Bits and pieces

England are on the verge of victory in the cricket - finally the Ashes can be ours again after 16 years. Freddie Flintoff is the new Beefy. Its funny how cricket fever seems to have taken over the UK - not surprising given how crap we are at football these days.

Meanwhile, this weekend was a real downer for us on Nigeria. Our ceiling is just about to cave in cos the water tank stop cock is busted and the tank has holes in it. So the ceiling is bulging and dripping water. Even though we paid a 10% maintenance fee when we paid our 2 years-in-advance rent (its standard in Nigeria to have to pay 2 years upfront), no one is honouring this (not the agent nor the unreachable landlord). Meanwhile, the termites are busy enjoying themselves on the rafters again, leaving piles of fine sawdust all over the gaff.

Then our computer and monitor blew up thanks to a spike from NEPA (can anyone get used to the new name PHCN?) It cost us £40 to replace the powerpacks. We wasted most of the day trying to sort out the repair. In Nigeria you often have to take 3 steps backward to make one step forward. If Nigeria is so difficult and frustrating for us living in posh Maitama in Abuja, what on earth is it like to live in a Lagos slum?

Question: why is it 99% of Nigerian public toilets are a disgrace? Its a paradox that this is a country of excess labour and yet no one is put to work making sure the lavs are clean. The average Nigerian toilet is surrounded by a pool of piss, is stained on the inside (oh and doesnt flush).

Second paradox: women wear all kinds of bizarre spiky wigs. Bibi starts to locks her hair in a very attractive manner. Then she gets stares from all and sundry as if she's a mad women. Nigerians are very bush sometimes! Its just like when I was growing up in my small village full of petty curtain twitchers, scared stiff of the new.

If only we could live in Nigeria with regular power, water and broadband internet (preferrably wireless) I would be happy! Is this too much to ask?