Christmas Cheer

Merry Christmas from my Nigerian family to yours! Big thanks to my amigos who put up with my outlandish ideas and humored me in my Christmas photo shoot. :)

Ending 2013 in Style

Happy holidays everyone! People here are starting to close up shop for the year to head home and enjoy time with friends and family- myself included! This Friday I will be on a plane home ready for some Christmas cheer. 

It's been a long couple weeks (hence no post). This thing called work got in the way of my social life, but I truly learned more than I could have imagined in two weeks. So career wise it was worth it. 

Since my FPSO trip, I have managed to gone to a Thanksgiving party where the camp flew in turkeys from France. I have celebrated St. Andrews day and read Scottish poetry with a red wig as initiation. I have did a aqua/run race, brewed beer, played a little tennis, and gone to the Lekki market multiple times trying to buy the perfect xmas gifts (it's tough). I've even been dog sitting a Rhodesian Ridgeback, Lekker ( means it's all good in South African).

This weekend has been extremely eventful. After the Fat Boy run, we stopped by "the pub" aka Marion and Steve's house for some chili and wine. Next stop was Karen's for a working ladies party at Karens. Then Kelsie and I found our way back to the pub to listen to records till the wee hours of the night. 

Needless to say, I was exhausted come Saturday. But I was up and at em' getting my final goods at the market. I must be getting better at the Nigerian thing, because after someone tried to sell me a broken thing I shamed him into carrying my stuff and getting the prices I want ( big thanks to the months of training from Idowu). We then hurried home to get cooking for beer klub. Chips (homemade), guac, quesidillas, brownies, and a cooler full of beer later, we made it to abandoned house one for our escapades. We tried beer from all over the world and some good ol' home brews curtsey of Kelsie. Yes, we toasted each time and had a total riot. Burgers were grilled up as well, which was a real treat at any time in Nigeria, let alone after a whole lot of drinking. The sceeters came out, and we managed to make our way to Andy's for some darts and more drinks ( of course). It was a wonderful way to end our time here in 2013, especially after a few brutal weeks at work. 

Now it's time for some R&R. This time next week I'll be posting pictures of snow  which is quite a treat after living in Cali and now Nigeria. 

Until next time-Kate :)

Pacific to Atlantic

After spending the last year on the Pacific Coast, I am now getting use to life on the Atlantic. I took this to new extremes as I spent the night on one of our FPSO's for work one night this week. 

Now I won't get into the nitty gritty of my work, but I must say that spending the night on a platform has never been more enlightening. Getting a tour of how we actually get oil out of the ground was absolutely mind blowing. The engineering and complex systems that our the core of our business is far beyond anything I could have imagined. I already found the industry I worked in dynamic and interesting- and not to nerd out on y'all- but I am more intrigued and motivated then ever to continue to learn about our business. 

Enough work though- this weekend has been my first quite weekend since I've been here. Due to work I had to skip out on my Idanre trip, and instead I spent a weekend just hanging at my house. It's been brilliant! Nothing but a little cooking, working out and resting. All and all dull but exactly what I needed. 

The next couple weeks should be heavy with work stuff as we wrap up the end of the year. I have Thanksgiving, a aqua/run race and St. Andrews night next week and then it's all. 

Marine Ball 2013

It took for me to move to Lagos to have a true sense of American pride. Last night I celebrated the 238th birthday of the United States Marines at the 2013 Marine Ball at the Eko hotel. The men broke out their suits and tuxes and ladies found their fanciest dresses to show respect to our Marines. 

It was my first ball, so I wasn't sure what to expect but I must admit I wasn't disappointed. We walked a red carpet to be greeted by the Ambassador and all the Marines based in Lagos. Champaign kicked off the event, followed by a wonderful and symbolic ceremony. In the middle of a room full of overseas Americans at tables was an empty black table with one candle to represent the fallen Marines. The Ambassador and some Marines gave speeches, and the colors were retired before the cake was cut by a sword. The first piece of cake was offered to the oldest Marine in the room and then gifted to the youngest Marine in the room. It was a beautiful ceremony, and everyone in the room felt an overwhelming pride in our country. 

