The Accidental Diplomat

... ramblings from our South African+Mauritian adventure ...

2011-06-22T00:20:00.000-07:00

Confusion, as usual at murtala mohammed airport -- hence, late departure from lagos and late arrival in jo'burg -- but, very impressed by OR Tambo intl airport's facilities and colorful and spacious layout -- very thankful for our diplomatic passports that got us through immigration, baggage, and customs in record time (20 minutes!) -- on to the city hopper van for a drive to our first stop in our south african adventure -- watched a beautiful sun rise as we arrived at the Ann van Dyk cheetah center right in time for our early morning tour.

And, wow! First, we watched the center's famed cheetah run - 3 cheetahs taken through their morning run - awe-inspiring to watch the cheetahs accelerate from 0 to 60 mph in under 3 seconds! This was followed by extensive tours of the campus -- watched, filmed, and learned about caracals, african wild cats, antelopes, storks, king cheetahs, vultures, ostriches, antalusian hunting dogs, wild goats, impalas, hyenas, honey badgers, a multitude of birds, and, of course, africa's most maligned, grossly misunderstood, and probably one of the most devastating (and, now, almost extinct) hunter - the african wild dog!

The highlight of the day (on a day filled with highlights) - petting a cheetah - fantastic to stroke the pelt of this awesome predator!!

Finished off the day at the cheetah lodge with - a quiet walk through their beautiful herb-filled garden, perusing their library of bushveld wildlife books, doing kriya yoga on the lawn facing the setting sun, enjoying a delicious dinner (crunchy salad, pumpkin soup, basmati rice, veg curry, and an awesome dessert plate), followed by some quiet family time by the fireplace.

What we enjoyed immensely is what we miss the most living in frenetic Lagos - the absolute stillness and astounding quietness of the african bush.

A perfect first day and a great introduction to our 2-week South African/Mauritius field trip!!

Next day: early morning flight in to quaint little Hoedspruit airport, Kruger NP -- on the road, and suddenly, 3 giraffes, with one of them trying to kick down an electric fence to get to a female on the other side -- nice welcome to the Pondoro Game Lodge (part of the Balule Nature Preserve in Kruger) -- a quick lunch followed by an afternoon game drive -- more majestic giraffes, zebras, kudu, baboons (with one of them using a stick to pry ants out of a giant ant hill), water bucks, impalas, chameleons, and a family of startled warthogs that ran wildly when we chanced upon them -- the best part was coming upon 2 elephants drinking water out of a recently dug hole in the sand -- one of them was in a playful mood and mock-charged us and then showered us with mud and water several times -- the last time he did that and we screamed, he took off at a trot -- P's favorite animal among the big 5 putting on quite a show for us!
Back to the lodge at sunset for a delicious dinner under the stars -- our table is set on a raised wooden deck between 2 crackling wood fires and overlooking the Olifants river -- our meal is accompanied by the ever present sound of the rushing river and the increasing cacophony of a multitude of nocturnal jungle creatures -- early to bed followed by a knock on our door at 0515 - time for our early morning game drive -- this one proves to be the best one yet, as we go off-road (more on that later).

From today, our daily routine is set - wake up at 0515, off for a game drive at 0600, breakfast at 0900, followed by a bush walk, then lunch at 1300, followed by some quiet time (reading, napping), then off for our second game drive at 1530, back for the evening sherry at 1900, dinner at 2000, fireside time until 2130, bed at 2200. Perfect.

On our first morning game drive at Pondoro, we go off-road hearing of a leopard sighting on the radio - what a chase it turned out to be. We followed marked trails for a few clicks and then spotted an adult male leopard and started following him into the bush. We soon found out that he was stalking a small herd of bison -- we watched mesmerized as he crept along and we followed getting some quality 'face time' with the prince of the jungle. Cool. Our game drives that same day got us close to 3 rhinos munching away at vegetation, a large herd of elephants with 3 cute calves, some black-backed jackals, a family of baboons, some giraffes strutting their stuff, a few stupendously colored lilac-breasted runners, some daft guinea fowls running in front of us, kudu, impala, and a couple of white-faced owls standing sentinel in the dark as we returned home for another superb starlight dinner by a roaring fire.

