Carnivals, long bus journeys, Christmas by the pool and lots more fun things

After an awesome Christmas break, the majority of which was spent in Calabar, I’m back to the real world. It was great to go back to Calabar, and lots of volunteers went there for the holidays so there were lots of us around to make the most of having the time off work. We did too much to fit into this blog post without making it very long, but here are some highlights:

• Making our own Christmas decorations – they wouldn’t win any awards, but it was fun all the same. I even sewed for the first time in about 15 years.
• Christmas Day – first Christmas away from home, and whilst I got a bit teary when I skyped home and saw everyone opening their stockings and having Christmas dinner, overall it was an awesome day. Lots of people, lots of lovely food, and lots of fun, topped off with karaoke in the evening.
• Boxing Day by the swimming pool – not how I’m used to spending December 26th, but definitely something I could get used to (especially as it also included pizza).
• Calabar Carnival – it would have been worth the 16 + hour journey to Calabar (turns out the 23rd December is not a good day to travel long distances in Nigeria!) just for the Carnival – it was AWESOME. And we truly made the most of it. From 10am through till 5am the next day. Although my body the next day disagreed, I’m definitely getting too old for late nights (or early mornings).
• Playing Percy Pig versus Colin Caterpillar Snakes and Ladders – best Christmas present EVER.
• Calabar Christmas Village – it never shuts. For 31 days in December it is open 24 hours a day. And we definitely made the most of its crazy opening hours.
• Fried yam at my favourite fried yam place in Nigeria.
• Just being back in Calabar, I think I will always prefer it to Abuja.

My journey back was interesting. I stupidly traveled on the 2nd January, after the Nigerian government removed the fuel subsidy on the 1st January. But having had no access to news etc, I didn’t realise any of this until arriving at the bus park on Monday morning at 6am. We had to wait until 8.30am to leave because they couldn’t find fuel to put in the bus. And that continued for the whole of the journey, it was a nightmare. I was very glad to get back and cuddle Squirt quickly before passing out.

And now it’s already January and my original departure date of February looms. I can’t believe that this time a year ago I was having what can only be described as major doubts about coming to Nigeria. Friends and family know that there are some parts of my time here that haven’t exactly gone as planned (!). It’s been the craziest and most unsettled year of my life, but despite that, I wouldn’t change my decision to come here for anything.

And so it’s looking like I might be extending my placement for a bit longer. Yes, I know, I’m a lunatic. But whilst parts of me yearn to return to a quiet life, where I can be sure of a hot shower, nice food and comfortable bed, without the fear of cockroaches crawling over me in my sleep, a bigger part of me isn’t quite ready to return to the real world of UK winters, and trying to find a job just yet. Although with Nigeria seeming to make a more regular appearance in the national and international media as the days go on, who knows what the future holds. But for now, Squirt and I will be staying (and my decision has absolutely NOTHING to do with the fact that if I stay until May/June I’ll have time to get all Squirts inoculations and blood tests done meaning she can avoid having to go into quarantine when she gets to the UK. That would be a crazy reason to extend my placement).