Post by Her Highness on Feb 4, 2016 5:24:38 GMT
10 Things I Love About Ibadan
Source
Segun Adeyemi lives in Ibadan. He once lived in Lagos. This article is the first of two. He writes about the things he loves about the city. If I had to write this topic 100 times, I will have different things to write. Ibadan, O Ibadan! Ibadan, a je igbin je ikaranun (Those who eat both snail and shell). There is a wide disparity between the rich and the poor more than anywhere I have seen. From the brown rooftops of Oje, to the heavenly New Bodija Road; Ibadan remains the best city in the world. Take it or leave it! I moved to Ibadan a few years ago after some torrid time in the city of no sleep–Lagos. I gained about 5kg in a month, lost my sense of timing and basically I can catwalk on the main road and blame the driver for carelessness. Life in Ibadan is bliss. Now, let me focus on the meat of the article. Here are the ten things I love about Ibadan, in no particular order of preference.
1. Transportation: if you have ever lived in Lagos, Ibadan transportation system to you would be heaven. You can decide to leave your house ten minutes before a scheduled meeting and still be there on time. I once spent over four hours from Oshodi to Ikorodu. While the highest I have spent in traffic in Ibadan is about 15 mins, no thanks to the tanker that got burnt between Iwo Road and Challenge. This blissful transport experience makes me conclude that Lagos’ go-slow is Ibadan’s traffic. And no, do I have to write about the affordable transportation?
2. Price Of Food Stuffs: I once assumed everyone in Ibadan were farmers considering the ridiculously low prices of food stuffs. Not every food stuff is cheap but fresh food stuffs like pepper, tomatoes, for instance. You can go and charter rice from Badagry in Lagos for prices as low as half of the selling price, those are imported goods. The prices of the food stuffs that are not imported make me scream at times and some women would still negotiate that price like they want it for free.
3. Ibadan Ladies: As a bachelor, one of the first things you would notice in a new area are the ladies. Most of the typical Ibadan ladies have one general characteristic: their big behind. Mere staying on a street, you can’t help but notice that. Little wonder Ibadan has so many bus-stops named Idi (Buttocks) something
4. African Timing: Everybody is different and there is no rule that affects all which literally means majority carries the vote. I was once late to a meeting in Lagos for just a minute and I lost the contract. In Ibadan you can stroll in to the venue of the meeting an hour after the scheduled time, surprisingly the other party(s) that is supposed to be at the party might still be on his/her way. I bet this happens more than 6 of every 10 cases. I don’t know why I like this though!
5. Road Network: I must praise the past and present administrations of Oyo state for this. Maybe it is because it is a state capital but none the less, the city is wonderfully networked. Every road in Ibadan leads to major places in the city. For example, from Challenge, you can connect Molete, A road from Molete leads to Dugbe, or Sango. From Dugbe you can get to Gate, from Gate back to Iwo Road, back to Challenge, through different routes but ultimately the same place. It makes the whole city feel so small. Read the remaining five next week.
6. Names: I have heard some names that seem to me, to be made specially for Ibadan people. Names like Suraju, Sule, Saki, Memu, Medi. I wonder if these names weren’t nailed to the cross at Golgotha. All due respects to Moslems but this is not a religious case. I attended a church where a child was christened “Oluwasboriogunninuogbagestimani” (the Lord was victorious in the garden of Gethsemane). I held my breath for 24 hours after. It was also in Ibadan that I heard a name called Agbekele (Hope, Trust or Belief).
Like that is not enough, the names they give livestock, you will laugh to tears. I was in a community on some sort of investigative journalism and I had to be with some children. A child saw a goat and called it “Tantolorun” (Who can compare with God?) and the other children chorused “Emi O to olorun o” (I am not up to God). All that for a goat, it had better produce so much meat that I won’t finish in a year. Another goat was named Iberu (fear). Please what is fearful about a goat?
