Detomos Abroad

Where would we be without friends?  Strong friends when it comes to a pool table.  When the pool table was unassembled and crated in the USA, we were under the impression that there would be an assembly group here in Nigeria.  Having had repair men come to change a ceiling light bulb without a ladder and the plumber come to fix plumbing with only a screw driver, it became clear to us that we would be assembling the pool table ourselves.  The frame was intact but having been stood on end it had one broken board. 

 The furniture carver that has made us a new top for our bar came to the rescue and made us a replacement for the broken board. 

 

Then with the help of 5 strong neighbor men we uncrated the 3 slates, (~300 lbs each), and placed them in position.  I was no help as my leg still did not bend from my knee surgery, and I really can’t walk like one should. 

We brought a new felt with us from the USA, and we then began to level and re-surface the table in preparation of stretching the new felt over it. 

The men were all promised game-time at the table once it was complete.  It takes a small village to assemble a pool table.  Rocky spent the next week plastering and sanding the seams and imperfections in the slate, and then stretching the new felt over it and tacking the edges. 

 The more difficult part was cutting and stretching the felt over the pocket cutouts, especially on the sides.  Once the felt was on, holes were cut on it to match the slate holes where the rails assemble on top of it.  The rails themselves were interesting to assemble!  The entire rail assembly must be done at one time, upside-down, and then flipped over to bolt unto the table.  This is because, once assembled, the slate hides the screw holes for the pocket-rods.  Once the rails are bolted on, then the leather pocket baskets must be tacked to the table to complete the job.  The only problem was the disassembler in Houston had simply pulled the pockets off, damaging a number of the leather ends, requiring a lot of detailed, custom assembly adjustments.  By mid-January, however, the Pool Table was assembled – and it plays fantastic!! 

 

January 20, 2009

10:00am Washington DC is 5:00pm here in Nigeria.  So at 5:00pm I met some British friends and went to the American Club (or the GQ as it is known locally [Guest Quarters]) to watch Obama’s Inauguration.  Rocky and I generally attend Happy Hour at the GQ once a week and there are 2-10 people in the bar then.  It is a very casual atmosphere with people talking, using the Internet and American CNN on the TV (not the International version).  Today there are at least 150 people crowded in the bar.  The attached dining room has its doors wide open as a bar extension and had most of its tables removed and extra chairs placed.  It is crowded to the point of standing room only. 

 The GQ serves only American food and drink all of which are imported from Houston Texas.  Tonight there are 4 TV’s running and the food represents Obama’s home states of Illinois and Hawaii.  Thus, the menu consists of Chicago Cubs hot dogs, Coconut fried shrimp with pineapple sauce and BBQ ribs.  We joined a table of other British friends and proceeded to order wine and margaritas (GQ makes the best) and watch the Inauguration.  We sampled all the food items and they were quite good especially the shrimp. When Obama was sworn in as President, the people in the bar were so quiet you could hear a pin drop. 

 When Obama was President the crowd stood and clapped and whistled.  The Nigerians in the crowd waved small American flags. 

The crowd was very respectful of Obama’s speech and again erupted in cheering and flag waving when it was over. 

All in all quite a party and celebration.  Several of my friends left work to go home and sit and watch the Inaguration via International CNN.  I really enjoyed the party and atmosphere of the GQ.  GO OBAMA!

 

 

The Harmattan is a dry and dusty West African trade wind that blows south from the Sahara into the northwest coast of Africa and Nigeria this time of year.  The results are low quality air, a haze that limits visibility, and potential significant restrictions on travel.  It is intermittent from November through March, but is often worst in January and February.  Although most people complain about the interruptions it causes to their daily routines by covering everything with dust, and impacting their breathing, the Harmattan also pushes out the hot, humid weather, and replaces it with cooler, (about 10 degrees F cooler), and dryer weather.  It also provides for some spectacular sunrises and sunsets, as the dust refracts the light into soft, colorful images.  In its minor form, it is a nuisance, but if a major event kicks-up, airline travel stops, and people may not be able to travel far outdoors.  This is what happened on Rocky’s last trip into Port Harcourt.  Upon his return flight, scheduled to depart at 9:30 in the morning, the Port Harcourt airport was shutdown for lack of visibility and air conditions, (conditions are usually worse in the morning, and improve during the day).  By 1:00PM, conditions had finally improved enough that planes were allowed to land and takeoff again, making for a nearly all day experience to travel a 45 minute flight.