Dinner was then served and the dancing began. People were more than willing to bust a move, and I started to learn how to Texas two step (if I can do that in Houston all the time, I'll be one happy camper). 

Here some photos of the group all done up: 

Until my next adventure- Kate 

Run for the Cure

It's been about 6 years since my last formal race back in my High School cross country days, and it wasn't until today that I broke that dry spell. While I had no expectation of achieving the  pace  7-something minute miles mile pace I ran back in the glory days, I figured it was time to put my fat boy run training to the test. Heck, worst case scenario I could putz my way across the finish line and consider it a decent workout. 

So to prepare for the Run for a Cure, I found myself once again at the Fat boy run. Well, scratch that- I went for a run so I could have a few beers, s'more and laughs. But some of the people training for a marathon really kicked my butt into high gear, so there was no rest for the weary. Each beer was hard earned and considered much needed "hydration". 

When walking back from the run, I found myself stopped at a neighbors for a cheeky glass of wine. Three hours and a few glasses of wine later, I found myself headed home to make my bright and early 6:30 bus to the race. 

Now, as should be expected, races in Nigeria aren't quite the same as America. 

1. They are in kilometers. This one was 6 km (so 3.72 miles)
2. They never start on time. 
3. Safety pins and water are not easy to come by. 
4. Policeman are the trail markers.
5. A half hour of zumba is considered the warm up.

So Nick and I finished in a little under 32 minutes, which I must admit I am quite proud of, especially considering the sweltering heat we endured. Kelsie, my roommate, placed 2nd overall in women! So we stayed for the entertainment and awards before heading back to camp around 11. 

It was a long morning, and I was famished. Andy and I headed out for a bite at   Bungalows, a nice restaurant in Victoria Island (VI). I had a massive burger, which was exactly what I needed after this week. We than headed to the Eko hotel for a few drinks before making our way back. 

As far as the rest of the night, I think I am going to happily take it easy. Karen is hosting a brunch tomorrow, and after looking at my calendar it looks like this month will fly by! Next weekend I have the marine ball and the weekend after  I'm headed to Idanre on a biking trip. Next thing you know its Autumn Fest (ie Thanksgiving) and St. Andrew's Day. 

Stay in tune for more on my upcoming adventures!- Kate

Officially Initiated

The weekend of food finally caught up with me.  We all knew it was coming, so Friday we laid low with a Fat boy run on the beach and a few drinks.  Then Saturday Ricardo talked me into his spin class before my luxurious Italian lunch at La Veranda. Of course part of our lunch gang new the chef, and so we had plate after plate of creamy pasta dishes come for us to taste. It was a true smorgasbord. We were all so full and happy we only made it down to sit by the pool to smoke hookah.  It was a beautiful afternoon, and it was nice to sit outside.

Then it was back to camp early since the Oro festival is going on through Nov 1-7^th. It’s a Yoroba festival where the men bring out the deity Oro for the week to cleanse the streets of evil.  Women are not allowed to see this festival, and if they do they are sentenced to death. Needless to say the 10 p.m. curfew taken pretty seriously.

This gave the camp the perfect excuse to cater in Indian food for our Dwali celebration.  Despite being full from lunch, eating homemade naan was too good to pass up. The night ended pretty early, so a few of us just ended up watching the Life of Mars UK TV series (which is hilarious I might add).

Sunday all my energy was drained, which should have been a warning sign. But I decided to take a swim and then go to a dinner party which was a proper British roast. Dinner parties here are four course meals, and better than most restaurants I have been in the states.

It wasn’t until Monday I really felt off. And then Monday night I died. The scary thing about Nigeria, is you’re never sure what you actually have. If I had been in the US, I would have chalked it up to being a bug but here malaria is a major concern.  So after a little fretting, I managed to make my way to the clinic Tuesday (which is an adventure) and got it confirmed that it indeed, it was only a bug- phew!

I am thinking that all the strange foods and time difference finally caught up to me.  So needless to say I feel officially initiated into Nigeria.

