I recently relocated from Nigeria to join my husband who lives in  the Uk.I had a job back home and sorry if i sound conceited but i was actually quite good at what i did.I had glowing referals from my colleagues and superiors alike and was eligible for a promotion at the time of resignation.I moved over to the Uk and i will say at this point had been coming over for hols quite alot so was quite reasonable in my expectations.I set about looking for a job and had to deal with alot of crap like'ooh you have don't have uk experience'even though i was applying for a job that was basically the same as what i did back home or even more technical.I sincerely believe that the way i spoke was a factor but one they would never admit.I endured and eventually got a job at this really lovely company and is where i feel i would be able to get forward in my career.

My managers and team leaders are ok and all and i had a really nice induction to welcome me.My team mates are the annoying ones.I do know i don't have the  'british' accent but i speak perfect,concise and clear english language.I actually studied english as my first degree and i am  quite a  fluent user of the language.heck i speak better english than every single one of them.But i have come to notice that the way they relate to me is quite different and they always and i mean always say they do not understand me even when i know they did.Its really frustrating and annoys me because i work with this people and i know i am far more intelligent than they are.I have just resolved to be quite diligent at my work and  care less on how they relate to me.I really cannot be bothered to get past their silly prejudices.They never admit they are prejudiced as they know that could portend problems if i claim discrimnation.

I let them know that everyone is affected by their enviroment and that there is something called mother tongue interference in how we speak  a  2nd language as english is indeed that  for me.I also noticed that so many other people have funny accents eg people from up north in the uk,eastern europeans,asians, caribeans etc and these people never keep saying they can't understand.To be honest i don't understand their grammar and accents as well and try to listen carefully.Like one of my colleagues is from leicester and she says 'you what' when she menas to say 'excuse me' or 'pardon'.I am appalled at both her written and spoken tenses but will never descend to their level of judging her based on that.

I am proud of my heritage and this does not mean i speak heavy yoruba laced english.My spoken english is quite fluent just don't speak it like them.Anyone who has had similar experiences in the house?

Sorry, I can understand where you're coming from. But are you sure your race is not the reason you're being discriminated against ? What are the races of your other co workers ? I don't think it's the way you speak. Lots of Scottish workers in UK and we all know how horrible their accent is.
At least you've got a great job, be happy about that. There would always be racists,sexists and bigots in the world. Get used to it.

I can quite understand how you feel. I have not had such problems largely because I speak clearly, though, there are few times where I have had to repeat what I said. I am also capable of speaking with a clear British accent when really necessary.  

You are right that there are several people from the areas that you mentioned who do not even speak as clearly as the average Nigerian. We were once in a social outing and I found myself echoing every word that a Scottish person was saying so that the Slovenian (who did speak good English) amongst us could understand, as the person was finding it difficult to comprehend the "Scottish english". The Scottish person had to say that it was an irony that I was the one assisting the Slovenian to understand English as mine was clearer. Do not worry about your colleagues. If you don't have the problem with your Supervisor, then don't bother yourself much. In some establishments, You will find that there is this subtle discrimination also to those from the North of England and Scotland that is similar to what you face, because of their accents. It is even career limiting for them and you find out that most people who are from those areas of the UK and get to senior executive positions in London, speak English like those from the south.

@Poster!
I personally dont think it has anything to do with your accent,if you are working in central LOndon it is even much more easier cause you see a lot of different people from different part of the world speaking their accent in the various offices.INfact I worked in an office where a few AFrican are and you need to see them tal pidgin at times and even some of the britons understand them but this is done during break time ohhhhh!
Just be yourself and be the best in what you do!Most britons dont even know when to use present,past and continuous tense at times and I wonder what the heck about the accent!

.

Don't worry. Some of them may indeed have problems understanding a foreign accent. And yes, people who speak English as a foreign language are better at understanding other non-native accents, while native speakers understand other native speakers' accents without problem. I do not know why it works like this, but this is not limited to Nigerians and Brits. Australia and New Zealand have a distinctive accent/pronunciation and on the immigrant forums there are a lot of European non-native speakers with complaints similar to yours, so it's not necessarily race.

