Memoirs – Page 5 – The Storytela

Jul 1, 2016Jul 1, 2016

Take A Trip To NCF Lagos

The weekend is here once again but most interestingly, the holidays are very much around the corner. Thinking of where to go with your friends, spouse or the kids? Well, if you would be in Lagos this period, the National Conservation Foundation should be on your list of places to go. It is located just after Chevron roundabout on Lekki-Epe Expressway.

For ten years, I wished to go to this place, yeah right, 10 solid years! I heard about NCF Lekki in 2005 from my sister and I kept saying I would go, I would go and before I finally got around to going, 10 years had passed and by this time, I had a small son tagging along with me.

The NCF is a fun place to be, I particularly loved the Forest Reserve (or Jungle according to my son) with the many many Monkeys swinging from tree to tree and even crossing the walkways.

The new Canopy Walkway was a big hit too. It’s the longest in Africa at about 22.5 metres at the highest point above the ground and 401 metres long. Only ages 14 upwards are allowed on it so my son couldn’t go but since we had other people with us, he stayed with his aunt while I enjoyed the climb with a friend.

After the Canopy Walkway, we got to a place that looked like a park and games arena but apparently it hasn’t been so well maintained so we really couldn’t play much apart from lounging on wooden chairs and my son did try to do some climbing.

Happens to be that refreshments weren’t sold there, oh yeah! We were quite thirsty and a bit hungry but praise be to God, a good Samaritan who had more than enough to drink with his family gave us two cans of Ginger Beer which we shared. LOL.

We watched a few fishes swimming in a pond, then traced our way back and took some pictures of the giant tortoise of over 100 years old, Then the Peacocks that refused to spread their lovely tails for us.

All in all, it was a great outing which cost just 200 naira per head and an extra 1000 naira per head for the Canopy Walk-Way Climb. I had looked forward to climbing the Tree House but it was boarded up at this time, I do hope it’s fixed and re-opened soon or another one built.

So have you been to NCF? What was your experience like? Planning to go there soon? You may visit http://www.ncfnigeria.org/ for more information.

Cheers

Mar 10, 2016Jun 13, 2020

There Are 7 Rivers in Africa???

As a child, I remember very well singing that song while clasping my hands rhythmically with that of a playmate. Up, down, Up down…

“There are seven Rivers in Africa,

Seven Rivers in Africa

Nile, Niger, Senegal, Congo, Orange, Limpopo, Zambezi…

Then we also added and I don’t know why

Azikiwe, Wolowo, Tafawa Balewa,

Onye ocha wepu aka n’okpu eze (white man remove your hand from the King’s crown)

I was humming this song recently when it hit me; Seven rivers in Africa? How? Only 7 in the entire continent?

I mean even in the akuko ifo that we were told growing up, the hero usually crossed 7 rivers and 7 forests to kill the villain and rescue the captives. Do you mean, he had to go round the whole of Africa just to cross seven rivers? I think not.

It’s either the author of this song was a school teacher back in the days who was trying to help his students memorize the names of the largest rivers in the entire African continent or the beginning of this song was written by an Oyibo man who just ‘dashed‘ Africa seven rivers.

It really does seem like we’ve been innately programmed through this song to believe that Africa has only 7 rivers, because if you ask around, the default response to how many rivers do you have in Africa might just be ‘7’! At least I know about River Benue, Aba River, Anambra River and several other rivers in Naija.

Having looked up the definition of rivers, it refers to a large body of water flowing into another body of water. And the difference between a River and a Stream is that a River is wider, deeper and longer. So it’s a thing of size.

Talking about body of water, there’s this particular one in my village known as Mmili Obiaja. I’ve never been to Mmili Obiaja before but there are some very interesting stories surrounding that body of water. Like the one about a tree falling and blocking the road to the river when a deity is passing. The stories are so plenty shaa, I wish I can remember more but let me consult with my elders first and I’ll come back with authentic gist. I might even visit and take a few pictures myself.

I hope you get the gist though, there are MORE than 7 rivers in Africa, actually there are over 67 major rivers in the African continent…

So do we re-write the song? Or allow it fade it into oblivion???

Jan 14, 2016Jan 14, 2016

And Soon She’ll be Eleven

“Shine Shine Bobo!” The TV Presenter shouted.

“Star!” Ifeabiago answered back with joy.

She was sitting on her mother’s lap, having just had her night bath. Her Mum, my sister wiped her body dry with her little towel and began applying some baby oil to her low cropped hair.

“Shine Shine Bobo o!” The Presenter shouted again

“Star o!” She replied. Then she added for emphasis, “Mimmaa, see shine shine Bobo!”

We all burst into laughter, her Mum, my sister Uju and myself. Ifeabia loved the Star Quest Programme.

Just like her name- Ifeabiago (Light has come). The birth of my niece brought so much joy to all of us. She is an Ada like her Mum. The first born grand daughter to both grand parents and their extended families.

I remember the day she was born, I was on my way back from lectures heading towards my room in Manuwa Hall, University of Nigeria Enugu Campus when my phone rang. I checked it and it was my sister. She called to let me know that she put to bed a few hours earlier.

