After being born, growing up and doing all sorts of things that an average
person of 26 years is expected to do and more in just one country of the world
–India. I left its shores for the first time (barring the Euro-Trip the month
before) to a country which seems analogous to India in Africa, the Federal
Republic of Nigeria.
Whatever I had heard of it before was from people who were working in the Oil Industry. As the story goes, I went with this guy on the trip to Hampi in 2008 who had gone to Nigeria for a week. He heard gun shots at the time of getting down on the tarmac at the airport and had a 14 year old kid with an AK-47 as his body guard al through his stay and everywhere he went. The next time I came across Nigeria was during the SBM course where our group had to make an hour long creative presentation on the UN Compact.
While researching on the subject I came across the organization in the Delta region of Nigeria which had fought against an oil company for the damage it had done to its environment and its people. Their leader was a poet whose songs carried out the message in a soulful way, he was murdered later on. I was impressed with the guy and made the story a part of the presentation , maybe I wasn’t good at getting it out or the class wasn’t interested by that stage of the presentation, the message did not get across but I was now aware of something else connected to Nigeria.
Trying to figure out more about this country came across You Tube videos that should Lagos to be crowded with lots of traffic problems. Seems just like Mumbai if you ask me. Also came across a blog from a tourist who said that if you do not have a car then its impossible to get anywhere on time in Lagos. The company has assured transportation so hopefully no problems there.
Also read and heard about the crime in Lagos. But do not really want to get details. Just want to try out the country for a couple of years. I know it will be difficult to settle down in a new place and new environment, have done that a few times before but then it was still some place in India. This will surely be a tougher challenge , hopefully will get through it and come out better in terms of experience and as a person.
I do feel excited about going to a new country in a new continent and even more so when I think that I have got an opportunity to put whatever have learnt in the past couple of years to practice. Even on the personal front its good as I need some breathing space, far from the madding crowd. So all in all fingers crossed and pretty excited was the state before the D-day arrived. My Mis-Adventures on the D-day in the next post:)
Whatever I had heard of it before was from people who were working in the Oil Industry. As the story goes, I went with this guy on the trip to Hampi in 2008 who had gone to Nigeria for a week. He heard gun shots at the time of getting down on the tarmac at the airport and had a 14 year old kid with an AK-47 as his body guard al through his stay and everywhere he went. The next time I came across Nigeria was during the SBM course where our group had to make an hour long creative presentation on the UN Compact.
While researching on the subject I came across the organization in the Delta region of Nigeria which had fought against an oil company for the damage it had done to its environment and its people. Their leader was a poet whose songs carried out the message in a soulful way, he was murdered later on. I was impressed with the guy and made the story a part of the presentation , maybe I wasn’t good at getting it out or the class wasn’t interested by that stage of the presentation, the message did not get across but I was now aware of something else connected to Nigeria.
Trying to figure out more about this country came across You Tube videos that should Lagos to be crowded with lots of traffic problems. Seems just like Mumbai if you ask me. Also came across a blog from a tourist who said that if you do not have a car then its impossible to get anywhere on time in Lagos. The company has assured transportation so hopefully no problems there.
Also read and heard about the crime in Lagos. But do not really want to get details. Just want to try out the country for a couple of years. I know it will be difficult to settle down in a new place and new environment, have done that a few times before but then it was still some place in India. This will surely be a tougher challenge , hopefully will get through it and come out better in terms of experience and as a person.
I do feel excited about going to a new country in a new continent and even more so when I think that I have got an opportunity to put whatever have learnt in the past couple of years to practice. Even on the personal front its good as I need some breathing space, far from the madding crowd. So all in all fingers crossed and pretty excited was the state before the D-day arrived. My Mis-Adventures on the D-day in the next post:)
