Hey everyone! How's it going? I hope you all are fine and life is going well. It's almost unreal that the first month of 2008 is almost over - already! Gosh time catches up with us pretty quickly doesn't it? Imagine that the end of this new year is already 11 months away. I'd better start cracking on those goals I set for this year right away.
I'm back in the UK now, and it feels good to be back with hubby! I actually came back last week, but I had been too lazy to blog until now. Nig was crazy, I can't believe I was there for almost four months! I had many up and down moments. Some days I would just shake my head in amazement at some of the things I observed. There were days I was almost pulling my hair out in frustration with the system, but I had fun on most other days. It was cool to meet family and friends and a few blog pals too. I spent the last week shuttling everywhere trying to hook up with people I still hadn't managed to see, buying some more books and getting my hair done. It's good to be back here, but I kinda miss Lagos and all its craziness. I miss the weather and the food too, some things just don't taste the same over here. On the other hand, it feels good to go to bed without worrying about mosquitoes and the sound of generators droning in my head!
I haven't been up to much since I got back. Hubby has been teasing me that I am now a Nig girl, I need to re-learn how to behave in the UK. I've spent the last week catching up with hubby, and my sisters and friends. I've browsed my favourite websites, caught up with some of my favourite blogs, reacquianted myself to the English accent and seeing white faces everywhere and I'm getting used to wearing many layers of clothing before I go out again. Hubby moved house while I was away, so he had to show me round when I got back. I've also got to meet the new neighbours. It's all fun though.
I got one interesting email last week. It was from my former boss in the company where I used to work before I quit. My manager said that the girl that took over my position in the company is pregnant and wants to go on maternity leave so if I'm free, would I consider taking my job back? I can't say I'm not tempted because I'm quite skint at the moment after my trip to the motherland. And since it's a company and a job that I'm familiar with, I shouldn't have a problem with getting into the flow of things again, I only left the job seven months ago. Legally they have to keep the position open in case the girl wants to come back after having her baby, so they want me to come back initially for six months and we can take it from there. Besides it works both ways, if I come back, my manager won't have to recruit and train another person. I'm thinking about it because I wanted to focus on my writing this year and have something tangible to show for it pretty soon, so taking my job back will hinder me a bit. On the other hand, it may actually make me more focused since I would have to make the best use of my time when I'm not at work. But am I ready for the 9 - 5 and the stress of commuting again? Hmmmm.... I'll keep you posted.
Anyway it's good to be back in blogville. Many thanks to everyone who dropped by my blog while I was away and updating infrequently. I should blog more often now, I think. I'm burying my head in some works of literature by Nigerian writers so hopefully I'll be getting lots of inspiration. I wish you all a wonderful week.
Showing posts with label Lagos. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Lagos. Show all posts
Tuesday, January 29, 2008
Friday, January 11, 2008
New Year Update
Happy 2008 to everyone! Yeah I know it's 10 days late, but who's counting? The important thing is that I'm wishing everyone a very happy, peaceful and fulfilling year. I had a great time over the holiday period and I've been having a great time since the year began. It's only been 10 days but I already have testimonies! God is good for real.
Last Saturday, I went to the Bloggers Party and had a great time. Initially I wasn't sure if I would go, but Writefreak said she and her hubby would be there so I decided to tag along with them. The party was held in a nice bar on the island, but it was quite chilled out as in, everyone could sit down and talk to the next person without shouting. When we got there we met Tayo (playing host), Princesa, Manda, Obi and an anonymous bloke. We introduced ourselves, ordered our drinks and had a nice time chatting and getting to know the people behind the blogs we read online. Soon we were joined by UnNaked, Omohemi Benson, Dscribe and her sister, Babs (of Babs House), Fantasy queen, Omo Alagbede, Tope, Jaycee and two other bloggers that I didn't get to meet. Everyone was really nice and friendly, we all got on very well and the conversation flowed smoothly. We were all rather surprised to discover that UnNaked is actually a very shy person! I was pleased to meet Omohemi and Jaycee because I love their blogs, so it wasn't surprising that I felt as if we were old friends meeting again, not strangers. I got to chat with Dscribe and her friends and we got into a very interesting discussion on relationships. I can't remember the conclusion of the gist now, but it was fun while it lasted. Then we asked her to produce her album quickly so that we can have an album launch and another bloggers get-together! As the winner of 2007's Blogville Idols, she has to do something, don't you think?
I stayed for a few hours, chatted to a few more people and posed for all the flashing cameras. Babs, the nice gentleman agreed to give some of us ladies a lift so I hopped off when he was ready to leave. I was hoping I could meet Overwhelmed but she arrived much later after we had left. Still it was nice meeting everyone there and I hope we can get to do this again sometime. Many thanks to Tayo and Tope for hosting and organising the event. Maybe the London bloggers want to plan a party? I'll be there!
