Weekend Adventures - Part 1

Fridays we get off work early, so I went to Wuse Market. Just to give you an idea of the size and scope of the market, it makes the Byward Market look tiny! Row after row of stalls (picture really tiny stores) house all different kinds of goods. Usually, there's a large, covered area toward vthe back of the market where produce can be bought, but I couldn't find it this time around.

From the moment I arrived at the market I was beset by roaming sales-persons. The first person offered me a sale's pitch for DVDs. I quickly explained that I had neither a DVD player nor a computer. That settled that. The second person, a young man, persisted in trying to sell me a watch. Eventually I told him, as politely as possible, that if he continued to pester me I would run away ... and then I did, waving and yelling back "see ya!" Within 1o minutes of roaming around, I was sweat drenched and getting tired. At one point, surrounded by 3 young men all trying to sell me produce at once, I said "guys guys guys! I can only hear one person at a time!" I was slightly amused and yet my patience was wearing thin. By the time I had completed my shopping (which involved me talking a guy into selling me 2 shirts for $9.30), I was exhausted. I got home, unpacked, bathed, watched TV, and made dinner. I spent the latter part of the evening chatting with my friend P, who works security at the gate and who I have been teaching to speak French in exchange for rudimentary Hausa lessons.

Saturday I slept in but was eventually forced to leave the comfort of my bed when someone persisted in knocking on my door. I was greeted by a member of the staff, holding a cloth over his mouth, who told me that they were fumigating the building and that I should vacate my room. Um ... WHAT?! I explained that I'd just gotten up and couldn't just run out and that I'd just shut my door. After closing the door and pacing around frantically, I was soon overwhelmed by the fumes and realized that I'd have to get out. I quickly grabbed some clothes and escaped into the bathroom (which was thus far free of fumes). I washed, dressed, and got out of the building as quickly as possible. I was furious! I found the manager and attempted to convey my displeasure as tactfully as possible. I discovered that they had, 1) not known the people were coming to spray until that morning, and 2) tried to call me to warn me (I'd unplugged my phone so as not to be disturbed). Turns out this happens every few months and without much advance warning. I gathered it was an initiative of either the federal or regional government. This pacified me somewhat, but I was still pretty annoyed. I ended up spending some time outside talking to the staff while waiting for the fumes to clear. After an hour or so I was able to return and air the place out.

And with that I will conclude Part 1 ... Must get a bit more work done before I write up Part 2. Busy busy!

This & That

"This world is under the rulership of the evil one ..." - The man on the television would have his audience believe that if they do not accept Christ into their lives, they must be under the control of the devil. Usually, my reaction would be to laugh or dismiss it as propaganda and move on, but, as the only 'non-believer' in an office of believers, I'll hold my tongue and be content to smirk in the privacy of my office. In my experience, these televangelists prey on fear of the unknown in order to divest people of their money. It's dispicable, really.

So, yes, there is a television in our office. At first this struck me as rather strange, but, as with most things that baffled me in the beginning, I've grown to accept it as par for the course.

Putting aside the nuisance of TV for a moment, I will now provide a brief update on happenings here in cappacity Nigeria ...

Over the past few days I managed to come down with a nasty sinus cold a la Canada. I just hope it clears up more quickly than the cold I had before I left home. Everyone at the office keeps saying "sorry". In fact, before I came here I thought that Canadians said 'sorry' a lot, but now I realize that we've got nothing on Nigerians. If you stub your toe, someone says 'sorry'. If you say you're having a bad day, someone says 'sorry'. Actually, my favourite 'sorry' moment came when I was watching a film called 'Les Boys II' at an outdoor French-Canadian film fest at the French Cultural Centre last week. It happened during a point in the film where a hockey game was being played: one of the characters was injured and someone in the audience exclaimed "sorry!" I could hardly contain my laughter. Amused though I was, this is also one of the things that I like about Nigerians. The best explanation of 'sorry' that I've heard to date came from my friend D who said: "Sorry is a medicine, it cools everything down."

