In The Cyber Cafe

Spent most of this weekend on the move. The rooms in my house are being tiled so I have to be supervising the work which has made my whole house dirty. As its usual with Nigerian artisans, there was underestimation of materials which meant my movement to the building material section on ikwerre road. Am on suspension in the choir for being AWOL so i had to be there on friday evening even inspite of the heavy downpour. Saturday and Sunday again saw me in church and really my petrol expenses this month must be quite large. Had to relocate temporally to my parents house till they finish the work in my house and its been quite supportive especially in this my time of need as regards church discipline. The roads are so bad, moving up and down is not a very pleasant task and its worse at night.

They are so many things that looking back now I wished were done differently but its not too late to undo some of them. My suspension from choir should be over this weekend and am really looking forward to the future. They just told us that our final MBA defense should be next week and we should arrange something for the board of examiners. This country is wonderful; we were told on sunday to arrange something too for our man of God whose birthday was coming up. The campus is quiet after all the hullabaloo of the previous days; I really don't feel like staying in the office today especially when i have correction to make on my project. My car too is in need of servicing, the tires are shaking but they have not paid may salary yet.

Supposed to have a project defense on tuesday but discovered that i had malaria monday so I decided to hold on with treatment till wednesday but the symptoms were becoming unbearable. Rushed down to the pharmacist to get a one day dose of HALFAN. There is no electricity in my office today so I was at the cyber cafe for a while before going to see my supervisor for what i hope will be the last time. Wheezing slightly as a result of the malaria medication; to my surprise and happiness the project defense was postponed by a day. This should enable me recover by God's grace; had to go pick my mom from the airport and the aluu road is very bad.

Decided to spend the entire weekend in the solitude of my apartment; the weather actually making matters very easy coupled with the the power outtage. Washed the car of friday evening and packed it at my parents house then took transport to my own house. There was this "important" wedding of my doctor friend i thought i'd attend but decided to maintain my status quo - I don't attend church Weddings/reception. I'd prefer traditional wedding  even muslim wedding than church because of its colonial roots. My sister was the chief bridesmaid and my other sisters plus mom were there but trust my dad and I to be absent.

Its amazing the type of things you see when observation of the environment is made. Came down from an okada today and noticed a guy wearing trousers without a belt and he tucked in his corporate shirt for that matter, it appears the trousers were designed without those belt holders. Then i remembered i had seen one guy in church do the same too; It looks quite awkward to me but then o well. Even with this cold weather the kokolets are still wearing their is it sphagetti tops while am looking for a second and even third sweater to put on. Was advised to always fill a form using black ink and letters should all be in caps.

Everything seems to bore me this days and the worse is the office. Majority of the regular students are supposed to be on break and not a few are still in their residential campuses. The cybercafe is dry though things seem to be taking shape - NEPA being the greatest challenge currently as we can't afford to burn 5 litres of diesel for every hour of alternate darkness. Today's sunshine should have been quite refreshing to my spirit but then no inspiration. Tried arranging my formation the other day in PES 2008 and got a continuous whipping with few shots at goal. Something tells me that a great change is about to happen - by the way i have just changed my MTN number.

One of my neighbours just put to bed and its very interesting. She had 3 boys before now and obviously wanted a girl but alas its another bouncing baby boy so she now has 4 boys. I wonder how they will cope; the 3 boys seemed to wear them out on a daily basis running around the whole place scattering everywhere. Looking back now or is it forward, would like to have just 3 boys and no girl but its God that gives children. The evening was crowned with a beautiful sunshine which made me rush home to hang out my clothes and air the house. Met NEPA in the house and decided to switch on the TV where AIT was trying so hard to show LIVE the testimonial march in honour of Jay Jay Okocha but alas it was not to be due to some technical issues. In any event NEPA soon disappeared and had to busy myself some other way.

Even with all the office politics and meetings I was bored and needed some distraction. Decided getting an International passport wont be a bad idea and at the same time renewing my car particulars. Its been a while since I drove to the town; maybe am spoilt by the serene environment of the university campus. The road was full of police check points extorting money from the unlucky ones coupled with fuel scarcity there was so much hold up. I was suddenly very irritated and tried to calm down by using the car a/c and listening to music. The immigration people insist I bring my original birth certificate but i did not want them to know that I was born in Canada; parted with 18000 for something that costs officially 8750. God bless Nigeria

Took a vacation from the internet this weekend and it was worth it though there was no NEPA most of the time. Have this weekend course am doing somewhere at Aba road; with the downpour of Saturday most of the roads had heavy traffic and it almost got me upset. Little things reveal the true color of an individual and it just occurred to me that i had been slacking. Have decided to review my open door policy consequent upon some particular character but really its all my fault. In the name of born - again we suspend all common sense then plead the blood of Jesus or is it embark on some form of fast. Actions they speak louder than words; I have been giving my pearls to the pigs and now they want to trample on me but it wont be. I'd use em to make some type of stew instead.

