In the Dark Continent - I

“Akwaaba! Are you Asha?”

After completing the formalities at the immigration counter of the Kotoko International Airport in Accra, the immigration official told me the above words with a friendly smile.

I was on a visit to the West African country of Ghana as an international expert to conduct a three-day seminar on invitation from a global NGO. The program was to take place in Accra, the capital city of Ghana.

I had already known that “Akwaaba” means “Welcome” in the Ashanti language of Ghana. It is the warm greeting with which Ghanaians welcome visitors to their country. The people of Ghana are considered to be the friendliest of all Africans.

I thanked him for the greeting and was about to leave the counter, when the person repeated again with his friendly smile “Are you Asha?”

I didn’t want to disappoint him with a straight negative answer and hurt the feelings of such a nice and friendly soul. I tried my best to reciprocate with a friendly smile and politely corrected him “Sorry, I am afraid, I am not Asha”. I almost felt guilty for not being Asha.

“You are from India. Right?” He enquired. I was glad that finally he had touched upon a topic about which we both could agree. When I happily informed him that he was right on target this time, he asked me with his perpetual friendly smile “Are you Asha?”

I was getting a bit nervous. This game could not be allowed to go on forever.

I told him politely but firmly “My name is Leon. I am not Asha. It is too late for me to become an Asha”. I eagerly looked at him to know whether this information was of any help to him.

It was his turn to get perplexed. He seemed to have resigned to the fact that in the given circumstances the possibility of us reaching an agreement seemed to be quite remote.

A total breakdown of communication was imminent.

With a determination to salvage the situation and, with no more smile on his face he asked me accusingly “You are an Indian. Don’t you know what is the meaning of ‘Asha’ – ‘Good’?”

Then suddenly it dawned upon me that he was asking whether I was feeling “Acha” (“Good” in Hindi). I was relieved.

“Oh Yes! I am Asha. Bahut Asha!” I could see that now he was more relieved than me.

Dark and Lovely

 

My Emirates Air flight touched down at Accra, the capital city of Ghana on a humid afternoon in August 2006. The landing was so smooth that all the Ghanaian passengers spontaneously applauded in appreciation. I knew immediately that Ghanaians are most friendly and very simple people. This was the first of many surprises I had encountered in the dark continent of Africa.

According to my initial impression, everything in Ghana was different. The landscape was alien. I was surrounded by dark-skinned people, who are physically and culturally so different that it took some time for me to get accustomed to the environment. But, very soon I found out that the difference ends with the external characteristics. They are very beautiful people with friendly manners and warm heart. Even their dark skin has a natural and earthy beauty.

They celebrate the beauty of their black skin. In fact the largest selling skin-care cream in Ghana is “Dark and Lovely”. On my way to the hotel I could see huge hoardings on the airport road advertising the “Dark and Lovely” cream.

Mr. George Annan, my host, took me from the airport to Erata Hotel, where I was to stay for the next eight days. He had introduced to me Ameyo Maria at the front desk of the hotel. She welcomed me with a typical charming Ghanaian smile.

Ameyo was a beautiful girl in her twenties and I immediately thought that she was “Dark and Lovely”.