Hm, what else ... Well, work's picking up. Our grant's been approved, though it's substantially less than the previous one. We've definitely got out work cut out for us. I'm looking forward to actually learning how to do new things, etc.

As for the social aspects of life here, it's been okay for the past little while but it still pales in comparison to my social butterfly lifestyle back home. I spend a lot of time alone. This used to really bother me, but recently I've grown to enjoy solitude. Nevertheless, I crave companionship. A friend from Lagos came into town this past week and treated me to a couple of meals at the Hilton. As well, he put me in touch with a Canadian intern based in Lagos and we've been firing emails back in forth for the past couple of weeks. Hopefully she'll be able to come for a visit in January. She has also provided me with contacts and I hope to make use of nthis information soon. It's a busy time, though, with xmas break looming. So it goes ...

Well, that's really all I have to say for now. I've got some work to do and we're off early on Fridays, so I'd better get on it.

Oh, last but not least, props to my brother, Irene and Mike, and mom for keeping in touch!

Na gode

It's been a while, I know. Work's busy, but not. Y'know? Most of the team's been at ICASA (International Conference on HIV/AIDS and Sexually Transmitted Infections in Africa) all week. I wasn't able to register, because the fees are too high, but I managed to sneak in to at least one presentation. The trick, I found, was to act like you belong there, try to get in, and if stopped say something like "my colleague called and asked me to bring her a document!" Worked like a charm. I wish I'd figured this out sooner, however, as the conference ends today. C'est la vie. I got to meet a couple of folks from the Benin chapter of NAYA (Network for Advancement of Youths in Africa) who came for the conference. One of the members, Pierre, spoke quite a bit of English, but the language barrier was significant enough to make conversation with my colleagues complicated. Thus, I served as our office translator and relayed various information to our visitors. It was quite enjoyable, though at times a tad embarassing as my French is not quite up to par. I was told that I must come to visit, if possible, before I return to Canada.

On a related note, I was overwhelmingly bored and restless last night after I got home. My usual routine of dinner, TV, bath, book, and sleep struck me as highly unappealing. I visited the restaurant and chatted with some people from Kenya who were here for ICASA and then visited my friend (P) at the gate. We've been engaging in a language exchange - I teach him French and he teaches me Hausa.

Anyhow, hate to cut things short, but my day is drawing to a close and I finally managed to get pictures off my camera, so I'm going to monkey around with that for a while. Later!

What's Golden

Every day should start with J5. Awwww yeah!

[Marc 7even]
Melancholy mundane so I tame the hot flame
Big rings, fat chains, and y'all quest for the same
No name, use fame, strictly new to the thang
We stay true to the game and never bring it to shame
We tight like dreadlocks or red fox and ripple
We pass participles, and smash the artist in you
The saga continues, this I won't get into
'Cause there ain't enough bars to hold the drama that we been through

Jurassic 5 - What's Golden

World AIDS Day - Part 2

Imagine what it would be like if everyone you know, all their families and friends, and every one they know, was infected with HIV/AIDS ... This doesn't even begin to describe the reach of HIV/AIDS in the world today. Entire villages in Sub-Saharan Africa have been devastated. Millions of children have been orphaned and many have been forced, by necessity, to drop out of school in order to find ways to feed themselves and their siblings. And yet people continue to have unprotected sex and expose themselves and their partners to infection. Nevertheless, I believe that there is hope and it starts with education. Below are some of the staggering figures related to the current status of HIV/AIDS world wide. For further reading, please consult the links below.

