Sail Around the World Event

Last night I went to an event at the Lagos Yacht Club that hosted food and drink from 15 countries.

All you can eat for about $50 with live music and dancing! It was a tasty evening with good friends and fun times!

We left from one of the many jetties on a little transport boat. We got to the dock late in the afternoon and relaxed a bit with a view of some luxurious apartments, the Oriental Hotel, the beautiful sunset, made it safe on the tiny transport boat without getting drenched in the waves, past the Civic Center, under the Falomo bridge filled with traffic and what looks like a small floating blimp at the base, and then had Oscar Meyer hot dogs and Jell-O shots at the tent representing the US then danced the night away!

I also enjoyed Mexican food, South American cuisine, French cheese and meats, a taste of Lebanese food, South African beer called Castle, and South African Amarula liqueur. Met some super nice people including a guy celebrating his 22nd anniversary and some young newlyweds! The band played everything from the 50's to the 80's, a bit of rock and roll, and topped it off with some African songs!

Another night to remember, and a bit of a hangover to go with it!

Appreciation

I went to get water for the school and run some errands the other day. It is in this location where we buy the 5 gallon jugs, turning in our empties. Just down the road I bought some tomatoes, and out on the main road I got some other veggies and fruit.
There are real markets, but the prices are high for produce and some how I feel better when I buy from someone who probably grows the food themselves, or is at least reselling at a lower margin just to feed their families.
What is amazing is that with all this poverty, you don't see people sitting by the side of the road with a sign begging for money. Everyone is doing something or selling something to get what they can get. Ironically, there are a lot of satellite dishes, but compared to the US, basic cable is only N3000 or $18 a month. I think if you live here, you really don't want your kids playing outside.
And we think we have it tough!!

Bananas

Bananas are popular here!!

I like my Naola Chips and even tried my hand at frying some plantains on my little hot plate!!

Yummy!

Dinner at the Waterside

My dinner at the Waterside where I was overcharged by almost double on the basis of being white, forgetting to ask about menus, and talking about price in general in advance. Aside from that, the food was good and the 'chips' were very crispy! It was my first authentic African meal at a restaurant. Spicy!!

Lesson learned!!

Sunday Storm

Being in a country with tropical weather, these storms come and go often.

Sometimes after only a few minutes of down pour, the sun will shine and it will be a warm beautiful day again!

African Classical Concert

I had the privilege to attend a concert of fusion African, Jazz, and Classical music at the Muson Centre in Victoria Island.

It was so awesome with solos on the this unusual harp instrument, African drums, a sax, and of course all the lovely strings!

I was lucky enough to be sitting close enough to watch the cellos play, my favorite of all instruments!

Banana Island Mansion

One of the many mansions that Are here on Banana Island! I walk by this one one the way to the market, it's quiet beautiful.

The other photo is the incredible view from the apartment balcony of a friend.

If you look to the right of the view picture you'll see there there is yet another mansion or luxury apartments going up. There is a lot of building going on here in Lagos!!

The two lots are across from each other. Very exclusive!!

Pulling in the Rig

This was the view from the yacht club patio where I go with friends sometimes. There are huge ships that go through these channels, into and out of the harbor.

On this particular day a rig was being towed in from around the point and if you look at the positioning of ships, you can see how massive the size is as a huge liner passes behind the rig.

Amazing to watch!

Mexican Food in Nigeria

Finally I made it to Bottles Restaurant thanks to my new friend Suntosh!! The most well know place for Mexican food..... Good band, very crowded, very very expensive. This plate of food cost $20!

All the tables were reserved and we had to stand at a table outside, but I'm happy I got to indulge!!

Solitude

It's Sunday.

Approaching the end of day and wondering if I'm going to try and cook rice or noodles on my little hot plate. I'm contemplating my life, my decisions about life, my adventures, my future.....

Isn't that what everyone does after two days of near complete solitude? Funny thing, solitude. What it does to your mind and thoughts, taking you places that you think are not reasonable, yet they feel so appealing when you arrive there, like they are supposed to fit.

