Thursday, March 3, 2011

Lasgidi, through my eyes

Did you know;

1) People queue up for keke napep?
Underbridge Ikeja, in my own opinion, is a picture perfect spot for 'sights and sounds of Gidi'. That said, I will have you know that before now, I had always assumed long queues were synonymous to brt buses. So I hope you will understand the shocked expression I wore all day, after witnessing a brt-like queue yesterday under the bridge - and they all were waiting to board a keke.

2)You can buy secondhand anything in lagos?
If you've ever watched video clips of an end of year sales in some top shops abroad, then I bet you have an idea of what the aswani market along Isolo way looks like on its market day, with women and young girls of all ages, and class, in different states of deshabilles clamouring for the choicest picks - in other words, "first class pickings". I've had the opportunity to go browsing there, for bargains - or thrift shopping as my obodo oyinbo sisters will call it - and I can tell you firsthand, you will find anything you need there. From secondhand toilet soap (half used, and wrapped in a nylon of sorts), to secondhand weavons and attachments, and even to secondhand designer perfumes (this you'll see in dirty containers with their original concentration reduced by 10000. The sellers' excuses never changes - 'ermm madame, na the one weh custom reject be dis because dem no get packet', like duh!)

3) Some of the molue buses were once rejected metal scrapes, that were pieced together by some smart men?
Yes, true once again. The bus I boarded from barracks to ikeja, looked exactly like something pieced together by a mechanic I used to know in kwara (he was my neighbour during my NYSC days, and trust me, he knew his job, though all I ever saw him piece up, were old beetle cars- vintage huh?).
A chinese man when asked of what he thought about the amount of waste in lagos metropolis, said, 'I don't see waste here, all I see is wealth in raw cards.'
An apt description of the Lasgidi I see.