Impressions Of Two African Countries

Silje Sundvik with the Ghana flag at the Independence Square in Accra

The first time I was in Africa was in 2020 in Zimbabwe. That was the first time I fell in love with Africa; its beautiful nature, rich culture, history, music, vibrant clothing and attitude towards life.

The colours of nature amazed me already from the flight window. When I landed, I was greeted by music and people dancing at the airport. From the airport they picked me up in a four wheel drive and drove me to Victoria Falls to camp. I could hear the animals close by, and I learned that lions apparently love the rain.

I knew from that time that I would be coming back to Africa, and this time I was so lucky to visit the beautiful country of Ghana. Zimbabwe and Ghana are quite similar, since they both have a tropical climate.

In Zimbabwe, as in Ghana, when I told people that my name has no meaning, I got another name. 'Thando' means love, and was my new name there. I also have a feeling that it was easier to say than Silje. Here in Ghana I have been called 'Afia' since I was born on a Friday. I meet a lot of people named love, gift, blessing and so on, but I also meet people in Zimbabwe named surprised and Christmas.

I guess that sometimes they could be very honest with their kid's names. Zimbabwe was my first experience with Africa, and even with big tourist sites such as the Victoria Falls, I fell in love with the culture over all.

I did, however, experience a huge culture shock regarding a few things. One trend that got my attention was how people viewed time.

At home in Norway, I would plan everything down to every minute of the day. It could be that the meeting would start at 10:47am and not 10:45am. Personally after my first visit to Africa, I planned things a little more loosely in my calendar, and will forever bring that part of African culture to my everyday life.

Another shock awaited me. Coming from Norway in Scandinavia, the climate welcomed rather rudely. Norway is a place that is so cold that the wind can (and will) hurt your face. The temperature can drop to around -20 Celsius, so naturally the change of climate was the first thing which hit me when I disembarked the plane.

Coming to Accra, I knew the climate was tropical, and had two seasons; the wet and the dry seasons. However, I don't think I could prepare myself for this kind of change, and the fan became my best friend.

While observing people in the city centre of Accra, I was surprised about how people contained the humidity. I have still not found out the secret to this, but would love to know.

Coming from a country where personal space is so important that you would rather stand on the bus or take the next one instead of sitting next to someone, the public transport system locally termed 'trotro' (small buses) was quite a shock for me.

People in the trotro don't value your personal space in the same way I am used to. They have no problems talking to you, complimenting you and giving you tips on where to go.

Ghana is considered one of the friendliest countries in West Africa, where everybody is ready to help you. The incredible energy of Ghana is everywhere; even while doing small things like taking the trotro.

It amazes me how life generally in Ghana moves in a slow, relaxed pace, but at the same time it can be so chaotic and fast.

The Makola market, Accra's largest open-air market, is a great example of that, and a fascinating place to really absorb the atmosphere of Ghana.

I have developed a massive love for the food culture of Africa, where food is so special and brings people together.

However, it is no secret that northern European countries don't like too much spice, and the food from there can be viewed as quite tasteless.

When I saw this lady carrying a tray of eggs on her head with spices on the side I thought, “Finally, something I can try.” I could tell that the egg she was serving to the others was very spicy, but when she saw me she gave me the tiniest piece of spice. For me it was still spicy, but I guess this is something I need to get used to if I want to survive in Ghana.

Since my time in Ghana, I have fallen in love with the relaxed attitude towards life, the warm climate, the beautiful nature, the music, the hospitality and friendliness from strangers. I would still have to get used to the food, but being surrounded with the incredible energy of Ghana, everything is possible.

By Silje Sundvik, Norway