Complex Identity
I think it’s fair to generalise that Nigerians are much more likely to strike up conversation than British people and are into somewhat robust jocularity. Rebekah unfortunately doesn’t always quite understand that some rather direct an ludicrous request (such as “Will you dash (=give) me your skirt to wear?”) is actually playful nonsense. Anyway, sometimes if she isn’t completely overwhelmed, her responses are rather interesting. She was out shopping today with me and a friendly worker said “Are you Nigerian?” She thought about it for a while and eventually decided that she was, or at least she would be soon when she had growed up a little.
Later in the car she was telling Mummy the same story. “But aren’t you Scottish or Northern Irish?” Mummy said. “Tomorrow I might be Scottish but today I’m Nigerian,” was pretty much her reply. Oh the confusions of identity. She’ll continue to have some working out to do, I guess, as she switches between places and people.
But to us, she’s Rebekah.
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