At The Koko Seller's Bench. Communication Barrier Or Nah?

At the Koko Seller's bench one morning, this is the scene I beheld or the conversation I overheard, depends on whichever way you choose to see it.

OYIBO: Hello goodmorning, how are you doing? *smiles*

HAJIA: Yes fine moring. Allah dey. *very business-like*

[This is ALL THE ENGLISH Hajia can manage anyway.]

OYIBO: Could I have some of that koko please? *smiles*

HAJIA: Ahe?

OYIBO: Did you ask how much? *smiles*

HAJIA: Yes.

OYIBO: One cedi please. Two of that. *smiles*

[Hajia, after packaging Oyibo's food, sees there's more to the request, and starts getting pissed but can really do nothing about it. Because he's obroni. Everyone knows these unspoken rules]

OYIBO: You have any puff loaf? *still smiling*

HAJIA: Eh?

OYIBO: Puff Loaf?

HAJIA: Eno nso ye den?

[Oyibo's girlfriend senses he needs help and hops out of the car to help him out. She's not white. She's black. But speaks NO Twi. Just French. And broken English.}

GIRLFRIEND: Puff loaf?

HAJIA: Asem ben ni? Puff loaf no nsoso ne den?

ONLOOKER: Bofrot na oop3 aka.

[Oyibo remains smiling. Hajia's frustration is reaching its peak.]

HAJIA: Ebi nni ho. Kose nkoaa.

[Girlfriend tells Oyibo its bean cake.]

OYIBO: I thought that was fed to poultry? Bean cake.

GIRLFRIEND: This is fried bean cake.

OYIBO: I'd like to try it though. Give me four of those please. *smile still in place*

Before he leaves, Oyibo remarks, "Thanks for your patience, it's rare."

That was the most ridiculous thing I heard throughout the conversation. A part of me was tempted to attribute it to sarcasm, but the authenticity of his compliment was unquestionable

Is there something like a body language barrier? As in can people not read others'  body language? And is it a sort of side effect of Language barrier? As in, if you can't understand someone's language, does that mean you can't understand his or her body language too? If so, should we call it Language Barrier or would Communications Barrier be a broader and more fitting term?

RE: 'FUCK AFRICA AND AFRICANS, ESPECIALLY GHANAIANS'

Hats off to Mutombo for officially or maybe unofficially re-introducing the power of the pen i our youthful circles. Hopefully, we can ink your thoughts. I write in that hope.

It's true that some wounds never heal, and so for some time now it's been quite okay to blame some of our national problems and international problems as a continent, on the effects of the sins of our colonial masters. If we would be true to ourselves, in our hearts, they are ultimately, The Enemy. And of course, according to Ghanaian & African mindset, the enemy is the at the roots of every bad thing. EVERY negativity is because of what 'the white man stole from us'. Even our leaders are no different; there's no hope of a revolutionary change of thought patterns birthed by the leadership of the country and the African continent.

Take me out of any prejudicial political affiliation, and allow me to take us back to the recent BBC interview with His Excellency John Dramani Mahama. When asked by the BBC reporter what exactly was the cause of our nose-diving economy, Mr. President gave the normal 'Ghana's economy is one that thrives on the success of it's exports on the international market. When the prices of cocoa and gold are faltering on the international market, our economy suffers..' excuse. I was paraphrasing by the way. Of course, as long as the excuse isn't questioned it is good enough to be used! As long as makes us look miserable enough to get help, we will lean on it! But how about we come out of our comfort zone and start to find our own answers to our own problems?! How about forget the whole sorry excuses that we've all learned to memorize in one sorry way or another?!

Every time something happens, Ghanaians would prefer finding some sorry yet comfortable excuse to assuage their fears; maybe run away from reality. STOP RUNNING. Face the music. Otherwise, really what's the use of school? If all we're doing is complaining or finding excuses, then is the purpose of education, which is to find solutions to problems met? Is education even useful then? Why build more schools when all they produce are some intellectuals so plagued and paralysed by cowardice?

Now Ebola is in the hood. A good part of the working population of Ghanaians are health-inclined. Of course, it was and still is almost every Ghanaian child's dream to 'wear labcoat'. And now there are so many phDs; more on the way; some are even jobless. It's not just about looking cool in the coats, and owning coded & complex handwriting. Let your certificates remind you of the cause you've pledged your working life to. Start accepting responsibility for the diseases that threaten to wipe out your fellow countrymen. Start thinking of every lost life you could have saved if you actually made moves. Start believing that AIDS, cancer, ebola are not an end in themselves. DO SOMETHING.

And pretty please stop looking at the West as some kind of enemy. As far as possible, they've done their part. We asked for independence; they gave it to us. Of course there were some inconsistencies where justice is concerned, but please for progression sake, let's put the past behind us. Let's relabel all the things we labelled 'impossible'. Let's see ourselves as competent. Let's rise above the mediocrity. Let's do something. 


Let's start living the independence. Others died for our freedom, what are we dying for?' Surely, shouldn't be Ebola.