Nigeria’s world renowned writer, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie has excited her global fans of over 400,000 with a post on Instagram on Sunday showing her negotiating to buy roasted corn by the roadside in her Nigerian village.
The author of several award winning novels, wrote: “Oka na ube. In my ancestral hometown, Abba, Anambra State, repository of so many happy memories”.
The post attracted over 54,000 likes in less than 24 hours and close to 1000 comments.
One fan Amchidox cheekily wrote: “It’s like you are planning to run for political office”.
But many other commenters simply saw in her action, how deeply connected she remains to her roots, despite being a famous face on the global stage. And there are some who felt she has helped to dredge memories of life in their rural homes in growing up years.
Wrote Tangerine.king: Anytime I visit my hometown, Nnewi, Anambra State, I always return with happy memories especially going to find ube and udara in my grandma’s farm between 5:00-5:30am. And one of those days, my cousins and I ran for our lives because we thought we had seen a ghost only to find out by daylight that it was a banana tree”.
“How you live an ordinary life, in an extra ordinary way is so beautiful to watch and learn from. A phenomenal woman”, said silk_chi.
Dodomiami said: “Only if the kids and people know who’s standing there. Legend.”
And a Brazilian was not so surprised about Chimamanda’s roasted-corn buying image as it is a sight-familiar. Vivicostapinto wrote: In Brazil we also eat corn roasted like this! It’s a very common street food in many states. In my home state we can find women like this roasting corn on the roads. You stop your car and order to go. There are a few similarities in Brazilian and Nigerian food I could learn from your books”.
