Wetting the house...

This weekend I had a little house-warming, or as the Nigerians say we were wetting the house. We were having a volunteer patch meeting in Minna and it seemed like a good opportunity to invite a few extra people!
Here's Kate making dinner and the boys washing up...

Disaster averted...

Some of the things that can go wrong when you have people to stay...
... I had no water for 3 days before the weekend. Was plagued by images of 8 unwashed VSOs sharing a house!
...This morning (Mon) the NEPA (ESB) people came and disconnected my electricity and that of my neighbours. For some reason they picked this month to get thick about regulations that they have ignored for several years (lack of metre, (just) outstanding bills). Mine was reconnected cos I could prove ability to pay, but most of my neighbours werent so lucky

National Sanitation Day...

Sanitation Day is traditionally the last Saturday in each month. If you venture outside before 10am on Sanitation Day you are expected to take part in a clean-up of the local area. I had read about it in the travel guides but never experienced it until Saturday morning. I went off to collect some refreshments before our meeting and met a strangely subdued Minna town. The first okada driver I met refused to take me to town saying that the police were stopping people. Oblivious I carried on! It’s funny – after months of being stared at I didn’t really notice that I was a bit out of place strolling along the relatively empty road until a local suggested that I should really go home!
However I fared better than some others – a colleague who was coming to the CERC for our meeting was taken to the police station and a VSO colleague who travelled from Abuja was not allowed into the city until 10am when Sanitation Day ends. This country continues to surprise!

Visiting the CERC...

Here is Kevin browsing the extensive library collection and Simon practicing his librarian (well stamping) skills. My search for a work counterpart continues I’m afraid…

Being the expert...

A new bunch of VSOs arrived in country last week – it’s really great to have some new faces about the place. One of the volunteers, Rose, came and spent a long weekend with me to learn a bit about her new home. It was a pleasant shock to realise how much I’ve learnt over the past 8 months about the market, about travelling, about the importance of siesta…
That said, Rose is a returning volunteer who has spent 2 years in Malawi so I learned quite a bit too!!

Text of the week...

Infact best text of the last 8 months
"The rashers are cooked"

Oyibo pepe...

Ive been cultivating a Red Indian look to go with my new Indian name - here I am looking a bit colourful (second from left). And no my freckles are not joining up... dammit!

Boomerang waste...

There is no simple waste disposal method here - no remembering to put out the bin on a Tuesday morning - and its a bit of a pain. Since I moved into my house I have been struggling to find a way of getting rid of my rubbish... it just keeps coming back to me.
Effort 1 was to burn it - so I had a little bonfire near the house. Of course I didnt think to seperate my rubbish and so the cardboard box it was in disappeared quickly, but half of the rubbish didnt burn at all - tin cans, plastic bottles etc.
Effort 2 was to bury the ashes/unburnt stuff. Only to get up the next morning and find the dogs next door had dug it up. So I buried it deeper.
Effort 3 was to bag my rubbish and bring it to CERC to be disposed of with their rubbish. The lovely gatemen were great and took it out of my hands as soon as I arrived. Off I went to do some chores and when I returned my bag of rubbish was there waiting for me in the library. They were kindly minding it for me (despite the whiff!). So more explanations - the words rubbish, waste, garbish dont mean much - but eventually we gained an understanding!
I really hope I dont see it again...

On a postive note though, my compost heap is working out great. The initial problem with flies (billions of them!) has been solved by putting leaves/grass on top of whatever fruit/veg peels I put in the bin. And the garden geckos have been very willing to get stuck in and eat their way through my fly problem... its all coming together!

People watching...

I travelled to Kabba in Kogi State this weekend to meet up with some VSOs. A pair of Irish Fathers run a pastoral centre there which has always been a bit of a refuge for VSOs. But as the cliché goes the journey is important too and I had a good ‘un… I didn’t start til ‘late morning’ (8.40am) so I missed the first car to Lokoja and had to wait an hour for the second. I usually wait in the midst of the motor park mayhem (going to Abuja or Kaduna) but as there was no one going to Lokoja (!) I got to sit in a quiet corner and people-watch. So if I’d left early I would have missed…

... the conversation
American? -- No, from Ireland
Amerrricaaan? -- No… from Europe
Ahhhmerrricaaaaaaaan? -- Yes, yes American

…the compliments
“oyibo pepe oyibo pepe”… pepes are the small chilli-like peppers that pack quite a punch – so I’ve chosen to take that as a compliment rather than as “red oyibo”. It’s bloody hot when you travel but if I ever hear “purple oyibo” I’m outta here…

...a new batch of freckles
see above

A different perspective...

I’ve always been a bit cynical about the prevailing attitude to car (& aeroplane) maintenance here – it seems to rely a little too much on prayer for my liking. I tend to prefer mechanical intervention first and foremost. But we suffered a burst tyre on the road to Kabba (it was a rear tyre & we were moving slowly on a bad road so the danger was minimal) but it did dent my smugness a little. Once the shrieking stopped the praising began. Four of the women in the car ran up and down the road singing psalms – it was a combination of genuine relief and gratitude and helps me understand a little better why the passengers set out “covered in the blood of Jesus” (a popular car sticker and pre-journey prayer). That said, I’ll be checking cars a lot more closely now for bald tyres…

A bit of a break...

If you are ever in need of a break and you aren’t quite sure where to go – forget Budget Travel or Trailfinders, don’t bother looking up ads in the paper or going online – just head down to your local motor park. There you can choose from a chorus of place names roared/sung/chanted by conductors with much gusto and enthusiasm. As if the name of the place is mesmerising enough to change any other plans you might have had…

Zaaariiaaaa Zaaariiaaaa Zaaariiaaaa
JOSJOSJOSJOSJOS
Kaduna-one Kaduna-one Kaduna-one
Last chance Abuja last chance Abuja
Kabbakabbakabbakabbakabbahhhhhhhhhhhhhhh

Unfortunately there isn’t any other information apart from the place name but therein lies the adventure…

Kabba...

Finally got to visit Kabba and Hillies Bar (the best Irish bar in Nigeria!) after being acquainted with the legend since I arrived. Had a great time in the very beautiful town of Kabba – it is a lush green tropical place with a relaxed atmosphere and a more forgiving climate. And the company is top class!