The very next day I attended the engagement ceremony of a high school friend, which was very interesting too. The bride looked absolutely lovely dressed in her aso-oke and everything and you could see that they were both excited to be taking this next step in their relationship. I met some old school pals there and we had fun, dancing in with the bride, taking photographs and all that. People in Nigeria know how to have parties. I was telling my friend that those are the things that keep us from going crazy during the stresses of the week.
I'm making plans to return to the UK now and one of the things I've done is to buy 11 albums of the coolest Nigerian artistes right now. I got Sasha's album and I must say I enjoyed it a lot more than I thought I would! Big props to her, if she continues this way then we would have an international female rap star on our shores. Then I also got Asa's album recently and I was blown away. She's got such an amazing voice, her songs are deceptively simple but they stay with you long after you've finished listening to them. I'll be watching out for her because I think she's got a wonderful gift that you can't help recognising. I've also bought "Plan B", the new Plantation Boys album and a few others that I've been hearing about but haven't had a chance to buy.
I still need to stock up on a few more books and Nollywood movies however. You know a trip to the motherland is not complete until you bring back indomie noodles and nollywood movies! The problem is, there are so many to choose from, it's not even funny. You just have to do a lottery when picking, some will be good, some will be average and some will be silly. But we still love Nollywood.
I hope I can blog again before I leave but if I can't, do stay blessed until I come back again and have a great weekend.
Last Saturday, I went to the Bloggers Party and had a great time. Initially I wasn't sure if I would go, but Writefreak said she and her hubby would be there so I decided to tag along with them. The party was held in a nice bar on the island, but it was quite chilled out as in, everyone could sit down and talk to the next person without shouting. When we got there we met Tayo (playing host), Princesa, Manda, Obi and an anonymous bloke. We introduced ourselves, ordered our drinks and had a nice time chatting and getting to know the people behind the blogs we read online. Soon we were joined by UnNaked, Omohemi Benson, Dscribe and her sister, Babs (of Babs House), Fantasy queen, Omo Alagbede, Tope, Jaycee and two other bloggers that I didn't get to meet. Everyone was really nice and friendly, we all got on very well and the conversation flowed smoothly. We were all rather surprised to discover that UnNaked is actually a very shy person! I was pleased to meet Omohemi and Jaycee because I love their blogs, so it wasn't surprising that I felt as if we were old friends meeting again, not strangers. I got to chat with Dscribe and her friends and we got into a very interesting discussion on relationships. I can't remember the conclusion of the gist now, but it was fun while it lasted. Then we asked her to produce her album quickly so that we can have an album launch and another bloggers get-together! As the winner of 2007's Blogville Idols, she has to do something, don't you think?
I stayed for a few hours, chatted to a few more people and posed for all the flashing cameras. Babs, the nice gentleman agreed to give some of us ladies a lift so I hopped off when he was ready to leave. I was hoping I could meet Overwhelmed but she arrived much later after we had left. Still it was nice meeting everyone there and I hope we can get to do this again sometime. Many thanks to Tayo and Tope for hosting and organising the event. Maybe the London bloggers want to plan a party? I'll be there!
The very next day I attended the engagement ceremony of a high school friend, which was very interesting too. The bride looked absolutely lovely dressed in her aso-oke and everything and you could see that they were both excited to be taking this next step in their relationship. I met some old school pals there and we had fun, dancing in with the bride, taking photographs and all that. People in Nigeria know how to have parties. I was telling my friend that those are the things that keep us from going crazy during the stresses of the week.
I'm making plans to return to the UK now and one of the things I've done is to buy 11 albums of the coolest Nigerian artistes right now. I got Sasha's album and I must say I enjoyed it a lot more than I thought I would! Big props to her, if she continues this way then we would have an international female rap star on our shores. Then I also got Asa's album recently and I was blown away. She's got such an amazing voice, her songs are deceptively simple but they stay with you long after you've finished listening to them. I'll be watching out for her because I think she's got a wonderful gift that you can't help recognising. I've also bought "Plan B", the new Plantation Boys album and a few others that I've been hearing about but haven't had a chance to buy.
I still need to stock up on a few more books and Nollywood movies however. You know a trip to the motherland is not complete until you bring back indomie noodles and nollywood movies! The problem is, there are so many to choose from, it's not even funny. You just have to do a lottery when picking, some will be good, some will be average and some will be silly. But we still love Nollywood.
I hope I can blog again before I leave but if I can't, do stay blessed until I come back again and have a great weekend.
