These Yellow Buses

These yellow buses remind me of chaos. I look out from my window seat on the plane and I look to see my country beneath, as we continue in our descent. Brown and rotted aluminum roofs welcome my eyes, fumes rise in the air from something burning nearby – Or someone, yes someone burning nearby.

Maybe an angry and frustrated mob caught an old and haggard hungry man stealing a curb of onions and made him pay with his life. I hear all these stories, I’ve seen all these things and I’ve been in so many situations that make me feel depressed, angry and sad about my identity.

I try to convince myself, I say it like a mantra, ‘I am proud to be Nigerian!’ I say it three times, sometimes more, hoping that the more I say so, the more I’d believe it, and the better I’d feel about my country.

But it never works, I don’t feel any better.

My thoughts begin to overwhelm me as my mind slips to various disturbing scenes and events that I have witnessed and a lot more that I have heard. Things like criminals who go unpunished, work started, and then abandoned, greedy politicians who confidently steal the nation’s resources and do not even bother to do so in hiding.

They don’t even try to cover it up.

Corruption has eaten so deep into my nation. It’s a second nature. She walks confidently on our streets, she doesn’t hide, no, she doesn’t. She is always dressed in the finest lace materials, with the finest jewelries, of gold and of silver.

She walks with her nose in the air. The people clear the roads for her, they sing her praises. And when integrity walks by, they spit on her and call her names and she runs into hiding.

I am forced to think that the average Nigerian has the tendency to be corrupt and the very few who aren’t, just haven’t had the ‘right opportunity’.

But of course, I do believe that there are a few good men but I also believe that this is a country for no good men.
But that’s not all that concerns me.

Another, perhaps the most disturbing, is the mind-set of the people. I watched a woman, one day as I set out to work, clean up the front of her stall in preparation for business that morning.

She swept with all sense of responsibility, her back was bent so low, and she kept sweeping until she got to the edge of a gutter and she swept all her dirt into that gutter. Right there, in front of her food stall.

I wondered what kind of mentality that was. This has nothing to do with education; surely, this should be common sense. I’m coming from a country where the average mentality of a common man is not to litter and where that of another is to pick up after someone else.

And there is the mob mentality, where the people rather take laws into their hands and brutally murder a person. It is almost a form of entertainment and there is a sense of accomplishment and excitement when this is carried out. Sometimes, even the law enforcers stand by and enjoy the moment.

Now, it would be very wrong of me to say that I am completely innocent. While I have never been involved in or witnessed any mob murder, I remember the first time I heard about something like this.

I was shocked and sick to my stomach but the ‘grown-ups’ around me had begun to analyze the event.

They talked about how ‘those boys’ terrorized the people. How they had mercilessly killed a business man the other day. How they had come to rob that night and were caught by the local security guards.

These local security guards were in fact more efficient than the Police men, because, you see, they weren’t ordinary humans.

They had their juju which kept them from danger. Bullets couldn’t go through them and even a moving lorry couldn’t run them over. They said. But no one ever really talked about the mallam who stood in front of a highway with all sorts of charms around his body and how he was gruesomely crushed to death by an over speeding truck.

I remember that after their analysis, I felt okay with the whole mob justice thing, after all they deserved it, I thought. But the dead tell no tales and who is to say some of these men hadn’t been innocent, a case of wrong place and wrong time perhaps?

I think to myself in the few minutes that the plane is about to taxi down the runway. When I get the opportunity, should I run? Should I abandon this place I call home?

As we get closer to the grounds, I can faintly see the bus conductors hanging out of their buses and I imagine them yelling at the top of their lungs, calling for passengers to fill their empty seats.

This is a normal sight in Lagos and I begin to wonder, how did it ever become normal for a human being to hang off a fast moving vehicle?

I see pedestrians running frantically across the multi-lane roads, right underneath an overhead pedestrian bridge. How is this normal?

But talk is cheap. I am but a writer, and several have been written. A lot more have been spoken but what must I do to make a difference? What action must I take?

I should start with myself. I should never litter, I should never ask for or accept or even give a bribe. Or should I even bother? Because every step I take forward is like taking two steps backwards.

I try to be orderly, I wait in line, I never cut but they insult me and call me a fool for not doing so. They frustrate me when I do not ‘give them something’ for a service that should be free.

As I begin to lose hope, something amazing happens.

