Q Hi Auntie Pearl, I need your help to deal with this annoying person that works with me. We’re not really close, maar sy gaan net aan met dinge like we are best friends.
We both live in the Plain but here’s the deal, Auntie, she is from up country and never experienced the city, where we now work.
This meisie vannie plaas is now trying to fit in, and so she has started copying what I wear.
She gets the same shoes, the same jerseys, she even copied her haircut from me.
Sometimes we get to work and we have the same stuff on.
It looks ridiculous, like we are a pair of silly teenage BFFs.
En die annoyance stop nie daar nie, Auntie.
She keeps sending me WhatsApps and voice notes outside of work hours.
What must I do, I’m gatvol of this imitation game.
From Mandy.
A Ai toggie, you really do sound proper gatvol of this farm girl’s maniere. But Auntie thinks you should just take a step back for a second and try to see the bright side of all this.
Clearly this meisie is intimidated by city life, and like you say, she is trying to fit in.
Don’t you think it’s a compliment that she has chosen you to be her role model?
Girlie, you are like a celebrity and you have your own fan.
Auntie can understand that it’s annoying if you are not into that, but just look around – if your biggest problem is someone copying your style, you don’t really have much to complain about.
Is it causing any real trouble for you when she wears the same as you? Are there serious consequences? Does it affect your work?
If not, Auntie thinks you should just take a chill pill and not worry about it.
Now this thing where she is trying to force a friendship and contacting you all the time, Auntie can understand that’s a bit arrig.
Just ignore her, she’ll get the message soon enough.
If not, just tell her that you have noticed that she is contacting you a lot, and that it’s a bit too much because you want privacy outside work hours.
There’s no need to be onbeskof, just be calm and honest.
She’ll make other friends soon enough, and then she can message them and steal their fashion.