Boxing day

On Boxing Day I went to the store where I bought the oven from as I had realised that part of the cooker was missing. When I set it up it felt like something wasn't quite right, but it was only when I went to light the gas that I realised what exactly was wrong. 

The little discs that fit on the hobs were missing, and without them you can't light the gas. Thankfully the cooker has an electric plate - which I wasn't that bothered about at first but my brother in law pointed out that if the gas runs out midway through cooking you can use it as back up. A very valid point, and I was glad I had listened to him. 

The staff gave me the discs I needed with no questions asked. The cooker is now fully functioning.

I am also very excited about the grill function (cue lots of toast) and I can't wait to use the oven. Simple pleasures! 

In an update to Christmas Day - my brother in law came over with some of his friends, with a huge grilled fish and some tins of beer. He is getting to know me well. 

Moving day

I moved into my new place on Christmas Eve. When I woke up at 8 in the morning I had no idea how I was going to fit everything into the day, but I was pretty excited to leave the hotel. As nice as the staff were, over three weeks in the place was more than enough and even the receptionists were starting to marvel at how long I had stayed there. Plus the fact, one of the girls in the restaurant was trying to convince me to go to Kingdom Hall with her and kept giving me Jehovah's Witness magazines to read. 

The first task was getting my wages from the bank. Without my resident permit I can't open an account, so the only way to receive my salary at the moment is through a cheque which I have to cash at a specific branch. Thankfully there was one close to the hotel, and that task was achieved pretty painlessly, giving me more time to negotiate with the hotel management about my room rate and enabling me to pay my hotel bill. 

Getting your salary in cash is kind of fun but
a little impractical

My next move was to have a big breakfast - the offer of complimentary breakfasts from the Chairman was extended, as I knew I had a big day ahead. 










So I chose a breakfast for champions - plantain porridge and liver sauce. Yup, this place isn't really a cornflakes and croissants kinda place. But it was delicious and set me up for the day. 

I then took a taxi to one of the big supermarkets. In true Christmas Eve style is was rammed. Well I assume it was just due to Christmas, it might always be that busy but it felt like Christmas madness. There was even a Santa Claus giving out Shoprite caps and freebies. I befriended the taxi driver on the way, mostly because he was laughing at how low I had started my price negotiations ('the place is far - you will see'... to be fair it was a lot further than I thought!) so I asked him to wait for me while I shopped. I was so glad I did - when I came out the car park was jammed - finding a taxi would have been difficult and even getting out of the car park would have taken an hour judging by the queue. Thankfully my driver had parked outside the gates which made things a lot simpler. 

The queue for the checkout

The supermarket was great though. I got a lot of the things I needed including buckets, glasses and cutlery, food and importantly - red wine, crackers, and brie! The wine was a good price but the brie was pretty pricey... hey it was Christmas Eve! 

After that I went to the little supermarket near the hotel to get a few more bits, before being picked up by the work driver who helped me to move. We stopped at a market to get a mattress, and then I picked up the fridge and gas oven that I had bought the day before. I had been slightly nervous that they would have somehow sold my stuff to someone else and true enough there was a slight hitch when I got there. At first they told me I couldn't take the oven until 'next tomorrow' (day after next - also Boxing Day) because the ones they had in store were faulty. Trying not to panic about the idea of Christmas Day with no means of cooking I asked what the problem was. Turns out the glass lids that cover the hob were all smashed. I remembered that two of my colleagues had recently bought new ovens and had mentioned the exact same thing, so figuring this was a batch issue and no chance of anything changing over the next couple of days I negotiated to take the oven as it was... with a discount of course! 

After packing the goods into the pick-up and working out who to 'dash' (tip) and who not to (young guy who had moved all my belongings around the pick-up and lifted the purchases in - yes; security guards who had 'watched the vehicle' even though I was stood right next to it for most of the time, and who really had just got in the way - no). After picking up a gas cylinder we drove to my new place and the painter and security guards helped me to lift my stuff into the house... more tipping. 

And then I was on my own. With stuff everywhere. But I was home! 

I managed to clean, set up the oven and the fridge, and make the bed, ignoring everything else until the next day. By this time it was around 8pm - and I couldn't believe that I had managed to fit everything in to the last 12 hours. To celebrate I cracked open the wine and cheese, and gratefully collapsed into bed. 

Jogging in Maitama lesson #1

Pavements outside the many many embassies in this area are not for jogging on. Or walking. You must run or walk on the road. Security guards with big guns will quickly let you know this rule by shouting at you.

Christmas Day

Christmas day. I am alone in my new flat, sitting on my bed drinking a cup of tea, and smiling to myself like a loon! It's my first cup of tea since I arrived in Nigeria, in my favorite mug, and I am enjoying the simplicity of just sitting and contemplating my new surroundings. My mind flicks to all my family and friends - I can imagine what each one is doing, and the Christmas fun they are having. I feel happy just by thinking of them, and I have no sadness that I am not having a traditional Christmas day.

