ktravula – a travelogue!

the Nigerian Ghoul in an American Forest

Summer People (III)

In response to a memory of faces and places, here is the (I hope) last installment of my summer people posts. Or not.

There’s Ayo, Prof. Banjo, Benson, Aunt Grace, Nikola, Niyi, Dr. Oha, Rahman, Sola, Yemi, and Yomi .

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Summer People (III) was published on August 31st, 2010, with the tags , , , , , under the Uncategorized category. There are currently no comments on this article so far.

Summer People (II)

More.

Here we have, in alphabetical order,  Adunni, Ayo,  Bimbo, Bukkie, Damilola, Nikita, Olga, Olo, Peter, Rayo, Shaban, and Zainab.

Best of luck matching the names to the photos :) .

And what is it with the hands under the chin? There must be something on my face that elicits this kind of “wondering” reaction. Hmm.

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Summer People (II) was published on August 30th, 2010, with the tags , , , , , , under the Fun, Observations category. There are currently 3 comments on this article so far.

Summer People (I)

Random images of people I met and interacted with during the summer.

Includes Anja, Rotji, Yun Hsin, Nneoma, Laitan, Ron, Jolaade, Papa Rudy, Chiedu, and Elizabeth in no particular order. One of those light-skinned beautiful women is my sister. Go figure.

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Summer People (I) was published on August 29th, 2010, with the tags , , , , , under the Art, Fun category. There are currently no comments on this article so far.

Farewell to a Good Year

Never getting a chance at the end of 2009 to make the usual resolutions and contrite restitutions meant for the last moments before the year slips by, let me pretend that this is the last night of the year, a few hours before the countdown into a new year. On December 2009, I was in that faraway place with the shadow of an errant Nigerian panty bomber lurking just around in hush conversations. A better scenery than sitting in a church service amidst noises and supplications to the deity of the new year, I was floating in an imaginary continent of my dreamland; just one of those instances I can remember in my short life where the momentary passage of one day did not live to its expectation of being super grand. A few hours later, dozens of text messages from everywhere told me that another year had passed by, at least in our time zone. As the sun moved westwards, so did the day, and very soon we were all satiated in the ordinariness of such a significant passage, far less ordinary than December 31, 1999, just a decade earlier, spent in the throes of questions and skepticisms.

Tonight could be a more significant eve, who knows, perhaps because if this blog does not continue after today, we can at least say that it lived as fully as it could over twelve interesting moons. And if it does, we can say that the first year was good, and that the second should be better. In any case, there is cause for celebration. Now, in the style of the specialists of such occasions, there should be drinks and clinking glasses. Yes, yes, I remember when men were boys, and a good time meant plenty suya and a pleasant conversation amidst howling dogs and a quiet, or soft music-infested, environment. A bottle of Ponche spread around on cold soda drinks produced what has now become the legendary KT Martini. No, I don’t recommend that now. Get a bottle of yogurt along with a box of Don Simon. Get a mix in the right proportion, read a good poem (I’ll put one up shortly, the last post for this “year”) and drink to health, long life, and many more interesting adventures. Call it KTramarula, a drink on me.

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Farewell to a Good Year was published on July 31st, 2010, with the tags , , , under the Fun, Observations, Soliloquy category. There are currently 10 comments on this article so far.

The Twelfth Month

This is a scheduled post as I am not online at the moment. Please refer to the previous post.

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Here are twenty-two posts, two randomly selected from each of the last preceding months. They are not my favourites, but they are some of the most memorable for the months. It took me valuable time deciding on which two make the cut this time since I had about forty-six to choose from. There are so many of them that I loved but had to leave behind. Enjoy these, and if you can, please leave comments on them. Happy Fourth of July to readers in the United States.

Travelling June 9.

A Case for Blogging June 5

Time Lapse May 3

Eighteen Bottles May 21

Literally Disengaging April 11

A Different Kind of Hoe April 20

Sauce for the Gander March 21

Tuesday March 16

Mardi Gras, St. Louis February 14

An American in England February 25

iSkits January 28

Just Like Old Times January 11

I Was Very Close December 9

On That Nigerian Guy December 27

A Soup and a Yam November 25

Thinking Back November 1

Pumpkin October 12

It’s Global Warming, Stupid October 12

Hollow Friday September 13

The Second Class September 3

Discovering Scott Joplin August 26

Mosquito August 15

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The Twelfth Month was published on July 4th, 2010, with the tags , under the Soliloquy category. There are currently no comments on this article so far.

A Break

For some reasons beyond my control, I will be going offline for a few days (hopefully not weeks) from today. I won’t be able to update the blog until such a time until I get the issue resolved. Hopefully it won’t be for too long. If you need me, I’ll still be available to check my email occasionally so you may reach me at kt@ktravula.com. Please vote in my new poll to your right, and tell me what you think.

