Ghanaians admire America very much. They hold our nation in the highest esteem. The face of Barack Obama graces the front cover of many of my student's notebooks. I have even seen one notebook displaying the portrait of Abraham Lincoln. Ghanaians also love American music. In particular, Celine Dion, Micheal Bolton, and Akon. Along with their great affinity for America, they also have a great curiosity. As my students have become more comfortable around me, they have started asking more questions about me and the United States. Some of these questions have been very serious, regarding culture, government, or economics. Other questions have down right stumped me. Example: How do the tall buildings in New York City with so many levels not fall over since the earth is spinning so fast? Uhhhhh we have good engineers? I honestly didn't know how to answer.
Others questions.. still other questions have been so flipping funny that it has taken everything within my power not bust up laughing on the spot. Today, I'd like to share a bit of that humor with you. Here are some of the questions about America and/or white people that my students wanted cleared up:
- “If I go to America, will I get too cold and die?”
- “Do all Americans have a million dollars?”
- “So, in America, you don't eat fufu or banku or ampesie or tuo zafi... What do you eat?”
- “I heard white ladies don't breastfeed.” Ya know... this kid was sort of right. Why are we so darn weird and uncomfortable with breastfeeding in America?
- “Do you run [get diarrhea] every time you eat Ghanaian food?”
- Do you know President Barack Obama?
- One of my girls, who is such a peach, said this to me a few weeks ago, “Madam.. There is something I have wanted to know... Do white women get pregnant?” I told her it was all just the same. She nodded and concluded very thoughtfully, “So that means white women do menstruate.” Hahahahhhaah, yes, unfortunately.
- [I made pancakes and offered some to a couple of my female students who happened to visit] “...But if we eat that... won't we vomit?”
- “Do all Americans have guns? Do Americans shoot you with their guns if you miss-speak English?”
It's kind of weird, eh? Their affinity for Americans, I mean. In 2008 in the time leading up to the Democratic primaries I noticed this phenomenon- Bush was in power, and they liked Bush. He had come to visit in February (and they seemed perplexed when I expressed no interest in going to see him), and all was good. They obviously liked Obama because of the African thing, but they also really liked Hillary. Bill had visited Ghana, given them money, etc., so they liked her I think because they liked Bill so much. So yeah, it was rather odd.
ReplyDeleteAlso, I noticed sometimes people would start chatting me up, then slip in that perhaps I could get them a visa? When they finally realized that no, that wasn't happening, they quickly lost interest. Hmph.
Miss you.