African King and Queen

Written in Pidgin 
Ah! Wey matter dis? This winter vex with we paaa...ah! So so snow, so so state of emergency, last week, this week, the week before, eish! Man for go work make some money ah, weather wan slow tings down. But how we do am......sometimes God dey see say man need rest, so this be how God dey make we know say He dey love us.

We dey enjoy am ooo. How we go do am We go have snow fight outside sef. We mix the love with the snow. Ibi good say we dry house today. Man taya ah, much needed day-off. Catch up on some school work, pay some bills, plan for the week. Thank God for days like dis, especially when we have no days off. Ino be easy but man go make am.

Welcome.
So many things make America  great nation. This country has embraced  people from all walks of life for centuries. The elite diversity in culture, ethnicity, religion, gender or creed, are ongoing, and are vivid in all aspect of everyday life in America. Indeed, America is the land of the free.

We lived here for a while, and we are a testament of the positive accolades of this nation. Don't get us wrong, we haven't lost our culture or our heritage.  Most people who come here underestimate the culture shock,  but it doesn't take too long for one realize that things are way different here. Vivid illustrations of wealth, financial stability, and a nail-biting economy, innovation in science and technology continually grow on daily basis.

If you've come here to grow, this is the right lace for you. Believe it and achieve it. The social class is very visible, and the gap between the rich and the middle class as compare to  the less fortunate is wider than expected.  There are the homeless people here, and there are the people who live in milk and honey. By now you are asking yourself whether you've made the right choice to come to this great nation. Take it easy on yourself, yes you have. You made the right choice, so have many across the world.

Your migration has given you access to infinite opportunities to succeed, and live a better life. Considering the fact that you left your country of birth to come to the States, we hope your ultimate goal is to be successful  law-abidingly. It's important to stress this aspect of keeping a clean sheet- this guarantees how far you will go in your quest for greener pastures.

Believe that you can. You might have been shaken by the vicious winter this year, or the slow response to your job applications, or maybe you've become frustrated that your tongue is longer than everyone else, and you get picked on even as an adult. Don't you worry, it's all part of the game of success. It will take a while for you to know what to order when you go to a public place to eat. You will find a way to fit it. A little patience and determination does the trick.

Its also important for you to let go of some of your old ideologies and practices, delete them from your memory, and remember, its the 21st century, and things are done just a little bit different; actually, things are done very differently these days. So take a deep breath, and picture yourself living your dream. The only way to make this possible, it through hard work, commitment, dedication, networking, and keeping a diverse group of friends

Here are some other tips to help you start on your quest to success. Ready? Say a prayer first......

1. Set Reasonable Goals, Aim at Reasonable Expectations
Some people are able to make it based on a certain path they choose, that necessarily mean you can also. Be innovative, be positively creative, and set reasonable goal. Educational goal is your ideal best option. Community colleges a highly resourceful, career development services are available to assist all dedicated individuals who pursue them.

2.  Please, Do not Belittle Yourself
You are worthy, you are royal, and most of all you are human just like everyone else, therefore do your best not to settle for less, if you are middle class from your native country and you migrate here, aim to reach the same socio-economic status. We can understand that you will have to do some odd jobs to get your feet wet, however, reach for the stars, and don't settle for less.

3. Don't Loose the Positive Aspects of Your Culture
If you came from a country that had certain cultural prejudices, leave that behind, and embrace the love of people from all walks of life. For the first time in your life, you will have a major cultural shock, its up to you to enjoy diversity, and thread steady into your new world that you have pursued. Be confident that your cultural identity cannot be deleted, people will love you for who you are, be honest, don't be shy to blend in, don't be shy to teach the people you meet about where you came from, and the beautiful imaginative nostalgic moments you have.

4. Be Determined to Succeed
Pray always and be determined to succeed. Take note of all the wrong routes you take, and make sure not to take them again. Learn from others mistakes, and be certain to utilize resources available to you. Be eager to  succeed on your quest to further education. Even if you had little education, its never too late to hit the restart button.

5. Don't Forget Where You Came From
Your identity cannot be erased. There have been people in your lives who have helped you in your life before you migrated. Don't isolate them, continue to communicate, continue to seek the counsel of great friendships, and keep the chain of family intact in all you endeavors.


Thank you for reading........
Love,
Lilian & Dennis

And even though I've written about you a couple of times, I don't think I will stop ; I soaked these words in honey and nectar, I waited for them to marinate before I fed them to you tonight.

We try so hard to put just pictures, pictures without writing, writing about the love we deeply share, sharing our love has become our new religion, religion we call it, it is more of less like our new addiction, addiction to care and love each other endlessly, endlessly. 

Growing up in Ghana, one of the most common words we heard was "Chale". Everyone was called Chale; during a recent visit to Ghana, kids continue to call each other Chale. It's similar to calling someone "dude" or "homie".  We used is playfully, and in a unique way it was a welcoming term among all Ghanaians. It's interesting now to hear other West Africans use it as well.

The term symbolizes uniformity, and equality in people from all walks of life. Chale means love to us. We call each other Chale all the time. The e has an accent, so its pronounce "Cha-lay" or "Cha-ley, or "Chaa-lay".


We thought of numerous ways to explore and share our cultural diversity background. Finally we do so in an African motivated fashion through a common jargon. The t-shirts are just a niche of a broader fashion/artistic perspective, as time goes on, we will bring out more vivacious, and vibrant African products to shed more insights on the unique, and extraordinary culture.

Enjoy Chalebrand as well as our storefront on  Etsy. 


Thanks for reading........

Love Always,
Lilian & Dennis