Mambo vipi,

I bring you greetings from Kenya, by asking, ‘What’s up?’ in the Swahili language.  So, the first half of the year is coming to a close. It has been mixed feelings across different circles. Our heart goes to those who lost their lives and properties in the inferno of yesterday in London.

Today, I will want to touch on parties typically called ‘Owanbe’, a word postulated by the Late General Robert Adeyinka Adebayo, former Governor of Western Region, Nigeria. Every party has a stipulated budget, which primarily determines the provision to be made for the guests. We all have the good intentions when planning our parties so as not to fail our guests. Let us consider, RSVP in France and in Nigeria.

The French acronym RSVP stands for Répondez s’il vous plaît, meaning “Please respond”. The party planner requires confirmation that the person will honour the invitation. Also, some people use it in the context of “Regrets only” or a popular modern variation that implies, “If you do not reply, that will be taken as an acceptance.”

Interestingly, the comic definition of “RSVP” for Nigerians is “Rice and Stew Very Plenty”. I doff my cap to the person who created this; however, it has negatively impacted planning a party. No one would mention it that he did not respond to ‘RSVP” to confirm availability. Also, people whose names are not listed on the RSVP take offence as if they are not important in the organisation of the party.

What’s the crux of the gist? When an invitation is not responded to, it leads to two basic situations: surplus provision or insufficient provision. Planning an event is as important as receiving confirmation from guests.

Equally, when we take up other cultures, we should integrate them appropriately into our environment so that we can achieve the desired result. Things should be placed in proper perspective if we want results akin to those of the originating culture.

Would you respond rightly to invitations henceforth?

Cheers!

Olutayo