Diary of a Non-Igala Speaking Igala Girl
Hi!
My name is Nimi, short for Ojonimiwa. I am the non igala speaking igala girl who has the audacity to have an Igala first name and have all Igala speaking relatives...hehe.
I say that now with a tinge of boldness, because i have tried and hopefully succeded in stepping out of the cloud of the non-native girl. You know the cloud (or maybe you dont); it consists of the disapproving tut tuts of aunts and uncles, the teasing of parents and even the startled 'Oh' by some random stranger who upon hearing 'Nimi' decides to blast Igala at me until i smile and shake my head. 'I cant speak it'
'But do you hear it?' Is the most popular return question and i'll shake my head again still smiling.
You see the smiling part is very important. I've managed to practise a lot and now i'd say i have it down pat.
Its a blend of sincere remorse (you think i'm a walking embarasment to the Igala culture and i'm sorry for that😐), light resistance (but its not that bad now, is it?☺) and a sprinkle of sass (i know i can't and i dont care😎). Granted, that last part is a new addition, but you get the gist yes?
Theres been some personal debate whether or not i should care or not. And i've arrived at some conclusions that walk the very concealed middle line (story for another day though). But what do you think? Should i care about my lack of Igala language speaking or not?
Stay tuned to follow me through this journey💗
My name is Nimi, short for Ojonimiwa. I am the non igala speaking igala girl who has the audacity to have an Igala first name and have all Igala speaking relatives...hehe.
I say that now with a tinge of boldness, because i have tried and hopefully succeded in stepping out of the cloud of the non-native girl. You know the cloud (or maybe you dont); it consists of the disapproving tut tuts of aunts and uncles, the teasing of parents and even the startled 'Oh' by some random stranger who upon hearing 'Nimi' decides to blast Igala at me until i smile and shake my head. 'I cant speak it'
'But do you hear it?' Is the most popular return question and i'll shake my head again still smiling.
You see the smiling part is very important. I've managed to practise a lot and now i'd say i have it down pat.
Its a blend of sincere remorse (you think i'm a walking embarasment to the Igala culture and i'm sorry for that😐), light resistance (but its not that bad now, is it?☺) and a sprinkle of sass (i know i can't and i dont care😎). Granted, that last part is a new addition, but you get the gist yes?
Theres been some personal debate whether or not i should care or not. And i've arrived at some conclusions that walk the very concealed middle line (story for another day though). But what do you think? Should i care about my lack of Igala language speaking or not?
Stay tuned to follow me through this journey💗
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