ktravula – a travelogue!

Browsing the archives for the Observations category.

Nokia and Me

I’ve used one Nokia phone after another since GSM came into Nigeria so I could say that our relationship has grown over years, from the old 3310 that never broke even after falling from a two-storey building or being run over by a car, to my current Nokia N70 that has often made my friends wonder if I used a Blackberry because of being able to reply mails as soon as they come in. I’ve resisted all my friend’s poaching efforts to get me into Apple or Android, and I’m proud to say that I’ve largely succeeded. In any case, I hear that there’s a new Nokia coming out, and I am looking forward to it.

One major benefit that Nokia has over all other phones that I’d wished I could use is that you could buy it without being tied to any network, they are affordable and durable, and… well, they are Nokia: less hype, more performance. I’ve used my N70 for over three years now and it has fallen down countless numbers of times from great heights. It still works. I’ve planned on getting the Maemo that came out late last year, but if the C3 lives up to its expectation, it just might be what I’m looking for. It looks like a Blackberry but it’s not hooked onto any network. What do you think? Have you heard about it? Have you ever used a Nokia? What do you think?

The C3 is a new Nokia phone to be launched in Nigeria before the end of August, designed to put messaging and social networking in the palm of your hand with access to Instant Messaging, social networking and email accounts, with Nokia Messaging.[1] The C3 also has a 2 megapixel camera, built-in Wi-fi, 2.4 inch screen, and support for 8GB of storage on a MicroSD card. (From Wikipedia). In the coming days, I’m going to tell you more about the product and the new promotion by Nokia to give blog readers the opportunity to win the product before it is launched. Stay tuned to this page.

Nokia and Me was published on July 29th, 2010, with the tags , , , under the Observations, Soliloquy category. There are currently 2 comments on this article so far.

Conversations Around The Country: Ife

He must have spotted me from afar as I haggled prices with some of the other motorcycle operators in front of the University. Although I didn’t know exactly where I was going, I knew that starting with the lowest possible price is the best strategy of getting a good price. I had failed, and was heading into the University on a plan B when I was approached.
“Where are you going?” He said.
“The Opa Oranmiyan.”
“How much do you have?”
“180 naira. That’s my last offer. The other guys said 250 and I can’t afford to pay that.”
“But it’s quite far.”
“Yes, I’m aware of that. Do you know the place?”
“Of course yes. I am an Ife native. Can’t you tell form my accent?”
“I thought so,” I said. “So shall we?”
“Alright let’s go.”
I mounted the motorbike to murmurs from the other guys and headed for the site of the famous obelisk. It was indeed far and worth the amount. The problem was that on getting there, the gate was locked. I could see the obelisk from a side of the fence but I couldn’t go inside. All I wanted was to be able to pose beside it, perhaps measure who is taller.
“Now what?”
“Do you really want to go in?” He asked in return
“Yes.”
“There is a way. I’m an Ife boy. Come with me.”
“Cool.”
We went around huts deep into the cluster of houses around the compound of the monument and found ourselves in front of a smaller gate far at the back. It was closed, and there were about a dozen women in front of their own houses directly opposite the entrance, and they were not going to allow us in without questioning.
“What happened to this gate ma.” He asked one of them after greetings.
“It’s locked now. You can’t go in. You have to use the main entrance.” She replied.
I could already feel a flurry of curious gazes around my stranger frame with a backpack and an ipod. Who on earth is this guy and what is he looking for? More: what has this motorbike man promised to show him to make him follow him this far off the road?
“Let’s go,” he said. “I’ll take you to the man in charge of the gate.”
“I would think that there is a place where we can pay, get tickets, and go in without any hassles. Why is it so difficult?”
“I don’t know. They open the gates at particular times of the year. When the time comes, you may enter. But not now.”
I observed to him that I found the obelisk different from what I’d seen in pictures. Even the surroundings seem renovated.
“Yes,” he concurred. “Last year, UNESCO or so provided money to turn it into a heritage site. You must have noticed the new toilet and office buildings within the compounds too. They are all paid for because of that renovation.”
“I see.”
“You must have noticed that piece of cloth around the base of the Obelisk. That’s put there by worshippers who come here at particular times of the year to perform sacrifices.”
We spent a few more minutes trying to see the person authorized to open the gates, without luck. The man then took me to an even closer part of the fence where I took much nicer photos. “If I had come here by myself, I’d have climbed over the fence into the premises. I’m just worried for you, because you’re not from the town.” He said.
On the way back to campus where he had picked me up, I asked him to verify the rumour that there are still human sacrifices in Ife today, especially during some major festivals. I’d been told that strangers to the town are usually the major victims. He laughed and said that I too had fallen to unfounded rumours. “No,” he said, “human sacrifices died long ago. Today they use goats and rams. Next time, try to come during the Olojo festival and you’ll see for yourself.”
________________________

Conversations Around The Country: Ife was published on July 28th, 2010, under the adventures, Observations, Travelling category. There are currently 1 comment on this article so far.

My City Has Gone Mad

Today was a strange day of many proportions. I missed a robbery shootout between robbers and the police at three different parts of the city, many times during the day. It’s not pretty. Earlier in the morning, I came across a crowd of people gathered around a young man recently hit by a stray bullet by fleeing robbers. He died on the spot. Had I left home just three minutes earlier, I would definitely have been in the vicinity of the attack. Returning home a few moments ago, I had missed another robbery on a fuel station on my way home by about five minutes. I’m shaken.

The spate of robbery attacks on banks and other financial centres in the city has been on the rise for a while now. This was just one of my closest encounters. The good news was that one of the robbers was shot dead while one other was captured. The bad news is that the situation that makes robbery viable to unemployed youths still remain in the country while the government plans over a feast of millions of dollars to celebrate the nation’s 50th anniversary of official existence. Shame!

We all deserve a national award for survival.

My City Has Gone Mad was published on July 27th, 2010, with the tags , , , , under the Observations, Soliloquy category. There are currently 5 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.

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

A Few Links

Blog Recommendation: I came across this blog a while ago. I like it mainly because of the way the blogger uses proverbs. On every new post, there is a proverb from Nigeria which is then translated before the body of the post. This is not only unique, it’s brilliant and refreshing. Check it out. We’ll need to ask her why she calls the blog Burnt Buttom Pot.

Financial Webminar: Brian England of Western Union (the guy behind the decision to slash transfer fees to Nigeria by half in April) has asked me to inform you of an online seminar on WU-sponsored College Savings which will take place on Tuesday, 27 July at  different times – 12:00 p.m. ET   5:00 p.m. ET   8:00 p.m. ET. Here’s the link to the Webminar.

A Few Links was published on July 26th, 2010, with the tags , , , , under the News, Observations category. There are currently 1 comment on this article so far.