– Jibrin Ibrahim, political analyst … and one of the greatest pontificators around
Today we met with a political scientist in the morning, analyzing the upcoming elections and full of witty quotes, and in the afternoon with Shell oil executives. That session was very different from all the others, extremely tense and terse, and once again off the record – “background only.” None of the elegant Nigerian “pontification” until Shell Nigeria’s lone female board member and daughter of a former king in the delta region, spoke out angrily and eloquently at the very end.
In between, a visit to the local market. Overwhelming, in midday sun, stared at alternately with hostility and a kind of adulation. Gail and I walked to the edge, to the food market. Bought two CDs – Rex Lawson and some Nigerian hiphop. I didn’t take photos; it causes violent offense. Gail knows Nelson (Lampe) from their days together at the San Francisco Examiner, and says hi. She reminds me a lot of Joellen; I really like her.
There’s a gas station across the road from the hotel entrance. The lines always, always stretch into the street.
And there are no traffic lights, in a city of 2 million, and everyone just pulls out into the intersection and assumes they’ll make it across four speeding lanes of traffic, and they usually do.
Abuja is a city created out of nothing. When “democracy” came to Nigeria in 1999, they decided to move the capital from Lagos, on the coast, to the middle of the country, equidistant to all the various religious/ethnic factions. None of it was here 10 years ago; now, absolutely massive corporate and government buildings rise from the middle of nowhere. Everything’s in a state of construction or demolition (already?), and it’s hard to tell which is which. Everyone we’ve met is here because they have to be and can’t wait to leave. I still like it.
Tonight, dinner at an authentic Nigerian restaurant – we made it out of our insulated Hilton bubble. A table full of Americans, in a Nigerian restaurant, with a Spanish telenovela on the big-screen TV. I have a 5 a.m. wakeup call to leave by 7 for Kaduna/Kano – five hours each way. I should be asleep an hour ago …
Things you can buy at the Abuja market:
Assorted used American shoes and plastic crap
Stereo speakers
Bootleg CDs
Red, robust, ripe tomatoes, piled in perfect pyramids
Pineapples; plaintains
Chickens, live or dead
Cow and goat heads, or the whole body if you like
Tiny blue snails
Dried crawfish
Okra, pumpkin leaves, spinach
Batik fabric (I want to bring some home for pillow covers; Mom/Krista: How much do I need for that?)
Things you can buy from a bus window in Abuja traffic:
Phone cards
Garlic
Newspapers, magazines
Soft drinks
Loaves of bread
Innertubes
Bananas; limes
Roasted corn
Balloons
7 comments:
Becki, you probably don't remember me at all. But we did Poynter together. (I was in philly at the time -- i'm in Atlanta now). Your blog is cool. Very interesting. I hope your trip goes well. And you get safely back.
Robin
Evidence #1 that it's a small world after all: All the people you and the journalists in your group have in common. I mean ... Nelson? That's a hoot.
Evidence #2 that it's a small world after all: Yes, apparently the World-Herald IS going to be a backdrop in some Super Bowl ad. How the heck did you hear that all the way in Africa?
I don't know how much material you'll need for pillows, but I do know they will go really well with your decor.
Hope you get some sleep. We miss you (and I've heard Aimee muttering about "having the power now").
Vicki
"Justice if the first condition of humanity." - Wole Soyinka, Nigerian author, poet, playwright and polical dissident
came across this quote in Soyinka's "You Must Set Forth at Dawn" and thought it fit well with the day's meetings with Shell execs. and glad to hear they were squirmy...i would be too if i was swarmy.
safe travels to Kaduna/Kano.
xoxo...krista
Becki,
How big a pillow do you want to make?
Becki:
Wow, what a trip so far! Thanks for posting. It's good to keep up with your experience.
Enjoy!
Margaret
My God, woman. You have been so busy I don't know how you manage to blog and sleep too. Love the pics. Keep them coming. Stay safe. Love, Joellen
Yes, thank you for the postings. I'm always checking to see what adventures you've had.
Interesting things to buy while driving. In Panama, you can buy trash bags while waiting at a red light.
Keep enjoying!
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