Habitation

Abuja has become barely habitable in the past few days. For example, from midday yesterday, there was no electricity until 8pm. Various excuses have been bandied around in the media: Kainji dam has sprung a leak/is empty, gas pipes have been broken in the Delta, heavy rainfall in Lagos has drained FCT of power and so on. Whatever the case, it's really annoying when all plans (which involve computers, electricity etc) are laid to rest and one is forced to swelter indoors. This on top of a lack of running water for weeks and weeks (we're surviving on water tankers). If life is irritating and enervating for we the ultra-privileged, what is it like for the other 98% of the populace?

But the weekend hasn't all been dull and frustrating. We went to a friend's house to watch Polanski's classic noir take on 1940's LA, Chinatown, followed by a drink and dance at the local bar/club joint Point, which was fun. We went with some chaps who work for a brewery near Lagos. One of the guys was dancing like he'd been locked in a cell for the past six months; a lovely source of energy. This evening, we went to Wuse market to buy ankara (I've harboured dreams of an ankara shirt for a while now). While Bibi and Yetunde shopped, I listened to Oumou Sangare on the Ipod and observed the lazy late Sunday afternoon activity. Under the backdrop of a gorgeous neem (dogonyaro) tree, women and men in flowing fabrics of all colours came and went, while Sangare's voice soared up and down like a kestrel. A perfect moment before the evening’s crepuscular. Later on that night, I went to an owambe (see next post).