Lata skata- Kate

Nigerian Slang

Everyone in Lagos speaks a version of Pigeon English mixed with Hausa, Ibu and Youraba. Here's the term's I've kept up with:

Hownow?- How are you?

I day fine- I'm good thanks 

Ecaro- Youraba term for good morning

You're Welcome- You are welcome here. 

I beg- Please 

Ah ah- Very common way to start off sentences to gain the persons attention, sometimes in place of ums. 
Fo fo- Pounded Yams
Moi moi- beans pounded together and boiled

I'll keep em' coming as I continue to figure out what things really mean.

Weekend in Calabar

I finally left behind the whole work world in Lagos and ventured off to Calabar this past weekend with the Nigerian Field Society. The trip consisted of about 40  people and was a good mix of expats and Nigerians-both returnees and locals. (returnees refer to those who studied/worked abroad and are viewed very differently by locals). So we started off bright and early Friday and met the group at Freedom Park. It's in the center of Lagos Island and use to be an old prison. 

We then took off to the airport, and go figure the domestic side is so much nicer than international. The people on the trip were incredible, and made the trip a total riot. It was also extremely educational to hear the experiences of these individuals who have traveled the world and are so knowledgable about what's happening in Nigeria. We then landed at our hotel and saw 3 local dances- Hausa, Youraba and Ibu. People in Nigeria take great pride in which one they are, and each has an accompanying language (and many dialects of that). We also had a traditional dinner of fofo which is pounded yams dipped into a spinach and cray fish or bean "soup".

The next day we were up bright and early again to a whirlwind storm. After 10 minutes of the rain ceased, but in Nigeria any rain can completely kill the roads. So we had to revise our itinerary which worked out that we actually saw more. We started at the Old House Museum about the British influence, slavery and palm oil. Then we got a bus tour of the entire town with all the historic sites like the grave and statue of Mary Sieler. Mary was a missionary from Scotland who was set to have Nigerians stop killing their twins because they found them to be evil. As it turns out, Nigeria has the highest rate of twins in the world (mix of yams and genetics). It was after Mary's grave on the way to old slave market which is now referred to as Watt Market when the bus broke down. The noise it was making should have been a dead give away, but the hill we attempted to go took it's toll. So we pushed it out of the intersection and got it to start- which was such a blessing because buses aren't easy to come around in Calabar. We decided to walk up hills from then on to guarantee we would make it back to the hotel eventually.

 



We then made it the Botanical Gardens and wildlife preserves to see primates saved from poachers in the area. This also will save the gene line that may not make it with the destruction occurring to the rainforest because of the overpopulation and corruption. We then headed to the Slave Museum. 

It was this trip that really hit home what African time really meant. Lunch was scheduled for noon and we didn't even arrive to the restaurant till 4. Upon arriving at the restaurant what was to be 20 minutes turned into 2 more hours which brings a new meaning to the term "dunch". A fish with a head on it was devoured immediately, and I'm not sure if it was just the hunger talking but I found it quite nice. This is only one example of having to go with the flow. Nothing ever turns out how you expect here, and as a result you have to be prepared for anything and everything. What we deem as disorganized they find standard. It's a very different way of operating that takes a bit of getting use to.

We finally made it back to the hotel around 7 and the deputy Governor invited us over for light refreshments Nick and our new friends Titi and Uchinia found the hotel bar which led to my first night out in Nigeria. Uchinina had friends come pick us up in the area, and it was the first time I was able to freely walk around without security with AK47s trailing me. I never felt unsafe with a big group of native Nigerians and the night club was epic. We ended up getting bottle serve in a private room, and we spent the night dancing. Let me tell you- Nigerians know how to move and have fun. It's all about letting lose and kicking back. The music was Nigerian, so I couldn't understand it but it was like listening to rompe by Daddy Yankee. Catchy, upbeat rap/ hip hop music in a different language that repeats the same words enough you can still sing along. Needless to say, I had a great time. And what is even better is Uchinina and Titi are right down the road from me in Lekki- now I just have to figure out this whole security thing...

