Life continues to be hectic but in a good way. I have just moved house for the third time in six months, but this time, it’s to my own place. A friend of a work colleague has built a house in his back yard, and I am the first one to move in. It’s a great little place, with three largish rooms and the only down side is that the kitchen is outside in a small shed. But I am now fixed up with running water and the potential for electricity…depending on whether the power is on or not! My boss has been a great help in collecting furniture for me to use, and even re- upholstered an old three piece suite for me to put in the sitting room. The only trouble is that my only means of cooking is an electric hot plate at the moment…not ideal for a country with unreliable electricity supply!
I visited Kano last week to combine a VSO conference with my birthday celebrations last Saturday. It’s a really interesting place to visit…a huge city of over 3 million people with sprawling old city area complete with the original buildings from over 500 years ago. In fact, there were buildings in the old market that were apparently used as the main depots for trading slaves. They are now used as money changing venues.
It was fascinating wandering around the narrow market alleyways bustling with movement. I nearly got my eye poked by someone carrying a long piece of timber on his head. Needless to say I got carried away buying objects from the market…I kept thinking that it was a birthday treat to myself….but it was nice to be able to see your things being actually made on the spot. ( such as the tie die cloth and the pot ( called a calabash…see pics) They still make the tie dye cloth in the original way and each die pit is owned by a particular family and passed down through the generations, over hundreds of years. But perhaps the best thing about seeing all these things was that you didn’t feel as if you were just another tourist…we were asked to sign a book when we went to the dye pits and I think we were the first tourists there for a while!
I was also lucky enough to have a birthday party arranged for me…I just had to turn up! A VSO friend helped to organise it , and asked a good friend of hers if he wouldn't mind holding the do at his house, complete with a pool! I felt ready to cool off in the water after a long day's sightseeing....!
I visited Kano last week to combine a VSO conference with my birthday celebrations last Saturday. It’s a really interesting place to visit…a huge city of over 3 million people with sprawling old city area complete with the original buildings from over 500 years ago. In fact, there were buildings in the old market that were apparently used as the main depots for trading slaves. They are now used as money changing venues.
It was fascinating wandering around the narrow market alleyways bustling with movement. I nearly got my eye poked by someone carrying a long piece of timber on his head. Needless to say I got carried away buying objects from the market…I kept thinking that it was a birthday treat to myself….but it was nice to be able to see your things being actually made on the spot. ( such as the tie die cloth and the pot ( called a calabash…see pics) They still make the tie dye cloth in the original way and each die pit is owned by a particular family and passed down through the generations, over hundreds of years. But perhaps the best thing about seeing all these things was that you didn’t feel as if you were just another tourist…we were asked to sign a book when we went to the dye pits and I think we were the first tourists there for a while!
I was also lucky enough to have a birthday party arranged for me…I just had to turn up! A VSO friend helped to organise it , and asked a good friend of hers if he wouldn't mind holding the do at his house, complete with a pool! I felt ready to cool off in the water after a long day's sightseeing....!
It's been back to work this week though, and I am working of Saturday too as there is a family forum with the parents, to discuss issues around coping with children with disabilities. The next round of the Nigerian special olympics is also being held at school tomorrow so I will be hoping to get some good pictures of that....!
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