Again one can argue that this is due to "fear of johnny foreigner" approach that have become synonymous with certain aspect of their culture here. How many food of international origin have cross appeal in the British menu? You can count everyone of em on one hand - Chinese and Indian.

4 Play:

It then appeals to which people: The Asian community, the Eastern Europeans, Caribbeans?

My observation is that a cross-cultural appeal is non-existent. Yours is that a cross-cultural appeal exists and you think a ''fair way'' to exchange ideas is for me to establish non-existence as much as you establish existence. Bizarre.

ThiefOfHearts:

Lmao. You actually let this person talk? too funny. The fact that he's from NY where "we're" known for spitting on people yet he still complains about feeling "unwelcomed" in Naija seriously cracks me up

AjanleKoko:

No need to get all het up about our German friend's email.
I'm curious though. Don't our diasporean friends want us to debate the email? Let's see if there are any truths we can garner about ourselves? You know, it may just be possible, maybe the guy is making a lot of good points about us, that we can learn from? You know, like we build our houses with sand and all that? Maybe we can start using wood like the rest of the developed world?
I mean, we can forget who made the comment, let's look at the content of what he's saying, etc, etc. . .? Diasporeans, help!

agabaI23:

I am not an engineer, using wood and sand in a tropical climate, which one is more beneficial considering the seating heat we find ourselves in?

AjanleKoko:

bros, I was just being sarcastic. We don't actually use sand alone to build our houses, we use concrete abi.
The guy is just an illiterate German talking total nonsense. I'm surprised a lot of our patriots have not picked any 'useful' advice to suggest to Nigerians, so we can change our bad ways and be more likeable to this German idiot.

Kobojunkie:

I am not too sure of that. I have yet to meet any non-nigerian, even non-Nigerian africans, who swears by/loves Nigerian food. I never really gave much thought to it until now. I know ghanians and some camerounians who love our movies but I can't say they love our food. lol

Ilelobola:

I remember a former manager in the UK moving to a CFO (I wouldn’t make him CFO in my business but just my opinion) job in Nigeria for a Nigerian firm and him recommending me for a role with his new company. He was told that they would prefer a non-Nigerian and actually a white person as it’s better for their image. I wasn’t shocked. He was …

So few years on he moves to another job in Nig with another Nig firm still and recommends 2 of us for another job, 1 White Briton and moi. All 3 of us agree that I am a better candidate than my white colleague (well I’ve had more excellent performance ratings than him) but alas, the firm offers me the role but at a lower pay than was initially advertised. Ok, perhaps they’ve decided I won’t be an expat but I am moving from London to do the role and it is only a year long contract with the possibility of extension but they refused to provide accommodation, allowance and transport saying I could source it myself … well, I’m still in the UK; my former colleague got the job, don’t know what the package is though.

The German email in the first post seems to be telling it as it is, as far as I am concerned.

AjanleKoko:

I did my NYSC in one airline like that. Operating locally, but almost wholly-owned foreign airline (Dutch in fact).
We had one cleaner lady who used to clean around our hangar and the workshop. This old lady would go on and on about how these 'Oyinbos' were so much better than black people. She would say 'In fact when you clean toilet for black man, e go so dirty so tay black man to stand on top toilet bowl, but the white man own, always clean!' I would always respond 'Mama, like your people o, no prefer oyinbo to your people!'.

One afternoon like that, after another of such banters, we went off to lunch, and by the time we got back, I heard she was gone.
Apparently, the Dutch MD was strolling around the hangar and found the old lady asleep in one corner. He promptly fired her.

A while later, I saw her, she had joined one other airline. My only remark to her was 'Mama, shey you don see say na we fit like ourselves, and Oyinbo no fit like us?' She smiled.

Of course some people would say 'well, serve her right for sleeping on duty, that is why the white man is so productive, they don't tolerate any slacking!'. I expect such reponses in fact.

Peace.

blacksta:

That is why the level of decay in the fabrics of Nigeria is so rampant - it sounds like you agree to the fact " sleeping on duty " is o.k

Why the hell should i pay you to sleep on the job. Oyinbo no get time for sentiment. Would any of you ( u and the mama) be employed if things weren't done properly

Ilelobola:

As you appear to be in the UK, let's assume mama was caught sleeping in the UK; would she be fired immediately (if it was the first time of course and with no formal warning)? I think not. And sleeping on duty does not mean she wasn't doing her job properly.

ThiefOfHearts:

Quote
I was talking to one of our Project Managers (an American) the other day. Irritating man to say the least.
He has two official cars - A Prado and an Avensis, gets paid almost $20,000 after tax every month and everything down to his laundry detergent is bought for him and his family and yet he claims he feels "unwelcome here". In fact, just last week, he still said he should be more welcome and exonerated here because he protested African liberty and freedom on the streets on New York in his hay days

blacksta:

Yes - i have heard of people who were fired but in most cases a warning is given which is a route to employment termination. but in fairness a company can opt to fire if you are not able provide sustainable evidence on why you are sleeping at work . What if mama was a pilot?

Pillars:

@ Ajanlekoko: I feel greatly the truth behind your submissions, the issues are largely not what opinion an expatriate is going to have of us; in truth they have a right to hold any opinion, true or untrue. I learnt late in life not to really bother on fighting to protect my Reputation as much as working to build my character. My reputation is what people think of me whilst my character is what I really am. Do I have the power to control what you think about me? of course not! But do I have such power to work on my character? Sure I do.

What actually defines our community? What is our collective character? What are the values we hold dare? I have worked with people who will rather prefer to take a dumb "white face" to a meeting rather than a brilliant black skin - why? Because they believe their host will gladly accede to their business proposals because of the "white face." What stupidity?

Stupidity, Valuelessness, Corruption and all other vices are not native to any country or continent, it is a human thing, but apparently, so many of our people seem to possess this vices. What is hence the challenge? Simple: For those of us who have risen above these baseless prejudices to strive and enthrone Reason in this terrain of Ignorance we find ourselves.