7. Enlightenment Of The South-West: Ibadan is not home to many literates but we all cannot deny that enlightenment of the South-West or probably the whole country started from Ibadan. The first skyscraper in Nigeria, Cocoa House. The first glass house in Nigeria, Femi Johnson. The First TV station In Nigeria, NTA Ibadan. The first Stadium in Nigeria, Liberty Stadium. The First University in Nigeria, University of Ibadan and so many. The largest Shoprite Mall in West Africa, for now–don’t ask me how that shows enlightenment. Fuji Music also started in Ibadan.
8. Social Joint Vs Schools: I might be tempted to place a bet on this even if the stake is my life. The number of joints in Ibadan is greater than the number schools. Well in my area, Bodija, we have Ice Cream Joint, Food Joints, Suya Spots, hotels, guest houses and lots of others; we also have many schools. But a ratio of 17 joints to 9 schools speaks much of what Ibadan people like to do. But then, you will now hear people saying Ibadan people don’t know how to enjoy life? What does that mean?
9. Most Ibadan Boys Are Chelsea Fans: Up Blue, “Shesi” (Chelsea), Morio (Mourinho) are the common words on match days. Trust me when it is time for Chelsea games, tranquility engulfs Ibadan except the viewing centres. Many say Ibadan boys are thugs. I don’t know about that. But I hear that they hold this fuji star, Saheed Osupa, in high esteem; and as a celebrated Chelsea fan, he likely sold the love of the club to them. That is simple, I guess.
10. It can be your time at any time: In Ibadan, a 50-year old man can be a bus conductor. A 60-year old man can be an okada rider. It makes me wonder if he is married and how he can feed his family with such infinitesimal proceeds? The present King was crowned at over 90 years of age and there are many others in their 90s on the queue to be the next king. In Ibadan, all things are possible. There is that strong belief that the tides can turn around for good even in your old age. It seems like the city of dreams. Who will write us our own Ibadan dream, like the American dream?
Ibadan, city of dreams, of possibilities, of ambivalence. I have a deep feeling that somewhere in Ibadan, a hotel may have a pit latrine instead of water closets. Have you seen one?
Source
Segun Adeyemi lives in Ibadan. He once lived in Lagos. This article is the first of two. He writes about the things he loves about the city. If I had to write this topic 100 times, I will have different things to write. Ibadan, O Ibadan! Ibadan, a je igbin je ikaranun (Those who eat both snail and shell). There is a wide disparity between the rich and the poor more than anywhere I have seen. From the brown rooftops of Oje, to the heavenly New Bodija Road; Ibadan remains the best city in the world. Take it or leave it! I moved to Ibadan a few years ago after some torrid time in the city of no sleep–Lagos. I gained about 5kg in a month, lost my sense of timing and basically I can catwalk on the main road and blame the driver for carelessness. Life in Ibadan is bliss. Now, let me focus on the meat of the article. Here are the ten things I love about Ibadan, in no particular order of preference.
1. Transportation: if you have ever lived in Lagos, Ibadan transportation system to you would be heaven. You can decide to leave your house ten minutes before a scheduled meeting and still be there on time. I once spent over four hours from Oshodi to Ikorodu. While the highest I have spent in traffic in Ibadan is about 15 mins, no thanks to the tanker that got burnt between Iwo Road and Challenge. This blissful transport experience makes me conclude that Lagos’ go-slow is Ibadan’s traffic. And no, do I have to write about the affordable transportation?
2. Price Of Food Stuffs: I once assumed everyone in Ibadan were farmers considering the ridiculously low prices of food stuffs. Not every food stuff is cheap but fresh food stuffs like pepper, tomatoes, for instance. You can go and charter rice from Badagry in Lagos for prices as low as half of the selling price, those are imported goods. The prices of the food stuffs that are not imported make me scream at times and some women would still negotiate that price like they want it for free.
