Category: Travelling

Travelling

Christmas Continues at Amsterdam

Jilomes

The previous post covered my journey to the Netherlands and my tour of Delft with Fabian the interesting storyteller. After Delft, the next port of call was Amsterdam, one of the most popular cities in the world, and a busy transport hub for many international flights. One of my hosts has nicely ordered me to write an article for each city I get to visit in this country. I do hope I can meet this demand. Here is Amsterdam from the eyes of an entranced stranger. Continue reading “Christmas Continues at Amsterdam” →

Travelling

Welcome to The Netherlands

Jilomes

It’s the Christmas season, the time of the year with the most people on the move either heading back home to spend the holidays with friends and family, or just going to a different place to cool off from the winding year. While many would move by air, land or sea, some others find themselves travelling only in their minds, spending Christmas where they are, but wishing they were somewhere else. Being an international student, I resolved not to be in the latter group. This is the first of maybe a series on my European adventure, with the Netherlands as my portal.  Continue reading “Welcome to The Netherlands” →

Travelling

More Than a Road Misadventure 

Jilomes

This is supposed to be a diatribe about a journey that went awry. It may as well stay true to my intention, or it may branch out into areas that I don’t know yet. I am composing this article on my phone, tapping gently on a screen, while my mind tries to avoid the nearby borders of grievous anger. Let me begin.   Continue reading “More Than a Road Misadventure “ →

NYSC, Travelling

Memories from Kaduna

Jilomes

“You have to redeploy. Find your way back home”. This aptly sums up the reactions of several friends and family members when they heard I was posted to the north. With Boko Haram making the news regularly, only a “fewish” few spoke nicely of Kaduna, and encouraged me to make the best of the service year. Today, certificate in hand, I can look back at one year of my life, and say it was a worthwhile experience. Here are my memoirs from the “Centre of Learning”. Continue reading “Memories from Kaduna” →

Inspiration, NYSC, Travelling

The ViMP 2016 Experience

Jilomes

From 6-12 March, a period spanning one week, 52 young Nigerians were camped together, and had the privilege of learning at the prestigious Lagos Business School. The participants were a motley crew selected from different states in Nigeria, with diverse academic backgrounds. Some were youth corps members, while others had just completed their service year. The common thread linking the participants was their high-flying nature. Each person was smart, had some form of leadership experience, and I had the privilege of being part of them. Continue reading “The ViMP 2016 Experience” →

Travelling

Ramblings of a Newly-Informed Novice

Jilomes

Travelling on Nigeria’s many formerly smooth roads is quite an experience. While I enjoy the changing scenery as buses, cars and trucks deftly navigate through cities, towns, villages and uninhabited stretches, my knees and bum groan at the torture they are forced to endure for hours without end. In between bouts of sleep, I listen to discussions by fellow passengers. Here are a few things I learnt from a recent trip. Continue reading “Ramblings of a Newly-Informed Novice” →

Travelling

Yet another Road Trip – Part 2

Jilomes

From Abuja, I headed to Keffi in Nasarawa State, hoping to reach Kaduna State via that route. Reaching Keffi just before 9pm, I considered staying there for the night, but decided to move on. Locating an Akwanga-bound vehicle, I sat in harmattan breeze-tempered amazement for the approximately one-hour journey to Nasarawa’s northern border. Continue reading “Yet another Road Trip – Part 2” →

NYSC, Travelling

Musings of a Rural Corper

Jilomes

As part of a national integration scheme, the government sends corps members (CMs) to different locations to “obey the clarion call and lift our nation high”. Most CMs prefer to be posted to developed areas (“towns”). For Kaduna State, Kaduna, the state capital, is a preferred location. The various military formations in the state, especially, the elite Nigerian Defence Academy, are also highly sought posting locations. CMs posted to rural areas are seen as the less-fortunate ones. Towns and rural areas have their pros and cons, but for many CMs, personal preferences are the superior criteria. The posting letters, when they come, show whose fantasies or nightmares come true. Continue reading “Musings of a Rural Corper” →

Change, Travelling

Education meets Culture

Jilomes

Different cultures have diverse mindsets about education. Sometimes, these views are convergent; at other times, they are as divergent as parallel lines that can never meet no matter the reference direction. In Nigeria, the various approaches to education from the North to the South span diverse shades of the colour spectrum, from black at one extreme, to white at the other extreme. Continue reading “Education meets Culture” →