Our first 2 days at Pondoro were magical for another reason - we were the only guests there and were treated like royalty. Customized game drives, specially prepared and served meals, and all the staff's energies and attention tuned towards serving us. We felt like we 'owned' the place!!

June 06 -- family safely in bed -- enjoying the perfect stillness of another african night -- on the deck, wrapped in blankets -- watching the orange and blue flames dance in the fire -- listening to the soothing sounds of the nearby river -- looking up to see a million stars and a crescent moon on display -- breathing in the cool breeze blowing off the Drakensberg mountains --- feel very grounded and connected and calm and blessed and alive.

The next day's game drive proved to be one of the best as we came face-to-face with the king of the jungle.

After 2 days and 5 game drives that had netted 4 of the Big 5 and countless other creatures, we drove for about an hour on Tuesday morning, before cresting a hillock and catching sight of a lioness in the distance. Racing to the spot we were startled to find an entire pride of lions walking leisurely along. From their distended stomachs it was apparent they had just feasted on a meal and were looking for a place to rest. We followed them over some rough terrain (thank you, land cruiser) to a clearing where the lions, 12 in all, settled in. For the next 30 minutes we sat a few feet away and watched in amazement as the pride settled into the clearing, while chatting with our guide in whispers. It was all quite peaceful as we continued observing the lions stretch, yawn, roll with their paws up in the air, and walk around trying to find comfortable spots to nap; some lions sitting down right on top of others!

Suddenly we heard a loud snarl coming from the rear of the jeep. We turned to see a young lion dragging one of our blankets from the back seat of our jeep. Luckily we were occupying only the first 2 rows; it would have been quite a different story if one of us was in that back seat and the young lion had tried to grab the blanket off one of our laps. When our hearts returned to beating normally, we turned our attention to the lions once again while keeping a wary eye for any more intrepid lions. We watched as most of them fell asleep, the heavy breathing causing their distended stomachs to rise and fall in a fast, rhythmic cadence.

Finally, satisfied with our few hundred close-up shots of the pride, we slowly backed out of the clearing and made our way back to our lodge, thrilled to have been part of some feline drama in the african bush.

Our last game drive at pondoro -- dhaika, more elephants chewing up vegetation in the dark (a fully grown african elephant will eat about 450 kgs of vegetation and drink 150 litres of water daily), buffalo, yellow hornbill, jackal, giraffes, and our favorite pride of lions - still napping after their meal this morning.

Morning transfer to Simbavati River Lodge on the Nhalarumi river after a quiet last morning at pondoro -- saw a 1-week-old baby giraffe (with the umbilical cord still hanging) with its mom -- settled into our chalet overlooking the river and saw some hippos in the water -- first game drive at Simbavati - and, right away, a pride of lions feasting on a zebra (including 2 very rare Timbavati white lions), and then, wart hogs, wildebeest, giraffe, impalas, baboons, and a lone bateleur eagle sitting on a tree (this eagle flies like a trapeze artist 'balancing' on its wings since it has no tail). Beautiful!

Similar routine here at Simbavati - morning and afternoon game drives, with our meals served in a tented dining room overlooking the river, and breaks spent watching wildlife from our deck. Early thursday morning - woken up at 0430 by the loud harrumphing/grunting sounds of our resident hippos -- morning game drive - more elephants, a large male kudu with a very impressive set of antlers, hawk eagles soaring overhead, a lone male bush buck, horn bills (yellow and red) that we were finally able to capture on film, and when we stopped for our mid-morning break on the wall of a dam, an orange-striped tiger snake clinging on to a crevice on the wall trying to swallow a scorpion!!