GLOBAL SUMMARY OF THE AIDS EPIDEMIC - DECEMBER 2005

Number of people living with HIV in 2005

Total 40.3 million (36.7–45.3 million)
Adults 38.0 million (34.5–42.6 million)
Women 17.5 million (16.2–19.3 million)
Children under 15 years 2.3 million ( 2.1–2.8 million)

People newly infected with HIV in 2005

Total 4.9 million ( 4.3–6.6 million)
Adults 4.2 million ( 3.6–5.8 million)
Children under 15 years 700 000 (630 000–820 000)

AIDS deaths in 2005

Total 3.1 million (2.8–3.6 million)
Adults 2.6 million (2.3–2.9 million)
Children under 15 years 570 000 (510 000–670 000)

The ranges around the estimates in this table define the boundaries within which the actual numbers lie, based on the best available information.

[Source.]

Links/Resources on HIV/AIDS
UNAIDS - http://www.unaids.org/en/default.asp
WHO (World Health Organization) - http://www.who.int/hiv/en/
Population Action International (PAI) - http://www.populationaction.org/news/views/2005/11_28_AIDS.htm

(More later, the power keeps going off and on, off and on.)

World AIDS Day - December 1

Last night I watched a special program on AIDS in Zambia. It was utterly heart breaking, but such reports are essential in order to convey the extent of the impact that AIDS is having worldwide. It would be impossible to convey the entirety of the program in one entry; however, I will bring to your attention some of the points that struck me as overwhelming.

A 16 year old girl brought her brother into the hospital. The child looked to be about 8 years old; he was 14. Weighing a mere 17 lbs (!!!), he was in the latter stages of AIDS. Both their parents have already died from AIDS related illnesses. Eventually, the sister had to return home in order to care for two other children, one of which is the child of her sister (deceased).. She gave birth to her own child at the age of 12. The pastor at her church tells the congregation that he does not support the use of condoms "because they are man made" and tells them that only God can provide protection, so they must "stick to Jesus". I was appalled. Fortunately, the girl's brother received a blood transfusion during the night and was looking much better the following day. Nevetheless, his chances of survival are not good.

The man who was speaking to people about their experiences was originally from Sierra Leone. He was able to speak to people in a way that I do not think a foreign journalist could (or should?) and, in this manner, he was able to bring out more profoundly personal elements in the lives of those affected by and/or infected with HIV/AIDS. When at a popular local night spot for young people, he was talking to an intoxicated young man who spoke of how he goes out and finds a girl, any girl, to have sex with. The young man admitted to being HIV positive and when the journalist asked him if he uses a condom he said "There is no reason for to use a condom since I am already HIV positive". The journalist was, understandably, very distressed and asked the young man if he had any sisters (he said yes, two) and how he would feel if a man did this to one of his sisters. The young man replied "Nothing". When people give up not only on themselves, but cease to care for others as well, they seem to be dead inside. That was the impression that I had of this young man.

Lastly, there was the mother who lamented over the death of her 8 year old son (who, incidentally, had the body of a 5 year old). Her sobs were heart wrenching. She did not have a blanket to wrap her son in, nor a way to bring him back to their village for burial, so the hospital allowed her to borrow a blanket and some of the journalist's colleagues drove her and her son back to their village.

I found it difficult to watch these scenes of human misery and yet what I feel is a fraction of the turmoil that HIV and AIDS inflict on the lives of more than 40 million people world wide. They cannot change the channel on their stories and so neither will I. In being a witness to such tragedies, one gains not only the knowledge that is necessary to fight HIV/AIDS, but also gains an invaluable sense of compassion for those who suffer daily from the impacts of HIV and AIDS.

So please, today and every day, think of those people who are struggling daily for survival and of those who are vulnerable to becoming infected (increasingly, women and girls). Think of them and do something to help fight the battle against HIV/AIDS. Write to your elected officials and urge them to take up the fight, educate yourself about HIV/AIDS and remind your peers about the importance of safe sex, use protection and get tested regularly for HIV and other STIs (sexually transmitted infections). There is hope so long as we do not give up on ourselves, our brothers, and our sisters.

I am Yam, Yam I am.

