Week 4: Kelly’s Last Week In Nigeria
So this will be my last post from Nigeria. Tomorrow (Tuesday the 1st of August) I fly out of Lagos, touch down in London for 24 hours and then head to California. I am looking forward to spending some time with my family, but am so sad to be leaving Mike. At the same time, I cannot imagine being here much longer. When you are not working, there really isn’t much for a gal to do!
Here is a peek at our last week here in Lagos, Nigeria.
We had decided before we got here that we wanted to purchase some local clothing to take home with us. We met with a lady in our home, but it was not quite what we were looking for…And VERY expensive. So we kept looking. We happened to go to a local craft market and came across a shop that had the PERFECT dress for me! The price was right
and within 20 minutes she and her staff had tailored it for a perfect fit. Then came Mike. There was nothing there he was crazy about, so the lady offered to make one for him. Mike picked out the material he wanted and Walla! We now both had authentic Nigerian outfits. Here is a picture of the market and the group making them.
Friday at work is casual day at the office. So Mike got to wear his new shirt and pants. It just so happens that he was also leading focus groups that day. 
That’s right! Mike’s SRG days came in handy in Nigeria. He is now an international moderator. He was running groups for the bank to help on their project.
As with the other weekends, we went out on Friday. We found some great live music. We had a great time at De Grotto, listening to the band play all the old hits. Let’s just say one of the first songs was Lady in Red and an hour later we were dancing to Madonna. Absolutely classic. We had a great time. Saturday was spent lounging, well at least for Mike and I. Since I am leaving we just took off by ourselves and sat at the pool at a local hotel. While we were there, Lijun and Jayne were stuck in traffic for about 5 hours trying to drive a few miles. We were glad not to be in the car. Instead we lounged, walked for ice cream and stopped off at an internet cafe. That night we also went to an Italian restaurant and enjoyed a pizza together.
Sunday was awesome. Mike, Jayne and I headed to church. The service runs from 9 - 11:30. There was singing and dancing and a few messages given. We felt right at home - mostly because we wore our new outfits. The message touched on letting God take care of life’s storms. That he 
knows the perfect mix for each of us in our lives. There will be joyful times and sad times, but the Lord is always there in the midst. So call on Him!
Here is a picture of all of us after church wearing our Nigerian attire.
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Class Of 96 - Laser Optics Picture
Probably the most disappointing part of being in Nigeria will be missing my 10-year reunion on August 5th. My old Laser Optics teacher just emailed out a picture from our class — boy did that bring back some memories. I’ll let you look at the picture and try to find out who I am.
If any former Pomona High Schoolers are reading this just know I miss the Big Black! Have a great time and I guess I’ll see you at the 15 year reunion.
Go Panthers,
Mike
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Video: A Day In The Life In Lagos
| An Oxford MBA team is spending 8 weeks in Lagos on a consulting project with Access Bank. In the next 3.5 minutes, mcfaddenplace productions will take you to where the team, Jayne Thorpe, Lijun Jiang, Timothy Ojo, and Michael McFadden, are working diligently on their task at hand. Be on the watch out for a special guest appearance by Kelly McFadden. | |
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Weekend 3: The Beach!
This last week was filled with some ups and downs. As with anything when you are working hard and abroad, the middle weeks can be the toughest. The long hours start to get to you, you miss the food you are used to and the adventurous spirit that brought you where you are isn’t quite as amped as before. For the most part, Nigeria has been wonderful. The people are kind and welcoming (except during traffic, but, hey, same as LA right? Traffic can make the nicest person an animal.)
Of course, we made it through the week, with the team working from early in the morning until late. I decided to mix things up a bit and spent a day at Terra Kulture enjoying the cafe and took another day to meet Mike for lunch. Mike and I also got a chance to see Superman one night after work and it was nice to get out and about just the two of us. But as with anyone working hard, it is the weekend that you most look forward to. And this weekend, we definitely enjoyed ourselves. Friday night we headed out to a newer place called “Soul Lounge.” We enjoyed ourselves at this trendy stop with friends from the Access office and a visit from Mike’s classmate Dapo (shown right with Jayne).
Saturday morning, Mike and I got up early and headed to a local cafe that we had found. We sat for a few hours sipping on coffee for him and a fruit smoothie for me. We played backgammon and chatted. It was a wonderful way to start the day. From there, we walked home and then hopped in the car and headed to Oba Elegushi Market (pictured on the far right). 