Monday, December 31, 2007
End of 2007
Happy New Year in advance to all the bloggers and readers out there! I hope you had a lovely time at Christmas and you are looking forward to a lot of good things in 2008. It’s my last post in 2007 and I pray that the New Year will be a year of peace, joy and fulfilment for us all. Amen.
I had been unable to blog for a long while because I've been so busy running up and down. And then I came down with a bout of malaria the week before Christmas. It was horrible being ill during that week because I missed out on so many fun events happening around me including a wedding of two of my very good friends.
I had planned to write a completely different post, but in a moment of reflection this morning, I started thinking about the past year. So 2007 has drawn to a close, it proves again how quickly time flies. This year I had many ups and down moments in many aspects of my life. There were times when I felt so close to God and I could feel His love surrounding me on every side. And then there were times that I felt that God was very far away or He was ignoring me. I had times of happiness, hope and peace, and there were also times of utter despair and discouragement. But through it all, God remains faithful. And it is during the frustrating and difficult times that I have grown, and moved up to a higher level in my faith and journey with God.
Still, I have many things to be thankful to God for in 2007. I’m thankful for life, health, my mum’s life, my wonderful hubby, my new career, my family and in-laws, my friends, my experiences and my many answered prayers.
At the beginning of the year I had plans of how I wanted things to turn out but some things have turned out very differently. In some aspects, the course of my life has changed completely. In many ways, I have grown and I’m grateful for that. I feel like I’m in my purpose now and I can move forward confidently, knowing that I’m going in the right direction.
I’m sure that most people have goals, ambitions, aspirations and targets for 2008. I have mine too, some in my spiritual life, some in my career, some in my personal life. I’m realising though that some things are up to me, while some others are totally out of my control. But I’m promising myself that I will do all that I can to achieve the goals I want, and leave the ones I can’t control to God.
Okay enough of my sober reflections; I hope you are all having fun during this festive season. In Nigeria, it is full-on wedding season. I’ve lost count of the number of invitations I’ve received in the last two months, as in they are just too many. Last week, a friend of mine had six weddings in one day and she had to attend all of them. There are several other events happening too, my friends have been dragging me to high school reunions, engagements, house warming parties, cinema trips, concerts etc. I’ve been having a great time though so I’m not complaining. I went for the Sound City Blast Party just before Christmas and I enjoyed myself so much. There is talk of a blogger party happening early in the new year too. I’ll try to attend that because I want to meet some of my favourite bloggers.
I'm still trying to decide if I should go for a watch-night service tonight to usher in the new year, or I should just have a long conversation with God in my room. (It's funny, recently the way I approach prayer changed: it's not a religious ceremony, it's more like a conversation going on in my mind with my Father. It's fun, you should try it!). Whatever you decide to do, I hope you step into 2008 in peace and joy. I know it's going to be a great year!!
Happy Year 2008!!
I had been unable to blog for a long while because I've been so busy running up and down. And then I came down with a bout of malaria the week before Christmas. It was horrible being ill during that week because I missed out on so many fun events happening around me including a wedding of two of my very good friends.
I had planned to write a completely different post, but in a moment of reflection this morning, I started thinking about the past year. So 2007 has drawn to a close, it proves again how quickly time flies. This year I had many ups and down moments in many aspects of my life. There were times when I felt so close to God and I could feel His love surrounding me on every side. And then there were times that I felt that God was very far away or He was ignoring me. I had times of happiness, hope and peace, and there were also times of utter despair and discouragement. But through it all, God remains faithful. And it is during the frustrating and difficult times that I have grown, and moved up to a higher level in my faith and journey with God.
Still, I have many things to be thankful to God for in 2007. I’m thankful for life, health, my mum’s life, my wonderful hubby, my new career, my family and in-laws, my friends, my experiences and my many answered prayers.
At the beginning of the year I had plans of how I wanted things to turn out but some things have turned out very differently. In some aspects, the course of my life has changed completely. In many ways, I have grown and I’m grateful for that. I feel like I’m in my purpose now and I can move forward confidently, knowing that I’m going in the right direction.
I’m sure that most people have goals, ambitions, aspirations and targets for 2008. I have mine too, some in my spiritual life, some in my career, some in my personal life. I’m realising though that some things are up to me, while some others are totally out of my control. But I’m promising myself that I will do all that I can to achieve the goals I want, and leave the ones I can’t control to God.