I went on an adventure this afternoon in search of food. I misunderstood the directions that I was given and ended up walking for about 15 minutes when it should have taken only 5 tops. Never underestimate my talent for getting lost! I ordered fish, as it helps avoid the problems associated with trying to order a strictly vegetarian meal.

I was given 3 dishes in which to dip the pounded yam. I ate as much fish as I could (a bit too spicy for me) and a lot of the vegetable concoction. I avoided the last dish altogether as it looked too much like pepper soup, which generally has meat in it. I really liked the pounded yam, which I can only describe as a large doughy ball. The idea is to take a bit of the pounded yam and dip it into the dishes. It's a hands on meal. While I enjoyed eating with my hands, I think it will take some time for me to get used to the cuisine. The people at the restaurant were very nice, though, so I think I may drop by there again some time.

On the trip back I employed common sense and headed in the direction of the offices. I got here in about 5 minutes, tired, sweating, and happy to be in an air conditioned environment.

Until next time ...

Day In, Day Out

Honestly, not much to report. We're in a 'slow' period at work, though I've still got a lot of reading to do. Basically, my days consist of getting up, going to work, working, going home, eating, watching mindless TV, going to bed. Throw in an occassional trip to the discount/bulk grocery store and a stroll around the 'hood on the weekend and that's about it. Though I miss hanging out with my friends, solitude has become oddly liberating. I've become quite guarded of my personal space and have yet to invite anyone over. My coworkers are undserstandably curious and want to see my new accomodations, but I can't stand the thought of having guests. I can think of only one person that I would invite over, my female coworker B. I'll need to get to know the others better before I invite them over. It's not a big place either, so having more than 2 people over at a time would be awkward.

Yep, that's about it. Sorry I don't have anything more exciting to say.

A Week and a Day

Well, it's been one week plus a day since I arrived here. Why does it feel like I've been here for months? Not that time is dragging by or anything such thing, but it feels like so much has happened since I arrived that it couldn't possibly have been just a week. Given that so much has transpired, I'll try to limit myself to a few anecdotes ...

Getting Settled
This week I moved from the hotel where I was staying to my new apartment. My colleagues were able to find a highly affordable, comfortable, and safe place to stay, which lifted a huge burden from my shoulders. It's not without problems, but the same could be said of a dwelling in Ottawa. In general, the problems are minor and can usually be dealt with swiftly by informing the management. I also learned very quickly the disadvantages of trying to insect proof my apartment on my own. I sprayed insecticide around my door frame only to have an entire colony of ants run for their lives. I felt a combination of horror and extreme guilt. When I closed my eyes to sleep that night, all I could see was ants. So much for my claim to Buddhism. Which brings me to the next point ...

On Religion
Religion is an important part of most Nigerians' lives. One of the first questions people asked me was "what religion are you?" Generally, I tend to respond by saying that "I belong to no religion in particular; however, I most closely associated with Buddhism". It seems to have worked so far. I had thought that religion, or the lack thereof as concerns yours truly, would be a 'problem' (for lack of a better word) for me here, but, to the contrary, I find myself more curious than anything else. I enjoy listening to the Muslim 'call to prayer' (2 to 3 or more times a day while at work), though admittedly some people should not be made responsible for this task (i.e., it's not always 'in tune'). I've also asked a colleague if I could attend church with her some time. From what I overheard one Sunday while at the hotel, it's nothing like the hushed, reserved form of church that I've experienced in the past. Should be interesting.

"Hello, Oyinbo!"
Lastly, I am frequently aware of the fact that I am a white person, something that I didn't tend to think about regularly back home. A couple of times people asked me amusing questions, like "are you Chinese?" or, my personal favorite, "are you Egyptian?", but, for the most part, I am recognized as "oynbo" (pronounced oi-bo) which means 'white person'. At the market the other day someone greeted me "Hello, Oynbo!" I joked with my colleague that I was going to change my name to Oynbo and we had a chuckle.