I am sad that I'm not sharing this experience with my husband, who I love and miss very much. But I know that our time will come and we will soon be back together enjoying each other's company. I think about all the people who are working today, at home or overseas, and who are not with their families. It's just one day but it means so much to so many. Feeling alone must be awful, and I can imagine the loneliness of this time of year for those who have lost their loved ones or do not have families. But I do not feel lonely, even though I am alone. I feel loved. And I don't need my people around me to feel that.

The thought of rousing myself from this tea drinking moment to continue unpacking makes me smile even more, because I am excited to get settled in to my new place and feel a sense of order. And I am excited to be in this country, because although it means temporary separation from my family and friends, I am happy to be doing my job and working in development. I have gotten to where I wanted to get to. 2015 will be about building on that, and making new plans and goals as one half of a pair.

So I had better start unpacking. My brother in law is coming round in a little while and who knows how the day will unfold after that. It's not one day at a time for me at the moment, it's one hour at a time - and for now I am ok with that!

White Christmas

Riding to work in a taxi, dressed in a short shift dress and a light cardigan to fend off the 'cold', Christmas couldn't be further from my mind. I slowly realise that the radio is playing 'I'm dreaming of a white Christmas' and I remember it is December. I think if you are used to Christmas in winter time, being somewhere warm at Christmas time just doesn't feel right. 

However, Nigerians wearing Christmas cowboy hats make me smile every time I see them. 

Free time

On Saturday I wasn't sure what to do. This was my first free weekend, as last Saturday I worked, and I had no plans. During the week it has been easy to throw myself into work, and I have managed to make a lot of progress, but when it comes to free time I am still at a bit of a loss. Firstly, I haven’t been able to get into any routines yet, apart from a little bit of jogging. Secondly, staying in a hotel makes me feel like I am on some kind of strange holiday. And thirdly, it feels like there is no point exploring my immediate surroundings in great detail because it is the other side of town from where I will be living. So, I decided to go window shopping for my eventual new house.

After work last Saturday, my Ghanaian colleague (who knows Abuja relatively well) took me to a big supermarket. They sell a wide range of things, from the usual groceries to toys, shoes, household equipment, and some great fabrics much to my delight. I discovered that it was near to my hotel, and I was keen for a walk, so I set off on foot. It was easy to get to, and I wiled away an hour or so checking the prices of things that I might need for the new place. You know, exciting stuff like crockery and plastic storage tubs!

Once that thrill had come to an end I slowly walked back to the hotel and chilled out for a while. My brother in law had mentioned going out to his end of year party, but I started to get cold feet and thought up some reasons not to go. Thankfully I had a word with myself and reminded myself that staying in my hotel room every evening was not a good way to make friends and get to know Abuja! I am so glad I went out. It was a wee bit awkward at first – not really knowing anyone, and not having my brother in law as a crutch. He had been involved in the organisation so had a lot of greeting to do etc. But after a couple of beers everyone got a lot more talkative, and I ended up having a really good night (so good I was out until 5am – which took care of needing anything to do on Sunday!).

I ate some great food, and danced a lot. And I must have been more relaxed than my first night out as no one felt the need to teach me how to dance this time!

Negotiation skills

Yesterday I met with the Chairman of the hotel 'complex' that I am in. I say complex because there is a business centre on site, a snack bar, a foreign currency exchange point, a place to book religious pilgrimages (e.g. to Mecca) and quite a popular restaurant that does take away - as well as bedrooms of course. 

I was advised to meet with him because apparently he has a soft spot for our organisation, and can be quite generous. I am already on a reduced room rate, but the Country Director hinted that I might be able to get it down even lower. So I went to 'greet' him, and while I was there made my case for a discount... I will be staying here for a few weeks, I'm eating most of my meals here, we give them a lot of business etc etc. He was very friendly, but non-committal about the rate reduction at first, saying that he would need to speak to his general manager as he leaves that kind of thing to him. So, I smiled and carried on chatting. After a while the conversation turned to the fact that I married a Nigerian and that my husband is Igbo. Well, it all changed after that! He was very happy, said he wanted to be able to help me, I should meet his wife, and that anything I needed I should come straight to him. 

As I left his office he said 'Now, let me think, what can I do for you? Do you have your meals paid for by your company?'. I said no... and so he said he will tell the restaurant to give me free breakfast for a week! I hope that he also might remember to reduce the room rate as well. I think I'm getting into this bargaining / negotiating business! 

Looking 'fat'

On my way out for a jog this evening I bumped into one of our partners walking to the shop with a volunteer from Uganda. Firstly they both insisted on having a photo taken with me, and then the following conversation took place: 

Volunteer: So what's the secret?
Me: Sorry what?
Volunteer: Well you are fat like me but yet you have a flat stomach. How do you manage that? 
Me: Ummm...
Volunteer: Well I have a great body right? A nice body don't you think? With nice legs and arms. And yet people think I am pregnant. Did you think I was pregnant when you saw me?
Me: Ummm...