Please note there are no clouds in the sky, just a haze covering everything.

We left for the airport Friday January 2^nd at 1:30pm having spent the last seven weeks visiting family and friends, traveling the States and now with 8 full suitcases are back in Lagos Saturday 11pm January 3^rd.   It’s 82 degrees and balmy weather.

 

We awoke Sunday morning to the sound of the fire alarm going off in the apartment.  We had gotten about 5 hours sleep at this point and it would have been nice to sleep in.  After calling security to let them know about the alarm, we discovered water on the floor of 3 bathrooms and the guest bedroom and not a little water but water an inch deep.  One of the hot water tanks (we have 2) had burst.  Here the tanks are located in the crawl space above the bathrooms.  Once again we called security and someone came round to turn off the water to the 2 bathrooms and the kitchen.  We won’t be doing any laundry! 

 

It’s Monday 1:30pm and a new water tank has arrived and is being installed.  Of course there is now rust colored water on the floor and grimy fingerprints all over the walls.  The plumber had to remove the wood frame around the crawl space to get the new hot water heater in, but at least we have hot water!  Watching workers in Nigeria is always interesting:  Plumbers, Electricians, and Carpenters – all show up with no tools whatsoever!  They arrive, and then go in search of a ladder, (we do not have one), then they ask to borrow a hammer or wrench, or must go off again to borrow one from somewhere.  If parts are needed, the leave and come back days later with the part to pick-up where they left off.  Therefore, simple jobs drag over either all day long, or over multiple days, and even then will only get completed in a timely fashion if they are called and cajoled on a continuous basis.

 

To be safe, we have asked to have the other hot water heater replaced before it might burst!  So the plumbers will return.  Welcome to life in Nigeria!

Finally, we have our belongings and yes they arrived 7 days before we leave Nigeria for our home leave.  Our belongings (furniture, kitchen and household items) were packed in May 2008.  They were moved to storage till a sea freight container became available (which took about 10 days).  Our stuff was then packed into the container and shifted to the dock where at the end of June it was placed on a ship for Nigeria.  However, once it got to sea it developed problems and had to be towed back to dock and put in dry dock for repairs.  Thus our container was unloaded and sat on the dock awaiting another ship to Nigeria.  It started on its way to us again in August and arrived in Nigeria in early September.  It took a while before it cleared customs and tariffs and taxes were paid. But October 31^st after calling the port for a solid week, our belongings arrived at 6:30pm.  Then they had to be unloaded the container.  The container was too big to get into the complex so 6 guys unloaded in the street and either carried the boxes through the gate past the guards,  across the parking lot, around the pool, up a flight of stairs to us or loaded the smaller items into a small van and drove the van to the closest entry and brought the items to us.    It took about 4 hours to unload.  But what a relief to finally have our own stuff!  We removed the bubble wrapping from the living room furniture and popped some champagne.  Celebration time!

