Usually the hardest part of knowing people, growing up with them or them growing up on you is parting. It is a truism that we meet to part and part to meet (hopefully). The fun part of parting of course is meeting again. This is usually true for old pals- people you shared a lot in common with. It is just simply exhilarating like a kid in the candy store. Nothing best exemplifies this than going to naija trust me.
I remember entering Ibadan the land of my birth late night on New Year day 2007 after spending the previous weeks in Warri and working out there in Lagos. I had been in Lagos for a while and as such made it to join my family coming from Warri in IBD. You will think after the long festivities and journey of the day, it was going to be a short one. But no o. I had to catch up with the Avenue crew. We grew up on this block…shared mind boggling letters (gone are those days, na email dey reign now) that we hastily passed through our parents as they shuttled between Warfi (where my siblings and I schooled) and Ibadan. Going through the pile of letters in my old room when I was there in January was hilarious. My style of writing has hardly changed- so has the people around me. We might have grown up, but speaking into the wee morning with my pals –Delag, Laxzy, Tom-Tom, Ladesky, Sir K, Dapsy (big ups boi) et al just took me back many years. We hung out exact same way a decade ago against the reprimand of our parents of course. Now we were adults- some of us had jobs, others were doing their advanced studies in different part of the world, some are engaged ( Eww! Especially the ladies- na wa for dis hitching thing sef) and we had simply moved on in life. Yet we were the same. Of course, the very younger ones amongst us are now a lot matured- the babies of the hood. LOL..I hope Y and B don’t read this. But both of them are nearing completion of their first degree…life and progress indeed does go hand in hand like Okro and Amala- o sweet Ibadan!
Now I feel nostalgic. Of course visiting my alma mater was also fun. It was catching up time. I tried to take in the environment. Of course I still remembered the places I hung out during my juvenile escapades out of class, the spots the Vice Principal cleaned up my butt with his bulala in DCCW or more interestingly the rocks I hung out with my first “love” at my primary school- yes o, I be strong man in those days too. So you thought I only started today? Shame on you- yeye dey smell. Of course, UNILAG was a whole lot different ball game. The adventures on and new Newest Halls are still very green and I am sure quite a few are still not statute barred. I had a dinner meeting with my UNILAG den mates- about 13 of us in J201 Sodeinde Hall and other neophytes who shared our bed for good and evil in those times. It was fun hanging out in The Palms…how times have changed and all of us have changed with it, yet we remain the same.
Of course, reconnecting is even more enjoyable if it is for the better. Back in December while in Warri, I had gone to the bank and had just alighted from the vehicle when I suddenly heard the shout “senior, senior prefect!” from the middle of no where. There to my amazement standing and looking all manly is B. You see B was my least favorite student while I reigned in the halls of DCCW. He was a truant, rascal and scallywag all rolled into one. But his mom gave me full permission to discipline him and boy did I use it. B suffered no be small. But today he is for the Better. He ran towards me and embraced me. He is now in College and doing very well. I was so proud of him.
So it was with so much surprise when I got an email from an old school mate from primary school this last week. She had so much to say and so did I. Esther na big girl now. My earliest memories of her was being a spoilt gentle kid of a popular politician (names withheld), yet very respectful. Somehow she remembered me for routinely including her in the list of noise makers. Now that is cold. But she is now a woman. We sure will meet some day somehow whether we like it or not. Hence, the lesson is to treat everyone you know or meet fairly/ well or at least try because you never know where life will take you. As the elders say- omi le ni yan. Just my musings
My Folks Were Here!
Talking about catching up, my parents just left Houston after a well spent two weeks vacation. It is always different having them around even though I was in naija in Christmas. I had not spent enough time at home in December shuttling between several cities trying to catch up on old time and indeed work. But they had me all to themselves this time around. It always fun having my folks around- they make the best parents in the world. You can see some picture here. 1 2 3
Summer Reading List Round Up
Am thinking of re-reading one work of Sidney Sheldon (In Memory of the Great Author of political theatrics) and perhaps picking up a John Grisham I have not read. Hence A Time to Kill which has been in the cooler and Windmill of Gods make a fourth and fifth addition to my summer reading list. Two to go.
