Fw: [bfu-usa] By Jacob Ngunyi - CAMEROONIANS AND LATE COMING TO EVENTS

[MURIEL YENIKA]

On Tuesday, April 8, 2014 2:24 PM, Yungri Wirsiy <yungr...@gmail.com> wrote:

 

Weeh...Finally someone had to put this in writing...not only is this in DC, its ALL over the US.

Sad indeed!!!!. But my motto is 2hrs per event based on when the host said it will start. Whether you start or not, I am counting.  And  events MUST start on time under my watch...abaii even when we have kids..roog ka vesen... OK....Welcome to BFU-Ga. SY

 

A message from Jacob Ngunyi in DC

Folks,

As I sat down this morning contemplating on so many issues about our general tendencies as a people, one thing that resurfaced was a mind boggling subject I have never found any plausible answer(s) for. Maybe some of you have an answer or answers. Yes, it's no news that I have been to many countries across the globe and entertainment was part of the reason I made those trips. So, I therefore know what I am about to say.

 

I will leave out Europeans in this treat and deal with Africans alone. I am talking about the time Cameroonians show up at events and functions. While other Africans organize their nightly events from 8 p.m. to 12 midnight or 2 a.m.. and adhere strictly to schedule, our people, whether in Cameroon or out of Cameroon never keep to schedule. So, why and how did Cameroonians end up being the only nationals on earth who are used to late night parties and functions?

 

The irony with this troubling observation is that when Cameroonians are invited to an event organized by non Cameroonians, they do everything to be there on time. But the moment any event is organized by a Cameroonian or Cameroonians, an unofficial but adhered to midnight hour is the time most people show up.

 

The above has caused Cameroonians to earn the red flag in many halls in places like Maryland where I believe it's worse. There are halls that when you show up as a Cameroonians to book, the answer is "wait, let me check whether the date is available". The next word is "No" followed by "that date is taken, sorry". Just what is holding our people from arriving on time at our scheduled events is something that goes beyond my pay grade.

 

Some may advance the excuse that it is because of work but we all know that it is likely untrue. It is sheer laziness coupled with the fact that they know fully well that they will not be alone in getting to the event late. It is has moved from absurdity to the norm. You may not believe that our people consciously stay at home from 7, 8, 9, 10, and 11 p.m. doing absolutely nothing only to start heading for their bathrooms around past 11 p.m.

 

Someone out there surely knows something about this trait or trend that I do not know and I will like to learn. There are very beautiful banquet halls in and around Prince George's and Montgomery Counties but residents close to these places are not used to hearing screaming engines, horns and what have you past 2 a.m.. And once they find out that the noise was coming from party-goers, complaints are filed and we end up being the worst for it.

 

Alcohol

We live in America and we MUST know that alcohol consumption is one thing that this country takes very seriously and does everything to bring it under control. Alcohol impairs one's thinking as we all should know. A specified amount of this fact is irrelevant because while Mishe Fon can consume three gallons of Afofo and still drive from Wirikum to Quartier Bastos, Jackson Nanje might not find the way to his house that is 1 mile down the road after gulping a single bottle of matango.

 

Alcohol, by law, is not supposed to be served after 2 a.m. at any event or club in Maryland. That is why it is so difficult to obtain a liquor license in this country. So, if you want to enjoy your afofo and whatever, why don't you keep to time, say 9:30 latest and spend the next 4 hours enjoying yourself and retire home around 2 a.m.? Is it so hard to do, people?

 

We have to show that we are also living in this country by respecting the law. Cameroonian club and bar businesses have been shut down in this country for one reason and one reason alone - serving alcohol after 2 a.m. or 3 a.m. as the case may be. And we wonder anytime the county government comes down hard on us. Some even accuse the government of attack immigrant businesses. That is not true. If you disobey the law, expect your business to be shut down. It's as simple as that.

 

From the day "Bongamis Cabaret/restaurant" was opened in this town under my directorship, doors were open at 11 a.m. I also made sure the band was on at 9 p.m. during weekends. At 2 a.m, last call for alcohol was made and patrons were advised to leave the hall by 2:30 a.m. At 3:00, the club was closed and I mean completely closed with everybody out including the entire staff. Our special alcohol license stated 3 a.m. as closing time and that is what I implemented to the letter.

 

During the first two weeks, patrons who came in around 1:30 a.m. and were served were later surprised to hear the last call for alcohol just 30 minutes later. Some complained but I refused to change and the good news is that by the third week, the house was always full before 11 p.m.. It was nice to see my patrons keeping to time and having fun. When I left the place, it was only a matter of weeks before the once buzzing club became a graveyard. It later shut down for various violations.

 

In our community, secret basement beer parlors have replaced clubs but even they too are always on the alert because our people like to step out to smoke a cigarette or something and then end up having a loud conversation, which in turn disturbs the neighbors. How can you go into a neighborhood to drink in a clandestine bar and then go outside and start arguing about football and what have you?

 

There are clandestine food and drink joints being run by non Cameroonians and the discipline that abounds there is in sharp contrast to what our people are used to doing out there. Why can't we take the laws of our host country seriously? We all very well know that these clandestine joints are run by our sisters who prepare home food that are not available in Western restaurants. Our sisters should be really appreciated indeed. We know the circumstances under which they operate and it is for our own good as well. We should therefore behave ourselves once in these joints.

 

There is no need to get in these joints and begin quarreling to the point that some get into physical fights. Some go outside to smoke and then pee on the tires of cars of other residents in the building. Peeing on those tires is not really the problem but the "alabinda" perfume from a mixture of achu soup and Heineken beer that they leave in the air will likely last for 2 weeks. And since it goes like that everyday, the "salamalekum alabinda" odor will never go away. That is not good oh!!

 

Music

Musicians from other African countries come to this country and keep to the posted schedule because they know that their compatriots will be there on time. But Cameroonian artists wilfully appear late because they are conscious of the fact that their compatriots will start showing up past midnight. To me, that is no excuse. If you, the artist, are billed to perform at 9 p.m., show up at least at 10 p.m. and put on your best performance. Anybody who comes late will have themselves to blame. Its ironic wonderment Cameroonians attend concerts by musicians from other African countries on time but other nationals cannot put up with out very late night habits.

 

The other fact of the matter is that the organizers of such events or concerts also show up late and the hall is not even ready before 11 p.m. or midnight in some cases. Can you imagine leaving your house, well dressed, to attend a function at 10 p.m. only to get there and hear someone telling you "ah beg, comot for road" and you turn around and see someone with cartons of beer struggling to enter the hall while some others are in there sweeping the floor and dressing up tables?

 

So, what can we really do to change this unfortunate habit of ours? What can we really do? There are many beautiful banquet halls in this country that are surprisingly and relatively cheaper. But when you start telling the owners that you have an event that will go past midnight, not to talk of 2 a.m., they begin to wonder why and what exactly you need to be celebrating into the wee hours of the night when "normal" people are supposed to be sleeping. Their final answer is always "no". Halls that took the risk of accepting us later got us blacklisted because we drink and throw the bottles anywhere, we go out and make a lot of noise, we pee outside of the hall despite the fact that there more than enough restrooms within. Who will tolerate that?

 

We should please launch a campaign to sensitize our people or forward this mail an every mails to that effect to our various e-groups so that the folks could start rethinking their attitude to time keeping when it comes to events organized by fellow Cameroonians. There is no real justification for appearing very late at these events apart from the fact that we have made it a habit - an unfortunate one of course.

 

I don taya.

 

  

 Micro-Wave

(Jacob Ngunyi)

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