Early afternoon, pre-prandial nap disturbed by a vervet monkey sitting on our deck outside.
Game drive #8 - usual animal sightings (elephant, impala, kudu) and then - a leopard. Female, small, but still gorgeous; her sleek golden coat glistening in the evening sun. We follow the cat as she meanders on the track and off. She walks into some bushes and then explodes out as some birds scatter and we see her launch about 6 feet in the air unsuccessfully trying to catch one of the birds. Wow! We follow for another half-an-hour or so as she tracks a steenbok and then lose her among the thick underbrush. Back to the lodge for some castle and windhoek beer and dinner. Tomorrow is our last full day spotting game in the African bush.More impalas, hornbills, water buck, steenbok, kudu, baboons, giraffe, buffalo, and vervet monkeys; and, finally, the elusive, reclusive hyena (O's favorite animal and one he has been dying to see). This one was male and alone - we watched as it walked in and out of some bush, its spotted coat acting as perfect camouflage.

Wake up from an afternoon nap to observe an elephant walking up the opposite bank of the river; a little later on, spy a hippo swimming along, its snout and ears clearly visible above the waterline.

Our 10th and final game drive - antelopes, a giraffe family, wart hogs, elephants, water buck, 2 rhinos, 3 vultures (white-back and hooded) and a lone martial eagle sitting on a treetop, beautifully set against the setting sun. On the way home, spotted a female leopard resting in the brush; then spotted her kill (an antelope) wedged half way up a tree; and then a male leopard stalking nearby. We stop and watch these wonderful cats rest in the bush and watch with bated breath as one of them walks casually by our jeep just inches from our door - could've almost reached out and stroked its beautiful, gorgeous pelt.

A beautiful 'salakahle' (farewell) to our bush adventure.

Tomorrow, it's off to Jo'Burg.

Jo'Burg -- city of gold -- warthog burgers and roti -- curry and bunny wraps -- claimed as the world's largest urban forest -- 2 nights at beautiful Impangele guest house, next door to a bird sanctuary -- killer view from the living room windows -- all of us, of course, love the 6 lively, friendly resident Rhodesian Ridgebacks.

Apartheid museum -- entrance for whites and non-whites -- stark and poignant -- pictures and words chronicling the infectious spread of apartheid and the rise of the ANC and Mandela -- ultimately like any other oppression, a record of man's inhumanity towards fellow man -- on to the Africa crafts market, top floor of Rosebank mall -- R50 thai shoulder massages and bargains for the argumentative, amid many over-priced artifacts -- a fun half-day picking up knickknacks and watching street theatre, african style -- thai for dinner -- early morning flight to Mauritius for the third leg of our southern african adventure

Mauritius, 1800 sq km of verdant hills, sugarcane paddies, beautiful beaches, blue-green ocean -- Le Canonnier on the northwest corner of this delightful island, our home for 6 nights -- scuba diving in the mornings for me, relaxing on the beach or archery or table tennis in the afternoon for all of us, later, early dinner for the kids, candle-lit dinner by the pool for us, full-moon meditation on the beach before bed -- visited the US embassy and chatted with the charge d'affairs (wanted us to bid this post next!) -- shopping at the india hand loom house in port louis followed by a drive up a hill for a panoramic view of the historic Champs de Mars race course and surrounding hills -- on Thursday, while I was 80 feet under water following 3 graceful eagle rays and diving the stella maru wreck, p and kids visit the historic Pamplemousses gardens (giant water lilies, cat fish, massive ferns, beautiful flowers, ...) with some shopping at the Caudan Waterfront.

Enjoying some french, creole, and indian food, though slightly disappointed with the spread at Le C (a little too dull and uninspiring) -- funny to find Indian-origin folk who are more comfortable with french and euro cuisine, but don't know many of the standard Indian dishes! -- P talks to the exec chef, and presto, we get special veg food (some weird version of pongal, fried potatoes and pappad for breakfast, tofu curry masquerading as paneer masala, mauritian tamarind rice, etc) -- we are outnumbered by germans, and italians, french, and a few brits, who seem to love this place -- we are the token americans, though most mistake us for 'locals' :) -- live band every night - a drummer on a tama drum set, lead, and bass, striking up some cool jazz and blues tunes - we sit and listen and applaud, especially taken up by the light-touch drummer -- hansin is off collecting bottle caps -- and, we slowly, reluctantly wind down and get ready for our long trip back home. After 16 days with NO email and not having looked at a computer (aaah!), it's time to be connected again!