I remember entering Ibadan the land of my birth late night on New Year day 2007 after spending the previous weeks in Warri and working out there in Lagos. I had been in Lagos for a while and as such made it to join my family coming from Warri in IBD. You will think after the long festivities and journey of the day, it was going to be a short one. But no o. I had to catch up with the Avenue crew. We grew up on this block…shared mind boggling letters (gone are those days, na email dey reign now) that we hastily passed through our parents as they shuttled between Warfi (where my siblings and I schooled) and Ibadan. Going through the pile of letters in my old room when I was there in January was hilarious. My style of writing has hardly changed- so has the people around me. We might have grown up, but speaking into the wee morning with my pals –Delag, Laxzy, Tom-Tom, Ladesky, Sir K, Dapsy (big ups boi) et al just took me back many years. We hung out exact same way a decade ago against the reprimand of our parents of course. Now we were adults- some of us had jobs, others were doing their advanced studies in different part of the world, some are engaged ( Eww! Especially the ladies- na wa for dis hitching thing sef) and we had simply moved on in life. Yet we were the same. Of course, the very younger ones amongst us are now a lot matured- the babies of the hood. LOL..I hope Y and B don’t read this. But both of them are nearing completion of their first degree…life and progress indeed does go hand in hand like Okro and Amala- o sweet Ibadan!
Now I feel nostalgic. Of course visiting my alma mater was also fun. It was catching up time. I tried to take in the environment. Of course I still remembered the places I hung out during my juvenile escapades out of class, the spots the Vice Principal cleaned up my butt with his bulala in DCCW or more interestingly the rocks I hung out with my first “love” at my primary school- yes o, I be strong man in those days too. So you thought I only started today? Shame on you- yeye dey smell. Of course, UNILAG was a whole lot different ball game. The adventures on and new Newest Halls are still very green and I am sure quite a few are still not statute barred. I had a dinner meeting with my UNILAG den mates- about 13 of us in J201 Sodeinde Hall and other neophytes who shared our bed for good and evil in those times. It was fun hanging out in The Palms…how times have changed and all of us have changed with it, yet we remain the same.
Of course, reconnecting is even more enjoyable if it is for the better. Back in December while in Warri, I had gone to the bank and had just alighted from the vehicle when I suddenly heard the shout “senior, senior prefect!” from the middle of no where. There to my amazement standing and looking all manly is B. You see B was my least favorite student while I reigned in the halls of DCCW. He was a truant, rascal and scallywag all rolled into one. But his mom gave me full permission to discipline him and boy did I use it. B suffered no be small. But today he is for the Better. He ran towards me and embraced me. He is now in College and doing very well. I was so proud of him.
So it was with so much surprise when I got an email from an old school mate from primary school this last week. She had so much to say and so did I. Esther na big girl now. My earliest memories of her was being a spoilt gentle kid of a popular politician (names withheld), yet very respectful. Somehow she remembered me for routinely including her in the list of noise makers. Now that is cold. But she is now a woman. We sure will meet some day somehow whether we like it or not. Hence, the lesson is to treat everyone you know or meet fairly/ well or at least try because you never know where life will take you. As the elders say- omi le ni yan. Just my musings
My Folks Were Here!
Talking about catching up, my parents just left Houston after a well spent two weeks vacation. It is always different having them around even though I was in naija in Christmas. I had not spent enough time at home in December shuttling between several cities trying to catch up on old time and indeed work. But they had me all to themselves this time around. It always fun having my folks around- they make the best parents in the world. You can see some picture here. 1 2 3
Summer Reading List Round Up
Am thinking of re-reading one work of Sidney Sheldon (In Memory of the Great Author of political theatrics) and perhaps picking up a John Grisham I have not read. Hence A Time to Kill which has been in the cooler and Windmill of Gods make a fourth and fifth addition to my summer reading list. Two to go.
