ktravula – a travelogue!

Browsing the archives for the Observations category.

10 Reasons to Like the Next One Year

In response to 10 Reasons to Like the Last One Year

10. Nigeria, parents, friends, family…

9. Iyan, amala, ogufe, pepper soup, palm wine, plantain chips, ewedu and gbegiri, egusi

8. France, Jos, Kenya, Ghana, Calabar, Obudu, Abuja, South Africa…

7. An exhibition of photographs.

6. A new academic degree.

5. Agbero, danfo, conductor, go slow, Third Mainland Bridge, Beere-Oje-Agbeni-Ogunpa, Agbowo UI…

4. Sunshine, heat, University swimming pool, rain, mosquito nets, “wetin you carry”, NEPA, sandals.

3. MTN, Multilinks, PHCN, Starcomms, 25-in-one pirated movie DVDs, soccer.

2. Generator, iPnx, KTravula/iGwatala, Twitter, poetry, books, prose, short stories, short films.

1. Freedom 🙂

PS: Happy Birthday Laitan. You are loved dearly. Agba ti n de o. Here’s to let you know how glad I am to have you as a kid sister. Have a splendid year. Love, KT

10 Reasons to Like the Next One Year was published on April 30th, 2010, with the tags , , , under the Observations, Soliloquy, Uncategorized category. There are currently no comments on this article so far.

10 Reasons To Like the Last One Year

10. The nice new people I’ve met and loved.

9. The new foods I’ve learned to eat and cook.

8. The new places I’ve been. Boston, Providence, St. Louis, Principia, Carbondale, Chicago, Maryland, NY…

7. The number of pictures I’ve been able take of sites, strangers and structures.

6. The knowledge and experience I’ve gained in interacting with students, strangers and situations.

5. The bike trail, the school bus, the traffic lights, the metro.

4. Snow, Cougar Lake, thunderstorms, earplugs, snow boots

3. Voicemail, karaoke, free movies, iPod, invitations, basketball.

2. Electricity, internet, KTravula, twitter, poetry, books, prose.

1. Fulbright 🙂

10 Reasons To Like the Last One Year was published on April 29th, 2010, with the tags , under the Observations, Soliloquy category. There are currently 1 comment on this article so far.

Blasts From The Past

Here are seven more favourite posts from the past. Enjoy

Connecting with a Certain Past (2) (September 8, 2009)

Is Oyinbo a Derogatory Word? (August 27, 2009)

And there Was (No) Light! (August 17, 2009)

A Short Foodlist of Ps (August 28, 2009)

10 Reasons Why Cougar Village is a Village (August 31, 2009)

10 Reasons Why Cougar Village is NOT a Village (August 31, 2009)

Culture Shock (February 10, 2010)

Blasts From The Past was published on April 27th, 2010, with the tags , , , , , , under the Observations, Soliloquy category. There are currently no comments on this article so far.

Following Lincoln

On Thursday last week, I went to Springfield, the capital of Illinois to see sites around the life of one of America’s greatest presidents, Abraham Lincoln. I was in company of my host Prof Wilson who was visiting the place himself for the eighth time in company of visiting students and scholars.

(African students and visiting scholars to SIUE have had this 75 year old retired professor to thank for his effort in bridging the knowledge gap between the two sides of the world. For years, he has taken it upon himself to make sure that visiting students/scholars visit sites of historical and cultural significance in the United States, most times out his own pocket. In his company, I have visited the schools in Principia and Carbondale, and now the Lincoln home, Presidential Library, and tomb in Springfield. “Remi Raji was here too,” he mentioned as we were heading out of the Lincoln’s burial crypt, referring to the Nigerian poet and writer whose book Shuttlesongs America was written on his return from the United States in the summer of 1999. “And it was all too emotional for him. Here was where he broke down and cried”, he said, pointing to a spot near the exit out of the president’s burial crypt.)

Here is a short video I made of the visit. I’ll put up some pictures soon when I can.

For me, it was a moving, enlightening experience living through the life of one of the defining figures of modern America. – a complex, fascinating historical figure whose life, death, and legacy made a lasting mark on not just the country, but the world at large. The Presidential Library & Museum itself was a tribute to history, archaeology, and architecture – befitting of an uncommon man and a great president.

Following Lincoln was published on April 26th, 2010, with the tags , , , , , , under the Academic, adventures, Observations category. There are currently 2 comments on this article so far.

Tattoos

I walked into a body art session in my department on Friday and this was what I witnessed: the process of making temporary tattoos called the henna.

As opposed to permanent tattoos found now on bodies of very many Americans following the hip-hop trend of today, the designs here made from henna – the dye from a particular flowering plant – lasts for a couple of days, maybe even weeks, before going off by itself after constant washing. One thing for sure is that it looks beautiful, especially when well designed like these ones. And it didn’t take long to make.

The artist was none other than Catherine, the Indian Graduate Assistant, and friend, who works at the Foreign Language computer lab. Wouldn’t you want to get something as beautiful as this? I did get her to write my name on my left arm, but it didn’t turn out as beautiful as these, maybe because I didn’t have a fair skin.

Tattoos was published on April 24th, 2010, with the tags , , , , , under the Art, Fun, Observations category. There are currently 7 comments on this article so far.