tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-47361887392868838342024-03-13T20:28:18.901+00:00Kasia in AbujaKasiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01827909478397575270noreply@blogger.comBlogger56125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4736188739286883834.post-79077128207286924792012-02-21T19:43:00.000+00:002012-02-21T19:43:11.900+00:00The Next Adventure<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">So in theory I should be in Abuja right now and for various reasons I’m not, I’m actually in Thailand. In a short while I’ll be in Vietnam and then in various other locations in SE Asia. I had a lovely few weeks at home where for all of five minutes I enjoyed being cold then I dreamed of being warm again. I missed the heat, like REALLY REALLY missed the heat.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In my time back at home shivering and dreaming of being warm again a number of my friends and family said very nice things to me about this blog (I didn’t pay them I promise) and asked if I would carry on with it whilst I was having my jaunt around SE Asia and then later in the year when I head off to New Zealand. So the result is that I decided to start a new blog dedicated to recording the ramblings of my travels rather than continue my VSO blog and muddle the two. If you wish to follow said ramblings you can do so </span><a href="http://kasiaonhertravels.blogspot.com/"><span style="color: purple; font-family: Calibri;">here</span></a><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> link also at the side somewhere over there -----></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Finally I just wanted to say thanks to everyone who has followed this blog and for all of the lovely comments both posted on the blog and received in person. VSO didn’t pan out quite like I imagined but I am so grateful for having had the chance to do it and for having the experience that I did because it taught me so much. That’s enough cheese for now. </span></div>Kasiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01827909478397575270noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4736188739286883834.post-60995894877816491642012-01-12T14:12:00.002+00:002013-06-13T12:06:30.980+01:00Home again<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Well I’ve been home for almost a week now and I’ve already forgotten how lovely it feels when you walk outside and the sunshine hits your skin. I am so over being cold already! Rain was interesting though, having not seen any in over two months it was rather novel to go outside and find myself getting wet from this stuff that was falling from the sky above. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">The journey home itself is all a bit of a blur now, I left in such a hurry not knowing when I was going to be flying then suddenly late on the Wednesday afternoon finding out I was flying out of Abuja on the Friday morning. The one thing I will probably <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">always</i> remember about coming out of Abuja airport is having my umbrella confiscated. There are a ridiculous number of security checks you have go through at Abuja airport, I lost count of them all but the weirdest is having you and your hand luggage searched in the departure lounge. I had various (carefully wrapped) things pulled out of my hand luggage and each time I was told I should’ve checked this into my hold luggage. So I stated that their rules and regulations said nothing about not being able to take this kind of thing in your hand luggage and how could I possibly put it into in my hold baggage now as surely it was already on the plane? After managing to successfully keep hold of numerous items I was getting to the come on you’re taking the piss stage now, so when they asked me ‘What’s this?’ holding up my umbrella and I told them it was indeed an umbrella, I was not actually that surprised when I was told I wouldn’t be allowed to keep it. Why not? Well because it’s a potential weapon of course. We’re not talking great big golf umbrella with a metal spike on the end but a teeny tiny fold up light weight brolly. Anyway I gave up at that point told them fine, keep the umbrella and as I was walking away to repack my bag one of the other searchers tried to call me back because I’d forgotten something, so I told him I wasn’t allowed to keep my umbrella because it was a weapon and he looked at me like I was barking mad. I think I could’ve done more damage with my laptop but maybe they’d heard about the ‘Whitley Bay Umbrella Incident’ (just ask my mum).</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Thankfully no more drama and although somewhat late I made it out of Abuja and back to Heathrow without further confiscations of potential weapons. It seemed to take ages to get out of the airport but my mum was waiting with a new umbrella (I’d text her the tale in departures!) and we were soon on the road home. I found it VERY odd that the other drivers were a) not constantly honking their horns, b) following the rules of the road by keeping to the lanes and such like and c) that none of the cars had cracked windscreens or multiple dints in them and generally looked roadworthy.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">It has been a lovely few days since I’ve been back, seeing the family and catching up with friends. I’ve loved the small things like water straight from the tap, hot showers and just how brilliant my own bed is. I have revelled in my anonymity, it’s so nice not to be stared at everywhere you go and to enjoy the peace (!) of the passing traffic when out walking because you aren’t constantly being beeped at, but I have found things a bit bewildering as well I’m sure that will soon pass. I’m off to the supermarket with my mum shortly, I haven’t been in one yet since I’ve been back it was weird enough going to the shopping centre and having so much choice but I’m not sure how I’ll react faced with 8 different types of everything, I might make her buy one of each just because we can. I’d best put a few layers on though it looks bloody freezing out there!</span></div>
Kasiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01827909478397575270noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4736188739286883834.post-40347048153650724932012-01-03T21:31:00.000+00:002013-06-13T12:02:52.920+01:00The obligatory things I will/won’t miss post…<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Things I will miss about Nigeria….</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";"> </span></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Undoubtedly the sunshine, whilst I’m pining for some cold at the moment I know I’m going to miss the blue skies, sunshine and feeling warm.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";"> </span></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">How happy people seem to be here. There’s plenty for people not to be happy about (and plenty they can be) but there is a general sense of happiness people have, even people with nothing and that is something we just don’t have, Nigeria is reportedly the happiest place on earth.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";"> </span></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">That feeling of joy when you experience the weird and wonderful that this country has to offer, even just driving along the roads and taking in all the sights that are so different to home.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";"> </span></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Buying my veg from the Hausa dudes behind the fence at the bottom of our road. They always give you loads and there’s usually an exciting surprise in the bag like a massive bunch of green leaf (a bit like spinach) or free green beans. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";"> </span></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Eddy Vics and of course Tiny Man (or his preferred/actual name Banaman). BRILLIANT live music venue where much fun has been had. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";"> </span></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">The British Village and its lovely pool, friendly staff and patrons, many, many, many lounging and sport watching opportunities and of course the chance to eat some home style food!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";"> </span></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">The vibrancy of Nigerian ladies clothing, even though my visit to the tailor was an epic fail I have loved seeing all the beautiful fabrics and fabulous outfits that they wear, maybe that’s part of why they’re so happy, they have happy clothes!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";"> </span></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">The greetings, everyone is very polite here and just about everyone greets you wherever you go, good morning/afternoon/evening, how was your night? My favourite is well done (when they see you working or generally doing something) as it always gives you a little boost.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";"> </span></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">The DVD dudes by the farmers market, whole TV series for less than a £1, brilliant.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";"> </span></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">That it has made me a braver person, a little bit more the longer I’m here.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";"> </span></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">The Nigeria Diet, man it’s been good for me! Want to lose weight without even trying? Move to Nigeria.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";"> </span></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">That it has given me and continues to give me a good perspective on things. I already appreciate everything I have back at home sooooooooo much more than I used to, I have realised just how important my family and friends are to me. It’s not that I didn’t know that before but I think living in a different culture where you crave people who know you makes you appreciate them even more. Living here has really made me realise just how lucky I have been in life and when I think on the things that I used to complain about before I feel a bit like going back in time and giving myself a good talking to. I just hope that this has changed me for good and I don’t forget how I feel about things right now.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";"> </span></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Getting the chance to visit places like the Kaduna Demonstration School for Deaf Children (see blog post for that one).</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";"> </span></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Going to buy minerals (soft drinks) from the lovely lady in the community that live in a big sort of compound just next to our flats. It makes you feel like you’ve stepped out of Abuja and into real Nigeria. We only discovered you could just go in and buy stuff a few weeks back which is a shame, there’s also a lady selling fried yam and akara (the fried bean cake things) which is rather brilliant.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";"> </span></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">The cultural diversity, trying to learn (and failing dismally) hausa and pidgin. Well I can understand pidgin I just can’t seem to speak it. And as for hausa well I know that everything is generally ‘lafia’ when doing the greetings and I can say See you later and How is work? Thank you and well that’s about it which is pretty rubbish. But I’ve enjoyed hearing it and trying to learn even if I was pretty pap at it.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";"> </span></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Teaching Sue my Canadian housemate ‘British’. It was mostly accidental i.e. I’d say something and she would question it by asking if I was being British again. She now proudly uses ‘faffing about’, ‘plonker’, ‘jesus wept’, ‘dogsbody’ (although I think that was from a book or on a film or something), ‘brilliant’ and ‘having a brew’ amongst others. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";"> </span></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">The varied and many mobile shops or hawkers as they are known. Granted they can be annoying when you are stopped in traffic and you’ve said no to at least ten of them already but it’s always interesting to see what’s for sale and you never know when you’re wondering down the street if you just might really be in need of some bananas, groundnuts or a mop.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";"> </span></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Linked to above the enterprising spirit of people here. OK so for most of them it’s driven by a need to feed themselves and their families because there is no choice. I have such admiration for people who find a way to make money, whether it’s selling things by the side of a busy road, raking through trash to find things that can be sold for recycling, making food to sell on the street or the kids who push wheelbarrows around at the market hoping to carry your goods for some small change. It makes our layabout chavs seem even more worthless to me. I’d love to ship them all here and see how they coped when the benefits were taken away only that would be an unnecessary blight on Nigeria.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";"> </span></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Having meetings in unusual places like under a mango tree.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";"> </span></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">The fact that having a meeting under a mango tree was not considered unusual.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";"> </span></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Being outside so much, for example there are outdoor beer gardens everywhere in Abuja, even when it’s rainy season it’s not cold you just need to go under the canopy for the duration of the shower. The same at the British Village and sitting ‘outside’ but under the shade roof type thing to escape the heat. I find myself feeling cooped up when I’m indoors, my first winter (wherever that may be) is going to be fun!