Hello Lagos!

Posted on by Glory Matthews

 

cropped-lagos-night-copyr.jpg
Lagos sunset or sunrise?



So, my new motto is this trending but still very valuable Gandhi’s advice :
″Be the change you wish to see in the world!″

In this blog, I will be focussing on good news which shows that Nigeria is indeed moving forward but in the middle of scarcity, allow me to also point out some flaws as several wake up calls are still very necessary. Don’t you think?

However I will also be monitoring my own behavior!

Reminders:

  1. To use the trafficators, EVERY TIME
  2. To keep out of the BRT* lane, AT ALL TIME!
  3. To greet people before I ask them for what I want (I know. I can be very rude sometimes!)
  4. To stay calm in traffic

This last one will take me some time to master as Lagos life can drive anyone crazy. Plus, you don’t want to be perceived as a door matt especially when a danfo* driver stops right in front of you in the middle of the road!

But I don’t like the person Lagos fever has turned me into!

I should be able to retain the incredible energy that shakes this city but let go of the anger.

So, Dear visitor, have a very nice day and keep calm in Lagos!

What does it mean?
BRT line: a lane dedicated to buses operating under Lagos State Bus Rapid Transit scheme
danfo :  used to describe an ugly bus, most of which are VW Combi buses or really old school buses that have gone through a lot – accidents, panel-beating, rusting, and more accidents. ( Definition retrieved from here : www.naijalingo.com)

 

5 thoughts on “Hello Lagos!”

    1. Thank you for your support, Marie! The talented Illustrator is named Ella. You can see some of her drawing work by clicking on the About page on the upper menu. and scroll down to the link.

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  2. I usually do all the reminders that you have listed above Glory Matthews, such as always using the trafficators. But recently I started using the BRT line on my way back home! Because there are too many cars who drive so slow and take up two lanes at a time! And after spending hours in traffic, I would like to move forward quickly when it’s actually free on the road. And just seeing other cars taking that BRT lane is a real temptation!…

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    1. I understand your plight, Alex, having to drive from V.I. to Surulere to get to work! However, I was once explaining to a taxi driver that when I just came from Europe, i was obeying all the traffic rules, but that I stopped because there was no way I could survive this Lagos if I tried to leave way to the traffic on my left for example, as not one, not even two, but ten cars will get in front of me and I will never be able to move. I was quite ashamed when he replied to me: But, if you, that know better, start behaving like the rest of us, who will show the way forward? Well, the wise thing to do is to do your best, but as they say in french : A l’impossible, nul n’est tenu, meaning: no one can achieve the impossible!

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