Back home, my extended family is very close and most of my relatives will attend church regularly, much like people in Ghana. My Ghanaian friends have taught me so much about their lives and have made me feel very welcomed.
Another significant part of integrating in the culture is trying to learn the language that many people speak here. Although it is not the official language here, Twi is spoken by almost everyone I have met. I am trying to learn Twi so I can better interact with the people who work at markets and restaurants. Older generations are fluent in this language, but people my age use English more. Knowing how to speak Twi is especially helpful at markets because the workers appreciate the effort and may even give you a gift or lower their prices. I wanted to learn Twi because I did not want to make local people who might not know much English feel uncomfortable. A language barrier would have made it more difficult for me to connect with people here. Twi has survived centuries of change in Ghana, so it plays a large role in the culture and identity of Ghanaians.
