Tact -__-

And the award goes to...........!!!

I can never get over how some people can be so tactless!  You think you've heard the most tactless thing being said and another person comes and takes you by surprise with an even more tactless thing.  I'm Ghanaian and when I say a lot of Ghanaians don't have tact, I know what I'm saying.  Some of the cringe inducing things I've heard said to others and even to myself are:

Ah, you've become fat oo! I don't understand why people say this.  Do they say this assuming the person doesn't know they've added on a couple of pounds?  This statement is usually the first thing they say when they see said "fat" person.  I feel that sometimes when people don't have anything to say they just feel the need to say "You've become fat oo!"  The follow up statement is usually, "Ei what have you been eating? Tell me so I eat some."  (said with a very annoying smile)  If the maker of that statement wants to be even more annoying, they will go ahead to poke you.  These comments are even more annoying when they're written as comments on someone's Facebook picture.  Seriously though, if you don't have anything to say when you meet someone, a smile works just fine.  

Jah Rastafari! This happened to me 2 weeks ago on my way to work on a beautiful Monday morning.  Over the weekend I had gotten my hair twisted with some funky corn rows on the sides.  I sit in the car, I'm driving, minding my own business, enjoying the morning breeze, when a random man passing by suddenly shouts "Jah Rastafari!"  So I turn wondering why, then he starts gesturing to my hair and smiling.  WTF?!  Like seriously dude?  He WAS NOT even a rasta man so I'm not sure what solidarity he was even showing me.  I'm not Rastafarian either but even if I was should that warrant yelling "Jah Rastafari" at me in public?  Like I see a Muslim and shout "Allah" or see a Christian and yell "Jesus", how rude would that be?  I can only imagine what Rastafarians go through in this country.

Maame gbontos/ Naa Fofo Bobison:  Hm! This one it the most annoying one ever!  Is it criminal to have a huge ass or big boobies?  Lol!  It starts right from primary school so now we know where the tactlessness begins.  Maame Gbontos -___________- Naa Fofo aka Breastina -________- ...... there'll be no end in sight if I start to rant on these stupid names.

Shalai tui:  Lmao!  I do not want to be Asian in Ghana!  Does anyone remember that Cargo Gin bitters adverts where the Asian man said "Shalai tui"?  I swear every time I see someone Asian in public in Accra, some stupid thoughtless person shouts "Shalai tui" and laughs and walks off.  How rude and insensitive!  But I guess that has some meaning since it was said on television so it's much better than the meaningless words people ramble in what they feel is Chinese. Criiiinnnggggeeee!! In as much as this is funny (sometimes), it's embarrassing and shows some amount of disrepect and racial intolerance.  What if "Shalai tui" is Mandarin and we shout it at a Korean person?  I'm sure to them it's as annoying as how foreigners who come to Ghana ask everyone "Eti sen" assuming that we all speak Twi.  

What are some of the most tactless comments you've heard?