Fan Mail

Re: http://www.afroshanghai.com/shanghai/index.php/topic,2015.msg10714.html#msg10714

From reading ur posts, and the few times we've talked, i've come to one conclusion. You are one of those people who have a schizophrenic relationship with Africa and anything African. One minute you proudly belong to Africa and the next, you despise it.

However your case appears different, when you are in a 'despising mode' it seems personal, there's always a near tangible anger and bitterness to it. What's with that? Some African screwed u over?

I'm going to have to answer this on the public boards, as an FYI to anyone else who also feels the same way as one of my..."fans".

The fact that I take matters e.g. 419 scammers personally shows how patriotic I am about the continent.  If you believe that it's none of your business as long as you escape being scammed, then you're being very naive.  These kind of issues needs to be stopped at the source because it has such a negative impact on the entire continent.

The other day I wanted to watch a Nigerian movie on a really pretty, well-made website.  After I registered (with a disposable email address) to watch clips, I noticed they said I had to pay per movie and I spent 30 seconds hovering my cursor over the payment button.  Thoughts like "if I pay, they're going to have my real email address...and if they're scammers I'm potentially screwed" and then I just logged out.

But if that was indeed a legit business, this would be one good example of how much damage these Nigerian scammers have done to their country's rep.  This is a good example of a big problem African online businesses face on a daily basis.  If you depended on the money you earned online to feed yourself & your family, perhaps only then would you understand how serious this whole issue is.

When people judge purely out of skin colour, there's nothing we can do about that.  But when people judge purely out of a stereotype that we ourselves have created, that's completely different because THAT would be our fault.  After all, you can't blame anyone for being too cautious.

Do I take this issue (419 scammers & scammers in general) personally? Absolutely.

Often the most patriotic people are those how can give honest criticism.  I agree that things like the 419 give Nigerians a bad name.  I met 3 young Nigerian students who are living in the same building as me.  They are studying Engineering and Computer Science at one of the Universities around here.  I admit that I was apprehensive about making friends with them because of all the bad publicity.  However, I find that they seem to be just as apprehensive about me...maybe because of all the bad publicity about Black Americans.  Anyway, I hope we overcome this and start hanging out more often.

Well, I remember a couple of years ago when I was handling the marketing for a Shenzhen-based computer accessories exporter, talking with a prospect, and after him finding out that I was African, saying something the like I don't want anything to do with Nigerians  (I said from Africa but for him it seems African businessman=Nigerian scammer) and hanging up. At least he was honest. Which makes you to wonder how many lost businesses due to bad reputation. And as Sab rightly point out you can't blame someone to be extra careful when so many have been burnt.

True, a patriot is not a person who sings his national anthem the loudest, but one who can offer honest and constructive criticism of his country. But i know quite a number of people who criticise with a bitterness that is counter productive. It especially annoys me when i hear Africans whining about Africa this and Africa that, almost forgetting where they are from.

Nothing constructive has ever been built on a foundation of moans and complaints.

True, a patriot is not a person who sings his national anthem the loudest, but one who can offer honest and constructive criticism of his country. But i know quite a number of people who criticise with a bitterness that is counter productive. It especially annoys me when i hear Africans whining about Africa this and Africa that, almost forgetting where they are from.

Criticizing self-induced problems Africa's facing is to raise awareness of the issue.  Choosing not to see this problem doesn't make it go away.

Nothing constructive has ever been built on a foundation of moans and complaints.

Have you ever entered offices of large successful companies & businesses? They all have complaint/suggestion boxes available at you disposal.  What do you have to say about that?

The only one being counter-productive right now is you.  Instead of focussing on the matter at hand, you choose to psychoanalyze me...and then you wonder why I'm so egotistical?

Ultimately, actions speak louder than words.  You have absolutely nothing bad to say about Africa, yet you're not even living there.  I mean for one second, let's forget people who complain a lot and let's talk about HYPOCRISY.

..even though ur patriotic or whatever the truth must at all times be said...reminds me of this saved family i once knew...the man had another woman with kids on the side and they always pretended to be ok....how?by pretending to be active in church n offering us sinners all kinds of advice...it would have meant alot if the man had admited he was not straight but he still continued with the other woman on the dlow...result! all his kids now cant hold down relationships because they saw wat their dad did to the mum so they always play their partners before u play them...actually one of their gal is now pregnant with a 'saved' mans kid...met her sometime back n she told me am also born again now...hypocrisy! not even married living at parents house and yes preganant and both of them had been born again since they met...this is the kind of hypocrisy come crap when applied or adapted by humans fucks u up over n over...same thing here with a few afro members...even though it hurts..truth is much better..what do u think? sabrina is straight atleast but some post with the thought that we have images to save here...screw u fools u know urselfs looking at what u perceive to be true...n u know is not...corny as hell.