Archive for October 2010

Note to Bookshop Owners: Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie and Chinua Achebe are not the only authors in Nigeria. And it is not everyone read motivational books

I went all the way to Yaba on Wednesday with one mission, to buy Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie’s The Thing Around Your Neck and Helon Habila’s Measuring time. I got my copy of Measuring Time at the Unilag bookshop during my last visit there, but I did not see a reason to go all the way down there. There are over 30 bookshops if not more in yaba, 90% of them do not even sell Nigerian Literature books but stock various so called motivational books and professional textbooks. The 10% which bother to stock Nigerian Literature have never heard the name HELON HABILA not to talk of selling his books. This 10% who sell Nigerian literature only have Chimamanda Ndozi Adichie’s Purple’s Hibiscus and Half of a yellow sun, most have never heard of her latest book, The Thing around Your neck. Chinua Achebe’s works they stocked in multitude, thanks to WAEC for this. After walking the length and breadth of Yaba market, I finally saw a bookshop which had The thing around your neck

The next day, I went to the Unilag bookshop and they had also run out of Measuring Time, I could not leave a bookshop without buying any book (no more visit to any bookshop any time soon). I was lost in the sea of books, all calling out to be read and not sure which to choose since i could not go home with all of them, then I saw it, calling out to me at the same spot where the book I had originally visited the bookshop was last placed...Myne Whitman’s A Heart to Mend.

These are the latest addition to my ever growing library

I need to have a book budget...the rate at which i buy books and magazines nowadays call for caution. Books I understand but most of the magazine I do not read for months, why I keep buying them, I do not know. I wish I was this passionate about recommended texts while in school.

And yeah on my bed spread is the 101 dalmatians, blame it on my aunt who bought it.
Also the poem in the last post was not written by me

For Myne: Is the raffle still on
Naija Blogsville is mourning the loss of its own, sad I never read his blog till today when i saw the farewell posts. May The Good God grant his family the stregth to bear the loss and may he also find eternal peace.

Wishing you all a wonderful and blessed week

♥ Lara

A friend of mine once said that most people on the street of Lagos are mad, just that their madness has not degenerated to the regular naked mad man eating from the dustbin.

It all started when this woman seeing in the front row, a child strapped to her back with the twin positioned on her lap offered the conductor 10Naira for a 20Naira bus fare. The conductor refused and told his driver who also bluntly refused. as is with Nigerian drivers, this is an opportunity for him to start talking anyhow.

Can't tell if it was a fellow passenger that gave the woman the extra 10Naira or she brought it out from her bag, she squeezed the money into the conductors hand.

Unknown to the driver that she has paid her correct fare, he continue talking that if she had told him it was another matter, she entered and sat and is not offering him 10Naira.

The woman then responded that it was enough oh, that she has paid the money...

The next we heard was Thunder fire you from the driver and the exchange of words and curse began and...gbam, a slap on the driver’s face. He almost lost control of the wheel, and then he packed.

You dey craze, he said...shey you wan beat me she replied, dropping the twin on her lap and standing, ready for a show down. You dey craze, I be your wife wey you dey curse me...I never pay you your money.

The driver to the conductor, oya give her money make she come down.

Shey na for here you carry me, I no dey come down...I wan see wetin you wan do She said, sitting down.

The look on my face as well as the others was that of shock, as in I could not even laugh. When I heard the slap...in my head I was like see ‘were’. I have seen drivers and passengers insult themselves and say worse things to each other, but this one get k-leg. When one of the passengers tried to talk to the woman, she turned and wanted to start cursing that one, na so she padlock her mouth.

Everyone sha begged the driver, who obviously is not a violent man, to carry us to our destination. I can only but imagine if she had tried it with some other man, I am sure it is her dead body the husband will come to carry.

Some women sabi pass dem boundary no be small.

♥ Lara

I had almost boycotted the wedding.

I was informed 3days to the date.

Bride and I see eachother almost everyday, but she kept the news to her self.

Even when I was telling her a mutual friend had invited me to his son's first year birthday and I should invite her if she was available she still did not open her mouth to give me the news.

My aunt informed me the next day and my attendance was expected.

I was angry and decided to show face only so as not to have family drama and stories of jealousy spring up.

I was given 3days notice and I was angry

Her Stepmother was given a day's notice, the woman did not bother showing up

Her half brother was called by her father that day, He showed up because he had nothing important to do.

Besto got married in a registry, which was in everyway like every normal church/trad wedding

Was shocked at the manner of wedding that took place at the Ikeja Registry.

For the 1st time in my life I witnessed a mass wedding.

When the five couples were told to all enter the hall, we wondered

One of the reason they had elected to use the Ikeja Registry is because someone told them the Ikeja and Ikoyi registry are the only Embassies recognized marriage courts in Lagos...how tue that is I do not know.

So I guessed the idea of a mass wedding is because, too many people want to get married in said registry.

There were about five batch of five couples.

The whole wedding ceremony lasted about 30mins.

If I ever have to do a court marriage abi is it wedding, the Ikeja Registry is so ruled out

That place is suitable for couple who do no have the support of their families and just want to tie the knot at all means

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I just finished reading Helon Habila's Measuring Time...I love it and I would love share it...so I am having a give-away...all you have to do is follow the blog and comment on this post...

watch this space for the lucky winner...
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Turns out I am still six more post to reach 100th post, my reader was reading 100th post...my bad but the give-away still stays

♥ Lara

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