ktravula – a travelogue!

Tuesday!

In bed, reading Chika Unigwe’s On Black Sister’s Street. First impression: A brilliant story. Great writing.

It started this way:

“The world was exactly as it should be. No more and, definitely, no less. She had the love of a good man. A house. And her own money – still new and fresh and the healthiest shade of green – the thought of it buoyed her and gave her a rush that made her hum.”

In Yoruba, that should be:
“Ilé ayé rí gẹgẹ bó se ye kó rí. Kò sí àseju bẹẹni kò sí àìtó. Ifẹ rẹ n jẹun lokan ọdọmọkùnrin ọmọlúàbí kan. Ilé kan. Àti owó tirẹ – tó tuntun yanranyanran pẹlú àwò ewé té rẹwa tó sì jọlọ – rírònú nípa rẹ lásán mú inú re dùn dé ibi wípé ó bẹrẹ sí n kọrin laìlanu.”

Tuesday! was published on March 16th, 2010, with the tags , , , , under the Academic, adventures category. There are currently 5 comments on this article so far.

Tuesday!

In bed.

Actually,  I got up at around 4am in the morning to follow the #EnoughisEnough youth rally in Abuja Nigeria through the web video stream. I lost interest after a while, and not only because after about three hours, I couldn’t see the live video from the event anymore, or that my eyes were closing by themselves, but because I was also getting blood pressure increases from the procession of the protest, and it’s direction. As much a success as I will always agree that the event is because of its being eventually able to get the youths off their bases to make their grievances known in person, after a while, it failed to rouse me to the level of total and reckless surrender. Why? After a while, the purpose of the march seemed reduced to one purpose of getting into the National Assembly, and/or getting the elected representatives in the National Assembly to show up and address the crowd. This was not only unnecessary, it was distracting. I could be wrong but rallies have been known to be effective without being confrontational.

Tuesday! was published on March 16th, 2010, under the Uncategorized category. There are currently no comments on this article so far.

Monday!

‘The Ides of March are come.’ ‘Aye, Caesar, but not gone’ – Julius Caesar

Work resumes today after one week of Spring Break. I look forward to the last quarter of my teaching experience which should be easier than I thought before. From the result of the mid-term test from two weeks ago, I think we’re doing well so far. It’s time to take it easy and just have fun. Yes, fun.

I got a few more books to read, just as soon as I finish Chika Unigwe’s On Black Sister’s Street which I’ve just begun. They include Arundhati Roy’s The God of Small Things (my second copy), Sefi Atta’s Everything Good Will Come, Khaled Hosseini’s A Thousand Splendid Suns and The Kite Runner, the Peruvian author Mario Vargas Llosa’s In Praise of the Stepmother, JM Coetzee’s The Life and Times of Michael K, and Paula Varsavsky’s No One Said A Word.

Is it strange or not that my colleagues in other parts of the country are just beginning their own Spring Break today?

Have a nice week everyone.

Monday! was published on March 15th, 2010, with the tags , , , under the Academic, Observations category. There are currently 2 comments on this article so far.

Happy Birthday Mum

“You aren’t really 60. Just 21 with 39 years experience!”

Since there are really no words to say how much I wish I was there to rejoice with you, I will only wish you the best of your 6oth birthday. Happy Birthday mum. You are a treasure, and I wish you many happy returns of the day, with joy and blessing from all of us who love you: Agama, Lara, Bukky, Yemi, me, Laitan, Deola, Jolaade, Henry, Oyin, Subomi, and that cute last one whose name I don’t yet know. And all cousins from far and wide.

You’re awesome.

Happy Birthday Mum was published on March 15th, 2010, with the tags , , under the Fun category. There are currently 4 comments on this article so far.

Dear Lord, Wherever You Are

“Youth would be an ideal state if it came a little later in life.”


Dear Lord, Take very good care of mum now. She’s sixty today!

So let every day of her life be filled with joy and with peace,

And with contentment, and love of her children, and friends.

And grant her the happiness she deserves, wherever you are.

.

Dear Lord, grant mum long life, more pleasant days, and prosperity.

(I know I don’t care for too much money, but I am not her, you know.)

Remember how solid a rock she has always been for us. An optimist.

Even within adversities, and days of dark uncertain clouds, she stood firm.

.

Dear Lord, wherever you are, let me be sixty years old too someday.

And when that day comes, let me still be strong, and happy, and healthy,

and hopeful, like my mother today, in the joy of a bright beautiful day.

And, like her today, let me be able to deserve all the love and warmth.

.

Amen.

Dear Lord, Wherever You Are was published on March 15th, 2010, with the tags , , , under the Observations, Soliloquy category. There are currently no comments on this article so far.