 

November 1^st we ventured with the Nigerian Field Society to Makoko, a stilt village off the Third Mainland Bridge of Lagos.  This stilt village has been in the waters off Lagos Mainland for 2 generations now.  It is a village built entirely on stilts sitting in the water.  There are only waterways as roads. The population is ~9,000 people. It is made up of the fishing people of Benin seeking a better life.  We started by embarking into 3 skiffs to traverse the 30 minutes to the village.  We were accompanied by a couple who visit this village about once every 6 months always taking a small number of people to expose them to a different side of life here in Lagos.  Today there were 20 of us and we came bearing gifts:  cash for the children’s school and school supplies, drink for the Baale, and pictures of the previous visit.  We were greeted by the Baale’s men and welcomed into the community center.  We were allowed to ask any questions (through an interpreter) of the Balay and then given a tour by banana boat of the village.  The Baale is a mayor like figure that overseas the community handling most anything and everything.  He allowed picture-taking and was most gracious to the invasion of 20 Obinyos (white people).  The young man that guided us through the village was born and raised in Makoko.  He spoke English and conversed readily about the villages’ way of life.  The children begin swimming and paddling a boat from birth.  We saw 4 year olds out alone paddling a boat.  The elders and older youth go to the sea daily to fish and once the fish are sold the other necessities’ are either bought or bartered.  There is clean water that comes from the mainland.  The day we were there, the pipe sprung a leak and we watched them pull it up and cover the leak with a piece of rubber and drop it back down.  There are boats moving through the village selling cloth, clothes, DVD’s/CD’s, recharge cards (for the cell phones), oranges, smoked fish, vegetables and fruits (actually, they sell anything you can think of).   Yes a few people had electricity and a couple of homes had generators.  Most homes were one large room on stilts, but some were 2 stories tall and some had porches.  Several had outdoor showers to the side of the home.  During the tour the children smiled and yelled “Yaboo” (their word for white person).  The children want you to take their picture and then show them the picture.  They also want to touch you.  It was interesting to see those who have so little and make so much of what little they have.  It certainly was unlike any other village we have been to.

 

 

This weekend we took another trip down the intercoastal waterway via the Isahayi Sea to Conrad and Inyant’s beach hut. (See August 17, 2008)  A thirty minute ride on the water makes one worries melt away.  We were going for sun and relaxation as our sea freight had not yet arrived.  The sun cooperated and it was a wondrous day.  No cell phones and no traffic only the sounds of the Atlantic Ocean.   We walked the beach, relaxed in the hammocks, read a book, and flew a kite.  Emmanuel and Friday prepared a feast from the supplies we brought and we ate barbeque ribs, kabobs and burgers.  We shared conversation over a bottle of wine (or 2).  We even taught the local children to fly the kite.  What a peaceful day. 

   

 

This morning I had the privilege to attend a hospitality coffee offered by the American Women’s Club (AWC) hosted at the Nike Gallery.

Renowned batik artist Nike Davies-Okundayoe has turned the first floor of her Lekki Estates home into a showroom. Nike was personally there to show us around and to answer questions.  Her daughter was also there modeling some of the batik skirts and sashes.  Her home show cases not only her art but other artists thus paintings, beads, fabric and other artwork were displayed. It was a wonderfully interesting morning.

 

 

 

Nike Davies-Okundayoe is one of the most well-known and contemporary artists of West Africa.

She is an active supporter of women’s rights and promoting Nigerian art forms.  Nike’s Center for arts and Culture in Oshogbo trains men and women free of charge in the Nigerian art forms.  (Oshogbo is a major market town in southwest Nigeria that is the center of production of adire [indigo pattern dying].) Nike is working to keep alive the techniques of traditional Yoruba art:  adire, batik, beadwork, wood carving, mosaics, appliqué and even drumming and dancing.  Nike is also an active opponent of the economic slavery of women through the practice of polygamy. You can learn more at www.nikeart.com

 

 

The Elephant Dream by Nike Davies

 

 

Osun Goddess by Nike Davies

 

Close you r eyes and you will hear horns blowing, engine noise and one thousand conversations.  Open your eyes and see a kaleidoscope of colors in front of you and across the street as well as thousands of people.  The shops are 4 foot wide and 8 foot deep with racks on all 3 walls full of fabric from ceiling to floor.  There are all colors of the rainbow as well as fabric from all of Africa (Ghana, Benin, Ivory Coast, Gabon, South Africa and more).  There is no door or air conditioning, but hops have one light in the ceiling.   There are fabric and then fabric with lace woven into it.  The colorful but plain fabric for every day wear and the laciest of fabrics for special occasions and Sunday Church wear.  The senses were overwhelmed.