Memories we will carry with us forever --- the ubiquitous helmeted guinea fowl trying to outrun our jeep on the trails, esp. this one fowl that determinedly ran in front of our jeep for more than 500 meters before veering off into the bush; a young giraffe calf with its umbilical cord still hanging from its belly; a pride of 12 lions with distended bellies relaxing after a big meal; a young lion's snarl as he snatched a blanket from our jeep's back seat; learning about the many different antelope (kudu, impala, waterbuck, steenbok, roan, duiker); a young female leopard leaping gracefully in the air trying to nab a bird; rare white lions feasting on a zebra kill; a huge male buffalo with deformed horns rolling in the mud; sighting a rare spotted hyena slinking away into the bush; bateleur and martial eagles against a beautiful setting sun; a majestic giraffe trying to kick down an electric fence; enjoying 'sun downer' drinks in the middle of the bush; a cheetah zipping past us in a burst of speed; a pack of wild dogs yelping and whining while fighting over a meal; the vervet monkey sitting right outside our room and watching us; the group of wild, but tame, resident mongoose at pondoro game lodge that let us pet them; a surprised warthog family scurrying and leaping out of our way; the innocent looking, but lethal, honey badger scampering on the deck of the lodge; diffident hippos disappearing underwater at the slightest sound; the distinct sound of the go-away bird; the stunning colors of the lilac-breasted roller and the graceful red-billed horn bill; a leopard sauntering just inches from our jeep; a tiger snake trying to swallow a scorpion; diving the various wrecks around Mauritius; eagle rays brilliantly sillouetted against the aqua-green waters of the Indian ocean; the beautiful, beautiful beaches of Mauritius; and, finally, we will always remember, the thrill of a mock-charge by a playful baby elephant and ducking for cover as an adult elephant sprayed us with mud and water!!

Observing Elections ...

2011-04-26T13:40:00.000-07:00

I went into this process (as part of a larger team of neutral, international observers) slightly cynical and wanting the comp time it offered, more than the experience. After witnessing countless polling booths and hundreds of ordinary people patiently queuing up in the African sun, I came away a little chastised, a bit more educated about how & why democracy works, and quite fascinated by the whole process.

I have lived (& was raised) in the world's largest democracy; and I now call home, the world's oldest (modern) democracy. Having participated in many prior elections and having watched with disdain the politicking and the shenanigans (in India and Illinois), I did not expect much this time around ... in Nigeria.

I was pleasantly surprised ... by what I observed, but, also by what I learned.

Below are some (sanitized) snippets of my observations of the elections over the last few weekends:

From a couple of weeks ago: "Youth corps staff seemed quite dedicated and focused; crowds seemed cheerful; some arguments heard, mainly due to people cutting in line and/or the heat. ... At one booth, I asked 3 of the nysc women whether they had voted. They smiled and said no. One of them stated that she wasn't registered here. Similar stories at other booths. Strange that many nysc staff slog away at the polling booths over multiple weekends diligently allowing hundreds of thousands of nigerians to exercise their democratic right, but can't or don't vote themselves. Poetic injustice? A statement we overheard seems to neatly capture the essence of what we observed today: "not perfect, but good enough."
From a week ago: "The entire crowd of about 40, mainly males, were slowly, rhythmically counting off the votes as we walked in. Surreal, like a bunch of school kids learning math in a classroom ... Seems like the party is beginning early tonight."
From today: " ... am standing next to a group of about 25 moms (with their babes strapped to their backs) and they are getting impatient. Volunteers are now explaining the ballot paper to the queued voters. A young volunteer curtsied to an older woman sitting down in the booth and patiently explained the process to her. Things are quiet-ing down ... I am amazed at the single-minded determination of this (and other crowds) - waiting, waiting patiently to have their votes count and their voices heard. Thus, democracy spreads - in fits and starts - with some jostling, lots of arguing, and heavy doses of patience. Beautiful!"

