Greg

Greg

Oral history from Ghana to Garden City, Kansas

Greg is from Ghana but lives in Garden City, Kansas. He shares his experiences about living in the U.S. Although he misses food like fufu, he has learned to enjoy Mexican and American food as well: he specifically likes enchiladas and tacos. One thing Greg enjoys about the U.S. is how friendly the people are.

Marta (M)
Greg (G)

G: It was about August 2014 that I was asked by my authority I mean, to church. To church.

G: I was asked by my authority to come to the United States of America to study for my master's degree. And actually that was the first time I was traveling outside my country. I come from Ghana in the west part of Africa.

G: So 2014, some day in August. I was first say I came to Ohio to steady for two years. And it was quite an interesting experience for me because there were so many things that I wasn't used to , hich having come here I got to learn.

G: My first experience of being here was that United States is, I already know, is the greatest country admirably on the planet, on this Earth. So when I came here, my view of USA was really true.

G: And so I began my studies after having spent about only two weeks. And the first time I went to the school, I was a bit–a little bit surprised because I was the only black guy in the midst of this…White Americans and the language was really very tough for me to understand the lecturers because we have quite a different accent.

G: I learned English back in Ghana. [In] Ghana English is a second language, so I have my own local dialects.

G: That the first culture shock for me was, you know, the accent. I couldn't really understand what the lecturers so I tell it I had to because I need that to do the course. But about three weeks time, I began to really understand them well. And they could also understand me.

G: So that story. The first culture shock was about the accent, which was difficult for me to hear. And I believe they also find it difficult to hear me.

G: And another experience…I have another experience was about the weather because we're going to the winter, which I've never seen snow my life early–only in television.

G: So first morning, the guy I used to live with, he really knew where I was coming from. And so he.somewhere in November that I had my first snow after waking up from sleeping in the morning, I opened my window and I saw this. So let's say I had to go into it, how it is. Okay.

G: Then after that I experience, it took me three years to finish the course back in Ohio.

G: And my authority again asked me to come to Kansas to continue with my church ministry.

G: And coming from Ohio to Kansas was also quite a different experience. With time, I got used to the Kansas weather it's like the wind was one of the things that caught my attention, especially driving on the road and meeting the semi. The car will shake like [unknown] and I said, Wow, time.

G: I also got used to the Kansas whether the wind, yeah.

G: And having been here for about six years now, there are so many things I have learned from the people I have worked with. Their hospitality, generosity, how they care about people, how they are able to support one way or the other. My ministry. And also the way some people meet you on the street or the park and they smile. They don't know you but they will smile and say “hi”.

G: It was quite a nice experience for me, you know?

G: Yeah. I've been in Kansas I think about four years now. And I've lived here pretty well.

G: Another challenge for me now is about the food. You know, I had to learn how to eat American food, Mexican food..And where I am, it is really hard to get to an African market except to, maybe we're just grabbing from here to wait. 4 hours drive [and I] cannot be going there often.

G: So I have to manage with what I have here. So I enjoy some of the food, some others too, you know, you have to. But occasionally, I tried to cook and prepare my own meal where I come from, our favorite meal is fufu.

G: We eat fufu, we eat rice, we eat fish. And there are so many local dishes that I cannot get here.

G: Also, I miss church because we have, as an African, we have–we have our, our way of our own way of worship, music, dancing, same game. So here everything is like solemn, seems to be solemn.

G: But there, there are so much music dancing and when people are in check the pour their hearts out. The bands are cultural dance and that kind of thing.

G: So sometimes I miss the music.

G: And also other times too, I miss talking to the family. We have a standard and nuclear family. Your aunties, your grand–your uncles. Yeah, grandpas–we are so closely knit. So sometimes also, I miss my mom and my dad, but I tried to go home once every year just to see them and come back. Yeah.

G: So I like–I like living here; I've learned so much, so many great things: how to be efficient in my ministry and wanting that we Africans, we lack is about our time. You know, we don't, we don't really, we are not punctual in so many aspects.