Okay enough of my sober reflections; I hope you are all having fun during this festive season. In Nigeria, it is full-on wedding season. I’ve lost count of the number of invitations I’ve received in the last two months, as in they are just too many. Last week, a friend of mine had six weddings in one day and she had to attend all of them. There are several other events happening too, my friends have been dragging me to high school reunions, engagements, house warming parties, cinema trips, concerts etc. I’ve been having a great time though so I’m not complaining. I went for the Sound City Blast Party just before Christmas and I enjoyed myself so much. There is talk of a blogger party happening early in the new year too. I’ll try to attend that because I want to meet some of my favourite bloggers.
I'm still trying to decide if I should go for a watch-night service tonight to usher in the new year, or I should just have a long conversation with God in my room. (It's funny, recently the way I approach prayer changed: it's not a religious ceremony, it's more like a conversation going on in my mind with my Father. It's fun, you should try it!). Whatever you decide to do, I hope you step into 2008 in peace and joy. I know it's going to be a great year!!
Happy Year 2008!!
Saturday, December 1, 2007
Nigerian Police, Other Stuff
I’m still blogging from the Motherland and I’ve got things to say. So much has happened since my last post. I wish I was carrying a video recorder around, so that I could have a video diary of my experiences daily. It would be interesting to watch it over and over again.
I've been stocking up and reading lots of books by contemporary Nigerian writers. I went into a bookshop the other day and I was really pleased to see a huge shelf dedicated solely to Nigerian authors, mostly newly published ones. I bought seven books and I've already read three books and I'm on the fourth one. Seems like I can't get enough of them. And it's good because they really do inspire me. I've got my eye on a few more and I hope I can get them before I leave. Speaking of writing, I've come to respect people who do creative work in Nigeria. I appreciate that it is not easy for any profession, but it is especially hard for anyone to stick to a career in Writing, Music or Arts. In the pressure to survive by all means, the first thing that goes out of the window is creativity and desire to follow your passion. What if that passion does not guarantee a regular income like other jobs? Best thing is to bury that talent and look for something else to do. So great kudos to those people who are sticking with their passion, irrespective of the economic situation of the country.
Nigerian Police
Last week, I was thinking: it's been great to be in Nigeria for seven weeks without encountering police trouble. Seems like I spoke too soon, because the very next day, we got stopped by the rogues wearing police uniform. My aunt and I had gone out with the driver and we were returning home when we were stopped by four policemen at a check point. I asked them what was wrong and they said we had passed a one-way street. A one-way street! Several other cars were going before us and after us, but they didn’t disturb those ones, they decided to disturb us. They asked us to park and they started asking us questions: Did we not know this was a one-way street? No we didn’t. Did we not see the sign? Which sign? Where? Are we aware of the punishment for breaking traffic laws in Lagos State? No we are not.
With great glee, one of them explained to us: “For breaking the law, we will take you to the police station where we will give you a fine of 25,000 naira, we will impound the car, and we will require the driver to take a mental health test. He will have to bring the test results to us and confirm that he is fine before we release him. After that, we will wait six months, and you would have to pay another 15,000 naira before the car will be released to us.”
I could not believe what I was hearing. My aunt was trying to explain that we really did not know the street was now a one-way, when one of the policemen pulled open the passenger side of the car and jumped in. Then he said he would pardon our offence and let us go free if we give him and his colleagues 15,000 naira!! In essence he was saying, give us a 15,000 bribe here and now and we’ll let you go, or follow us to the station and face the penalty. Well I wasn’t about to give anybody 15,000 naira for nothing. My aunt started begging the policemen while I sat in the car fuming. We were in this deadlock for almost thirty minutes, the policemen issuing threats and my aunt trying to plead with them. ? Eventually my aunt had to pay them off with a third of the amount they asked for, so that they could release us to go on our way. I was so angry and sad. What kind of society do we live in when people who are supposed to be the ones upholding the law are the thieves and extortionists, harassing decent citizens? What will it take for the Nigerian police force to do their job and stop abusing their powers? Is this how corrupt our society is? God help us.
Mum’s Progress
On to other stuff. My mum is back home now, she came back early last week. I’m really glad with the progress she has made. I went with her for her medical check-up when she arrived and her doctor said she is recovering well. She just needs to practice some gentle exercises and have lots of rest and soon, she’ll be as good as new. I’m still keeping an eye on her though, so that she doesn’t stress herself unnecessarily. It is a tough environment to survive in.
The Experience
I attended the Experience concert yesterday and it was a real experience. My friends and I decided to get there early so as to get a good space, but by the time we got there, it was so crowded! It was a struggle getting into the main arena itself and then it was a scramble to get chairs to sit on. But it was all worth it in the end. We enjoyed the music and the acts that came to perform all night. I particularly loved Don Moen, Cece Winans, Tye Tribett, Mike Aremu and Bishop TD Jakes. There were three other acts I don’t remember, probably because I had to sit down at some point to catch my breath! I met a few old friends there, some I could only wave to amongst the crowd, and some I could actually get close to, close enough to chat briefly. We were there from 7pm till about 5am. I had fun although I was really grateful when I got to my bed this morning!