Finally, throughout this process I was quite fascinated to observe the women - mothers, wives, sisters - who participated in this historic election quietly bearing the heat, the dust, the chaos, to have their voices heard.

And, I am in awe of the African Woman - she who walks many kilometers in the summer heat to be in line and on time to cast her vote; she who patiently waits countless hours, usually with her baby tied in a small bundle behind her back, to cast her vote; she who puts up with rude men cutting in front of her, but can hold her own place in line; she who is quite verbose when it comes to making her opinion count and voice heard; she who waits a whole day in line and yet has to be home in time to get dinner ready for the family; and, finally, she who, more than anyone else, has everything to gain from credible elections that may turn this country around and finally give her the peace, justice, and prosperity that have long been denied her.

The U.S. Navy Is In Town

2011-04-06T11:57:00.000-07:00

One of the Navy's Guided Missile Frigates docked here last night and US Navy personnel, in their usual understated style, began working on a number of community projects in/around town.

I accompanied the USN team today as they started a project at Tomaro Island. I worked along side a team of Seabees constructing desks & shelves at the island's community school. It was great to be out in the warm African sun working with the Navy's finest ...

... a nice, albeit hardworking, break from consular work!

It's days like these ...

2011-03-20T05:24:00.000-07:00

... started off the morning with some yoga and then it was off to participate in the 'Run for a Cure - Africa' ... walked/ran 6.5 km with hundreds of others across downtown Lagos. Then, it was back to the school grounds for a "concert" by someone who calls himself the "Liberian Michael Jackson" ... a quick nap, some lunch, followed by the 4 of us watching Fellowship of the Ring. Then off to a quintet performance by the Opera Di Milano horn players and a fantastic tenor performance by Giuseppe Veneziano. Back home for some panneer curry & rice while watching Quantum of Solace.

Yoga - run - concert - nap - food - movie - popcorn - nap - opera - food - movie. Aaah!

A rambling Blackberry-text account of our trip to Morocco & Tunisia

2011-01-13T10:44:00.000-08:00

... or, an account of our travels over the Christmas/New Year break.

Lagos, Nigeria: 3 a.m. start to the day; kids fairly cheerful as we head to murtala mohammed airport for our 'early' flight to morocco; the flight takes off 3 hours late! So much for rushing to the airport. The adventures continue at gate e52, where the concept of a queue degenerates into a mass of people jamming the entry way trying to get in. We do. And, wait a further hour for the flight to take off. Royal Air Maroc - anything but royal.

Casablanca looks gorgeous from the air - all green fields and rivers, with the atlas mountains framed in the distance. The slowest immigration officer on record hand writes us into morocco through the 'fast track diplomats' lane. After battling through a non-moving customs line, we miss our train to marrakech by 30 seconds!! We see it pull away as we run onto the platform. So, coffee it is, moroccan style. And, much needed restroom breaks.

The Ride to Marrakech: The train ride to marrakech is in 2 parts - a shorter trip to Oasis (near casa city) and then a 3-hour ride to "marrra-kosh" (as the locals pronounce it).

First class is all booked, so four second-class tickets, it is. A mass of people converge on the train as it pulls into Oasis. We aren't even done deciding which door to board when the conductor blows the whistle. As the train begins to pull away, the four of us and our mercifully light carry-on-only bags board the train - somehow. About 20 of us are jammed into the tiny vestibule space at the entrance. We hang on for dear life as I also try to close the door as the train reaches warp speed.

The smiles on my kids faces tell me that they think it's an adventure. We know that might not last. So, prasanna fights her way in and finds them a seat. Tired of standing, I spy the nearby luggage rack. Its wide berth is inviting. At the next stop when a lady off loads her luggage, I quickly climb up and settle down on the iron rack. Beats standing up for 3 hours, any day.

The train rumbles on as night falls.