Our flight was delayed on Sunday till 4, so most the day was spent relaxing and chatting with the group. By the end of it we felt as if I had known them for years. I now have friends with expresso makers, parties to attend and trips to tag along on. All and all, it was a great weekend that furthered my understanding of Nigeria. 

Check out the pics on FB to see the adventure (you're welcome Jim). 

Peace out till next time- Kate

Good Cookin' and Country

Hey y'all. Just finishing up my second week on the job and everything is going smoothly. I just got my new assignment work which seems like it will be interesting, so it's been a productive week considering I had two weeks. A few skeletons creeped up from my last rotation ( why am I not surprised) but all in all I can't complain. 

I missed the fat boy run on Friday because my badge ( which is like your SS card at work and the estate) fell out on my walk home. So then I had to report it and go through that who shebang- oy. At least I found it but my pride took a minor hit. Oh well, minor mishap but the image of me in workout close in the main office must have been a site to see. I'm sure the guards are all still talking about it :p 

The best part of my week is my stewardess. She is one absolutely amazing women. She cleans, does laundry- even puts it away-and cooks. I no joke left a note saying hey there is chicken in the fridge- can you do something with it? And boy oh boy did she- it's seriously the best glazed chicken I have had ( sorry mom). Spoiled doesn't even begin the describe. I will no longer be eating the cheese and crackers I was relying on. I even figured out I can just send my driver in my new Honda Accord to get my groceries. Oh yeah, I can make that work.

However, I might actually keep grocery shopping for my own sanity. Turns out, if your not doing that or going out to eat you have no reason to leave the compound. As a result, Nick and I spent Friday listening to music and watching movies. Actually, I was introduces to some amazing bands. Yes, it's country and it's amazing. For all you guys with a curiosity listen to the Josh Abbot Band ( Oh, Tonight), Randy Rogers and Corey Smith. To die for. 

Today has been pretty uneventful. I don't have TV, which is kinda a joy actually, and so I read a good and laid by the pool. The pool is incredible. It's olympic sized so it's nice to actually swim in or just hang by. A movie and some champaign sealed off the night and so all and all it's not a bad day.

It's weird it always feels like summer. I keep thinking it's July so it's strange when I actually look at the date. 

Next weekend is Calabar so I'll have more rip-roarin' adventures to share. Until then-Kate :) 

Happy Eid al-Adha

Happy Eid al-Adha everyone! Since Nigeria recognizes both Christian and Muslim Holidays, it was announced on Monday that Tuesday and Wednesday were the national holiday Eid al-Adha. This struck me as odd- why would they wait till the last minute to worn us? Turns out, this is a lunar holiday and so people can guess approximately when it will occur, but not far enough in advance to put it on the calendars. 

Eid al-Adha is the holiday where Muslims remember when Ibrahim listened to God and was willing to sacrifice his own son. At the last minute, God stopped him and allowed him to sacrifice a ram instead. As a result, after the mosque a sheep/goat is sacrificed. When driving to the movie theatre on Eid al-Adha, goats were lined up all over the roads as families prepared for the festivities. One goat even caused an entire traffic jam by sitting down in the middle of the road. I suppose he had an idea of what day it was....

To celebrate a day off, Nick and I headed off to the movie theatre to see Runner Runner. We went to pay the cashier and low and behold, the sign was wrong. Not just a little wrong, but totally and completely off. Runner Runner wasn't playing for another 4 hours, so we ended up watching The Company You Keep. And of course, it was holiday price (again not posted). Typical. But it was worth it to get out and about. 

Today started out with a knock on the door bright and early from a neighbor asking me to come to a gym class. So I started off with a zumba class with some other ladies on camp. My neighbor and I then headed to the grocery store to grab a few things- and I am officially done grocery shopping for quite some time. 

It's interesting to hear different people's takes on the Nigeria experience. I am new here, and some of the glamour has worn off as expected. However, I still find myself really content. But it doesn't take much to find a few bitter souls. Actually, I found myself woke up by a phone call from a neighbor asking me if I was hanging in there only to have an hour rant coming my way. I realize I have been extremely fortunate to have a roommate and people like Nick around to have made this transition easier. And yes, if you let it anything and everything will get to you. Patience was never my strong suit, but I came in with no expectations which I think has been a saving grace. Things are different, nothing is simple and spontaneity is limited yet doable. It's about keeping in the right mind set. People say there is nothing to do here. Honestly, people could say that about anywhere. What I have figured out is that it is all about the people around me. 

