Nigeria Day










Today Erik, Daniel and Mathilde all went to their schools in Nigerian national dress. Erik was an Ibo boy, complete with fan, necklace, bracelet and ring. Daniel and Mathilde wore batik suits. Inger-Lise took Mathilde to her playgroup at 9am, and then drive across to VI to be with Erik and Daniel at AISL. It was Nigerian Culture Day at AISL and they had decorated the main courtyard to look like a Nigerian village market.

While Inger-Lise was with Mathilde, Erik and Daniel were watching Nigerian dancers came to perform in front of the school. They later told her that part of the performance involved a live chicken which the dancer took out and started throwing into the air! and the parents and teachers were so shocked no-one went to stop them. Then, when the poor chicken was half stunned from landing on its head, they took out machetes and started to sharpen them!! At that point the headmaster intervened and saved the poor chicken. You never know what is going to happen next here in Nigeria!!

Inger-Lise gave Erik and Daniel money and they went around the market. Daniel bought Erik a soapstone egg, which was very thoughtful of him (Erik is collecting them). They both bought themselves hats made from Palm fronds.

That evening, Inger-Lise and I went to a Jazz evening at the Alliance Francaise on Ikoyi. My colleague, Olav and some Danish friends Linda & Lona and their husbands. Peter King was playing first, followed by Tony Allen and then the main attraction, Sean Kuti came on; Sean is the younger brother of Femi Kuti. They are the sons of Fela Kuti, a famous Nigerian Jazzman. We saw Femi Kuti at the old Alliance Francaise when we came for a look-see a year and a half ago.



Jeremy