It usually depends on how much you listened to a specific accent. Most people in the UK understand the Eastern European accent now, because there are a lot of Eastern Europeans there and they learned to understand it. I had a problem understanding the Chinese accent when I first heard it, I asked for everything to be repeated a couple of times and I imagine they felt bad about it, but I genuinely didn't understand. After a few months of contact with it I have no problems anymore. So maybe they simply never heard your kind of accent. In this case, they'll learn. If it is prejudice, then the only solution is to work your way up the ladder so that you have contact with more educated and open-minded people - as you say, there's no problem with your supervisors and managers.

Thanks guys for all your inputs and i think i really do have to take to blonde1's advice by being dilligent and working my way up the ladder so as to interact with more open minded people.I really do not think its a race thing per se as one of my colleagues and if i may say one of the worst culprits is BLACK.she is of carribeam descent but was born and bred in the UK.I have also taken a closer look at the situation and i feel she might be slightly threatened by me as i have been given more responsiblities and a slighlty higher pay despite the fact that she has been here for a long time.So I think the fact that i talk differently gives her an opportunity to kind of get at me.I am above all that as i actually just see this job as a means to an end and not where i intend to end my career. Another thing that makes them uncomfortable is the fact that i do not smoke so never join them on their 'coffee' or 'smoke' breaks as i prefer to call them.I also never join them on their team outings at the pub.Dont get me wrong i am all for team bonding and all and do go for team lunches if its just for a meal.But i dont drink and also my personal religious beliefs are against pub outings.So all in all to cut the story short they all think i am one WIERDO though i am not bothered by what the think as my self confidence and belief in myself far transcends what a bunch of people think.Its just a little lonely as i think interaction with your team should be a little more than the cool proffesional courtesy we have at the moment.Its all good sha,i have nairaland to escape to when less busy.

@damiso

Well if you really want to progress in the UK workforce then you need to let lose and mingle. Just because you don't drink it doesn't mean that you can't go to the pub and have a soft drink or lunch with your colleagues or take coffee/tea breaks with them.
The Pub is not the equivalent of a beer parlour in Nigeria but more a place for social community gathering where even some Churches and religious meetings can be held. One also doesn’t have to drink alcohol contrary to popular belief. The Pub is an age old cultural UK thing that you may want to embrace and learn more about instead of shunning it because of religious values. Making yourself exclusive from your colleagues will do you no favours in the long run because when it comes to downsizing the department or workforce the people who normally get the boot first are those who don’t ‘fit in’ with the rest of the team regardless of skills or ability!

If you feel that people have trouble understanding your accent then try to work on it a bit more. Even though you say you can speak perfect English it may not be perfect English to their ears as they are probably used to words being used and put together differently as opposed to how they are said or put together in Nigeria. For instance we don’t ask people if they have ‘taken’ food etc. Not saying that you would say this but just to give you an example.

There are plenty of perfect English speaking people in Nigeria but I am sure that many of them would have a hard time understanding a person speaking the Queen’s English with a clipped accent. My accent could be described as a South London one but when I went to Nigeria for the first time I was laughed at and corrected all the time by people who thought they spoke the ‘best’ English when they were way of base! Anyway don’t take it to heart that people have trouble trying to understand you, as someone said try some elocution lessons. Lastly speaking good English in England is not generally seen as a big deal over here in terms of status or money. Yes people are impressed when they hear one speaking with a clipped Queen’s accent but at the same time there are plenty of people who speak a local form of English such as Mancunian. Liverpudian and those with Yorkshire, Brumie or Welsh accents who work place outside of their local areas they get along fine and yes plenty of black people have those accents too!

EloSela:

@damiso

Well if you really want to progress in the UK workforce then you need to let lose and mingle. Just because you don't drink it doesn't mean that you can't go to the pub and have a soft drink or lunch with your colleagues or take coffee/tea breaks with them.
The Pub is not the equivalent of a beer parlour in Nigeria but more a place for social community gathering where even some Churches and religious meetings can be held. One also doesn’t have to drink alcohol contrary to popular belief. The Pub is an age old cultural UK thing that you may want to embrace and learn more about instead of shunning it because of religious values. Making yourself exclusive from your colleagues will do you no favours in the long run because when it comes to downsizing the department or workforce the people who normally get the boot first are those who don’t ‘fit in’ with the rest of the team regardless of skills or ability!

If you feel that people have trouble understanding your accent then try to work on it a bit more. Even though you say you can speak perfect English it may not be perfect English to their ears as they are probably used to words being used and put together differently as opposed to how they are said or put together in Nigeria. For instance we don’t ask people if they have ‘taken’ food etc. Not saying that you would say this but just to give you an example.

