NIGERIA: Wedding and another wedding. Thank you! (part 1)

Thanks to Madam, I've attended a fair share of weddings here in Nigeria. Mostly in Lagos so far.

Once, we arrived early and managed to witness the traditional part of the ceremony. The elders of both families would meet and sat in front of each other, especially both bride's and groom's parents were present. During Fadamewa's and Richard's wedding, there were two ladies as the MCs (emcees or Master of ceremony) and every few minutes they will break into sing song about the ceremony.

Also with sing song and jest, they invited the groom to meet his future in-law. The groom and his entourage would enter the hall dancing...all happy and smiling before the MCs dropped the heavy end on them.... Ah! Some Naira (money) is needed to proceed... Both MCs would bully/pester him to deposit some money into the waiting container. Of course the groom and his entourage would comply... Eyes on the  asking for some money...of course he complied. Eyes on the prize broda (brother).

NIGERIA: NIGERIAN 101 - Wash and Dash

These are the two words that most foreigner (oyinbo) would caught off guard when in Nigeria. 

The first one is wash, it does not reflect the actual act of cleaning for wanting a hygienic environment and the other one is dash, has anything to do with running or sprinkling small quantity  seasoning into cooking. 

Washing

Let us take a closer look at wash or washing. 

Scenario 1: Ademola just got his first wheel after saving enough money to buy one by saving his .... Later that day, he brought his mom and dad (btw he is still single) to an eatery where they ate and celebrate his success and pray for more success in the future.

Scenario 2: Madam just turned 40! A big milestone in her life and since she is 'Madam', powerful and influential in its own right; decided to pull the stops and celebrate with her colleagues at office. On her birthday, she bought packed foods, cakes and drink for everyone in the department and selected few outside the group. 

NIGERIA: Lagos: Licky-Licky (fruit)

Let me start the first April posting with something very short but quite interesting.

I was at school waiting for the children, when my friend offered me a plastic bag (nylon - in Nigerian pidgin). Take one, she said...

the fruit

I took a piece of the fruit, tasted it and finally asked the name. 

Licky-licky. That was it, honest. Also called Awin in Yoruba language, and I bet if I Googled; I would also find the name in Hausa and Igbo too.

licky-licky, note the velvety fruit skin

NIGERIA: Lagos: A Wedding (Igbo) - Victor Nnaemeka and Thelma Uzoamaka

A few weeks ago, I gave Madam one of my traditional Malay costume for her to do buba and sokoto (shirt and pants/trouser). Incidentally, Sokoto (with capital 'S') is also a state in North West of Nigeria. The way you pronounce it make all the difference. But of course they know which one you're referring to when talking to them.

The main reason Madam asked for my best Malay dress because we were invited to a wedding! The first one since we arrived in Lagos.

the invite...

NIGERIA: Lagos: Small Gathering

I look forward to the day when Madam said that she invited her colleagues over for dinner. I've met most of them during company functions in and outside of Lagos. 

I will ask her, who's coming and she would describe them...their function within the organisation and when we last met. Camera helps too! I've participated some of the events and later would ask her..who is this? This? Why they like to wear very high heels? Anyway, this time around she invited Ngozi, Bimpe, Tolu with their respective husband and  lastly.....'the-still-looking-for-potential-bride' Dotun.

Ngozi and hubby arrived first...it was also their 8th wedding anniversary that night. 

Ngozi (right) with hubby

NIGERIA: Lagos: Best things in Life are either FREE or CHEAP: Ground nuts (Epa)

Remember the post on eating banana with ground nuts? Click here to read ,in case you haven't. 

Anyway, ground nuts or Epa (sound like air-pah) is abundant in Nigeria. One of the largest producers in the world, and account for 30% of ground nuts in Africa alone. 

In Lagos or rather in Nigeria, they are sold in two distinct forms. Either with or without its nutshell...duhhh. The former is sold cheaper along the roadside and in clear plastic worth N200 each or N100 (sorry I forgot). 

Epa in plastic, with 

Meanwhile, the latter are sold widely too. Either by the roadside or in shops and supermarket. Prices varies from maybe around N400 to N1,000 ,maybe. I mean maybe ....because it all depends on the packaging. This is how they sell groundnuts....

...in bottle

The bottle, from the look of it must've been used for some kind of beverage. Recycled and given new lease of life, but this time around with groundnuts as its contents. This one Madam bought at her office. It was N400 (about RM 8.50, Malaysian Ringgit)

the size 

tasty groundnuts

We do have groundnuts back in Malaysia. There's a few companies that've been in the groundnuts business for donkey's years. But it's usually sold in wrapper like those imported potato chips. Yup, like that. Why bottle? Maybe they have access to unlimited amount of bottles here in Nigeria. Or maybe, like Madam's colleague Dolapo mentioned a couple of  times..."that's how we roll". Aheh.....

NIGERIA: Ikeja, Lagos: Yellow Chilli Restaurant - Nigeria cuisine

I was ecstatic when most of the family members read my last posting about my uncle and our big family. But attention has to be given about Nigeria..our here and now...

So let us begin...

After we bought our groceries, as usual between the two children...Fay would be feeling hungry first. Madam came to the rescue!!! She mentioned, there's a restaurant not far from our location (btw, her office is in Ikeja..so it's her turf) that serve local and international dishes. It was.....Yellow Chilli Restaurant, you can google them at www.yellowchilling.com

the facade of the restaurant, from the website

The location

NIGERIA: Let's talk about Naira (their currency..)

Dollar, Yen, Pound, Euro, Schilling, Riyal, Dinar, Ruble, Krona, Rand, Taka, Rupiah, Rupee, Franc, Baht, Ringgit, Dong, Schlong....theirs is Naira (N, Nigerian Naira, NGN).

A 1/100 Naira is called Kobo, but I haven't seen it myself except in websites. You can google it, but for the sake of this posting...I will only show you the denomination which is generally very much in used.

Naira was introduced on January 1st, 1973 and over the years, some of the denomination remain and of course the design changed too. Currently, they have notes for N5, N20, N50, N100, N200, N500 and N1000. In the Central Bank of Nigeria's website mentioned about N10, but I don't have it. 

On XE Currency App, which I use daily just to take a peek how's Malaysian Ringgit fares against the USD, Sing Dollar and Euro. So, according the app:

USD 1 = N 199

RM 1 = N 48

N 1 = RM 0.02  

Five Naira (N5) 

NIGERIA: Kaduna-Abuja: Malaysians in Abuja...and the High Comm

It was already late in the evening when we left Kaduna. Entering the interchange into the freeway to Abuja, when were saw this..

a small plot of corn field

FUEL CRISIS!!!

Actually the problem starts way back. I mean way back. For the sake of argument,  and since it is my blog...I can pretty much say what I want. Nothing I say will bring down the (stock) market or appreciates the Naira (currency) anyway...But the problem begins when the fuel price in international market simply...drop.

The fuel price has been hanging around the region of USD100 since 2010. Higher consumption of the black gold around the globe and high demand in China, coupled with uncertainty in some oil producing countries like Iran and Libya (both are OPEC members) pushes the prices. Production can't keep up, so the price soar...a case of supply and demand. 

note the Demand and Supply line (source: Int. Energy Agency)

Fast forward to 2014, the demand became lax and supply overtook. Unused oil was being stockpiled for later use. Supply outstrip demand, the price went down.