ktravula – a travelogue!

the Nigerian Ghoul in an American Forest

Browsing the archives for the adventures category.

More Photos from the Festival

The Festival of Nations St. Louis is organized yearly by the International Institute.

Other attractions at this event includes henna booths, Chinese and Greek calligraphy stands and stands for African Hair braiding.

VN:F [1.9.3_1094]
Rating: 0.0/10 (0 votes cast)
VN:F [1.9.3_1094]
Rating: 0 (from 0 votes)

More Photos from the Festival was published on August 29th, 2010, with the tags , , , , under the Fun, adventures category. There are currently no comments on this article so far.

The Festival of Nations

The annual International Festival of Nations took place yesterday and today at the Tower Grove Park, St. Louis.

It featured pavilions from all over the world with food, drinks, artworks, fashion items and souvenirs from those places being available for purchase. There were also live performances by artists and dancers from all over the world.

The food booths were from Afghanistan, Argentina, India, Bosnia, Brazil, Bulgaria, Burma, Canada, China, Eritrea, Ethiopia, the Philippines, Germany, Haiti, Isreal, Jamaica, Mexico, Nigeria, Peru, Poland, Puerto Rico, Romania, Scotland, Selegal, Thailand, Turkey, Vietnam, among many others.

Here are a few pictures from the event. I had just discovered that most of the pictures I’d taken were those of the African stands. I don’t know how that happened.

VN:F [1.9.3_1094]
Rating: 0.0/10 (0 votes cast)
VN:F [1.9.3_1094]
Rating: 0 (from 0 votes)

The Festival of Nations was published on August 29th, 2010, with the tags , , , , under the Fun, Observations, adventures category. There are currently no comments on this article so far.

Ah, Ah, I’m home.

This is nothing but freaky. I’ve living “under the bridge” for the past one and a half weeks for very good reason. The student accommodation on campus was already overwhelmed with requests when I decided to return here that there was no single spot for me or for anyone else for that matter. Don’t get me wrong. This “under the bridge” accommodation came with free breakfast, lunch and dinner, free laundry, free movie night and a ton of free goodies and pampering that I can’t quantify. It’s been a kind of overwhelming love that is not only rare, but genuine and delightful, and I can not thank the Schaefers enough for that. But trying to get back into the campus, rather than the spoilt student, mode of existence required a space among real students and it became quite an ordeal. By the time I put down my name to the list of waiting applicants, I was on number twenty or something.

What’s freaky then is the call I got from University Housing a few days ago that went like this:

“Hey, is that…”
“Yes,” I replied. “It’s me.”
“I got good news for you. I’ve found you a space on campus.”
“Really? That’s super. Where is it?”
“It’s at Cougar Village.”
“What?”
“At 431.”
“You’re kidding.”
“And at your old room. The same place you were earlier when you came here. You can move in from tomorrow.”

How it happened, I have no idea except that some mischievous spirit has put a hand in returning me to a spot of very many interesting memories. Sitting down here now on my old bed with a view of the surrounding trees, I write a post that has been dying to be written. Ah, ah, I’m home, and it feels good to be back. Now, you mischievous spirit, please show yourself now or forever remain silent. :o .

VN:F [1.9.3_1094]
Rating: 10.0/10 (2 votes cast)
VN:F [1.9.3_1094]
Rating: 0 (from 0 votes)

Ah, Ah, I’m home. was published on August 28th, 2010, with the tags , , , under the Fun, Observations, Soliloquy, adventures category. There are currently 4 comments on this article so far.

Faculty of Arts

I took these random shots at the Faculty of Arts, in my former University in Ibadan, a few days ago. I also discovered that the very first female Head of the Department of Religious Studies since 1948 when the Univeristy was founded, has just been appointed, effective August 1st. It’s a positive news, tinted with the disillusionment that this should have been commonplace since very many years ago. I took these pictures from the balcony of the Department.

VN:F [1.9.3_1094]
Rating: 0.0/10 (0 votes cast)
VN:F [1.9.3_1094]
Rating: 0 (from 0 votes)

Faculty of Arts was published on August 3rd, 2010, with the tags , , , , under the Academic, Art, Fun, adventures category. There are currently 2 comments on this article so far.

Out With The Old?

Henry is running around the house with his brother and I yell at them to stop with the noise. They ignore me, taking over the administration of the living room. Their mother is in one corner enjoying the whole noise, or at least indifferent to it. By now, she is used to the ordeal of living with two young boys under ten. I’m on the computer and all I need is my serenity so I shout again. “Hey boys, unlike your grandmother, I don’t mind you running around as fast as you like, but please don’t make any noises.”