There are plenty of perfect English speaking people in Nigeria but I am sure that many of them would have a hard time understanding a person speaking the Queen’s English with a clipped accent. My accent could be described as a South London one but when I went to Nigeria for the first time I was laughed at and corrected all the time by people who thought they spoke the ‘best’ English when they were way of base! Anyway don’t take it to heart that people have trouble trying to understand you, as someone said try some elocution lessons. Lastly speaking good English in England is not generally seen as a big deal over here in terms of status or money. Yes people are impressed when they hear one speaking with a clipped Queen’s accent but at the same time there are plenty of people who speak a local form of English such as Mancunian. Liverpudian and those with Yorkshire, Brumie or Welsh accents who work place outside of their local areas they get along fine and yes plenty of black people have those accents too!

@elosela am sure you must have read in my post that i do attend lunches and also go out with my colleagues sometimes for coffee or tea.I do not make myself exclusive from my colleagues i think the opposite is actually what is happening.During breaks i actually interact with so many other people from other depts and even have made some friends in the other teams we work closely with.Therefore i beg to differ that i do not fit in.

As for the pub thing,what they actually go to 'drink' alchohol.I am actually not being holier than thou or anything but i really do not enjoy such scenes and it stands to reason i should participate in activities that interest me.I noticed this way back when i was in uni that the clubbibg and going out to bars and all scene was really not for me 1.because i dont drink alchohol i get bored easily 2.as i have gotten older it simply does not fit into my spiritual spectrum of activities and dont mean this to say i am always praying and speaking in tongues.I enjoy social gatherings,i watch football(me and my hubby are die-hard arsenal fans)and my hubbys birthday gift next yr will be to probably get us a trip to the champions league final.So i definitely am not anti-social as your post is trying to make me out to be.I do not need to embrace the pub culture to fit in.I know that for a[b] FACT[/b].

damiso:

Another thing that makes them uncomfortable is the fact that i do not smoke so never join them on their 'coffee' or 'smoke' breaks as i prefer to call them.I also never join them on their team outings at the pub.Dont get me wrong i am all for team bonding and all and do go for team lunches if its just for a meal.But i don't drink and also my personal religious beliefs are against pub outings.[/b]So all in all to cut the story short they all think i am one [b]WIERDO though i am not bothered by what the think as my self confidence and belief in myself far transcends what a bunch of people think.Its just a little lonely as i think interaction with your team should be a little more than the cool proffesional courtesy we have at the moment.Its all good sha,i have nairaland to escape to when less busy.

Well you did say that you were against going to pubs because of religious beliefs. What I was trying to put across to you was that the pub was not just a drinking environment in this day and age where even some churches have been known to gather and that one doesn’t have to drink alcohol. They also serve very good lunches and dinners and are good hang out joints during lunch breaks. I would consider myself teetotal and I readily go the pub with colleagues to hang out and socialise after work and sometimes have lunch there without a drop of alcohol passing my lips. Drinking during the working day or coming into work drunk is absolutely forbidden by my employer and random breath tests are often carried out. Still, plenty of my colleagues often go to a popular pub near the office for lunch…are they going there to drink? Point being there is nothing wrong with socialising with your colleagues in a Pub of all places.

Furthermore team bonding in the UK workplace is extremely important and a manager couldn’t care less if when downsizing their team that a particular person happened to get on well with the guys from Finance or HR. If you don’t get on well with fellow team members and you are seen as someone who is a ‘weirdo’ (your word) then that could well go against you in the future.

You started this thread claiming that some people in your work place may have issues with your accent and then went on about how you even spoke perfect English… By whose standards is your English perfect? The UK or Nigeria?

@ elosela
I never said i spoke 'perfect english'.i said i percieved prejudice based on my 'accent'that is the way my english sounds.As i said in my original post and which you also reiterated by saying the way you sound really should not matter as people's accents are affected by the enviroment that is why i have a Nigerian accent because i am nigerian and raised in nigeria and someone from manchester has a mancunian one.I do not have a problem as to how you as long as you can pass your msg across.what i do appreciate is the subtle ways i am made to feel awkward because of the way i sound.also about tembonding i do participate in team lunches and also activities we take part in the team.For instance during the olympics we all had decorate our offices to reflect the olympic spirit which i actively participated in to try to integrate but still felt a cold barrier esp among some of the members of the team.Its a really small team and i have found it difficult breaking o the clique as i get along well with my team leader and one of my team members who i have noticed is quite liberal.this clique even do not like the TL and also make fun of the dept manager.The pub outings  are after work and they are basically for 'drinks'
which i have said i get bored of since i do not drink.

damiso:

. . .To be honest i don't understand their grammar and accents as well and try to listen carefully. Like one of my colleagues is from leicester and she says 'you what' when she menas to say 'excuse me' or 'pardon.'I am appalled at both her written and spoken tenses but will never descend to their level of judging her based on that.

