My Lagos, the city i hate to love..

Hi Guys,

Is this weather crazy hot or not? This kind of weather in Lagos is not for the children of God. Its hot and dusty and just plain uncomfortable. But you know what? With all my complaining, i don't think i can live any where else in Nigeria. Lagos is in my blood, i love the craziness, the high tempo of living in this city. My state of origin is Lagos and i from Lagos island ( with ijebu blood from my mums side) and i am a proud ' Real Lagosian' not the ' I was born and lived here all my life so i am Lagosian even though my name is Nnamdi'. My love of Lagos does not mean that i do not understand the downsides of living in this crazy city.  To live in Lagos, you must have some ' street smarts' so you are not taken advantage of. You must know when to 'display' and you must know when to shut the hell up.

I call myself a cross between ' Aso' and ' Pako'. I have lived a relatively sheltered life but i still know the 'score'. I  do not speak street lingo but  i  do have an idea of some of the words they use. I also know that you do not show fear or total naivety because you will be taken advantage of.  I have various reasons why i hate to love 'Las Gidi' and ill love to share them with you:

• Danfo Drivers and their Conductors: They are known for their dare devil tendencies. Their total lack of fear and respect for human life and their caustic tongues. They are brilliant marketing strategists changing their destinations depending on demand but are terrible customer care representatives. They are rude,uncouth and lack human relations but i have the utmost respect for their knowledge of arithmetic.  

• Uniformed Officials: They are a dime a dozen and can be a thorn in the sides of drivers in Lagos both public and private. LASTMA,KAI,VIO,YELLOW FEVER,NURTW etc. No self respecting Lagosian can stand them.  

• Traffic: That's synonymous with this city. Nobody understands the reason or has a cure for it yet, just like cancer.  When Lagos traffic has you in her grip,sit back and relax and call for Gala and Lacasera.  

• Owambe: Lagos Owambe parties are one of a kind. I go to these parties for the food and souvenirs. The 'Aso ebi' fashion cannot be compared and that's for another post. 

• Night Life: Lagos has a thriving night life. Lagosians love to party and there are different scenes that cater for different needs,tastes and pockets. 

• Entertainment: Its hot and growing fast. Lagos is the entertainment capital of Nigeria and if not Africa. In movies and music, its ever changing and everybody wants to go into entertainment.  YO!

These are just a few of the reasons why i love this great sprawling metropolis of crazy,fun and hardworking people. I remember the day i came back from NYSC camp and the bus got to Berger, the first thing that brought a smile to my face was the sound of blaring horns and people cursing each other out. It was music to my ears that's when i realized that i truly loved this city.

I rep 'Las Gidi' for Life! 

Live love and Laugh