“It is Henry.” the brother screams.
“No, It is Oyin.” the other responds, and they resume the noise and the demonic speed all around the house.

I am peeved and I shut down my laptop and relocate to a different part of the house.

You see, this is exactly how people get old: new ones are born and they are so cute, and they take over all the attention in the house. They’re smart, they’re agile, and they are vulnerable. Yes, yes, they’re babies, and nephews, and nieces. And before you know it, the old guy is no longer the cutest boy in the house. Once upon a time, it was Laitan and I running around a far larger compound than this with dust on our brows and heels. Now she’s all grown and taken, Ha, and another aeon has gently replaced us.

This is exactly how people get old. What on earth happened here?

VN:F [1.9.3_1094]
Rating: 10.0/10 (2 votes cast)
VN:F [1.9.3_1094]
Rating: 0 (from 0 votes)

Out With The Old? was published on July 29th, 2010, with the tags , , , , , under the Observations, Soliloquy, adventures category. There are currently no comments on this article so far.

Ife

These were taken in Ife on the 7th of July.

I remember feeling very inspired while watching the morning rehearsals of students of dance and theatre at the Faculty of Arts from afar while waiting for my other colleagues in nearby offices. The students were rehearsing for a performance, and there was an affecting charm in the energy they displayed while moving to the rhythm of the drum beats. So early in the morning, there they were grooving into the day’s dawning promise with all their spirit. It was charming.

I wrote a poem of the experience. I hope I can still find it.

VN:F [1.9.3_1094]
Rating: 10.0/10 (1 vote cast)
VN:F [1.9.3_1094]
Rating: 0 (from 0 votes)

Ife was published on July 26th, 2010, with the tags , , , , , under the Academic, Art, Fun, Observations, adventures category. There are currently no comments on this article so far.

Sand in My Socks

After attending the Bookjam @ Silverbird event that had in attendance writers from many corners of the world and catching up with friends and colleagues, I was talked into a visit to the Lagos Bar Beach a few about a kilometre down the road from the Galleria. We had some fun moments riding horses, picking sea shells, writing names in the sand, catching up on old times and generally being silly at the shore of the Atlantic Ocean.

One of us the Punch journalist and author of the NLNG shortlisted novel Under the Brown Rusted Roofs. It’s the girl, although the other guy seems through these pictures to love her more than I do ;) .

VN:F [1.9.3_1094]
Rating: 0.0/10 (0 votes cast)
VN:F [1.9.3_1094]
Rating: 0 (from 0 votes)

Sand in My Socks was published on July 25th, 2010, with the tags , , , , under the Art, Fun, adventures category. There are currently 3 comments on this article so far.

A Vote of Thanks

My visit around (some parts of) the country could not have been possible if not for support, solicited and unsolicited by many people along the way. Half of the trip was motivated by impulse so I really appreciate the help of friends and colleagues who welcomed me with open arms without reservation, and were willing to be at my beck and call for the past three weeks.

There was Dr. Shaban in Ife, Anja and Yun Hsin at Ikare, Prof and Mrs. Oyebade at Akungba, Peter, Chiedu and Bode at Ilorin, Laolu and Mr. Olaniyan at Abuja, Zainab, Samson and Comfort in Kaduna, Alben at Nassarawa; Rotji, Yilrot and Joshua in Jos, and everyone who sent me helpful tips on Facebook, some of which I used, and some that I didn’t. Thanks should also go to Yemi, Chris, Laitan and Godwin who bailed me out when I needed their help.

So now, I’m back in Lagos for the weekend, and what did I see? A bus from the Island carrying me and a host of other passengers ran out of fuel right in the middle of the supposed longest bridge in Africa: The Third Mainland Bridge. For thirty minutes, we were there waiting for him to go to the mainland and find fuel. I spent much of the time taking pictures of the bridge and the water which was something I’d always loved to do anyway. It wasn’t such a waste of time after all, and I didn’t succeed in falling into the lagoon. That would have been a poetic end to a journey around the country.

In any case, I’m back, more refreshed. How have you all been?

VN:F [1.9.3_1094]
Rating: 0.0/10 (0 votes cast)
VN:F [1.9.3_1094]
Rating: 0 (from 0 votes)

A Vote of Thanks was published on July 23rd, 2010, with the tags , , , , , under the Soliloquy, adventures category. There are currently 4 comments on this article so far.

.