You what Say what You don't say.  

People are trying to be civil and advice you on ways you can blend in, yet you still carry agidi on top head like ibo fan If you want to retain the right to speak in your mother-tongue, carry goon. If you can't take the heat  

As for your caribbean co-worker, Carribeans have this inherent "we are better off and more civilised than you backward Africans" mentality so there is really nothing you can do about her. If she starts to bully you, let us know asap.

BTW, being a football thugfanatic is not a yardstick of measure for proving your fun, happy-go-lucky, sociable stance.

Sorry if my British Yinglish is not up to scratch, blame the exam board that gave me a A- for scoring 36% in English Language. Hope you can read it sha. ^{Thank God for spellcheckers spellchequers spellcheck arse spell forgeddit}.

@ elosela
I never said i spoke 'perfect english'.i said i percieved prejudice based on my 'accent'that is the way my english sounds.As i said in my original post and which you also reiterated by saying the way you sound really should not matter as people's accents are affected by the enviroment that is why i have a Nigerian accent because i am nigerian and raised in nigeria and someone from manchester has a mancunian one.I do not have a problem as to how you as long as you can pass your msg across.what i do appreciate is the subtle ways i am made to feel awkward because of the way i sound.also about tembonding i do participate in team lunches and also activities we take part in the team.For instance during the olympics we all had decorate our offices to reflect the olympic spirit which i actively participated in to try to integrate but still felt a cold barrier esp among some of the members of the team.Its a really small team and i have found it difficult breaking o the clique as i get along well with my team leader and one of my team members who i have noticed is quite liberal.this clique even do not like the TL and also make fun of the dept manager.The pub outings  are after work and they are basically for 'drinks'
which i have said i get bored of since i do not drink.

poster, you never see anything, you think say the people wey dey shout discrimination and rasicm, you think say them dey shout for nothing? You, black person, black nigga, come all the way from your country, to come dey do the same job wey white people think say na their exclusive preserve? you think say them go flow with you? Wetin concern you with wether them talk to you or not, don't you know an evergae british man/woman is snubbish? more so to a black nigga? I just pity you, you will get more frustrated when you try to relate with them un officially. My advice to you, never relate to them out of anything but officially, don't joke or crack issues with them, don't smile or laugh with them, they actaully hate it when you smile or laugh with them, you don't belong with them, don't you get it?

You said the worst culprit is a black carribean, dont you know the caribean people hate Africans? why, because they think our forefathers sold them to slavery, thats why an average caribean nigga hates an african nigga. Dont listen to those advices of people saying you should relate with them, when they come to work in Nigeria, do they relate with other black people in their midst,, no, they talk to white people like themselves.

If you need help, i will send you hot werepe, just pour it on each of their seats, werepe go make them respect you henceforth, white man my foot.

What i actually hate are Nigerians trying to copy the way the English man speaks, and Nigerians who want to prevent themselves from relating with you because they were born and bred in the UK, but you were not, bad riddle, just do your work, when its time to move on, move on and thats it.

Buy a walkman, with speakers, when you are at your seat, put the speakers on, and listen to loud music, that is the way you earn their respect, keep a distance from them. It all worked for me.

damiso:

. . . I let them know that everyone is affected by their enviroment and that there is something called mother tongue interference in how we speak  a  2nd language as english is indeed that  for me . . .

You do? How? Did they ask you to explain or do you just volunteer these information to them?

damiso:

@ elosela
I never said i spoke 'perfect english'.

damiso:


. . . I do know i don't have the  'british' accent but

                  i speak perfect,concise and clear english language.

                       I actually studied english as my first degree and

                              [size=13pt]i am  quite a  fluent user of the language.[/size]

                        [size=14pt]heck i speak better english than every single one of them.[/size]

                  [size=15pt]My spoken english is quite fluent just don't speak it like them[/size].

