Moments When I think About Running Home

Honestly, there have been moments when I think about running home. First moment is when the reality of hunger dawns. It has indeed been a while I went into the kitchen to prepare a meal for myself. The only thing I do in the kitchen is to serve myself or sometimes just even pick the food that would have already been served. That was awesome and once in a while. That makes me want to run home.

Thinking about what to eat is a big enough problem. Not to talk about getting all the ingredients and combining them together in precise quantity at precise intervals to make your desired meal. Unfortunately, all the required ingredients are not readily available and you have to improvise or compromise on the quality of your imaginary meal. At such times I think about home.

On the first few days of my arrival here, I was wondering why I have to climb down the hill to get water (By the way, I stay on a hill). Memories of just opening the tap at home quickly came to my mind. That didn't take much time to acclimatize to. I got used to it after a while. Almost as I got used to the descending and ascending to get water, I got another shocker! Our 'drinking water' finished!

Where we obtain water to drink is even farther. I began wondering why we couldn't drink the one with which we took our baths. At times of intense pressure, we challenge the status quo. (That’s a very inspiring quote there!) As if that was not enough, the queue at the 'drinking water spot' was so long. These are times I pray that someone there remember I'm a corper (staff) and helps me out. That happens frequently. The distance didn't bother me anymore because I got help once I arrived.

Last but not the least regarding water issues. Recently, the pumping machines were no longer 'behaving.' Water was now a serious issue. The entire community now depends on the 'drinking water spot.' It’s one thing to go there once a while to get drinking water. It is another thing to go there twice daily. At that point I began counting how many more days to leave. That made me miss home.

GSM service or network as we all call it is another serious issue. 3G is a fantasy! I really think about getting home where there is service in every corner of the house. MTN is about the best here. But I realize that I hardly receive calls. Whenever I get through, I get accused for switching off my phone. I later learnt that it’s ten times easier for me to call out than receive a call. MTN here is a one-way.

Airtel works only on a particular spot and I can't dial unless I point my phone towards the east. For GLO, they're so full of themselves. I've never seen even a human being that proud. It comes and goes as it pleases. I honestly apologies to those who have been trying to reach me via calls. Please bear with me. A ping or chat message will do so much good right now.

These among many things make me wanna run home.

Sweaters to Birthday Suits

First, why does everyone think the entire Plateau State is Jos? Plateau is almost 9 times the size of Lagos. Its about the same same distance from Jos to Abuja as it is to my humble abode. Anyone travelling from Ibadan to Lagos and turned back to pick something halfway will probably arrive Lagos the same time as I'm dropping my bag. Provided its not on a first Friday.

I might be responsible to a large extent. I simply tell everyone I'm going to Jos. That saves me a lot of explanation. Its really hard to explain, pronounce and spell a name like Garkawa knowing fully well you'll ask "hows jos?" again in our next conversation. But when it comes to weather issues, I try to be explicit in my description. When it comes to weather, they are two worlds apart.

First few days into year was similar, cold. Even with that, Jos was extreme. I learnt Jos experienced a temperature of 9 degrees. The least we had would be 16 or a little less. I'm not sure anyone here remember what a thermometer is. Right now, I'm almost sleeping in my birthday suit while my people in jos are shutting windows and wearing sweaters. It isn't as cold but is still cold. Interestingly, there places cooler than Jos and places hotter than Mikang. Isn't God great?

I'm loving my hairstyle. I can't imagine what it would feel like if I had "the Rock shave." The sun would have made a hole in my head. I'm seriouslly considering facecaps and goggles. This is more about need than fashion.

This weather is helping me plan well. No one in his right senses wants to go in twice. Plan the whole day, take off and then retire till the sun sets.

It would be great if we had thermopiles up here. This heat is wasting.

My Book of Genesis

I heard an interesting message by Dr Ravi Zacharias describing Genesis as the book of firsts. It sounded in a way i've never heard it before. The first man, first woman, first Family, first enemies, first sin, first pardon, first altar, first offering, first murder, first birth, first rape, first love, first betrayal, first sacrifice, first covenant etc. I feel like I'm experiencing my own Genesis here.

I've had my first official assignment at my ppa. It's so fun to be called 'sir.' There's respect from all over. We when our lecturers addressed without much regard have become people that other lecturers respect and give responsibility.

I've recieved my first local government allowance. I won't tell you the amount so you won't ask me for recharge or request for my account number out of pity. It isn't really about the amount. It was fun receiving the first. I heard we'd be left with only 200 when they begin to deduct various fees fron the next one. I hope is a rumour.