What does being a white person here mean to me? Well, for starters, it means that I am looked upon as being 'in the money' and, therefore, I tend to get charged more for things like goods at the market and cab rides. As such, I have taken to improving my bargaining skills. Last night we had a hard time finding a cab because they were all asking for 300 Naira (it's not a lot of money in Canadian dollars, but here it's enough to make you want to bargain). We'd say "200!" and then they'd drive off. Eventually I agreed to 250 Naira because I was tired and wanted to go home. This morning, however, I talked a guy down to 230. At one point I exclaimed "do I look rich? because I'm not!" The truth is I am probably 'rich' by Nigerian standards, but, in order to be able to live here for 6 months, I have to be frugal in my expenditures. Generally, I expect to pay a bit more than everyone else, but I won't go down without a fight. It's just not my style, yo.

Well, that's more than enough for now. I've got some work to finish up and then I'm off to the store to buy supplies for the weekend.

I hope everyone, where ever you are, is doing well.

Ten Years On, Nigeria's Ogoni Minority Mark Saro-Wiwa's Death

In first year university, I was introduced to the plight of the Ogoni. In my human rights course, we watched a documentary about the struggles of the Ogoni people, the activism of Ken Saro-Wiwa and his execution at the hands of the then military regime. Some of the images that I saw in this documentary (The Drilling Fields) were more horrific than anything that I had witnessed up to that time, or even to this very day. Nigeria is no longer under military rule; however, little has been made toward improving the lives of the Ogoni people. Please read the following article to learn more.


Writer and activist Ken Saro Wiwa at the Ogoni Day demonstration in Nigeria in January 1993. Hundreds of members of Nigeria's Ogoni minority have marched in the oil city of Port Harcourt to mark the tenth anniversary of the execution of rights activist Ken Saro-Wiwa after he protested against the energy giant Shell.(AFP/File) [Source: Click here]

Ten Years On, Nigeria's Ogoni Minority Mark Saro-Wiwa's Death

"Saro-Wiwa and eight of his comrades in MOSOP were hanged on November 10, 1995, by Nigeria's then military regime after a controversial trial in which the writer and politician was accused of ordering the murder of four prominent Ogonis.

The executions sparked international condemnation -- Nigeria was kicked out of the Commonwealth -- and most Ogonis still believe that Saro-Wiwa was framed because he opposed the government and Anglo-Dutch oil firm Royal Dutch Shell.

Ogoniland is a tract of densely-inhabited forest and farmland lying along the fringes of the Niger Delta wetlands north and east of Port Harcourt. It is home to around 500,000 Ogonis and massive and proven oil and gas reserves. Shell owns the rights to pump Ogoni oil and was already earning large revenues from the territory in the early 1990s when MOSOP began to mount protests.

Saro-Wiwa argued that Ogoni farmland and fishing areas were being damaged by oil pollution and that the industry's profits were not being shared with local communities. The military reacted with savage punishment raids, driving thousands of Ogonis into exile.

Mitee said that Shell would not be allowed to return to Ogoniland until it found a way to prevent pollution poisoning the region and paid full compensation to the community. Earlier this year, the Nigerian government set up a committee, headed by a Roman Catholic cleric, Matthew Hassan Kukah, to reconcile Shell with MOSOP. The panel has made little progress, however, and Shell officials say they are in no hurry to return. Shell has always insisted it had nothing to do with the decision to try Saro-Wiwa, but in the face of local anger and an international consumer boycott it shut down its Ogoni operations in 1993 -- before the executions took place -- and has yet to reopen the pumps.

Nigeria returned to civilian rule in 1999 but, while Ogoniland has been spared much of the violence that has raged elsewhere in the delta in recent years, Saro-Wiwa's people remain politically weak and mired in poverty. Many villages which had once hoped to become the hubs of an oil-rich autonomous ethnic region are now poverty-stricken backwaters of mud-brick homes whose bitter owners have no running water or mains electricity."