It is a local crafts market with tons of
African souvenirs. We had fun poking around and even bought a few mementos to take home. We spent the late afternoon lounging around watching the British Open, felt like home, before heading out for dinner and then meeting up with some friends for an Ice Cream at Chocolat Royal - the same stop we had had breakfast at that morning. The picture on the right is of some local kids playing football in the street on our way to breakfast. I love that they are using old tires for goals!
But the true highlight of the weekend was Sunday. Up early and at church at 8, we met some locals and joined them for Sunday School at a church just a block away. Sadly we had to leave early as
we had made plans to go on an excursion to the beach. But what a day it was. It was our first day since we have been here that had more sunshine than clouds. After taking a 30 minute boat ride, we spent the day on lounge chairs listening to the waves crash a few
feet away. At 1, we were called into lunch and enjoyed a delicious Nigerian meal with both surf and turf and sipped on ice cold cokes. The rest of the afternoon was spent playing volleyball, ping pong, swimming and Mike even got into a football game with some of the local children and other tourists who were with our group. Mike and I are a bit red today but we couldn’t be happier! It was a relaxing and wonderful day. Besides our group and the locals, there were only a few others on this island beach. It was remote and wonderful to be away from the honking and sirens that are non-stop all over this city. We feel refreshed and renewed for the rest of our adventure.
So now it is Monday. Mike is back to work, and I am working on my talks for YSSC, writing my monthly devotionals and getting a swim in a few days a week. I only have one more week left to be here, so I will make the most of it and be sure to do one last update before I leave next week.
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Weekend 2: Live Performance
Well, you may be wondering why the blog’s I write are titled based on the weekends. The answer to that is simple, there is not much going on during the week. As I mentioned in an earlier blog, Mike and his SCP group do not get home until after 8 or 8:30. Two things happen then, we sit down and have dinner (I have cooked for the group and so has Lijun and Emanuel - our friend and helper) and the drivers need to get home. So unless we are buying some groceries, for the most part we are in the Guest House by 8:30 on weekdays.
So that brings us to our second weekend. Friday night we headed out with Gebode, again. He has now been our WONDERFUL host two weekends in a row. He is really nice, and super fun. He also seems to know everyone everywhere and is never at a loss for things to do. Here he is pictured with Lijun, Jayne and myself.
Next is a picture from the outside of the National Theater on the Lagos mainland. We fought through unbelievable traffic on Saturday trying to get to the crafts area near the theater. Turns out it is closed on Saturdays. Ooops. So we went across the street and walked
through a small history museum in the theater. It was neat to learn a bit about the history of Nigeria although it was a bit hard to hear, because there was a wedding going on right below us. The Nigerian’s really know how to throw a party! The picture next to it is from the bridge heading back to Lagos Island. I know I have shared before about how people sell things on the street, but this was truly unique. In this case, the bridge was almost closed down because there were so many people walking over it selling there goods (fruit to cleaning supplies to baskets, etc.) In one spot, a van had parked and was selling out of the back of their car. It felt like LA traffic…it took 45 minutes to move a mile.
That’s right. Mike got his haircut on Saturday when we got back. I know Mike will share more about his experience soon, so be sure to check the website and blog later. We stopped at the Eko Hotel to look at crafts (Mike and I had actually been there earlier playing tennis. Much like Wimbledon we got rained out. But we were glad to be outside.) The Eko Hotel is the only 5 star hotel in Lagos, although there are rumors of a Hyatt coming soon.
Later that night we ate with Robert and Wei (the amazing couple that lets me come to their home each day to be on the internet and swim) at a Thai restaurant. It was delicious! Probably my favorite meal since we have been here. After we ate, we went to the popular club “Thistle” on Victoria Island. There was a band their energy was contagious. Definitely my favorite club that we playing. The music was awesome. The guys were jamming and have been to.
Sunday was also jam packed. We headed off on an adventure to find the Lekki Art Mart. Instead of finding that, we (from left to right: Dele - our new friend and driver, Jayne, Lijun, & us) ended up at the Lekki Nature Reserve. I had read about it and knew that we
would have the chance to see monkeys and
alligators. We were
excited for our adventure and not sure what to expect. What we did see was snakes (ew!), crabs, birds and lizards. And there is proof on all of our ankles that there were plenty of mosquitoes there too. One of the highlights was the tree house. We got to sit up in the canopy of a tree and look out. It felt like the Swiss family Robinson. That’s me climbing up the steps of the ladder. The other picture is of Mike on the boardwalk that takes you through the swamp. There were some parts of it that need a little work done. Although we were a bitten a bit, we are still glad to have been able to walk around without hearing the sound of horns. Definitely worth the walk and the N300 it cost us (roughly $2.50).