3. Ibadan Ladies: As a bachelor, one of the first things you would notice in a new area are the ladies. Most of the typical Ibadan ladies have one general characteristic: their big behind. Mere staying on a street, you can’t help but notice that. Little wonder Ibadan has so many bus-stops named Idi (Buttocks) something
4. African Timing: Everybody is different and there is no rule that affects all which literally means majority carries the vote. I was once late to a meeting in Lagos for just a minute and I lost the contract. In Ibadan you can stroll in to the venue of the meeting an hour after the scheduled time, surprisingly the other party(s) that is supposed to be at the party might still be on his/her way. I bet this happens more than 6 of every 10 cases. I don’t know why I like this though!
5. Road Network: I must praise the past and present administrations of Oyo state for this. Maybe it is because it is a state capital but none the less, the city is wonderfully networked. Every road in Ibadan leads to major places in the city. For example, from Challenge, you can connect Molete, A road from Molete leads to Dugbe, or Sango. From Dugbe you can get to Gate, from Gate back to Iwo Road, back to Challenge, through different routes but ultimately the same place. It makes the whole city feel so small. Read the remaining five next week.
6. Names: I have heard some names that seem to me, to be made specially for Ibadan people. Names like Suraju, Sule, Saki, Memu, Medi. I wonder if these names weren’t nailed to the cross at Golgotha. All due respects to Moslems but this is not a religious case. I attended a church where a child was christened “Oluwasboriogunninuogbagestimani” (the Lord was victorious in the garden of Gethsemane). I held my breath for 24 hours after. It was also in Ibadan that I heard a name called Agbekele (Hope, Trust or Belief).
Like that is not enough, the names they give livestock, you will laugh to tears. I was in a community on some sort of investigative journalism and I had to be with some children. A child saw a goat and called it “Tantolorun” (Who can compare with God?) and the other children chorused “Emi O to olorun o” (I am not up to God). All that for a goat, it had better produce so much meat that I won’t finish in a year. Another goat was named Iberu (fear). Please what is fearful about a goat?
7. Enlightenment Of The South-West: Ibadan is not home to many literates but we all cannot deny that enlightenment of the South-West or probably the whole country started from Ibadan. The first skyscraper in Nigeria, Cocoa House. The first glass house in Nigeria, Femi Johnson. The First TV station In Nigeria, NTA Ibadan. The first Stadium in Nigeria, Liberty Stadium. The First University in Nigeria, University of Ibadan and so many. The largest Shoprite Mall in West Africa, for now–don’t ask me how that shows enlightenment. Fuji Music also started in Ibadan.
8. Social Joint Vs Schools: I might be tempted to place a bet on this even if the stake is my life. The number of joints in Ibadan is greater than the number schools. Well in my area, Bodija, we have Ice Cream Joint, Food Joints, Suya Spots, hotels, guest houses and lots of others; we also have many schools. But a ratio of 17 joints to 9 schools speaks much of what Ibadan people like to do. But then, you will now hear people saying Ibadan people don’t know how to enjoy life? What does that mean?
9. Most Ibadan Boys Are Chelsea Fans: Up Blue, “Shesi” (Chelsea), Morio (Mourinho) are the common words on match days. Trust me when it is time for Chelsea games, tranquility engulfs Ibadan except the viewing centres. Many say Ibadan boys are thugs. I don’t know about that. But I hear that they hold this fuji star, Saheed Osupa, in high esteem; and as a celebrated Chelsea fan, he likely sold the love of the club to them. That is simple, I guess.
10. It can be your time at any time: In Ibadan, a 50-year old man can be a bus conductor. A 60-year old man can be an okada rider. It makes me wonder if he is married and how he can feed his family with such infinitesimal proceeds? The present King was crowned at over 90 years of age and there are many others in their 90s on the queue to be the next king. In Ibadan, all things are possible. There is that strong belief that the tides can turn around for good even in your old age. It seems like the city of dreams. Who will write us our own Ibadan dream, like the American dream?
Ibadan, city of dreams, of possibilities, of ambivalence. I have a deep feeling that somewhere in Ibadan, a hotel may have a pit latrine instead of water closets. Have you seen one?