Still takes me a minute to remember that I am being complimented with 'you are looking fat', and I don't need to take offence! 

"Can I snap with you?"

Since I moved to Abuja approximately 15 people have asked to have their photo taken with me. People seem to want to snap me while out in the evening, while at work events, and even while I am eating!

Sunday evening I was merrily tucking into my 'swallow' (a fufu type meal with a soup - in this case wheat with egusi soup and liver) which I was eating with my hand. As I was finishing, a very smartly dressed lady came and put her arm around my shoulders and told me she loved the way I was eating my food, and that she had enjoyed watching me! She then asked to snap with me, just as I was about to pop the last piece into my mouth. Out came her phone, picture taken, and names exchanged. Turns out she is a Pastor. I just wonder what she will do with a picture of me and her beaming at the camera with me holding a ball of rolled up fufu in my hand... She did say she would send it to me... but as yet I haven't seen it! 

Before Abuja

In between leaving The Gambia and coming to Nigeria I was in the UK, Zanzibar and Dar Es Salaam.

In the UK I had chance to spend time with my family, which was lovely, and see as many of my friends as possible. It was hard to see everyone as travelling round the country was getting expensive, but I loved meeting up with those that I could, seeing new houses, meeting new babies, hearing about wedding plans, and seeing first hand what everyone has been doing over the last year or so. One particular highlight was meeting these two cheeky little monkeys! 

Being in Zanzibar was fantastic, but hard work. The location for the start-up workshop was beautiful, and both the hotel the workshop was held in and the hotel we stayed in were really lovely. Doing a start-up workshop three weeks into a new job was challenging but a great way to get to know the team and the country programme staff we will be working with. 

View from the workshop venue

I also got to see a bit more of the island than I had on a previous trip to Zanzibar, as we spent one day visiting some of the partner organisations, including an agricultural training centre and a pineapple farm - a personal favourite as I had never seen pineapples growing before! 

We had some great meals and managed to get a bit of down time to visit Prison Island and lie on the beach for a few hours. Nothing like getting into a bikini to get to know your team members!  

This is a bib they gave me, not my t-shirt!

The weekend the workshop finished my colleague Katie and I went to the east of the island with Emma, who is living and working in Dar Es Salaam. We had a really lovely time, it was so peaceful and relaxed, with more great food, and a real chance to unwind.  

Perhaps one of the best decisions I made was to stay on in Tanzania for just over a week after the workshop. The original reason for doing so was to go on a field trip to visit some of the project sites, but it was a long, expensive journey and I realised that I could be more productive staying in Dar and working out of the Tanzania office. From a work point of view I managed to get loads done and spend time with the programme staff. From a personal perspective I found that it really gave me a confidence boost, proving that I would be able to adapt to living and working in another country without coming as part of a group of volunteers. While I was there I hung out with Emma, who I felt I had known forever, went to a yoga class, had my eyebrows done and generally did 'normal life' things which felt great. 

I have loads of nice pics from Dar Es Salaam, but I will just post my favourite one for now - a sign outside a bank... no guns allowed! 

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! 

Shots of Abuja

Really all I have done so far is get driven around the city, so my pictures are mostly from car windows. But here's a few views of Abuja so far. 

A city in construction

Sadness

Abuja is not the Nigeria on the news, my new friends say to me on my first night out in the country. It is friendly and welcoming, people are generous with their time. It is miles away from 'the trouble'. At that point, in an air conditioned club sipping Hennessy and coke, I couldn't agree more. 

But at the Monday Morning Meeting we hold a minute's silence. The office has been rocked by the bomb blast and gunfire at the mosque in Kano. It happened during Friday prayers. One of the drivers lost his brother. It's uncomfortably close to home. It still may be miles away but it has touched the people standing around the meeting room table, silent and contemplative as they wonder who guns innocent people down as they pray. 

Arrival

6am after snatched sleep on the plane, trying to keep my wits about me as I go through immigration with my new visa. Why do I have an Igbo surname? The guards are happy with my answer, pleased with the idea I have a Nigerian husband - 'welcome to your home, you are home now!'

There's a buzz of activity around the luggage trolleys, payment is required. I only have dollars, 'pay with what you have' they say. Any change for my 5 dollars? No of course not, it's miraculously the amount that is required (not true, it's more than double I work out later - but hey, I really needed a trolley). 

The luggage is out on the carousel, I can just about see it going round through the three person deep ring of passengers around the belt. 'Be brave and wade in' says a voice in my ear, the man who had been sitting next to me on the flight. Spotting my bags I take a deep breath, stop thinking about it and pull out my best West African phrase 'sorry sorry' as I push through the crowd. In some Herculean show of strength I manage to pluck all three of my bags off in one go. What are the odds of them all being on the belt in a line, when one of the bags had been dropped off at the out-sized luggage point? 

Getting out, politely declining all offers of help to push my trolley, I spot my driver. 'I was expecting a black lady' he laughs, and off we go.