Pastime Paradise

Only two more posts till I can start blogging about the UK phase! Seems like this has been taking me forever to backtrack, but I’m nearly there. After a couple of serious posts, its time for one a bit more light-hearted. Of one the most beautiful things I experienced out in Nigeria were spending time at the little streams and rivers. I spent a lot of time at a certain one because it was opposite my host family's cocoa warehouse. After shifting and drying cocoa in the sun we would head to the stream to cool down and it was a magical experience (although, it was probably the reason why a lot of the team got ill).

 

We were situated in a little town called Ikom with various villages surrounding it. My host family would often take me to visit them so they could see family or friends. Visiting the villages for me was insightful, refreshing, spectacular and all of the above really and I was constantly awestruck when i was there. We visited a place called Aparabong the most, it had one straight road with beautiful shacks/houses either side with rivers and streams flowing through at certain points and there was a lot of greenery throughout. I would get asked by the naked men if I wanted to join them bathing in the river or I would be invited into one of the locals houses. Every time I visited a house or someone new, they treated me like a king! They, cooked, bought drinks and would chat for hours to me. I was a complete stranger to most of them, but they are some of the friendliest people in the world and welcome you with open arms at any occasion. It was truly amazing and I felt privileged to meet such people. 

 

 

 Weddings and burials could almost be put in the same sentence because on both occasions people save up for months beforehand and they both bring out the community for a big celebration/party. Burials were a true celebration of life and everyone would be dancing and drinking all night. Weddings were very interesting…….they often started 3 hours late but the women looked stunning in their traditional wear. 

Altogether my favourite way to pass the time was to spend time with the children in my house. Agim, Agbor, Erica and Osman. These kids were nothing short of amazing! And when I would go to work I couldn’t stop thinking about them and getting excited to see them at the end of the day. I used to come home, shout from the front gates and they would run out screaming “uncle Joe” and jump all over me. I cant tell you how much this made me happy! These children were the most well-behaved, strong and happy kids I’e met and I seriously felt like they were my family. I would just sit with them in the evening in absolute awe of them playing with each other and they had so much love to give. Man I miss those guys so much…..