Why no updates?

Sorry again for the lack of updates last week - I will try to keep updating you all with what is going on... But, if you have questions - let me know, it helps me think of things to write about! I also have been taking pictures, but until I get a proper work computer sorted out, they'll have to wait.

So, Shirley Ritchie sent a note and asked:

I love your blog, but where are the updates?? Thanks and Sorry, Sorry - I'll keep it up!

Are you working in an office or are you travelling around? I am working in an office in Lagos, but all the work that I do is for an offshore platform South of Port Harcourt. In the future, I will be travelling to the platform to help out and learn. The reason that I can't go now is that I had to send my passport and visa to Abjula (capital of Nigeria) to get my residency and work permit sorted out. These are required to go and work offshore (they are also required to leave the country - so I hope that they get finished before I leave for Canada!)

What is the compound like that you are living in? So, my housing status is a bit screwy right now... I am currently living in a hotel. It is a very nice hotel (even by western standards), but it still is a hotel. The problem is that our flat in the housing compound (really it is a high rise apartment with a big fence and gate around it) isn't quite ready for us yet. It is a brand new building - right on a lagoon called Kuramo Waters. The building is gorgeous - has a nice pool, pool deck with outdoor bar, pool and foosball tables, indoor bar area and a gym. We were there for a great party on Saturday where one of the guys had a "turkey fry." They put the whole turkey into a pot of boiling peanut oil and fry it for 40mins - awesome Southern cusine! But, our flat is 2 bedrooms, a big living room, kitchen, 2.5 bath and 2 balconys. It has quarters for hired help and a separate entrance for the steward or cook. The building is only 14 flats - so not too big and all the people there are people that I work with. In addition to this building there are 3 others that expats from our company stay at. All told there are about 75 famlies here working for Esso.

Do you find it expensive there? Yea - most things are expensive - especially in the stores which cater to western shoppers because all that stuff is imported from Europe. But, that being said, you can buy pretty much anything here! During a "go-slow" or traffic jam, there are vendors selling everything from woven baskets to CD-Roms to watches to spices. If you need it someone on the street has it! I went to the new movie theater last night - it was just like home... except no Dolby Surround Sound. They just turn up the volume really loud to compensate. So, it cost 1,500 Naira (143 Naira / $1USD) so it is about the same as a movie back home. Eating out has been expensive - it was ~1,800 Naira for a sandwich or burger and fries - about $15Can. But, if you go to the markets and eat in the same places as the locals - it will be much cheaper (but you might run out of immodium!)

Are you eating different foods? Yea, tons of interesting food - though none of it has been Nigerian! I think it has to do with the fact that Nigeria was a British colony so they never got the influences of exciting foods. Most Nigerian food is rice, cabbage or yams, meat on a plate. But, there are tons of 2 generation Lebanese here so there are several good Lebanese restaraunts. There are also Thai, Chinese, Korean, Japanese, Italian and Tex-Mex places - most of them run by people from those countries.

Have you had any exciting discoveries? Not really - I mean other than the disgusting/dissapointing ones... it will take some time to see the rewarding things I suspect. Outside my office window (which faces 5 cowrie creek) I can see "shit rock" that is where the street vendors go to poop beside the river. Then 10m downstream is a lady washing her clothes, while some fishermen pull in some shrimp or crab! Yuk. The garbage is bad in the water - sometimes worse than others. Umm - exciting... well I was surprized by how poor the english that is spoken here is. I was told that it was an English speaking country - not really, they speak pigeon english which is a mix of Yourba and English, which is really difficult for untrained ears to understand. The traffic is exciting - kinda like a slow speed rollercoaster. Honking and weaving - the motorbikes (called Okadas - after a failed Nigerian Airline which was known for its poorly maintained airplanes) weave in and out of car traffic - often the wrong way. You have to look both ways really well before crossing the road because even if the cars are stopped - an Okada might be zipping down the stopped cars the wrong way!

Are you working crazy hours with no free time or do you have time to explore? My hours of work haven't been too bad yet - but they are quickly loading me up. Typically I work 7-5, 5 days a week and a half day on Saturday. We get a chance to go out and about in the evenings - but for the most part we have stuck to the "easy" places like movies, pubs, British High Commission (great English beers and super fish and chips!). I am a bit limited right now because I don't yet have my own vehicle - so I am stuck bumming a ride from other expats and public transport (taxis - no busses here!) is unsafe.

Is it safe to explore? Yea for the most part is is okay - the company has said that there are some areas that we are not supposed to walk / drive around on our own. But, all in all, that is the same in every large city in the world. There are lots of places in NYC that I wouldn't feel comfortable walking around by myself. Lagos and Port Harcourt are the worst - the rest of the country is for the most part very safe to travel around and explore.

OKAY - just send a note if you all have some questions! I'll send more soon - I have some sailing stories to tell...