Anonymity

The anonymity associated with being home is going to be so strange. I think it will be a mix of relief to be able to walk along a street or use transport without constantly being called to, but the lack of attention may also be unnerving in a way. I will once again be swimming in a pool of people who look and think so similarly to me, or at least who are not surprised by my appearance. I will even buy my produce from a table in a store as opposed to choosing mango from the lady who probably grew it, and have her cut it up for me right there on the street. (Luckily we have such great markets in Nova Scotia that buying food from the source will not be that difficult; but then again, it won’t be mangoes either!).

Transportation is an area where one can clearly see major differences between Ghana and Canada.

When I get home, I will no longer tell my driver or mate directly where I would like to go on public transport: I will pull a rope that signals a bell which tells him instead. I will put my exact change into a slot at the front of the bus, instead of passing money to the mate himself and getting my change on the spot. I will read digital numbers which indicate the fare for a taxi ride, as opposed to negotiating the price in advance with the driver. It would seem as though human interaction in transportation has been replaced with mechanisms and machines in the West.

These mechanisms and machines contribute to the sense of anonymity that I now associate with the West. While there is a sense of community in many areas, it is just not the same. In Ghana, there is (somehow) a sense of community throughout the whole country; it is remarkable.

All this being said, I do not want anyone to think that I am not looking forward to coming home and using this anonymous system (believe me, some days it is all I want!). Also, I would not presume to argue that one way of life is preferable to another. I simply wanted to share my transit experience from the perspective of a Canadian living in Ghana, as I have found the differences quite stark. Perhaps when I get home other differences will dawn on me after living in Ghana, even though I have lived in Canada for so long.