1. We Don't Miss Any Opportunity To Remind You That We're Special
You mean to say you didn't go to CTK? You don't know what CTK stands for?
OMG!
Or say you meet a new group of boys and they ask..
Boss, den you dey Cape?
Your response: No.
Mfantsipim?
No
Achimota?
Naa.
Presec? By this time your smile has faded and all that's left is the
awkward silence ringing loudly in your ears.
Even better...you attend one of these gatherings of over-schooled self-important people, and the first person on the panel starts talking, and she's goes like
Back at HBS....
when you hear this, you die a little inside. And if your husband or boyfriend or bff is around, you turn to look at their expression.
Check.
He's already died and come back to life.
Last Sunday in Church, when the first time visitors were asked to introduce themselves, one woman got up. Very confidently...My name is Araba Mensima-Mends. I am here with my husband....Dr. Paa Kwesi Mends. We live at Trassaco. And even though we don't really like dogs, we have 6 rottweilers and 4 dobbermans hehe.
Okay, I made up the dogs and Trassaco bit but you get the idea. I was sitting next to one of my loveables (another name for good friend coined in the Cleland household....see how i just reminded you i'm special?) and he looked at me, and shook his head and I smiled.
We get it. You have a husband and he's a doctor. lovely. Now I wish I had a doctor for a husband too
2. We Love Talking About Starting A Business
Besides our education and our doctor husbands, another of our favorite topics is business ideas. Everyone is registering some business or other. Especially when we're aba fresh (tr: newly arrived). Our small world is abuzz with talk about this business or that business or some deal or other they're trying to broker.
3.We Love Talking About Traveling.
We want you to know that we're traveling. But we don't exactly know how to come out and tell you point blank that we are one of those lucky ones who can up and leave this sorry country behind whenever we want. We love it even more when the trip is only for a week or days. That tells you that we have arrived. Arrived at the stage in life where buying an ordinary plane ticket is well, no biggie. I mean, didn't we go to SA for the World Cup? And to Paris to visit our old room mater, And Singapore, and Dubai and even Australia. I mean...when my company wants to train me, they don't send me to any locally organised workshops o... they fly me and pay per diem too.
Whether it's the cute text message you get from your friend at the airport saying "I'm going to Abrokyire" Or someone making a comment about their "globe-trotting" friend, we juuuust want you to know...we fly.
4. We Love The Toyota Corolla
Dude. Have you looked at the cars on our streets? Everybody is driving a Toyota. According to P. A of Ghana Customs, Toyota Corollas are now called Pure Water. Because well, they're everywhere.
5. Weddings For Show
You're not officially elite unless you have a wedding that get covered in some magazine. And you can't really have one of dem weddings where they hand you the doughnut in tissue paper. Lol. And.....you can't not have a wedding where the wedding dress did not come from Abroad. Nope. Unless you're me, of course:)
6. Sophisticated Outings
I don't know squat about jazz. I don't particularly like it. I think it's okay but give me Koo Nimo or Eugene Kyekyeku anyday. Or even something from Senegal. Music. Good music. I love Reggae. Lucky Dube. Yesssir! Give me some Lauryn. Give me some White boy music. Jason Mraz? Check. Jack Johnson. You have me. But Jazz? Nope. Not my thing. Poetry? Nope, I don't get that. But ask me the number of times I've had to tag along with my sophisticated friends to go to Jazz Clubs, Go listen to Spoken Word. The Nubuke Foundation hasn't helped matters. lol. Shout out to you, Odile Tevie. Much love to you. I'll be getting in touch.
I mean +233 is the hottest new joint. Maybe it satisfies the wannebes in us. But I also think it's about broadening horizons. So I approve. I haven't even mentioned the salsa craze. One of my longtime buddies is a salsero. I know. Ask again. Aboa ben so ne salsero?
Speaking of sophisticated outings, I recently discovered 2 new joints. The A lounge which is inside the trade fair centre and The Whizzy Lounge, which is on the ARS road in Madina. Both places are perfect if you want to get away from the crowds for a cozy romantic time.
7.We Love To Let You Know We Know Our Alcohol.
We want to remind you that we only drink single malt whisky. We probably have a booklet about the proper way to drink wine. We love names like Grand Marnier, Jack Daniels and Jagermeister. And we want you to know that we drink it straight.