The last thing we did on Sunday was visit Terra Kulture. It is located close to where we live. We went to see a live performance by a local group that really captured the essence of old Nigeria and the more modern world. The performances were full of energy and we loved seeing the show. This was a definite highlight of our time in Lagos.
Well, I think that is about all to report. Week 3 has begun and Mike is back to the grind. It is hard to believe I am only here for two more weeks. Guess I will continue to make the most of it and the most of our weekends!
Hugs to everyone back home.
Kelly
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Weekend 1: A Necessary Break
Well, we have made it through our first week in Lagos, Nigeria. Here is a bit more of a glance at our time here so far.
The first picture you see on the left is a picture of the pool where I spend quite a bit of my time. As I mentioned before, I am able to go to one of Mike’s coworkers home each day and enjoy their pool, gym and internet for which I am eternally grateful. Think I would have gone stir crazy by now without their generosity. Lagos is not a “walk around” city for lack of a better expression. Mike and I have been plucked from the world of walk everywhere England, to drive everywhere Lagos. And without a downtown type area, there are not really any places to drive to.
Next a picture of what Mike and I call Nigerian Frogger. A part of the reason there are not very many shops to go to is because you can buy just about anything and everything as you drive along the road. The route onto Victoria Bridge is one place where there are always tons of people walking through the traffic selling goods. You can buy bread, fruit, nuts, clocks, phone cards, dvds, watches, sunglasses, etc. Probably our favorite thing we have seen for sale so far was a tripod. It is unreal. We are planning on going to one of the markets this weekend. So we’ll see what we find there, but I have a feeling it is more of the same.
This next picture is from our night out on Friday. We were taken out by Gebode (spelling probably not correct). First we went to The Gallaria which housed a movie theater, book and music store, restaurants and a bar. We grab a drink at the sports bar and then headed to go dancing. We ended up at a place that is a chinese restaurant by day and a club by night. It was very nice and we saw quite a few other expats there. After that we headed to Ynot. That is what the picture is of. Mike played pool with a guy for about an hour. They just kept playing and trading off who was winning. It was fun to watch. But we decided to call it a night after that. We were escorted to our car and patient Ola took us home from there. We were planning on hitting some markets and such on Sunday, but have now learned that everyone goes to church on Sunday and most things are closed. Goal for this next weekend: do fun things on Saturday, go to church and beach on Sunday.
Last I wanted to introduce you to our first big bug. We knew they were coming. Mike fought against (and won) this gigantic cockroach. It was in our bathroom. My hero.
We will have more updates later this week. Mike was in the capitol, Abuja. He said it is totally different. He arrives home late tonight. I can’t wait to see him!
Hugs to you all from Nigeria.
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And Now, The Moment You’ve All Been Waiting For…
Pictures from Nigeria!!
First a look at the “Guest House”
The far pictures is of the front door. That’s our pad! The closer one is from the steps looking back towards the guard gate.
Next are a few pictures from the inside. The Giant room Mike and I share, and the downstairs common area for the four (soon to be five) of us.
Right: 8am and the gang is off to work. Ola, our trusty driver, picks them up promptly so they can head in.
Below is a picture from Command Central, Access Bank. Tim, Mike & Lijun are hard at work in the conference room
that is now their office.
Hope that satisfies some of you curious family and friends for now. I am sure we will post some more after the weekend.
Hugs from Nigeria,
The McFaddens
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Day 3 In Nigeria
Well, I would say we are starting to find a little bit of the routine here in Lagos. At 7am the alarm goes off and we hop out of bed. Mike gets in the shower, dresses and then we all gather downstairs and eat some breakfast. Usually by 8:15 we get in the car and Ola (our driver) takes us to work. When we get in, he is has his music playing. I think of it as Rasta Gospel music. We meander down the roads to Access Bank where the MBA’s are hoping to leave a mark. They get out of the car and head up the steps, and I (Kelly) stay in the car and head to Robert’s house. The time: 8:30.
Robert works for Access Bank and has been here for a few months. His girlfriend, Wei, arrived only a few days before us. They offered up there place for me to go to, use the internet, swim in their pool or use their work out facilities. Wei works from home in the morning (she is a translator), so I busy myself using the internet, writing, working out or reading on the couch. Then in the afternoon when she is done, we head out to run errands or explore a bit of Lagos. It is a huge blessing to have someone who is in the same situation and to have somewhere to go with someone who knows a bit more about Lagos than me (she spent two weeks here a few months ago).
Anyways, Mike spends his day in meetings right now. A lot of what they are doing is learning about the bank. It is a crash course in Access and Nigerian banking. They have visited a few of the branches and I believe they will be sitting in on focus groups today and tomorrow. That should be especially interesting for Mike who spent a lot of time at SRG working with and leading focus groups.