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";"> </span></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">The wind picking up just before a really good downpour. In the rainy season it was always a relief from the heat when the rains came and some of those storms were damned impressive.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";"> </span></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Going out here, in the sense that no one cares what you’re wearing or what you look like or how you dance. It’s all about having a good time and it’s soooooooo liberating. Random strangers will dance with each other men included just because they are enjoying themselves and they want to dance. The first couple of times I went out in Nigeria I felt really self-conscious dancing because boy these people can move, but now I couldn’t give a monkeys and I just go for it. So much so on New Year’s Eve (or day as it was at that point) when the singer of the club we were in pulled me out of the audience to dance with him up on stage I didn’t even hesitate and I properly went for it. OK so there wasn’t a huge crowd at this point in time, but let me tell you that the dancers on stage were AMAZING and there was a dancing family who frankly should be on Nigeria’s Got Talent (if such a thing exists). I knew I would look like a numpty but I just didn’t care because I also knew they would enjoy the fact I was up there giving it some and enjoying myself. If the same thing had happened back home, I would’ve dug my heels in and refused to go for fear of the judgement. Sad I know but that’s just how it is.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";"> </span></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Squirt, I’ve become very attached to the little demon cat who it turns out is actually a girl. She has entertained us all very much in the flat. She is in fact sat on my leg watching me type now and I will miss her very much indeed.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";"> </span></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">The randomness of Nigerian telly, you never know what you’re going to get and you never know if half way through it might just randomly cut off into something else. A strange thing to miss I know but it always added an element of excitement. That’s not to say I won’t appreciate a bit of scheduling when I get home, you’ve got to love digital telly - it does exist here by the way just not for the likes of us poor VSOs.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";"> </span></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Nigerian music, some of it is a little questionable but a lot of it I LOVE, I confess I didn’t at first but I’m coming home with a fair few naija tracks to keep me remembering those happy nights of dancing like nobody is watching (other than a crowd of happy Nigerians who couldn’t give a monkeys what you look like).</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Things I won’t miss about Nigeria…</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";"> </span></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">The beeping of the taxis and traffic in general. If I didn’t respond the first time what makes you think I will the 3<sup>rd</sup>, 4<sup>th</sup>, or 5<sup>th</sup> time?</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";"> </span></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">The craziness of the traffic here, that feeling that every time you get into a car you might not live to tell tale, no exaggeration. Rules of the road? I’m sorry don’t be so stupid (or British).</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";"> </span></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Having to barter for just about everything. I can’t wait until the price of something is just what it appears to be. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";"> </span></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">People assuming because I’m white I’m rich and therefore game to be ripped off. I don’t know how many conversations I’ve had along the lines ‘Yes I might be an Oyibo but I’m a volunteer…..’ I even had one taxi driver accuse me of hiding my car, apparently this is common behaviour for us, I asked him why I would be putting myself through the pain of getting a taxi where I have to argue over the price (and the car might actually fall to pieces at any given moment) if I had a car with a driver. He still thought I was hiding my car.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";"> </span></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Not being able to fill a glass straight from the tap and having to boil and then filter your drinking water. Effort!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";"> </span></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Hand washing everything in a bucket, I never realised quite how much I would miss my washing machine. Noisy spin cycle interrupting my TV viewing all is forgiven.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";"> </span></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Men using pretty much anywhere and everywhere as a toilet, it’s properly grim having to walk past someone with their own special kind of water feature on just about every street you walk along but I actually think some of Nigeria’s males might be interested the poop-a-scoop concept. Sense of decency anyone? No apparently not. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";"> </span></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Not having a constant water supply, the power being erratic I could live with but having to fill huge water containers so that you had enough to use for washing and cooking when the water was off was a major pain and then having to use said water for the likes of flushing and washing was also not that fun. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";"> </span></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Being hit on constantly because you can supposedly provide a visa to pastures new. Really, <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">really</b> annoying. Also everyone wanting to be your friend after having literally just met you and asking things like, Can I stay with you when it’s the Olympics? Or I’m coming to your place next month I can stay with you yes? Er no random stranger you can’t. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";"> </span></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Slightly linked to the above, random people demanding that you give your number and not understanding why you might not want to. It seems to be fairly normal practice here to just give your number out to any old person. The couple of times I have made that mistake I have then been constantly harassed and received phone calls day and night.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";"> </span></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Not being able to pay bills by direct debit or over the phone and having to physically go to the NEPA building or go to the mobile phone place to top up my modem. Who knew I would miss such a thing from home, we really have no idea just how easy our lives have become! Annoying automated telephone system, I think not. Press 1 for the easy life.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";"> </span></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">That sense of being out of place. Ok so I’m only going to be home for a few weeks before I’m off again but even so I’m going to make the most of being anonymous, of knowing how things are/work and of just feeling comfortable in my surroundings. I’m not sure how it will actually feel to walk down the street and not have anyone stare at you or call Oyibo. Bliss I imagine.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";"> </span></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Big Oga Syndrome. Oh boy do the men here have it bad, it’s like if you’re the big man (Oga) you must get respect and yikes the consequences if you don’t. We witnessed one man go and get a police officer because a barman had dared to move his carrier bag to a different table so he could seat some other people next to each other. It was frankly ridiculous but his ego had been bruised so the police must be called in!?!??!!? GET OVER YOURSELF. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";"> </span></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Ants. The little buggers are EVERYWHERE. You clean the kitchen and walk out of the room, five minutes later it’s crawling again. I’m sure I’ve ingested a fair few in the last six months; I just told myself it was extra protein.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";"> </span></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Corruption. I admit the reputation Nigeria has is probably worse than it deserves but it still exists in so many forms and it is so frustrating. From the roadside ‘checks’ where money is frequently handed over to police for no reason whatsoever, all the way up to government where money set aside for education and other programs somehow never ends up where it’s supposed to. This country could be great, it <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">should</i> be great. I’ve met and worked with some brilliant, passionate and driven people but I can’t help feeling like that is all for nothing unless there is some massive fundamental change at the heart of Nigeria. Mr Goodluck, well good luck.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">I’m sure that there are plenty of things I have forgotten about, but then if I have forgotten them they can’t really be that annoying or noteworthy can they?</span></div>
Kasiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01827909478397575270noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4736188739286883834.post-43260321821698728352011-12-31T11:02:00.002+00:002013-06-13T11:02:36.955+01:00Tis the season to be jolly<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Well it’s supposed to be the season to be jolly and all that other Christmas related stuff but frankly it has felt anything other than Christmassy this December. It’s not for a want of people being lovely and sending Christmas things from home (thanks mum and Rachel and those of you that tried to send snow even though it’s potentially hazardous!) and I even had a lovely Christmas Day with some friends I met at the British Village but it just didn’t <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">feel</i> like Christmas this year. Was it because it was too hot? There was a major lack of family of friends to celebrate with? The decorations were weird/non-existent? There was no Christmas music on repeat driving you bonkers? There was no crazy busy high street to do battle with? There was no Christmas works do to go to and get totally trashed at? Or all of the above? I have to admit it has been nice not to have the <em>stress</em> of Christmas to deal with but I actually missed Christmas more than I thought, even the music on repeat, I mean where’s Noddy Holder when you need him?</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Here in Nigeria they are obviously either not interested at all or big on the religious side of things. Bizarrely at midnight there were loads of fireworks going off just like there is at home for new years and everyone was stood outside watching, even the kids. Makes it hard for Father Christmas to come and deliver the presents I suspect and probably scares the reindeer, poor things.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">It was incredibly sad to wake up on Christmas Day to news of more bombings in Nigeria, the people here are finding it increasingly hard to understand why this is happening and the tensions seem to be rising. Security is increasing around the city, but what can police in cars do against determined terrorists with explosives? </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">The increased risk of living here makes me feel more relieved that in just a few days I will be returning home. It is not the reason that I have decided to come home early, my family and friends will already be aware of my reasons and of my impending return but I have to be honest and say I probably will feel more at ease once I’ve touched down at Heathrow. It’s not that I walk around in a constant state of fear, but there are the reminders that there is a very real threat, roadblocks, cars being searched in the city near important buildings and now churches, police and army vehicles outside the National Mosque. Armoured vehicles and armed men are a sight that I’ve just got used to. As I sit here on New Year’s Eve reflecting on what 2011 has brought for me in terms of lessons and changes to my life and thinking about what now lies ahead in 2012 I can’t help but wonder about what lies ahead for Nigeria, sadly I think it will be in the world news next year more frequently than it has been this year.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">That seems like a very gloomy note to leave this blog post on, so I will finish by wishing everyone a Happy New Year, I hope that 2012 is good to you all.</span></div>
Kasiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01827909478397575270noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4736188739286883834.post-86295720547834176212011-12-16T11:35:00.003+00:002011-12-16T11:37:04.349+00:00Nigerians behind the lens<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">A rather amazing set of photos I found on the BBC website today</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-16053483"><span style="color: purple; font-family: Calibri;">http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-16053483</span></a><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></div>Kasiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01827909478397575270noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4736188739286883834.post-5406601340836359432011-12-16T11:34:00.000+00:002013-06-13T10:59:43.063+01:00A very happy visit to the Kaduna Demonstration School for Deaf Children<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">On Tuesday of this week I found myself on the way to Kaduna, a city about three hours north of Abuja. I was visiting a school for Deaf Children carrying out a needs analysis for a placement on behalf of VSO before a new volunteer is due to arrive in February next year. I had been asked to do the visit by the Education Program Manager as the placement was very similar to mine and quite different to the normal placements in the Education Program area. A great way to utilise volunteers in country if you ask me.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">To say that I enjoyed the day is somewhat of an understatement. The school was amazing, the principal Victoria was so motivated and inspiring and meeting those children in that environment was really lovely. I haven’t seen such happy and hardworking children since I’ve been here, the teachers were brilliant, it was all about child centred learning and you could see how much it has impacted these very lucky children. They were proud of their work, they wanted to show it to me and ask me if they were doing it right. Their work was on the walls along with affirmations and posters, it was a lovely environment for them to learn in. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">The school however is run as a charity and it desperately needs funds to keep running and to become self-sustaining, hence a volunteer is now going to be placed there to help with fundraising. I can’t deny I was jealous of this new volunteer, theirs will be such a rewarding placement, getting to work in the school and learn sign language (I managed to learn good morning, how are you and thank you) so that you can communicate properly with the children and directly see the impact that your efforts are having in helping to keep the school running. Without this school these children would have nowhere to go, there isn’t the provision for disability like there is back home and it’s not taken into consideration in mainstream education meaning children like this are excluded. Here they can enter the school at nursery age where they can learn sign language so they can communicate from an early age and get an education like any other child. They even offer signing lessons to the parents at weekends so that they are able to communicate with their children. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">I can only sum up by saying I loved, loved, loved my day there and that I wish all the schools here could implement teaching and learning like this.</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgG-j1GQc7sZMw3nnbrozC4TzBEKpYJCP_XAcEWXsZVguOw2gDUptdpTai5s3iCadJnIU33gtum8ylH1ZHwhIWZQhFfINxI7gxw_YU0G9YfbcAtC3IW-7U9pd-hByFU-DctjXw43KKagqY6/s1600/Kaduna+DSDC+002.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" oda="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgG-j1GQc7sZMw3nnbrozC4TzBEKpYJCP_XAcEWXsZVguOw2gDUptdpTai5s3iCadJnIU33gtum8ylH1ZHwhIWZQhFfINxI7gxw_YU0G9YfbcAtC3IW-7U9pd-hByFU-DctjXw43KKagqY6/s320/Kaduna+DSDC+002.jpg" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Nursery 1: Half the class work the teacher</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Whilst the other half read, then they swap!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjqq6KtdoXbxe960CaeWb4OHO_b6ZKFT7d56E1y8IKOBDUm3NgNLsN9j9rDICWxECJRnkx7MiFPmapYBLtTrflK5GxGbKJT0DrU0UMMhdRiqvUs6PN1YYxWUhxiZ6JPHwf45MHJuE-mbmJ/s1600/Kaduna+DSDC+006.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" oda="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjqq6KtdoXbxe960CaeWb4OHO_b6ZKFT7d56E1y8IKOBDUm3NgNLsN9j9rDICWxECJRnkx7MiFPmapYBLtTrflK5GxGbKJT0DrU0UMMhdRiqvUs6PN1YYxWUhxiZ6JPHwf45MHJuE-mbmJ/s320/Kaduna+DSDC+006.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Nursery 3: Half of the class doing some writing work</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Some maths in the Primary classes</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjR8IWzbaDrBcjMmbborcXAIn67Z0pn05GrHCRP2tO5STrkNd83JCsrNcdGLMfBk7OpaJAcVJPUM0Bp5heXcW1Hw-mpTx0FDc7h4QtNYvRUVza96P_PgtBEFNn63R3xtAvdooGiLLTNZdD5/s1600/Kaduna+DSDC+011.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" oda="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjR8IWzbaDrBcjMmbborcXAIn67Z0pn05GrHCRP2tO5STrkNd83JCsrNcdGLMfBk7OpaJAcVJPUM0Bp5heXcW1Hw-mpTx0FDc7h4QtNYvRUVza96P_PgtBEFNn63R3xtAvdooGiLLTNZdD5/s320/Kaduna+DSDC+011.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Here the teacher was asking the children to demonstrate different types of movement, they took it in turns to have a go.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEju644cFE3CVSer9QrXQ9Nf68vgBVg-E8MPlb1c2OCH3RYVsMeGQlS_YFvSpP549SjlxtaTV7mAClOf6ZD76aZwvzxto7xwWJYh_qJ103CjyHiTPmhq7at9Pbu9wR_DyqeB7TyjIy9CDGLz/s1600/Kaduna+DSDC+018.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" oda="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEju644cFE3CVSer9QrXQ9Nf68vgBVg-E8MPlb1c2OCH3RYVsMeGQlS_YFvSpP549SjlxtaTV7mAClOf6ZD76aZwvzxto7xwWJYh_qJ103CjyHiTPmhq7at9Pbu9wR_DyqeB7TyjIy9CDGLz/s320/Kaduna+DSDC+018.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A science lesson in Junior Secondary</td></tr>
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Kasiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01827909478397575270noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4736188739286883834.post-63603066386682590192011-12-12T08:57:00.002+00:002013-06-13T11:05:45.656+01:00The alarming incident of the cockroach in the night time<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Cockroaches have made an appearance my blog before, in a slightly bizarre was I losing my mind in having a conversation with one fashion. This time I was not having a conversation with a cockroach, I was being rudely awoken by one on a night where I was not getting much sleep anyway. Normally my fan is on at night (power allowing)</span><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> and as such I probably sleep on blissfully unaware of the beasties that prowl around in the dark but because it’s cold at night due to harmattan at the moment my fan is off so you can hear every little noise.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Anyway there I was finally drifting off to sleep somewhere around 4am when a nasty scuttling noise brought me back round like a flash, then it got a bit closer to my bed, then it sounded like it was actually in my bed!? No surely not, but I was sat up in a panic with my reading light in hand when I realised that a roach was climbing up my mosquito net, I made a funny sort of a ‘meeehhh’ noise and tried to bat it off from the inside with said light. Hardy little buggers though aren’t they and he took a few bashes before he fell between the bed and the wall and quick as a flash (or a Kash) I was out of the netting the other side and reaching for the can of raid. My lungs may not have thanked me but I was ever so relieved when he came to a sort of half dead stop, just close enough to the edge of the bed for me scoop it up with a hastily devised cockroach scooping device (Notebook and old plastic bowl for catching leaks in rainy season). Not bad for four in the morning eh? </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">I don’t think I have ever been so pleased for my mosquito net, apart from maybe that first night in Calabar. After disposing of the interloper I obsessively checked to make sure the net was tucked in very securely just in case there were any more lurking around waiting for me to turn the light off before striking and got myself back into bed. Weirdly I managed to sleep. Maybe it was the high concentration of Raid in the room?</span></div>
Kasiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01827909478397575270noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4736188739286883834.post-4296687607212304722011-12-03T09:44:00.002+00:002013-06-13T11:51:54.235+01:00Harmattan<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Something very strange happened last night, so strange that for a brief moment I thought I had somehow been transported back home. I was cold, not just a little bit chilly but properly cold. We had gone out to meet some other VSOs for a drink and were sat in an outside bar called ‘Circle Gardens’ in Maitama. There we were enjoying our drinks (shockingly in my case a sprite) and it was like being at home in the summer when you’re in a beer garden on an evening and the sun has long since disappeared and you really should go inside the pub because everyone is shivering but damn it you're British and this is summer so you suffer on. It’s the first time since leaving home that I’ve been properly cold, even with air con in the office.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">There is an explanation for the cold which is that currently we are experiencing the </span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harmattan"><span style="color: purple; font-family: Calibri;">Harmattan</span></a><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> a wind from the Sahara that means it’s hot in the day but cools down quite a bit at night. I should point out however that it was probably still in the mid-twenties temperature wise so not exactly freezing . I’m going to actually FREEZE in January and I can’t wait!</span></div>
Kasiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01827909478397575270noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4736188739286883834.post-26449049666779408482011-11-27T14:22:00.000+00:002013-06-13T11:49:58.011+01:00Abuja Carnival<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">This weekend it was the annual Abuja carnival, the bradt guidebook tells us that this has been an annual event since 2005 but that there is little information to inform people about the events and that this might get better with time. No, no it hasn’t. The information online told us that the parade started at 7am and the opening ceremony at 4pm. We (rightly) suspected the 7am start time to be false and so after seeking some guidance from a friend as to where we might watch the parade turned up around 12.30 to find it still hadn’t started. It didn’t actually reach us for another couple of hours but had probably set off from its start point around 1ish. Apparently they were still putting their costumes on at 12.30.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">I feel I should actually have titled this post 'The day Sam (my housemate) had the words ‘Please come and snap me’ written on her forehead'. It became very amusing for the rest of us but less so for her as she was repeatedly asked if she would be snapped with various random strangers and members of the carnival as the day wore on. We almost got roped into the carnival at one point quite early on, we were looking for some minerals (drinks) to cool us down as it was on the bloomin hot side of hot and we ended up in a random car park buying our drinks where we were approached by the staff of a lone carnival float promoting the Igbo Youth Movement. They wanted us to wear t-shirts and have photos taken with them, I managed to duck out of this and stay behind the camera but I present Sam looking very ‘happy’ about getting involved. </span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-DIb8V6Oduy8/TtI6t7mlc7I/AAAAAAAAA_k/0KLgXzLYhbs/s1600/Abuja+November+018.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" hda="true" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-DIb8V6Oduy8/TtI6t7mlc7I/AAAAAAAAA_k/0KLgXzLYhbs/s320/Abuja+November+018.jpg" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sam hoping someone else will get involved</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-IZmu3BT9784/TtI6rXL616I/AAAAAAAAA_U/2C5T1Fo6X5A/s1600/Abuja+November+019.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" hda="true" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-IZmu3BT9784/TtI6rXL616I/AAAAAAAAA_U/2C5T1Fo6X5A/s320/Abuja+November+019.jpg" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Looking thrilled to be a member of the team</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-osLexZPS6Yc/TtI6wty0plI/AAAAAAAAA_s/2hDqHDWK4qg/s1600/Abuja+November+022.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" hda="true" height="213" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-osLexZPS6Yc/TtI6wty0plI/AAAAAAAAA_s/2hDqHDWK4qg/s320/Abuja+November+022.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">They managed to recruit Jenny as well</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">After managing to avoid being put on the back of the float as they waited for the carnival to arrive so they could join in with the parade we found some shade to sit in and wait for the parade to come to us. Bless them, by the time they did get to us they had walked for some time (still had a fair distance to go it turns out) in the blazing sunshine in some of the most weird and wonderful outfits I’ve seen. Most of them were still giving it some to the Naija beats but you could also spot the ones who had clearly lost the will to shake it like a goodun a couple of miles back, either way much respect due to don some of those costumes in that heat deserves an A for effort anyway. </span></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-eTiioiqw2xo/TtI6xHHjzaI/AAAAAAAAA_w/7-xvAVAxkv0/s1600/Abuja+November+024.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" hda="true" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-eTiioiqw2xo/TtI6xHHjzaI/AAAAAAAAA_w/7-xvAVAxkv0/s320/Abuja+November+024.jpg" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We think it was a drum</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-e7HEUYifDXk/TtI7ON81UgI/AAAAAAAABAc/2vu9ugZZtjQ/s1600/Abuja+November+028.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" hda="true" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-e7HEUYifDXk/TtI7ON81UgI/AAAAAAAABAc/2vu9ugZZtjQ/s320/Abuja+November+028.jpg" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Still going strong</td></tr>
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<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-h94hvuVKOPM/TtI7bfBaeWI/AAAAAAAABBA/yAJ7eBM7d5A/s1600/Abuja+November+032.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" hda="true" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-h94hvuVKOPM/TtI7bfBaeWI/AAAAAAAABBA/yAJ7eBM7d5A/s320/Abuja+November+032.jpg" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Best bum wiggler of the day</td></tr>
