I frankly do not know what this is. I wanted to write, and I wrote. Enjoy it and if you feel like, let me know what you think.

Sunyani vs. Accra

The quiet in Sunyani vs. The noise in Accra

The serenity of Sunyani vs. The chaos of Accra

The cleanliness of Sunyani vs. The filth of Accra

The soft calls of taxi drivers vs. The yelling of trotro mates in Accra

The wheelbarrow-pushing male potters in Sunyani vs. The basin-carrying female kayaye in Accra

The disciplined Sunyani vs. The indiscipline Accra

Sunyani vs. Accra

Market Women vs. Shopper

In Sunyani

Buyer:                    Madam, please I said I was buying only 50 pesewas worth

of tomatoes

Seller:                    Sister, please that is 50 pesewas. Gyama wonfi ha, wahu?

In Accra

Buyer:                    Oh Auntie, I said I was buying 5 cedis worth of tomatoes

not 50 pesewas

Seller:                    Why, do you think I am ‘teaching’ you? Or are you new in Accra?

The tomatoes are expensive now oh! The KIA and big trucks now charge a lot.

Do you want to buy anything else?

Taxi Driver vs. Passenger

In Sunyani

(Irrespective of where you are going or coming from)

Passenger:           Please take me to Melcom. I will spend just 5-10 minutes inside

then you bring me back here.

Driver:                    Okay. Pay 6 cedis.

In Accra:

(Legon-Accra Mall-Legon)

Passenger:           Accra Mall please. I am picking something from a friend then

back here please.

Driver:                    Okay. You will pay me 20 cedis.

Passenger:           WHY?

Driver:                    There is plenty traffic there.

Passenger:           Mtcheewww! So how much will you charge if I was going to

Mallam and back?

Driver:                    That one I won’t go. But if you pay 50 Ghana then I will try.

Agent vs.Wannabe-Tennant

In Sunyani

Agent:                    Madam, you see this place is tiled, even the kitchen.

There is also a water heater in the bathroom.

This area too there is water 24 times 7.

Electricity too is there 24 times 7. Here there are no thieves.

You can even do your small garden at the back.

There is a gate too, and the front is ‘terrazo’.

W.T.:                      So how much is it?

Agent:                    800

W.T.:                      800 what?

Agent:                    800 thousand. Old Ghana.

W.T.:                      Oh ok! How many years?

Agent:                    3. But you can pay 2 years.

W.T.:                      Uh!

Agent:                    So the three years will be 28.8, and my 10% is 2.8.

If you want the two years, it will be 19.2, and my 10% is 1.9. Abi?

W.T.:                      Yes. Yes. You I will take the three years. Let’s see the landlord now.

Don’t worry about your ten eh?

In Accra

Agent:                    Please this place three years advance ooh! 3.5.

W.T.:                      Oh why? It is not tiled? The nets too are torn.

The WC is also not working well…and the…does the water come?

Agent:                    The water, edey come. Once a week. Every Monday dawn.

W.T.:                      There is no water, and with all the problems you want me to

pay 350 Cedis per month for three years for a 2-bedroom? Why?

Agent:                    Massa, oh why, you don’t like it? Houses are not common nowadays ooh.

Ok, you if you like this one, I have one too at Sukura. That one too is 2-bedroom.

That one is 250. You like am?

W.T.:                      No. No. It’s ok. Thank you.

Agent:                    Oh why you don’t like a house again?

W.T.:                      You I will call you later.

Agent:                    Ok Massa. What about my transport?

W.T.:                      What transport? Didn’t I pay the fare? Come and let’s pick the trotro together. I will pay.

Agent:                    Oh!

Husband in Accra vs. Husband in Sunyani

In Sunyani

There is rarely a ‘go-slow’ traffic in Sunyani. It is therefore inexcusable for a husband to spend even 30 minutes between wherever his office is in the metropolis. You can’t say same for Accra, can you?

In Accra

Wife:                       Honey, you are very late?

Hubby:                   Sweetheart, there was traffic right from our office to the street just here.

(He could have stopped by Legon to see his ‘backyard’ garden; the one he doles out more money than he gives his wife and three children put together)

Wife:                       I know. I know. So sorry. May be you should stay a bit late in the office so you don’t have to waste so much fuel in traffic.

(The lucky bastard gets a valuable permit to sow and reap from his garden.

Hubby:                   That is a good idea.

Roads in Sunyani vs. Roads in Accra

In Sunyani:            There are pot-holes too. In Sunyani, the small small pot-holes that spring up are covered within an appreciably few days.

In Accra:                Accra does not have pot-holes. Accra has man-holes and galleys. Huge man-holes and galleys! The type that could gather enough water for a 3 year old to think it is a dirty swimming pool. These man-holes are strewn across Ghana’s national capital – the much heralded Gateway to Africa. They only get filled when the road is near the Mayor’s home or when some other top official uses the road regularly.Or they get a facelift when the President is expected in the vicinity.

Electricity & Water

In Sunyani:            Power in Sunyani rarely goes off. Even if it does, you can be sure it will come back on sooner than it will take you to go find your rechargeable lamp.

In Accra:                If your power goes off in Accra, you’d be lucky to have it back in an hour…sorry, in 6 hours.

In Accra:                Rain and power supply are mutually exclusive in Accra

In Sunyani:            Rain and power supply are not exactly mutually exclusive in Sunyani.

In Accra:                Getting huge or several water storage facilities is not an option in Accra. It is a requirement of life, regardless of where you live.

In Sunyani:            You do have an option. After all, your taps will either run all the time, or there is enough clean underground water for you to mechanize a well into your home.

Sunyani vs. Accra

© Kwame Gyan