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

SOUTH AFRICA: Cape Town: Autumn Break ramblings...

Autumn break came and went, but we opted for spring time so we went down south to Cape Town, South Africa. Madam and the children had visited Johannesburg a year earlier and decided that I should do the same, albeit to a different city. 

We left Lagos on the last school day and naturally at the Murtala Muhammad International Airport (MMIA), it was like a reunion of sorts. A dear friend of mine, Shatish once told me..."I tell you, the moment school ends it will be a 'white-out' day at the airport". What he actually meant was, almost all the oyinbo (white, foreigner) will be away for holiday or back to hometown, especially the ones with the children. 

We took the South African Airlines and the flight will transit at Joburg's O.R Tambo International Airport for about 2hrs before continuing our journey to Cape Town International Airport. Two thing I would like to remind any prospective travellers to SA....

1) Check with the airline if you're continuing your flight to other destination from O.R Tambo, do you have to get your luggage at the carousel and check in (again) at the domestic counter at the airport?

2) If you're travelling with children, and I mean your children apart from the passport, please bring along the original Birth Certificate or a copy with stamp and sign by authority (lawyer or officer at embassy/high commission) to certify the genuineness of the document (adopted children, bring the adoption document)  failing which, I don't think you can enter SA. 

Madam had difficulty last year when I was not around. I had to email her a letter giving consent to bring the children into SA because I am still around...if I am not (dead, extinct, late, lost, departed), then my death certificate would suffice.

Please check if you're travelling with someone else's children (I mean travelling with niece, nephew etc). Please check this leaflet provided by the Home Affairs Dept of SA (leaflet)

There's a reason for all these and best to just follow. It's you going to their country and not the other way around. For all you know, they're doing their bit to deter child trafficking in and out of SA. 

I always say to my friends, if you don't fancy going there...there's another 53 countries in Africa continent alone and a short flight out of Nigeria, will get you to Europe and even the Middle East! All in all about 120 countries between 40deg East and 15deg West of the world map (all from GMT line).

By the way...looking at the cloud over the Lagos Lagoon on the day we left Lagos, spring must be looking good in Cape Town, no?

storm brewing over Lagos Lagoon on Friday, 14th October 2016

NIGERIA: OGUN: Trip to Ijoko with the Legacy Group (June 2016)

When we first arrived, our friends recommend that we join the Nigerian Field Society (NFS). A society that devotes itself to the study of West Africa's fauna and flora, history, culture and its people. 

These sort of society has vast network and work hand in hand with other societies and NGO that shares the same value and one of them is Legacy 1995 or LEGACY. Established in 1995, set up by a small group of Nigerian and foreign members with the aim of promoting historical sites all over Nigeria to the attention of the public and younger generation. They have train trips to Ogun state just north of Lagos and this time we are visiting the town of Ijoko.

Btw, this trip was in June, 2016 and I wasn't alone. MJ was present. In fact, it was his idea to join this trip. A note about LEGACY, with the Nigerian Railway joint committee had restored the GM's house for the railway which was built circa 1890s and now functions as a rail museum and HQ of the group. The rail trip organized by LEGACY is the highlights among the activities they have.

Jaekel House

MJ in action

NIGERIA: Lagos: Hard Rock Cafe Lagos!!!

I remembered when I left Malaysia for Nigeria two years ago, my former boss Nasrul Sapri reminded me the biggest size t-shirt. Not just any t-shirt...but

"Hard Rock Cafe t-shirt"...

So, like a nice guy which I am...I Googled for the said outlet the very next day we arrived in Lagos. It was in Eko Hotel...and since the wifi coverage was not good, I had to Google in the bathroom. The bathroom! 

Here I am....had never been to any Hard Rock cafe in my life (honest!) before because it doesn't appeal to me (hey...one man's meat is another man's poison)...patiently looking at HRC's website annnnnddddd....there's none in the whole continent of Africa. None available in this "cradle of human civilisation" continent.

The closest would be, Dubai. Great...

location of the Hard Rock Cafe Lagos

But what chance....a year down the road, it was in my friend's FB announcing the newly opened Hard Rock Cafe Lagos inVictoria Island. I was like...OK. It wasn't until Azfeezal and Praveen both flew in Abuja for a short work visit in Lagos insisted that we should go...and so we went.

the cafe...

Azfeezal

We went there as soon as they finished work for the day. We decided the earlier we go, the better. The affluent young Lagosian loves to hang out at bars drinking with friends and talk about business and politics. Oh yes, the ladies too...very well versed with the current events and fashion. 

So we entered the cafe....a first for me and in Africa no less! You entered through the souvenir shop and the place is huge. I mean...the three storey high is actually one cafe...

The day we went, there was no Hard Rock Cafe t-shirt with the Nigerian flag in it. Only the generic HRC t-shirt and some other t-shirt design for Lagos. I checked online with the current exchange rate...it is a little bit costly from the most HRC outlet world wide. 

The whole building is dedicated to the cafe. High ceilinged with memorabilia hung on every available surface of the cafe's wall. We took a table and ordered drinks. Price varies but...hey! It's Lagos and HRC combined....

memorabilia...

big TV screen

the bar

There's a few seating outside the cafe overlooking the Atlantic Ocean...and it's the more favourite among the locals. A place to be seen....rather than to enjoy the scenery and the huge Eko Atlantic project not far from Kuramo waters.

So, that's it. Hard Rock Cafe finally in Africa, more importantly it's in Nigeria. Not that I will frequent the place, but the last visit certainly was a "been there, done that" kind of thing. Weird though, there's Hard Rock Cafe in Malaysia...but it's the one in Lagos that I finally went.