A LOT OF THINGS

Happy New Year everyone. Hope you all had amazing celebrations. And that your seat belts are ready for the journey that will take us to the last day of this year. One of the things that occurred to me early this year is that not until 2012 will we have February 29. So we are a day short this year. Let’s do all we can do to make up for more than that one day.

Okay, on to my post for today.
I have two blogs as some of you know. This one, and aroundlagos (see it on the sidebar). I love aroundlagos a lot, but somehow, I let it rot away without updating it. I have decided to put it down, so I won’t have to say (it was so much easier when I had one, like Solomonsydelle. But seriously SS, do you mean the blogs or the kids? Blogs and kids are more than one for you).

Another lazy reason for dropping aroundlagos is the fact that my location has changed. For some months now, I have been commuting Lagos-Abeokuta, my new base because of work. In a week time, I would have moved fully to Abeokuta for another chapter in the book called Uzezi: from dawn till date.

Anyway, I couldn’t come up with a name that will capture both Lagos and Abeokuta, so it’s bye to that blog. If you follow that blog please jump ship. Everything I have to say about me or Lagos or Abeokuta or whatever, I will say here. And there are lots to say about Abeokuta.

Lagos is a Yoruba state, just like Ogun state. Here in Lagos, I can get away with not knowing how to speak the language regardless of the fact that I was born here and all my life has been here. But my new job entails that I work with communities in both urban and rural areas. There is no way I shouldn’t speak the language.

Imagine my organization was going to have a meeting with community heads, and I was in charge of that. God loved me so much that He made my boss available on the meeting day. And every single discussion in that meeting was in Yoruba. I just positioned myself at the door welcoming people. And I was called to introduce myself. I started and one elder went ‘speak Yoruba’.

Hey Oluwa. Anyway, I’m learning, which is exactly what I told them.

And I am serious about learning o, I already bought a Yoruba dictionary to show my seriousness. I am soon shopping for Yoruba home videos that are not subtitled. I will conquer the language in Jesus name.

(Don’t wonder how come I don’t speak the language after all these years in Lagos o. I was born in Ajegunle. And in the compound I grew up, the only neighbour we had were Isoko like us. The houses around us had Ijaw, Kwale, Hausa, Urhobo, Ibo and Isoko people. I remember only one Yoruba family. And then, it was easier to learn Isoko on my street than any other language. And there is school where you DARE not speak vernacular.
So off to Satellite Town we moved, where everyone minded their businesses in fenced houses and spoke the Queen’s English. And off to boarding schools in Delta and Cross-River-State. So Yoruba and I were constantly kept asunder, not knowing I will have to unite with the language one day forever).

But I’m getting there. God bless the dictionary and the Yoruba songs in church and Gbemisoke gospel blues. I am determined you see, if my last name will change from Isoko to Yoruba. Although that isn’t a condition. He speaks more Hausa than Yoruba anyway.

So if you know Abeokuta every well, tell me the must visit places. My very first day there I discovered Iya Sunday; most popular buka. And the meals are more expensive than fast food joints.

Did I say my Caveman is arriving soon from Gambia? I’m so excited the countdown has begun. If he forgets my blender and artwork, he is going back. Okay, I’m off shopping.