I knew I should have listened to that little voice in the back of my head telling me "NO way!!" "Are you nuts!???" " What the h#@% are you thinking?" but like I usually do when those voices seem to creep into the back of my head I ignore them. It's a quirk of mine to try to look into the face of insanity and just try to go with it. I think that may be one of the things Guy loves most about me....NOT!!!!
Two very nice friends were having birthday parties for their children on Ikoyi....on a Friday...the same Friday .. and both parties were from 3p.m. to 6 p.m. at different places. It was an insane thought but I had to let it pass through my brain, " What if you go to one party from 3 -4:30 and the other from 4:30 -6:00?" Could it be done??? Had it ever been done???? Could I do it?" Ha!!! I can laugh insanity in the face......does that make me more insane????
The plan was to leave my compound at 2:30 right when Jeremy got off the bus....2:30 turned into 2:45 after he played around and had an extended bathroom visit!:) And then 2:45 turned into 2:50 because I couldn't locate my keys (yes, Guy , I can hear you telling me to have a "special place" to leave my key!!) Anyway, the traffic wouldn't be that bad...I had a meeting on Thursday on Ikoyi and left at 5 p.m. and got there at 5:10 .....maybe the traffic was actually getting better??!! We went about 200 feet and were stuck in gridlock traffic for 45 minutes. Let me just tell you ....you haven't lived until you have two kids in the car ready for a birthday party and you are not moving anywhere....
We finally got to Ikoyi an hour after leaving and Fatai was lost...he couldn't remember where we were going (even though we had been there twice before!). He started to ask me about the names of the streets...I can't even pronounce them correctly let alone know where they are and don't even get me started on communication between Fatai and me! So, we arrived at birthday party number one at approximately 3: 57 p.m. I told the kids to go and play because we needed to leave in 33 minutes. I scanned the food and beverage table.....not one drop of wine anywhere to be seen to calm my nerves...so packing away of the plantain chips ensued in a wood chipper like fashion...it was full on stress eating, baby!!! I am sure there were crumbs flying out all over the place, but I needed to take my frustration out on something and the plantain chips seemed like a likely candidate. (And they did taste pretty good,too when I took a moment to reload my mouth!)
4:30 on the dot I corralled the kids into the car with Elizabeth crying because she didn't get to eat cake yet ( because it was too early) and Jeremy upset because he didn't get a goody bag from that party. I explained to Elizabeth she would get cake at the next party and Jeremy would get a goody bag from the next party because it was for his friend.
As we drove away from that party and I was wiping the crumbs from the front of my shirt and my mouth, I was really thinking that I really should have a mini bar in my car for times like these. It almost seemed like we would get to the next party without a hitch when Fatai said to me , " Madame, this makes no sense." I looked at him and said " What makes no sense?" He said " The road, Madame." I was thinking, " We are in Lagos!!!! The roads don't make any sense here and you are just now telling me this!!!!???" He explained to me that some of the roads have changed names and that McDonald Road used to be Oniru Road and some of the road signs aren't correct anymore.
MTN was working, and I called a woman I have never talked to in my life who passed the phone to my friend in the middle of the happy birthday song to give my driver directions to her place. We arrived at birthday party number 2 at approximately 5:02 Jeremy was greeted by all his friends in the common theme , " Jeremy, you're late!!!!" I scanned the premises and there was still not a drop of wine to be found. So, I did the next best thing....I found a quiet corner by the pool and stuffed my mouth with a cupcake until I could barely chew..and I think I almost tasted it before I swallowed it whole!!!
The kids had fun and swam until 6 and then we packed up and headed home. On the way home, they were wired, and I was exhausted. Was it worth it? Maybe... after seeing the kids laughing with each other on the way home, and I really do like my two friends. Would I recommend doing this to anyone else...ever????? Not on your life!!!!!
Friday, May 18, 2012
Thursday, May 17, 2012
It's Just different Here...
The past few days, I have been exhausted. Living here is a "trip"...some days, it feels like I am bored to tears and other days I don't have a single second to think....
This week has been one of those weeks when I really realize it is just different here and no matter how hard I try to explain it to family and friends back home, it is so hard to understand.
