The Final Leg of my Journey

part 2...

From NYC i was headed to Africa, the motherland, once again. this time i was going to West Africa, namely Nigeria. this journey saw me going via London and stopping for 12 hrs. now i wasn't about to sit in the airport for that length of time. thank goodness for friends all over the world. my friend Jan met me at the airport and we went around London, to places i had been already, but was keen to see again. i also finally got to go on the London Eye. when i was living in England, i couldn't be bothered to go on it, but visiting again, this time it seemed like the perfect time. it was a really great ride, there is nothing spectacular about it, except the views. especially that of Parliament house. Jan also showed me around where she is working and where she lives. on my way back to Sydney i stopped again, and we pretty much did the same thing but in different places and for a shorter period of time.

my flight to Nigeria was uneventful, except i met a really great Nigerian/British chick, who laughed and joked with me about the antics we were seeing from some of the passengers. it was hilarious, and since she used to play netball for England, she has been all over, including the Caribbean, so we could compare black folk from all over. it was very interesting. we landed in Abuja at 4:30 am, i got through immigration and customs with out, my passport being stolen or myself being accosted. i had to wait about 30 min to 45min for the driver to turn up due to rain and mishaps on the road, but he found me and Chirag had arranged a flight from Abuja to Kano, where he lives. there is so much i could say about this first introduction to nigeria, but to do a full commentary would require much more mental capacity than i have at 4am this Tuesday morning at work. i'll just say i was fascinated by the people i met. in that short amount of time, i found the people i met really nice, very lovely and friendly.

Neways... i digress... so Chirag met me at the Airport in Kano, and man, it was great to see him. it was soooooooo surreal. both of us couldn't believe that i was actually there. everything was great, his house , my room, the food and it was so good to see first hand the things that he would always be telling me about. i must admit that before seeing their company and the new addition to it, i wasn't always sure i understood, but now its all good. when i saw his dad, who i had met previously, it was like coming home. he gave me the biggest hug and was like , oh darling its so good to have you here. i felt so welcomed. and i was so pampered. for 3 days i had to worry about nothing. they took care of everything. it was like Oprah always says, everyone wants to be valued. let me tell you i felt valued. i met some really amazing people. Chirag has really great and funny friends, and Aunt Aisha has to get special mention as the best price negotiator in the markets for souvenirs. i had the best day with her and Chirag getting stuff for myself and my family. like NYC, the trip was way too short but it was really quality. i think my friendship with Chirag has grown by leaps and bounds, just cause we could chat for hours on end. it reminded me of when we were in school together in lancaster. so it was great. and i miss them heaps....but, hopefully, unlike the last time, it won't be another 5 yrs before i see them again.

so that was my trip. i flew into Sydney sunday morning at 5 am and went to work that night. i am back into the swing of things sadly. a week of nights....:( i wish i didn't have to work.... oh well, i can only dream. one day.........