Ifeabia grew pretty fast. I remember her favourite song as toddler ‘P-Square’. She would say “Mummy, I want P-Square” and she would sing and dance “busy body eeeh!” LOL.

Then one day, shortly after she turned two, she looked at me and said “Ommaka, I yike your hair”, ye! I nearly freaked out! How did a two year old manage to even make that kind of statement. Well, that was just the beginning, like the ‘Shine- Shine Bobo’ in the TV Show, Ife would shine even brighter.

Just like yesterday, I remember her running around in diapers, chasing a fowl in my Dad’s country home, defying the igbo adage that says ‘Ochu nwa okuko nwe ada‘ literally translated as ‘he that chases the fowl has the fall’.

Soon Ife will be 11! I really do thank God for her life. She’s gone on to win many star awards, she’s worked so hard at being the Goal Keeper in her football club for many years, stopping many balls short of the net and just recently her basketball club won a 4 year defending champion.

Ifeabiago, your light will shine brighter as the years go by. You will always be an example of godliness and righteousness in your generation. The Lord will keep you and preserve you and make you a praise unto his name. Amen.

Happy birthday in advance.

Dec 22, 2015

Take A Trip To Navy Town

Strike a pose

Uncle & Nephew

Girls! Girls!

The Water!

Relic

It’s countdown to Christmas day. Season’s greetings everyone as we celebrate the birth of our Saviour Jesus Christ.

If you are spending the holiday in Lagos, and you are looking for somewhere unique to go, then Navy Town might be it for you. Here’s an article I wrote on my trip to Navy Town, posted on http://www.davinadiaries.com. Enjoy!

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I had to visit the Old Navy Town recently and it wasn’t exactly a trip I looked forward to. This was a Sunday and my idea of a great Sunday is to get some rest after Church Service, Sunday Cooking and all. Well, I had to go to Navy Town and to Navy Town I went. The Navy Town is located at Ojo (Your GPS should tell you the exact location) after the Kirikiri Prisons.

As we approached the Barracks, my apprehension turned to excitement as first of all we had to drive past the Kirikiri Medium and Maximum prisons. I didn’t know the area around the prison could be so peaceful and quiet. Then we entered Navy Town and my jaw dropped open.

Seriously, I was expecting the kind of chaos that would usually accompany the Police Barracks but men! Was I wrong?! The entrance to the ‘Town’ was a well paved road flanked by green vegetation on both sides. Wow! I tuned in to Nature immediately. Before then, we had driven past some really old buildings (I love old buildings!).

As we cruised into the town enjoying the scenario, the person we were taking there mentioned that there was a Sailing Club. So I went like ‘Sailing Club?’ I gotta see that men! So we drove towards the Sailing Club. On our way, we couldn’t help but notice how calm the town was. Everywhere was quiet and we saw some Naval Officers enjoying a game of Golf! I wondered if this was rowdy Lagos and then Ojo to be precise.

We got to the Sailing Club and it blew my mind. You see, I love water, I really do love water and then I love to watch the Sun Set at the beach and all of that stuff so being in that place, I was completely in tune with my inner self. I was almost beginning to ask that we build three tents and remain there when it occurred to me that this was not the Transfiguration. LOL

We lingered in the area, took in the scenery, bought some Suya from the Memorial Kitchen while I took as much pictures as I could before we headed to complete our journey. We did drive past some old buildings that weren’t so well kept and looked a bit dirty but then, we saw several modern buildings and several other new ones being constructed.

All in all, I was so glad that I went to Navy Town and I’m really impressed that in a country like ours where things are usually left to fall apart, some degree of sanity was retained in that place. Kudos to our Naval Guys!

Sep 13, 2015Oct 27, 2015

For the Love of Lord Handsome…

At some point in my life as a single lady, I wasn’t excited about marriage and as a result, I didn’t have wedding day plans or ideas. That was before he became a factor.

One day, I was seated in my office then at the MTN Walk-In Centre at Opebi and guess who walked in? Your guess is as good as mine.

It wasn’t the proverbial love at first sight for me, and for him; he wasn’t seeing me for the first time. Turns out that we were neighbours growing up (I was five years younger so I didn’t know him but knew his name).

We did become friends and I was impressed by the kind of guy he was and still is. Such a good heart, such faithfulness and loyalty, such humility and gentleness, yet firm and determined. Such unassuming and boyish nature, Wow!

Several years later, I was singing the lyrics of the famous hymn

‘To God be the Glory’

… it was on our wedding day! And have I been glad I got married to him?

No it’s not our anniversary again! LOL. It’s HIS birthday, my Lord Handsome got action.

Here’s to celebrating the man who celebrates me everyday, who has squelched every single fear I had, a man who has consistently loved me devotedly and unconditionally, who is never tired of saying ‘have you seen my wife?’ ‘have you met my wife?’ ‘You should meet my wife’.

Here’s to celebrating a man so committed to growth, love and relationships, who never tires of saying ‘I’m sorry’ even when I could be wrong (Wow! I just wiped a tear. LOL), whose anger never even lasts! And who has great skills at postponing our trips to the beach! Ha ha ha

I’m so grateful to God for bringing you into my life. I love you today and forever.

God has blessed you already, He has already kept you and His countenance is forever shining upon you.

Happy birthday Sweetie.