Reach Out For My Hand

ONE KID AT A TIME, ONE PERSON AT A TIME.

A few days ago, I went with a few ladies to visit one of the charities that the American Women's Club Lagos have been supporting throughout the years. It is a maternity clinic and right beside it, is a school/nursery. The clinic provides pre and post-natal care for indigent women. Apparently, they also provide care of abandoned children and orphans from all parts of Lagos, Nigeria. Sometimes, when these women come in, they do not have the means to pay. So that means, the staff at the clinic won't get paid either.

While in the school, there are about 114 kids ranging from 2 yrs old till about 12 or 13 yrs old. There's a lady who's in charge of the place. She is simply known as "Mama". I am no saviour nor am I an angel but what I saw and hear touched my heart. Mama was not there when we came. We talked with Ms Rasheeda instead. She takes care and is in charge of the school.

Of course, just like in every part of Nigeria, there are so many needs. The clinic need some rubber gloves, malaria medicines among other things. The school was lacking of proper curtains among other things to shield the children in the classroom from the bright sunlight. The children even ran out of food once. These children are very smart. I was watching Ms Rasheeda teached the class for a bit while we were there. Enjoy the pictures. I enjoyed taking them!

 
<><><>

These children were happy to see us. 5, 6 and 7yrs olds.

 

Playground area shared by 114 kids!

 



These children were reading/writing in a dark classroom. These are 4 and 5yrs olds if I'm not mistaken.



Ms Rasheeda and her two daughters

Measuring to make curtains for the classrooms



Modest sign at the entrance of the classrom





12, 13 yrs olds.








The Clinic

The emergency room. Not the typical ones that you imagine it to be.

  

Up the stairs to the labour ward. At times, they have to carry the patients up the stairs.



Scanning room



Guess what room this is?



Tiny room they call laboratory





I should be thankful with what I've got!

It's A Two-Way Communication

TALK TO ME!

If you are like me, as a parent, as a mom, communications between teacher-parent, room parent(s)-parent are VERY important. I like to be informed of any concern or event that's going on in the school especially when it involves your own child's well-being and events that involves your child's class itself. I like the school here and the kids like their school.

Of course, it is important that our kids are also happy here especially now that we are in a third world country. We were in Singapore before we moved here. I was a room parent for two years running. First year as a room parent, I was just assisting, more like behind-the-camera type of assisting. Second year, it was a full hands-on job. I was the only room parent in our youngest son'sclass. I was in school almost every week and at times, almost everyday. By the end of the school year, the security guards, other teachers and their assistants knew me and my face too well!

Here, I think the room parent(s) don't really know a diddly-squat about communications! That, i am not too happy and impressed about. A room parent's job is to help the teacher communicate to the other parents in the class on behalf of the teacher. If you can't even do that, why offer yourself to be one? I just don't understand that. I can be one. Just give me that damn job of yours! I totally understand that everybody has their own life to deal with and to take care of. Just a simple email or two should do. At least, our 3rd grader's room parents know how to do their job! I guess each to his/her own. Different country, different way of handling things. It is still not acceptable. Not acceptable at all. I'm not angry, I'm just frustrated.

You like Dodo? I like Dodo.

 CHOP, CHOP!


Don't worry, I won't become like this!

Nigerians like their food 'pepper'and starchy. I like my food VERY 'pepper' but not starchy! Stop scratching your head. When I say I like my food very pepper, I'm saying I like my food VERY spicy. It's a Nigerian slang. I am the only one in my family that REALLY loves very, very spicy food!

No wahala! Give me a bowl of this, i'll eat them :)

There are a lot of ethnic group that comprise the West African nation of Nigeria. Thus, there are a lot of variety of traditional Nigerian cuisines. More on Nigerian cuisines, click here. If you are a vegetarian and happen to live here, sorry-o, a bit wahala (problem) for you then. Nigerians LOVE their meat and they use meat in most of their dishes. Have I tried any of the local food? Heck yes I have and hell, not all I would call FOOD! I like suya, I like dodo (plaintain), I like fish/chicken stew, I like moi moi, I like..I like..I like! I'm a foodie and I like food period! Which is why I gained 5kgs so far. I look like a fat bull that got lost in Lagos! Nice, huh?!?!

Do I not look hideous! Stop laughing!