I have made my first meal. It was indomie. Not the student grade Ooo. The working class grade indomie. It was garnished with fresh pepper and sardine. Honestly, I didn't percieve any aroma until I finished eating. I don't understand what happened either, just trust me.

I have had my first cup of kunu. This doubles as my first cup of kunnu ever. It took me about 2 hours to finish it. All encouragement that it tasted great feel on deaf ears. I have never tasted anything like it. Not so true. It tasted like "omi ogi" (pap-water). That's the more reason it struggled to go down my throat. I remember in those days that we didn't let anyone know we were tasting water squeezed out of grinded corn.

I've had my first 'charger blow up.' The voltage wasnt high though. In fact it seemed that it got burnt because the voltage fluctuated between low and normal to frequently. The charger left a souvenir depression on the carpet because of the high temperature. It didn't go alone, it took my new extension socket along. RIP my charger. This charger was so long you could be connected in another house while working in your room. I miss it.

I've seen the popular dongoyaro tree. Bye bye to anti malaria. Here comes medicine for all forms of illness.

I've finished my first book here. I found it among the books of my colleague hosting me. The title, "Whatever happened to Worship" by AW Tozer. A wonderful book to start up with. So many distractions on where to start. One would naturally think, join a fellowship or preach the gospel. I almost forgot I ought to start with what I was created to do.

I've heard my first sermon here. I've listened to my first audio here. I've attended my first Bible study here. Made my first contribution.

I've taken my first stroll. Bought my first biscuit. Its a Family size "cabin." I've bought my first drink. It was so cold and refreshing. By the wat it was Sprite even though the bottle was green.

I've spoken my first Hausa sentense. Students have had their first laugh at me. I've got my first laugh too. I've made my first catch for examination malpractice. Though it was when I helped a colleague conduct a test for 300 students.

I hope to take my first picture soon. Thanks for reading.

Silver Lining Around Dark Clouds

This happen 3 months ago back in Lagos. Don't tell my sister Ooo ;-)

I had a very short night. Just 2 hours of sleep. Woke up and began answering calls, replying messages and I needed a very good reward for my labour. So I taught of a really nice meal. That might not be the best option for you, but yam and egg will make it to my top ten count down anyday. It has been on my Forbes...

I wanted to fry egg. So I broke the egg into a bowl, added ground pepper, added salt, getting ginger and garlic spice, I sliced onions into it.

So I reached frying pan and placed it on the cooker and wanted to light the fire. I thought I should put vegetable oil before putting the cooker on. So I reached for the bottle of oil was very empty.

I was blank for a moment, then disappointed and almost angry. But an idea popped up!

So I invented a new recipe. Femza Eggies... Zero-fat, zero cholesterol, very healthy...

Step one: boil water. Make sure to use a pot large enough to contain your bowl.

Step two: lower bowl of egg mixture into boiling water. Avoid too much water that can sink your bowl and spill your egg. Don't allow actual Water to enter the bowl since it intention is to stream not boil. Cover the whole pot so that little or no steam escapes. This will help the speed of cooking.

Boil until it becomes solid

Viola.

You may serve scattered or whole.

Goes with everything you can eat with fried egg. You may also eat it alone with a cup of tea, it is quite healthy.

Enjoy your day and learn to make the best out of every moment even the most disappointing ones.

Meet My Host Community Part2

I went to the market with 2 of my colleagues. The first interesting sight is the burukutu spots. There are as many burukutu spots as there are fruit sellers. It looked cream in colour and didn't smell differently. You'd be wondering why I'm so fascinated. I've only heard about it, im seeing it for the first time.

As you can trust, food is cheap and fruits are fresh. A fried regreted buying 150 soup ingredients. As I am writing, he's not done with it. I saw some oranges, they were almost spotless. They bore the semblance of the shoprite (imported) oranges not like the ones we eat in Lagos where the oranges are like map of the world with green seas and yellow continents.

I tried out the kwulikwuli and I realised what i've been missing. Crunchy, fresh, tasty and cheap. I hope I'm forgiven if I take more than what I'm supposed to take for my lifetime.

I tried out the akara too. I bought 20 naira's worth and saw 6 blazing hot pieces. That's like a miracle. The interesting part was, the pepper they sprinkled. All these for 20 Naira? I think I'll recommend that in this cold weather. Despite the fact that it was cold and dry, I was sweating after 6 hot akaras.

I decided to go price roasted chicken laps and I heard 250. In my heart I asked.thousand or naira. I scanned the table and saw all the condiments waiting to be added as soon as the transaction is done. I concluded that, wren I want to do "be happy", I just come here.

I will definitely have a great time.