After a while I spy prasanna getting tired of sitting on the arm rest of a chair and invite her to my lofty perch. At first doubtful, she gives in after a while and hops on to the luggage rack opposite mine. After settling in and smiling for a picture, she folds her legs, and promptly falls asleep.

The train rides on into the night stopping at numerous local stations. I sit and listen to the animated conversations of my fellow passengers in french and arabic. And older gentleman switches on his music player and out floats david gilmour singing: ... ... "the grass was greener ... the light was brighter" ... ... . His stunningly evocative sliding, steel guitar solo fills the compartment. I lean back and savor the music flowing through me.

Ah, ... Floyd! Perfect.

A couple of hours later as the train pulls into marrakech, a fellow standing next to me nods, smiles, and says, in broken/accented English: "you ... hindien." Knowing what he means, I nod and smile. We strike up a "conversation" and I learn that he is from casablanca and is traveling to visit his family for christmas. I tell him I live in the usa; he asks if my parents are in india; I keep lagos out of the loop, not wanting to complicate the conversation. Satisfied that he has me pegged for an indian living in the usa, my fellow traveler leans forward and says: "shashi kapoor; ah, singing and dancing." And then, "shah rukh khan ... good movies ... I like ... I watch ... in casa."

Bollywood, it seems, like its western namesake, is a cultural equalizer.

Marrakech: djemma el fna square, africa's biggest souk -- sand/limestone walls with holes -- goat heads on sticks -- snake charmers -- bonjour and salaam-alekum -- frankincense and spice shops -- well-laid out, clean roads -- petit taxis -- the imposing and impressive kotoubia mosque/minaret -- bargaining as sport -- all smoked-up -- crazy traffic -- herbal tea -- loud conversations -- strong mojitos -- stronger coffee -- pink and red buildings -- tourist=king (and sucker) -- curved daggers -- leather and silk and suede -- narrow alleyways -- dime-a-dozen 'historic' hotels -- fresh, tasty mediterranean vegetables -- authentic berber fakes -- silver, filigree work -- bread stuffed with eggs, meat, rice, ... -- late lunches, later dinners -- prayer calls from minarets -- big, round, hard bread as paperweight and dinner mainstay -- more bargaining -- non-smoker=pariah -- french and arabic -- rose-garden medians

More Marrakech: Orange trees and tangerines -- gare du marrakech -- oncf -- sidewalk cafes -- trains that run on time when you are not, and are late when you're prompt -- birds in cages and snakes around necks -- 17-kilometer wall thru the city -- the sultan's palace, only mental pictures allowed -- aeroport cafes with pricey coffee -- fresh: figs, dates, almonds, apricots, cashews, raisins, walnuts -- saffron -- mint -- 2-tone 10 dirham coins and purple/orange notes

Djerba Island & Southern Tunisia: Dinars in 1000s -- wild ride through the desert -- nomadic berber camps -- ksar ghilane, oasis with hot water from 1000m below -- olive and palm trees and shrub -- troglodyte houses built into the hillside -- sand dunes stretching into nothing -- camels twitching their noses and gurgling, with their tongue sacs hanging out -- sidi driss: lars family homestead, episodes 4 and 2 -- dar dhiafa hotel: beautifully restored tunisian home with alcove beds and scruffy & grinch, friendly resident cats -- bollywood fast food serving couscous royale and lamb -- magnificent arabian steeds ridden by bedoiun warriors -- plaintive sound of a lute from the nearby nomad camp -- silky soft sand, ground fine over millions of years at djerba beach -- djerba golf club & it's stunning 15th green overlooking the blue-green mediterranean, with om as cart driver and hansin as ball-boy!

Casablanca: winding sea-road -- imposing minarets of the 3rd largest mosque in the world -- midnight stop at Pizza Hut -- taxi-tour through the city -- friendly, tourist-filled, trendy, bustling, smoky, smoky, smoky, ...

Bumpy flight back on royal air maroc.

A Ghanian Thanksgiving!

2010-12-01T10:17:00.000-08:00

Among all the things I am thankful for, I am thankful for all of our travels.

