Having spent four years in a single sex school, I am trying to gradually adjust to the mixed environment. When I intimated to a friend that I am from Islamic University In Uganda Female Campus, the first thing she told me was ‘I hope u will not be jumpy, horny and boy-ma-this is bar course…you better get serious.’ And I was like ‘Alloh!!! this is what people think of us?’
Obviously the domineering personality of some men will stand out….they want to toss you around….when you over ask questions in class, they will be will be quick to add ‘men don’t like wiseacres’ yet at our former school, we could ask all the nonsense we wanted.
Then yeah, I miss girl cliques, how we would sit down and cluelessly start discussing guys and the standards we want in a guy. Surprisingly my closest friend(s) is a guy. So I really miss those girly talks, the best lipstick on trend, the fashion in vogue, the eyeball whitening eye drop, the anklets, how to draw your eyebrows properly using eye pencil with ease etc.
I miss how we would crowd round one heart broken girl and console her with words like he is an arsehole, it’s his loss….ye a cheatinga atya ku lawyer (How dare he cheat on a lawyer)! it is his loss!’ I miss the girly things…how to glue artificial nails on your natural nails. I miss the quarrels, the drama and the beef. When girls decide to beef, even satan sits down to take a lesson.
Having guys as my closest buddies (It is not what y’all think) means I get to see life from a guy’s point of view. Their views about life, relationships and success. Guys don’t do much chit chat …they are more of doers…Being 24/7 around guys makes life so less taxing and before you know it, you are behaving like a guy.
Guys don’t mind wearing the same cloth weekend in weekend out, they don’t mind feeding on a rolex a day, they don’t mind footing (so long as they are not in suits) And I think guys give the most reasonable relationship advice though they may sound mean and unrealistic. How I befriended them…issa story for another day but we were friends from day one…..I am not so badly off at making friends- once in a while when I want deep talks I call my girl friends and we yap.
By Lydia Etii Ajwang
The writer is a student at Law Development Centre, Mbarara Campus.