Let me round up my ramblings at this point. I hope everyone is having a great weekend. Hope to be able to blog again soon!
I've been stocking up and reading lots of books by contemporary Nigerian writers. I went into a bookshop the other day and I was really pleased to see a huge shelf dedicated solely to Nigerian authors, mostly newly published ones. I bought seven books and I've already read three books and I'm on the fourth one. Seems like I can't get enough of them. And it's good because they really do inspire me. I've got my eye on a few more and I hope I can get them before I leave. Speaking of writing, I've come to respect people who do creative work in Nigeria. I appreciate that it is not easy for any profession, but it is especially hard for anyone to stick to a career in Writing, Music or Arts. In the pressure to survive by all means, the first thing that goes out of the window is creativity and desire to follow your passion. What if that passion does not guarantee a regular income like other jobs? Best thing is to bury that talent and look for something else to do. So great kudos to those people who are sticking with their passion, irrespective of the economic situation of the country.
Nigerian Police
Last week, I was thinking: it's been great to be in Nigeria for seven weeks without encountering police trouble. Seems like I spoke too soon, because the very next day, we got stopped by the rogues wearing police uniform. My aunt and I had gone out with the driver and we were returning home when we were stopped by four policemen at a check point. I asked them what was wrong and they said we had passed a one-way street. A one-way street! Several other cars were going before us and after us, but they didn’t disturb those ones, they decided to disturb us. They asked us to park and they started asking us questions: Did we not know this was a one-way street? No we didn’t. Did we not see the sign? Which sign? Where? Are we aware of the punishment for breaking traffic laws in Lagos State? No we are not.
With great glee, one of them explained to us: “For breaking the law, we will take you to the police station where we will give you a fine of 25,000 naira, we will impound the car, and we will require the driver to take a mental health test. He will have to bring the test results to us and confirm that he is fine before we release him. After that, we will wait six months, and you would have to pay another 15,000 naira before the car will be released to us.”
I could not believe what I was hearing. My aunt was trying to explain that we really did not know the street was now a one-way, when one of the policemen pulled open the passenger side of the car and jumped in. Then he said he would pardon our offence and let us go free if we give him and his colleagues 15,000 naira!! In essence he was saying, give us a 15,000 bribe here and now and we’ll let you go, or follow us to the station and face the penalty. Well I wasn’t about to give anybody 15,000 naira for nothing. My aunt started begging the policemen while I sat in the car fuming. We were in this deadlock for almost thirty minutes, the policemen issuing threats and my aunt trying to plead with them. ? Eventually my aunt had to pay them off with a third of the amount they asked for, so that they could release us to go on our way. I was so angry and sad. What kind of society do we live in when people who are supposed to be the ones upholding the law are the thieves and extortionists, harassing decent citizens? What will it take for the Nigerian police force to do their job and stop abusing their powers? Is this how corrupt our society is? God help us.
Mum’s Progress
On to other stuff. My mum is back home now, she came back early last week. I’m really glad with the progress she has made. I went with her for her medical check-up when she arrived and her doctor said she is recovering well. She just needs to practice some gentle exercises and have lots of rest and soon, she’ll be as good as new. I’m still keeping an eye on her though, so that she doesn’t stress herself unnecessarily. It is a tough environment to survive in.
The Experience
I attended the Experience concert yesterday and it was a real experience. My friends and I decided to get there early so as to get a good space, but by the time we got there, it was so crowded! It was a struggle getting into the main arena itself and then it was a scramble to get chairs to sit on. But it was all worth it in the end. We enjoyed the music and the acts that came to perform all night. I particularly loved Don Moen, Cece Winans, Tye Tribett, Mike Aremu and Bishop TD Jakes. There were three other acts I don’t remember, probably because I had to sit down at some point to catch my breath! I met a few old friends there, some I could only wave to amongst the crowd, and some I could actually get close to, close enough to chat briefly. We were there from 7pm till about 5am. I had fun although I was really grateful when I got to my bed this morning!
Let me round up my ramblings at this point. I hope everyone is having a great weekend. Hope to be able to blog again soon!
Thursday, November 15, 2007
Funeral and Churches
I finally get to blog again, thank God. I have been very busy in the last few weeks; I’ve hardly had the chance to pause for a moment to gather my thoughts and blog about stuff. Hubby was around for a bit, and I was so happy to see him! I had missed him badly. The first thing he said when I went to pick him up at the airport was: “You’ve now got a tan!” which I though was quite amusing. Apparently I have acquired a tan while sitting in the heavy Lagos traffic. I had lots of fun while he was around and it was a bit strange because both of us had never been in Nigeria together until now. He’s gone back now, but I still have things to do so I’m still in Nigeria.