I am going home with my family after a service one Sunday morning when we notice there is chaos upfront. As we get closer, we see that a car is on fire and there are people gathered around it.

‘Very typical of Nigerians to gather around something like this and do nothing but put their hands on their head and exclaim pitifully for the fate of the victim’ I say to myself.

But then I notice that none of these people are doing that, they are all trying to put out the fire with water and hands full of sand. I am sure it hasn’t come to the mind of anyone there to call for a fire service, since they might have had a better chance putting out the fire with water fetched with a teaspoon.

A lot of people have stepped out of their cars and are trying to put the fire out with their own extinguishers. My father instructs us to stay in the car as he rushes towards the burning car with his own extinguisher.

Then I notice this water truck in front of us. In movements so coordinated, the men were out of the truck. One of the men ran to the back of the truck where the water gauge was, unwrapped the hose and threw it to the driver who caught it and made a run towards the car and in a matter of seconds, they were spraying the car with water and soon afterwards, they succeeded in putting out the fire.

I don’t know why but something moved in me that day. You see, these men were the simplest of men. They wore jagged clothes, didn’t own cars or houses, perhaps. They were simple men who delivered water to rich men’s houses in the estate and their first thought was to put out the fire from the car of one of such men.

Not the thought of having to explain why they had to refill the tank with water, the fuel they would have wasted making a double trip or whether or not they would be paid for what they had just done.

After that day, I still heard about all the negativity there was to hear but I decided I would focus on what was positive and when I did, I began to see my country in a new light, albeit a fairly bright one.
You see, at the end of the day, it is the people who make up their country and I am one of these people.

So, rather than relent, I would continue to hope, believe and do my part in making a home I can say without an iota of doubt that I am proud of.

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Aesthetically pleasing spaces in Kenya 🍂🦒
Aesthetically pleasing spaces in Kenya 🍂🦒
17 hours ago
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1/9
Kenya had dropped the paid ETA requirement for most Africans, including Nigerians. 💃🏾🎉

And in celebration of that, I'm sharing some of my favourite places to include in your Kenyan holiday itinerary!

Will you be visiting or have you been to any of these places?
Kenya had dropped the paid ETA requirement for most Africans, including Nigerians. 💃🏾🎉 And in celebration of that, I'm sharing some of my favourite places to include in your Kenyan holiday itinerary! Will you be visiting or have you been to any of these places?
1 day ago
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2/9
This lodge in Taita-Taveta was such a great last-minute find for me!
___________________

I needed a quick break from Nairobi and thought to visit Diani and Tsavo. While finding accommodation in Diani was fairly easy, I struggled to find a place that fit my schedule, budget, and preference in the Voi/Tsavo area.

When I stumbled upon The Hildana Lodge, I couldn't be happier. Luckily, they had availability for the exact dates I wanted, a resident's rate, and no single supplement!

I stayed here for 2 nights but could have easily stayed longer! This place is magical, and I can't wait to return! ✨️
This lodge in Taita-Taveta was such a great last-minute find for me! ___________________ I needed a quick break from Nairobi and thought to visit Diani and Tsavo. While finding accommodation in Diani was fairly easy, I struggled to find a place that fit my schedule, budget, and preference in the Voi/Tsavo area. When I stumbled upon The Hildana Lodge, I couldn't be happier. Luckily, they had availability for the exact dates I wanted, a resident's rate, and no single supplement! I stayed here for 2 nights but could have easily stayed longer! This place is magical, and I can't wait to return! ✨️
2 days ago
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3/9
As someone who enjoys travelling and pursuing a fulfilling career, I don't believe that you have to give up one for the other. ✈️🍂✨️

You can maintain a healthy travel life without forfeiting a career you love, and here's one of the best ways to do so ⤵️

Taking advantage of public holidays, combined with your vacation days. For example, there's a public holiday coming up next month.

