A little of my stuff
- Thread starter Grandpa
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I'm back home now but thought I'd catch up with the Nigeria travelogue. If it seems disjointed, it's because I'm doing some copying and pasting of Facebook entries.
Interesting cultural differences, although it's all by hearsay, which we'll talk about in the next paragraph. We're quite cloistered here in the compound. It's tile and adobe and nice hardwood floors. Well, and the high walls, barbed wired rolls at the top, the guard towers, and the security briefing that told us what to do in case of gunfire. (Don't check it out, and try to keep at least two walls between yourself and the gunfire.)
The people being interviewed are from fishing villages. Now, that different culture. One is married, but not really, because he hasn't paid the "bride price." Another has kids of four boys and one girl. He named the girl "Pissant," and he didn't know how old she was. (Well, I found out later that the girl's name is actually "Pacent," but were all convinced it was "Pissant.") The towns' heads are called "king" and referred to as "Highness." And one village went to "war" against another, complete with gunfire and invasion and refugees. Makes the town-expansion rivalries in the U.S. quite tame by comparison. Toilets are perched over the river, which carries away the, um, waste (to another village downriver, presumably - well, that WOULD be a reason to go to war). Do you swim/bathe right around the same area? Yup.
A couple of the guys on the project here are Brits, and one of them described me as "unfussed." That sounded nice. I think. He's just the quintessential, well-mannered, earnest young Cambridge gentleman. Quite charming, actually. "Unfussed." I'll take it.
Going on this trip was accompanied with the sneaking suspicion that I'd be coming back wondering what in the world we complain about as we sit in front of our televisions, eat whatever we want, go unhindered wherever we want to go while nestled in comfort in our traveling accommodations, live in close to antiseptic conditions by comparison to other cultures, sit in cushioned chairs in heated or cooled homes, and just seem to get by day by day facing things that we call "problems" that generally don't threaten our life, health, or safety.
My suspicion has not lessened.
Away from the work, life on the compound is really pretty cushy here, which is to say it's pretty isolated from Nigeria proper. I got a chance or two to head out to Nigeria semi-proper, and that outing will be in another post.
I'm in a house with some people on the project. From my bedroom upstairs to the dining room downstairs, which serves as the meeting room. Shortest commute ever!
The house attendant, whom in going back to Marine days I refer to as the "house mouse" (not a derogatory term, I swear), a well-dressed nice man, does laundry and makes the bed every day, or at least every day that I leave the bedroom door unlocked, which is pretty near every day, because who doesn't like fresh laundry?
The compound reminds me of places in Southern California, except with lusher vegetation. It's a feel of adobe and light colors.
We walk about a third of a mile to the guest building for breakfast, supper, and sometimes lunch, which are all included in the gig here. I haven't spent a dime on food yet in this country. The food is pretty standard American fare, with lots of chicken, lots of fish, and the taste is - wow! - no, I mean okay. The taste is okay. Nothing especially tasty, nothing to spit out.
Lunch is catered on working days. That means we get foil boxes of food, generally either chicken or fish. After a slightly unpleasant experience with the fish one day - and I like fish - I've stuck to the chicken.
At the guest building, we also check out drinks that we want. Unfortunately, there's not much that I want except for bottled water. They do have some whiskey, vodka, and gin to splash into a glass, all complimentary. You also get four beers (alternating, Becks and Heineken) a day. Wine, you buy by the bottle.
And that's it. Pretty boring and sterile, sorry. But you gotta love the commute.
Out in the economy of Nigeria it's not quite so sterile. But like I said, that's for another post.
Interesting cultural differences, although it's all by hearsay, which we'll talk about in the next paragraph. We're quite cloistered here in the compound. It's tile and adobe and nice hardwood floors. Well, and the high walls, barbed wired rolls at the top, the guard towers, and the security briefing that told us what to do in case of gunfire. (Don't check it out, and try to keep at least two walls between yourself and the gunfire.)
The people being interviewed are from fishing villages. Now, that different culture. One is married, but not really, because he hasn't paid the "bride price." Another has kids of four boys and one girl. He named the girl "Pissant," and he didn't know how old she was. (Well, I found out later that the girl's name is actually "Pacent," but were all convinced it was "Pissant.") The towns' heads are called "king" and referred to as "Highness." And one village went to "war" against another, complete with gunfire and invasion and refugees. Makes the town-expansion rivalries in the U.S. quite tame by comparison. Toilets are perched over the river, which carries away the, um, waste (to another village downriver, presumably - well, that WOULD be a reason to go to war). Do you swim/bathe right around the same area? Yup.
