En Route: Nigeria
Road to my father’s village
Snaps from various trips on the road. To and from my father’s village and through the cities of Owerri and Abuja then finally from the plane on the way home.
J*
Passed the Nigerian Masquerade
Repping Imo State
Market in Abuja
Nigerian Igbo Market- Walk Fast and Don’t Get Hit by a Wheelbarrow Full of Meat.
Here is video footage of what it’s like to walk through a Nigerian market. This market was located in Imo State.
Shopping Tips:
*Walk fast and don’t get hit by a wheelbarrow full of meat.
*The first price is not the best price. Bargain. Bargain. Bargain.
Watch and Learn.
Quick Run Down.
How Eke, Oye, Afor and Nkwo Nigerian Market Days were Introduced in Igboland
Nigerian Market Day
How Eke, Oye, Afor And Nkwo Nigerian Market Days Were Introduced In Igboland
While in Nigeria we discovered that there were certain days that the Market weren’t open. My sister and I assumed that it was Sunday and even Saturday. Oh no it’s much more complicated that!
Here’s the story (Source):
It was during the reign of Eze Nrijiofor I 1300-1390AD, the fifth Eze Nri in the line of succession. One day during his reign, four strangers came to visit him at his palace. When they arrived, these four wise men or ‘magi’ pretended to be deaf and dumb. They did not say their names or their mission to Nri. Each of them carried ‘nkata’-basket known as “Abuokpa”.
They asked for water to wash their hands and faces; and took the kola nuts that were presented to them. After chewing the kola nuts, they gave the King ite ano-four earthen pots and directed him to keep the pots in front of the Nri Menri shrine outside the ‘obu’-palace, with each pots facing the sun. ‘Eke’ who was their spokesman, told the Eze that the first pot was owned by him, ‘eke’, the second one by ‘oye’ the third by ‘afor’ and the last by ‘nkwo’. He told the Eze that the four pots were sent down from ‘Chukwu’-God Almighty. He instructed the Eze that he and his people whom he ruled should be observing those names daily as market days, during which they should be buying and selling. These market days are used in Igboland to count the native weeks-‘izu’, months-‘onwa; and year-‘aro’. Therefore, Eke, Oye, Afor and Nkwo (four market days) make one ‘izu’-week. He also instructed him that the first name that should be given to their male children should commence with ‘eke’, then ‘oye’, ‘afo’ and ‘nkwo’. That is why we have igbo names as Okeke or Nweke, Okoye or Nwoye, Okafor or Nwafor, and Okonkwo or Nwankwo. In the same order, female children should be given “Mgbeke”, “Mgboye”, “Mgbafor” and “Mgbankwo”. The message was preached throughout Igbo land by spiritual priests of Nri and they set up market squares in Igbo land.
Check out a few snaps from our day below and you can watch video footage here.
J*
And we’re off
Ridiculously fresh produce. He literally just plucked these from the ground.
Plantain still on the stalks! No idea they grew on stalks…
Greens
That color!
Yams
Best Time To Travel To Nigeria
Home for the holidays. The best time to travel to Nigeria is Christmas.
Market Day: Nigeria
Shopping for traditional wedding jewelry at a Nigerian market. And I repeat I am not getting married!
Chi-Chi Go Home- Occupying Nigeria
Letter to President Goodluck Jonathan:
While still stranded in Abuja, Nigeria instead of crying ( okay after crying) I decided to write this letter to the President. I’ve added a few pictures to this blog post in order for you to get a feel for the country.
A riot is the language of the unheard.
-Martin Luther King, Jr.
Dear Mr. President,
My full name is Juliet Chinonso Obodo. My family calls me Chi-Chi and my friends and other acquaintances know me as Juliet. I am Nigerian-American. I hold dual citizenship to both countries and a singular love for the city of New York.
I left for Nigeria on December 21, 2011. The purpose of this trip was for both business and pleasure; I boarded my flight filled with both excitement and dread. Though my country of birth it was not a popular vacation spot or holiday destination.
As a New Yorker you lead a more cautious life than someone in say a small Mid-Western town, but in Nigeria you need more than caution. You need the strength and grace from a higher power. This explains the sometimes extreme religious nature of most of the people. (We were asked to leave mass because our hair was uncovered.)
Standing on the edge of poverty, caught between the impure intentions of your countrymen and your government the only direction to look is up above.
I am currently praying that I will be able to make it home this week. My flight from Abuja was cancelled today due to the nationwide strike caused by the removal of the fuel subsidy. Most citizens agree that the decision may benefit the country eventually but they do not trust the government to follow through with their promises once the money is saved. With the country’s leadership history the people have good reason not to trust so easily.
While here visiting family, I have also been collecting information for a travel guide. The country has so much to offer in terms of beaches, parks, arts and entertainment. I wanted to uncover the beauty that has been hidden by the ugliness of corruption and violence and present it to my fellow Americans. This is not a country filled with fraudulent royalty and armed robbers. It is one rich with history and heart.
No amount of pictures I have taken and videos I have recorded has been able to truly capture it. I know the media has been covering the violent nature of the strike in Lagos, but I want you to know that in other parts of the country it an intellectual and calculated movement. Though I am quite perturbed about the timing; I have been craving a slice of Ray’s pizza and a café mocha from McNally’s Bookstore for the past two weeks. And if I see another piece of goat meat or another grain of jallof rice it will be too soon.
I hope to fly out tomorrow evening if today’s meetings go well. I am prepared to wait a few days if this will aid in moving Nigeria forward a few years.
Juliet Chi-Chi Obodo
Photo Inspiration: Nigeria
I’ve been online all day researching Nigeria in preparation for my trip next year. Came across this wonderful picture slideshow page on TripAdvisor. It’s funny because their page on Nigeria presents a warning to Americans not to travel to the country. But for us brave souls ( who have pushy Nigerian mothers) who decide not to head their warning, we will be rewarded with an amazing experience. I’m so glad that these individuals documented their travels. My favorite one is Slideshow of Owerri.
This photo of Nigeria is courtesy of TripAdvisor
This photo of Nigeria is courtesy of TripAdvisor
J*
