The Proposals

Being twenty, a female, and a foreigner means a little extra excitement while traveling. By this I mean we girls get to dodge a fair amount of petty harassment.

Walking the streets, boarding the buses, shopping the markets…you must prepare yourself to be constantly stared at, called after, and lavished with copious amounts of compliments. While it would be nice to think these compliments were coming out of the sincerity of these men’s hearts, more often than not, they’re a part of a rather hilarious and clever sales technique, attempting to convince you to buy some silly knick-knack or other.

I find the whole thing particularly funny to be honest.

It’s not everyday someone tries to sell you a bracelet by telling you they like your hips.

Seriously now, how do you keep from laughing out loud at that? More over, how in the world do you respond?

“And I should buy your bracelet because…?”

I’ve never been so tongue-tied in my entire life.

But my absolute favorites are the marriage proposals (And to my great delight, Allie is particularly prone to them).

Walking in the medina of Casablanca or down a street in Accra, a stranger man will literally just out and pop the question.

“You like to husband with me, Beautiful?” (Bursts of laughter ensue)

So tempting.

But no.

I think I’ll be passing on the husbanding for now, thank you.

These are just some of the many reasons why we must never travel alone, and always pack a sense of humor.

Love. Anna