GottaLovet

I wanted to post some pics of me and a few of my friends enjoying ourselves in NJ, watching boats near their house and eating in NYC. I had a really great weekend and I really needed it. Thanx Candyce, Angela, and Bry for a nice weekend.

I may be planning a small trip this weekend because I dont want to be one of those saps who stay home on a three day weekend anymore. So right now I MAY be planning a trip since I have like 5 days off. So far no one wants to come with me so I may be going by myself. I have to see if my finances are in order but I may go. I need to get a way from it all. I’ll keep you posted.

I was in Nigeria for three weeks and I’ll tell…Nigeria has the worst driving roads in the WORLD! Now I’m not bad mouthing my country, but I prayed at least 10 times every day I was on the road. The roads are horrible, there are no traffic lights/signs, no stop signs, etc.

Oh my! This CNN video is accurate to a degree. Not all of Nigeria is without strict traffic laws. Tourist areas such as part of Lagos and Abuja have traffic lights, stop signs, and even traffic police.

All I can say is when you go to Nigeria, please get a driver.

I have at least 291 photos of my trip and I will try my best to post as much as I can. Unfortunately, since there are so many pics I really dont want to explain each and every picture. For the most part, most of these feature my family; mom, little sisters, cousins (and more cousins) that I’ve met for the first time, my brother (whom I’ve met for the first time) my grandmothers, aunts and uncles.

The pics are not in any special order. That would be too much work for me. Some of the pictures are from Day 1 of my short stay at JFK airport with Andy and three of my little sisters and then arriving at Lagos, Ibadan, and Benin City Nigeria and seeing my family. If you have any questions, feel free to leave a comment. Enjoy!

I just got back from my trip to Africa and I am still tired. My body is still trying to adjust to the time zone change. I have been very tired at work and by the time I get home I sleep at about 7 pm. I dont have time to talk to friends and/or my bf. Andy understands. Hopefully, by this weekend I get my energy back.

The good news is I got home safely and I saw Andy and he’s in good health. While on “holiday” I also had the opportunity to see my family and see where I was born. I havent been to Nigeria since 1986. And times have changed.  The driving in Nigeria is terrible and the roads are bad. There are a lot of people, especially kids trying to sell you everything, even the kitchen sink. It was driving me crazy, but I understood they were all trying to survive.

Sometimes I wonder how a country, which is a member of Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) be so rich and cant provide for their own people? The power is also non existent either. NEPA (National Electric Power Authority) or as the residents like to say “Never Expect Power Always” controlled the power in Nigeria. I loathe them. I had to watch a movie four times just to see the ending. While watching the movie, the power would go out and I had to wait til either the power comes back on to finish the movie. That was frustrating. NEPA has been renamed PHCN (Power Holding Company of Nigeria) or as the residents like to say “Please Hold Candles Now”.

And in some parts of Nigeria, there was no running water. You had to go to either a neighbor’s house or somewhere and buy water and fill them in barrels. And expect to bathe in cold water. You can bathe in warm water but you have to boil water to do so.

And the government is so corrupt its not even funny. While my family and I were going to Benin City, Nigeria (where I was born) we were stopped a few times by police officers because of a routine “police check”. All the driver did was stop, open his wallet, gave the cop some money and kept it moving. And you had to pay. There was no specific amount to pay…just pay something. I just think of it as “paying toll”. If you didnt stop at the “toll booth”, then the police will bang your car will a stick or may even shoot you. Maybe. They did have guns.

Other than that I had a decent time. I missed Andy a lot and I wanted to go home from the moment I arrived. My family didnt like the idea of my wanting to go home and talking about Andy but I didnt care. I’ve known Andy for 5 years and I only knew my relatives for about two seconds. 

Anyways, I had a good time. I will definitely go back again but this time with Andy.

I’m getting tired now. I will post pics sometime this weekend.

I am so freaking tired. I am experiencing some major jet lag since Nigeria is six hours ahead.  I will definitely post later today when I have the enery. Happy 2008 to everyone.

I will be going to Africa (Nigeria) for the next couple of weeks and the posts wont be as frequent. Andy will still be here holding it down for me. I will miss him a whole lot and I hope to come back in one piece.

And to all of my gottalovet.com readers…please have a very Happy Holiday. I promise you I will post pictures (and videos) when I get back.

I’m ready to go to Atlantic City. I need a vacation and I am tired of going to work and doing the same thing. I am going shopping tomorrow and get a few dresses and shoes and I’m ready to gamble. I cant wait till November 1st. I am off from work and that’s beauty day for me. Then once the 2nd comes around, there’s no turning back.

I will def post pics.