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<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ZuTXqb9oRO8/TtI7eSdi1GI/AAAAAAAABBM/V0PK2424rpE/s1600/Abuja+November+036.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" hda="true" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ZuTXqb9oRO8/TtI7eSdi1GI/AAAAAAAABBM/V0PK2424rpE/s320/Abuja+November+036.jpg" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I'm not sure what to say about this</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-EXcSicJyniQ/TtI7m4uAfUI/AAAAAAAABBs/gAukQ8P4G2I/s1600/Abuja+November+039.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" hda="true" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-EXcSicJyniQ/TtI7m4uAfUI/AAAAAAAABBs/gAukQ8P4G2I/s320/Abuja+November+039.jpg" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">or this...</td></tr>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-V-d0gtTwBl4/TtI7vhK4ITI/AAAAAAAABCM/6aHgkKe9BqM/s1600/Abuja+November+043.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" hda="true" height="213" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-V-d0gtTwBl4/TtI7vhK4ITI/AAAAAAAABCM/6aHgkKe9BqM/s320/Abuja+November+043.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Portable drums</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-L1HVySaDjOs/TtI7wgDv3CI/AAAAAAAABCY/w-MCJlWyQPg/s1600/Abuja+November+044.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" hda="true" height="213" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-L1HVySaDjOs/TtI7wgDv3CI/AAAAAAAABCY/w-MCJlWyQPg/s320/Abuja+November+044.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Some fatigue showing</td></tr>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Mz03RPKzm8g/TtI7_4SeJvI/AAAAAAAABCk/qf-UfV4EEeo/s1600/Abuja+November+048.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" hda="true" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Mz03RPKzm8g/TtI7_4SeJvI/AAAAAAAABCk/qf-UfV4EEeo/s320/Abuja+November+048.jpg" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We're not sure Bauchi state have giraffes</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-BEKdVvAi4Uo/TtI8EmIkd4I/AAAAAAAABC8/XWYO-mD_mIQ/s1600/Abuja+November+051.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" hda="true" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-BEKdVvAi4Uo/TtI8EmIkd4I/AAAAAAAABC8/XWYO-mD_mIQ/s320/Abuja+November+051.jpg" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">What's that approaching?</td></tr>
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<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-T9rdSQp9mfI/TtI8HXl3E3I/AAAAAAAABDM/1Uk_tgN0xEo/s1600/Abuja+November+054.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" hda="true" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-T9rdSQp9mfI/TtI8HXl3E3I/AAAAAAAABDM/1Uk_tgN0xEo/s320/Abuja+November+054.jpg" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Of course it's the Benue Dove of One Love</td></tr>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-oQcs5oe6mMk/TtI8HYjwVSI/AAAAAAAABDQ/aPD5yTqfghw/s1600/Abuja+November+053.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" hda="true" height="213" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-oQcs5oe6mMk/TtI8HYjwVSI/AAAAAAAABDQ/aPD5yTqfghw/s320/Abuja+November+053.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ysgSED_pXDQ/TtI8N8lvFTI/AAAAAAAABDs/6wPXepiZ26A/s1600/Abuja+November+056.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" hda="true" height="213" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ysgSED_pXDQ/TtI8N8lvFTI/AAAAAAAABDs/6wPXepiZ26A/s320/Abuja+November+056.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">that appears to be on fire</td></tr>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-gEYFoe2i1HY/TtI8RGSV2SI/AAAAAAAABD4/demgB283BvM/s1600/Abuja+November+059.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" hda="true" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-gEYFoe2i1HY/TtI8RGSV2SI/AAAAAAAABD4/demgB283BvM/s320/Abuja+November+059.jpg" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">loved the dancing sweetcorn</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-VkcWm19QLzU/TtI8UHN1cCI/AAAAAAAABEM/mCK4m8dCAZo/s1600/Abuja+November+062.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" hda="true" height="213" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-VkcWm19QLzU/TtI8UHN1cCI/AAAAAAAABEM/mCK4m8dCAZo/s320/Abuja+November+062.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Please can we snap you?</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-WUFWGJWD-Ts/TtI8XAQ8F0I/AAAAAAAABEY/oq-GlxKXtws/s1600/Abuja+November+064.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" hda="true" height="213" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-WUFWGJWD-Ts/TtI8XAQ8F0I/AAAAAAAABEY/oq-GlxKXtws/s320/Abuja+November+064.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I really have no idea what is going on with this?!?!</td></tr>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-H5jpyBJZJVM/TtI8mEjM3oI/AAAAAAAABFM/PkspNEYkWC4/s1600/Abuja+November+068.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" hda="true" height="213" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-H5jpyBJZJVM/TtI8mEjM3oI/AAAAAAAABFM/PkspNEYkWC4/s320/Abuja+November+068.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Loving the snapping</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-uOOC__sEJTk/TtI8oPP4YxI/AAAAAAAABFc/Lcgi20hBZzU/s1600/Abuja+November+072.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" hda="true" height="213" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-uOOC__sEJTk/TtI8oPP4YxI/AAAAAAAABFc/Lcgi20hBZzU/s320/Abuja+November+072.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Some Fulani snapping</td></tr>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-x0jDDdawC7c/TtI8kUPh9WI/AAAAAAAABFE/AhZA03DniEk/s1600/Abuja+November+070.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" hda="true" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-x0jDDdawC7c/TtI8kUPh9WI/AAAAAAAABFE/AhZA03DniEk/s320/Abuja+November+070.jpg" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Is it a bird? Is it a plane? Apparently it's an eagle fish. Of course.</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-bDHICGgDPmY/TtI8qne45iI/AAAAAAAABFk/7CjQhxss-xk/s1600/Abuja+November+074.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" hda="true" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-bDHICGgDPmY/TtI8qne45iI/AAAAAAAABFk/7CjQhxss-xk/s320/Abuja+November+074.jpg" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Excellent signage on this float</td></tr>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-5_Dx01baeaY/TtI-QMIYRyI/AAAAAAAABF4/czNooVwD0Xo/s1600/Abuja+November+079.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" hda="true" height="213" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-5_Dx01baeaY/TtI-QMIYRyI/AAAAAAAABF4/czNooVwD0Xo/s320/Abuja+November+079.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Of Course Shrek and Ben ten are very Nigerian</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-IIqn2sFZ_3Q/TtI-VNDKd4I/AAAAAAAABGc/xC-imn3V35c/s1600/Abuja+November+078.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" hda="true" height="213" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-IIqn2sFZ_3Q/TtI-VNDKd4I/AAAAAAAABGc/xC-imn3V35c/s320/Abuja+November+078.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">As are these two!</td></tr>
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Kasiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01827909478397575270noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4736188739286883834.post-14044952085679169662011-11-18T14:06:00.002+00:002013-06-13T11:45:56.698+01:00Errrrrr what’s that I spy?<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt 18pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">OK when you leave your home country for a totally new and alien culture you do expect that you will see some sights that will leave you a bit open mouthed from time to time. This morning however I did not expect to see a dead cow on its back being burned in the middle of the pavement. It might not sound like that crazy a thing to some people but given this is a city and a residential area it was TOTALLY unexpected. People often burn their rubbish here because rubbish collection is something of a novelty, although it’s not too bad round our way, we have a wheelie bin and everything! </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Anyway I digress, so there I was strolling down the street on my way to get some veg from the dudes behind the fence before it go too hot to go out and I spied the fire in the middle of the pavement, I just assumed that someone was burning their rubbish until I spotted four hooves in the air just above the flames. I did a double take and then realised it was in fact the carcass of a rather large cow that was being burned, an extreme method of cooking if you ask me. No one was ‘tending’ the cow it was just there on fire, on the pavement. I even questioned whether I had imagined it but no there it was hooves akimbo burning away as I passed by on my way back up the hill. Bonkers (or maybe I am).</span></div>
Kasiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01827909478397575270noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4736188739286883834.post-82359314195132484372011-11-10T22:03:00.002+00:002013-06-13T11:43:53.046+01:00New experiences<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">The travels to Dutse saw me encounter many new experiences they are as follows:</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Travelling to the north of Nigeria – loved it, think I must have been northerner somewhere in a previous life given my love of the NE of England and now in Nigeria, it’s like a completely different country to the south.</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-hN1JGhlzEmQ/Trwo0tiAOaI/AAAAAAAAAyE/r8HNesjVa1A/s1600/Dutse+148.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="133" nda="true" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-hN1JGhlzEmQ/Trwo0tiAOaI/AAAAAAAAAyE/r8HNesjVa1A/s200/Dutse+148.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Kola Nuts</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Kola Nuts – not sure they are actually nuts but I’ll tell you one thing they are grim! Apparently they are like natural nicotine or something, won’t be trying them again.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Tiger Nuts – seeds not nuts, strange but quite nice like the name more than the taste though.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Cooking goat – didn’t do a bad job either, made a marinade on the Monday night whilst Lucy found and cleaned meaty bits from the vast bucket of goat we had left after Sallah day on Sunday and then cooked it on our last night. Tasty.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Boiled Cassava – tried it covered with ground up nuts and peppe it was yum, but sadly no nutritional value whatsoever in cassava, bummer.</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Qid0C9fzLCk/TrwpEAVcpVI/AAAAAAAAAzo/Nv2pRIF2mII/s1600/Dutse+162.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" nda="true" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Qid0C9fzLCk/TrwpEAVcpVI/AAAAAAAAAzo/Nv2pRIF2mII/s200/Dutse+162.jpg" width="133" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Kosai</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Kosai also known as Akara – Breakfast food of deep fried mashed up beans with peppe of course, thought I’d had these before but they were different somehow so they make the list maybe it’s the different name in the north. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Coconut based treat from the market – I can’t remember the name of this one but rather nice and highly addictive.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Seeing a durbar – enough said.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Guinea Fowl – Tastes like chicken.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Boiled Yam – Had fried yam but boiled yam is gooood especially in a tomato sauce</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Pounding Yam – Pounded yam is served with soups and similar dishes and is used as both part of the meal and in lieu of cutlery, you have a big sticky ball of it and use your fingers to tear some off and then use it as a scoop to pick up the rest of your dinner. I’ve had pounded yam before but never had the chance to pound it myself. Apparently it’s women’s work because they don’t tire. I found it strangely enjoyable, maybe it was the novelty factor?</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-WZMIeMlbb3I/TrwqvMLY-xI/AAAAAAAAA4w/rzG-Ai0MVQo/s1600/Dutse+213.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" nda="true" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-WZMIeMlbb3I/TrwqvMLY-xI/AAAAAAAAA4w/rzG-Ai0MVQo/s320/Dutse+213.jpg" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pounding yam - it's not for men they tire too easily</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">I think I’ve remembered most things but no doubt there’s something I’ve missed, I really did seem to be saying I’ve never tried this/done this before for most of the four days we were there. It made me feel like I’m missing out on lots so my mission is to try and see as much as possible and within reason never say no!</span></div>
Kasiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01827909478397575270noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4736188739286883834.post-52534938825146147002011-11-10T21:28:00.001+00:002013-06-13T11:41:04.925+01:00The Spectacular Durbar<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">In the north of Nigeria which is predominantly Muslim there are a number of Emirates where the celebrations for Sallah are super duper shiny and they put on a proper show. In Dutse the durbar lasted for three days with a parade taking place at a different time on a slightly different route with different outfits each day.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">I’m not sure if he’s friends with the other Emirs in the local area and it’s a case of wanting to show that my army is bigger than your army or if they all band together against foes from further afield. I am led to believe though that traditionally in days of yore and yesteryear and all that the durbar was a chance for the Emir to see just how many men he had prepared to fight for him. The Emir also takes part in the durbar and he gets to ride his horse with someone following him with a giant parasol and lots of people around him fanning him and generally protecting him. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">One of the best things about the durbar was the fact that we were as much of an attraction to the people in the parade as they were to us so that they all looked our way as they passed by. Many of them were shouting and cheering, some of them even thanked us for coming to watch them, lots of the people on foot stopped and ‘performed’ for us, they even stopped the Emir and his entourage on the first day so that we could snap him, all in all it made for some great photos. I have selected a few of my favourites to include here, there are many more on picasa via the link on the side of the page should you want to see more.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">It was such an amazing event to witness, so colourful and loud and full of pride and joy. I loved every minute of it and feel very privileged to have witnessed something like this; it’s a cultural snapshot I will remember forever.</span></div>
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Kasiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01827909478397575270noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4736188739286883834.post-49257165343729647672011-11-10T16:49:00.000+00:002013-06-13T11:38:15.249+01:00Lucy’s International Garden*<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">I’m not really sure where to start with blog post simply because there is so much I want to say, in fact I think I might end up splitting this up a bit, a general ramble post (this one), a photos of the Durbar post and maybe a new things I tried/experienced post……</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">A few weeks ago I was invited to join some other volunteers in the north of Nigeria to spend a few days in Dutse in Jigawa state for the Sallah celebrations. When I received the e-mail from fellow volunteer Lucy who lives in Dutse with another VSO called Lawrence I was immensely excited because since arriving in Abuja back in the middle of August I haven’t left the city other than on my couple of community visits with work and I was in dire need of a change of scene. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Another reason I was excited was that this felt like a proper VSO experience, to go on a road trip with other volunteers. Having read a lot of blogs of other VSOs throughout my application and placement process it struck me that a big part of the placements for many people was being able to travel around the country they were based in by visiting the other volunteers there. A great way to share experiences and see as much of the country that you are living in as you can. So here I was four months into my placement finally doing some visiting of my own.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">The Sallah marks Eid el Kabir (also known as Eid el Adha) which is the biggest celebration in the Muslim calendar and it falls roughly two months and ten days after the month of Ramadan when there is a sort of baby Sallah celebration which I have previously blogged about. This Sallah is in recognition of the willingness of Abraham to sacrifice his son Ishmael to show his obedience to god, he was rewarded by being given a ram to kill instead. Hence on the Sallah day families will kill a ram, cow or goat depending on what they can afford and cook the meat as part of the celebrations. It is traditional to give away some of the animal to friends and neighbours as well as the poor who cannot afford to buy their own animal for Sallah. Lucy and Lawrence were well prepared and had purchased a goat a while ago in readiness! I should also note that I was given a Sallah gift when I came back into work today by a colleague of some cooked meat and chin chin snacks.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">On arrival in Dutse after a very long journey because many people were travelling so the roads were busy we arrived to find dinner cooking which was really lovely and we were later told that the guard was going to kill the goat at 9 in the morning if we wanted to watch. In some places it is not uncommon for the streets to run red on this day, I hasten to add I decided I would not witness the ending of the goat knowing that in my specialness there was a high chance I might end up fainting, no one wants to wake up next to a dead goat.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">As it happened everyone missed the poor goat bleating its last bleat as we were at the durbar. I intend to dedicate a whole post to the durbar which is a big horsey parade showing the local Emir how strong his army is basically so I won’t say too much here. What I will say is that it was somewhat of a mad dash on day one (the durbar goes on over three days) as we sat having a leisurely breakfast in the beautiful garden, or my case a tour we could suddenly hear sirens which announced the oncoming of the parade so we ditched our cups of tea grabbed our cameras and legged it. Luckily we didn’t have far to go and we timed it pretty well to find ourselves a lovely spot in the shade just a few minutes before the parade reached us. It was AMAZING but there will be more on that I promise.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">The rest of the day passed in a lovely haze of sunshine spilling through the trees and sitting in the garden talking with old friends and new friends, friends from Ireland, Canada, Africa, Germany, the Netherlands and from home. There was haircutting, tea making, food prepping in the shade Nigerian style, laughter, beer, gin & tonic and even a heroic door kicking/rescuing. The goat cooked by Rachel from Canada/Kano was really good as were the accompanying dishes which I think just about everyone contributed to in some way and the night finished with music and everyone ‘showing their style’ on the dance floor. It was my best, most happiest day in Nigeria to date, I’m not sure I stopped smiling all day long. Barka da Sallah indeed!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">In fact the whole trip has been my best experience so far, I loved the north of Nigeria it is beautiful, the people are friendly, the heat is even better because it’s less humid so when you do find shade there is actually relief when you’re in it. I found some nice things in the market and got myself some lovely fabrics which at some point soon I will have made into clothes, it is only right that every VSO gets themselves at least one traditional Nigerian outfit made at some point during their placement after all. I felt really sad when I had to leave but thankfully for me Lucy and Lawrence have welcomed me back anytime to their little bit of heaven in the north. I cannot thank them enough for being such wonderful hosts, on the Sunday night they had 12 guests staying with them!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">*The title of this blog post is taken from a wonderful poem written about the weekend by the very talented Lea Knowles who is a fellow volunteer. Lea will hopefully be publishing some of his poems to raise funds for VSO when he returns home no doubt details of which will appear here on his blog </span><a href="http://leainnigeria.blogspot.com/"><span style="color: purple; font-family: Calibri;">here</span></a><span style="font-family: Calibri;">. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">p.s. photos will appear in picasa soon!</span></div>
Kasiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01827909478397575270noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4736188739286883834.post-16427916655855391222011-11-10T08:35:00.000+00:002013-06-13T11:35:07.834+01:00A small filler<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">OK so this is a very quick interim type post to say that I’ve been away for a few days up north to Dutse in Jigawa state for the Sallah celebrations and that I’m going to write a proper post about that very soon but it will take me a while because so much happened. I just wanted to say that I had an amazing time, experienced many new things and can’t wait to go back.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Also before I left last week I went back out on the road to Gasaki and Cheta and took some photos of the things I mentioned in a previous post of the people on bikes and the like which you will find below, alas my efforts to capture the glory of the children’s plaything layby were a bit ropey at high speed…</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBbNUywNMfWMtIAj3O5IkE6xR7lL2axNACGoG1MfjDnA0zxCzjVzmMQde6lwgo9LNAnhRqcToNleQ0crvBu5HEuO0saUFyI1NY86GwFnBOu0kvYwyzMUs4OrjDmSdii5ZvykDSpnXA-q7h/s1600/Abuja+November+004.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" ida="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBbNUywNMfWMtIAj3O5IkE6xR7lL2axNACGoG1MfjDnA0zxCzjVzmMQde6lwgo9LNAnhRqcToNleQ0crvBu5HEuO0saUFyI1NY86GwFnBOu0kvYwyzMUs4OrjDmSdii5ZvykDSpnXA-q7h/s320/Abuja+November+004.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A rare sight to see a helmet!</td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlmCIns5LyFylyf-3kHf6ssesaOPMKa-jzzzi6Q_S9VnA12B2FLZboKjEx07HZxoDT1P0u3P2t7W2guqILcNThRyXXxnKg18Ox5Y8ZgspeKIEPBsYnb5BtTP-QZHPtDb7Mqc4bvYqMDE_J/s1600/Abuja+November+005.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" ida="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlmCIns5LyFylyf-3kHf6ssesaOPMKa-jzzzi6Q_S9VnA12B2FLZboKjEx07HZxoDT1P0u3P2t7W2guqILcNThRyXXxnKg18Ox5Y8ZgspeKIEPBsYnb5BtTP-QZHPtDb7Mqc4bvYqMDE_J/s320/Abuja+November+005.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTT5omk2sPA00WrgZGF9elmSUwq9gxmsdb82RbmSmFul5Fqcw2_SFNjV9O9wOjKgMNaa331k4wSr3bl6ubGdPWAaxwAih_bCEt1aqfCSpuA-wf4ZFuAXER7-gNbKHXCIFLiM86ZP8_hP3y/s1600/Abuja+November+007.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" ida="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTT5omk2sPA00WrgZGF9elmSUwq9gxmsdb82RbmSmFul5Fqcw2_SFNjV9O9wOjKgMNaa331k4wSr3bl6ubGdPWAaxwAih_bCEt1aqfCSpuA-wf4ZFuAXER7-gNbKHXCIFLiM86ZP8_hP3y/s320/Abuja+November+007.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The smiles disappear when the camera comes out but they are always so keen to be snapped</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHs9sjV_bFoT8IrScZidP3t6rLAGxi4EuAVEMPBUII67R9ENn7xARtpLdb_dp8tYjMeSC4vOBHRHjfanw1elXq-aXSIIQtrMAHPw8YIBbyi8e-xz8pVBgpFiscPLbDAei5hYomcIG2i7cE/s1600/Abuja+November+008.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" ida="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHs9sjV_bFoT8IrScZidP3t6rLAGxi4EuAVEMPBUII67R9ENn7xARtpLdb_dp8tYjMeSC4vOBHRHjfanw1elXq-aXSIIQtrMAHPw8YIBbyi8e-xz8pVBgpFiscPLbDAei5hYomcIG2i7cE/s320/Abuja+November+008.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Work in progress at the school to rebuild the classrooms</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVukV6aD8ersnQqgMlzI2dyByAUBvdkHnDI3Ked93qqBdqOZUo8TsN_TIBcFqGDLAqbg78h9Ae_lmmhDU_L9IYVaEWHfhMr82O7xNNWuUEDEDfBXmqjNl31Hfsl80dJ4glyMuXqHRqH7FF/s1600/Abuja+November+010.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" ida="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVukV6aD8ersnQqgMlzI2dyByAUBvdkHnDI3Ked93qqBdqOZUo8TsN_TIBcFqGDLAqbg78h9Ae_lmmhDU_L9IYVaEWHfhMr82O7xNNWuUEDEDfBXmqjNl31Hfsl80dJ4glyMuXqHRqH7FF/s320/Abuja+November+010.jpg" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The headmaster's office</td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUqFpdqvtkjfzoW89zRG6MkITsqgdEENwTSGxsvvEGP0haGOnl5TAW7WP95HAojz5usvB0vT6MjuWOi2VtFoxrXzW50TCrZ10RdmftQ1fruYsqEiMRU-x9HHCoKse4gqL7tUAmOM5suMns/s1600/Abuja+November+012.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" ida="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUqFpdqvtkjfzoW89zRG6MkITsqgdEENwTSGxsvvEGP0haGOnl5TAW7WP95HAojz5usvB0vT6MjuWOi2VtFoxrXzW50TCrZ10RdmftQ1fruYsqEiMRU-x9HHCoKse4gqL7tUAmOM5suMns/s320/Abuja+November+012.jpg" width="213" /></a></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXD8X_YAyfjz5vsTORY9uEZYoTc0ByTegANAGWN-HwUqRUj4AckPqLoOmzgMamihu-ETaz7a6Z8lSwy5H9KLWcLEDjN61jQegyyd7fQIeZJrpK9raJwhRSCM6vyv79iLHMkxo4UQ888AIv/s1600/Abuja+November+014.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" ida="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXD8X_YAyfjz5vsTORY9uEZYoTc0ByTegANAGWN-HwUqRUj4AckPqLoOmzgMamihu-ETaz7a6Z8lSwy5H9KLWcLEDjN61jQegyyd7fQIeZJrpK9raJwhRSCM6vyv79iLHMkxo4UQ888AIv/s320/Abuja+November+014.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A very blurry section of plaything layby</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidjthZNoEAmHHg6VGJzZPB3Ie8wuUOF0ETGKKzjK7VJm7D0J7gQEGA6at9CGwFiQ1YsncMiUhZH2QTM_ReVwGX0kifPQP8ExP3cjq0-fcpxjzyKH0gPymeTu6NlYoO5DqYQl5fftgTpGzL/s1600/Abuja+November+015.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" ida="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidjthZNoEAmHHg6VGJzZPB3Ie8wuUOF0ETGKKzjK7VJm7D0J7gQEGA6at9CGwFiQ1YsncMiUhZH2QTM_ReVwGX0kifPQP8ExP3cjq0-fcpxjzyKH0gPymeTu6NlYoO5DqYQl5fftgTpGzL/s320/Abuja+November+015.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The swingset section not very popular today</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPGxiBM9WzjbCXpsiRXoggqAIuRXimrOnTdQEqx-Ztgoc28GVoLejngWDkNTHnBtFJ0oJT8cSGcvS_q1rOIQ6WmSTtS2VmEYMZ2AjLfCGCKtFMMGaFU2qjeEVEzGeLFRN68E_HU5L-mI6_/s1600/Abuja+November+016.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" ida="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPGxiBM9WzjbCXpsiRXoggqAIuRXimrOnTdQEqx-Ztgoc28GVoLejngWDkNTHnBtFJ0oJT8cSGcvS_q1rOIQ6WmSTtS2VmEYMZ2AjLfCGCKtFMMGaFU2qjeEVEzGeLFRN68E_HU5L-mI6_/s320/Abuja+November+016.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A special market for the Sallah</td></tr>