Source.

Important Links for Living and Working in Nigeria

Canadian High Commission Contact Information, Canada & Nigeria, etc.

Consul Affairs - Emergency Contact Info
http://www.voyage.gc.ca/main/sos/emergencies-en.asp

Canada in Nigeria (Canadian High Commission, etc.)
http://www.dfait-maeci.gc.ca/nigeria/menu-en.asp

FAC - Travel Report, Nigeria
http://www.voyage.gc.ca/dest/report-en.asp?country=218000

Nigerian High Commission in Ottawa
http://www.nigeriahcottawa.com/

About Nigeria

CIA World 'Fact'Book - Nigeria
http://www.cia.gov/cia/publications/factbook/geos/ni.html

Lonely Planet - Nigeria
http://www.lonelyplanet.com/worldguide/destinations/africa/nigeria/

Historical Overview - Nigeria
http://www.scholars.nus.edu.sg/landow/post/nigeria/nigeriahistov.html

Nigerian History Page - WorldHistory.com
http://www.worldhistory.com/geos/NI.HTM

Profile of Olusegun Obasanjo - BBC News
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/1804940.stm

General Travel Information

Canadian Consular Services: Providing Assistance to Canadians Abroad
http://www.voyage.gc.ca/main/pubs/consular_services-en.asp

YPI Program Website (includes link to ROCA)
http://www.dfait-maeci.gc.ca/ypi-jpi/menu-en.asp

Traveller's Checklist
http://www.voyage.gc.ca/main/before/checklist-en.asp

Her Own Way - Advice for the Female Traveller
http://www.voyage.gc.ca/main/pubs/her_own_way-en.asp

Working Abroad - Unravelling the Maze
http://www.voyage.gc.ca/main/pubs/working_abroad-en.asp

Various Other Publications for Travellers
http://www.voyage.gc.ca/main/pubs_menu-en.asp

***So You're Planning a Trip to Africa - Great Page***
http://www.bidstrup.com/advice.htm

One Man's Adventure in Nigeria
http://www.bidstrup.com/Yankari-sign.jpg

Health

Govt. of Canada - Travel Medicine Program
http://www.phac-aspc.gc.ca/tmp-pmv/index.html

Govt. of Canada - Medical matters FAQ
http://www.voyage.gc.ca/main/before/faq/medical-en.asp

Center for Disease Control - West Africa
http://www.cdc.gov/travel/wafrica.htm

Canadian Recommendations for the Prevention and Treatment of Malaria Among International Travellers
http://www.phac-aspc.gc.ca/publicat/ccdr-rmtc/04vol30/30s1/index.html

Disease Info - Malaria
http://www.phac-aspc.gc.ca/tmp-pmv/info/pal_mal_e.html

WHO - World Health Organisation - Malaria
http://www.who.int/topics/malaria/en/

Malaria 'Hot Spots'
http://www.malariahotspots.co.uk/html/en/malaria/

Anti-Malarials - Lariam
http://www.geocities.com/TheTropics/6913/lariam.htm

Anti-Malarials - Doxycycline
http://www.fda.gov/cder/drug/infopage/penG_doxy/QA_doxy.htm

Other
African Hip Hop - Nigeria

US State Department Consul Affairs - Nigeria
http://travel.state.gov/travel/cis_pa_tw/cis/cis_987.html

Broad Bank - Nigeria
http://www.broadbanknigeria.com/contact.asp

Forum of Federations - Canadian Links to Nigeria (does work in Abuja)
http://www.forumfed.org/programs/africa.asp?lang=en

CUSO - Search site for contacts in Nigeria
http://www.cuso.org/

Abuja City Webpage
http://www.abujacity.com/home.htm

Links and Pictures of Abuja
http://www.proav.de/photopages/abuja/

Nigerian Languages - Motherland Nigeria Page
http://www.motherlandnigeria.com/languages.html