Remembering Nigeria

We the realities of Africa slip in and out of our consciousness as quickly as our eyes scan headlines and links. Watching the scenes of Nigeria from window, from a car and an office, or as I walked, felt, likewise, like I was getting only a hint of what was there. The images that assaulted me stay in Nigeria while I leave. The exist in my mind still, but they're fading quickly. I remember the area boys stalking the streets of Lagos, filled with rage at being unemployed and hungry. The small child sweating out malaria beside me in the clinic. A woman with twins sagging against her body, one on each hip, begging on the street.

The journalists covering politics in Nigeria treat it as an opportunity for their own advancement. The coverage is superficial, an embarrassment. And the heads of agencies, of NGOs, and of corporations read these stories. Journalists hammering out a last-minute story based on a single interview conducted hundreds of miles outside the borders of Nigeria might jeopardize millions in investment and even undermine an entire election.

I just wish I could remember everything, somehow make Nigeria and Africa more than a headline. Reading Tony Horowitz' Confederates in the Attic, inappropriately enough, made me think of how amazing it would be to remember everything, to be able to turn my month in Nigeria into a book or a set of essays. I wish I could organize my experiences into a fair, real, and cogent narrative.

Home and Safe

I arrived Thursday and have been relaxing in Alexandria since then.

My mother emailed me to let me know that my cat is sick, but that they're taking very good care of him. He had an asthma flare-up, so they're giving him nebulizer treatments and created an oxygen tent for him. Next to the stove. See below.


Below this would be my cat's extremely unhappy face framed by his "oxygen tent":


According to my mother, his HMO gives us extra points for home treatment. Fantastic.

My Last Night in Nigeria, Courtesy of G

Really fascinating article on HIV/AIDS in Afghanistan. I cannot imagine how much more dangerous and more difficult working in Afghanistan is, to say nothing of the sector of work. The strong religious aversion to homosexuality is very similar here.

A second interesting issue was that of the response to General Pace's comments on gays in the military. He called them immoral, so protesters responded with:


Pretty amusing. Sorry to miss that and the major anti-war protests.

Art Gallery in Abuja

Today we went to an art gallery with A, our gracious host. There was an incredible array of absolutely stunning, authentically Nigerian art and things from South Africa and other parts of West Africa that were probably stocked as novelties for wealthy visitors -- there aren't any other kind here -- who don't know (or care) about the origin of African art. There were also a few sad obligatory "typical" African statues and items hidden among the treasures.

As was my intention, I picked out some gifts (from the non-South-African and non-stereotypical items) and helped G decide on some art for his house -- of course, by "help," I mean that I stood next to him supportively and nodded while he picked it. Quite contrary to my intention, I fell in love with a painting by a Nigerian artist, Jonathan Lessor.

The painting I love looks like the one below, which depicts the yellow buses and crowds in Lagos, but it has more reds -- it's so vibrant and bold, full of primary colors. The painting is strikingly unique, and it's completely Nigerian. It perfectly captures life in Lagos.



I also finalized my flight plans, as of yesterday, and I'm flying in Thursday afternoon. Still flying with the Dutch. Nats has offered to come pick me up, as has B. I'll be back at work Monday, but I hope to spend the weekend in North Carolina. Both B and S have claimed to have "a big bubble" waiting for me in Alexandria. Hopefully I won't need it. I feel so, so much better.

Buh-Bye Dukies

Three pieces of terrific news from home today.

1. Duke bit the dust. B imed to warn me not to read SI.com because he knows Duke is in North Carolina, and he knows I love college basketball. Thankfully I'm a Carolina girl. The only emotional reaction I'll have to Duke's loss is delight. Oh, and, the loss made the front-page of the NY Times online.
   
2. Almost as cool: NY and CA are movin' their primaries to February 5. Does this knock Edwards out? His main hope was Iowa -- and my main hope is that he's out.
   
3. Thanks, K, for the tip: you can get a free New York Times Select subscription with a valid .edu email address.

I got to call my grandmother for her birthday yesterday, which was wonderful. Other than that call and a few medical-advice pleas, I've been Skype only. In other news, I'll be traveling to Lagos again tomorrow and to Port-Harcourt on Monday.

Congratulations to my friend Nat who will be going to Shanghai for a few weeks this summer to teach, and to Rachie, who printed and submitted an (absolutely) amazing thesis today!

Much Better!

Wish I had more opportunities to go to the beautiful places in Nigeria (and to show them in my photos). There are many amazing parts of the country I'm only able to read about, not see or go to. The places I go for work are largely in industrial areas and some of the most crowded sectors of the cities.

Nothing new, just more research and writing for several hectic days. Today was my grandmother's birthday, and I was happy to be able to call her for a few moments.

Hopefully more photos and news soon. I finished the anti-malarials and the antibiotics and should be much better soon.