8.11.09 Part 1

A month Back in Akwanga

Most of my September was spent in the UK with family and friends. It was wonderful to see everyone again. The journey there and back again was, however, peppered with a strange sensation of having each foot in very different worlds. One life was on hold while I experienced the other. I love my life here but also reflect on the special time I spent with my little nieces and nephew and hope that they won't have grown up too much more before I see them again.

When I arrived back to Abuja at the start of October, I was met by Eriye at the airport.

We’d been delayed due to fog, so bless her; she’d had to wait for over an hour for me. I was dazed for the next few hours, but was pleased to see my home here in staff quarters and my neighbours. I spent the first weekend home in Akwanga and started to prepare for my birthday party the following week.

The Party

I help the party in front of my block in what is essentially a car park.The Acting Provost, Mrs Monde, had lent me a set of plastic garden seats to use.

Several volunteers came and a number of people from the neighbourhood and work. I’d told people that it would start at 5pm. However, 6pm rolled on by and we were still waiting for quite a number of people who said that they would be coming.

I was asked by a nice couple who work here at the college what the order of events would be and who would be the MC. I’d completely forgotten about this aspect of Nigerian events, so I texted Tashi to come to my rescue ASAP. He finally arrived and kicked things off.

Proceedings start with a prayer and welcome. Then I was presented with my birthday cake. Not only that, I was asked to stand up and dance in honour of the cake. Thank goodness Becky stood up with me.

We then cut the cake and food was served. My neighbour, Mrs Aparshe, did the cooking for me, which was jaloff rice (spicy rice with vegetables in it), coleslaw and beef.

Eriye was also amazingly helpful and insisted on keeping on top of handing out drinks (I’d been out that week and purchased several crates of fizzy drinks and beers). While we were eating, several people got up and told jokes, some funnier than others and some just funny because of..well, I won’t go into it here and, at the risk of being extremely cryptic but for purposes of me enjoying this at a future date without offending anyone right now, one had no punch line and Nico found it very funny.

The light faded and so did many of the guests (apparently nearly 60 plates of food was served, so not bad!), so the VSOs and Mrs Aparshe’s family went inside to dance. Sylvester Aparshe was DJ for the night (another cryptic clue to myself – remember his nickname!) and we continued dancing and drinking until late. Anita, Sylvester, Enoch and Ann Aparshe were fantastic dance teachers, Abraham and Augustine Aparshe were photographers.

It was great fun, but it sadly had to come to and end for the sake of the rest of the neighbours.

Abuja

The following weekend, I went to Abuja and met up with some volunteers. Liz, my programme manager was leaving Nigeria to return to the UK and have a baby, so I saw her one last time. A Dutch volunteer, Sitske, had her parents and brother visiting, so we all went out for fish and beers at the ‘Barracks’, an army barracks just on the edge of the city that is thriving in the evening with vendors and barbecued fish. We also had a good time lounging by the pool at the British Village, an ex-pat run pool and bar.

This is a picture of Angie, a Canadian volunteer based in Abuja enjoying the remains of our barbecued fish.