Now I am really confused. Sorry D, you know I only got 34%, and I am still learning.  

damiso:

i said i percieved prejudice based on my 'accent'that is the way my english sounds.

Perceived, hmmn, herein lies the solution, it is all in your mind and this is what all the posters have been telling you. It is not your accent that makes you stand out. People that hate do not hate because of the accent that comes out of your mouth.

Damiso - I perfectly understand your plight as I was in that same position few months ago. I cannot categorically tell you that the situation has changed completely because some of my colleagues still have little difficulty understanding me. Although it has improved considerably compared to when I started my first job in the UK. It is even disadvantageous if your workplace is full of Africans/or maybe foreigners as most people will prefer to speak in the local ascent which will give you little or no opportunity to learn the British ascent.

When I moved from my former workplace which was full of Nigerians to my current job which is full of white British. To make it worse, I was the only black person in my dept which has a total work force of 43 staff. I made up my mind on the first day to try as much as possible to avoid being a weirdo. I started going to the pub with my colleagues (where I always ensure that discussions are centred around me to avoid being bored because of my inability to take beer). I tell them things about my country and make sure that they understand that I need time to understand their culture. Frankly, they got the gist and they are always doing things to help. They asked me to join the football team, badminton team, etc, which I oblige without any fuss. We all go to the gym every Wednesday during lunch and they are helping me to learn how to play badminton presently. They now understand my ascent and I understand theirs as well.

As far as work is concern, I make sure that my work speaks volume about me. Even though, I am in a senior position, I have never noticed any form of envy or jealousy from them (Please note that not all of them are racists - There are loveable and tolerant ones among them). They assisted me to settle in when I just came and they are still helping me with things till today.

My advice - Always try to tell them about yourself and your country. Ask about their family (they appreciate that a lot). Let them know that they should try to help you to understand their culture to enable you blend with them. Let them feel important by asking them to help out with office work. Mingle with them by going to the pubs (you dont necessarily have to take alcohol) and gyms. Discuss sports with them and know which football clubs they are in support of.

Finally, ensure that you don't always sit at your desk lazily all day expecting them to make tea for you. Try and make tea for them once in a while. I have adopted an approach of making tea for everyone in the morning before settling to work.

I can assure you that if you can do all the above, things will improve considerably.


Best of luck.

Lol.

I hail you "Naija Brits"

Making tea for oyibo people. hehehe

Seriously though damios, you'll be fine. you attend lunches and such. Cool. The whole pub thing, Im with you. they say you dont have to drink, while that is true, people tend to look down on those who drink with them. First thing they tend to aks is "ohh, is it that you're recovering alcoholic". It's like it's beyond them that not everyone drinks or freaking smokes.

Dont tell them religion is the reason why you are against such thing. simple "not my thing" is suffice. You like sports, discuss that and do your thing. As for Jamo women and such, please doint even bother with these women. DO NOT discuss your personal stuff with them, none of that. ssimple greetings is ok. Bloody snakes I tell you

Busy-Body. Leave the girl alone abi wetin

To answer your question: Yes you are treated poorly if your accent isn't understandable. Also just because you did English back home don't mean jack here. So loosen up and mingle with the people you work it. Maybe you will learn a few things from them. You need a good accent to get ahead. Let's not even kid ourselves with that. It isn't a fair world out there so do what you gotta do!

@Damiso
Sounds more like a personality clash than anything. Maybe they think you are a snob because you don't go to the pub with them or on coffee/tea breaks and stuff. Whatever the case try not to play victim in all of this and continue to make strides to get on with your colleagues as you say you have been doing and that, believe you me, will prove more beneficial in the long run. The UK workplace is very different from the Nigerian in that a lot of emphasis is also put on how well you interact with colleagues and contribute to the team, whether that be socially or work wise, as well as how you perform in your role.



Unfortunately drinking is a culture traditionally ingrained in most Britons, most kids mark their first age of independence (16) by having a drink but there are still plenty of people who would not hold anything against someone like yourself or I who did not touch the stuff and so it is ok to socialise with them every now and again just to team bond if anything. If you are seen as someone who can let their hair down and have a laugh then you should be fine, accent has nothing to do with it. It is not unheard of for men who can hardly speak English in the UK bond very well with other English men over a game of football and a pint or even a can of coke if necessary.

