Language of Ghana

After topping up my phone, my friend invited me for some chop, so I caught a trotro by the presby.  With both hands, I waved to the small boy sitting on his mom’s lap watching the obruni.  When I got to the spot, my friend  hissed, and we were able to order some chips with our Alvaro.  When we were leaving he clicked at me because I always dash too much. 

This is my sad attempt at Ghanaian English, so you can get a taste of the colloquialisms.  Yes, English is the primary language in Ghana, as they were a British Colony (before that they were also Dutch and Portuguese but they got independence from Great Britain).  There are around 10 different indigenous languages spoken in Ghana – Twi, Ga, and Ewe are three of the ones we encountered. Our bus drivers son was trying to teach me Twi, I did better than with Mandarin but I think it would take more than two weeks. One of my favorite parts of traveling is picking up the colloquialisms.  It is amazing how much better communication becomes with just a few of them.  Plus, it is fun.  And, was much easier to do in English than in another language :) 

 So, to translate what the above sentence would say in our English:

After putting more minutes on my phone (you buy minutes for your phone in Ghana, or at least the everyday folks do not have a 'plan') my friend invited me for some food, so I caught a bus (trotros are more like small vans, remade into public transit vehicles, similar to Combi’s if you have been to Mexico) by the Presbyterian school.  With both hands (you never greet someone with just your left hand, that is very rude, either waving both hands or the right are acceptable), I waved to the toddler (because the indigenous languages are less complex than English instead of saying toddler, kitten, chick, etc. things are simply referred to as small, small) was sitting on his mom’s lap watching me (foreigners/white people are called Obruni in Twi, one of the most common dialects, children shouted it as they chased our bus) .  When we got to the local bar, my friend hissed (this is how you get people’s attention, though it was most commonly used to get street vendor’s attention, less in restaurants), and we were able to order some French fries (yes, they were ruled by the British and love their chips) with our Alvaro (this was a common soda pop like beverage that came in fruity flavors like passion fruit, pineapple, and guava).  When we were leaving he clicked (the clicking sound, moving tongue down from bottom of the teeth, is a way to show exasperation, frustration, amusement, awe, and a whole range of emotions) at me because I always tip too much.

The van to the far right is a TroTro.  Many have bible quotes on them. It is in front of the Presidential Palace (in which the president has never lived).

One of our tour guides insisted I take a picture of the small, small cats.  I couldn't get the small, small chickens that were next looking back at the small, small cats in the same photo, they turned out blurred.

 

These munchkins came running up and said 'PHOTO' Notice the wave.  And, the red hair is a sign of malnutrition (if you were wondering).  The car in the background is a taxi - they all have the yellow blocks to distinguish them as legal taxis.

 Alvaro! In case you could not figure that out.  It was good but very sweet and bubbly, if you are not accustomed to drinking soda pop.