The night was dark(thanks to NEPA) and very cold, even though I closed all the windows and wore warm clothing it still was not enough. At about 1am the entire estate was aroused by heavy gunshots coming from a robbery attack on an estate behind ours. This guys shot continuously for like 2 minutes then proceeded to bang on the gate for another 2 minutes shouting on the gateman to open it. This whole scenario was repeated like five times but still the gate did not give way. The cold disappeared from my body fast fast and I visited the toilet like twice, my prayers went to the occupants of that estate as the bullets kept landing on our own roof. Sorrow, tears and blood was going to flow in excess when those guys finally gain entry into that place i thought but as God will have it men of the force landed and rescued the situation. The time was 2.35am and though I lay in bed, sleep was very far from me, was later to learn that a university staff was killed by the robbers in his house while another was beaten into an unknown state.

Its amazing how focused I get when am under pressure and so busy; my mind just does not start wondering in any direction. This weekend has been so packed with activities which revolve around the cybercafe. Worked late into the night I had to sleep over at my parents by 1am only to get back out by 5.45am. I wonder if the financial returns will be worth all the sweat eventually because my body alarm sensors have been flashing red for the past 48 hours.

It always surprises me when I see poverty stricken people steal from their fellow compatriots and I did promise myself that its really no use giving to such people as it amounts to nothing. The other day I came up with a win - win formula for some agents at the cyber cafe and this fellow came to plead that he be given preference as a former staff and possible christian brother. A former staff would have passed by internal radar system but the "Christian bros" talk triggered an alarm but I decided to ignore it and what do i get in return - "Christian wayo" 

There is something wrong somewhere with our educational system. Its not by force that everybody must go to the university or polytechnic or college of education to be someone in society. Come and see the mammoth crowd of titans that came for the post ume in the university. For each candidate there were at least 1 other escort in some cases 5. So many impersonators were caught and giving the beating of their lives by the security personnel who sometimes extorted as much as 5K from them before releasing them. Handsets retrieved in the hall were initially seized but later smashed. At some point gun shots had to be fired to restore the peace. The police were on hand to help out with a number of arrests of which money will change hands

Decided to shun my CISA class this saturday and rest. My body sure needed it and my house needed some cleaning and warming too. One of my estate gals offered to come sweep the house for me which she did but then i had to redo it all over again when she left as the place was still sandy.  Had breakfast of egg jollof rice and meat in my colleagues house who lives downstairs and then went back up as I had an "august" visitor with some old gist. Its quite sunny today and I really enjoyed myself even chatting up some of the neighbours on the other block. Made up my mind to attend 7am service at my parents church which is were i'd be attending till next year and also go for my CISA class on sunday.

Am a nice guy; forget all the sarcasm that sometimes come to bear when I talk sometimes. It occurred to me that some people have been taking my niceness for granted but o well the Lord has blessed me and even when I try so hard to form the sharp tough gee it just does not work. The ladies have become bolder by the day but what do you expect when they put their hands in the mouth of a lion and then are still able to snap their fingers. Ever since those armed robbers came behind our estate, we all have been in trauma. Now I get home and lock my door and stay inside even if an angel comes and knocks its not going to be opened unless the angel can call my phone to book an appointment. Its not a nice feeling; for sometime now, I find myself waking up every night about the same time that those gunmen came. God is my refuge and my strength; though I fear no evil, I do sleep in my parents official quarters anytime am working late at the office.

Against the Americans, not many gave the U23 team much chance but we got through somehow. Then came the belgians with their precision pattern of play and even after conceeding a goal they were still pilling the pressure but like Moses through the red sea; we all had cause to shout and scream in praise to God. It was not so much the number of goals but the quality of the strikes; few of them where the goal keepers fault and some from long distance. These boys should be immediately made to be the core of our super eagles with a few additionals from the main team though they have to work on their level of concentration. It appears all our medal hopes hang on this olympic team as the field and track people are just carrying 6th position every where.