Mana Shah - Facilitator

I cant remember how many people have told me that "we Indians are very unique"; "this can happen only in India"...well just a week in Nigeria and I have learnt that perhaps Indians are not so unique after all! What should I start with...lets say the constant honking on the roads, the anywhere-pee policy, vendors on the sidewalks selling anything under the sun, the low priority pedestrian status, the dilapidating condition of the taxis and buses to the larger issues of lack of quality education, corruption, poverty, conservative attitude towards girls, lack of livelihoods etc etc etc.... The best one was last night...I swear when I heard the dogs barking at 4 am...I felt right at home:) But despite all of this, Nigerians are happy people...you see smiles, you hear laughter, you smell pepper, you hear "welcome, welcome, welcome"! I have felt so much warmth and love here in just a few days and it is indeed this that holds for me the promise of an unforgettabl...

Pidgin english originated in Africa...The early explorers, navigators, and sailors found it difficult to communicate with the natives. On part of Africans, there was keenness to explore new ways of communicating with their visitors. And there developed "Pidgin", a version of English very unique to certain countries in Africa, Nigeria being one of them! Pidgin is spoken widely in south, so since I am in Lagos, I would ahve to learn this one to be able to connect with the locals including my co-workers, my neighbours, my vendors etc... Its very much like english but with certain different words...like, "how are you children?" would become "how your pickin them?"...."You go smell pepper"...means "You will ahve hard life.".... So as they say in Pidgin..."I dey manage"...meaning..."I am coping well."!

Its very impolite to walk into an office and not greet everyone...Nigerians love people and they love to ask about your family, your children and at times they have to clarify that "we are not being nosy...just want to know how you are!" I have already got a taste of that on the plane and also at the training... One more interesting thing I found out is that if a Nigerian tells you " Oh, you look fat !" it actually is a compliment! They mean to say that you look healthy and you look well... I hope to gain some kilos then...