A couple of the guys on the project here are Brits, and one of them described me as "unfussed." That sounded nice. I think. He's just the quintessential, well-mannered, earnest young Cambridge gentleman. Quite charming, actually. "Unfussed." I'll take it.
Going on this trip was accompanied with the sneaking suspicion that I'd be coming back wondering what in the world we complain about as we sit in front of our televisions, eat whatever we want, go unhindered wherever we want to go while nestled in comfort in our traveling accommodations, live in close to antiseptic conditions by comparison to other cultures, sit in cushioned chairs in heated or cooled homes, and just seem to get by day by day facing things that we call "problems" that generally don't threaten our life, health, or safety.
My suspicion has not lessened.
Away from the work, life on the compound is really pretty cushy here, which is to say it's pretty isolated from Nigeria proper. I got a chance or two to head out to Nigeria semi-proper, and that outing will be in another post.
I'm in a house with some people on the project. From my bedroom upstairs to the dining room downstairs, which serves as the meeting room. Shortest commute ever!
The house attendant, whom in going back to Marine days I refer to as the "house mouse" (not a derogatory term, I swear), a well-dressed nice man, does laundry and makes the bed every day, or at least every day that I leave the bedroom door unlocked, which is pretty near every day, because who doesn't like fresh laundry?
The compound reminds me of places in Southern California, except with lusher vegetation. It's a feel of adobe and light colors.
We walk about a third of a mile to the guest building for breakfast, supper, and sometimes lunch, which are all included in the gig here. I haven't spent a dime on food yet in this country. The food is pretty standard American fare, with lots of chicken, lots of fish, and the taste is - wow! - no, I mean okay. The taste is okay. Nothing especially tasty, nothing to spit out.
Lunch is catered on working days. That means we get foil boxes of food, generally either chicken or fish. After a slightly unpleasant experience with the fish one day - and I like fish - I've stuck to the chicken.
At the guest building, we also check out drinks that we want. Unfortunately, there's not much that I want except for bottled water. They do have some whiskey, vodka, and gin to splash into a glass, all complimentary. You also get four beers (alternating, Becks and Heineken) a day. Wine, you buy by the bottle.
And that's it. Pretty boring and sterile, sorry. But you gotta love the commute.
Out in the economy of Nigeria it's not quite so sterile. But like I said, that's for another post.
This is all so amazing, but I sit here just thinking FEAR!!!!! That's just me. Scaredy cat.
Back home from an Alaska cruise with Grandma and a couple dear friends. Finished the first draft of a new novel and a blog post during the trip. In this case, the post is a short story.
The blog post: The Kindly Visitor - Grandpa Tells Stories
The blog post: The Kindly Visitor - Grandpa Tells Stories
...glad you enjoyed, and found your way back to us.....
Thank you, Scott! Good to be back.
Always enjoy your writings.
....sooooo, when should I expect my package of nifty keeno souvenirs?....
You are always generous with your praise. Thank you, Spidey.
Oh, man, we ran out after the grandkids!
But since I'm not seeing your "Photo Shop" thread with the greatest of ease, here's some momentos.
Denali, at the roof of North America.
In Glacier Bay. These aren't the big glaciers, but I like the shot.
Fantastical shapes adorn the top of one of the big ones.
This was my favorite shot from the whole vacation. Got the sunburst, got the reflection.
From the rail car, on the way to Denali.
Don't think that's all Alaska has to offer. I got tons more.
You have captured the pristine magnificent of Alaska.
You didn't see any of those skinny starving polar bears I see on my MSN homepage, did you?
Did not get that far north. The glaciers are still retreating, though.
... These are the bestest!...
Sir, could I please have some more? (Photos, more photos)
Time is short today. Let me see what I can do.
In the shadow of Denali.
I just thought this was an interesting look on the side of a mountain.
In Glacier Bay. Note the small boat close to the coastline, providing scale.
The wall of ice at a glacier's terminus, carrying with it layers of dirt and rock that it scooped and carried from the canyon floor.
A pretty waterfall to the side of the glacier.
Gotta skip out here. Quick posting.
And thanks for asking!!
And thanks for asking!!
Amazing photos Grandpa! Thank you for sharing them and I look forward to seeing any others.
Thank you, these are magnificent! A friend of mine climbed Denali back when it was McKinley! That's my secret dream vacation.
Based on how people liked my "death" posting here and on Facebook, I gussied it up a bit for cleaning and clarifying and to match up with the blog persona. New blog posting.
Life and Death - Grandpa Tells Stories
Life and Death - Grandpa Tells Stories