NIGERIA: Throw back Thursday: I beg your pardon!

I'm frequently at school and I think spending extra time with the children; not just at home is a big plus. I'm lucky to be able to do that and happy to do so. BTW, Madam is just too busy. 

"Time spent with the children are priceless" my friend MJ said earlier today. (He's 2 years my junior and we went to the same boarding school in the 90's, same 'Mat Shah house' and now we meet again in Nigeria. Imagine the odds!) We just came back from volunteer work when we had this conversation. 

Ahhh..the life of an expat's spouse. Hah! Nothing rosy about it. Basically an emigrant, for want a better word. The life of an expat also comes with depression, especially to the not- working-previously-working spouse, moi. Ohh....How I wrestle with my ego...put it under wraps. But once a while, it reared its ugly head out and well....there were exchange of words. OK....why not put a stop here and talk about it at length in another posting, yes? 

Back to the children and school etc... Since I spent quite a bit of time in school, I was asked this awkward question a few months back... and my...it was a very tongue in cheek enquiry.

"Where does your spouse work? Which company is he working for?"

Spot the mistake? hahahahahahahahahaha

I answered "My WIFE works in so and so and SHE works for so and so"

I'm pretty sure had made the capital letters loud and clear. The parent apologise for the mistake, it was a joke btw she said. But I was way ahead. I mentally pictured a bald 41yo man with a waistline to match and I was sure I didn't wear any of those tight t-shirt and still I am of the fairer sex? Stressssssss....

Jump into the Lake Atter (Attersee) in Austria. Traveling with Rarecation.

INDONESIA: Bandung - One last visit....

Some say the bond between human so strong that once the loved one left, the other tend to follow not long after that.

Mak Cik Su and Hazim (eid 2015)

My sister and I traveled to Bandung, Indonesia last April when we got news that our 'aunt Su' or Mak Cik Su, the one  who took care of Hazim and all of us for 27years became ill. I flew in all the way from Lagos, Nigeria and took a low cost carrier, Air Asia to Bandung. The closest city we could get to reach her. We hired a driver there and the journey from Bandung to Pamanukan took almost 4 hours by car. 

The journey through rain took us to a very hilly region till we arrived in Subang where the scenery changed from tea plantation to paddy fields. The harvesting season just came to an end and they lit up the fields to prepare for the next round of planting; the area was choked with smoke. 

Finally we arrived at our destination. Walked a few metres to a small green house which she called home. Her frail body was on the bed and a standing fan was blowing air slowly. The room was smoky from the open burning and no window shutter ... I wept bitterly. She was just skin and bones. 

NIGERIA: Me a Tai tai?

Tai-Tai

A wealthy married woman who does not work or a privileged lady with lots of time to spare and money to spend...

I am not sure if there's any antonym for it but certainly I have the time but need to work harder on the money department.

The first time I heard the term was on my way back to Malaysia during one of the flight on Business class deck on a 380 Airbus at the lounge. With children in tow, of course we were barraged with questions from everyone else. 

"You're travelling with children, from where" one asked

"Lagos, Nigeria" I said

"Wah lao (some sort of exclamation.. frequently heard in Malaysia and Singapore) ... that far eh?" another one adds, an engineer for the airline flying home for much needed break.

"yup, 20hours flight time... not many would do, especially if flying to Africa.. " TRUE.. I've flown multiple airlines that serves Africa continent and mostly are 20+ trip. 

The next question would usually be along the line of ... How did I ended up there? Wife, would be sufficient answer. Nigerian lady? Nope Malaysian... I don't mind another one, I laughed. Then, from the bench...the engineer again said something that would make me laugh.

"You must be "tai-tai"... lucky you!"he said

"hahahahahahah" we both laughed... I wish.

Pictures on other websites and online news site

I am happy to say that in Nigeria, finally I had arrived in the blog scene. Not that the blog has lots of readers, even at the moment no followers..ahahahah... still, it's quite an accomplishment when the pictures were featured in some of the online news in Nigeria.