Which is also why my husband is no longer holding my hands in public and my kids go, "Eeeeeew!" on me. At least, you, my readers, will learn all about Nigerian food from me somewhat, somehow.


From left to right: Chicken stew & jollof rice, Efo riro soup and Ogbono Okro soup.
Bottom: Gari

Efo riro soup

Efo riro soup is a Yoruba speciality dish made with assorted parts of meat, dried fish, crab claws and fried snails with green vegetables such as Soko or Tete.


Ogbono with okra soup

Ogbono soup is made with ground Ogbono seeds. Besides the seeds, water, and oil, it also contains bitterleaf, celosia, tomatoes and okra. In it, also include chillies, onions and iru (fermented beans). Typical meats include beef, goat, fish, chicken, bush meat, shrimp or crayfish. It can be eaten with pounded yam, or with rice. I tasted this and the Efo soup one time and never again! I look at this dish and this is what I envisioned...



but I love this..chicken pepper soup. Made this last week!

Gari, at least this is not too bad..

Gari is made from cassava tuber. Quite a tedious process to make this. Just don't ask me to make it for you! As David, a local packer at Spar, would say, "Madam, the more you eat Nigerian food, the stronger you will get!". He said it in so many words. Whatever that means. Don't mind me, I'm off to 'chop' now. Another 5kgs in the making...woohoo!

Laissez Les Bons Temps Rouler. Get it?!?!

TIME WELL SPENT!

One would ask me how do I/we spend our time in Lagos, Nigeria, especially during the weekend??? Well, sometimes practically nothing! Bloody nothing much to do here. You can go to the beach and go to the movies. Erm, wait..or go to a birthday party, a Nigerian wedding. Provided you are invited unless you want to crash one. Whatever you do, be prepared to declare bankruptcy by the end of the day. No, I am not kidding!

Last night, I spend my weekend by hosting a small, Mardi Gras gathering at our aparment. Yes, Mardi Gras in Naija. Mardi gras dans le monde. Can't beat it, right?? Laissez Les Bons Temps Rouler....let the good times roll as they say. Nothing major or big parties like those in the United States. No, no, no drunken men or flashing involved. Sorry to dissapoint you! We are civilised people :) Don't tell me Mardi Gras is over! Mardi Gras is NEVER over! Some info on Mardi Gras, click here. I'm not a good writer nor would I say I'm a good host. I try. I think everyone had fun last night. James Bond came. Aladdin came. I will talk about me after I visit a costume store! So enjoy the pictures.


 If you want to know what "Baby" I'm talking about, click here.



Aftermath of the party. Believe me, most of the trash have been cleaned up so it looked acceptable! :)

Damn, now I have to go and stock up on costumes! I want to taste some glitz and glamour, black ties. Call me! I will be ready.

I Knocked My Head Once. I Knocked My Head Twice!

PLEASE COME TO MY SENSES!

Before we moved here to Nigeria, I know we are "diving" straight into the lion's den. I was somewhat mentally prepared for it. Somewhat. Especially after watching a documentary about Lagos on BBC (British Broadcasting Corporation) channel sometime ago before our move. They were showing about life in the slums, the way the Lagosians live, the power outages, the corruptions, the notoriously-known wild Nigeria.We were in Singapore. Before that, we were in Saudi Arabia and the US. There are no comparison between Singapore, the US and Nigeria. PERIOD! Saudi Arabia is different too but it wasn't a bad place. Everyone was shocked to find out that we are moving here. I was shocked too!

Singapore. Clean and safe.

Lagos, Nigeria. What do you think?

I have heard about all the nasty things and how dangerous Nigeria is and can be. Of course when I set my foot at Murtala Muhammed International Airport, oh boy was I not happy. I was miserable. I felt out of place. A total culture shock! Our oldest son cried in the bus because he was nervous and scared. Our youngest son seemed ok because he's still not sure what he's in for. This place is filthy, the traffic is horrible it gives me headache and it still does, the people are terribly loud, rough and full of B.O.! I don't really know anybody except for one family who have since left Nigeria. Worst, we came here during the school summer holidays! Yes, you guessed it right. Almost all of the expats were out of the country. Nobody was here. The kids were bored, I was bored. We lived in a corporate hotel in which everyday the four walls were staring at us. Lucky for our boys, a few weeks later, came another American family who have two sets of twin boys. Yes, two sets of twin boys! They all became friends immediately.

