Monthly Archives: September 2011
Travails of an Okada Passenger
I had been thinking about what to write since last week and until this evening (Monday) I didn’t have clue! It was the sixth day of my new project (actually the third week, but sixth actual work day!) and I was on my way home. The first leg of the journey was to the estate gate and this would be on an okada (commercial motor-cycle).
Living in Lagos, this would not be my first time and so long as the traffic jams continue; neither would it be my last. Anyway, I got one and admonished him not to speed. Calming these commercial riders was a necessary part of the trip, since I preferred to reach my destination in one piece.
We had almost reached the bike park and I was glad this leg of my trip home was about done when the unexpected happened. I’m sure the man had waded through the murky water a few times that day. Unfortunately for me, he didn’t remember where the pothole was and as a result we both fell! Down went the okada, its rider, passenger and other paraphernalia
Thankfully although the motorcycle fell sideways, I managed to avoid falling flat on my face! I also managed to avoid the spinning wheels and my feet, hands or other body parts getting caught. My shoes were sopping wet as they were immersed in the dirty looking sandy water. The cuffs of my jeans were also wet but that’s where it stopped.
I quickly extricated myself from the mess and waded out. I took off the helmet and walked unto higher ground. It was from this position that I looked back to find out how the rider and his bike had fared in the saga. Happily, he was also relatively dry and his bike was once again up wheels without any undue damage to it.
A few minutes later, the young man (along with his faithful machine) came to my new position and I handed over the agreed fare. Mumbling an apology, he gave me my change. I returned his helmet and walked off…with immense gratitude to God that I could do so and live to tell the tale.
The Knapsack’s come back
Like everything, the knapsack has been re-invented and made more fashionable. The definition for knapsack is; a large sturdy fabric bag, often on a metal frame, worn on the back and used by hikers. This definition brings to mind the canvas bags slung over the back by people trekking in the mountains and other rugged terrain. They are not comely or attractive if this image remains, their primary function being to safely contain and transport supplies for the duration of the hike.
This basic function remains, but the bags have been upgraded and thus found their way into more fashionable circles. Interestingly, they are still carried on the back (even though I would have thought other means of carriage would have been devised by now), but are more attractive in appearance. In fact some are downright feminine looking and may look quite fragile in comparison to their forebears.
Apart from looking less intimidating, the packs are now in the possession of more females; you could say they have been feminised! Sometimes apparelled in jeans or more womanly attire, the back-pack seems to be at home. Trust women to make this practical item appear to be the IT for the season…every woman seems like she has one! The sacks are sometimes smaller in this instance and thus may not be as obvious as their male counterpart, thus completing the chic look.
On the other hand we also have the more masculine looking back-packs used by the womenfolk. For this breed, black is the more mainstream colour and we find it with women from all walks of life. This clan struts about confidently with their trusty companion snuggled behind.
Unlike the forerunners that were obvious in appearance and content, this new breed is more versatile and yet can be found toeing the traditional line of hauling about the personal computer. A padded interior protects this essential hardware and still permits other items to be included within the same space. These bags have stolen into places where they were hitherto unknown and uninvited.
At a point in time the mono-strap was the rage and seen all over the place. Emerging in various forms, the mono was THE bag to own. As with anything trendy, people and organisations jumped on the bandwagon and further prolonged its reign.
The introduction of just using one strap to carry the back-pack was another fad. Not knowing the content on various backs, it was interesting to see the bulky looking bags hauled around in this fashion. Everyone swaggered (some staggered) about carrying their knapsacks using just one strap. It’s noteworthy that these were not the mono-straps, but their conventional counterparts with the dual straps used for carriage!
As fads and trends come and go, the knapsack has come into its own and is not in a hurry to leave. It has finally found its niche not just as a fashion accessory, but also as a practical, friendly companion that has become indispensable to men AND women alike!
Gathering
The title of today’s post sounds like one for a thriller (movie or novel) and some of you may wonder, but fear not! It’s just a recounting of the events that went down at the anniversary event of my favourite collection of poets, musicians, actors, actresses, artistic and creative people that meet every fortnight at Bogobiri in the pulsating city of Lagos.
Taruwa (Hausa for gathering) has become synonymous with a time of poetry, spoken word, music, singing, acting, artistes and much more! On the 30th of August the hundredth edition took place. Four years and one hundred shows! No mean feat and so it was a time of celebration and people doing what they know, how they know it, to the best of their ability.
The gathering for that day had clan members (regulars that could be tagged ‘family’); their ease with the proceedings, host and every other thing was palpable. Newbies were more obvious with their loudly whispered conversations about the celebrities spotted, pleasure or discontent at performers, performances and other random gushing. The celebs in attendance added more colour and looked more or less like ‘regular’ folks.
As always it was a time of novices and novel appearances! Jade a twelve year-old graced the stage and helped by the audience found her voice and sang a Justin Bieber song. Her mother was also on hand to give her moral support and once she got going, she obviously had fun and rocked the audience in the process.
As usual friends of the house and various individuals from the entertainment and fashion industry were in the house. Ouch! Gave a rousing performance and displayed another side of his creativity. The brother did not disgrace himself and took the stage wearing Capri shorts, comfortable slippers and a simple shirt…tres chic!
Ese Peters quietly impressed yet again, whilst spoken word was delivered by Jeffrey Plumbline, Kenzo, Sheila and the host Snatcha of the Rooftop MCs delivered his poem…all one line of it! Soulsnatcha as the night’s host, managed the artistes that took to the stage and kept the crowd engaged with his jokes and droll observations of the Nigerian music scene. He made certain performers did not bore by reeling out a litany of what inspired their pieces and other related stories, thus audience attention was retained and time optimised.
Bebe took us down memory lane and read her original composition of Taruwa Boy. This is a rendition of her crush on a regular Taruwa attendee whose name (apparently!) she didn’t know. A second verse was recently added, in which she almost gave away his identity, but not quite! Interestingly she had spotted him that evening but alas for the curious (yours included) she didn’t let the cat out of the bag!
The only acting that night was a sobering sketch by Lala Akindoju. She chose this piece over the favourite Sister Esther from the Vagina Monologues. It reminded us that abuse is real and that it happens in various guises, furthermore that we should not readily discount stories from victims as false or rumours when brought to our attention.
Lydia Idakula-Sobogun (Lyd as she’s fondly called) took to the stage and gave thanks for the celebration that night. As the brain behind the event she was not shy to let rip in song and the house sang gustily along. She later sang a duet with Ibiyemi, who thrilled us with her velvety notes and soulful songs. Other performances by Wura Samba, Niyi Eko, Christine, Ranti and much more made it a memorable occasion.
The closing act was our very own Bez! He was welcomed to the stage by regulars with the chant, ’We love you Bez!’ it was a pleasure to watch him do his thing with his band and rouse the crowd with music. Taruwa and Bez’s journey are intertwined because of the familial relationship with Lydia…big sister no less! The house had pestered him countless times for their favourite, Zuciya Daya and so his return was the more moving because of shared history!
A worthwhile time indeed you’ll agree. Just in case you require confirmation…check out these photos below!
Kemi ‘Lala’ Akindoju & Snatcha of the Rooftop MCs
The Host for the 100th edition – Kunle Adeyoola
Snatcha of the Rooftop MCs
Bez
Snatcha & Kemi ‘Lala’ Akindoju
The Lyd (Lydia Idakula-Sobogun)
Seyi Olanihun & Bez Idakula