Around five or six, I head back to “The Guest House.” I think some days I will cook and some days I will read or just wait for the gang to get home. Either way, they arrive somewhere around 8:30pm (yes, a 12 hour day and that is not considered overtime in Nigeria) we all make/eat dinner and the last few nights have watched the World Cup. Mike actually discovered yesterday that we have ESPN on our TV, considering that he has not watched that since we left last summer, he responded as any kid in a candy store would.
So that is basically what we have done so far. I am sure this basic schedule will be peppered with trips to the markets, random excursions, and some nights out at the clubs (Nigeria is famous for them), which I will be sure to report about. But with how hard these guys will work, they will mostly be relaxing in the evenings and getting ready for the next day.
Pictures are coming…
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Arrived
Hey –
Just wanted to let you know that we made it to Lagos. The flight was uneventful, but that is the kind we like: A movie, a wonderful Nigerian chicken and rice dish, a nap and a few games of backgammon and we were there. When we arrived, there was a driver and car waiting for us and helping us navigate from the airport. It was an hour drive to Victoria Island. Since the work day in Nigeria is 8am to 8pm we actually were driving during rush hour. The roads were packed. Luckily we were driving against the traffic, so for the most part we had a non-congested ride. It was dark when we got in, not quite like the late light of England which stays bright until 10! So we were unable to see much of our surroundings. In certain areas there were quite a few people all along the sides of the roads. When we asked Tim (one of Mike’s classmates who is Nigerian) about this, he explained that it was people waiting to catch the buses home. Certain parts of the streets were lined with vendors, cars and people crowding and attempting to get food and get home. As we expected the driving here is not the organized system we are used to. It is every man for himself. If you want to move forward you find the open spot and take it before the person next to you does. Not a blinker, but two little honks lets you know that you are merging.
The first thing we did once in Nigeria (besides navigating the streets) was get some food. When in Nigeria, do as the Nigegrians…we went for Chinese. Lijun, who is from China, was very pleased with this choice. And in fact, actually said it was just like home. It tasted just like home to me to. It was a great meal and a very nice restaurant. From there we headed to our new home. “The Guest House” is near where Mike and his team will be working. If you decide to come for a visit, to get in, you simply need to pull up to the gate and lay on your horn. If you do this, a man named Emmanuel will come out and open the gate for you. Emmanuel is our resident helper – he will be helping with all our basic needs while we are there – food, ironing, household upkeep, etc.
Let me take you inside. Walk up a few steps and you are in our new home. To the left, is a kitchen – it has all your basic needs – fridge, freezer, sink, microwave. A kitchen. But the front door basically brings you into a large sitting room. It is bi-level. The main level has the dining table that looks more like a board room table, as it can seat probably 10-15 people easily. The lower of the split levels is the sitting room. It has a few couches as well as a large TV. Looks like we will get to watch the World Cup! (We have become addicts – especially since Mike has a classmate from almost every country that was playing.)
Turn back towards the front door and you will see on your left the stairs that take you up to the bedrooms. At the top of the steps there is another large sitting room that has five doors off of it. Behind door number one: Timothy Ojo’s room. A king size bed, personal refrigerator, television, desk and private bathroom. The room is huge! In fact, you could fit almost Mike’s and my Oxford flat into that space. Behind door number two: Our room. Actually it is the mirror image of room #1. Who says I won’t be going for runs while I am here, I will just take jogs around my bedroom. Door #3 & #4 are mirror rooms to each other. Lijun and Jayne will be in those rooms and door number five is their shared bathroom. These rooms are a bit smaller with double beds, tv’s, refrigerators and desks.
Not sure what tomorrow (or today for that matter) will bring. More adventure, I am sure. I will try to get some pictures out as soon as possible. For me, I will only have access to internet every few days, as I will need to come into the office to get online. For Mike, you may hear from him a bit more, but with working 12 hour days, he will definitely be very, very busy. A plus note for me, a Canadian man named Robert who works at the bank, mentioned his girl friend has just arrived and their place has a pool…I have been invited to spend my days there as he says it is a much nicer place with more amenities. I didn’t want to be rude, so I agreed to spend the day there. J
Well, off to try to get cell phones worked out. Mike and I are definitely in for an adventure while we are here. We are excited to see what each day will bring. Love you all.
Cheers,
Kelly Marie McFadden
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Our Bags Are Packed
We are off…
The McFaddens are on the move, this time to Nigeria. Our updates may be a bit more sparce, but you can keep up with us through our website and our blog.
Hugs and kisses to all.
Mike & Kel
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