G: But here, another surprise was when church begins, let's say four [it starts at] is four, not even 1 minute. And after chest starts, nobody comes in. And it was very shocking.

G: Back in Africa, four will be five. You know, people will late.

G: Yeah. So these are some of the things–the way people respond to tie, the way people enjoy the games, you know, the way that some will meet you. So nice weather. And I am like, “What is nice about this weather?” We're not used to that kind of thing. Yeah. People.

G: People really…I’ve–I've really learned so many things. That's, I think when I go back to Africa, I'm going to be so much efficient in what I do.

G: And what's really here. Sometimes you meet one or two people who are cold to you. The idea, one, I guess a few people and I think I've only had one encounter about somebody being rude to me. But in a nutshell, some wonderful people, great people, but you cannot have it all–we are from different backgrounds and different perspectives.

G: So my stay in United States has been a blessing, a great blessing, as I might say, both in spiritual economy. Such a huge blessing for me. And I said place, I've come to love and live but because of my mission. I would have to go back home sometime, someday. And anytime I leave, I think I'll forever be grateful to this great nation. Yeah.

G: So in a nutshell, I think my experience here has been that of I would say, a blessing. Yeah. This is what I can share.

G: I come from a family of eight. My mom and dad's still living. My dad was a silver seven and my mom was a business woman. Yeah. So all of us were educated.

G: And some people have this impression about Africa that is poverty, disease. Yeah, quite a good number of people are poor. But we have good number of people also who can..who or who have made it. So it is not all about, you know, it's not bad. But I think leaders in the continent could do better. So.

G: Yeah, it's nice also to be in Africa. There are so many nice places. Beaches you go to Mozambique, Tanzania. Yeah. South Africa. Yeah. So, but I'm from West Africa happening. Yeah, sure.

G: So nice sharing this experience with you. I thank you for. God bless.

M: Thank you so much. Can I ask you some follow-up questions? Yeah. Okay. First of all, I wanted to say about the time thing. That is also true of Latin Americans. Yeah, I call it Latin-American time because I'm from Latin American background, but my parents are Cuban.

G: Okay.

M: I love other things about Latin American culture. I love that everyone talks at the same time. Yeah, interrupts each other. And it's all good. It's fine. It's wonderful.

M: But the one thing I cannot, just a great deal of difficulty with Latin American time for me for is for yeah.

G: Same as African see, yeah.

M: Yeah. So let me just walk through some things I had questions about and you're as you talked about, can you tell us a little bit about you said you It's really hard to get African food and I can see that, yeah. You said some US food or Mexican food you like and I assume some of you don't like, could you go into a little bit more detail about that?

G: Oh, I do like–I like enchiladas. I like tacos with pescadao–fish. I love. Yeah. Actually, most Mexican food are quite similar to what I'm used to. So any Mexican food–comida? Yes. I'll I'll go foreign. And even the American food. Yes, I like fish more, but here most people eat beef, steak, you know. Yeah. But I'm a fish. Actually, yes. Yeah. Yeah.

M: Have you been to California at all?

G: No.

M: I love fish tacos.

G: And they have California?

M: Yeah.

G: Yeah. Okay.

M: So then you mentioned just very briefly about your ministry. Is there anything you want to say about that? About ministering to Kansans in Garden City?

G: Yeah. My ministry is–mainly I'm a priest and minister to all manner of people, the elderly, the youth, the young. We have the school, sometimes I do teach once a while. We have a church school which I teach, you know. So I mean…full church ministry. Yeah. We do funerals and I do weddings and yeah.

M: And I think you said church here seems to be a little sullen? Is that what you said?

G: Solemn–solemn, not sullen….

M: S U L L E N, sullen?

G: SOLEMN, solemn.

M: Oh, solemn, right?

G: Yes, solemn.

M: And in Africa it's more celebratory?

G: Yes. Yeah.

