Lower Your Gaze, You're In Legon

…….lower your gaze, you are in Legon was exactly the advice I received from a stranger who would later become my friend after he saw me open my mouth wide in utter disbelief with my eyes forcing themselves out of their sockets as I looked at this half naked girl in a dress I thought back then as the shortest and most despicable attire anyone could ever put. I must hasten to add however that, today that dress finds itself 9th and at a threat of languishing at the bottom or losing its place on my top 10 chart of the shortest dresses I have ever seen on Legon campus.

Well was it my fault, a poor boy from Konongo who had gained admission to the premier University where I was told “civilization” was at its pinnacle (where civilization implies ridiculous dressing, facial painting, and human masquerading contest). The least I could do was watch because luckily for me it wasn't a Pay Per view (PPV).

Even though I had my own expectations of the (turbulent) nature of Legon fashion, the thought of seeing dresses shorter than G-string panties never occurred to me, not even in my wildest of imaginations.

As religious as I am I have lost it many times and acted no different from what Lot's wife did some thousand years ago as reported in the Bible. Often I'd tell myself before I step out that hey! Today no turning back!!!!!. Glad the punishment of turning into a statue of salt doesn't apply now, perhaps I'd have been one myself. However I must add that the many times I have been compelled to look back were not motivated by the promiscuous side of me (of course all men are except that most are too afraid to concede) but by the insatiable desire for knowledge (to see clearly to confirm and be convinced that I am not day-dreaming or fantasizing because it is only in such scenarios that I hear people dress like that) and in each single case the reality dawned on me.

Obviously if you know me well, you would understand that even though am not a rich kid, my decision to leave PENT which in my view is the best hall to be in terms of proximity to lectures, was not because I couldn't pay the exorbitant fees or couldn't afford the living conditions over there. Well I am not saying either, that, I left because of the scary and tempting short jeans or the 'near-swimming costume' kind of dressing that characterizes Block C each day around 5pm in the evening, only God knows what kind of bell is rung to get them all assembled there together around that time.

But I always thought however that, my movement to Alex Kwapong Hall would free me from such nightmares and the trouble of always having to sleep alone with my pillow in between my legs each night. But countless times I have been greeted with several degrees of stretch-marks on the thighs of especially fair girls, exposed by the miniskirts they put on. The path that stretches from the night market to Akuafo hall Annex C also sums up the story of this culture of dressing for the traditional halls.

Now they have this transparent silky condom-like stretch of a dress they call “skinny”. Usually they would wear long dresses to cover some “vital statistics”but now, they'd rather wear equally transparent colorful ”ready-to-fight” tops (mostly pink) that barely covers the bellybutton to CLASS.

Hmmm but the irony is, some of them would rather wear jeans trousers to the poolside and at times the beach and wear these half-dresses to churches and classes. The least said about those skinny leggings that take the color of the human skin the better. From afar you are tempted to think they are naked. And if you care to know, they normally compliment it with a push-up Bra and a V-neck top.

It would only take those in the league of the Hindu monks to resist a glance.

Ah well it lays beyond this paper to determine whether these are decent dressing or not, but I can only advice especially my brethren in freshman year (of course those believe it's not right to look and can't stand the temptation) to make good use of my advice.

And lest I forget, in case, just in case I have my gaze on an exposed butt when next you see me, do well to remind me to lower my gaze, because after all am in Legon.

Legon boys abr3 !!!!!!

Karim.

Blog: Undagh.blogspot.com
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Ibrahim Abdul Karim is a student journalist with Radio Univers in the University of Ghana and a member of the University of Ghana Debate Society.