A day with Koyinsola...

Many of you are pondering "who the heck is Koyinsola and what does this have to do with Rachel?" Well since I have moved to Nigeria my friend and boss Juyin decided that I was already such a Nigerian in so many ways that I needed a Nigerian name. Just like many Nigerians use English names for us white folk who can't pronounce their names, I too am adopting that idea, except for everyone here CAN easily say my name. Nigerian names are quite unique and a lot of them are very lovely. Many even have names that represent the day they were born or if they are a twin etc. I went through many names, but I was the one who came up with Koyinsola...the way it is said is so lovely. First it was Rashida (my crazy friend Taiye decided this one...but no one liked it) then it was Bumi...but then I heard the name Koyinsola and that was it. So now that I am officially a temporary resident of Nigeria (yes I have the paperwork to prove it!) I am living a daily Nigerian life with of course my Western influences that I just can't shake. So here it is...a typical day.

In the morning I wake up at around 6am. If I wake up and I feel hot, it is because NEPA took light sometime during the night and I don't like to put my generator on throughout the night (here is my cheap dutch side coming out...I would rather be a little more hot than to waste my diesel!) Ok...so lets say there IS NEPA...because usually there is until right before I leave for work. I go to my shower and begin to fill a large bucket (which looks more like a giant bowl) with a mixture of hot and cold water (I am lucky to have a water heater...because no matter how hot you feel, taking a cold shower in the morning is alarming and an easy way to fall sick!) I do have a shower head, but since the water pressure is very low, it just makes sense to take a bucket bath/shower. It also save water! 

After my shower I get ready. If there is no light, I am already wet with sweat and it seems impossible to put make up on like this. My hair tends to have a mind of its own here and its super curly because of the humidity. So I am learning to cope! I wander then to the kitchen and grab a bowl of cereal. I usually have fresh bananas which I buy from a lady named Fatima. I first put a few scoops of powdered milk into my bowl, add some cubes of sugar, a banana and some water. Then I add my cornflakes. I don't even really eat Kellogg's because to buy the name brand imported cereals can cost up to $13 a box! I prefer to eat the no name and save! (So anyone planning on visiting...I like Golden Grahams a lot!) I sometimes make tea as well, depending on the time. 

For now, since I don't yet have my car, I get picked up by Yemisi's driver. (Yemisi is Juyins sister) and we then swing by to pick up Yemisi's kids and we are off to school. Depending on the day or time...no wait, what am I saying...nothing to do with traffic is to be predicted here. So we sometimes enter heavy traffic, and sometimes we don't. Yemisi's driver Chimeze grew up in Lagos so he is showing me all the short cuts to school from my place. I think I can remember 3 but I am sure there are more! 

Once at school, most of the students are already there in their classrooms. Depending of traffic elsewhere, some teachers will come late as well as students or the buses. A student rings a bell at 8am and we all head to the activity room. Here we spend time singing, learning a lesson, reciting the national pledge and anthem of Nigeria and then end with a marching song where the students head to their classrooms. 

While the kids are heading off, the teachers all gather and we have a brief morning prayer and relay any announcements to each other about the day. I then head off to do some work. I sometimes just wander around the school and observe what is happening in certain classrooms. Sometimes I go in and watch students who are unattended. This happens often and Juyin has really been trying to enforce that the teachers MUST not ever leave their kids alone especially the younger ones! For the most part, Nigerian children seem to have an earlier understanding of staying put and not getting into something they shouldn't...especially the young kids. Sometimes they seem older than they really are! Of course though, there are always times when they WILL misbehave, after all, they are kids!

Somehow I don't always know where the day goes, but it flies by. Sometimes I am sitting in Juyins office talking about ways to make improvements and how to get the teachers to change their methods of teaching. We can somehow talk for hours on this topic and come up with so many ideas. It sometimes is hard to remember to practice patience as we know that the changes will only occur slowly and we have to try to stay positive and not get disheartened or frustrated. For the most part, since I am new to the system, I don't get frustrated, but I can tell that Juyin has tried very hard not to become frustrated but sometimes it is difficult. I haven't yet started teaching art, but I have worked on the art room and the curriculum as well as lessons. I also am always working on ideas for and planning the next teacher workshop. I lead these and use them to allow the teachers to have a basic hands on way to see various methods of teaching and how to incorporate these into their classrooms and lessons. Its not easy...

I seem to be the favourite attraction to many of the kids and it took a while but now they are used to me. Especially the youngest kids, they are always coming to shake my hand or hug me if they see me and say "Miss Weening...Miss Weening!" The older ones seem to be fascinated with me, especially the girls as they like to touch my hair and want to always be near me. The boys are slowly coming around but I think they are still shy. I do spend time playing with them during the break or at least try to watch them play. I still have so many names to remember...but I am coming along. Even the teachers names are difficult for me to remember. 

After the kids leave, there are still kids that stay around for lesson (or tutoring) and some just stay in the activity room until there parents come. They are allowed to stay because most parents both work and due to traffic, it is difficult to come before 4. I usually then leave again with Yemisi's kids and driver and head home. I tend to get home at all different times. Sometimes it is 5:30. Sometimes it is 7:30. I then either chill, wander out of the Estate and carefully make my way across the street to get some small groceries. Usually at this time I am walking in between cars that are in traffic and dodging okadas. (motorbike taxis) But don't worry, I am always more cautious than not!  I then cook some food for myself. I have a gas stove and am getting used to lighting it without getting nervous...haha! I am very picky about having my kitchen clean because I have sworn NEVER to live with rats again in Nigeria as well as Cockroaches. I do admit that there are tiny tiny ants that sometimes appear if there is a tiny crumb or something, but they are easy enough to get rid of. I am always doing my dishes pronto due to this and any guests who come over just have to wait while I do all the dishes because I won't have bugs! 

After I eat, I tend to take a bucket shower because i feel so sweaty and gross from the day of being in the heat. I luckily have an air conditioning unit in my room, so it can cool the house down a lot! Everyone who comes over tends to hang out in my room on my bed due to the air conditioning. Most people who have come to my place find it hard to leave because it is so relaxing. They don't have all these people around to deal with and they say it feels so homey. I am glad for that and love it when people come to visit me.

After this I tend to do some reading of work and then answer some texts or phone calls...then I usually just find myself slipping off into a deep sleep. It is so easy to fall asleep here, whether there is generator noise outside or not...the heat tends to somehow do that to you.

So that is a typical day. Sometimes it differs, but for the most part I just go with the day as it takes me because you can never predict how anything will go here. So maybe one day, if someone comes to visit, I can take you thru a day so you can truly see how I live.