Now Ye're Talking - to an African Dubliner

I Am Timi, AMA

La_Gordy wrote: »

The only wan I know that's still going is downstairs in Moore St. To ma palate, it's a decent jollof rice

Do you like 2Face?

Ah someone told me about that and I heard it is very good!

I liked 2face in 04 haha

I Am Timi, AMA

Wichita Lineman wrote: »

Hi Timi,

What area of work are you involved in and was it easy to get work?

Have you been to every county in Ireland yet?

Have you tried to play hurling yet?

If you could change just one thing about Ireland, what would it be?

Hey I work in social media, PR, advisory and consultation in financial services and I'm a full time student (very busy)

I'm currently on a trip traveling to every county with JJ Kavanagh (look up #TrailsOfIreland)

I don't play hurling, but Georgie Lahey gave me a few tips!

I'd make the weather more consistent!!!!! (Warm)

I Am Timi, AMA

helimachoptor wrote: »

Why is everyone I met from Nigeria a prince?

Because you are obviously also royalty.

Duh.

I Am Timi, AMA

H3llR4iser wrote: »

Hey Timi,

I read the article you linked a few posts ago...interesting read, some of the points you make I find familiar as a foreigner myself, although I "only" had to travel from Italy.

One thing resounds with me particularly - the reference a lot of people make to Dublin as "sh1te city!"; I often find it coming from individuals originating from rural areas and/or small villages, who also go on to complain about crime, traffic, dirtiness and whatnot, when compared to other European cities of similar size, Dublin would most likely come off with the upper hand.

How do you find this kind of attitude? Does the whole rural/small town culture that permeates Ireland and the aversion to urbanization look like somewhat of a problem in your view?

Those are very good questions!

Your first question, after having lived in a few large (capital) cities, it's quite clear that Dublin is unique in its own way. It is clean, it is very very safe and it has a thriving cultural scene.

It's very interesting looking at the decentralization of the government into local authorities and the power they have individually. On many levels I don't agree with it but that's for my own reasons and I don't expect anyone to agree with me.

The aversion to urbanization probably adds to the charm that Dublin has... Don't you think?

I Am Timi, AMA

breffni bogballer wrote: »

Whenever you go home could you find out where my great uncle wilbert left the 25m lotto winnings i was promised!!!!!

Oh THAT 25million? I'm still holding that for him. It's resting in my account.

I Am Timi, AMA

tayto lover wrote: »

What kind of food do you eat and have you a good source for getting the ingredients in Dublin?

Answered this previously :-)

I Am Timi, AMA

randy hickey wrote: »

King or Tayto?

Neither

I Am Timi, AMA

Niemoj wrote: »

How do you feel about the LGBTQIA+ community?

I realise you've called Dublin home quite a long time now but given Nigeria is so staunchly against it I'm wondering has any of that mentality penetrated into your own mindset?

Also, great pics on your Instagram!

It drives me mad that so many Africans are staunchly against equal rights for all. I am not what many expect me to be in that I'm anti religion etc.

Simply put, I voted for the first time in May and I voted YES 😊

I Am Timi, AMA

Scarinae wrote: »

Do you have an opinion on the portrayal of Africa and Africans in Hollywood films?

I'm thinking of films like District 9... I know it was made in South Africa but I heard that the portrayal of Nigerians in the film upset a lot of people. Or films like Mean Girls, where the main character has moved to the US from Africa (nothing more specific, as if Africa itself is a country) and all the references to her time there are about lions and elephants and stuff.

That's an interesting question. It has never bothered me on a personal level but I hate that many peoples entire perception of Africa and Africans is stereotypical nonsense although that is changing slowly.

I Am Timi, AMA

Francie Barrett wrote: »

To what extent do you find racism prevalent in Ireland? A friend of mine is African and he says that he encounters no outright hostility, but he would notice a lot of low level stuff (people crossing the street to not walk by him, he would get people blatantly staring at him, etc.).

I wrote an article on that in the previous comments, at the moment I don't really get much if any at all but today I put my bag down for a second and a woman almost jumped a mile (BOMB!)

