American Wonda (Wonder)

I know you're thinking "Why did she put this old school looking, zulu video on her page". Well its ibibio firstly, secondly I needed to google what american wonder meant. Now you wanna know why I'm googling American Wonder, well I was talking to a friend today, the conversation kinda turned into a admonishment of how much I really need to brush up on my "naija-ness". Given that I never lived in Nigeria or schooled there, I think I am doing pretty darn good. But I guess not now cuz I was told that the moment I land, they would sing "American Wonda" for me. Errmmm I guess. I dunno. I didnt even know what an american wonder was until I was told to google it... so i did. Anyway no one has sung "American Wonder" for me in the past. So i dont see why they would start. And there are lots of people in Nigeria right now, that at some point in time were in the good ole US of A. We are not isolated from the rest of the world. Nigerian is so Westernized. So why do people find the need to make someone from US going to naija such a big deal? Matter o fact, people in nigeria are more "american wonder" than some people living in the US. Have you ever met a naija kid born and raised in the USA that has an accent thicker than Dame Patience Jonathan? Well they are there. We get some razzos here sha. Have you seen a dude wearing a wife beater and wrappa to the corner store in Brooklyn? Hey sh*t happens. Anyway I think that one great thing about me is I adapt quickly. I've learned enough pidgin on facebook to get me by in Eko. Biko, I even picked up some serious Igbo on twitter so Enugu here I come.

I mean, I've met people in Nigeria who don't speak their ethnic language, speak with a british accent, but have only left the country once or twice to vacation. I dont know if its because of the schools they went to or because of "forming" but We have that. We also have Nigerians who schooled in yankee or jand for a year then return back to Nigeria with some hypnotic notion that they were never in Nigeria, never felt naijas heat, never experienced Nepa, never saw a chicken get killed. Cummon! Is your accent Naija, British, or American? Just be yourself. To all my Hormorlolars and Shardays you are not the only one who watched Harry Potter, so stop with all the fonee.

Reminds me of trip I took to Nigeria. On the way back to the US I saw a girl I know. We are not friends, but we know eachother so it was good to see a familiar face at the airport, but once we sat down together she started doing this "naija" thing that I hate. I hate when for some reason we want to extract info then form to try to top it. Maka why? She asked why I came, I said vacation, she said same plus wedding. I said cool. She asked where I was, I said Lagos, she added "oh no abuja? i went to abuja and lagos, you really must go to abuja. its so much better". I let her know i've been there and yes its nice, but I like Lagos. She said "oh, well when last did you come to naija, how often" I just said vaguely i try if I can, if not then I just dont travel. So i asked her the same thinking she would say summer and winter or something. the way she was flipping her weave and wearing her sunglasses and forming (I love this word). But when she answerd and said 9 years! Jesu! 9 years? and you are going on like u run naija? okay o. I said why 9 years, she said because she came to school in usa 9 years ago. I mean i have no problem with that, but she was just confusing me because she was doing "american wonder" but also was doing "lagos babes". Then she proceeded to complain that Nigeria is so hot, she is not used to it. This place could kill her, blah blah. Puhlese!!! I wanted to just slap her. You are Nigerian. right? You know the longitude and latitude of this country! What the freak else do you expect? I just excused myself after that and went to the lounge because really, I was tired of the fakeness. Be YOU. Be open! and if you already know naija, dont look down on it. dont look down on the heat, the electricity, the anything because you went to school abroad a few years. We are all naijas and yes we want to better our country, but we dont have to look down on naija or the people in naija. I'm a proud Nigeria. I can eat gari and say it proudly. Stop the forming.

Sorry i'm jumping around on topics but actually another american wonder topic i just thought about were all these Nollywood videos that make "american wonder" women into stupid lazy mumus or brats, and "american wonder" boys into ghetto hood rats strung out on crack. Is that how we Nigerians abroad are returning home? lol or is it just what they see on tv? or is it based on experiences? It just irks me seeing Jim Ike in movies playing a dumb dope head from detroit or mama g playing a 20 year old NYC babe.


Okay let me jump around a little bit more. While i was blogging, I was listening to real American Wonders.... Chris Brown and Beyonce!!!!! They are my american wonders. I love them.