I spent the entire afternoon laying out by the pool tanning and swimming. I finished my book. I watched a family with quintuples play at the park right next door. It didn't even feel like I was in Nigeria. 

So I can say after a few middle of the week lazy holidays, thinks are ag (all good) on this end.

Stay classy-Kate:)

Fat Boy Fridays

All I can say is wow, what a wonderful weekend this has been shaping up to be. Life here seems so surreal. Even though most people in camp are gone on vacation since we have Tuesday and Wednesday off next week, the few of us remaining are definitely making the most of it. 

Friday was my first fat boy run. Yes, it's called the fat boy run because no matter who you are you show up and do your best to run as far as you can. At 5:30 a bus and security leaves camp and heads to the beach to start the adventure. Some troopers actually run to the beach, but I thought I'd take the bus to see what I was getting myself into. The trip to the beach goes through back, barely paved roads that cut through one of the many market places around Lekki. I guess not that long ago a devastating storm hit destroying most of the villages around the beach. After a week on camp it's easy to forget where you are, and this was a brutal reminder of why Nigeria is a third world country. 

Upon arriving at the beach, we grab our spot at the typical table and meet Precious, our trainer. What I thought would be a nice run was no joke. Five miles of sandy beach and Precious kicking my butt, it felt like I haven't ran in years. The beach is not the typical Cali beach I was use to. The sand was white and crisp, but covered with all sorts of trash. Despite that, the beauty of where we were was hard to miss. The smell of the Atlantic and the sun setting was a little piece of perfection. Huts lined the beach hidden amongst the palm trees. Locals were out and about, playing soccer and enjoying the sunset, waving as we ran by. Precious is a staple in the community, making our entry into their land a welcomed one. After 40 minutes of panting and struggling, I had a 40 of Heineken calling my name. Beer is incredibly cheap- about 500 nira which is about 3 US dollars. The bar we go to is a simple one, just a few plastic chairs and a family providing us beer and making suya. Oh suya. Yes, it's amazing! It's an extremely spicy meat, either chicken or beef. For once, the beef beat the chicken 10 to 1. As the sun set we made a bonfire, enjoying stories from all sorts of backgrounds.  It gives me a whole different perspective on how people view the world. 

We head back at 8, and I ended up crashing a small wine and cheese party with a few people. I actually met someone from Urbana, IL! The conversation flows freely, no pay grade or seniority interfering with the fun which is unlike anything I experienced at Corp. Everyone is friends, everyone knows everything and the best part is nobody cares. For the first time in my career here I feel a sense of freedom, liberation from the ever present watchful eyes. Not that anyone does anything bad, it's just people here except people as they are. Which makes sense, because most people coming here are pretty open minded. And it's wonderful.

After a few bottles of wine and my ultra low tolerance, I head back to my house but ended up getting a few beer at the neighbors and watching the most hilarious British TV show till 3 am. 

I was dragging the morning, but got up to have another neighbor take me to a South African grocery store I hadn't been to yet. It was nice to get to know another face around camp. After that Nick and I took off and spent the entire afternoon at a place called Troy's, an expat hangout where they have hookah. After hours of staring at the water we finally made it back to the mall to grab some KFC and check out the movie theatre, which is going to be Tuesdays adventure. After a lot of strange food, KFC never tasted so good. 

Like I said, it's surreal. As I go from place to place, all you see is the poverty. Here there is those with money and those without. I don't know how to explain it, no documentary or article could describe it. And as much as I see it I don't think it's even actually hit me what's really happening around me. As much as I would like to, I won't be posting pictures of any of this because it seems unfair to put their life on display in such a manner. I will, however, share what I can. 

It's starting to hit me how truly blessed I am to have this opportunity. And since it's my last day at the ripe old age of 24, I have a sneaking suspicion that 25 is going to be one hell of a year that I'm never going to regret. 