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Kasiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01827909478397575270noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4736188739286883834.post-49014923534357220022011-10-30T17:50:00.000+00:002013-06-13T11:33:46.977+01:00Another giant spider<div class="MsoNormal" style="border: currentColor; line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">The British Village had a Halloween party on Saturday night and we were excited to go however fancy dress supplies were limited in the VSO flat so we had to use our resourcefulness and make do with what we had in our wardrobes. I took inspiration from the neighbourhood walk earlier on in the day and decided to go as something I knew would be scary, well to me anyway…..</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggmkkvkKiG9XQKtLSYGWMrq8R9uS7cRb3Em1lhCuDFAjF9YMYgDMHzZpdrJhA54N3QMVCy-RjNtFLU8HYHTPxmAtIcRSQIYKGyKe-rJSPUNNN1kwHiPcylvMykRqEZL8wTfmUZTdKzWflk/s1600/Abuja+October+50.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="133" ida="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggmkkvkKiG9XQKtLSYGWMrq8R9uS7cRb3Em1lhCuDFAjF9YMYgDMHzZpdrJhA54N3QMVCy-RjNtFLU8HYHTPxmAtIcRSQIYKGyKe-rJSPUNNN1kwHiPcylvMykRqEZL8wTfmUZTdKzWflk/s200/Abuja+October+50.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Spot the difference?</td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHOj6qKz3o38GugrYya5m3N_52F_sxKF9_Ya1QHe2PIAjRTW7xUW-wMQIjhsaMDg2UrwR6QLVqJ7Z6yPs_G_POraIOZ5XZ5xYu6KsQJElqVEJ95Fi4oPUnfGafOjNCqdUd_1UIxwQyV56S/s1600/Abuja+October+58.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" ida="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHOj6qKz3o38GugrYya5m3N_52F_sxKF9_Ya1QHe2PIAjRTW7xUW-wMQIjhsaMDg2UrwR6QLVqJ7Z6yPs_G_POraIOZ5XZ5xYu6KsQJElqVEJ95Fi4oPUnfGafOjNCqdUd_1UIxwQyV56S/s200/Abuja+October+58.jpg" style="cursor: move;" unselectable="on" width="200" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">We had a fab night, made some new friends took them along to Eddy Vics to go and see Jimi and I finished the night in classic Kasia style by telling the tiny reggae singer that he was indeed tiny but that I didn’t mean it in an offensive way and if he was two feet taller I’d marry him and take him home to England. He didn’t seem to be offended and said he’d still come with me anyway. I’ll just point out I had removed my extra spider legs before we went to Eddy Vics, I’m not sure Nigeria is ready for fancy dress.</span></div>
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<img height="63" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHOj6qKz3o38GugrYya5m3N_52F_sxKF9_Ya1QHe2PIAjRTW7xUW-wMQIjhsaMDg2UrwR6QLVqJ7Z6yPs_G_POraIOZ5XZ5xYu6KsQJElqVEJ95Fi4oPUnfGafOjNCqdUd_1UIxwQyV56S/s200/Abuja+October+58.jpg" style="filter: alpha(opacity=30); left: 147px; mozopacity: 0.3; opacity: 0.3; position: absolute; top: 155px; visibility: hidden;" width="96" />Kasiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01827909478397575270noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4736188739286883834.post-5215323631298099732011-10-29T14:24:00.001+01:002013-06-13T11:32:50.097+01:00A walk around the neighbourhood<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">My housemate Sue and I took a walk around our neighbourhood this morning. We were actually heading to one of the larger shops to pick up some groceries and decided we would head out early before it got too hot but apparently Abuja doesn’t do early and nothing opens here until 11 on a Saturday. This was a bit of a shame for us as it was only 9.20am. Fail. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">So we decided to continue walking rather than head back to the flat and see what we could find, so I present to you in photo form pictures from our walk including some rather surprising finds and for me a rather terrifying one.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This should please those of you that have been asking for more photos and gives me an excuse not to ramble on :D</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijlZZb4XUFOUKZXGs4SPQ6TIvRIdB-vzrElC6DJvr_Ljw97s7q3tEv0ZcE0-X80YRDbYMAdyOAHS8GJwG3ImXDoHXpO-BckUhIUwg-iysh_I2Uka_IvlBw3AOl4adkVVfuIpxGBfNVm0Jo/s1600/Abuja+October+34.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" ida="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijlZZb4XUFOUKZXGs4SPQ6TIvRIdB-vzrElC6DJvr_Ljw97s7q3tEv0ZcE0-X80YRDbYMAdyOAHS8GJwG3ImXDoHXpO-BckUhIUwg-iysh_I2Uka_IvlBw3AOl4adkVVfuIpxGBfNVm0Jo/s400/Abuja+October+34.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is our building and our flat is the one at the top on the far side</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqZlZyg4aPu1s4qDyNR2fTfogMzMKW90hZPnbEZi5EN6Di1U69AftBunJJJsYdiOYwMXRCaDizxRS6xwMq_epjd9VOAtd0l33ujEG1bAOWLoY-1TiaJOzG4FSUWcMs0laWGnwZeNrfKlH8/s1600/Abuja+October+35.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" ida="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqZlZyg4aPu1s4qDyNR2fTfogMzMKW90hZPnbEZi5EN6Di1U69AftBunJJJsYdiOYwMXRCaDizxRS6xwMq_epjd9VOAtd0l33ujEG1bAOWLoY-1TiaJOzG4FSUWcMs0laWGnwZeNrfKlH8/s400/Abuja+October+35.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Q Palace is our local bar</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-n1Df1cInjFYR1nYof9a01TBLCqL2xvQiHJ-9YSvq-v80NV8IaCiVZxxha9dEfHqZHBw7oR2juGC9ifLG8X_NxDDF_AHF1QvPGRkf4rvbEVOt482kjAQ6ZX6DPuPIfN84SBxjwk5HVe2P/s1600/Abuja+October+36.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" ida="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-n1Df1cInjFYR1nYof9a01TBLCqL2xvQiHJ-9YSvq-v80NV8IaCiVZxxha9dEfHqZHBw7oR2juGC9ifLG8X_NxDDF_AHF1QvPGRkf4rvbEVOt482kjAQ6ZX6DPuPIfN84SBxjwk5HVe2P/s400/Abuja+October+36.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">There is a lot of wealth here as the houses demonstrate</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSdwquHYZP4tzijjUPAsfWUQ77I5ADey-8bPG3-tcRntTsS7HJ-u0RrpUkWFsHZw6CpcN8iNeCbRstLB-WqH8xWXy2WNPNrB9gj1V5u9DFRe-msVPMnJNvEE_xzwnTgfpUJijds67zGOia/s1600/Abuja+October+37.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" ida="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSdwquHYZP4tzijjUPAsfWUQ77I5ADey-8bPG3-tcRntTsS7HJ-u0RrpUkWFsHZw6CpcN8iNeCbRstLB-WqH8xWXy2WNPNrB9gj1V5u9DFRe-msVPMnJNvEE_xzwnTgfpUJijds67zGOia/s400/Abuja+October+37.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lizards are a constant hazard when out walking!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUf7pW89F6fIJAzQShHYS9o_wQeZQmx5uymrsDjr1H8yoUXGsSHm5qqwTELLik04DrH_m5xlR7nOWknvVB_SzOPn7LJOaYGsOfXcuqaMd4z3BVrvahXxvv7Clf1PyM6B0Gtswm9Z5NNVAt/s1600/Abuja+October+41.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" ida="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUf7pW89F6fIJAzQShHYS9o_wQeZQmx5uymrsDjr1H8yoUXGsSHm5qqwTELLik04DrH_m5xlR7nOWknvVB_SzOPn7LJOaYGsOfXcuqaMd4z3BVrvahXxvv7Clf1PyM6B0Gtswm9Z5NNVAt/s400/Abuja+October+41.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">As are chickens</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXLb0KjfAabPoMuWG0ZZ6dQub870sH9doRu2b2cYoGoeCP2FVCZheT0Wu0ExY30DWAClimYyDMxXiPh9glqDZS9oxHyW7HjYP2Ix-3m9ZrvwRvDGijZDeCKRz1nN8J7RnVIy2ezPdhIGo-/s1600/Abuja+October+42.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" ida="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXLb0KjfAabPoMuWG0ZZ6dQub870sH9doRu2b2cYoGoeCP2FVCZheT0Wu0ExY30DWAClimYyDMxXiPh9glqDZS9oxHyW7HjYP2Ix-3m9ZrvwRvDGijZDeCKRz1nN8J7RnVIy2ezPdhIGo-/s400/Abuja+October+42.jpg" width="266" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lots of new building going on Abuja</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgU2lYq2NJ4eul2UmnEcdEZrrNvgCWTEdxB7VdaiayEfVePxspsqpHhK3oKnAtXG-K0rxwQ0FuMdX0EdmDhQ0zJyJMPrVyD8V16-T3dMuBOH5OGUQh-1nfauNGe5ORJbA8HLggnr3mMOe4e/s1600/Abuja+October+44.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" ida="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgU2lYq2NJ4eul2UmnEcdEZrrNvgCWTEdxB7VdaiayEfVePxspsqpHhK3oKnAtXG-K0rxwQ0FuMdX0EdmDhQ0zJyJMPrVyD8V16-T3dMuBOH5OGUQh-1nfauNGe5ORJbA8HLggnr3mMOe4e/s400/Abuja+October+44.jpg" width="266" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A random stream underneath a huge bridge then I thought I'd left Abuja and was back in Calabar</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmYCjBWITA4TfiIehJB-J0VlI_vIvGLIk23ovfunQPrA03TXCstn03-uQ8G-BLhtDaQOsJ4z-S1TjOuYx-GzEyOiCOChsSBloCNBIeDMpaK-6Lo-sfAjVF3LCz248qKSrk89rw11dij5Hp/s1600/Abuja+October+45.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" ida="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmYCjBWITA4TfiIehJB-J0VlI_vIvGLIk23ovfunQPrA03TXCstn03-uQ8G-BLhtDaQOsJ4z-S1TjOuYx-GzEyOiCOChsSBloCNBIeDMpaK-6Lo-sfAjVF3LCz248qKSrk89rw11dij5Hp/s400/Abuja+October+45.jpg" width="266" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">but thankfully it was just a restaurant sign with some typical Nigerian foods on offer then just up the hill......</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtCwE8qFcrpsUnNkzB7YoLT0gGqnsx89jsABwAvDgdcthoBKG-OvLnGNIkGg_YSRnUf7dWV6Ll70etU1Y9YjW9sTpxa8-rkTvxVrklMJ8C0VnCTq57MBub_laqPuBdS2J5-4S-w11HOFdo/s1600/Abuja+October+47.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" ida="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtCwE8qFcrpsUnNkzB7YoLT0gGqnsx89jsABwAvDgdcthoBKG-OvLnGNIkGg_YSRnUf7dWV6Ll70etU1Y9YjW9sTpxa8-rkTvxVrklMJ8C0VnCTq57MBub_laqPuBdS2J5-4S-w11HOFdo/s400/Abuja+October+47.jpg" width="266" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I was home in blighty!</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7NGwIJwMciR0NpIq4fwCQRk0NMmeAuWrUp1jwIUitAPe-gpBEs-W6A2ouyjmljkklLZthLMXk_fS1pYxw_ajW82vKUv3j5w34Fxs0S9rf86IJNSlMbBLiLtOzO2TU1Go1r0dhIPAA4LOv/s1600/Abuja+October+48.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" ida="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7NGwIJwMciR0NpIq4fwCQRk0NMmeAuWrUp1jwIUitAPe-gpBEs-W6A2ouyjmljkklLZthLMXk_fS1pYxw_ajW82vKUv3j5w34Fxs0S9rf86IJNSlMbBLiLtOzO2TU1Go1r0dhIPAA4LOv/s400/Abuja+October+48.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">An unusually quiet intersection, well if nothing opens until 11 what's the point of going out?</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggmkkvkKiG9XQKtLSYGWMrq8R9uS7cRb3Em1lhCuDFAjF9YMYgDMHzZpdrJhA54N3QMVCy-RjNtFLU8HYHTPxmAtIcRSQIYKGyKe-rJSPUNNN1kwHiPcylvMykRqEZL8wTfmUZTdKzWflk/s1600/Abuja+October+50.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" ida="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggmkkvkKiG9XQKtLSYGWMrq8R9uS7cRb3Em1lhCuDFAjF9YMYgDMHzZpdrJhA54N3QMVCy-RjNtFLU8HYHTPxmAtIcRSQIYKGyKe-rJSPUNNN1kwHiPcylvMykRqEZL8wTfmUZTdKzWflk/s400/Abuja+October+50.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This bad boy was bigger than my palm, note the 'normal' sized 8 legged freak next to him. I am very proud this photo is not blurred from excessive hand shaking and indeed that I did not simply run away on sighting it!</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsdabyzv3w1B1Q8QXxsznkK_TSwhnEE41wiRbLe4jykr7u4DyfnhmTgzrPOUZLX1ElXzrAF6EFmh8QsXhFDC_EQGbJyWg1JBO7V165qBVFlQP4xRf16YATImPeVdoJws7B2swR11RgFjKg/s1600/Abuja+October+52.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" ida="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsdabyzv3w1B1Q8QXxsznkK_TSwhnEE41wiRbLe4jykr7u4DyfnhmTgzrPOUZLX1ElXzrAF6EFmh8QsXhFDC_EQGbJyWg1JBO7V165qBVFlQP4xRf16YATImPeVdoJws7B2swR11RgFjKg/s400/Abuja+October+52.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is Peggy's Pointe the complex the phone box was in front of, we suspect it could be ex-pat housing....</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwFNLySIqVVjWmry6cI9F1pZ_UuPGRY4iGyzww78DlfqHb2xyuoiufWYy0EazNdJeqGD7o9qnf5hz15EUzCrlqZdR6SwsVG6nnvOwABNAoGKw1rzF-OtQIZXYa2vudXME8NPbo2RJWIk4E/s1600/Abuja+October+54.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" ida="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwFNLySIqVVjWmry6cI9F1pZ_UuPGRY4iGyzww78DlfqHb2xyuoiufWYy0EazNdJeqGD7o9qnf5hz15EUzCrlqZdR6SwsVG6nnvOwABNAoGKw1rzF-OtQIZXYa2vudXME8NPbo2RJWIk4E/s400/Abuja+October+54.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Later we got a taxi to another shop as we had walked quite far, this is my office building inside the grounds of the mosque taken through the taxi window</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcXMI117_OlPahSoblJHtI5lxT3slt5hhFEXAUEoUhuOzD3RqeSW59MEsG9i8f0U08JTlihwe-1aSffQRAmy-fx8lsFJIa0WGC7f-iHJZNHaIvK8BaJnqefZoJKfNdSi2QbZc7qwZitrCp/s1600/Abuja+October+55.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" ida="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcXMI117_OlPahSoblJHtI5lxT3slt5hhFEXAUEoUhuOzD3RqeSW59MEsG9i8f0U08JTlihwe-1aSffQRAmy-fx8lsFJIa0WGC7f-iHJZNHaIvK8BaJnqefZoJKfNdSi2QbZc7qwZitrCp/s400/Abuja+October+55.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The mosque and the gate I go through every day for work, with my head scarf on of course!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Kasiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01827909478397575270noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4736188739286883834.post-40589858082394342292011-10-25T22:13:00.000+01:002013-06-13T11:30:21.738+01:00A good day<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Today was a good day, I’d love to tell you of some huge breakthrough at work but the goodness was all thanks to the arrival of four parcels and a postcard. I now suspect that post stacks up the VSO PO Box until someone sends a parcel that has to be signed for as all of us in the flat received post today and the first of my parcels was sent back in August and the last only a couple of weeks ago! So whilst my mum has been worrying about her parcel going astray for weeks it’s been sat in the post office in Abuja. However it was very exciting and I mean VERY exciting to come home to find my post waiting for me, one of my housemates had dropped off my four parcels (and a postcard) on her lunch break. In fact when I got her text to tell me what was waiting at home I actually squealed, it’s amazing how the simplest things can bring such joy!</span></div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiK1Rl-weuKWBbC7PQyJZ99RHgHce1QnmnLPNJMnsWXu-KVcJ7gtUeloKSjgkxDLTHWli90swSEDS3DJBDb_t11Nwsv-VKQWFqU9r5ndrNgsGtj0Si_qWLaNk82JojxWfoVaxry1s47FxXP/s1600/Abuja+October+27.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" ida="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiK1Rl-weuKWBbC7PQyJZ99RHgHce1QnmnLPNJMnsWXu-KVcJ7gtUeloKSjgkxDLTHWli90swSEDS3DJBDb_t11Nwsv-VKQWFqU9r5ndrNgsGtj0Si_qWLaNk82JojxWfoVaxry1s47FxXP/s320/Abuja+October+27.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Four parcels and a postcard</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7pSx7e3xkUVDJXFbF_jBK7k1Wk2QXCl29yfEj6KHXA6QaBlHJrJ3GO97ojtOzxgaV9HDmM-iIQLNSqZ_PED7qb4PPXnQCkh3qoUjbtylYtXE65ENVS9rAxQDlPbGJiylbmTvRmnXQ14KC/s1600/Abuja+October+28.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" ida="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7pSx7e3xkUVDJXFbF_jBK7k1Wk2QXCl29yfEj6KHXA6QaBlHJrJ3GO97ojtOzxgaV9HDmM-iIQLNSqZ_PED7qb4PPXnQCkh3qoUjbtylYtXE65ENVS9rAxQDlPbGJiylbmTvRmnXQ14KC/s320/Abuja+October+28.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The joy inside!</td></tr>
