Mixed breed

Two cultures, two identities,dual experiences

This begs the question whether it is possible for a human being to live in harmony with their many selves. If the answer is yes,can the same be expected of a nation?

Umar Turaki- Father's land

If you ask me where I'm from.

I'll say I'm Ebele Omolara. Dad- Igbo, Mom-yoruba- A mixed breed.

I identify with my Igbo heritage due to my father's lineage.Most of the time, I find myself at the crossroads of my Igbo heritage and exposure to Yoruba traditions.

I'm yet to fully steep myself into any of them.However,I've balanced my identity with a touch of both worlds.

The wete mili(bring water),onye gbuwo(who is that),gi gba fayi( what is your name) and a few others are practically the only Igbo phrases I'm familiar with.I can speak Yoruba but with a ridiculous accent.

I admire Yoruba's dishes filled with overflowing red oil and excess pepper that calls for more than just a sip of water and slaps the tongue violently. On the flip side,the crayfish-infused flavors of Igbo cuisine never disappoints.

My fascination extends to attires,I love both cultures attires.The Yoruba demons with their senator suit and the women competing for their tower sized gele in owambe ceremonies never ceases to amaze me.

The way Igbo women rock Igbo outfits with their akuocha tied tightly so disaster doesn't occur in the public and the cap that completes the finishing touch to the men's look.

I've encountered Igbos who would go all in- hustle to make the ego. I've also been among Yoruba people who place emphasis on education-owo o necessary bayi(money is not important now).

Nevertheless,it's all about perspective.The roles could switch.

I've been among Yorubas,the illiterate ones who take joy in belittling anything Igbo.

"Igbos are disrespectful","Igbo pikins and money are 5 and 6"

On the flip side,I've been among Igbos who believe blindly in their ideologies as Buchi Emeta puts it.Nigerians who have failed to remove individual propagating stereotypes.

Ironically, my residence in a Yoruba land has given me a heightened consciousness that I'm more Igbo than Yoruba. In Anambra,I'm endearingly nicknamed "Ngbati has come".

However,suffering is universal. In order words,'sapa' no dey look face. I read somewhere that having a country that works affects every ethnicity. It is this polarization that has made the country's political landscape steep.

“Peter obi na from our side, e go do well”

“Tinubu mo oun ti o gbodo se”(Tinubu knows what he's supposed to do)

If you're hoping to get a discount on a product, speak Igbo to an Igbo trader and you have become ‘one’ automatically.

"My sister, an yi gbu ofu( we are one)".

This is one of the reasons I'm being introduced to everyone related so you will not marry your brother.

However,I’ve randomly imagined bringing someone I've decided to marry and hearing"This is your brother na”.

It'll be hilarious.

I'm not fluent in both languages yet but I'm willing to dig my roots in both cultures so when an American calls my surname with an American accent, I can say "Chimo,ki leleyin so"( what is this one saying) under my breath while smiling politely.

Before the dual cultural identity,I'm Nigerian and so are you.

We are the ones who point fingers at 'village people' whenever even the slightest inconvenience arises. We find amusement in the face of absurd economic and political woes, mimicking the very leaders we elect into power.

Those leaders, with their impoverished vocabulary, lead a youth population capable of constructing eloquent sentences despite a struggling educational system -an irony.

We flock to Lagos to sand fill water logged areas despite the massive land space that Nigeria is blessed with.

We coin sweet names like 'sapa,' 'japa,' 'groceries,' 'floating berries,' and 'terrestrial shrimp' to sugarcoat the bitterness of poverty. We endure the jagged corrosion of the economy. We're a nation teeming with resilience.

We celebrate those who believe they've outsmarted 'sapa' by taking shortcuts, only to find that consequences, like the mythical 'ojuju calabar,' quietly tap them on the shoulder during life's hide-and-seek game.

We raise our voices against rising dollar rates, fuel subsidies, and the high cost of living, yet we continue to 'chop life' because we no fit kpai.

It's dog eat dog out there. If you're not atop the jungle tree then you're part of the struggle below.A survival of the fittest and there are unwritten rules to live down there. Rights stepping, integrity testing,freedom griping and clenched fists to the chin rules but we're Nigerians and that alone is enough.