For instance, we went out to the beach the other day for our last Board meeting of the year, and I was supposed to be back at the dock in V.I. by 2 p.m. so I could pick Jeremy up from school and take him to a promised play date. Of course, the boat was late getting back to the dock and didn't get there until 2:10 ...the exact time he gets out of school!!! (The last time he was left at school because he missed the bus, he was in the front office crying so hard he couldn't talk!) All I could think was he would be standing there wondering where I was and I couldn't get a hold of anyone at the school. The MTN service on my phone wasn't working and there are like about 50 different numbers to try to call the front office and almost none of them work! I tried to call his teacher's cell phone when I finally had service...but there was no answer. To say I was in a bit of a panic was an understatement. I texted Fatai and told him to have the car running and ready and we needed to get to the school fast fast!!!! To my amazement as I jumped off the boat and ran down the dock, he was ready and waiting!!!! ( a small miracle) I told him we needed to go fast and he just smiled and said "Yes, Madame!" and we just drove at a crawl. I said we need to GO FAST!!!!!, and he said "Okay Madame!" and picked up speed by half a kilometer an hour. We got to Ozumba Mbadiwe and crossed the street to dead lock traffic trying to get into the school. I said, "I can't wait..... meet me at the school." and I got out of the car and ran down the road. There were okadas weaving in between me and the piles of gravel ( and I wondered what on earth are they going to do with that gravel??? Will they really fix this terrible dirt road??" but there was no time for that, I have to get to the school.) It was hot, and I haven't run in about a year...so I was about to die when I got through the front gate of the school, I searched everywhere for Jeremy and when I finally found him I expected to see a cry or some sort of scared look on his face, but he was fine and his teacher was waiting with him. He just said, "Mom, where have you been, let's go!!!! I want to play!" I felt like fainting right there in the courtyard at the school, but I didn't.....I just thought to myself....this place is so crazy!!!
Or yesterday, when I was in the car and Fatai asked me about my grinder which was in the trash. I said "Grinder?" He said , "Yes, madame, your grinder...it was in the trash...is there something wrong with it?" I said, " Oh you mean our blender? Yes.....the motor is fried...it doesn't work." He said, " Oh." Then, yesterday afternoon I was taking a bag out of the back of the car and I saw our blender in the trunk.....he went and took it out of the trash. I know I shouldn't feel upset about it...it was my trash...but there is something very strange about seeing something you know you put in the trash can showing back up again...in front of you. It has happened a few times to me with a cleaning lady in our building...she has worn a pair of ratty old slippers I threw away because they were falling apart ....I wouldn't give them to anyone....
And, this morning, I ran out of milk in the kitchen fridge, so I went to the hall way and got another box of milk from that fridge. It struck me...how many people in the U.S. have a fridge in the hallway???
It is just so hard to explain things to my family and friends back home. Things are just so different here. Phones don't work, thrown away things turn up, things are in weird places, there's lots of extra help, but sometimes " too many cooks in the kitchen" can make things even more complicated...
The only thing I can tell my friends or anyone who asks what it's like to live here is ...it's just different here.:)
This week has been one of those weeks when I really realize it is just different here and no matter how hard I try to explain it to family and friends back home, it is so hard to understand.
For instance, we went out to the beach the other day for our last Board meeting of the year, and I was supposed to be back at the dock in V.I. by 2 p.m. so I could pick Jeremy up from school and take him to a promised play date. Of course, the boat was late getting back to the dock and didn't get there until 2:10 ...the exact time he gets out of school!!! (The last time he was left at school because he missed the bus, he was in the front office crying so hard he couldn't talk!) All I could think was he would be standing there wondering where I was and I couldn't get a hold of anyone at the school. The MTN service on my phone wasn't working and there are like about 50 different numbers to try to call the front office and almost none of them work! I tried to call his teacher's cell phone when I finally had service...but there was no answer. To say I was in a bit of a panic was an understatement. I texted Fatai and told him to have the car running and ready and we needed to get to the school fast fast!!!! To my amazement as I jumped off the boat and ran down the dock, he was ready and waiting!!!! ( a small miracle) I told him we needed to go fast and he just smiled and said "Yes, Madame!" and we just drove at a crawl. I said we need to GO FAST!!!!!, and he said "Okay Madame!" and picked up speed by half a kilometer an hour. We got to Ozumba Mbadiwe and crossed the street to dead lock traffic trying to get into the school. I said, "I can't wait..... meet me at the school." and I got out of the car and ran down the road. There were okadas weaving in between me and the piles of gravel ( and I wondered what on earth are they going to do with that gravel??? Will they really fix this terrible dirt road??" but there was no time for that, I have to get to the school.) It was hot, and I haven't run in about a year...so I was about to die when I got through the front gate of the school, I searched everywhere for Jeremy and when I finally found him I expected to see a cry or some sort of scared look on his face, but he was fine and his teacher was waiting with him. He just said, "Mom, where have you been, let's go!!!! I want to play!" I felt like fainting right there in the courtyard at the school, but I didn't.....I just thought to myself....this place is so crazy!!!
