This post is dedicated to my new friend, Nene.
When I reached the train station one morning last week, I heard someone calling my name. It was a woman, Nene, who had attended a Career Tour that I had led the day before.
Normally, I dread running into people first thing in the morning, because I am not a morning person, and it seems like a prison sentence to have to ride the train and make a half hour’s worth of small-talk.
Nevertheless, I sat and talked with Nene.
Nene is from Nigeria. She’s married to a doctor, has three children, and speaks 4 languages.
When I heard her use the word “imbibe”, I was curious.
“Nene, how long have you been speaking English? Your vocabulary is really impressive!”
“I grew up speaking English in school. Nigeria was colonized by the British, you know. And, of course, there’s so much business there because of oil. People from around the world come for the oil. It’s kind of like Alberta, actually.”
How much do you know about Africa? Find out more and celebrate Afrikadey by making a trip to your local library. We’ve got African music and cookbooks; books about African art and jewelry; maps, pictures, videos, guidebooks, and more!
Attend Things Fall Apart, and the festivities on Prince’s Island Park.