I've so many things
I want to write about and that's beginning to limit me as I don't know where to
start...I was in Zambia recently and the whole trip can write me a book!
I think I'll start
with the my most recent interesting experience right here in Ghana...
So yesterday, I was
to meet some people at the Accra Mall. The plan was for me to use the ATM
before we set out on our mission for the day - which was not centred around the
mall.
I was surprised to
encounter a plastic barrier at the Spintex road entrance. The security guard at
post told me the mall opens at 9am for which reason I would not be allowed
entry. I found this especially strange as I could see cars moving up and down
within the mall. I mean, how did they get in?
I asked the security
guard why this directive. I don't know what it was about me that made him act
someways ( how else can I put this? Haha) towards me.
I suspect it had
something to do with the car I was driving, the English I was speaking and my
size....Who is this small girl who is feeling so cool riding ( I wasn't feeling cool o, I was just being me) her sugar daddy's
car (I was driving my dad's car) and thinking she has a right to understand why
she cannot be allowed to park.
Anyways, his answer
to my question was that it was an order from above and he was only doing his
work. All this while, I noticed he signaled any car that lined up behind me to
use the motorway entrance. At a point in time, he shifted another of the barriers
to allow another car inside. The whole thing was like he had something personal
against me.
I asked why he was
directing other cars to the other entrance and asked if it was open. He said he
could not tell me whether or not it was open, but I could go check....which
didn't make sense. I told him I needed a definite answer from him as that road was
a one-way and encountering a closed gate might mean I'll have to take a longer
route to get back to where I wanted to be. His attitude was very appalling...It
was like he had meant me and wanted to teach me a lesson.
When I heard him
speak Ewe to the occupants of the car he allowed in, I got down from my car,
and gave him a nice lecture on humility in Ewe. On how he should not create
impressions of people based on prejudice and what he sees and then go on and
use that to decide how to respond to them. I told him this world is very small,
and he has no idea where he'll meet me and need my help just as I have no idea
where I'll meet him and need his help for which reason I'm being polite with
him. I told him not to allow the English I speak cause him to feel intimidated
and respond the way he did. He tried arguing that he never insulted me and I
made it clear to him I never said he insulted me, but that his attitude towards
me was just wrong. In the end, he apologised. I could see the pain in his eyes
as he said he was sorry which to me was evidence that everything I said was
true.
By this point, one
of the people I was to meet, who had entered the mall through the other
entrance walked down to the Spintex entrance and expressed surprise as the
other gate was open to all cars.
We drove in through
the other gate and one of the people I was going to meet, was parked inside the
mall although I arrived at the mall about 20 minutes before her!
As we talked about
this encounter, another security guard heard us and invited himself to be part
of our conversation. He said the rule was to prevent people from using the mall
car park as a car park....I'm tired of saying "this doesn't make sense"
but it really made no sense to me.
How would closing
the Spintex road entrance and opening the motorway entrance stop people from
parking their cars in the mall and going off elsewhere to carry out their
business? When I said this kind of thinking was backwards, he took offence and
said I'd insulted him...I explained to him that wasn't in reference to him, but
to the givers of the directive.
To cut a long story
short, I went into the mall building which to my surprise was open. If a mall
has functioning ATMs which are accessible before 9am, why do you prevent access
to the mall car park because the shops are not opening?
I remember Logical
Reasoning was a topic taught as part of Core Maths in SSS....hehehe. I'm just
saying.
We have a long way
to go in this Ghana o. God have mercy on us!
End of story one :)
Interesting, just discovered this blog. Are there any recent write ups ?
ReplyDeleteThank you! Unfortunately, I've not done any writing in recent days.Your comment is enough inspiration to get me back to blogging :)
ReplyDelete