Conversations

The following are some recent conversations experienced with drivers of ours and of our friends in Ghana. We think that they highlight common beliefs and attitudes of people we've encountered while living here as well as the naivety of many. Stay tuned for volume two, as we're sure to keep collecting these instances for future entries. We find them very telling.

#1
Alan – Frank (our driver), watch out for the other cars!
Frank – I’m ok boss…
Alan – No you are not! The car in the right is driving weird, I think he is drunk, watch out, you are going to crash!
Frank – I’m not going to crash, and if I do, it doesn’t matter, it will not be my fault.
Alan - speechless

#2
Rob (Alan's Boss) – Domenick (Alan's boss' driver) please take us to Livingstons Restaurant
Domenick – Ok boss.
Twenty minutes later we arrive at Livingstons but to our surprise the restaurant is closed…
Rob – Now what do we do, it’s closed?!
Domenick – If you want to eat here they opened a new place 5 mins from here.
Rob – If you knew this one was closed and a new one was open elsewhere, why did you bring us here in the first place?
Rob and Alan – Speechless

#3
Frank – Boss, have you seen the movie Titanic?
Alan – Yes Frank, why do you ask?
Frank – I wish one day I’ll be in a boat like that guy, he was very lucky to find love with rich woman, very few people make it like him.
Alan – Frank, the story is not real.
Frank – What? Everybody in Ghana thinks it was real, are you sure boss?
Alan – Speechless.

#4
Frank – Boss, listen to this CD, it’s a preacher I like a lot.
Preacher – I don’t know how a remote controller works and I don’t have time to understand, I just know I press a button and the channel changes. I don’t know how facebook works and I don’t have time to understand, I just know I type something and my followers can read it. The same goes for Jesus… you just have to do what he says, it doesn’t matter if you understand it, you don’t have time in this lifetime to understand him, you just need to follow him…”
Alan – So if Jesus tells you to give 10% of your salary to this man you give it? Shut this thing off! If you listen to this crook again you are fired! (joking obviously)

#5
Carlos (a friend of ours) - Kojo, why is the driver's side door dented and smashed?
Kojo (Carlos' driver) - Because when I get out of the car, I have to hit the cement wall next to the car in order to get out (he's a big guy).
Carlos - But you have all this space on the other side of the car to park.
Kojo - I should have probably parked further away from the wall, will do so going forward.
Carlos - Speechless

#6
Rita (our nanny/maid) - Madam, I put Eli down for a nap but I thought it was too cold in the room so I made it warmer.
Emily - That's fine Rita, thank you.
(few seconds later Emily goes to check on Eli)
Emily - Rita, the room is freezing!
Rita - It was at 24 so I turned it down to 20 (puzzled).
Emily - The number is the temperature not the fan speed.