Or yesterday, when I was in the car and Fatai asked me about my grinder which was in the trash. I said "Grinder?" He said , "Yes, madame, your grinder...it was in the trash...is there something wrong with it?" I said, " Oh you mean our blender? Yes.....the motor is fried...it doesn't work." He said, " Oh." Then, yesterday afternoon I was taking a bag out of the back of the car and I saw our blender in the trunk.....he went and took it out of the trash. I know I shouldn't feel upset about it...it was my trash...but there is something very strange about seeing something you know you put in the trash can showing back up again...in front of you. It has happened a few times to me with a cleaning lady in our building...she has worn a pair of ratty old slippers I threw away because they were falling apart ....I wouldn't give them to anyone....
And, this morning, I ran out of milk in the kitchen fridge, so I went to the hall way and got another box of milk from that fridge. It struck me...how many people in the U.S. have a fridge in the hallway???
It is just so hard to explain things to my family and friends back home. Things are just so different here. Phones don't work, thrown away things turn up, things are in weird places, there's lots of extra help, but sometimes " too many cooks in the kitchen" can make things even more complicated...
The only thing I can tell my friends or anyone who asks what it's like to live here is ...it's just different here.:)
Sunday, May 13, 2012
Happy Mother's Day from Naija!
Mother's Day was looking good right from the start here in Naija.:) I woke up to eggs and bacon cooked by some tiny hands and one great chef!:) Then, I was "showered " with some precious gifts.:)
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| Mother's day book, homemade flowers and card:) |
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| Beautiful flowers from my hubby:) |
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| getting ready to go to church |
I will treasure these flowers forever!:)
And who can beat some of the best sushi I have ever tasted along with some of our great friends from Lagos???!! Yes, you can have fantastic sushi at Fusion in the Lagoon on V.I. (and no, I am not being paid to say that!)
And one of the most magical moments of being a mom is watching your little one sleep. There is something so peaceful and innocent about a child sleeping. It is one of those times when time seems to stand still and you can just drink in the beauty of your child. It is a time when all the whining and the complaining of everyday life drowns out, and it is just soft and peaceful. Have you ever felt like at that moment you can really "see" your child??? I have those moments sometimes.:) ( Funny how they usually happen to me when they are asleep! ha ha!)
It was a wonderful third Mother's Day in Lagos.:) I can't imagine my life without my two precious little spirits. I am so happy that they came into my life!:) Happy Mother's Day to all of you moms out there! I hope you are able to really "see" your children today:)
Thursday, May 10, 2012
Mr. Q and Miss U
Apparently, it was the classic story of Boy meets Girl or in this case "letter meets letter"...
Wednesday, May 9, 2012
More Lagniappe
Yesterday on a rare occasion I was all by myself (that NEVER happens!) I went out to The Palms Mall. I had heard stories, but could they have been rumors? I mean could it really be a FULLY stocked clothing store? I really had to take a trip out to see it myself....
