Going away parties
Unfortunately someone once said that all good things must come to an end, and for us this came true for our time in Nigeria...
Don't get us wrong, there were definitely hard times, and working here is an interesting experience to say the least, but we've made such good friends here as well all go through the same stuff, and we've done some amazing things here that we'd never imagined back in oz - we're going to miss it all.
Most expats are in west Africa for the money (as it is VERY good - no complaints), so when we said we were sad to leave, we got a lot of blank looks like "why would you want to stay in this shithole rather than go to the States..?" Why? Coz, we've had so much fun with so many people, we've been part of people's families, both in the villages and in Lagos with Chris our driver...
So much so, that Chris actually secretly organised a party for us by himself!! Using his own money!! (ie about a months salary for the one night!!) It ended up being a hell of a last weekend in Lagos. Whilst juggling packing, getting visas and closing out everything here, we had a party every night for a few days, just to fit it all in. No one shys away from an excuse to have a party in Lagos, and we didn't do it any differently!!
Chris and I spent days driving around town buying up all the beer and food we could find. In the end, we got a bunch of the stewardesses working at 29 ikoyi (where we live) to help cut and skewer what seemed like a tonne of suya (spicy bbq skewers) - so much that it filled a few peoples freezers...
Whilst it was sad saying goodbye to everyone, the thing that got us was Chris. He was so proud to have work for both of us that he made a speech and presented us with a painting of George and I dressed up in local gear which he had taken when the three of us had taken our road trip up north the previous year. I was surprised to hear later that no one had ever heard of staff putting on a party for their boss with their own money and we felt like proud parents as Chris made his speech (a little teary)
Anyway, there's too many people to thank and to say "see ya later" to. We'll miss you all... enjoy the slide show (click on the "comments" icon next to the yellow man on the bottom LHS to see photo descriptions)
Don't get us wrong, there were definitely hard times, and working here is an interesting experience to say the least, but we've made such good friends here as well all go through the same stuff, and we've done some amazing things here that we'd never imagined back in oz - we're going to miss it all.
Most expats are in west Africa for the money (as it is VERY good - no complaints), so when we said we were sad to leave, we got a lot of blank looks like "why would you want to stay in this shithole rather than go to the States..?" Why? Coz, we've had so much fun with so many people, we've been part of people's families, both in the villages and in Lagos with Chris our driver...
So much so, that Chris actually secretly organised a party for us by himself!! Using his own money!! (ie about a months salary for the one night!!) It ended up being a hell of a last weekend in Lagos. Whilst juggling packing, getting visas and closing out everything here, we had a party every night for a few days, just to fit it all in. No one shys away from an excuse to have a party in Lagos, and we didn't do it any differently!!
Chris and I spent days driving around town buying up all the beer and food we could find. In the end, we got a bunch of the stewardesses working at 29 ikoyi (where we live) to help cut and skewer what seemed like a tonne of suya (spicy bbq skewers) - so much that it filled a few peoples freezers...
Whilst it was sad saying goodbye to everyone, the thing that got us was Chris. He was so proud to have work for both of us that he made a speech and presented us with a painting of George and I dressed up in local gear which he had taken when the three of us had taken our road trip up north the previous year. I was surprised to hear later that no one had ever heard of staff putting on a party for their boss with their own money and we felt like proud parents as Chris made his speech (a little teary)
Anyway, there's too many people to thank and to say "see ya later" to. We'll miss you all... enjoy the slide show (click on the "comments" icon next to the yellow man on the bottom LHS to see photo descriptions)
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