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