Nigeria! Jaga Jaga!
My father greeted me at the airport when I arrived. As he walked me to the armored Mercedes G Wagon, he explained how Nigeria could easily be second to South Africa as an economic power on the contnent. Yet, the race to get to the top has done so much to hinder the overall progress that could be attained. If only the populace and government could see beyond immediate gratification. Our driver greets us and takes my luggage, we approach our vehicle and the first thing that catches my attention is the AK-47 strapped around the shoulder of a uniformed man leaning on our car. Having hardly been exposed to guns in my life I nearly froze in my tracks as he approached me. My father, not noticing my apprehension looks back and immediately explains that the man was with us and his presence was simply protocol. I broke into a nervous smile, could not take my gaze off of the guard’s eyes and completely did not notice his outstretch hand until I was in the car. I made a note to shake his hand and thanked him as we arrived at the Embassy, if not for repairing any cultural insults but to make sure I was on the good side of the man with the Kalashnikov.
Nigeria. It seems as if every aspect of this country can be found in everyday living. Abuja, the capital seems to be in constant growth, yet repairs seem to be only secondary to it as opposed to an issue that should be just as important as infrastructure growth. Everywhere there are run down buildings next to newly built ones. Chaos and disorder seem to be the constant theme and the heat your constant friend. The loud and bright colors of the country starkly contrast the social backdrop in which they are set. At the beginning of my visit I started using a black and white setting on my camera, which I thought would dramatize my shots effectively, it did quite the opposite, it took away from the feeling of Africa. Colors, loud and bright colors characterize this country, and probably the entire continent, significantly better.
Getting a sense of daily life in Nigeria has been an interesting experience. Seeing how my family operates here has shown me a lot about expatriate life in Nigeria. Constant power outages, the luxury of backup generators, the importance of power surge protectors, the inefficiency of the internet, all of which can be seen as such a huge headache. In retrospect, as my father clearly pointed out, when things break down and you can’t do your work, no one gets on you about it. You can get frustrated, or since there is really nothing you can do about the situation, you go with it and enjoy that small luxury. As opposed to the US where, if something could not get done someone takes responsibility for it.
An example I would like to use to characterize Nigeria properly would be their oil situation. Petroleum is quite affordable here given the fact that Nigeria is one of the top oil producing countries. You would expect steady access to gasoline and no issues regarding shortages. Well, since the downstream process is so inefficient, shortages, long lines, strikes and price volatility are commonplace. I like using the oil situation to characterize the country because Nigeria is a resource rich country, yet they are unable to fully harness its potential.
Driving in Abuja is quite the adventure. Here is a suggestion, when driving in Nigeria; if your car does not have a good horn, you may as well not have an engine. My good friend once commented that drivers in NY City speak with their horns. Well, if that is the case, Honking is a national language here and a life saving necessity. Not only do people pay little attention to lane lines, but in many intersections traffic lights do not work and traffic controllers seem to only work part time. Luckily, on occasion, some lepers needing money have the backbone to stand at a busy intersection and take matters into their own hands. When neither are present it is you and your good friend Mr. Horn! Beep away in short notes and creep your way into oncoming traffic as you dare the left had turn.
Thus far my days in Abuja revolve around golfing, tennis, hanging out with family and pool time. The sun here is more than willing to help out with my quest for a tan. So much so that within two hours of pool time I managed to replicate the tan I had after five days in Mexico.
I had the opportunity to go to a local watering hole and experience Star Beer and Souja (Sue-ya). Star Beer is their domestic blend which is really not all that bad. Souja is a delicious thinly sliced grilled beef served with lettuce, tomatoes, onions and a pile of chili powder served on a small square of newspaper (goes wonderfully with beer). Are you crazy? You are eating street food? Of course I am! The essence of cultures are found in these little dishes. Yes I am alive and no I did not spend the day in the toilet. Then again I must warn you that I spent a significant percent of my life developing immunity to street food e-coli.
