Western traits that will take some time to catch on.

I find it interesting that when you walk up to someone and start up a conversation, be it at a party or official meet, you probably wont know the person's name unless they are introduced by a third party or you read their tag, should they be wearing one.

Its an akward situation most of us find ourselves in more than once every so often. You meet this interesting person and you talk for hours after which you realise you do not know their names or what they do with their lives.

I suspect it is because we have been brought up to suspect everyone who shows the slightest interest in us, especailly when we cannot see them making a positive contribution to ourlives in anyway.

The communal tradition of sharing "riches" also tends to limit one's enthusiasm in declaring to all who listen what field they work in and where. People tend to take this as an invitation to score some shillings off you and in a bid to deflect clearly unwanted request, you play around with providing exact information.

Europens and Americans on the other hand will probably tell you their life history in one go. What their name is in full, where they work, possibly where they live, how much they earn and what their family does/own.

The African in you bulks at this information overload and the shrewder part of you questions how to make a quick shilling off the unsuspection guillible European. It is no wonder that people say women like hanging with Europeans instead of the natives.

If the African would reveal how much he had, you would not be so "underminding" of his spending capacity..... think about it.