I've noticed myself doing a funny thing since I moved to Ghana- I try to avoid telling people where I live. Weird huh? Maybe you think me so weird after hearing me out:
So I live in some extremely plush accommodation in an extremely posh area of Accra. "Nothing wrong with that" you say. Indeed there isn't. I love where I live and I actually think I'd have already run back to London if I didn't live where I live. I haven't really experienced the chronic water shortage that seems to have befallen Accra and her neighbouring cities lately. Lights off problems also go largely unnoticed and there's really no logistical way armed-robbers could make it into here. Buuuuuuuut
1. This is not my yard; it belongs to a family friend. Like I have $500,000 plus to drop on an appartment in Accra.
2. When some people find out where I live, I get accused of being a "dadaba" (spoilt Daddy's girl) and they mysteriously stop offering to pay for/ split things.... I kept where I lived from my co-workers for as long as possible but I noticed that as soon as word got out, things like taking it in turns to buy everybody snacks mysteriously fell more frequently on me. My mama didn't raise no fool. If you ain't buying, then we ALL ain't eating.
3. Some people ask "what is it like living there" and that's ALL they want to talk about. Seriously.
4. Taxi drivers use this as yet another excuse to bump me. I've now resorted to NEVER telling them outright where I'm going. I'll vaguely mutter something about going "somewhere around The African Regent Hotel", throw the agreed fee at them and wait until we arrive at said hotel before directing them to the opposite direction. Hey it's been working so far!
One of the things that most irritates me about Accra is the sheer number of posers in this city. I see people who pretend to be "bigger" than they are constantly and it's a fear of being perceived to be one of them that makes me reluctant to share where I live with people.
Bitch I'm broke! I have two sets of student loans to pay off and my credit rating must be down the toilet by now since I haven't been in the UK to pay O2's phone bills nor Egg's credit card bills. Why on earth should I pretend otherwise? I'd love to have a Sugar Daddy/ Santa Claus to act as my Fairy Godmother but until then, Last Born Child is my inspiration. People like myself is the reason I never make assumptions about anybody's financial status. I may be broke right now but I sure as hell don't advertise it. In the same vein, don't jealous the chick with the freshest Malaysian weave, the flyest Bvlgari shades, the latest Bottega Veneta handbag and pushing the latest whip. You don't know where or how she got that ish. I try to be myself as much as I can so that's why I either won't tell you where I live, or I'll quickly append a "but it's not my house" when you comment on how nice it is. Funny thing is, I've noticed that money attracts money. Seriously. When people perceive you to be in a certain "class" you find yourself meeting more and more of them. Kind of makes sense now why the posers bother so much....
So do you make assumptions about how much money you think people have and how/ why?
Random thoughts:
1. Why did I just see Wanlov the Kubolor wandering through the streets of Dzorwulu in torrential rain?
2. Why is the size 18/20 Sankofa flirting with a fine-ass personal trainer. The irony doesn't escape me either. Maybe he'll help me get my bikini bod fine-tuned....
3. I've had a craving for apapransa for the last two weeks. I'm too lazy and inept to attempt to make some. Where can I buy some?
I'll leave you with this vintage eargasm courtesy of Maxwell. He's always a good choice before bedtime.
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Who am I?
- Sankofa
- London, United Kingdom
- Twenty- something fighting for her own little spot in the world.
5 comments:
*Lovely post* I can relate to the broke part! BTW I'm also curious about what its like living there (where I think u live) since its inhabited mainly by foreign types! My bruv's head of dept lives there and he's a foreign type. I love the way people in Ghana are so quick to think they know everything about u based on where u live, where u grew up, ethnicity etc. Always amusing. Ironically, I also moved to Gh saddled with student loans and just yesterday my friend who has just finished her PhD in the US was complaining about credit card debt out of her ears yet everyone in Gh assumes all is hunkydory for her. Btw, I keep seeing Wanlov in Dzorwulu as well!
Firstly, Wanlov is clearly allergic to shoes. Hell, I've never seen him wearing any!
I agree that it just doesn't DO to advertise your inability to pay your bills. I think it is about as crass as telling everyone ur swimming in money. Maybe it the Brit in me...
Anyhoo, I think our beloved people just love to categorise be it money, education, whatever. So they can find 'their level' (or the 'level' the wish they were) to be around.
And lastly, HONESTLY do Ghanaians who have never lived outside of Ghana truly understand the concept of the real debt us Abrokyire peeps are dragging around with us? If it isn't staring them in the face dressed in rags they will never believe it. So annoying...
@Abena Living here's great actually but don't expect to actually speak to your neighbours. Coming from London, I'm completely used to this though. It bugs me that even when I say "hello" some of them can ignore me completely. I'm 100% sure that most of them think I'm a house girl (with fly-ass bags). I've only seen 3 other black families here and I know them all!
I feel you on the debt thing. I'm trying to come up with a solid plan to get out out of debt (says the girl who's planning on adding some Grad school debt to her load....)
Maybe Wanlov actually lives in Dzorwulu
@Nsoromma I also hate it when people constantly go on about being broke all the time. In 99% of the cases it's entirely of their own doing (I'm also guilty) so I don't know why everybody else has to be subjected to constant moaning.
Thank you for the much needed Maxwell break and the shout-out :)
I agree with Abena Serwaa - it's alwyas amusing when people in GH don't process the amount of connsumer debt the average Diasporean is carrying.
Love the taxi swindle. They need to standardize prices and stop changing their minds when you approach nice neighbourhoods.
On another note, why are people so hung up on who is dadaba? And why is it said in an accusatory tone all the time? Last year, when I was accused of that crap, I smiled and said "thank you!"
wanlov works in dzorwulu, but tends to live in his works so sleeps in the studio a lot...he lives in kwabenya
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