I journaled this, but thought I should share it with you guys. It is the advice my 12-year-old host brother, Emmanuel, gave to me the Sunday before I left homestay a few weeks ago. He is an old man in a young boy's body. I think it is what Grandpa would say to me if he were still around and were Ghanaian. Anyway, Bub sat me down in the yellow plastic chairs outside my room and said:
“Ama, Ama [my Ghanaian name], listen.. You are leaving home now, and you will not have me to watch you. So you must be a good girl. A very good girl! And do not forget what I told you. You can't just go walking about. No! You must be careful. You must be very careful, because some of these people are no good. Those people, those people are no good at all! You have to watch for them. You must be a good girl and be very, very safe. You must find a good boy, too. Yes, a good boy! But you must stay away from the black boys. They are lazy. And some of them are rotten. Some of them are no good at all. You must find a good white boy. Like you. A good, good boy who works very hard. You must be safe and you will be very happy.
Ok, yes, Ama, you will be a very good girl. Now go.. Go pack your things.”
How funny is that? A 12 year old said those things. I think I'll call him tomorrow to check in and let him know I've heeded his advice :]
Bub Masterson
I love it
ReplyDeleteHello! My name is Mariah and I am a freshman in college at a school in the US. I am taking a class on peace corps and worldly cultures, and if you could answer a few of my questions, I would love to hear what you have to say!
ReplyDeleteWhy did you decide to go into Peace Corps? What do you do in the community in which you live? Did you have trouble adjusting to the culture? been shocked by anything? Do you live with a family? /
Thank you so much!
Mariah