Hansin just completed a school project that mapped his 'timeline' (from birth till date), and we were surprised to notice that he has visited, lived, or vacationed in over 13 countries (25+ cities) on 4 continents - and he is only 9 years old!!

This Thanksgiving we headed out to Ghana (a couple of countries west of Nigeria) for 4 days. We felt we needed a break after 4 fairly hectic months in Lagos, and what a break it turned out to be. We flew in to Accra with the Barnas (another consulate family living in Lagos). Johnny Lo, my A-100 classmate, hosted us in his home in Accra that first night. We went out for some fine Italian fare in Accra's Osu district and saw a bunch of locals dancing the samba to some sexy latin beats on the dance floor. Though the beats were catchy, we were just too tired after our travels to join them. Next time ...

Later the next day, after spending a relaxing morning at Johnny's place, we headed out to the local market, where Prasanna spent a couple of hours shopping for fabric & dresses; we had our cadence worked out just so -- Prasanna would go in try out a few dresses and pick the ones she wanted; I would then walk in a bargain, starting off by quoting about 25-35% of the stated price and buy it at about 40-50% off. Fun!

That afternoon, the 9 of us (the Arvinds, the Barnas, and their babysitter), headed out by road to the Cape Coast. We spent the next 3 days at the Elmina Bay Resort - walking on the beach, playing in the pool, visiting the nearby nature preserve and doing an amazing canopy walk 40m off the ground, followed by an equally amazing rainforest hike, swimming in the sea and the pool, drinking lots of club beer (juice for the kids :)), and generally lounging around in the sun & on the beach.

We also visited a few of the slave castles that dot the cape coast (Ghana was the epicenter of the slave trade during the 16th-19th centuries). (We heard that the Obamas visited the same castles on their trip here last year, and Michelle even traced her ancestry back to one of the castles - don't know if that's true.)

We also bought a couple of exquisite hand-carved masks; though I also wanted very much to buy an African drum, but couldn't work out a fair price with the vendor. Oh, well.

Now, back in Lagos and its incessant heat, and pollution, and dust, and noise, our thoughts are focused on our next break ... and newer adventures.

Happy Birthday Marines!

2010-11-21T09:37:00.000-08:00

Wow! Our very first Marine Ball was awesome. On this 235th anniversary of the U.S. Marine Corps, the marines in Lagos threw a classy, pomp-filled bash at the local Civic Center.

We came away impressed with the pageantry & symbolism of the event and thankful for the sacrifices made by these (& other) fine young men & women. Among all the speeches by the Ambassador, the CG, and our staff sergeant, the highlight definitely was the cutting of the cake with the ceremonial sword ... wish our kids could have seen this.

Gotta order my tux well in time for next year's event.

Trip #2 - Tomaro Island, Community Project

2010-11-07T10:15:00.000-08:00

Halloween at the CGR

2010-11-02T01:53:00.000-07:00

Post from a proud friend of ours ...

2010-10-16T08:09:00.001-07:00

http://woodlandtravels.blogspot.com/2010/10/standing-in-solidarity.html

Soccer @ home, Nigerian style!!

2010-10-03T04:21:00.000-07:00

... together ...

2010-09-28T10:10:00.000-07:00

So, with the dearth of stuff to do in Lagos (actually, there's lots to do, but with plenty of restrictions), there is a lot of participation in school activities ... and in-community activities ... and more school activities ...

... like, soccer and scouts ...

... So, with my current job that gets me out of work by 4 every day, I get to participate in a lot of my kids' activities and stay involved. Yay!

The partying hand

2010-09-24T15:07:00.000-07:00

So, it finally happened. After waiting for the shoe to drop ever since we heard we were going to Lagos, it finally happened.

It being, my hand getting hurt enough to be in a cast for 4 weeks. Blame it on the going-away party for the Hornings and a few over-enthusiastic marines at the dance club, but at least now we can relax. The worst is over. Now, we just kick back, relax, and enjoy the wild, fun ride that Lagos promises to be. :)

Community in Need: A request

2010-09-20T10:38:00.000-07:00

I am reaching out to you'all to see if you have clothes, toys, household items that you would like to donate - we will make sure that 100% of what is donated reaches the island's inhabitants and post regular feedback/pictures on our blog. We also need medicines, lots of it - malaria meds, antibiotics, pain meds (ibuprofen), and oral rehydration solution packets (in powder form).