And the rumors were true!!!! Woolworth's is open at he Palms people!!!! I was shocked! I almost thought I was in a department store in the U.S. (for a minute at least). I do have to say that The Palms Mall has really improved in the last three years!:) I don't know if my U.S. friends can really understand this excitement, but I know my expat friends here in Lagos can totally understand it!!:)
And, I finally finished this book, Imagine This by Sade Adeniran. It was a well written novel which gave me some interesting insight into the family structure in a small village in Nigeria outside of Lagos. I can't really say that it was an uplifting book, but it was one which really made me realize (yet again) how blessed my own life truly is.:) I do recommend this book to anyone who would like to understand more about the Nigerian culture in Lagos.:)
Monday, May 7, 2012
My Wake Up Call
This past weekend was wonderful! It was full of children laughing, birthday parties, big hats and bigger smiles. When I woke up this morning, I was feeling pretty good (other than the fact I have bus duty for the week). Sometimes, I even forget I live in Lagos. It's true. I start to feel pretty comfortable here. My kids are happy at school. I know where to find things here, and I don't panic when I can't (like I did when I first got here). But, I was zapped back into reality when I saw two words...Boko Haram....on my Blackberry this morning. A friend of mine who also lives in Lagos sent a forwarded message to me about a possibility of an attack near Lagos. If this happened to me three years ago, I would have looked at the message and simply hit delete (not that I even had a Blackberry then!) and possibly thought that Boko Haram was something new on the menu at one of the local restaurants. (Yes, I can hear my Dad screaming across the ocean. My poor dad always wants me to keep up with the latest news, and I sure wasn't that great about it three years ago. I think it had to do with a one year old and an almost three year old I was potty training!) After reading the message, my first thought was " I get about 50 forwards from various people a week, and I always blow them off." I went to make my coffee, but I couldn't shake that certain something that was in the back of my mind. I tried to forget about the message and go on with the morning. I made Jeremy his lunch and made sure he got dressed and brushed his teeth. Then, as I gave him a kiss good bye and told him I'd be on the bus and he'd see me there, it hit me! I looked at his big brown eyes and realized that feeling I couldn't shake this morning was FEAR. I couldn't ever forgive myself if something ever happened to my husband or my children while we are here. I am sure the forwarded message was not entirely accurate, but if it was being circulated at all and making just one other person besides me fearful...then it was working. And instilling fear, no mater how small, is the definition of a terrorist, is it not???
Sometimes, I get caught up with my everyday life here. I start to forget about some of the true dangers of living in Nigeria. I even made Guy do some investigating at work to find out if there was a heightened security alert. Thank goodness there wasn't! Nevertheless, Boko Haram is real and whether or not the attack will occur or it won't, the fact of the matter is that group is in Nigeria, and we all have to be vigilant of our surroundings. I am grateful for the message I got this morning.....it was a good "wake up call" for me to enjoy living here, but at the same time, I always need to remember I am living here. I need to be conscious of my surroundings not only for Guy and myself, but for our children as well.
Sometimes, I get caught up with my everyday life here. I start to forget about some of the true dangers of living in Nigeria. I even made Guy do some investigating at work to find out if there was a heightened security alert. Thank goodness there wasn't! Nevertheless, Boko Haram is real and whether or not the attack will occur or it won't, the fact of the matter is that group is in Nigeria, and we all have to be vigilant of our surroundings. I am grateful for the message I got this morning.....it was a good "wake up call" for me to enjoy living here, but at the same time, I always need to remember I am living here. I need to be conscious of my surroundings not only for Guy and myself, but for our children as well.
Sunday, May 6, 2012
Weekend:)
Our Friday night was a far cry from the late nights of dancing and partying of our "younger" years, but we loved every single minute of dollhouse playing and Lego building.:)
Saturday afternoon led us to a dear friend's princess birthday party over at the GQ on Ikoyi. There really is not anything like an African thunderstorm blowing in. The only things that comes even close is a Texas hurricane. But, this storm blew in fast and fierce! The temperature must have dropped 15 degrees in a matter of minutes!
Luckily, the kids spirits weren't too "rained out" ( and the power didn't go out!) There wasn't anything some cartoon network and piza couldn't handle inside the restaurant.:) But, the storm raged on outside!!
And Today, we headed off to the Oriental Hotel here on V.I. for the Mother's Day "Big Hat" brunch (even though it was a week early). All proceeds go to breast cancer research right here in Nigeria so it is for a great cause!!! Thank you, Happiness for finding hats for Lizzy and me.:) (She trekked through Balogun market for us!).
We were joined by some of our very dear friends here.:)
There was some great dancing from the Society of Performing Arts Nigeria..
I even won a voucher for a brunch at a local restaurant! I never win anything!!!!:)
Guy went up to the roof tonight to see the "Super" moon. He got a few pictrures. I am just impressed that we can see the moon. The sky was incredibly clear today!!:)
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