Until next time- Kate.

No Such Thing As Simple

Calabar, here I come. Today Nick and I booked our first adventure beyond Lagos, and let me tell you it was quite the production. What may take 2 minutes in the US took a day of planning, calling and making a trip to the GT Bank. Let me just explain the steps so you know what I mean:

1. Call the money man and set up an appointment to get Nira (Nigerian money) from crisp bills over a certain dollar range and they have to be new bills. If you don't have US cash you have to bring a check to the cashier at Chevron.

2. Get your supervisor on board. After chatting with my supervisor (who is absolutely wonderful) I had to explain the trip was indeed safe and that I was going with a tour group. I must admit, I truly appreciate the concern people have for me.

3. Upon approval and Nira, then set up a time with your driver to get you to the bank. 

4. Get to the bank and go through the same sort of security (and line) to enter the bank. Yes, this means I had to go through a security detector with my arms in the air.

5. Get in line to fill in the forms to then transfer the money. Thankfully we were lucky enough to run into a co-worker who identified by our badge ( and told us to take them off for safety purposes- good call) to help us navigate this process. 

Then back to camp! It was quite the adventure, and makes your realize just how different something we consider a simple task can be. BUT the moral of the story is that I have a nice long weekend coming up to a different place in Nigeria. Just like you wouldn't go to only NYC in the US, I wouldn't be taking full advantage of my time here if I didn't see other places (although admitably safety is a concern in places here limiting my options. Hence, seizing opportunities like this are a must. 

On another front I once again tried Nigerian food, and this time I found some things I liked. It's still an adjustment (nobody's forcing me- I'm just trying to culturally integrate myself on some level) but I found some mashed beans people put with the meat and pounded yam that was spicy but not bad. I couldn't bring myself to try the intestine meat, but they did have a lentil soup that was similar to the one's back home. And as always, I love their biscuits and soda. Although I was laughing at how this is one hell of a diet as I can only eat a few bites of everything before I am done. 

And since it's occurring, I'll note that the electricity goes out once a night for about a minute or so. It's really not problematic, and I realize our generators are working overtime around here.

Anyways, that all the updates for now.  Goodbye for now, or as they say in Yoruba- O dabo!

You're Welcome

I'm half way through my first week and my oh my what a week it has been already been. I'm in a whirlwind of names that I'm awful and remembering and even worse at pronouncing, but all and all it's been a great week. 

The people I work with are amazing. When walking up to the office on my first day, I wasn't even nervous because every person I walked past cheerily greeted me with a big smile and a warm "good morning". It wasn't until later I learned it's typical for Nigerians to say "good morning" "good afternoon" and "good evening" like clockwork. The excitement of the new group was unexpected, with everyone coming up and hugging me with a great big "you're welcome". It took me only a second to catch on they mean "you are welcome to Nigeria" and reversing my American thinking to respond "thank you". Everyone chats and laughs and really enjoys themselves in the workplace. Grabbing my hand to walk me around the office and introduce me, each co-worker welcomed me with open arms. It was the most enthusiastic and genuine meet and greet I have yet to experience. 

I share an office with 2 other ladies, who are as fashionable as they are funny. Paper, pens and office materials are scarce, and I must say I had been spoiled with the luxury of a sit-stand desk. So (sigh) I guess we have to order it rather than be readily available :p. Looks like my patience is improving, but the personality of the office makes it easy to do. 

I'm just in the onboarding stages, trying to get my head into the business and reading about deepwater rigs and our current assets. I was fortunate to get a tour of all the stores around the area I might need to visit from the "welcome wagon" as part of my second day. It's all right here in Lekki and VI, and you can get anything you want if you are willing to pay for it. 

Another great luxury here is that I can walk to work. I seriously have gained over 1 + hours of my day back. I'd say it's no sweat, but even in morning it's pretty hot and humid, but not terribly overwhelming. I can leave my townhouse at 7:45 and be in by 8 (yes- I actually start at a decent hour of the day here).