Naturally our High Commissioner, Datuk Lim Juay Jin is usually the most sought after Malaysian in Nigeria. He represents Malaysia for the past few years, did countless interviews and talks and like the diplomats I've met (there's one in the family too, mom's side) he's very much liked too!

Anyway, back to subject... these two pictures above were the ones I managed to find from the search engine but from another site altogether. The pictures were doctored a bit (crop, magnified, change of saturation etc) but frankly, I am pretty much OK about it. 

Next time, just name give credit where its due (in my case). OK!

Muhammad Hazim

MUHAMMAD HAZIM BIN SAHID

24-MAY-1987 - 17-AUGUST-2017

NIGERIA: Ogun: Performance Night

Ogun state IMHO is quite amazing. Steep in history and culture and I had the privilege to travel there a few times. First with train...yes, the train and a few times with car. I can see that they're doing their best with the highway between Lagos state and Ogun state. From road riddled with potholes and bumpy ride very so often to newly tarred and smooth surface. 

They're making progress, slow and steady pace. I'm happy to say that 'sitting quite still' is not these both states are doing. They complement each other. Spillover from Lagos (industry and population) goes to Ogun and in return Lagos is still the hub for selling goods and workplace for those in Ogun. The better connection between these two states ensure both hand in hand progress into the future.

NIGERIA: Lagos: Market Visit

I jumped to the invitation to visit a market along the Lagos-Abeokuta Expressway. I've never been to one, well except in Lekki which is small in comparison to the one we're going. 

There are lots of markets in Lagos. Some sell okrika (second hand clothes), but for other things they call it tokunbo (from overseas) which is used item in nature (car, laptop, house items etc). Some market specialised in vegetables, like the one on the way to Ikorodu and many more. Each unique and some were colourful, buildings painted by companies like the ones in the picture.

colourful buildings..painted by the sponsors

fridge and freezer shop

NIGERIA: Lagos: Lagos Lagoon

If you're in Lagos for the first time... you would notice a huge body of water while crossing from Lagos Mainland to Lagos Island, vice versa. It's so huge that it must be one of the largest lake in West Africa, right? Wrong...

That is, my friend the Lagos Lagoon. Yes, a lagoon. More specifically, an inland lagoon. It's very much inland that I thought it was a lake with murky water. Even the Portuguese who came ashore in the 1400s got it all wrong. They named the place Lagos, built some trading post along the shore of the "new" found place and the name stuck! The original name, Èkó still in use too, by the Yoruba. After all, we are in Yoruba land. 

 Map of Lagos state and the huge inland lagoon, Lagos Lagoon

Nigeria: Lagos: Entahkan Kasih Entahkan Tidak[Lanchang Kuning].flv

My late mother loves to sing. Mostly Malay oldies song and some of these songs were downright sad, to me. So sad that I used to cry when she sang the song. Oh my, she would be very happy just to accomplish that... I was a boy at that time, a pre-schooler. 

Fast forward to 1994 it wasn't a good year for me, I was 17. My world came down crumbling. I remembered my mother sang this particular song (Entahkan Kasih, Entahkan Tidak - a heartbroken song) one night whilst holding my youngest brother in her arms. It was night and the electric went out in our area. My youngest brother, Hazim is special. Born with CP and cortical blindness, all attention on him and so mom would hug him to sleep. Listening to her singing and holding my brother to sleep, brought me to tears. But I would never let my siblings see me. I was the man of the house.....

Last weekend, I was having my breakfast and Sunday is always Malay Oldies song day for me in our cosy apartment. I just selected these compilation songs on YouTube when this song came on air. The flood gates opened. I was in tears. A piece of memory which I thought I've forgotten suddenly it felt it had happened yesterday. 

I quickly ran for the laptop and put the next song on....too late! This one, apart from the other song which is Seri Mersing still make me teary eyed. Memory of my mom flooded. Forever will be his boy...

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