@ all your comments xcept that of busy body which i will not do the honour of remarking upon,thanks.i have taken all your advice and will endeavour to try to integrate.I really do not want it to narrow it down to race lines as i believe that having the racism victim mindset actually hinders progress.|All those blacks in america who drop out of school in high school get on the dough and then moan racism really irritate me.We can see people like obama,bill cosby etc who have made something out of thier lives even though we all know its not easy.They are indeed really nice brits and as i stated earlier my team leader and my manger who are white are nice and even go out of their way to help me when they see i am struggling especially during my training.i just think as someone rightly said some of them cannot fathom the fact that i do not drink and smoke.one of my colleagues the liberal one joked by saying'you must be very healthy but also very unhappy'.I had a good laugh and he even said i might be a good role modela as he wants to stop smoking.I also never really mention religion except when they had a company outing at thorpe park on a sun and i said i wouldnt be able to make it cos i had to go to church.So all in all i will try to go for more lunches and also activities as its a company that belives in work-life balance so they is always one thing or the other to do.As for the accent i guess with time they get used to it as i have had to get used to some of theirs as well.But all said and done some people have prejudices they cannot set aside and i will not go out of my way force liking me down their throats.

I wonder where it is said worldwide that when the white man comes to work in Africa, he learns the African ways just to feel accepted. Never, it is still the same colonial mentalism of our black brothers and sisters that makes them want to blend and flow with the white mans ways, all in the vague perception of seeking acceptance. When you do your work properly, noone judges you unfairly, but to change your accent just because you want to be judged fairly, is nothing but arrant nonsense.

To those of you who thinks you have to be accepted by the white you work with, i just pity you.

@poster

Have you seen white people who work in companies in Nigeria? Do you see how they only talk and whisper amongst themselves as a group? Do they care to go with you to any lunch or any outing or even learn to speak the way you speak? Do they even say hello to you in the morning? So, why are you trying to make them to like you when you go and work in their country? Dont you think you should just concentrate and do your work instead of caring who and who likes you?

KarmaMod:


Busy-Body. Leave the girl alone abi wetin

Wetin I do, yet. Why you no call tweedledee[i]tomb [/i] and tweedledum[i]tumf[/i] to order

At least, unlike someone we know I am only trying to find a discreet way of offering her a cookie

No be UK she dey, I reiterate if she wants she should continue speaking WAZOBIA to her heart's content, if her company refuses to employ an intepreter on her behalf, I can forward her some good Pro Bono Human Rights lawyers that would fight on her behalf for her human rights on grounds of Article 3; Degrading treatment, Article 10; Freedom of expression, Article 14; Discrimination, and most importantly Article 8; Right to family life. She should not be forced to give up her culture for the English culture of pub and football




@ OP

Londoncool and the poster directly after him, as well as Elosela already gave you good advice, It's not you, it's the society we live in. A lot of people are going through a phase of resentment, which is generally directed to recently arrived immigrants because they feel their country cannot cope with the influx so you just have to learn to ignore them. Like I mentioned earlier, if they start to bully you, you have the right to report them to your HR department.

damiso:

@ all your comments xcept that of busy body . . .

Karma Mod  see wetin you cause, wetin English Language no go do sef I don't like to be a snitch and an eke yo furo ^{busy body}, but we have people here insinuating, suggesting indirectly and gradually, that she is a weirdo, a snob, a fool, a bastard, a black nigger, yet all I said was if she can't take the heat 

Anyway, God dey sha, next time I would just keep it brief and simply tell her;

KarmaMod:

It's all true

So what do you want now? A cookie?

Hi Karma did you sleep well

BusyBody, you are one crazy person

Seriously though I dont get what you are trying to tell her. She already said she particpates in most of the activities. If anything her MAIN complaint was that they claim they dont understand her and she has to repeat herself. I can imagine how frustrating that can be. My advice for that is to speak very slowly like they're retarded

London Cool's advice was ok for a while til he got to how being about Nigerians with Nigerian accent makes him ashamed blah blah

Pathetic. When it comes to sheer selfhatred and snobbery, "Naija Brits" are the worst offenders. Seriously.

KarmaMod:

BusyBody, you are one crazy person

Seriously though I don't get what you are trying to tell her. She already said she particpates in most of the activities. If anything her MAIN complaint was that they claim they don't understand her and she has to repeat herself. I can imagine how frustrating that can be. My advice for that is to speak very slowly like they're retarded

London Cool's advice was ok for a while til he got to how being about Nigerians with Nigerian accent makes him ashamed blah blah

Pathetic. When it comes to sheer selfhatred and snobbery, "Naija Brits" are the worst offenders. Seriously.