At my house we have a stewardess, and for the life of me I will never get over everyone calling me madam. It's nice to not clean and have someone to cook- although I haven't capitalized on this yet. 

As a caffeine junkie, the lack of coffee is probably the most upsetting thing. I found it in a few grocery stores, merely costing an arm and a leg. So I guess I'm going cold turkey and will I'll embrace it as a weekend treat at local bistros. Which actually, might be for the best.  

Well, as Bugs Bunny would say- that's all for now folks. Hopefully I'll have some pictures to post next time to keep you updated on my adventures.

New Kid on the Block

Living on the compound in Lekki is very much like living in a small urban town. To get around the entire outskirts is about 1 1/2 miles. Within this small area is a tight knit community of expats welcoming me to my new life in Nigeria. 

My first day post jet leg Kelsie took me on the grocery store shopping experience. Being brand new to the expat world, I found myself worn out by continuously converting from nira to dollars and pounds to kilograms. I finally got the hang of it by are third store. The brands and food are different as expected, but you can seem to find anything you want as long as your willing to pay for it. I found myself with a mishmash of items since produce is both different and expensive. We shall see what I end up eating this week...

We then went to lunch at a cafe where a burger and Heineken hit the spot. Although I just came from the land of burgers and fries, I can tell it's a rare treat for those on the compound since you have to be extremely sensitive to what meat you get. Even the vegetables have to be washed in a special chlorine to ensure it's safe.  

When the driver brought us back over 5 hours had passed and jet lag set in once more and I collapsed. When I woke up from my nap, I explored the different parts of the compound including the pool, gym, tennis courts and volleyball courts. Each person I ran into instantly new I was new, and went our of their way to introduce themselves. Nick then stopped by and we all sampled Kelsie's own home-brew. Not a bad way to end my first full day in Lagos. 

The next morning one of my new co-workers hosted a beautiful brunch. This brunch seriously topped any swanky place in the US. It was nice to meet some more people. By the time brunch was over it was already 4 pm. The neighbors dog needed a walk since they were out of town, so a quick walk in the cool night air was refreshing way to end my weekend. 

Turns out being the new kid isn't so bad after all. 

Safe and Sound

After months of anticipation I am happy to inform you all I have made it safe and sound to Nigeria! I want to start off by thanking everyone who helped me make it here ok possible. I guess I'll give you a quick run down of this adventure from the beginning....

The journey started off with a few hours in the Delta lounge living the lifestyle of the rich and the famous. The luxury continued when I flew first class to Atlanta to quickly hop to business class to Lagos. Talk about an easy flight. Honestly, flying 11 hours to Nigeria sleeping, watching movies and eating five course meals beat any 4 hour flight back to Chicago. I was fortunate enough to meet a wonderful member of the US Consulate that helped guide me through the Lagos airport. After breezing through security I met my driver who assisted in grabbing my bags and then it was off to the car.

To get to the car was about a half mile walk down a sidewalk that was a sneak peak into life in Lagos. People crowded the streets in a mix of both traditional and western wear. The sidewalks were covered in a few inches of water, and we finally stumbled upon our van. Greeted by two Nigerian employees, we buckled up and prepared for the next leg of the journey- the drive to Lekki. 

The driving in Lagos is literally bumper to bumper. Cars are merely inches away from one another, consistently honking and swerving. Due to the rain parts of the streets had flooded, with only vans, trucks and SUVs daring to make it through. People flocked the street selling anything and everything imaginable from books to windshield wipers and even lumber. All these products were stacked in baskets on balanced on top of their head as if it was as easy as wearing a shoe on your foot. 

After a few hours of traffic due to the Holy Ghost Service that takes place the first Friday of every month, we made it to the Lekki Peninsula and to my new home for the next six months. With only a few minor hickups, I received my key to my new townhome and was amazed at how modern it was. With 2 bedrooms, a car, 2 1/2 baths, a back porch and patio this place is certainly comparable to my old gigs in Walnut Creek. This is all greatly due to the fact that the wonderful furnishings were all shipped over by my roommate, Kelsie who is here on a longer assignment. 

All and all, it's been a great start to what's bound to be an epic adventure.