Settling in

My first Saturday in Abuja was spent house hunting which - although quite an intense activity for the first day - was a good way to get an idea of the city and what my hard earned Naira would offer me in terms of accommodation (not much). After viewing several properties my colleague took me to get an ice-cream and a cup cake, which was very delicious, and very good quality.

My first Saturday night was spent in a wine bar with my brother in law and his friends. It was a great welcome and everyone was really excited to meet me. Many many bottles of whiskey and cognac were ordered to the table, as well as spicy chicken and a whole grilled fish - of which the choicest pieces were fed to me by different members of the group. I was also 'snapped' (photographed) a lot, and generally felt like I was famous! Will Nigeria bring out my inner diva?! 

Grilled fish and Hennessy

Dancing time

We then headed to a club where I was taught to dance in a more Nigerian way by some of the girls. Although at 1am, after flying through the night and house hunting all day, I wasn't the most willing student!

Since the weekend I have been working a lot, interspersed with house hunting with the help of my brother in law and his friends, getting SIM cards sorted out, and generally finding my feet. I felt the usual ups and downs particularly at the beginning of the week - the feeling of elation when you manage something really simple like going for a walk without getting lost, or buying some oranges from a street seller, to the lows of realising you have absolutely no idea what you are doing! But The Gambia felt strange at first, and quickly became familiar so I know that things will become clearer in time. Even this week I have managed to progress from being picked up by office staff and driven everywhere to taking taxis by myself - a big step, giving me more of a feeling of freedom and independence! 

I confess that I am missing the lack of 'immediate' friends you have when you come in a group, but I know that I will meet people in time, and I have planned a few friend generating activities once I find somewhere to live. In the mean time I have made friends with a Dutch consultant also staying at this hotel, so I have managed to fit in some cheeky mid-week beers with him and have some company at meal times. 

But by far my best moment of normality and feeling like I was settling in was the simple act of going for a jog. Nothing like natural endorphins to boost your mood, and great to be able to run without freezing to death!