FORGETTING OUR AFRICAN WAYS

Average Poster Joined: Aug 13, 2006 Posts: 86

WHY IS IT THAT WHEN AFRICANS GO BACK HOME FROM EUROPE OR THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, THE TEND TO FORGET THEIR AFRICAN WAYS. YOU DO NOT SEE EUROPEANS OR AMERICANS COMING HOME FROM AFRICA, ACTING AFRICAN OR SHOULD I SAY FORGETTING THEIR EUROPEAN OR AMERICAN WAYS. Idea

PLEASE HELP ME UNDERSTAND.
STEVOO

Posted: Wed Feb 14, 2007 4:34 am

STEVOO wrote:

WHY IS IT THAT WHEN AFRICANS GO BACK HOME FROM EUROPE OR THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, THE TEND TO FORGET THEIR AFRICAN WAYS. YOU DO NOT SEE EUROPEANS OR AMERICANS COMING HOME FROM AFRICA, ACTING AFRICAN OR SHOULD I SAY FORGETTING THEIR EUROPEAN OR AMERICAN WAYS. Idea

PLEASE HELP ME UNDERSTAND.
STEVOO

Stevoo can I please ask you to cite examples. Then I can comment
better.
I am looking forward to seeing this topic develop. Thanks for all
your posts.

Average Poster Joined: Aug 13, 2006 Posts: 86

Forgetting our African ways.. example: forgetting our native langauge, I never seen a native french man or native
English man, etc. forget their native tongue.

2. do not dress african anymore, or do our little african expressions anymore etc, etc.. Confused

Posted: Thu Feb 15, 2007 2:59 am

STEVOO wrote:

Forgetting our African ways.. example: forgetting our native langauge, I never seen a native french man or native
English man, etc. forget their native tongue.

2. do not dress african anymore, or do our little african expressions anymore etc, etc.. Confused

That's interesting,
I am guilty of one or 2 things here.
I have forgotten some deep Yoruba (my native language)
only because there is no one to speak with me on that level.
Another thing is where we pick up an accent my yoruba is
tainted with the english accent Shocked

People do laugh at me, but hey it's inevitable. Very Happy

Where ever you live , especially for a long period of time
you do drop things that were used at home, that you cannot
use in your present setting.

I actually do appreciate the chances I get to speak and
remember deeper things.

I think sometimes when people go back home, it is not
deliberate action, but out of habit that they don't act or
dress a certain way.

Average Poster Joined: Aug 13, 2006 Posts: 86

Sisi, I actually agree with you , your case is exceptional, giving the amount of years you have stayed out of your homeland. Sisi, I have actually encounter people back home ( Liberia ), who have travel into these western countries and stayed only three months, six months to a year, come back home and put on an act of not remembering anything about certain thing they once did, and that kills me inside, but, I think all they try to do is to belong to this certain class
over their fellow countryman I think...

Posted: Thu Feb 15, 2007 4:36 am

O yess I've encountered people like that.
One visit to UK they come back home after
2 weeks and all of a sudden they have a
*fake* english accent.
And then also their mannerism changes.
The suddenly have no respect for their elders.

Actually I was talking to someone on my Yahoo
last night.
The guy is like 30. Anyway he was asking me
personal questions and I promtly said * I am sorry
that is not your business*.

Well he got mad and said that I was rude.
So I reminded him of the fact that back home,
you would not dare ask a 46 year old grandmother
if she is married and working.
I had to point out that he was not that much older
than my oldest child and he needs to learn some
manners.
That infact if he tried that at homehe would get a slap
from
an on looker and the elders would most certainly
make him pay a fine.

It really irritates me how African men disrespect
older women. Just because they happen to live
overseas or just returned home, they become
pompus and filled with useless rude behaviour.

Just because some older women are not currently
married does not mean we never were, or that
we are whores/prostitutes.

Older women at home are respected. People don't
dig into their past or present.
So what is this trend from the western world that
African Men have picked up and practice? Rolling Eyes

Average Poster Joined: Aug 13, 2006 Posts: 86

These are some of the things I am talking about. People come from these western countries, copied nothing good, but, the carefree life of the streets, take it back home try to fit it in a total diferent culture. Our people especially the elders are proud of their culture, we should know to respect that, we should'nt be told. Coming from America or Europe does not make you an european or American. Know that, respect our elders pleassssss.

Posted: Thu Feb 15, 2007 6:15 am

Stevoo the thing is a younger person wouldn't even
dare to tell their elder they have an attitude or they
are rude or even that they are wrong.
Life don spoil finish.
I can't even talk to my elders like that.
Where I come from even if a person is 1 second
older than you, respect is shown.

Those ways these people re enact, are not even
western ways. They are gutterish ghettoland,
street behaviour. Shocked

Average Poster Joined: Sep 04, 2006 Posts: 54

Stevoo, people can actually forget their language you know. They say that, that happens when you allow a new language to reach a higher level then your native tongue. This has happened to me personally, i find out that after speaking a different language for more than 15 years now i am forgetting english. Meaning, i cannot speak nor write fluently like i used to . Many times when i am speaking to people back home i find myself actully short of words. I get stuck so often! It can be akward especially when i go home! As you know the younger liberians speak an altogether different language now. They have new slangs and another way of talking. I do laugh a lot though. And i noticed that it is not only me. It is happening to every english speaking person here. We end up mixing the two languages up.

Average Poster Joined: Aug 13, 2006 Posts: 86

Well Pike, it's obvious after 15 yearssss, uhnnn, you got a point. But from what I am reading here, your english composition is great Laughing

lets talk about those who spend six month to a year that pretend to forget everything they used to do when they were back home. You know, the thing is, when we travel to these developed countries, we feel to put an edge over our fellow countryman so, we put up an act.

Posted: Thu Feb 15, 2007 9:13 am

Stevoo ..these people want to act like
they are superior and know it all.
Infact you have to laugh at the great
pretence.
O and have u noticed the way some of
them suddenly start walking and shaking
their neck and head. Like they are doing
the turkey walk? Razz

President Poster Joined: Mar 16, 2007 Posts: 140

MAYBE,SOME OF THOSE WAYS NEED TO BE FORGOTTEN.HOWEVER,U SHOULD ALWAYS STAY TRUE 2 YOURSELF NO MATTER WHAT.

Posted: Sat Apr 07, 2007 2:29 pm

denzel you made an excellent point about some ways
needing to be forgotten.
I think it would make a good topic/discussion if we
listed which ones we think should be done away with,
and reasons why.

Average Poster Joined: Sep 04, 2006 Posts: 54

Stevoo, you know that you are right some people change over night!! I met a Liberian girl that had spent only three years in the States but her accent was pure American. I do not know how she did. Only after two years! She did it perfectly though but i found her little strange. Now, maybe in the states she needed that so that people could understand her but to start talking to your own liberian people like that? I mean she had this strong texan accent. Anyway, i have observed that some people do have the gift for changing even their personalty altogether! Maybe she was doing acting and did not tell us. By the way, thanks for boosting my cofidence a little.(about my english not being so bad and all that.)

Average Poster Joined: Aug 13, 2006 Posts: 86

Pike, no problem, I just like to give credit where credit is due, I think that's how it suppose to be. Wink