8. Natural Hair Sisters
Natural hair has become quite big among the young elite sisters in Accra. I dig it. I don't have much to day about it, except that I hope it trickles down to the masses.
Can you think of any thing else that characterizes the young elite in Ghana?
As usual, Esi, you hit the nail on the head with this post. I love your posts. :)
ReplyDeleteI genuinely love talking about my globetrotting friends. (Kidding; don't know any):)
As a crazy music fan, i go from the extremes of music to the tame (includes heavy metal, jazz, classical, highlife) and everything else. (Am I part of the 'elite'?:))
You have given me two new places to check out. Been to +233 once; loved it and will definitely repeat it again (when i get the money. :))
I have two additions:
1. They are friends with/know celebrities.
2. Are the process of acquiring the latest in high end technology especially mobile phones
The satire had me rolling, lol...Nice one.
ReplyDeleteBack in the day in secondary school or mostly in Legon VOLTA HALL (the dadaba hall) every conversation starts with "When i went to London, or When i went to yankee........." so if you have never been you slowly slide out of hte conversation or you just sit on the bed top imagining the oxford street and 34th street and what not.
ReplyDeleteInfact this pure water nick name Eye meh shiiiii paaaa oh, how i suffered before i could afford a 2006 Corolla and shipped to ghana - i bought it simply because that was the only car to which port charges i could afford cos with the same money i coulda afforded a murano but i cant afford the port charges for a murano and so i settled for a corolla and now you ppl are calling ti Pure Water, Ashimi! now am thinking i should sell it. By the way the car is in the garage as am back in yankee temporarily.
Elite talk
"ehehnn so what school did you attend
where do you live
"oh live in Labone, Cantoment, Airport Residential, Ridge etc etc
We then graduated from saying to "Our Maid.... to Our Househelp
Ghana/Nigeria and this class nonsense - ebi ku yen.
Hahaha! Esi, I feel you on the travelling for only a few days. You saw him in church on Sunday, you call him on Tuesday to ask if you can come by his office, he tells you he's in Dubai. Strangely enough, he's in church on Sunday! (And there's always this meek look with a slight smile on his face) All in a week? Amazing. You ask yourself, when shall I?
ReplyDeleteI feel you on the joint-hopping as well. I could've turned red when my friend reacted in genuine surprise that I had never been to a particular restaurant (I won't even mentioned it here, for fear that I'll be laughed off the planet). E hard oo...
People are just 2 known and want to show off. Nonsense.
ReplyDeleteand note the way they pronounce jagermeister....''YAYgermeister''
ReplyDeletethere are some hangouts in the 030(rhapsodies-or watever its called) that have about 80% of the patrons being wannabes and not members of the elite.they just go there to do ''i was here som''
from what my friends who went to Legon and Tech tell me, everyone wants to abroad for "summer". But if you're elite, you don't go "summer" to work on a construction site, so you can save a few grand and come back with a Range Rover, a blackberry, a new laptop and a Chelsea FC jersey. The elite just go abroad to shop and chill. Their parents already hooked them up with a Range to match every outfit, and a laptop for every email account. Now that's being elite.
ReplyDeleteI heard a story about a woman who threatened to leave her boyfriend if he didn't buy her a VW Tuareg. Whatever happened to taking her to lunch, or to the beach, or getting her a new pair of shoes?
I am a Kenyan girl and i have never laughed so hard because the SAME exact thing goes on in Nairobi. You have it down pat..apart from the Toyota Corolla, it is a very popular car in Kenya but not as a status symbol, i think Kenyans love huge SUV's as a status thing doesn't matter that the cost of gas is atrocious, they gotta show off. Love your blog.
ReplyDeleteDid anyone notice that the "young elites" in Accra brag having abroad boyfriends/girlfriends? like
ReplyDelete"oh no, I don't do local boy/girls - my fiancé was born in _ _ _ _ (insert Canada/Us or UK) and is completing her/his studies there. she/he will join me as soon as this multi national company is transferring her/she to Ghana".
-Imported, educated marriage material is the hottest thing to have on the elite market- lol
Interesting post. I have been wondering
ReplyDeleteabout this issue,so thanks for posting.