Then my grandma’s funeral was last week. I went to Ibadan where all the events were taking place. I spent the whole week running around getting things done at the last minute. Thank God in the end, everything went well. We all got a bit emotional during the church service and when we were at the cemetery. And it is hard to think that someone who was alive two months ago, is now gone. But life must go on. It makes me stop to think though. What is the real meaning of this life? If you consult the writer of Ecclesiastes, mostly he says that everything is meaningless. That is, without God, everything is meaningless and fleeting. That is something to reflect on.
I'm back in Lagos now and I’m still absorbing some of the funny things I see in Nigeria on a daily basis. Something that has struck me since I’ve been around is the number of churches there are. On almost every street, there is a church, sometimes even two or three! Churches and fellowships have sprung up in the most unlikely places, including old warehouses, a disused sports field, a Sweet Sensation restaurant, several uncompleted buildings, and the house next door. Then, there are also countless billboards, posters and flyers on the roads advertising this or that prayer meeting, healing service, special programme, revival, seminar, etc. I don’t know what to make of it. Is it that Nigerians are now far more religious than before? If that is true, then why does it not reflect in our mentality, character and attitudes? Or perhaps is it that churches are now big money-making businesses, selling prayers and numbing the minds of people with lots of motivational speaking? I’ll throw that question open to the public.
Now I personally have no grudges against churches. After all, I’m a Christian too. But I had it up to the neck two weeks ago and had to go and have a word with the church next door. This church is right next door to the house I’m staying, and they are quite annoying. Or perhaps I should say they are VERY annoying. Every single day of the week, at all hours of the day, they have a meeting or an event. And they make so much noise! They go on and on for hours with their annoyingly loud PA system, disturbing the neighbourhood. Imagine how much noise they make when we have to shout to hear ourselves in our own house. Everybody in the street complains about them, but nobody had ever done anything about it. I had joined in the grumbling for some time, but one day it was the last straw. Early in the morning, around 5.00 am one Friday, they started singing and clapping, abruptly disturbing my sleep and waking up the whole neighbourhood. I was soooo angry because I had a headache and it was as if their noise was right inside my head. I couldn’t sleep another wink so I had to listen to their noise until 9.00am. Finally the person bellowing into the microphone shut up and I was finally able to have some peace. The rest of my day was going well until 8pm when they started preparing to have a night vigil! Everybody in the house started complaining and hissing. After an hour I couldn’t bear the noise any longer. I could not imagine going to sleep with that racket right beside my window so I decided to pop down to the church to ask them if they could turn down their microphone.
You would not believe what happened next. I stepped into the church and a man sprang up from his seat. While I was still trying to explain why I was there, he said that I had committed an abomination by wearing trousers in the house of God! I had gone there with the intention of making a polite request but when I heard that statement, I became livid. What? I told him he should not tell me such rubbish, and anyway I hadn’t come to join their service, I just wanted some peace and quiet next door. The guy then said I should go and drink Phensic and fall asleep. I was like “What?!” The next thing I knew, I was surrounded by people. Some were saying that I had no respect for the house of God. Somebody asked me if I didn’t know their time table as they had a vigil every month. Another person said that I might end up in an early grave if I was not careful. I talked back to all of them. We stood arguing outside the church for almost 30 minutes because I was not going to take such rubbish talk from anybody- usher or not. Eventually one of the elders came out to find out the cause of the disturbance and I told him all what had happened and he agreed to turn the volume of their PA system down. I’m not proud of what I did, but I thought it was about time the church knew that their neighbours are not made of wood. They can’t just be making so much noise because they are the “house of God”. Besides aren't Christians supposed to love their neighbours?
Well I have some errands to run, so I've got to go off in a minute. I just want to say many thanks to those nice people that sent me an email, you know who you are. God bless you!
Then my grandma’s funeral was last week. I went to Ibadan where all the events were taking place. I spent the whole week running around getting things done at the last minute. Thank God in the end, everything went well. We all got a bit emotional during the church service and when we were at the cemetery. And it is hard to think that someone who was alive two months ago, is now gone. But life must go on. It makes me stop to think though. What is the real meaning of this life? If you consult the writer of Ecclesiastes, mostly he says that everything is meaningless. That is, without God, everything is meaningless and fleeting. That is something to reflect on.
