First Impressions

Tree: Igi ( Yoruba language)

First impressions are everything! The day I drove from Lagos to Ondo State in Nigeria was a memorable experience.  The next morning after arriving to Lagos Nigeria, we set out on our three hour journey to Ondo. Sister, Mummi Helen ( Sister's wonderful mother) and I sat in the back seat, hip to hip, as the talented driver rode us to our destination.  Here are a few things that I noticed on the way...

Beep Beep

If I had to drive in Nigeria, I would probably be dead. There is no yeilding, very few stop signs and traffic lights ( and  they are sometimes totally ignored) and get this...no speed limit. No one lets you merge in front of them, and if you drive slow, the other drivers fuss at you. Everyone uses their horn all the time and people will drive on the opposite side of the road until a car comes. When you add the presence of Okada's ( motorbikes) zooming in and out of any small space at extremely high speeds, you have the perfect recipe for an accident.  About 1/3 rd of my time in the car was spent closing my eyes so I wouldn't freak out. My body however jerked back and forth as the driver swerved around other cars.  So yeah...I screamed in terror once or twice. The only positives to driving in Nigeria is 1: if you can survive here, you could probably make a career out of being a stunt driver and 2: no tickets from the cops!!! Traffic tickets of any type don't even exist here. Man Nigerians are lucky!

Cities
Some people don't realize how developed Africa is. They believe everyone lives in huts or trees ( a Ghanaian friend was actually asked if he lived in trees). With the internet, we have no excuse for this type of ignorance but we get lots of our information from Television. The media's portrayal of Africa ( and lots of things) is awful. You see the "save the children" commercials or some refugee camp, or coverage of a tribal war and may  that everywhere in this huge place called Africa is just like these images. That would be the equivalent of believing that all Americans have  drug problems and should be locked away in prisons because you saw an episode of the The Wire. Dumb right??? Some Americans citizens are convinced however, when talking about a certain subgroup in the U.S.A but I digress....

 So Lagos Nigeria reminds me of the DMV ( DC, Maryland, Virginia area) in the states. There are huge skyscrapers, shopping malls, hotels, and a whole lot of traffic. There are sportsbars movie theaters, concert venues, restaurants, dance studios and everything else you'd see in a big city. I went grocery shopping at a shop rite and while I didn't spot any McDonald's (good job Nigeria), I saw multiple KFC's! I could insert a joke about chicken...but I won't. There are two parts of Lagos . There is Lagos the city and Lagos Island. They are separated by a river and reminds me of Virginia and DC being separated by the Potomac. This city is vibrant and all the construction tells me that this city is on the rise.

Trees
So in New Orleans and in other American cities, we use trees as decoration. You ride up a street that's popular with tourists and palm trees sit neatly in a row on medians or walkways.  The trees are like the jewelry of the street and the passersby looks up and say 'wow this street is pretty'. It reminds me of the old school train sets that come with train track pieces, and little plastic trees that you can place anywhere you like. This is not the case in West Africa. From my window I saw trees that stretched for miles, scraping the sky, wild and bountiful. Their presence was powerful!  I, the passerby/ tourist didn't think 'wow this is pretty' though its beauty is undeniable. As I drove past the multitudes of trees, some older than my grandparents or great grandparents, I was humbled.  Yes this big ole world is mine but I'm just a speck who will die while these trees continue to exist.

Soil
The soil in West Africa is different than in the  States. Its like a reddish brown shade that resembles clay.And it is extremely rich.  It coats your shoes and the bottoms of your trousers or dresses when you walk on the dirt roads. In Ghana, I visited multiple homes where you took your shoes off before entering. I understand why.

Drive-Thru
I know a man in Baltimore who works in a hotel restaurant as a busboy and on his days off he'd sell ice cold bottled waters on the side of the road during the summer. Its a common scene in the inner cities of America.   In West Africa, you can buy water, soda, snacks, calling cards,  chewing gum, sunglasses, eggs, bread, cooking oil, vegetables, anything and everything on the side of the road. The most interesting thing I've seen being sold roadside...toilet paper ......socks ...watches. The roadside food is my favorite part. You can buy plaintain chips, roasted corn, bean cakes, even kebobs. The vendors are mostly females who carry the food/drinks in buckets on their heads. I'm amazed at how the women can carry so much and still move gracefully from car to car. Some with bouncy babies wrapped tightly on their backs!  If you have any doubt about the strength of a woman, stand on any busy street in West Africa and watch these woman work.

Pssssst....
I you are a young female walking through an urban area you've heard the 'Psssst ' usually followed by a 'come here' or 'yo baby' or whatever clever thing the dude thinks of to make you stop and talk to him. Many woman like myself will ignore their cat calls. If someone wants to get your attention in West Africa, especially if they want to sell you something, they will make a sound similar to a snakes hiss....'sssssssssssssss '. It sounds very similar to the first sound,  but don't worry.  I promise when you turn around, you'll likely see a friendly vendor selling goods, instead of a thug with braids and gold teeth licking his lips.

Gates and Doors
In the USA, we probably all have the same type of door. It may be a different color but  its most likely made out of wood and is probably the same size. Yes !!! we have something in common!!! (*Cabbage patch*) We probably have similar gates as well. There is the picket fence, the cement gate, and the wired gate with the diamond pattern. I guess we are more creative with the contents of the home and dont think too much of doors and gates. In the middle and upper middle class neighborhoods of Ghana and Nigeria, you see some very creative doors and gates. They range in size and color. Some have pictures on them, others are highly decorative. I rode down one street in Nigeria and every home had a highly ornate door/gate. It was hard to determine which one was the best. I guess these folks believe in making an impression right from the door!

After making it to Ondo town, I drop my bags relax and laugh about my discoveries.