Fante

It is hard, really I should say frustrating, to be in a place where you can’t speak the language. I have already been in Ghana for three months. I have learned small Fante, but I have made many friends and I can’t understand about 98% of what they are saying when we all hang out.

I don’t want to be the dud that is constantly pulling someone away from the conversation to translate. And I definitely don’t want to say, “Speak English!” (which is what they are told all through gradeschool, and I am sure, somewhat resent). This isn’t my country, so why should they speak my language? And being the person I am, I don’t want to offend or intrude on another culture. I am here to learn another culture, not to force mine upon someone else. Also, my mind has decided that the language is like a secret door into understanding Akan culture. I feel somewhat like Gandalf at the gate to the mines of Moria, if I could just learn the secret word(s), the right things to say, and the proper way to say them, I could open the door and find behind it this wealth of understanding about the people, culture, traditions, behaviors and actions, and so on.

So, I am busting ass to learn Fante. And it’s difficult! I’ve learned some Spanish in school, but it’s nothing compared to this! They saying being immersed in the culture and hearing nothing but the language you want to acquire allows you to learn faster, but I think I’m more lost in this immersion than I would be if I were taking lessons at school. Maybe it’s my brain, and I’m just not good at languages. I have never had much of a desire to learn them, to figure them out, to be immersed in them (despite the fact that I love words and writing…). Also, I give up easily because I get frustrated easily, because I feel I should be better at this, quicker, and smarter (becuase usually I am quicker, better, and smarter than this.) It's a terrible trait to have, to be blessed with a quick mind and then to give up when your mind fails to be quick at something. How am I ever supposed to grow and learn that way? So, the more people talk the more confused I get: “Speak slower.” “Say it again.” “One more time.” “No, I have no idea what you just said.” And, to make it worse, I often find myself tuning out the conversations of others when they turn to Fante, and getting lost in my head without even realizing it. And what little I do learn, I don’t retain well. It feels that even my own mind is against me learning.

But I am going to do it. Even if it is a tough language. It reminds me of French (which I hate) because all the words run together and sound like one word even though it's possibly five separate words (which is why I hate French). And unlike English, which is like a shallow pool, having many words for one thing, Fante is a deep well having one word for many things. And it’s tonal. If I stress the first syllable and not the second, it could be the difference between saying ‘vomit’ and ‘home’.

At this point I sound like a three year old learning to talk. And oh, my friends laugh at me! They even come up with crazy schemes to make me into a comedy show that could make them millions. But it's also fun because I'm beginning to understand people better, so when the teachers start talking about me in Fante I can say, "Hey! I heard that!" And now, when people ask me why I don’t wear shoes I can say, “Min pe mpaboa.” They often think that isn’t a good enough answer (because who in their right mind doesn’t wear shoes?), but really, I just don’t like shoes.