I'm back in Lagos now and I’m still absorbing some of the funny things I see in Nigeria on a daily basis. Something that has struck me since I’ve been around is the number of churches there are. On almost every street, there is a church, sometimes even two or three! Churches and fellowships have sprung up in the most unlikely places, including old warehouses, a disused sports field, a Sweet Sensation restaurant, several uncompleted buildings, and the house next door. Then, there are also countless billboards, posters and flyers on the roads advertising this or that prayer meeting, healing service, special programme, revival, seminar, etc. I don’t know what to make of it. Is it that Nigerians are now far more religious than before? If that is true, then why does it not reflect in our mentality, character and attitudes? Or perhaps is it that churches are now big money-making businesses, selling prayers and numbing the minds of people with lots of motivational speaking? I’ll throw that question open to the public.
Now I personally have no grudges against churches. After all, I’m a Christian too. But I had it up to the neck two weeks ago and had to go and have a word with the church next door. This church is right next door to the house I’m staying, and they are quite annoying. Or perhaps I should say they are VERY annoying. Every single day of the week, at all hours of the day, they have a meeting or an event. And they make so much noise! They go on and on for hours with their annoyingly loud PA system, disturbing the neighbourhood. Imagine how much noise they make when we have to shout to hear ourselves in our own house. Everybody in the street complains about them, but nobody had ever done anything about it. I had joined in the grumbling for some time, but one day it was the last straw. Early in the morning, around 5.00 am one Friday, they started singing and clapping, abruptly disturbing my sleep and waking up the whole neighbourhood. I was soooo angry because I had a headache and it was as if their noise was right inside my head. I couldn’t sleep another wink so I had to listen to their noise until 9.00am. Finally the person bellowing into the microphone shut up and I was finally able to have some peace. The rest of my day was going well until 8pm when they started preparing to have a night vigil! Everybody in the house started complaining and hissing. After an hour I couldn’t bear the noise any longer. I could not imagine going to sleep with that racket right beside my window so I decided to pop down to the church to ask them if they could turn down their microphone.
You would not believe what happened next. I stepped into the church and a man sprang up from his seat. While I was still trying to explain why I was there, he said that I had committed an abomination by wearing trousers in the house of God! I had gone there with the intention of making a polite request but when I heard that statement, I became livid. What? I told him he should not tell me such rubbish, and anyway I hadn’t come to join their service, I just wanted some peace and quiet next door. The guy then said I should go and drink Phensic and fall asleep. I was like “What?!” The next thing I knew, I was surrounded by people. Some were saying that I had no respect for the house of God. Somebody asked me if I didn’t know their time table as they had a vigil every month. Another person said that I might end up in an early grave if I was not careful. I talked back to all of them. We stood arguing outside the church for almost 30 minutes because I was not going to take such rubbish talk from anybody- usher or not. Eventually one of the elders came out to find out the cause of the disturbance and I told him all what had happened and he agreed to turn the volume of their PA system down. I’m not proud of what I did, but I thought it was about time the church knew that their neighbours are not made of wood. They can’t just be making so much noise because they are the “house of God”. Besides aren't Christians supposed to love their neighbours?
Well I have some errands to run, so I've got to go off in a minute. I just want to say many thanks to those nice people that sent me an email, you know who you are. God bless you!
Wednesday, October 24, 2007
Update and Adjustments
Many thanks to everyone who left me a comment on my previous post. Sorry I can’t reply to everyone individually! Apologies for the long delay in updating my blog. I have been unable to blog for a while since I got to Nigeria. I had to leave rather quickly, so I didn’t have time to leave an ‘explanatory’ post. I have been in Lagos since the first of October, readjusting to the stressful and hectic pace of life. Internet access where I am at the moment is a bit sketchy, so I have been unable to come online as frequently as I would have liked. Plus I don’t really want to blog from other people’s computers, it just doesn’t feel right.
My trip was quite cool; I had been dreading it due to the horror stories I hear from friends and family who travel to Lagos. Everything was fine, from checking in, departure, to take off, to landing, going through baggage pick up and meeting my family at the airport. That is, until we left the arrival terminal and some guys tried to extort some money from my dad at MMA, over a parking space at 6.30 in the morning! I just shook my head when my dad said “Well that’s your rude welcome back to Nigeria”.
After a day here, I’ve realised that I’m addicted to the internet! I’ve been experiencing withdrawal symptoms from my emails, blogspot, facebook and a host of other websites that I visit regularly. Practically all of my communication with friends is done online, most of my social life is organised online and any information I need to find is googled and found straightaway. Not being able to come online often here is sooo boring. LOL.
I went to an internet café the other day and I nearly cried with frustration. I spent three hours and still did not achieve anything tangible. The connection was sooooo slow, it was unbelieveable. It was as if every page took twenty minutes to load. Since then I’ve been pestering my family to renew their home internet subscription.