In the meantime, here are a few old picture posts. Enjoy.

Desertification June 1.

Time Lapse May 3

Defying Gravity November 23

Badagry June 8

Following Lincoln April 29

You should also check out Kiibaati.wordpress.com where a poet is taking new liberties with imagination.

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A Break was published on July 3rd, 2010, with the tags , , , under the Art, Fun, News category. There are currently 2 comments on this article so far.

Silence

I have nothing to say, so I’m saying nothing.

But, the ingenious gas stations in Lagos now take fifty naira extra if you should dare come there without your car. I still don’t understand the logic. I spend my own efforts to walk about a mile from my house to the station, keg in hand, and I get to pay fifty naira extra? Why? “That’s how it it sir. If you had come with your car, we won’t have asked you for it.”

And, my blog – I hear – has been inaccessible since several hours. Why? Bluehost has gone bollocks for a few hours. Database issues etc. How is that my concern? Yes, I’m contacting my lawyers to sue them for emotional distress and the number of readers lost during the interregnum. Oh, I forgot I’m still in Nigeria. Sigh.

Plus, I’ve written one new poem – after such a long time. It was a needed release.

I’ve also been staring at descending airplanes close to my house. Air France, British Airways, Arik, The Nigerian, KLM etc. They all pass by at thirty minutes intervals during the day, and ten to fifteen minutes interval at night. I kinda like it. It beats bird watching, and I keep imagining who is in each of them, and what is going through their minds, some of them arriving in Nigeria either for the first time, or for the first time in years. So many dreams in the belly of an aircraft.

Plus, all the other pictures from Badagry that I wanted to share with you are still locked in the belly of my Dell. Tomorrow, maybe, and a few other interesting guest-posts. Watch out.

I did tell you I had nothing to say, right? I hope you had a nice day. I did. See you later.

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Silence was published on June 10th, 2010, with the tags , , under the Observations, Soliloquy category. There are currently 2 comments on this article so far.

Random Week/Nigeria

Talking with Ben about starting a business in Nigeria has reminded me once again of the problems that mitigate against successful enterprises in Nigeria. The chief is still electricity. Then security. Why do we have guards at our gates in Nigeria? I’ve never asked myself that question. Now, I can answer it. I think it is from the absence of a right to bear arms. If everyone had guns, we won’t need to pay people to watch over our houses. And now I believe that just mentioning to an intending immigrant/visitor to the country the fact that most residential houses in industrial areas of the country have guards that watch over them at night could be a very strong deterrent. In any case, just like the problem of electricity, water or good roads, it is a failure of government.

A second victory was in one moment of magical discovery, that in Nigeria the Press is actually more responsible, and responsive than the police. Maybe a little tyrannical as well at times, but they’re usually on the side of the people. So in a moment of epiphany while reeling out the things to remember if one wants to move to Nigeria as an expatriate, I said to Ben that if an expatriate was to ever be in any kind of trouble while in Nigeria, he should call a journalist first, before calling the police. Thinking about it again now, I’ve discovered that newspapers in Nigeria should actually adopt it as a public brand. Police cars here in the US go around with the large writing on the body of their car “When in trouble, dial 911″. It’s there for everyone to see, and even three year olds in America today know the short code in case any bad thing happens. Think about something like that on the front page of all newspapers in Nigeria every day. “When you’re in trouble, call 419″ or any other easily-memorable number. The truth is that the police are held more accountable by the media than by the politicians, and there is a chance of redress if said victim brings a journalist along to the police station while reporting an incident. It works even better for expatriates/foreigners.

Don’t call the police first – they’re not your friend. Call a journalist!

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PS:

  • I got a mobile phone at last. It is a T-mobile, and it gives me all I want from a phone. So far, so good. The best part of it is the answering machine with which I can receive messages when I’m not in a position to talk – which is like most of the days that I teach.
  • Western Union has not responded to my request.
  • I have sent out postcards to all who asked for them, and I will send some more this week.
  • I’m still seeking more guest-bloggers. I like the exciting idea of sharing and exchanging ideas this way.
  • The post I made last week about my friends has now been removed, regrettably. Lesson learnt: respect other people’s need for privacy, and never assume anything.
  • After a lot of fumbling around, and goading from a persistent friend, I have now solved the problem of blog comment editing, thanks to WordPress. Anyone who leaves comments will have up to five minutes after said comment is submitted to edit its content, or request a deletion.  I like the idea.
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Random Week/Nigeria was published on February 22nd, 2010, with the tags , , , , , , , under the Observations, Opinion category. There are currently 10 comments on this article so far.

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