Women steal show on Sundays in Tamale

March 28
SUNDAYS are very eventful days in the flourishing Tamale metropolis. The day is adorned with feminine beauty and charm. Indeed, almost every lady looks beautiful on Sunday.
There is a popular saying in town that an eligible man should not make the mistake of entering into a relationship with a lady in the metropolis on Sundays, as the lady may not be what she portrays to the outside world in her magnificent outfit.
Apart from weddings and outdoorings another event that has slowly crept into the social life of the youth on Sundays is what is termed “pass out” ceremonies for apprentice seamstresses and hairdressers. This is because hardly does a Sunday pass without a ceremony of the sort.
Contrary to the belief that Tamale is dominated by Muslims, there is also a large population of Christians who flock to the various churches in their Sunday best, adding more colour and elegance to the day that officially marks the beginning of a new week.
The ladies are spotted in their best intricate and fittingly sewn kaba cloths with immaculate intertwined headgear and beautifully designed footwear to match.
They appear in different sizes, shapes and colour: Slim, fat, tall, short and medium. Some wear their natural chocolate or ebony black complexion while the majority of them prefer to bleach their skins to the marrow in spite of its resultant health hazards, just to look alluring to attract men’s attention.
Some of the girls, who cannot afford but are also eager to impress end up borrowing cloths and shoes from friends and relatives.
They, most of the times, attend those events uninvited. Some invitees also end up at the ceremonies with a friend or more.
According to a 21 year-old hairdresser, Abibata Iddrisu, ‘‘such occasions are meant for merry making and socialisation, therefore, I don’t see anything wrong in attending them with friends and acquaintances.’’
The latest craze among ladies in the metropolis is motorbikes. The Asian made motorbikes are called various names such as: ‘‘Mapuka,’’ ‘‘Thank you darling,’’ and ‘‘feminine power’’
Some girls go to the extent of hiring the motorbike for GH¢10 Ghana a day (Sunday) just to carry their friends round the metropolis in style to attract attention.
According to one trader at the Tamale Central Market, Ms Abibata Iddrisu, ‘‘I hired the motor on two occasions and frankly speaking it facilitated my movement to a number of ceremonies without which I could not have honoured those invitations.’’
She further explained that ‘‘I do not see anything wrong with the practice, after all, I cannot afford the price of the motor that sells between four to six hundred Ghana cedis. In any case, other people take ‘droppings’ in taxis, what do you say about that?’’