My little class of toddlers is shaping up nicely and we are falling into a routine finally, but my purpose here still confuses me. The differences in teaching are still hard to understand and accept, being so different from what I had previously learned and the studies I have read about educating young children. Not that I am convinced either is exactly right, but needing to understand what makes people believe so strongly in either thought process. And does that belief in and of itself create the desired end result?
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I'm reading a book called Americanah by a Nigerian author named Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie. I'm reveling in how alike our personalities seem to be; outspoken, unconventional, edgy, adventurous, challenging. Those traits that seem to stand out when you are with others, whether alone or in a group. Those traits that cause people to either very much like you, or very much not. Is it my 'red-head' genes? My upbringing? My astrological sign?

The character is a Nigerian who comes to America to go to college. She arrives as a young woman just at the beginning of adulthood and immediately starts to learn the many things that she does not know about this new culture, as I am also doing right now here in Nigeria (only I'm way older).

While being faced with so much unknown I question myself. What am I doing and what do I want, and why don't I have an acceptance of a path in life that others seem to have? One that makes a person stick with something long enough to realize the benefits of the effort. Is it as simple as enjoying the journey more than the outcome, or is it something more?

I wonder what creates such questioning in myself. Why can't I seem to 'read between the lines' in life as other people seem to know how to do? It's not that I am so dissatisfied. I enjoy my life and myself in it, following my heart just a little more than I follow my head. But there is a constant uneasiness that weighs on me, and even at my age, I still can't pinpoint where it comes from or what is at the root of it.

So tomorrow is the third day of this long weekend, and I am hoping that it will be the day I can get out for a bit. I want to browse and shop in an unhurried manner. Have the time to really take things in. Get some fresh vegetables from the stand on the side of the road, the same way you would pull off Highway 5 going between Los Angeles and Sacramento. And I'm stilling craving pizza from last week when I learned that there is a Domino's here, maybe tomorrow will be the day to finally get some!!

The Long Weekend

It's Saturday. The first day of a long weekend and as my driver is unavailable today I am feeling for the first time what it means to be isolated and stuck!!

I had so wanted to go to an event tonight, but still don't know if I'll be able to hitch a ride with someone else and their driver, as I am not yet comfortable in a taxi, and especially in the evening!

Yes, this is me who is afraid of little, but fortunately I do know when something is a bit more dangerous than what I can reasonable handle- and traveling alone outside my little estate called Banana Island is one of those things.

So out of complete boredom, I take a little walk to the corner market that I frequent often to buy my Star beer and snacks that get me through the quiet evenings at home, alone, with only a book, some music, and Netflix on my phone to keep me company.

As I originally thought my salary was nice, the cost to buy things in this little safe estate is nearly double what things cost in the US, or even at the markets outside the estate that I can't easily get to yet. It seems eat may eat up my income quicker than anticipated! Luckily on Monday I will have the service of my driver on a regular basis and all will be just a little better. If I can stay away from US products, I save a lot more!! If only I could find my chocolate here!!

In an effort to immerse myself in the culture and the foods I have found a few things worthwhile... the pasta and sauces, the eggs are fresh (even right off the warm shelves), the ice cream is mostly the same, but look out for the beef!! It does seem true that Nigerians like their beef almost 'jerky like' as I experienced last weekend. I bought a little ground beef to add to my pasta sauce and even that was dry as I browned it in the pan, not one drop of juice or fat left in the pan to drain, and sadly it tasted as dry. If not for the sauce it also would have been almost intolerable to eat! Now the bacon on the other hand is pretty good!!

I did find a little snack I like called Naola Chips for only N100 (about .60 cents), dried banana chips with just a little spice on them!They go well with my Star beer after work!! Soon I'll try to make my 'cheat' fried rice that my kids love so much, and hopefully it will taste like home!!

I hope to start adding pictures soon!!

Welcome to Nigeria!!

My first entry since arriving!

It's been a busy week with school starting this past Monday. I began work immediately, plowed through the jet lag, and I'm finally feeling a little more in control of myself! Teachers are great, kids are great, and so far I've not had to deal with mosquitoes as I feared!!

So much to learn about a culture so different from our own! Drivers for most everyone, lizards everywhere, and little did I know that Lagos is pronounced with a long 'a'. That would be a California girl for you!!

Photos to follow soon!!