Fat, rich, and forty
Sometimes, I am very much taken aback by the difference between how many of my Ghanaian neighbors see me and how I see myself. For example, here is an actual conversation I had the other day: Neighbor: Why don't you have children? Me: I don't want any now. Maybe later. Neighbor: What?? If you wait, you will be too old! You will be an old lady! Me: I don't think so...I would prefer to wait until I am in my thirties or so to have children. Neighbor: What? You mean you aren't thirty already? Me: No... Neighbor: I thought you were at least forty. Me: Not quite. Neighbor: Then how did a young girl like you get to be SOOOOOO fat?? Good question, neighbor. Good question. I have encounters like this fairly regularly. If you pay too much attention to these comments, they can wear away a bit at your self esteem. However, I know that nothing bad is meant by them. I'm pretty confident that I don't look forty, anyway, and no one means to insult me by...