Obruni

“I want to marry the short one” a Ghanaian man commented loudly as Jessica, Jordan, and I walked past him towards the street where all the taxis hang out. As we waited inside a taxi for a fourth passenger, two guys hanging out by the passenger window, where I was sitting, began talking to me.

“You are beautiful. I love you,” he repeated. “Do you love me?”

“Sorry,” I replied “I have a husband”.

“Oh I am sorry, forgive me” he responded very politely.

I have been pleasantly surprised to find that the mentioning of my fake husband is always followed by respectful apologies by the men showering me with compliments and marriage proposals. Other men (especially latinos) I’ve encountered have never been so respectful to my (non-existent) husband and left me alone.

Obruni is fante for “white person”, the Latin American equivalent to gringo (although gringo is considered specific to people from the U.S.) I have had the feeling that some Ghanaians aren’t sure if they should classify me under the Obruni category. Maria, who heads the Global Mamas office in Cape Coast, is from Spain and says that despite her brown skin and Spanish features, she is called obruni. I am very short, have brown skin, dark curly hair, and what I consider some distinguishable Latin American features. I have been taken aback by women calling me out in the street and telling me “You are beautiful! I like you” with such sweet enthusiasm. Although friends and family are constantly telling me, I don’t consider myself all that beautiful, especially when I’m walking around in the humid sun wearing no makeup and sweating all over. My instant reaction when these beautiful Ghanaian women stop me to shower me with compliments is that of humility. I stand there, humbled, thank them, and shower some compliments right back.

I love telling Ghanaians where I’m from. Naturally, most have no idea where Nicaragua is and they ask me a lot of questions about it. I love telling them how it is very similar to Ghana. How we also eat rice, beans, fried fish, and plantains. I tell them how Nicaragua has very similar topography and we grow a lot of the same crops. How our climates are very similar but Ghana is a lot more humid. I tell them how our country is also very poor. 

Tonight Eli is cooking goat meat for me. I am very excited!