 

This morning 7 of us ventured to Balogun Street on Lagos Island in search of dress fabric.  Some of the ladies were after skirt fabric or blouse fabric, but two of us were after fabric for traditional dress.  Balogun Market is on Balogun Street not too far from where Rocky works.  It is a street traversed on foot or by okada with people everywhere.  Occasionally you will see a car as it is difficult driving due to the volume of people in the street.

 

So where does one start with so many choices.  As this was my first time here, I followed my friends observing the wide variety of fabrics.  I was after dress  and headdress material as well as fabric to cover our bar stools.   After viewing several shops I found blue material overlaid with gold with hints of pink and lavender for a dress.  The shopkeeper wanted 4000 Naira (NGN) [~$34].  We bargained and I paid 2500 NGN (~$ 21)  for 6 yards of the blue fabric. All fabric comes in 6 or 12 yards lengths.  I then selected the pink fabric (that matches the dress) for a headdress from another shop.

 

 For the bar I found brown black with a pattern that matches the carvings on the front of the bar.  The gentleman wanted 4500 NGN (~$38) but eventually settled for 2500 NGN (~$21).   All in all, shopping took us about 3 hours. 

 

As we walked back to Breadfruit Street where the drivers and cars waited we bought 2 bags of oranges (6 oranges for 200 Naira [$1.70]).   As it turns out those oranges was lunch as we got stuck in traffic and it took 70 minutes to get home (normally 20 minute drive).  My next foray will be to find a tailor.

On Thursday, October 2nd, I received a call from the American High School Football,

 (Soccer), Coach, Columbus, asking me if I wanted to accompany him to a soccer competition on Saturday.  In addition to coaching at the American High School, Columbus runs a Football Academy nearby on the Lekki Peninsula.  The Lekki Peninsula area is relatively upper-middle class in Lagos, and most of the people in the area are hardworking and educated with a modest income.  However, our adventure this weekend would take us elsewhere.

 

In January, 2008, the Lagos State of Nigeria decided to host a year-long “Street Soccer” 5 vs. 5 Tournament, open to all registered Football Teams within the Lagos State.  The purpose was to identify new, upcoming Nigerian Talent and allow young footballers to emerge.  MTN, one of the major local cell phone providers, provided major sponsorship, the State Government provided guaranteed medical insurance to the players, and thousands of teams were registered for the event in January.  Competition began in February, and by this weekend now in October, the competition was down to the top 80 teams – 10 teams each at 8 different sites spread around the State of Lagos.  The competition this Saturday would be a strictly 1 game each knock-out competition to reduce the number of teams to 40.  These 40 would then be regrouped into 10 brackets of 4 for round-robin play, with 2 teams from each bracket moving on to a “finals” championship in November.  The Tournament winning Team will receive 2,000,000 Naira, (~$18,000), and trips to Brazil to play, Runner-Up with 1,000,000 Naira and trips to South Africa to play, and 3rd place with 750,000 Naira and trips to Ghana to play.

 

I met Columbus at the American School at 8:30am to travel to one site of the competition.  Columbus’ Academy has an under-19 group, but half of the players would be at exam today, meaning that they would have to play without any substitutes.  Also, they were drawn to play today at “Maracana Field” in Apapa…a hotbed of football for Nigeria in the middle of some of the most densely populated poor slum areas of Lagos.  This particular pitch is named in honor of the famous stadium in Brazil – their homage locally to the sport.  Columbus had himself grown up in the area, but had not been back to this hallowed ground for over 16 years.  Numerous of Nigeria’s professional footballers grew up and learned a passion for the sport here, and I was eager to see the ground for myself.