After our first successful trip, we plan to "adopt" this island and help them out in the coming months and years.

So, if you do have 'clothes/soon-to-expire medicines/household stuff' that you wish to donate, please box them up and send them to:

Kris Arvind
8300 Lagos Place
Dulles, VA 20189

Just remember, you can NOT send liquids, aerosols, or batteries through the pouch;

everything else in a standard-sized box (~20-30 lbs) is OK.

Thanks so much!

Kris, Prasanna, Om, & Hansin.

The few, the proud, the brave! - one of our marines with an island child.

A Community in Need

2010-09-17T14:26:00.000-07:00

Wow, what a great day; after our usual half-day at the consulate on this Friday, and instead of heading off for drinks at the GQ, we headed out instead to this island barely 10 minutes away from Lagos. An island of (est.) 50,000 inhabitants - whose needs are numerous.

For instance, we learned from our RMO (who coordinated this whole trip) that they hadn't had any medical care/attention for the past 18 months; their only school is a building with 2 rooms and no supplies. So, off we went with our medical supplies and good cheer and spent 4 hours doing basic, primary care for the women, children, and men of Tamaro island.

I see a huge opportunity for our entire consulate community to get involved, provide very specific care & services to this community, and produce measurable results that benefit these island folk.

Stay tuned, since I will probably reach out to the greater (Foreign Service) community & beyond (to our friends worldwide) to see how we can all contribute and make a difference!

O da abọ!

An African Wedding

2010-09-11T13:22:00.000-07:00

Loud music, dancing, "showering" the bride/groom with money ... African style.

Back in Time - summer in DC!

2010-09-10T15:44:00.000-07:00

I am glad we took the time to visit many of the Capital's sights ...

Sworn In ...

2010-09-10T14:50:00.000-07:00

Picture from our swearing in ceremony at Main State ... many aeons ago!

23 going on 40!

2010-09-09T11:42:00.000-07:00

Wow, my body aches ... after 3.5 hours of non-stop tennis (a game I haven't played seriously in over 20 years). The American Club in Lagos has a good court and it being a long weekend (Eid holiday in Nigeria), a few of us from the Consulate headed out to play this morning. A few brisk rounds with the squeegees dried the court after the obligatory morning thunderstorm. It is still rainy season out here and the forecast for the rest of the week is identical - cloudy, warm (in the 80s), and with a definite chance of rain daily.

So, we played. Doubles. And, slowly, muscle-memory returned. All those tennis lessons from my pre-teen & teen years came back. I kept lunging around like I was 23; and, my body kept reminding me that I had two pre-teens of my own now. After tennis, we met a few other expats at the clubhouse while wolfing down club sandwiches.

Talk centered around the upcoming tennis match, opportunities to golf at the local course in Ikoyi, karaoke at someone's place tomorrow, a wedding (African style) that many of us are attending on Saturday, poker tonight, the upcoming Marine Ball, ...

It's looking like life in Lagos is going to be centered around sports and social events within the diplomatic/expat community. And, I'm cool with that; but, I/we also want to reach out to the local community and interact with our host-country nationals. And, travel, within Africa. Definitely.

Into Africa

2010-09-06T07:24:00.001-07:00

Well, after all the excitement of A-100 (which is the entry training for the U.S. Foreign Service) and finding out we were headed to Lagos, and our brief, but exciting, trip to New York, it's been quite a hectic couple of months. We are finally settling down quite comfortably in our new home in Lagos. Life is busy, but this new job does give me/us some time in the evenings, and hopefully, we can update this blog with tales of our adventures in Africa. Thanks to all of you for your wishes; please do think of visiting West Africa (& Lagos) even if it is on your way to more exotic locales!