ktravula – a travelogue!

Browsing the archives for the Observations category.

Footloose in Kaduna

Here is the deal: I’m not lost, but I have not yet informed my hosts that I have arrived in this town. I am discovering the city by myself. A chance meeting with a stranger at the bus park has got me far into town and here I am in the lobby of a famous hotel tapping out my thoughts to the world. I’ve seen the palace of the Emir of Zazau. There should be other things nearby to see, beside the barbecue of suya on sticks enticing me from across the road.

A few things have happened since the last time I blogged. I have been to Abuja. Yes, the famous capital city. I have visited the National Assembly and the National Mosque. I even went to Aso Rock. Truly. It all happened last night, like a dream. A few years ago, under military rule, all the places I visited last night might have been off limits. But here we are in a democratic government, perhaps with a little too much liberty. (Personally, I think the National Assembly Complex should be guarded a little more. We don’t want to have someone place an explosive device there in the dark of night, and still be saluted “Sir” on his way in and out.)

What else, the National Mosque is a very magnificent structure that make for good photography. It is somewhere to sit and contemplate, free from the bustle of the big city. And the city really is big. Sorry Lagos, you lost the battle a long time ago. Abuja is also a city of contrasts, like every big city. On one side are sprawling landscapes of wealth, and on another side of town are huts and small houses for the “ordinary people”. But don’t let that tag fool you. An apartment for rent even in those low cost areas cost a fortune compared to other parts of the country.

I have not had my fill of that capital city, but I am at least out of there, thank goodness. As soon as I’m done devouring Kaduna, I’ll see what else these parts can offer to the footloose traveller.

PS: This town is like Ibadan all over again. Or is it just me? I’ll put up photos as soon as Starcomms allows.

Footloose in Kaduna was published on July 15th, 2010, with the tags , , , under the adventures, Observations, Travelling category. There are currently 3 comments on this article so far.

Ilorin

I’m in the University town of Ilorin, having the time of my life in the midst of old friends that I last saw in Ibadan years ago. Right now, we are watching the Uruguay-Germany game at a bar. Paul the German Octopus has predicted that Germany would win, but right now, Uruguay is leading with two goals to one. I wonder how this would end. Something tells me that we might see an Octopus peppersoup dish by this time tomorrow.

I have been to the University of Ilorin. I went there today for the very first time. We tried to see the dam which was not far from the gate but we were turned back by the security folks who said they were acting on instructions of the Vice-Chancellor. Why five young men might be a threat to a University dam is still beyond my comprehension, but I was able to at least get some shots. The University is a nice place. Far more beautiful than the Adekunle Ajasin University at Akungba Akoko. But I had a very nice time in the house of the Dean of the Faculty of Arts of the AAU. He has a nice family too.

I have left the German and Taiwanese linguists from SOAS behind in Ikare where we last parted. They will be proceeding to a village called Ikakumo, and later Ayere later in the week. I on the other hand will move on towards Kaduna, and wherever else until I get broke, bored or disinterested. Right now, everything is going well. I’ve had moin-moin, ponmo and some drinks. And right as I’m typing this, Germany has equalized, and the scores is 2-2.

I’d better get back to watching the game before I miss all the action. Of course, there are many photos to share. Greetings from the Nigerian countryside. How have you been?

Ilorin was published on July 10th, 2010, with the tags , , , , , , under the adventures, Observations category. There are currently 7 comments on this article so far.

Exhibition in Ibadan

There is an ongoing exhibition at the Institute of African Studies, University of Ibadan about “Nigeria at 50”. The photos there show the different celebratory events of the independence year 1960, especially those by “ordinary” citizens. There was one with a woman in an ankara wrapper branded with the independence logo, and with two small flags on the bag she carried on her head. There are also several other images of political leaders in different positions all around the country.

Along with the exhibition is a conference organized by IFRA, the Institute of African Studies, and the University of Ibadan where papers are being presented by participants from all around the world, including Sola Olorunyomi, David Oshorenoya Esizimeor, Adoyi Onoja,  and Regane Buck Barden among many others.

The event has brought up valid questions about the need for record keeping about moments in our history. The conference with the exhibition ends on July 7th.

Exhibition in Ibadan was published on July 6th, 2010, with the tags , , , under the Academic, Observations category. There are currently no comments on this article so far.

Nomads

These girls can be found all over West Africa, sometimes with little children on their backs. They live on the move, and make a living by begging for money. At the corner of streets you can find their fathers and sometimes husbands, silent and with turbaned heads. The men don’t usually beg, and I doubt that people give them money. The women do however, old and young, without shame. They are multilingual, speaking Hausa, sometimes French, Arabic, and the language of the city in which they live. Most people actually give them money not because of their state but because of their language dexterity. They are not poor, nor diseased. Their conditions are even beyond just being lazy. They are conditioned by a nomadic culture into a life of hedonism. They are nomads.

This girl’s name is Aisha. She’s from Niger, the country on Nigeria’s border to the North. The other girls are her sisters, and all they do is beg for money from travellers. They do so with dignity. They are cheerful and friendly. And tough. No school. No work. Just begging, and sometimes occasional “unwanted” pregnancies. They live tough street lives and are thus exposed to much abuse.

Nomads was published on July 2nd, 2010, with the tags , , , , , , , , under the adventures, News, Observations category. There are currently 5 comments on this article so far.

10 Reasons to Love Books More than Movies

10. The silence needed to enjoy it.
9. You can rush it and still enjoy it.
8. The feel.
7. You can read it even in the desert
6. The imagination it elicits.
5. You can’t share it, at least not while reading.
4. Words entice
3. Epilogues and prologues.
2. The prefaces
1. More than images, imagination is the best of all.

10 Reasons to Love Books More than Movies was published on June 30th, 2010, with the tags , , under the Fun, Observations category. There are currently 3 comments on this article so far.