Lost in Translation
Nobody warns you about this part of NYSC. You pack your bags, hype yourself up—new city, new opportunities!—only to land there and realize ah, I no sabi wetin these people dey talk o!
The Language Barrier Struggle 😭
First few days, you’re managing. People greet you, you respond with a safe "Good morning" because English is universal, right? WRONG.
Day three, somebody cracks a joke in the local language, and the whole area erupts in laughter. You? You’re just there, smiling like mumu, nodding along like you totally get it. Next thing, they start expecting you to reply. Omo, pressure! Do I just chuckle and hope for the best? Do I confess that I have no idea what’s going on? Or do I just quietly relocate back to my former state??
Moving Around the City—And the Yoruba Tax 😭
The real wahala starts when you enter bus. You ask, "How much to XYZ?" and the conductor sizes you up. The moment he clocks that you no sabi Yoruba, boom—fare don increase. They’ll just look at you and say, "₦500." Meanwhile, the person before you paid ₦300. Yoruba tax activated!
Or you enter keke, and instead of dropping at your exact junction, they carry you go where you no know because you couldn’t shout "O wa o!" on time. Next thing, you’re trekking back like a lost sheep, questioning your life choices.
And don’t even get me started on bike men. You tell them your destination, and they respond in Yoruba. You nod, thinking you understand. 10 minutes later, you’re in front of one random church instead of your street. Ah, who send me obey the clarion call? 😭
The Unspoken "Why You No Sabi Our Language?" Judgment
Oh, the silent judgment. You start feeling like an outcast because everybody around you is gisting and vibing in yoruba, and you? You’re just there, clutching your phone, scrolling aimlessly so you don’t look too lost. To make it worse, dem go just look you like say you no get vibes—meanwhile, na you be baba for where you dey come from! 😭 Even your "Excuse me, please what did they say?" is getting exhausting.
One day, someone will ask, "Ah ah, you mean you’ve been here for X months and you still don’t understand?"
SIR, MA, PLEASE, I AM TRYING.😭
So What’s the Solution?
- Find Your People – Locate other outsiders like you and bond over your shared confusion.
- Learn Key Survival Phrases – Just enough to order food, enter bus, and greet elders. Anything beyond that? i cannot come and go and kill myself.
- Get a Human Translator – Befriend someone wey sabi both English and Yoruba before dem go use language run you street.
- Smile and Nod Strategy – Works 60% of the time. The remaining 40%? Omo, na God hand e dey.
Living in a new place is an adventure, but this language thing? Nobody prepared me.
Who else has gone through this struggle? Let’s gist in the comments!😂
photo credit: Annie
