There are a few stores around Nairobi that allow me to live my African-Bohemian–funk fantasy. I entered one of those stores the other day. I was really just browsing and doing a lot of wishful thinking about purchasing anything in there.
Every corner was a display opportunity and I came across this ornate stand, home decor piece.
My girlfriend had brought one similar back from Nigeria. So, I ask the sales attendant "Is this from Nigeria?" She responded, "No, it is from West Africa." I looked at her closely with no expression on my face because I didn't want to bust out laughing in the event she was serious.
She was serious. I told her, "Nigeria is in West Africa," to which she hesitantly agreed. So back to my original question, "What country is it from." She tapped her chin with her forefinger and declared that it was from Burundi, as if she was the first to discover it there.
Then I knew this sales agent was just ready to tell me anything because she was clueless. This pissed me off. I politely told her with no strain of the usual attitude in my voice, "First off, Burundi is not in West Africa, it is in Central Africa and for economic and political purposes, it is part of the East African Community. Second, I lived in Burundi for five years and if there was anything like this there, my house would be full of them."
It would have been quite okay for her to say, "Let me get back to you," instead she tells me that the feet are the meatiest part of the chicken. She did not know that my master's degree in political science, with a concentration in sub-Saharan Africa, allowed me to drink the map of Africa and my career as a diplomat has given me the honour of living and visiting nearly all the countries on the continent.
If I owned that store, I would be pissed that her ignorance was losing me money. What is the purpose of her presence, if not to tell customers about the products in the store: where they are from (for real), how they are used, and if they can pay with credit cards or just cash?
Lawdy, lawdy, she done messed with the wrong one!
expat-talk@outlook.com
