Nigerian Way of Life

In only three days I've already compiled quite a list of stuff I want to write about, so I think I'll try and break it up into a couple posts. Though I know I have a lot on my mind right now, I know as the months go on it will get harder and harder to keep this updated, so might as well spread it out for now. To be honest, I really don't like writing at all in the first place. Every time I sit down to write, I always put it off for as long as possible. You'd never guess by my writing style though, because once I get going I feel like I run on forever. Anyways, here goes nothing.

This post will basically serve as a list - a list of some of the most blatant things I've already noticed about living in Nigeria, both good and bad. I am aiming to split it up by general lifestyle differences and then work life differences in a separate post. This one will focus on lifestyle. 

1. People here are very, very friendly. It's really awesome to see. People are always smiling, greeting each other, and carrying on genuine conversation. When I walk around anywhere back in the states (aside from on campus at A&M) it's pretty much head down, keep to yourself, and mind your own business. Over here it's not that way at all. Anytime you walk by someone - stranger or not - it's almost expected to greet them or at least say hello. I love it. It's friendly, welcoming, and hospitable. People just seem genuinely happy all the time and it really is contagious. 

2. There are three main greetings: good morning, good afternoon, and good evening. Everyone says these like clockwork. My boss even jokes that sometimes before she responds to someone she'll check her watch to verify she has the appropriate time of the day. It's basically morning until noon is "good morning," noon until 5 is "good afternoon," and anytime after is "good evening." It seems a little monotonous, but it's actually really cool. I've already assimilated and find myself using these greetings. Obviously, you can accompany it with more if you'd like; sometimes I like to throw in a little "How are you?" just to keep it interesting haha. 

3. "You're welcome"- Nigerians use this as Americans would typically just use "Welcome." It threw me off a at first because the first time I heard it I thought the guy was being sarcastic. I know sometimes I'll sarcastically say "You're welcome" to someone after doing kind for them when they don't say thank you. Admittedly, it's a flaw, but I'm sure we all do it. We want credit for something nice we did when we don't get a "thank you." But anyways, the first time I heard this I thought he was being sarcastic so I quickly said "thank you" as I thought I had been rude for not thanking him for something. But, no, they use this to genuinely mean "You are welcome here" as a polite greeting. I'm still getting used to this one, but, again, it's really neat. 

4. Many girls don't shave their legs. Not much more to say there, it's just part of their culture. Threw me off a little my first day in the office to see many women with hairy legs, but, hey, there ain't no shame in their game. 

5. Power goes out constantly. I'd say this happens anywhere from 1 to 5 times a day. Last night I was having dinner at one my boss' houses and the power went out right in the middle of the meal. They just carried on as if nothing happened and we grasped for our beers to get in a few swigs in the dark. I still haven't gotten used to this yet, but I'm sure I will soon enough. Just a few minutes ago while trying to write this post, the power shut off for about ten minutes, which was the longest I've seen so far. Usually it's just for a few minutes until the grid comes back on or the backup generators kick in, but it's definitely a regular occurrence. Luckily, work computers are immune from this as they're all wisely on a separate grid. So that just means we all get to work in the dark for a few minutes. Nbd. 

6. AC is always on blast. Whether it be in the houses or in the office, the AC is always going strong. Most buildings are really cold, which I freaking love considering I sweat so much. Not ashamed. I love coming home to a cold house every night and bundling up in a cold room. It's hot here, but honestly, not as bad as I thought it would be. I guess I've just gotten used to it being from Texas. But, the hottest part of the year IS still ahead. We're heading into dry season here which means it gets a lot hotter in the coming months. We'll see how I fare. 

7. Office buildings are almost like asylums or hospitals. It's a little eerie. It's all white tile floors and white walls. And like I said, it's always cold. So it's not exactly warm and cozy, but I'll get used to it before long. 

8. People's names are so confusing! Pretty much all names have prefixes and suffixes, but most of them go by names without the prefix or suffix. Also, some people go by their first name, some by their last, and some by nicknames. It's never logical. For instance, a woman named Olawadolapo simply goes by Dolapo, a man named Oyeleke just goes by Leke, yet another man who's name is Onorojah Onoh goes by Onoh. Another girl I work with who has a very long and confusing name goes by Rosemary and a guy who's last name is Fagebo goes by Fage. Haha it never makes sense, and looking at names on their badges doesn't help. When addressing someone in an email I'll never address them by name until they respond and sign with the name they use. I'll simply use "hello," "hi," or something simple like that. I will admit that I'm pretty good with names though, so I'm hoping I'll have them down at some point. One thing that is cool though is that Nigerian names are all very significant. Their names are so long because they are made up of several smaller words that all mean something. For instance, someone's first name might indicate the time of day they were born, the month they were born, and the weather on the day they were born. I think this aspect is really neat. 

Alright, well I think I've gone on long enough for this post. I still have a list with many more things I'd like to share, but I'll save them for the next one. Again, I've only been here three days so far and I'm sure much more will come up. I have yet to go off the camp yet, but will be going out this Saturday for lunch and to do some grocery shopping with a few coworkers. I'm really excited to get off camp for a little bit and experience the local culture of the town. I'll be sure to update again with more specifics about my experiences this first week and weekend. I have to admit, I'm really enjoying it here so far, but I'll elaborate more later about life in the compound.