Having been here a good number of weeks now, I've become better at identifying the little things. Like when a taxi driver tells you it'll be 10 cedi to go to the grocery store 500 meters away, he gets this little smirk. Or when the girls at the corner store tell me they have no change, I know there's a 95 percent chance they are lying and just want to hoard my pesawas. The best though is the difference between "Ete sen!" and "Ete sen." One means "hello, how are you." The other mean "let's giggle at the foreigner."
I was strolling around campus the other day when I spotted two boys walking not too far off. They were the type that walk around like they own the place. We're talking some major swagger. As my paths crossed with them one of them said, "Obruni, ete sen?" The air was thick with sarcasm. I usually ignore these types, though I decided not too on this occasion. I spun and around and said, "HEY, you. Answer my question." He stopped dead in his tracks. "Where is the Legon Hall Annex?" Clearly taken aback, he pointed with his right hand and said, "Oh, you just go up that road and turn left." I pointed out to him that that's right, not left. His friends laughter only added to his mortification and he promptly started stuttering through the rest of his directions. At that point I was all "T-t-t-t-today junior!" and he was all "No milk will ever be our milk!" and he ran away.
That last part is a lie, but it was still funny to watch all that ego run down the drain. (Go ahead and pat yourself on the back if you can identify the movie. And if you can't, you should probably fix that.)
Most people here are absolutely wonderful. They sincerely want to know you and sincerely care how you are doing. I'm surrounded by fantastic peers and classmates. However, being able to call out the less sincere ones sometimes makes my day. They greatest compliment I have been payed was in bargaining with a taxi driver. "I thought you were an American, but I can see now that you are a Ghanian!"
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