The bar we went to can be confused for a small outdoor concrete square in the middle of a ghetto with random plants, plastic tables and chairs. The small colorful light bulbs adorning the small banana trees add a lovely glow to the place. Beers are served only in half liter bottles and “cold” means varying degrees of temperatures to the locals, better to say “VERY cold” when ordering.
There are so many stories I can delve into. This adventure is amazing. Africa is a pretty cool place…if you don’t live here.
Nigeria. It seems as if every aspect of this country can be found in everyday living. Abuja, the capital seems to be in constant growth, yet repairs seem to be only secondary to it as opposed to an issue that should be just as important as infrastructure growth. Everywhere there are run down buildings next to newly built ones. Chaos and disorder seem to be the constant theme and the heat your constant friend. The loud and bright colors of the country starkly contrast the social backdrop in which they are set. At the beginning of my visit I started using a black and white setting on my camera, which I thought would dramatize my shots effectively, it did quite the opposite, it took away from the feeling of Africa. Colors, loud and bright colors characterize this country, and probably the entire continent, significantly better.
Getting a sense of daily life in Nigeria has been an interesting experience. Seeing how my family operates here has shown me a lot about expatriate life in Nigeria. Constant power outages, the luxury of backup generators, the importance of power surge protectors, the inefficiency of the internet, all of which can be seen as such a huge headache. In retrospect, as my father clearly pointed out, when things break down and you can’t do your work, no one gets on you about it. You can get frustrated, or since there is really nothing you can do about the situation, you go with it and enjoy that small luxury. As opposed to the US where, if something could not get done someone takes responsibility for it.
An example I would like to use to characterize Nigeria properly would be their oil situation. Petroleum is quite affordable here given the fact that Nigeria is one of the top oil producing countries. You would expect steady access to gasoline and no issues regarding shortages. Well, since the downstream process is so inefficient, shortages, long lines, strikes and price volatility are commonplace. I like using the oil situation to characterize the country because Nigeria is a resource rich country, yet they are unable to fully harness its potential.
Driving in Abuja is quite the adventure. Here is a suggestion, when driving in Nigeria; if your car does not have a good horn, you may as well not have an engine. My good friend once commented that drivers in NY City speak with their horns. Well, if that is the case, Honking is a national language here and a life saving necessity. Not only do people pay little attention to lane lines, but in many intersections traffic lights do not work and traffic controllers seem to only work part time. Luckily, on occasion, some lepers needing money have the backbone to stand at a busy intersection and take matters into their own hands. When neither are present it is you and your good friend Mr. Horn! Beep away in short notes and creep your way into oncoming traffic as you dare the left had turn.
Thus far my days in Abuja revolve around golfing, tennis, hanging out with family and pool time. The sun here is more than willing to help out with my quest for a tan. So much so that within two hours of pool time I managed to replicate the tan I had after five days in Mexico.
I had the opportunity to go to a local watering hole and experience Star Beer and Souja (Sue-ya). Star Beer is their domestic blend which is really not all that bad. Souja is a delicious thinly sliced grilled beef served with lettuce, tomatoes, onions and a pile of chili powder served on a small square of newspaper (goes wonderfully with beer). Are you crazy? You are eating street food? Of course I am! The essence of cultures are found in these little dishes. Yes I am alive and no I did not spend the day in the toilet. Then again I must warn you that I spent a significant percent of my life developing immunity to street food e-coli.
The bar we went to can be confused for a small outdoor concrete square in the middle of a ghetto with random plants, plastic tables and chairs. The small colorful light bulbs adorning the small banana trees add a lovely glow to the place. Beers are served only in half liter bottles and “cold” means varying degrees of temperatures to the locals, better to say “VERY cold” when ordering.
There are so many stories I can delve into. This adventure is amazing. Africa is a pretty cool place…if you don’t live here.
posted by globetrottin99 at 6:32 PM
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