Westernization

Westernization 10/2/2016

     This is a topic that bothered me while I was living in Ghana. I meant to write this blog while I was still in Ghana, but as time does, especially in Ghana, it slipped away. I wanted to visit Ghana because I wanted to experience a culture unlike anything I had ever seen before. There I found a culture that was rich with their rhythmic music, their unique foods, the brightly colored clothing, the traditional gatherings associated with weddings and funerals. 

     These are some of the things I hold near and dear to my heart about my experience overseas and kills me to hear so many Ghanaian people wanting to become westernized. I of course understand the need for clean water ways, electricity, healthcare and so on. 

     I loved the markets, I loved the unique businesses and establishments. Families own these. It was a constant bustle of beautiful people, earning a living side by side to take care of their loved ones. Then, there was the Accra mall. It was just off campus and I visited it only as a last resort. The mall was a bitter reminder of everything that I dislike about America and it represents what many people from Ghana aspire to live like. 

     Now that I am home, it brakes my heart driving through America, down streets lined with all the same stores. I could be at my place in Arizona, visiting my folks in Chicago, or friends in California, Starbucks, Walmart, CVS, McDonald's, Taco Bell, Subway, Bed Bath and Beyond, right? It sickens me. Good luck finding two of the same restaurants or stores in the markets of Ghana.

The market that I love

The mall that makes me crazy!