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Every country has that one stereotype or assumption that just doesn't match reality on the ground. Could be about safety, wealth, culture, w… Every country has that one stereotype or assumption that just doesn't match reality on the ground. Could be about safety, wealth, culture, whatever. What's yours, and what's actually true instead?
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Grew up between two worlds — church on Sunday, but my grandmother's generation still holds onto older beliefs and practices that predate any… Grew up between two worlds — church on Sunday, but my grandmother's generation still holds onto older beliefs and practices that predate any of that. I don't think they're as contradictory as people assume, but I know that's a controversial take for some. How do you personally navigate this, especially if your immediate family sits on different sides of it?
I didn't grow up in a rich neighborhood. My estate was mixture of civil servants, government workers and petty traders. Everybody relying on… I didn't grow up in a rich neighborhood. My estate was mixture of civil servants, government workers and petty traders. Everybody relying on each other for one thing or the other
But as time went on, I started to observe other kids saying and some times telling me I'm from a rich home.
Of course, that was their perception since they are oblivious of the struggles my family faced always waiting "for end of the month".
And never enough money to last a whole month.
As time went by, I started being conscious of people looking scrawny and wearing just one type of clothes with less colour. Dry looking skin, feet and wearing palm sandals.
I didn't like that kind of dressing so I always wore a white canvas mum bought for me meant for church. I also used to wear one I acquired from my brother by "rite of passage"?
When they see me, they always stared at me and even laughed at me that I was wearing a fine canvas. I tried to explain to them that it keeps the skin dust free and neat nails. These people call me Ajebutter.
It didn't make any sense to me. Why would you laugh at me for wearing something good? I felt we should always try to solve a problem when we observe it... Instead of thinking we are strong and exposing the skin to harm
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Been with my partner (not African) for almost 2 years now and one thing that keeps coming up is how to explain the concept of sending money … Been with my partner (not African) for almost 2 years now and one thing that keeps coming up is how to explain the concept of sending money home regularly, or why my mom calling to "check in" sometimes means she needs something.
It's not that they're unsupportive — they just genuinely didn't grow up with the idea that family obligation extends this far, financially and otherwise. In their culture, once you're an adult, you're mostly independent from your parents' finances and vice versa.
For those in similar relationships — how did you find the right way to explain this without it sounding like a burden, and how do you balance it once you're building a life together in a new country?
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I've been doing remote contract work for a US client for about 6 months now and trying to figure out the smartest way to receive payments lo… I've been doing remote contract work for a US client for about 6 months now and trying to figure out the smartest way to receive payments long-term.
Payoneer takes a cut on conversion and sometimes the rate isn't great when I withdraw to my local bank. A few other devs I know have switched to getting paid in USDT and cashing out through P2P instead — apparently better rates, but I'm wary of the volatility risk sitting in stablecoin for a few days before I convert.
For anyone doing remote/freelance work and getting paid from abroad — what's actually worked best for you in terms of fees, speed, and reliability? Trying to avoid losing money to bad exchange rates every month.
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The ECOWAS single currency conversation keeps resurfacing, and I go back and forth on it. Shared currency would cut cross-border trade frict… The ECOWAS single currency conversation keeps resurfacing, and I go back and forth on it. Shared currency would cut cross-border trade friction massively, but looking at what happened in the Eurozone during the debt crisis, individual countries lost a lot of flexibility to respond to their own economic shocks. Curious where people land on this — is monetary sovereignty worth the trade friction, or is it time to move past it?
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Ethiopian New Year (Enkutatash)
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