I Am Timi, AMA

Mars Bar wrote: »

If you were being racially abused on the street and it was fairly vocal, how would you feel about other members of the public speaking up for you? I was in Galway today and I couldn't hear what was being said coz I was in a cafe but I saw what looked to be a verbal altercation between a man (who didn't look Irish, maybe more Eastern) and a couple of black men. I was wondering if I was outside and I was sure it was racial abuse, how would I react?

I don't know as no one has ever spoken up for me. I think the worst was a couple of years ago I was on the Luas and a gang of youths ran up to the windows and started making monkey chants and faces.

I stared at them blankly until they stopped and when I looked up everyone else on the tram just averted their gaze. I'm not sure what I was more disappointed in.

I Am Timi, AMA

XxMCRxBabyxX wrote: »

I see in your article that you clearly consider yourself Irish and associate yourself with that but do you still connect with your Nigerian identity much or at all?

I notice that you've been in Ireland a long time, a lot longer than many foreign immigrants have been. Have you found that the Irish approach to immigrants has changed much over that time?

I do and I don't.

When I'm asked where I'm from, I answer that I'm Irish and I genuinely believe that. I love Ireland and its people, culture and atmosphere. Sometimes I do feel nostalgia for Nigerian things especially when I go back.

In general, the Irish have been the most accommodating nationality I've lived amongst. They are only getting better (if possible)

I Am Timi, AMA

Boom_Bap wrote: »

Hey Timi,
Is the bike OK?
I don't really have any questions, just to say that I've been following your online stuff for a while now and it's great to see such positivity and how you have embraced Dublin!
Lovely to see how you are involved with artists from other circles like Btiter Rocc....do you have anything in the pipeline with Alan Newman & Jonathan Lambert?


EDIT: Nice cameo in the new Flynn Johnson video

Ah the bike!!! She did me well X X X

I love fueling creativity whenever I find it and Dublin is a hub, almost a primordial pool of talent bubbling under a rippling surface of energy; how could one not want to be involved with multidisciplinary artists like Bitter etc

Mars Bar

I Am Timi, AMA wrote: »

I don't know as no one has ever spoken up for me. I think the worst was a couple of years ago I was on the Luas and a gang of youths ran up to the windows and started making monkey chants and faces.

I stared at them blankly until they stopped and when I looked up everyone else on the tram just averted their gaze. I'm not sure what I was more disappointed in.

That's awful

If I ever see this situation again, I'll do my damned best to not sit quiet.

I Am Timi, AMA

rgossip30 wrote: »

All so wonderful and lovely .

Aren't we all X X X

I Am Timi, AMA

buggy beag wrote: »

Do you like tayto sambos?

Only when I was dying at Body and Soul this year!

I Am Timi, AMA

5rtytry56 wrote: »

Do you use Dublin Bus, Red Line Luas, Green Line Luas or DART?
What is your experience on these services?
In a former boards incarnation I was gugleguy.

I use them all!

Green line - good.
Red line - bad.
DART - unpredictable.

GLaDOS

You seem incredibly positive about Dublin and Ireland in general, which is great to hear. Do you think Dubliners/Irish people can be a bit too negative about their hometown/country?

I Am Timi, AMA

Mars Bar wrote: »

That's awful

If I ever see this situation again, I'll do my damned best to not sit quiet.

Fair play to you dude!

I was going to say it's the thought that counts, but it doesn't really...

I Am Timi, AMA

ScienceNerd wrote: »

You seem incredibly positive about Dublin and Ireland in general, which is great to hear. Do you think Dubliners/Irish people can be a bit too negative about their hometown/country?

I do.

I think on some levels we treat Dublin how we treat our mates; you know that whole love hate thing going on.

I just think anyone who truly hates this place doesn't know it like I do.

FourFourRED

Will Louis van Gaal's 'philosophy' ever come to fruition?

Mars Bar

I Am Timi, AMA wrote: »

Fair play to you dude!

I was going to say it's the thought that counts, but it doesn't really...

