Where are you from?

Me: Hello! My name is Beautiful, Charming.

New Acquaintance: Oh, hi! I am Local champion. I run things around here but I am nice. I moved to Wonderland with my husband but I am American, Spanish, Korean! Where are you from?

Me: (Thinking! Hmmm, what does this person want to know? Why my skin colour is chocolate brown? Why my hair is kinky or so curly? Why my accent does not fit my other attributes? Why I do not have my fake designer boutique on my shoulder? Or maybe just to find some common ground? But what do I want to make of this potential relationship? Is it going to be superficial or is there a possibility of something deeper or long term coming out of this?) Nigeria

New Acquaintance: (response sheds some clarity on intention)

(Why my skin colour is chocolate brown? Why my hair is kinky or so curly?): I couldn’t really tell if you were African American or African.

I need the next question to determine if there is a friendship to be made here.

(Why my accent does not fit my other attributes?): I could tell, you don’t sound African/Nigerian. I could pick a British/International accent as you spoke. (bear in mind none of these accents exists).

Slightly insulted. Waiting for next question for direction of friendship.

(Why I do not have my fake designer boutique on my shoulder?): Oh nice! What brings you to this country? Work? Whom do you work for? (And the digging continues)

Superficial! I don’t quite know how to be out rightly nasty. Actually I do, but I don’t have the guts to be plain nasty. That’s God working in me.

(Or maybe just to find some common ground?): I was hoping you would say so. I once lived there! Are you from Lagos? You people have the best pineapples. / I have a Nigerian friend. You must be Yoruba with your name.

And that is the beginning of what might become a deep friendship.

While I definitely appreciate people seeking a friendship or just being polite, this question is getting more difficult for me to answer. Not because I am not Nigerian, but because I am not sure where I am from anymore! I was born and bred in Nigeria, so does that make me always from Nigeria? I would have confidently said yes up to 4 years ago. After all, I moved to the UK and all of my history was Nigerian.

During my years of living in the UK, I was surely not English, Welsh or Scottish, and most definitely not Irish. I may have sounded a bit like the English but my accent was neither Manchurian nor Cockney, and it is still similar to no particular English accent. I also had 90% Nigerian friends. I attended Nigerian led churches. I was not only from Nigeria but I still lived mostly as a Nigerian.

I moved to Greece and the question of where I am from was partially confusing. Am I from my country of birth or from my most recent residential location or from all the places that had influenced me? Believe it or not, the UK had left its mark on me. I enjoyed the London lifestyle, including running for buses and trains, shepherd’s pie and Eton mess, queues and even quiet prayers. So when asked where I am from, I often responded, “Nigeria, but I used to live in the UK”.

I was asked this question yesterday in Vienna, and it took me about 5 seconds to respond with “Nigeria but..., Nigeria. I am from Nigeria”. I did not want to tell the person that I am also from the UK because I like order and eating healthy, and that I am also from Greece because I appreciate fresh foods and friendliness.

I wish I could apply the tactics of children and respond with a “Why?” because if I know the reason for the question, I could answer appropriately.

(Why my skin colour is chocolate brown? Why my hair is kinky or so curly?): Nigeria

(Why my accent does not fit my other attributes?): England, of Nigerian origin.

(Why I do not have my fake designer boutique on my shoulder?): NIGERIA! And I have a Gusci (not Gucci if you look closely) handbag for sale, in the boot of my credit card funded Porsche Cayenne.

(Or maybe just to find some common ground?): Nigeria, England and Greece. Take your pick. What state (USA) are you from? Are you from Catalonia or Madrid?

I am most definitely from Nigeria but also from other places! Proudly Nigerian!