I do not know about you, but if there is one thing that brings me out in a cold sweat, it’s unrelenting traffic.

I don’t want to have to take it all the way to the extreme but people have been known to go to sleep and not wake up (as we like to say) after an epic traffic jam—the stress is just too much. Then you can picture what extra trauma my vivid imagination takes me through. I send up quarterly hourly prayers to the radiator gods that my car will not see fit to leave me stranded in the noon day sun while nurturing a very justified fear for my safety.

In a bid to be super-efficient this week, I decided to decamp to a hotel on the mainland closer to my office. No, I shall not be speaking about my hotel experience because I don’t believe in kicking a fella when he is down.

I can only imagine I am witnessing the attempted rising from the ashes of what was once probably a fully acceptable establishment. Staff cuts and new rules have not made for the best customer experience, but a less than stellar lodging is a sight better than eight hours a day in traffic.

Can’t wait to be back home among my worldly goods.

This is Oddbod and the City – My Lagos Adventure.

Black is King – An Experience by Beyoncé

While some of us were expending energy getting fat comfortably plump on quarantine snacks over the last few months, some others were working hard and putting us all on notice. Last week my social media feed was all about the Queen Bey and her newest creative efforts.

Available on Disney+ and, thanks to the clever chaps at DSTV, currently chilling in your catchup selection, this film is her loving homage to the black experience and subtly celebrating black womanhood, melding Black American and African music and culture in her way. The film is in its essence a retelling of Simba’s journey from boy to king, interspersed with poetry, dance, and music.
After my mad week at work, I came home to watch it. I must confess I was so very tired that I fell asleep the first time I tried it out for size.
It is about an hour and a half and in my defence, the mood and tempo drifted between intense and contemplative, poetic and fiery; it swung between being slow-paced and rather soothing in some scenes, while pulsating with out-of-this-world vibrancy the next.
Visually stunning, the fashion, landscape, and tour de force of African talent (Tiwa Savage, Shatta Wale, Oumou Sangré, Yemi Alade, Mr Eazi, Moonchild Sanelly and Wizkid, to get the naming party started) the love poured into creating ‘Black Is King’ is clearly evident.
I don’t have too much more to say about other than Wizkid, I truly love you. Call me!

 

Bad News Comes in Threes—The Lebanon Edition

This year has been unrelenting, illuminating, and the definition of growth is pain. It feels like nothing and nobody is exempt, and this week it seemed to be all about Lebanon.
It started in April with the frankly unbelievable story (I know how naïve I sound here) about a Nigerian woman who was put on sale on Lebanese Facebook (the mind boggles) for $1,000. Can we take a moment to really absorb that? Human trafficking is alive and kicking and disguised as “selling your house help” on Facebook!
Then last week, we are trying to work out how to repatriate 30 trafficked women back home from same Lebanon. What is the real solution to stop this slavery? There are too many heart-breaking stories of how a young woman gets lured into the trap of believing there is a better life for her “abroad” only to end up trapped and worse still for some, abused.

 

Finally, Tuesday evening.
I remember the feeling of absolute disbelief as I watched that second plane fly into the World Trade Center in 2001. My brain simply could not fathom what it was seeing. That same feeling washed over me again watching the explosion that rocked Beirut on Tuesday. My prayers and sincere condolences to the people of Lebanon.
The ripple of effects, loss of life and properties—including one of the city’s largest hospitals and essential food reserves—incalculable. I am sure the investigations will lay bare the awful knowledge that this tragedy, one of the biggest non-nuclear explosions in recent years, could have and SHOULD have been avoided.
Bringing it back home, we have had our fair share of incompetency-based disasters. What will be our big one? Who is protecting their own selfish interests at the very real risk of so many others health and safety? We’ve already had a gas depot explosion that levelled a neighbourhood.
2020, we hail you!
For more fun, flight, and fancy, check out my adventures on Instagram—@oddbodandthecity