Nigeria is a Health Farm

If you know me well, please make sure you're seated before reading on...

I moved into my house five days ago and I've cooked all but one meal since then (and that was only because we were spoilt with a team dinner at Wakkis on Friday)!  Not only have I cooked, but my diet is overflowing with freshness and health.  Chloe and Stephanie are amazing cooks so I'm learning something new everyday.  As if I'd ever have known to put my fresh white beans in the freezer overnight so I could kill all the bugs?  Let's be honest - I think we can safely assume that I've never even purchased white beans before!  Then today I filled them with water, let the bugs float to the top and presto - clean beans.

Starting today I've also added in a regular exercise program.  I'm committed to doing 5km around our compound track everyday with 10km on Sunday for good measure.  Who knows - maybe I'll even work my way up to a jog? And throw in a few laps of the pool to cool down.

Combine that lifestyle with the fact that I drink roughly two litres of water each day because of the heat and can rarely afford evil treats like alcohol, chocolate or cheese and the Nigerian Health Farm experience is a clear winner!

Not to mention that there's a regular and reliable source of vitamin D from the sun which also ensures a healthy glow and the sensible working hours mean it's easy to get a solid eight hours sleep each night.

Do I love Nigeria?  Absolutely yes!

Expat Living Minus the Salary

Having mentally prepared myself for the most basic of living standards I find myself blessed with expat-style accommodation beyond my wildest dreams.  I share a double story, three bedroom house with two delightful girls (Chloe and Stephanie) in the most exclusive part of Abuja.

Everyday I pinch myself just to make sure it's real!

Living with a foot inside both the expat and volunteering worlds gives rise to it's own unique challenges however.  For example, how do you explain at the market that you can't possibly afford the price of washing powder when there's a clear assumption that you must have a machine?  Or how do you get another expat to comprehend that a glass of wine absolutely blows your NGN7000 (AUD45) weekly budget?

Life is tough (not)!

Life Without Power and Water

Kafanchan is a town roughly 2.5-3 hours north east of Abuja in southern Kaduna state with a population of approximately 85,000 people.  As one of the main junctions of the local railway system it was once a busy and thriving town but since the collapse of the railway it's residents have turned primarily to agriculture.

It offered me a wonderful four day adventure and lessons in life without power and water.  What sort of activities are available with such constraints?

• I turned local celebrity by being filmed at the opening of the Fantsuam Foundation Rural Health Centre for a local news station, despite that I'll never see it since a television would be pointless in a town without power.

• I attended my first agricultural lesson in Hausa and fast learnt that being white prompts some common assumptions and expectations; I'm automatically considered a wealthy philanthropist, I'm expected to introduce myself from the stage and I'm incredibly amusing (so much so that I can prompt hysterical laughter without even opening my mouth).

• I was treated to a Kenyan meal of wet fry beef, ugali, omelette and vegetables prepared painstakingly on a kerosene stove.  This activity reinforced the fact that I have an iron-gut capable of even sustaining meat bought from an outdoor market sweltering in 40-45 degree heat.

• I returned the favour by teaming up and preparing vegetarian pasta.  Eating market meat is one thing; purchasing and preparing it is a whole new ball game that's on hold for now.  Although I also achieved my first lesson in catching, killing and plucking a chicken!  I always thought I'd be a great contestant on Amazing Race but perhaps I should be aiming for Survivor with my newly acquired skills.
• I sampled Nigerian beer, got over excited when offered a pie (only to discover that really means pastie) and boogied the night away with the locals to generator driven beats.

• I also tried palm wine which is a local favourite but let's just say "been there, done that, never doing it again!"  The smell alone is enough to kill!

• I capped off the weekend with a magnificent hike to waterfalls in the Kagoro hills.  It was a wonderful break from the constant noise, dust and craziness that is Nigeria.

Thanks to Kim, Nicholas, Jenny, Gordon and all the fabulous Fantsuam staff for such fun times xxx

Valentine’s Day

Valentine’s Day was celebrated at Juvenic Restaurant which promised to showcase some typically local food.  Having made a personal commitment to live within my budget however, much of the menu had to be discounted on the basis of price. 

What I did learn was that stew appears to be a very popular dish.  The menu offered “soup” which was the consistency of stew, or a variety of “meat” which came in a stew and I’m not entirely sure how either of those options differed from the standard “stew.”  Nonetheless, my choice was restricted to “soup” and pounded yam. 

The special for the evening was snail soup which I decided wasn’t quite for me.  The menu lead you to believe there was a variety of alternatives but in reality you were stuck with vegetable soup.  What was most puzzling though was that my vegetable soup contained fish, chicken, beef and all manner of giblets, gristle, fat and skin.  Braving the mystery ingredients, the aroma and palate could only be likened to cat food.

We all received a “special” gift from the restaurant though for Valentines Day…

“It is not only a pretty bottle, but also an umbrella.  It can be stood as a bottle of wine or can be hung as an excellent ornament with a rope.  Amazingly, it is a watertight bottle, which prevents the water from leaking even though you put the wet umbrella inside it.  It is specially designed for people who love fantastic things.  The unique design will add fresh experience to your daily life.  It is the best choice for gift or decoration with compact size.”

Who could ask for more?

On-Route to Abuja

One piece of advice repeated by volunteers based in Nigeria was to practice patience and the Nigerian Consulate made sure I took that lesson on board.  Two days prior to departure I found myself on an unscheduled trip to Canberra armed with a persuasive smile hoping to secure my visa which had been outstanding since December.  As I touched down in the capital I was welcomed with a call from AVI announcing its safe arrival in Melbourne – “Why the rush?  Plenty of time!”

Flying over Port Sudan headed for Khartoum I stared in awe at the sprawling desert below.  The approach to Lagos bought a rapid switch to lush green tropical palms hiding much of the red dirt core.

Touching down in Lagos, I couldn’t help but laugh when the aerobridge failed and my seatmate turned to me and said “Welcome to Nigeria” with a wicked grin and roll of her eyes.

What are the first few things I’ve noticed?

• People are wonderfully friendly, helpful and love to laugh.
• Fashion is a vibrant mix of flamboyance, elegance, colour and individual statements.
• Hairstyles resemble fascinating works of art.
• There’s an overwhelming distrust of escalators (which has me intrigued).
• Cars are left hand drive and there’s zero adherence to driving rules (making me most grateful that we ditched the motorbike idea).
• People are gorgeous and the kids are so very, very cute.