I say I'll do my best so long as it doesn't put myself in danger. I'm a slight female and I've learnt that you have to pick and choose your fights carefully!

Shrap

I Am Timi, AMA wrote: »

Cabbage does not agree with me however...

Don't know anyone it does agree with. Nice though...but I regret it in the morning :eek:

I Am Timi, AMA wrote: »

I'm currently on a trip traveling to every county with JJ Kavanagh (look up #TrailsOfIreland)

Found that a weird question. Not sure I know any Irish natives who've traveled to every county. My London fella has seen more of Ireland than I have! Kavanagh is amazing tho - I must look up that trail and maybe learn more about my own country!

My question is a bit heavy, sorry in advance! I grew up atheist in Ireland and perhaps as a result, am a bit of a one-trick-pony in that the separation of church and state in Ireland is something I have taken up as a bit of a mission. In your living here as an atheist (having lived in places where atheism is a much more dangerous and frowned upon "lack" of belief), do you notice the prevalence of religious interference in matters of state here, or is it so inconsequential (by comparison to cultures you have experienced) that we complain without justification? Bearing in mind that you haven't mentioned if you have children, and that the school system is where you might encounter this first as a new Irish person.....

se02orqua5xz9v

I Am Timi, AMA wrote: »

No one has ever spoken up for me. I think the worst was a couple of years ago I was on the Luas and a gang of youths ran up to the windows and started making monkey chants and faces.

I stared at them blankly until they stopped and when I looked up everyone else on the tram just averted their gaze. I'm not sure what I was more disappointed in.

Following up on this point, how do you feel about articles like this, by British Asian writer Ashitha Nagesh, who said

If I’m being racially abused I don’t need a stranger with a saviour complex to rescue me.

[Black and Minority Ethnic] people have a thicker skin than you can imagine. We have suffered at the hands of both overt racism and the more insidious, and arguably more dangerous, discrimination in pretty much every area of our lives. We’ve seen our parents go through it, and in a lot of cases our grandparents. We are strong people and we deserve the chance to speak out and defend ourselves.

So while the thought is appreciated, I say no thanks to white saviours. It may be well-intentioned, but their "help" does more harm than good.

H3llR4iser

I Am Timi, AMA wrote: »

Those are very good questions!

Your first question, after having lived in a few large (capital) cities, it's quite clear that Dublin is unique in its own way. It is clean, it is very very safe and it has a thriving cultural scene.

That is my view of Dublin as well, and I know it's shared by many foreigners I spoke to.

I Am Timi, AMA wrote: »

It's very interesting looking at the decentralization of the government into local authorities and the power they have individually. On many levels I don't agree with it but that's for my own reasons and I don't expect anyone to agree with me.

The aversion to urbanization probably adds to the charm that Dublin has... Don't you think?

I frankly think the whole mentality holds the country back a little bit. It's already amazing what a country of only 4.3 million people has done, but I feel the potential is even greater; The problem I see, and I quote some Irish friends (Dubs and Corkonians alike), is one of "culchie interests" given far too much weight compared to major areas. Take it as you will - it took me years to even understand what "culchie" means

Even on a "single person" level, I see people precluding themselves opportunities - many times I heard the "oh I would never go to Dublin, such a cr@p place, the traffic, the crime, the..." story...

breffni bogballer

I Am Timi, AMA wrote: »

Oh THAT 25million? I'm still holding that for him. It's resting in my account.

thanks. your 20% is in the post

the beer revolu

Hi Tami, great thread, thanks for all your answers.

I hate hearing of any instances of racism against anyone and I'm glad that you have only experienced it relatively infrequently. There is no shortage of racism and zenophobia in Ireland.

My question is do you find that the wider African community are just as capable of displaying elements of racism as anyone else?

Taboola

Do you watch Fair City?

GerB40

As a Dub, do you prefer the hurling or the (gaelic) football?

Iyaibeji

Growing up did you find a huge difference between the way your parents parented and the general Irish way of parenting?

Also, for bonus points, can you guess the names of two of my kids?