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Kasiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01827909478397575270noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4736188739286883834.post-5330851589851581122011-10-20T17:46:00.002+01:002020-08-02T20:52:42.764+01:00Warty Towels<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">It seems to be fairly standard that every office in Nigeria has a TV in it, I can’t really get my head round this as it does nothing to aid the amount of work that gets done and for me is a really annoying distraction. Thankfully in my office it’s in the room next door so I can only hear it.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">From what I can hear and what I’ve seen on our little TV at home Nigerian TV is really random in that there is no scheduling like we have at home, i.e. the same thing that was on one time slot won’t appear the next day. It also appears that the person in charge of putting the programs on has a very limited attention span as quite often a program will just stop halfway through and go into something completely different, it’s like I’ve had enough of that now I’m going to put this on, much like most men I know in charge of the remote in fact! </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">As for the programs well it’s an eclectic mix. They show Nigerian music videos in between programs, there’s a lot of news, various religious offerings, very comedy Nigerian soaps that seem to be mostly about dramatic music and shouting with angry staring from what I can make out, sports reviews, Nollywood films, documentaries about traditional pottery making and such like and then out of the blue today I was sat at my desk typing away when I heard what sounded like the opening credits of Fawlty Towers. Surely not? I had to go and check this out. But yes it was there on the office telly was Basil Fawlty in all his 70’s glory and best of all it was the Episode with the drunk chef and the car bashing . So did I go back to my work or did I stop to watch? Let’s just say I decided to follow the example of my colleagues for half an hour and I’m not afraid to admit it was easily the best bit of my day. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">p.s. Just in case anyone is wondering I don’t have Warty Towels. For those of you that aren’t au fait with Fawlty Towers, the sign outside the Hotel at the start of each episode used to change each time and this was the sign for the episode I saw today :D</span></div>
Kasiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01827909478397575270noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4736188739286883834.post-72654393456727040522011-10-15T12:37:00.000+01:002013-06-13T11:27:05.994+01:00Introducing Squirt<div class="MsoNormal" style="border: currentColor; line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">So we have a new addition in the VSO flat here in Maitama and he is small, fluffy, has four legs and goes by the name of Squirt. He is a very cute and rabid (but not literally according to the vet) kitten rescued by my flatmate Sam. He’d been abandoned after his mum died and was sort of possibly but not really being looked after by a bloke who sits near the man selling eggs over the road who was only too happy to have him taken away. Anyway long story short we now have VSO pet and don’t panic those of you who are wondering what will become of the little dude at the end of placement time Sam is going to take him home with her as the quarantine rules have changed in recent times so this is now not so difficult do. So below I present a series of pictures of our new ward, he is at this very moment trying to chew through my laptop wire!</span></div>
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Kasiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01827909478397575270noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4736188739286883834.post-64967259824292374892011-10-14T11:05:00.001+01:002013-06-13T11:26:07.863+01:00Utility traumas and finally getting caught in the rain<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">This week has been pretty rubbish in terms of living conditions in Abuja. I mean that in the sense that we’ve been very lucky here because generally speaking the power is pretty constant, when it does go off it’s usually just for a short time and so my many torches/handy lights haven’t been getting much use and the water is only off at the weekends. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">This week however we’ve barely had any power, even less than I was used to in Calabar. There seems to be varying reasons reported for this, a blast at a mine has been blamed for damaging a substation, five power stations have been reportedly been shut down for maintenance and technical problems at a hydro-power station have also been blamed, who’s to know?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The executives of course are spouting on about how they are suffering too it’s not just the people in the communities who are having problems at this time with having no power in their homes but I suspect that the executives can afford to have a generator or two to sort there power issues out. Living where we do in a nicer part of the city there are plenty of people around us who can afford generators so it’s very noisy when the power is out and somewhat rubs our noses in it too as of course we don’t have a generator.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Then the water has been off for most of the week as well. We are used to it being off at weekends and spend a fair amount of time on a Monday evening refilling our water containers so that we have water for the next weekend and indeed should the water randomly go off at any other time in the week as it very occasionally does. Well this week it came back on on Monday for a brief time and that was pretty much it. We think it’s because some people in the building haven’t paid their bills and there’s only one meter for our entire building, this happened last month too but got resolved pretty quickly. It doesn’t make for much fun when you live on the top floor and the only other source of water is in the giant water butts on the ground floor. There is however one alternative which is the handy dudes who sit around with huge wheelbarrows full of jerry cans at 10n a pop, you can signal to them that you want water and they’ll bring it up to you. Despite that I predict that the British Village will see a lot of us over the next few days, Sue and I called in for dinner last night so we could have a proper shower, I did have a swim too but I am not beneath rocking up purely for a shower as I have done in the past!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">On our way back home we then had our second shower of the evening. Almost as soon as we left the gates the wind picked up which around here usually only means one thing, it’s about to bucket down. Sure enough just a couple of minutes later it started raining, ever so gently at first and then it got biblical, really biblical. We decided to brave it because it was warm and hey we’re crazy white people who trek when we could get a taxi so we might as well be really crazy white people who trek in the rain. It got pretty hysterical at one point, the rain was so hard I think I said something like “oh good rain that hurts” and then inevitably I started singing the only song you can sing when you being drowned in the rain, well not singing so much as laughing the words to “we’re singing in the rain”. I literally may as well have jumped in the pool again I was that wet, it had to happen at some point though right?</span><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> I’m just amazed that it took over three months and technically it’s not even really the rainy season anymore!! I should point out that our walk home takes us a good half hour and we really should have had the sense to get a drop but both of us decided we didn’t mind a ‘bit’ of rain. If it happens again over the weekend we might just take our shampoo outside with us.</span></div>
Kasiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01827909478397575270noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4736188739286883834.post-74151970424602124992011-10-12T18:21:00.000+01:002013-06-13T11:22:07.275+01:00The dancing traffic cop<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Does every city have one (my you tube investigations tell me so)?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>At the weekend we found Abuja’s dancing traffic cop, I was unable to get my camera out and video the brilliance but I’m pretty sure I’ve found him though the wonder of you tube and someone else who clearly thought he was worthy of being captured on film. There’s no way there’s two dudes who direct traffic like this in one city it was a sight to behold, one that made us all laugh including the taxi driver. So whilst this might not be my video it is a good representation of what we witnessed whilst sitting in traffic and waiting our turn and I had to share with you a little Abuja craziness…</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vUh6a2F5TSE">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vUh6a2F5TSE</a></span></div>
Kasiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01827909478397575270noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4736188739286883834.post-67049209219889784182011-10-06T18:08:00.000+01:002013-06-13T11:21:16.439+01:00Some random thoughts…..<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">I don’t blog for ages and then it’s twice in a day, what’s gotten into me?! Who knows but there I was on my journey to the meeting under the mango tree and indeed on the way back and I was noticing lots of things as I do every time I travel here and it struck me that there are lots of sights that have become so much a part of the fabric if you like, that I don’t really pay much heed to them anymore but when I first arrived I used to look goggle eyed at them. Things like (and this not an exhaustive list….)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">The mobile shops i.e. people carrying their wares on their heads, everything you can imagine like bananas, groundnuts, cooked products etc. Then you have the people with literal mobile shops selling a bit of everything with huge containers on their heads full of toothbrushes, toilet paper, noodles, sachets of various powdered drinks, a kind of mobile corner shop on someone’s head. You also have people on bikes with drinks and I’ve also seen mobile ice cream sellers on bikes too that play a tune just like at home and people with wheelbarrows usually full of sugar cane. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Roadside signs, might not sound very fascinating but they are everywhere and for everything. You get dizzy looking at them and you would be surprised at the services on offer in the strangest of places. Nestled in amongst signs for various churches and schools you’ll see ‘Ultrasound and x-ray here’ and you’re looking down a tiny lane of huts thinking, really?! Or perhaps a sign for ‘God’s own business centre’ next to a shop selling tyres and kerosene.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Motorbikes and their amazing array of passengers and cargo. Motorbikes are used here as taxis (although not in the city of Abuja itself) and you can see anything up to 4 passengers squeezed on, this will usually include some children and a baby strapped to the back of its mother looking totally nonplussed as to its mode of transport on a frighteningly busy road. Then there's the passengers carrying brilliant varieties of cargo, maybe a jerry can of kerosene in each hand, live animals, dead animals, 6ft sections of fencing which they balance precariously on the handle bars so the driver has to put his hand through them in order to actually drive the motorbike and my favourite sight so far a huge section of glass windows with both the driver and passenger having their heads sticking out of one of the windows with it slid down, the words horror crash and decapitation flitting through my mind. All of this whilst they weave in out of the traffic like they are just the motorbike and nothing else.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">The children’s plaything layby just outside of Abuja. The first time I saw it I really thought it was so odd but now I just sort of nod at the parents shopping there. Imagine a huge layby just by the motorway filled with everything made of plastic a child could ever want ranging from small toys right up to giant playhouses and swing sets. It’s not the concept of buying toys for kids it was more the fact that you went to a layby by a really busy expressway to do it. Why not in a shop or at least not by the side of a road which leads me to my next point. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Roadside shopping. I’ve mentioned this before I know but actually this week I did have a surprise from the roadside shopping. On our way back to Abuja I must have dozed off as we came into the city and woke up to find a giant stuffed wolf at my window. My reaction was not great in a car full of muslims but thankfully they were too busy talking to hear my shocked ‘sweet baby Jesus!’ utterance. I’m not sure why I said it, the wolf looked nothing like Jesus after all. That is by far the most unusual thing I have seen for sale in amongst the traffic in Abuja but I have seen the same wolf (or maybe it’s his brother) sat on an armchair on one of the routes home the taxis take me. I was never sure what was being advertised the wolf or the chair or both?</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">So there you go some things that I have stopped taking proper notice of, but I will now be on guard for the wolf as I am beginning to think he might be stalking me. I really must try to get some photos of these things, I just keep telling myself I’m here for such a long time that I’ve got ages before I need to worry about getting photos but I will forget that these things were ever worth snapping if I’m not careful, especially if a man on the back of a motorbike with a window on his head doesn’t even cause me to bat an eyelid.</span></div>
Kasiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01827909478397575270noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4736188739286883834.post-18427426598736517102011-10-06T17:58:00.000+01:002013-06-13T11:17:58.927+01:00The meeting under the mango tree<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Yesterday I attended the most interesting meeting of my life, if you’re of the opinion that meetings can be interesting that is. It took place under the welcome shade of a large mango tree by the school in Gaski and Cheta, you may remember I blogged about my visit there a few weeks ago. Well we had returned to meet with the community leaders and various members of the PTA to discuss the work that was to be carried out to renovate the buildings thanks to grant from Friends of Nigeria that had been secured by the previous VSO volunteer at my organisation.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">I’m not sure why the tree was chosen as the meeting venue, perhaps it was decided it was too dangerous to sit in the school itself given it might collapse at any moment but there we were, five of us from USI and just one representative from the community perched on large rocks under the tree. Then the ‘others’ came (don’t worry not like in lost where they were kidnapped and made to drag cuddly toys around on bits of string), people turned up on motorbikes, in cars and on foot and soon there was nearly twenty of us sat under the tree. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">I was informed that the meeting would take place in the local community language so I would be briefed at intervals as to what was happening. It was actually quite interesting not being able to understand what was being said, especially when the second chief turned up and threw a spanner in the works. I could tell things had gone a bit off course when he arrived late and waited for chairs to be brought especially for him and his assistant (?) instead of sitting on a bench like everyone else (or a rock like me) and he then proceeded to gesture to another building way off in the distance and everyone else looked really annoyed. Watching body language because you haven’t a clue what’s going on is fascinating. I did understand when the ‘Bature’ was suddenly being referred to and indeed pointed at, that’s me by the way. Bature is the Hausa word for white person. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I wondered how the first chief felt (the one I’d met on my previous visit) as he was only sat on a bench, was this a bit of deliberate one-upmanship on the part of the other dude? Isn’t there a saying about too many chiefs? Or is that too many chefs? Well the same analogy just might apply here.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Apparently he wanted money to be spent on another building that was half finished but everyone else wanted the school to be renovated (what the grant was intended for) and so after some convincing everything was fine we managed to return to the original purpose of the discussion. I’m still not sure why I was involved in the conversation, just nod and smile Kasia, nod and smile. My only contribution was to point out that the grant was approved for the school buildings and that any change of plan even if they intended to use it for a school would need to be approved by the donor. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">After it was agreed which buildings we were working on, thankfully the school, some of the men started disappearing on their motorbikes apparently to go and get quotes for the materials needed. In return for providing the blocks, cement etc. the community had agreed they would do the work on the school themselves as most of them are labourers. So back came the men with prices it was all written down if it was agreed to be a fair price and then the first instalment of money was handed over, signed for and they went off to purchase the materials to start work straight away. There was apparently a joke about the treasurer of the PTA now having enough money for a second wife, which everyone else laughed at and he just looked mightily cross. We took a photo to commemorate the occasion and that was that. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">For a country where supposedly it takes forever to get things done, corruption is rife and funds never reach the communities they are intended for it was really quite amazing to witness such a lot achieved in such a short space of time. The meeting did get a tiny bit heated at one point and it did also seem like we were going round in circles as well but we got there in the end, in under two hours in fact. Can you imagine trying to achieve anything like that back home in the UK? Think of the hoops you’d have to jump through, the procurement guidelines, the quotes, the tenders the sheer amount of time you would waste with paperwork and getting everyone’s approval. I know there’s something to be said for our system but I have to say I much prefer holding my meetings under a mango tree with an outcome like this where work starts before you’ve even driven away.</span></div>
Kasiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01827909478397575270noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4736188739286883834.post-14381893329818031362011-09-28T16:25:00.000+01:002013-06-13T11:13:24.178+01:00Strange happenings<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">A few weird things have happened this week which makes me wonder if I’ve slipped into a parallel Abuja…. On Monday which is always the worst day of the week just because it’s Monday, I didn’t have to haggle for either of my taxis. Now this might not seem like much to any of you but the whole haggling for a taxi every time you want to go somewhere is really annoying. There isn’t much choice for transport round our way and you have to haggle EVERY time you get a car anywhere. Anyway both drivers to and from work just waved me in when I said “It’s 250” there I was all ready to haggle as I do every other time but no not today Oyibo. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Had I magically found a way to make it clear with my tone that 250 was all I was willing to pay? Did they just know by looking at me that they were never going to win? Had I passed some special Taxi haggling test after nearly three months of living here that meant I never had to do it again? Apparently not all back to normal on Tuesday, looks like I Just managed to find the only two drivers in Abuja who couldn’t bothered with the hassle, it was Monday after all.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">The second bout of weirdness came this morning in the office when I found myself talking to the giant cockroach climbing the wall behind me. Weird because I didn’t even flinch when I spotted him. Now I’m not frightened of cockroaches like I am some other beasties but they are especially gross and up until now they have tended to make me shudder and/or yelp, usually just as I am eradicating them with a well-aimed jet of Raid which sends them into a frenzy ending with them squirming on their backs for up to a day before they finally die, poor blighters. Anyway I didn’t yelp, or shudder or even move in fact I got my camera out (god knows why) and then started to talk to it, well no one else was around to talk to. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">I was asking Mr. Roach where he’d been, what he was doing now and telling him that I could still hear him when he hid behind the filing cabinet. Then he came out of his hiding place and my colleague walked in and took his shoe off and thwacked him. Goodbye Mr. Roach. I have a feeling you aren’t supposed to thwack cockroaches though, something about if they are lady roaches they carry their eggs inside them and you just disperse them or maybe that’s a myth. Or maybe I’ll come in tomorrow and have lots of conversations with lots of baby roaches. Oh dear I think I may have inhaled too much raid or something.</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiK8gAr3o3rlg5hnxVWm6Aml4da2gzgKgj4o2gEoUhstGT0QtduvDFNKg-gXaBXn5bekHoehIGcYBUBbJcISIAoRiKHyiPcUOOojuSlMtBpn6d9ZPnBwJWdbl88ROdC3xQLy0SZz-dvEFFK/s1600/Abuja+049.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="133" kca="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiK8gAr3o3rlg5hnxVWm6Aml4da2gzgKgj4o2gEoUhstGT0QtduvDFNKg-gXaBXn5bekHoehIGcYBUBbJcISIAoRiKHyiPcUOOojuSlMtBpn6d9ZPnBwJWdbl88ROdC3xQLy0SZz-dvEFFK/s200/Abuja+049.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgngZycQ01CdDF74h82cIqBjxT1EteOmrLmpOtq7D3I9V-A8xCr_OC5ja9V439iChoxFA_21ouuTLjEotPtMgRJFdNcnY6QItkOubiGmtJ84SlIUwsqKAsl6nelmOnY0eic7UCdzBVss_I4/s1600/Abuja+050.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" kca="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgngZycQ01CdDF74h82cIqBjxT1EteOmrLmpOtq7D3I9V-A8xCr_OC5ja9V439iChoxFA_21ouuTLjEotPtMgRJFdNcnY6QItkOubiGmtJ84SlIUwsqKAsl6nelmOnY0eic7UCdzBVss_I4/s200/Abuja+050.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">The final weird thing is that I think I might finally be starting to, wait for it…….tan. Having spent the first 29 years of my life lily white and freckly this is a strange concept indeed, so far this miraculous occurrence is limited to my arms and face. The tan on my feet keeps turning out to be dirt that washes off in the shower (despite this being a city it’s still very dusty here).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I don’t think I’m ever going to be brown but I do seem to have ceased glowing in a fashion that causes people to shield their eyes when they look directly at my skin. It is possible that my freckles are just merging of course. I hasten to add that I have been very good with sun cream and have only had one incident of sunburn since I’ve been here which is pretty good going really. I have no desire to look like a piece of shammy leather when I’m older but it is quite a novelty for me to have a bit of colour. Let’s face it one week back in blighty and I’ll be glowing again.</span></div>
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Kasiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01827909478397575270noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4736188739286883834.post-42112128768100961352011-09-25T20:50:00.000+01:002013-06-13T11:09:43.241+01:00All quiet on the western front<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">I’m sat here on Sunday night realising that I have been especially quiet this week. Actually I don’t know where this week has gone it has literally flown by. After the excitement of seeing Jimi last Friday the rest of the weekend was fairly quiet so not much to report there. The week at work was also fairly quiet in that no one seemed to be around much so I plodded on with proposal writing regardless. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Some vaguely exciting things that happened this week, I found a ‘Spar’ close to where I work, it’s the most like a supermarket at home that I’ve found here but I can’t really afford anything inside, good times bad times.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">I went to the clinic on Wednesday and whilst I was there I asked to be weighed (first time ever) and I’d lost 32lbs. I was over the moon, that’s in just over ten weeks so pretty good going I think. Definitely good times. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">We went out on Friday to some new places and had a great night but I woke up on Saturday with the mother of all hangovers having not really drank that much, good times bad times.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">In my hungover state I then had to go and meet a VSO volunteer who had picked up a parcel for me from Calabar. Think blazing heat, pounding head, getting into a moving vehicle (with a driver that had no idea where he was going), and general nausea, bad times. It got a bit worse as when we finally arrived at the 'National Library' that actually looked more like an apartment block. I had run out of credit so couldn’t call to say I had arrived and there was no sign of Henry who I was supposed to be meeting. Thankfully there were three security guards one of whom kindly took me to find credit and actually ended up going on a proper mission to get it for me as the first guy was out of my provider. Bless him, he probably took one look at my ashen face and realised I might keel over at any given moment. When he came back I was taken to a nice bench in the shade to sit down whilst I waited for Henry to appear. I could quite happily have had a little kip but I’m not sure what they would’ve made of that although you do often see people having a little nap in the shade, all part of the integration.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">I hoped for a quick getaway as I really needed to lie down but Henry wanted to show me the school that was hiding inside the National Library building and then I had to try and be professional and talk VSO type business with a nice lady who gave me a notebook and talked about training (I think). She has my email address though so I’m fairly sure she will be sending me the details of what we discussed. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After this I found myself a drop and went back to the flat and into a vertical position under the fan and pretty much remained there for the rest of the day. I promise to try and be more exciting this week.</span></div>
Kasiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01827909478397575270noreply@blogger.com0