I've seen my fair shares of people pooping and peeing on the road. I've heard, seen and experienced people asking for a dash (money, tip) here all the time every seconds of the day. We will be here 8 months come tomorrow, 1st March 2012. Time really flies.

We are supposed to stay here in Nigeria for about 3 years, maybe 5, maybe even 1 year. Who knows. I do know that it is time for me to let go of all the negativeness that I have for this country and start living it. Yes, there have been a lot of times when I hate the fact that we are here. I told myself that if I don't let it go, I will be miserable. It's time for me to get to know Africa and experience this once-in-a-lifetime adventure. You will still hear me complain about my frustrations here. You will. I know that I am not 100% happy here but I have my family here with me. We will go through it together. I have started. I have started making friends. I have started having fun. I do feel a bit happier now compare to the first time I set foot in this country. It will be ok, I will be ok, my family will be ok. As long as I know how to make use of my time, our time, while we are here.

Sleepless In Nigeria

RAINING CATS AND DOGS!

As I'm writing this post, outside my window, it is simply raining CATS AND DOGS! I don't mean there are cats and dogs pouring down from the sky. That would be weird and maybe a sign that's telling us the world is coming to an end. Before the internet "dies" on me, I shall write this blog.

It has been pouring down for about 20mins now and it is HEAVY! If it keeps on doing what it's doing, I can only imagine what the roads/streets will look like tomorrow. It is not going to be fun especially if I have to go to the market! Yes, it is now 11.41pm. I am sleepless in Lagos. I was watching tv because usually after 9pm, that's when I get to unwind myself. After 9pm , the apartment is usually quiet. Quiet from the screamings and fighting of our two boys. Quiet from the hustle and bustle of the everyday antics of Lagosians. Quiet from the flicking of tv channels by my husband's fingers. Yes, he hogs the tv and I hate the fact that we do not have two tvs! Well, we have one more tv upstairs but there's no satellite. Our boys use it for their Wii . I'm outnumbered in this house. Our female cat doesn't count!  I love my boys don't get me wrong but at times, they drive me bonkers!

I can't sleep because I am nervous about what this rain might or can do. After experiencing that "hurricane-like" moments a few weeks ago, I'm nervous that a window might cracked open just like what happened to one of our neighbours upstairs. You can read about that here. I also can't sleep because our boys' aircon is making lots of "knocking" noises. What if it blows up? Not funny I know. It can happen.

One of my Malaysian friend, who lives at the Total compound, posted on her facebook about three hours ago that the compound caught on fire! Her husband couldn't salvage anything from their flat. They live on the ground floor. Everybody in the building had to get out of their apartment in whatever clothes they had on. Good thing she's not there. She went back to Malaysia as she was told she was not fit to live here. She's pregnant. Maybe this rain is a blessing after all. I do not know how bad is the damage at that Total compound but I sure hope everyone is ok. That is not the first fire outbreak I've heard. Apartments, building, houses get burned down at times. I'm nervous!

It is midnight now. The rain seem to have stopped. After a busy day today and body a bit sore from Zumba yesterday, I should be able to rock myself to sleep. Otherwise, I will count sheep. So, goodnight, sleep tight and don't let the bed bugs bite! Or whatever Nigerian bugs that's lurking around! Don't get me started about the mozzies here. Especially during this rainy season that apparently have started early.

Shake It Part Two

OOH LA LA!

If you have not heard about Zumba yet, where the hell have you been all this while?!?!?! Zumba is EVERYWHERE these days! My friends in Singapore have been making me a wee bit jealous by shouting out loud that they have been to Zumba. After months of trying to find a class, I managed to shake it again this morning. My ass, my chicken arms, everything and I mean EVERYTHING will shake! I LOVE IT!! There's a lot of twisting, shaking, dancing involved. Want to know more about Zumba? No fret, click here and here. I have done something similar in Singapore before we move to this lovely place called Lagos, the Centre of Excellence. Body Jam is the name and just like Zumba, GUARANTEED to lose weight and burn those calories!!



Shake it, shake it..work it, ladies!

I can already see the results. My ass is looking nice and firm. Now, where is my Bodycon dress?!?!?! At least, there ARE things to do here to keep my sanity intact. There are...you just have to keep an eye out for it.