 

Maracana Field was not easy for us non-locals to find.  After traveling to the Apapa area, we found ourselves on very narrow streets during Saturday morning market hours, surrounded by a busy, bartering mass of humanity.  There is no doubt in my mind that I was likely the only “Oyinbo”, (pronounced ‘ow-wee-bo’ – meaning ‘white person’), within a few miles, among over a million Nigerians.  In many ways it way humbling, but mostly, it meant I was a curiosity there.  After winding our way through 20 blocks of dusty, dirt, potholed roads, and moving the throngs from in front of us through persistent horn-blowing and car-creeping, and stopping to ask direction 3-5 times, we finally found the pitch at 9:20am.

 

Unfortunately, I had forgotten my camera, but I can describe the scene for you clearly:  The area was the size of 3-4 full size pitches with only a modicum of grass remaining at the extreme edges.  Although the ground was dirt from the constant local play, it was not sandy or soft, and without wind or rain, would allow a technical game to be played.  There were permanent goals, and sets of smaller temporary goals around, and the perimeter of the field was lined on 2 sides by the walls and kitchen windows of the surrounding neighborhood.  The 3rd side was bounded by the wall of the local school, and the 4th  boundary was the classic galvanized steel fence we customarily find lining an automotive salvage yard in the U.S.  Finally, the scene was held together by people playing – no organized play, just groups of kids from 4 years old to 19 years-old playing 1 vs. 1, 4 vs. 1 keep away, playing little 6-a-side soccer, etc.  There was no actual field, but clearly on this Saturday, one would be needed.

 

The games this day were slated to start at 9:00am, and would consist of 5 games on 45 minute intervals, with 10 minute halves each.  At 9:30am, they started to create the pitch!  The Rope-Man and Ruler-Man worked together to lay 60- by 40-yard touchlines, and the Liner-Man put fresh sawdust and wood clippings along the rope to create the boundaries.  Two goals were moved into place, 10 boards were moved to the sidelines for sponsor banners, and 20-ft tall wind-sails, with ‘MTN’ on them, were erected around the field. The Commissioner’s Tent was erected, the referees arrived, the Teams were warmed-up, and by 10:45am play was started.  I was introduced as a visiting Coach from the U.S. and given an excellent viewing seat of prominence under the tent with the Commissioners.

 

Before the matches, I met Columbus’ Team, and their Assistant Coach Martins, who had just returned from receiving his USSF “B” Coaching License in the U.S.  Columbus’ Team drew the third match of the day, and the first two matches were skillful and entertaining.  All players were fast and technically skillful – some very much so.  However, there was clearly a strong differentiation in the players’ tactical and decision making ability.  The first game was dominated by errors that cost one team a 2-1 loss, although they dominated possession and chances on goal.  The second game was evenly matched until late when a goalkeeper ventured too far forward on a offensive corner kick, and got caught terribly out of position, a 1-0 loss.

 

Columbus’ Team played skillfully, and tactically smart for a team having no subs.  They shot often, and occasionally from distance, as it served to allow them to pace themselves for the whole game, and they won handily, 2-0.

 

After the game, some of the staff wanted to say “hi”, and asked about coaching, coaching courses, and football in America, both professional and in Colleges.  The little boys at the field were excited, but shy, to come up and say “hi” to the Oyinbo, but you could see their eyes were wide with wonder and delight.  We gave Columbus, Martins and  Columbus’ brother a ride back to the American School to catch their local transport, but as is typical on mainland Lagos on Saturday afternoon, the traffic made for a 90 minute trip back.

 

All in all, it was an exciting and educational day, and a great chance to see the emerging talent within the Nigerian football world.  Watch out, World!  By the way, the FIFA Under-17 Boys World Championships will be in Nigeria in 2009 – I hope to get to see some matches, and who knows – maybe some of the boys I saw today.