Apologies to Dami if I have offended you. Honestly, I did not even notice the bit about the London accent, the only thing that jumped out at me was Damiso saying "it could be lonely . . ." and that was why I was trying to tell her that it was not her accent, but her skin colour that was predominantly at play and also told her not to worry about the Carribean co-worker, but should not hesitate to report her to the relevant department, if she is being bullied.

The issue of racism is sad and there is really nothing we can do to change the mind-set of people who choose to be racists, unless someone chooses to be a martyr to legally fight against it at the expense of facing further ostracism from one's colleagues.

N-joy:

@poster

Have you seen white people who work in companies in Nigeria? Do you see how they only talk and whisper amongst themselves as a group? Do they care to go with you to any lunch or any outing or even learn to speak the way you speak? Do they even say hello to you in the morning? So, why are you trying to make them to like you when you go and work in their country? Dont you think you should just concentrate and do your work instead of caring who and who likes you?

Typical Nigerian warped mentality! If white workers are allowed to get away with that kind of attitude in the Nigerian workplace then whose fault is it? Point in case: Poster has chosen to work in the UK and that kind of attitude that you have described is not accepted here. A person like that in a professional UK working environment will only be deemed as weird, unsociable and unable to fit in with the team which will get them nowhere fast except at the back of the dole queue begging for handouts!

lepashandi:

I wonder where it is said worldwide that when the white man comes to work in Africa, he learns the African ways just to feel accepted. Never, it is still the same colonial mentalism of our black brothers and sisters that makes them want to blend and flow with the white mans ways, all in the vague perception of seeking acceptance. When you do your work properly, noone judges you unfairly, but to change your accent just because you want to be judged fairly, is nothing but arrant nonsense.

To those of you who thinks you have to be accepted by the white you work with, i just pity you.

I would like to think that any self respecting black person who takes on a job which will involve working in a multi-ethnic/cultural environment would not always be on that pathetic political tip about proving how 'black' they are, so much so that they feel absolutely no need to try and be fit in with the team that have been allocated/applied to work with.

If one would rather the culture of a working environment where only their work speaks for them and gets them promoted (not in the Nigerian workplace where nepotism is rife!) then perhaps they should stay out of the UK workplace where they won't have to bother with things like team bonding activities and social mingling with their peers.
It is that simple…besides the last time I checked white people weren't queuing up at the Nigerian embassy in their tens of thousands trying to get a visa to work in Nigeria.

KarmaMod - Let me clarify the statement I made with regard to tea making as I've noticed that some people here will prefer every little details to enable them understand like kindergarten pupils.

White British take a lot of tea and therefore they don't consider it degrading to make tea for their colleagues. However, when they continue to make tea for you without you making any attend to reciprocate this once in a while, they usually look at it like an insult. Even your boss will come to your office to make tea for you. We Naijas like what is called "awuf". Forgive me if you cannot find that in your dictionary. So, that is the reason why I took it upon myself to make tea in the morning even though I make the least tea in the office.


It is part of their culture and you must try as much as possible to respect that. If you don't want to make tea for anybody, anytime they ask if you'll like to take tea, just tell them no and thank them politely. But that will not help your relationship with anybody in the office.

Siena, does it make sense to you for the girl to join these people on their "smoke breaks"? Second hand smoke anyone?

and I dont know why you people are acting like she said she declines everything. She goes for the things she enjoys. She said she goes to lunches, picnics, etc. how is that not enough? Why is going to a bar so important?

and once again wasnt this thread about accents?

tos:

KarmaMod - Let me clarify the statement I made with regard to tea making as I've noticed that some people here will prefer every little details to enable them understand like kindergarten pupils.

White British take a lot of tea and therefore they don't consider it degrading to make tea for their colleagues. However, when they continue to make tea for you without you making any attend to reciprocate this once in a while, they usually look at it like an insult.

I hope your lame kindergarten comment wasnt to me.

Anyway just because I made fun doesnt mean I dont understand why you do it. You're returning a favor.

Personally i'd deny their damn tea so I wouldnt have to do it back

If they tell you they can't understand you tell them the same thing and go about your business. Thats how other Nigerians in America handle them and they quickly understand when they figure out you don't give a flying f.