Meet My Host Community

Yesterday, I decided to go watch a fellow "corper" take his revsion class. It was quite interesting. I learnt a number of things and made some strategic changes to how I'll handle my own classes. I am excited that my own class wouldn't be the first. I wanted to have an idea of the profile of the students. Thank God I got that.

Initially, I was afraid that i'd have to translate every word into Hausa. This wouldn't have been funny because I'm still making silly mistakes like saying "good morning" in the evening. It is interesting to know that they speak well. That reminded me the people this part of the nation have the best diction for English language. No wonder Cyril Stoba is still a choice presenter on NTA network service.I love the way they pronounce their words.

I can say every preconceived idea I had about them has changed. It is a complete community bearing every feature of the so called urban community. Students using headphones, viewing centers, cyber cafés around, students do assignment and submit via email. Honestly, this would be more fun than I anticipated. I look forward into the heart of the matter.

One more thing worthy of note is their hunger and thirst for God. My colleague led a prayer and I decided to look around, all heads were bowed and eyes closed. You can hardly get that kind of hunger down south. I trust that God will help me appropriate such desire so it isn't harnessed for the wrong use. They are potential firey foxes that can set the nation ablaze

I Feel Like I'm Holding My Breadth Under Water

Returning home for the Christmas break was great relief. It was as though I had held my breadth for over a month and had just found my way to the surface of the pool. Indeed the relief was great. It was great to be back in an environment that you are more familiar with. One doesn't have to be extra careful to leave in peace. At home you can hardly offend anyone by having a great time unlike camp where a little thing could be a taboo for someone from another part of the country.

As the break is now over, my head is filled with thoughts. There is a mixed feeling in my heart. Joy about the new experiences and anxiety about the unknown; anticipation for opportunity and caution for the sake of safety; Feeling of liberty makes me want to loose myself and the sense of responsibility that helps me add caution. All these flood my little head.

Now, I have a feeling I'm climbing up to the surface from which i'm going to take a dive. This time the dive would be deeper than the first. This is not a three weeks dive like the first and it isn't a surface or waist deep pond either. It is a pond deep enough to overwhelm and a stay long enough to be drowned. But I don't have to be overwhelmed, I don't have to drown. I can learn to breathe under water.

Welcome to the Real Service Year

The Orientation Camp seems to be the most exciting and most anticipated experience during the service year. It is nothing compared to what we now face. At camp you will find clusters of people with similar beliefs and you didn't have to go too far too meet someone from the same school or similar origin. You get your food at regular intervals, you didn't have to worry about what to eat. But here, reverse is the case, you might be a thousand kilometers from your friends, colleagues or kinsmen.

Blending with your environment is not an option, making new friends cannot be negotiated. Learning a new language might be necessary too. You have to drop ethnic prejudice to get the best of the experience.

I must say that all senior corpers who gave us gist and stories did actually leave out a lot of things. It's either they didn't mention anything similar to what we are now facing or we were carried away by the interesting part that we didn't take note of the not so interesting part.

All the same, I bid myself welcome to the real service year. Somehow, it seems I haven't woken up to the reality yet. I still push some things till a more appropriate time. "When the service year starts for real, I'll do this." But honestly, this is it. Time is going by and one more day without what you really want to do is one day less of how long you would do it.

This is officially the third month and time lost cannot be recovered. Fellow corp members, awake to the reality. You're three months into your service year, there's no better time than now to do what you determined to do. Businesses are waiting to be started, lives are waiting to be touched and service is waiting to be done.

Welcome to the real service year!

Add Just One More Day to This Break

If I could make just one request, it would be that one more day is added to our "break." There's just still so much to do. So many people to visit, so many events to attend, so many family members to greet, so many friends to catch up with. So many younger colleagues still have questions. We still have questions for our mentors. But we must proceed, we must continue what we started. We must finish what we began.

Particularly, I'm not so happy I'll be missing the wedding ceremony of a wonderful couple. The husband is a big brother and mentor while the wife is a dear friend and sister. I think this is one great sacrifices for the sake of Nigeria. May the labours and sacrifices, not only of our heroes past, but of the present youths of which I belong not be in vain.

And even if our request was granted and the one day is left with only a few munites we would still hope that another day would be added. We can never be satisfied. The more we get, the more we realise that we need. In order to break a perpetual chain of insatiable desires, we must decide to make a sacrifice.

Lets do this and get it done with. Let this cup quickly pass over and if I had an option I will take it in gulps rather than sips. All the same, I promise I would have a nice time. I will savor every sip and bite; I will squeeze the juice out in every hour and enjoy the flavour of ezch moment.

May God preserve our lives
May God preserve our youth
May God preserve our Nation