MADE IN LAGOS, NO STRESS 2

 

Now where did I stop?

Ok the part where we packed our ‘Ghana-must-go’ large matted woven bag heading towards Heathrow airport. Obviously by now you know my pre-departure test was negative. Waiting for the test results sent stress levels through the roof, coupled with the fact that they came through in the wee hours of the day of travel. Then the 3 hours spent trying to upload the results onto Nigeria’s user ‘unfriendly’ Permit To Travel portal and paying for a day 2 PCR test left me angry, exhausted but relieved. 

At Heathrow we met a distressed ‘uncle’ who had missed his flight to Lagos the previous night because he could not upload his PCR and vaccination status on to the portal so the airline would not let him board, we tried to assist him but had no joy either, so ended up leaving him there😢

We board and as I’m ‘adjusting’ myself on seat, the captain announces that the plane was ‘tear rubber’ as in a brand new plane making its maiden flight. After overcoming my initial fear that the airline are using us for ‘testing testing 1-2-3’ my reaction to this was to rush for the loo...me first😏

The cabin was relatively empty which I put down to last minute cancellations due to the Red List shenanigans and passengers testing positive within the 48 hour departure window. 

We land...air conditioners not working, escalators not working, auto-walk not working and as you approach immigration there are 2 queues. One for us the natives that you’d expect to be the faster moving one with a quick flash of our passports but far from it! The faster moving queue is the one for foreigners with visas or requesting ‘Visa on arrival’🧐

Two flights have arrived that morning and katakata bursts as hot frustrated passengers start shouting at airport officials, asking why this non-public facing part of airport is not fully air-conditioned. There are 2 powerful ‘hurricane’ fans blowing but guess what? They are both directed towards the airport officials at the counter🤦🏾‍♀️

ShollyBobo, Yomi & Moi @ ‘function’😜

My arrival in Lagos was emotional being my first since my dad passed and the trip was very different from what had been the norm. 

Yewande, Moi, Yemisi & Victor @ Ibru Gardens

Segun Agbede aka ‘The Pundit’ LagosTalks 91.3

Christmas in Lagos...hmmm

Home Grown Xmas Hamper ft. Cabin biscuits 

Lagos ‘get levels’ and the disparity between the ‘haves’ and the ‘have nots’ never ceases to amaze me. Picture this, sitting in a cramped danfo (public transport) in heavy ‘go-slow’, hot, bothered, angry, dripping with sweat and wedged under the ‘aromatic’ armpit of the bus conductor 🤢 .You look up and see a ‘Small Girl With a big god’ (a term used for young ladies who cannot explain their source of wealth) 👀 driving her 4-wheel drive ‘jeep’ with a tiny dog on the passenger seat besides her. The inner side of window has built up condensation from the freezing coolness of the air con while the dog peeps from window overlooking the traffic and just stops short of shaking its head with pity at the cooped up passengers in vehicle besides him😩

Naija dogs have attitude, gone are the days when thoughts of them conjured an image of a scrawny looking ‘bingo’🐶 

Late one evening we receive a message from ‘the nephew’ Sayo he’s stopping over to say a quick hi with Cassie. We’re still wondering who Cassie is when he rolls up in all his swagger with a cute little furry friend on a lead! Cassie his dog struts her stuff around the house before finding a cool spot on tiled floor and sprawls herself out. I’m busy doing hostess with the mostest ‘alejo’ asking Sayo what will he drink and whether Cassie is thirsty as I wonder how she keeps cool with all that fur. He assures me she’s ok as dog opens one eye and looks at me with contempt! I spend the next hour or so trying to bond with this dog to no avail, but do grab her for a ‘foto’ op as you’ll see in pic👇🏾 

Cassie & Sayo

As we see Sayo off as he opens his car door and Cassie jumps in, she is now looking down at me, oh the irony! Sayo is rummaging through his boot which is packed with her gadgets and toys looking for something to keep her entertained on the ride home🙄

Cassie’s breed ‘Lhasa apso’ is described on one website as ‘A little wool dog from Tibet, not the nicest to strangers, but one of the most affectionate to its owner or people they know and trust’ It all makes sense now🥺

Even grandma has 2 posh dogs Bibi and KoiKoi who gave birth to some puppies before Xmas, they too were the cute and presented another dog-themed photo op for me👇🏾

Grandma’s Puppies🐶🐶

Now for some lazy writing as I’m tired and this blog was only ever going to be a 2-part. Nigeria was ‘Nigeria’ with all the recurring decimals😐 Unfortunately I can’t take you through every aspect of the trip. Though I had a lot of chill out time, I still got to see family, friends, attended old school alumni end of year event and other ‘functions’. For most ladies a trip to the motherland would include a visit to the hair salon and possibly a nail bar, I ticked both boxes and patronised grass root places as my way of giving back.

 

Aunty Risi, you wan do hair?

There was a lot of eating out mainly local delicacies.You name it..I ate it, I really understood the assignment and one day even ate a whole goat head aka isi ewu 😜 None of that ‘English’ food for me. I did however try KFC at the airport on the return journey and it was the most uneventful meal I had while out there...oh yeah, one day we drove past Nigeria’s first Burger King on our way to an abula joint!

The End.....hopefully the pics will do the talking. 

Thank God it’s Friday, enjoy the weekend and thanks for your custom😏

Life is short. Eat dessert first ~ Jacques Torres

💅🏾