Since I arrived here on campus, every office I have entered had something for me.
The International Hospitality Programme stuffed my refrigerator with all I can eat, left me with a basket of fruits with my name on it, laid my bed, and left me with bedding and plenty cutleries. At the international office, we were given two bags courtesy of The Institute of International Education. According to Geet, the director, we could come back for as many more as we wanted, especially if we wanted to send them home as gifts. Fulbright gave me a t-shirt. My host at the Foreign Languages Department here opened the door of their store to us, and asked us to feel free to help ourselves with their branded bags and pens whenever we needed them. The number of branded pens and pencils that I have received in the past three days are now officially uncountable. I will need to send some back home. Or give them as gifts to people – perhaps to my dedicated blog readers.
Yesterday at the bank, just for opening a bank account, I got a dozen pens and one branded T-shirt. Well, if you were an American businessman, this would make sense to you. The bank’s name is written boldly on it, so it turns out to be another form of marketing. This is a sharp contrast to what I have experienced back home. In Nigeria today, it will be hard to get a branded T-shirt which is not sold for more than $2. Not even the one bearing the name of your own bank. Go figure that out, Nigeria.