It'll be a 2-day holiday, and if you take only 2 days off work, you'll get 6 vacation days! - perfect for this "Beach and Bush" holiday in Kenya! 🐚🐘🌊

Work-life balance is key, so find ways to do the things that are important to you now that you can!💙
As someone who enjoys travelling and pursuing a fulfilling career, I don't believe that you have to give up one for the other. ✈️🍂✨️ You can maintain a healthy travel life without forfeiting a career you love, and here's one of the best ways to do so ⤵️ Taking advantage of public holidays, combined with your vacation days. For example, there's a public holiday coming up next month. It'll be a 2-day holiday, and if you take only 2 days off work, you'll get 6 vacation days! - perfect for this "Beach and Bush" holiday in Kenya! 🐚🐘🌊 Work-life balance is key, so find ways to do the things that are important to you now that you can!💙
4 days ago
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4/9
Weekends in Kenya that look like this! 🐘💙🦒

How wonderful!
Weekends in Kenya that look like this! 🐘💙🦒 How wonderful!
4 days ago
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5/9
Here's what you can expect when you ride the premium class train from Nairobi to Mombasa and vice versa 🚅

It's a slow but scenic ride to the coast, but I love it and rather prefer it to flying. ✨️

PS: If you want great views of Tsavo National Park as you pass through (Nairobi > Mombasa), sit on the left side of the train (i.e., even numbered seats)

But be aware that some seats have partial window views. Seats 26, 21, 25, 15, and 6 are great!(Nairobi > Mombasa)

Seat on the opposite side on the Mombasa > Nairobi train. I couldn't keep track of all the good seats on this train 🥹.

The train also has a first and economy class coach, which are significantly cheaper than premium class. And once you're back in Nairobi, all "premium services end" 🤭😋

Have you gone on this train before? What was your experience like? 💬

Are team train 🚆 or flight ✈️?
Here's what you can expect when you ride the premium class train from Nairobi to Mombasa and vice versa 🚅 It's a slow but scenic ride to the coast, but I love it and rather prefer it to flying. ✨️ PS: If you want great views of Tsavo National Park as you pass through (Nairobi > Mombasa), sit on the left side of the train (i.e., even numbered seats) But be aware that some seats have partial window views. Seats 26, 21, 25, 15, and 6 are great!(Nairobi > Mombasa) Seat on the opposite side on the Mombasa > Nairobi train. I couldn't keep track of all the good seats on this train 🥹. The train also has a first and economy class coach, which are significantly cheaper than premium class. And once you're back in Nairobi, all "premium services end" 🤭😋 Have you gone on this train before? What was your experience like? 💬 Are team train 🚆 or flight ✈️?
6 days ago
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6/9
The most relaxing staycation ever! Coastal vibes in Diani Beach and a wonderful safari in Taita-Taveta county! 🐚🐘

This trip was so easy to plan and embark upon from Nairobi. I travelled by rail from Nairobi to Mombasa and then to Diani. 🌊

On my return leg, I stopped in Voi and transferred to a super gorgeous lodge, where I spent the weekend enjoying massages, spotting elephants 🐘 and giraffes 🦒, and just having a swell and relaxing time!

Sharing details on my blog and IG stories!✨️
The most relaxing staycation ever! Coastal vibes in Diani Beach and a wonderful safari in Taita-Taveta county! 🐚🐘 This trip was so easy to plan and embark upon from Nairobi. I travelled by rail from Nairobi to Mombasa and then to Diani. 🌊 On my return leg, I stopped in Voi and transferred to a super gorgeous lodge, where I spent the weekend enjoying massages, spotting elephants 🐘 and giraffes 🦒, and just having a swell and relaxing time! Sharing details on my blog and IG stories!✨️
6 days ago
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7/9
The Best of Both Worlds! 🥰

Just took the SGR again, and I got to try out the Premium Class coach - I loved the experience!

I'll be sharing all about this experience in my next blog post on www.travelwithapen.com -  what to expect from this train ride, the best seats for unobstructed views and elephant sightings in Tsavo National Park, and notable changes in the journey from Nairobi to Mombasa and Diani!

#diani #dianibeachkenya #sgr #railtravel #tsavo #tembeakenya
The Best of Both Worlds! 🥰 Just took the SGR again, and I got to try out the Premium Class coach - I loved the experience! I'll be sharing all about this experience in my next blog post on www.travelwithapen.com - what to expect from this train ride, the best seats for unobstructed views and elephant sightings in Tsavo National Park, and notable changes in the journey from Nairobi to Mombasa and Diani! #diani #dianibeachkenya #sgr #railtravel #tsavo #tembeakenya
2 weeks ago
View on Instagram |
8/9
Bougainvillea in full bloom in Nairobi 🌸, always a highlight of our strolls!
Bougainvillea in full bloom in Nairobi 🌸, always a highlight of our strolls!
2 weeks ago
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9/9
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