Sorry...sorry...again it has been a while since I have written a blog I know. But I have had less and less access to internet in Lagos. I have spent now 3 weeks and counting in Lagos, so I MUST talk about it and all the rumours or warnings that I have been given about how crazy Lagos is. Fist and foremost, I really believe that anywhere I have gone God has always protected me...so my fears are not really heightened here. There are different areas of Lagos and some can be broken down into areas that contain certain shops selling a variety of things. One area may be known more for electronics...the other furniture. But obviously there are areas that aren’t specific in any industry...and are just where people stay. Lagos is the mainland, and then there are 3 major bridges that take you to the island. On the island there are 3 major areas, Ikoyi, Lekki and Victoria Island. This is where the money is, and mainly where the foreigners stay and where many people commute to work. So imagine it like New York and that Lagos is like New Jersey and they commute to work. (I am not sure the distance in km is the same...but you get the idea).
So you may ask, what is so crazy about Lagos...well though I have heard stories of robberies or policemen taking people in to the station for not having their ID cards and being paid off...when I am around, it seems that these things don’t happen...which I thank God for. But generally the craziness to me is not craziness, but busyness and congestion due to Lagos having somewhere around 15 million people. The traffic is what is crazy...and how many people are out and about but that seems to be all to me. It is like a Chinese New York or something...so in conclusion, I like Lagos.
Lagos weather is humid and hot, but it isn’t as hot as Abuja to me. Abuja was more stagnate and the sun would beat down and any time of day there I was sweating. Here I feel more comfortable and the humidity is not really that overpowering. The Island is my favourite area. Driving in you see a city...more of what I am used to as a city girl. There are more places to eat that are international, the amenities that I am used to are more easily found here...and there is a big mall and movie theatres.
People in Lagos are generally more liberal. They say here that the people in the south (which is where Lagos is) are more educated, therefore are more open to new ideas and concepts. That is why people can do anything here in Lagos and do well...new things and ideas are welcome with open arms. There are many cool places to hang out, and one of them that we do hang out at is called Bogobiri Hotel. It is a small hotel that is very unique. It is artistic and primitive in its decor. On the main level, it looks more like a coffee shop with tables and couches and chairs made of wood, then art work all over the walls. You can order drinks and food and there are live bands. Every other Tuesday there is something called Taruwa which means “gathering” which is put on by an old schoolmate of Jude’s where artists come to sing or recite poetry with just the bare essentials of a traditional drum, a guitar and keyboard. Jude often performs and it is really cool.
The crazy things that I have gone thru...which should really allow you all to have a new found respect for me...are many. I am staying with some friends of ours and since they are just starting out things aren’t always how they want them to be. Not that it is a big deal, the room I stay in is clean and nice but I fear the kitchen...due to mice and rats that come in through other places...it’s like an apartment building. They come in through the bathroom mainly through the hole where the water from the shower drains. They have put stuff out, but these rats are really something else. I don’t fear cockroaches here; since I barely have seen any except dead ones...it is now the rats and mice. So keeping the place neat is imperative so they don’t get into things. I also have to make sure I don’t use a lot of water when I bathe. They only bring water (they...being well...I really don’t know) mainly at night so we fill buckets in the bathroom and then use that to scoop water into the toilet to flush it and to bathe and wash our hands. The bathroom doesn’t have a bath to stand in or squat in to bathe...so you just bathe in the middle of the bathroom and the floor slants and drains out the hole. The water I bathe with definitely wakes me up because it is always cold and we don’t boil it to bathe. Nepa (which is electricity...actually the electricity companies name...which people have made an acrostic for...Never Expect Power Always) here in Lagos seems to be the worst in all the cities I have been in so far. I think I have found a pattern and so far it comes once a week for a whole day...usually on Sunday. When there isn’t any we turn on the generator...so I have become accustomed to sleeping with that noise now....yes me, a light sleeper, but when you are hot and tired, I guess you can sleep anywhere and through anything! But that takes money to buy the gas for the gen...so all in all sometimes I feel frustrated and miss power and running water. But I am generally doing well with everything...and can’t complain too much and we all joke about it.
I have had a few emotional breakdowns...missing mainly random things such as subway sandwiches, home-cooked meals chai tea lattes and the vegetables from the market...b/c even the ones here don’t compare! I crave pizza all the time...it is funny and find I get sick of eating chicken and rice...so I tend to stay away from it sometimes. I miss my family and friends and certain dumb routines that I would do...going out by myself to go shopping to London Drugs, the mall or just the grocery store. Last night I dreamt of going to IKEA just to hang out. So I am adjusting. Any emails about my nieces and nephew make my eyes tear up...and they are the main thing I miss...which I knew they would be. On the news front, I have applied for a teaching job at a primary school that is a British International School. They are located in Ikoyi and have around 300 students. The make up of staff and students is supposed to be 60% Nigerian and 40% other...but it is more Nigerian. The head teacher (principal) is from Ireland and seems really nice. Jude and I saw the school and both thought it was a nice place...so I had an informal interview, then I was called back for a formal one, and now they have told me that they are offering me a position but local hire...which means without all the perks of being an international hire like tickets, and pay...so we are seeing what they are going to offer salary wise..then make a decision. I have also been prompted by many of our friends here to pursue my photography and though I feel insecure and shy, they all really believe I have something special. So I am going to pursue things with that too so my options stay open. So as for now...keep praying.
Other than that, I am meeting some great friends and learning a lot. I am being pushed to grow and push myself to be more confident in everything I do. I am thankful for the friends I am making, because I am feeling like I am making some ones that will really be good ones...though mainly guys...
