Two more names to add to the List of Identifiable Names that Ghanaians Have Called Me

These are fun ones too, and they are: Madame Pink Floyd and Nana Ese.

Madame Pink Floyd DOES have a reason, but it’s probably more fun for you to simply imagine why a Ghanaian might call me Madame Pink Floyd given that I’m not the hugest Pink Floyd fan (I know, I’m awful, get over it) nor am I British, not that it matters much.

Nana Ese deserves a bit of background information though. I may have mentioned this in an earlier entry, but the terms ‘Maame’ and ‘Nana’ are honorifics for women and men, respectively. They seem like Mrs and Mr (without the marriage connotation in the case of Mrs). Ese (or Esi) is a traditional Ghanaian name which indicates that I am a Sunday-born female. If I were a Sunday-born male, my name would be Kwesi. So, the fact that the police officer at the checkpoint near my house calls me ‘Nana Ese’ each morning on my run indicates that either very short hair on a female who isn’t wearing a dress is confusing, or he has a peculiar sense of humor. I’m not exactly a brick house of a woman, but I’m pretty sure that the breasts give it away? I could be wrong.

Also, I think I might have found a local hookup for Obama crackers.

This is a list of identifiable names that Ghanaians have called me in the past month.

Empress, Madame, Rasta Girl, Ese, and, last but certainly not least, Obroni. Yes, I’m white, how perceptive of you.

I feel inadequate, dumb, and princessy living here without knowing any more Fante than meda ase (thank you) and akwaaba (welcome). On the other hand, I feel exceedingly lucky to miss (most of) what people shout at me in the market. Cowardly, but ignorance is bliss. I’m pretty sure these things are the same hand after all.

Actually, I quite like Empress. Vast improvement over Princess. Empress is comely like Princess but has the added benefit of also being powerful, intelligent, and fierce. That’s a fucking compliment my friends. I am humbled and undeserving.

Also, I’m ridiculously white.