May you live in interesting times.

Now it’s really been ages since I logged on last. There have been interesting developments (interesting in the sense of the famous Chinese curse) but we are clearly still here. Christmas Eve was really nice, not too much of an overpowering Christmas mood here (neither sentimental nor commercial), the only reason for people here to go a little bit funny is that Christmas is the main holiday period of the year (because it’s Summer all the time anyways). So we had a nice Christmas dinner with my boss’ family, to which I very reluctantly let myself be invited, but it’s not as strictly family related as it would be in the UK.

And Christmas Day was spent at the beach, with most of the ppl from our compound. My son didn’t want to come out of the water even though the waves were really powerful… and I and a Polish guy who is currently in Lagos on his tour of hitchhiking through Africa just had to show off and crossed the waves to have a proper swim in the ocean, admired by everyone, cause Lagosians don’t know how to swim, strangely enough.

Day before we went to a big gig at the Eko Hotel, some TV station’s anniversary, ended up meeting some big names again and all that. The afterparty was cool though, danced like crazy for the first time since coming back to Lagos. Proper dance floor madness until 4am. Of course no pics since my small camera was pinched again, which was a bit upsetting, but then I read in the papers that Akon at his gig a few days before had his belt and wallet etc pinched as well, after which he stormed off the stage and the gig was finished. I’m glad I didn’t go there like I had wanted to. But yeah it does feel good that it even happens to celebs like him.

Right now our gunslinger mobile policeman is driving me to the Sheraton so I can escape the holiday boredom for a bit. Haha… just as I mention gunslinging, he jumps out and shakes his gun at a passing truck, while buying petrol on the black market, cause there is none at the petrol stations… these people are nuts. He’s good though, yesterday at the beach he did nothing but peacemaking.

The last few days at work have been fun, I do have pics from that, cause I finally got my beautiful dual lens Sony Alpha camera. And omg what a piece of equipment. My job is going to change slightly, now that I’ve had a look around I think I’ll be better in PR, cause I’m too opinionated to be a PA really. Again, it’s never clear how much longer things will work out here, everything is slightly volatile, with the elections coming up early next year…

My son is doing well here though, he’s come out of his shell a lot, at the family Christmas do he was mingling and shaking hands like a pro, I was so proud of him. He went horseback riding on the beach yesterday, without me, only with the guide sitting behind him.

What else? I’m homesick… we saw some great houses in Victoria Garden City, some new development near the beach on Victoria Island, and I found myself thinking yeah I wouldn’t mind that house near the beach where I grew up… Still enjoying Lagos a lot but am really hoping we can make it back home soon.

Yesterday was Portrait Day

Just a quickie as I'm sat in a hotel in Abuja and they have you pay by the hour (for a crappy connection too!) Just had a cup of very nice tea for breakfast at a little cafe next to the hotel, with some mobile policemen and some other ppl, because clearly, when in Rome... Have also been on a two hour morning walk, enjoying the freedom of the capital, because you clearly can't do this sort of thing in Lagos. You wouldn't want to either.

So I was at the headquarters of PMAN yesterday, and our events photographer showed my assistant Njideka a pic he had taken of her at her desk. I said I can do better. Here is the result... her reaction was fun, she was shouting am I really that beautiful? I said no you're actually a lot more beautiful but I'm a crap photographer. Should definitely practice doing this more often, I mean the musicians are used to being photographed all the time, but the people around them are great fun too.

Earlier this week, Monday night, we went to a wake, one of the executives of PMAN Lagos had died, and it was a beautiful celebration. The feeling is different here in Africa, nobody shows a single tear, it's more of a celebration of the person's life than an occasion to mourn their passing away. And in this case, because it's PMAN which is one big family, all the musicians were there and it ended up being a big party. The next morning we went to some far off place for the burial which was a whole different story.

Tonight we're all going to the gala night for Abuja @ 30, there should be more pics, but I'm not promising anything! Other pics from the last few days are

Another bunch of things that happened in the meantime

Here we are again, sitting at the Sheraton on a quiet Sat night, updating everyone on how we are doing. Last time I posted I think was Tuesday? So things have been moving on a bit, we're still doing well, at the school they have figured out that J needs help with the language (even though he is academically level with the kids that are a year older than him so that's fine). This is the swimming pool at his school where he swims three times a week now and he is getting very very good. We're still staying in the same compound, very comfortable with nice freshly cooked veggie food every night from the restaurant in the same compound. Where J is having breakfast here... clearly not happy to be photographed but you gotta do what you gotta do sometimes :)

I do apologise for being slightly spaced out, but it's been a tough week, for most of the week I have no pics to prove it but we have been doing a lot of things. Mostly at the PMAN office but yesterday was World Aids Day so we did a rally from the PMAN headquarters to the Lagos State Governors office, the Governor himself didn't meet with us but the Special Assistant to Governor on HIV/AIDS, Dr Remi Desalu, had a nice big long meeting with us and it was really useful. So we'll know next time we'll send in a proposition it'll reach the right people :) During the course of the rally I also did some yellow bus conducting (complete with hanging on the outside while holding on with one hand) and ocada riding (that's those motorcycle taxis I never thought I'd get on the back of cause the passengers never seem to hold on to anything... could never figure out how they manage to stay on but it's not actually that bad!) Of course I was behind the camera so have no pics of all that, but it was all over the news, so if you're lucky enough to receive Nigerian TV stations, you might have seen us... There's me amongst the PMAN ppl and Dr Desalu. Think you can find me?? lol

What else... oh yeah then in the evening we were supposed to maybe go swimming or do something else relaxing but at 7 we had a call from Yemisi Ransome Kuti, asking where we were, cause there was the Christmas dinner at some club or other! So I got dressed in like 5 seconds, my boss needed slightly longer (men!!) and off we went for an evening of fun. Lots of dancing. I can't even begin to tell you how ridiculous it feels that it's nearly Christmas, cause it's clearly like 35 degrees every day, but hey... I've been seen out with Father Christmas so it must be true!

Had some really nice moments on the dancefloor last night. Still feels like I was meant to be here. But I'll quit before I start waxing lyrical... hope everyone at home is doing well, miss you all!