My experience(s) in the far west

I traveled and wanted to let you in on my experiences that I journaled.

Keynote

Per usual, I’m meant to give a brief intro into what to expect but let me go straight to the point I traveled far west, one of these Yoruba states and I documented my experiences, so I wanted you to read them for yourself.

If you see typos, please correct them in your mind, na you go university, me na poly I go. I actually typed this entire thing with my phone and I’m too lazy to edit.

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The landing:

The Culture shock that hit me when I got to this western part of Nigeria, well, I won’t exactly say culture shock, I’d say culture reminder. I was reminded that I was Yoruba and needed to speak my language.

From the park, they just slammed me with this thick Yoruba sentences and with the open-your-mouth-and-reply-with-Yoruba look. I could see the audacity in their eyes, and I better behave. This is day 1, the journey was long. I’ve never used the road to go that far west before.

The end.

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Man shall not live by bread alone, perhaps by beans too:

I settled for bread and beans because I already looked for food on my way. I wasn’t going to ask people where to get food. I saw foods, and I noted them.

The end.

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The woman whose talk was sweeter than her food:

Met with a talkative Yoruba woman who sort of had a good grip on English and was doing exceptionally well in switching between both.

She was more interested in telling me about how prices had shot up than selling the food to me. She was also hell-bent on adding a special ingredient- her saliva - to the meal, because ain’t no way all that talk didn’t deliver a couple of saliva droplets with it, but we thank God.

Asked this woman if she had rice and guess what she did! She held my hand, looked up ahead her shop, and told me to look in a certain direction and added “They’re the only ones that can afford to sell rice, if you don’t want bread and beans that I sell, you won’t eat oo”😹😹😹 I legit died!

I bought the food because I’m new to this town and didn’t want to go far to look for food.

The end.

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One Yellow Brother, and my lovely bike man:

Today, I needed cash so I went to withdraw, there was a guy in front of where I stay and so I asked him for how much he’d charge for 10k. Bro opened his mouth to talk and he said 400 naira. I didn’t laugh, I didn’t smile but trust me to be utterly dramatic in fitting my debit card back into my wallet.

I looked at his glowing yellow skin and just concluded that this man wanted to use me to buy his skincare routine package, I walked away sharp and he was calling me to come back and let’s bargain, I told him 200, he said 300 last, that sound played in my mind "Had it been that I know you now, I for give you a very dirty slap” I wanted to slap the living light skin out of his face till he turned pale.

Anyways, I left him to look for another POS store and I found one shortly after. I didn’t even have to exchange words, the woman told me 200 for 10k, that’s what I’ve always known so I was pleased to answer.

From there I went to buy food and I saw this bike man, with his mustache looking good, he’s an elderly man in his early or mid-40s. He had such a beautiful smile and a comforting demeanor. I was happy I called him.

We rode the bike together to where we were meant to get food and he wanted to take one way, and he asked for my advice, I told him if they won’t arrest him, he could go ahead. He thought about it and changed his mind and we had a good laugh and chat about how things are already supremely hard and there’s no need to complicate them.

We got to our food store and I placed an order, because of what I ordered, more time was taken to get it ready and I sincerely felt bad for keeping him waiting. I’d look at him on his bike waiting and he was wearing a broad smile, asking me at different intervals “oh, is it line by line?” “They’re answering you?” “Is it your turn yet?” And boy, I felt both bad and relieved at the same time. Bad because I was keeping him waiting, relieved because he wasn’t angry.

It was finally my turn for my order and I bought something for him too. We rode me back home and this time we didn’t have any conversation but he was calm. We had agreed 300 for the fare because it was to and fro but I gave him 500 and the food ( he couldn’t stop thanking me) and I felt really good about it.

I hope he has a journal too where he writes about things like this. Will he write about me? Or maybe his family is his walking journal, will he tell them about me?

I loved how I made his already beautiful smile even broader, he gives me a glimpse of what I will look like when I’m old (if I don’t lose my essence).

The end.

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Dora, Dora, Dora, the explorer:

You know this book, “All the men in Lagos are mad” I have my version “All the bike men in this state are mad” because why you go dey call 500 and 700 and 1k for a short distance.

I’ve gone back to my place of abode. It’s not by force to go out. There’s grass in my compound. I’ll touch it.

Plus, I don’t get to be Dora every day, there’s not much to explore on some days. I’d be lying if I say I always have adventures to explore every day.

The end.

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Yoruba people are lazyyyyyy:

I am very glad I’m Yoruba, hence the license to grow shades at my kinsmen without feeling an ounce of fear.

Can you imagine that these people are absolutely wonderful people, and I’ll explain.

How the hell do you people open your shops by 10/11 in the morning only to close it by 5/6 in the evening.

Apart from Lagos (which is no man’s land) the Yoruba’s are generally lazy when it comes to trade. I’m saying this because hunger sat me down and said “you! I will finish your life today”

I walked for a long time before getting food, I almost died.

The End.

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Link Up:

This day, I had gotten used to the culture of these people. I knew I was going to starve so I saved my strength for when I knew they were going to open their shops. Then I went to see my friend without eating.

I honestly forgot she was in this school and when I remembered, I knew she was going to kill me.

We linked up at night, not in the evening. Night! And I already practiced my apology but it she wasn’t buying it. She reminded me of how she rated me and I didn’t rate her back, and honestly, I felt bad.

My only saving graces were that I was telling the truth, she understood why I came to her city in the first place and SHE LIKES FOOD DIE! I was able to pay penance with food and promised to never forget to tell her first anytime I’m around again.

The end.

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Thank God for Power Bank:

You see this part that concludes this newsletter is a story ‘lightlessness’ and how I survived to try to keep my phone on by charging my power bank.

I can count how many times there was electricity in this city on one hand and I’ll have some fingers to spare still.

They already gave me heads up about this place, so I decided to bring all 3 of my power banks. Hmm, my people. There was not a day that I didn’t have to take my power bank to someone or somewhere else to charge.

Every time, there was no light, and if there was, it was brief. Will I mention the name of the city? No. Did they inform me about the situation of things? Yes. Shall I return? Hell Yes!

One last thing. I went to ask for the price to go back home and they added an extra 3k. My God will judge sha.

Can you guess what state I’ve been talking about?

The end.

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Happy International Women’s Day in rewind and Happy Mother’s Day in fast forward.

I like to be between what was and what is to come. I like the middle.