M: Can you say a little bit more about that? I thought that was super interesting.

G: In church back in Africa, a church, a typical Sunday weekend church takes about, say, 2 hours 30 minutes or 3 hours. Here, a church–Sunday church weekend church takes about 1 hour.

G: So when we go to church in Africa. People come because of so many music and dancing.

G: It takes even an offertory. Three people dance their hand out to give God the gifts. You know? So it's like a big church. It could take about 30 min or 1 hour for even the dancer low. And the sermon also tastes quite a longer time.

G: You know, it's about the concept of time. [On the] weekend people have so much time to be in church. But here, you know, you have to [do everything in] 1 hour. Yeah. So there are so much you can do back home than here.

G: But here is also, it gives you the clergy. You know, a little bit time to relax. You know, it's not all that demanding as compared to, you know, Africa, yeah.

M: That's interesting. I wonder if Americans are–I don't know–they are so solemn and not celebratory.

G: Yeah.

M: Let's see…There was one other question I wanted to ask…

G: Oh, you had mentioned that in general, your experience of the Midwest was very nice that people would smile at you, which is true, yeah?

G: Yeah.

M: Midwest west, yeah. Yeah. Yeah.

M: Did you–have you encountered anything that you interpreted as racism or xenophobia or…

G: Yeah. I think I did encounter–I did have an experience with a lady, white lady. I was going to renew my license.

G: And it's like the first time I went, I think I have not brought all that documents I needed. I had come from Ohio with a driver license and it's expired and how to get a new one here. So when I was going to renew it, get a Kansas license, she told me to go get the other documents which I had forgotten, I think a proof of residence or whatever, I just left it at home.

G: And the second time I went, I met the same lady who saw me. I said No. She wasn't ready to let me go to after having looked at all my documents and staff. And he had to send my document, headquarters or some place to get approved [to see if] it is authentic.

G: And I told her, you know, look at my old license as you can check everything and this lady wouldn't let me.

G: So I went there for the third time and she says, “No; there's no way.” And apparently I had to go to another city to do it, which when I went, they just did it.

G: So I think I don't know. I wouldn't say I didn't know her motives, but there was nothing to deny me, but either she just didn't wasn't ready to, you know, It's like she was she saw me too–I don't know what that was suspicious of me, you know? I don't know. Yeah.

M: And was that–Where was that? Was that in Garden City?

G: no, it was in Dodge City.

M: And where was the city that you went where there were no problems.?

G: Hayes.

M: Interesting. Okay. I think those are all my questions.

M: Is there anything–Any last thoughts you want to share with the young people?

G: Yeah. I think that young people, what I was saying is, you know, in the midst of what is going on. The global stuff. There is always an opportunity to be a different person. In the true sense of the word.

G: You know, some people copy things blindly. Peer influence–but the life that we have given to us by God is so precious that we should always keep it protected. So they should try as much as possible to abstain from drugs or alcohol. And they should focus on their careers, education. Their jobs career, career orientation should–they should focus on that.

G: And the sky, I believe, would be the limit.

G: But the bad side of social media craze and they should be careful about all those things which probably [if] they don't take care could affect affect the potential for the future. Yeah.

G: So they should just focus on the things that are good and leave the rest to, you know. Yeah.

M: Thank you so much. I really appreciate this.

G: Yeah.

M: I really appreciate your telling me your story and I really appreciate the things that you said. Yeah. Okay.

G: And another thing that I forgot to say is the sophistication here. Here everything is kind of internet based computer back home in Africa, only the big cities.

G: And here, I am surprised, you have water throughout, electricity, throughout.

G: Back home in Africa. Know there are places the are, they are in darkness. They don't get water to drink. But here, there is so much blessings here and people don't see.

G: And I will recommend that the some also travel outside America, to have other experiences.

G: And it's all really helped them to appreciate the blessings that they have here.

Marta Caminero-Santangelo

Greg

English

Audio

Ghana

Garden City, Kansas