bulbs, so you find yourself constantly in a blue dim light.
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