I’ve been here for almost three weeks now and I have mixed feelings. Since I’ve been back, I’ve met my in-laws, many of whom I hadn’t met before. I’ve also hooked up with some of my old friends and met a blog pal – Writefreak! That was a lot of fun. We found out that we have so much in common; we were talking for ages for so long that we lost track of time. We’ll definitely meet up again before I leave. I’m missing my hubby though – we haven’t been apart for this long before, although we talk on the phone everyday.
It’s been fun readjusting to Nigeria and all the things it represents. When I met up with Writefreak the other day, I made us go to Tantalisers because I really wanted to eat those snacks that I had missed for so long! I’m sure some people in there thought I was a complete bush girl, getting excited over meatpies, donuts and scotch-eggs, lol. I went with my sister-in-law and her husband to C-Royal to have some nostalgic treats. I’ve also been going to all the newer places I had been hearing of but I hadn’t seen. I went to see a movie with a friend at the Silverbird Galleria, went to Shoprite and some other places on the island. Lots of things in Lagos have changed.
Some things in Nigeria haven’t changed one bit though. When I first arrived, I thought everywhere looked strange and then it all gradually began to feel a bit familiar – the erratic power supply, the appalling state of the roads, news and allegations of financial scandals in government, the mosquitoes, terrible traffic and general lawlessness on Lagos roads, police extorting money from road users, terrible customer service, etc. Yep, some things haven’t changed.
At the moment, I’m helping my dad with my grandma’s burial arrangements, and I’ve offered to write a short tribute to her. In the next few weeks, things will start to come together. Hopefully it will all go very well.
I’m looking forward to hubby’s arrival very soon and meeting some more of my friends, when they have finished forming “busy busy” for me. I hope I’ll be able to blog again soon sha, if I can wade through the protocols to get to the internet café, LOL. Until then, stay blessed!
My trip was quite cool; I had been dreading it due to the horror stories I hear from friends and family who travel to Lagos. Everything was fine, from checking in, departure, to take off, to landing, going through baggage pick up and meeting my family at the airport. That is, until we left the arrival terminal and some guys tried to extort some money from my dad at MMA, over a parking space at 6.30 in the morning! I just shook my head when my dad said “Well that’s your rude welcome back to Nigeria”.
After a day here, I’ve realised that I’m addicted to the internet! I’ve been experiencing withdrawal symptoms from my emails, blogspot, facebook and a host of other websites that I visit regularly. Practically all of my communication with friends is done online, most of my social life is organised online and any information I need to find is googled and found straightaway. Not being able to come online often here is sooo boring. LOL.
I went to an internet café the other day and I nearly cried with frustration. I spent three hours and still did not achieve anything tangible. The connection was sooooo slow, it was unbelieveable. It was as if every page took twenty minutes to load. Since then I’ve been pestering my family to renew their home internet subscription.
I’ve been here for almost three weeks now and I have mixed feelings. Since I’ve been back, I’ve met my in-laws, many of whom I hadn’t met before. I’ve also hooked up with some of my old friends and met a blog pal – Writefreak! That was a lot of fun. We found out that we have so much in common; we were talking for ages for so long that we lost track of time. We’ll definitely meet up again before I leave. I’m missing my hubby though – we haven’t been apart for this long before, although we talk on the phone everyday.
It’s been fun readjusting to Nigeria and all the things it represents. When I met up with Writefreak the other day, I made us go to Tantalisers because I really wanted to eat those snacks that I had missed for so long! I’m sure some people in there thought I was a complete bush girl, getting excited over meatpies, donuts and scotch-eggs, lol. I went with my sister-in-law and her husband to C-Royal to have some nostalgic treats. I’ve also been going to all the newer places I had been hearing of but I hadn’t seen. I went to see a movie with a friend at the Silverbird Galleria, went to Shoprite and some other places on the island. Lots of things in Lagos have changed.
Some things in Nigeria haven’t changed one bit though. When I first arrived, I thought everywhere looked strange and then it all gradually began to feel a bit familiar – the erratic power supply, the appalling state of the roads, news and allegations of financial scandals in government, the mosquitoes, terrible traffic and general lawlessness on Lagos roads, police extorting money from road users, terrible customer service, etc. Yep, some things haven’t changed.
At the moment, I’m helping my dad with my grandma’s burial arrangements, and I’ve offered to write a short tribute to her. In the next few weeks, things will start to come together. Hopefully it will all go very well.
I’m looking forward to hubby’s arrival very soon and meeting some more of my friends, when they have finished forming “busy busy” for me. I hope I’ll be able to blog again soon sha, if I can wade through the protocols to get to the internet café, LOL. Until then, stay blessed!
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