A Refreshing Walk to Iyana-Ipaja

So monotonous was the evening, I decided a stroll was the only thing that could make my evening look up again. I had refreshed Quora thrice already and consumed all of the interesting answers I could find. Also, there was no new notification on Facebook :-) and all my engaging mobile chats were dead. I thought, better to take a walk than sleep in like a vegetable, when I wasn't really sleepy.

During the walk, I took a selfie for a chat buddie's consumption, which then got me inspired to spice up my walk with some Xperia Z2 powered photography.

The tide-turning selfie (that's my NYSC PPA in the background)

I invite you, to join me on a journey back to my lonely but refreshing, inspiring, reflective and sweaty Saturday evening walk.

STILL I

Government Senior College, Agege

This one inspired nostalgia in me. The college is a 2-minute drive away from my house. I and a couple of other mathematically-sound kids from high school had been brought down here from FGCL, Ijanikin to compete in a National Mathematics Olympiad (back in 2006 or 2007). I remember like it was yesterday, the strong longing I felt to take a detour to my house that day. 

Oh! that Olympiad examination. A truly humbling moment of my life. I could not solve a single problem in the sheets. Turns out Akas, the short (he tells me he's no longer short) Mathematics genius got a top price for his performance in the same exam. In hindsight, I remember I was only informed of the examinations on the same day, a few hours before the departure. Perhaps, Akas had been informed earlier and had gotten just the needed mentorship from IghoMoks (the nickname of a male Mathematics teacher, most notorious for maintaining noteworthy relationships with female students). Charles, the head boy also won an award. I felt really dejected on the assembly grounds when those awards were being presented :-(. Luckily, that also passed.

STILL II

A politician called Hafiz

Yeah, that's my man. That he knows how to spell Hafiz right (read, the way I spell mine) alone is all the reason I need to root for him :-). Hopefully, he has some kind of trust fund for all his supporters who share the same name.

Aha, I almost forgot to comment on the interesting surname. "Ajimotokan", if pronounced in a certain way, translates to "One who steals a car".  #nuff_said But seriously, despite my depth in yoruba, I have yet to figure out a non-incriminating pronunciation for my dear namesake's last name. #facepalm

STILL III (you know you're getting old when using Roman numerals makes you feel nostalgic)

Close to the traffic notorious Iyana-Ipaja (new road) roundabout

Yes, traffic congestion zone. I made a U-turn in my trek a few seconds after taking this. Blaring horns from frustrated drivers' vehicles have a way of inspiring terror in me. #iHateLagosTraffic

STILL IV

New Fuel Station in the area #discovery

Don't have much to say. Except (to the business owner):

• may you reap bountiful profits from this investment of yours;

• I'll probably never come here to buy fuel, thanks to the reputation that filling stations with obscure brands have made for themselves. Yes, I hear they always cheat customers by calibrating the fuel pump to dispense less fuel than is displayed *shrugs*. Have some dignity, make Nigeria a better place.

STILL V

[  ][  ][  ][  ] Gospel Church

All I'll say is, I hope you guys find it in your heart to come uproot your branch that's directly behind my room at Olushola street, off Iwaya road, Yaba! Else, I'll set up a prayer trap in my room, and hold 'em hostage till you guys freaking stop polluting my Friday nights (choir rehearsals/vigils) and Sunday mornings.

Thank you.

STILL VI

In, out, then back in :'(

It's always depressing to come upon repulsive sights like this in my daily routine. Unfortunately, the streets of Lagos are not short of such stuff. Our drains and waterways are overflowing with trash. I feel a strong urge to contribute, to do something to make my environment a better thing to behold. Alas, I'm largely clueless, and worse still, not motivated enough to explore the options I have for driving change in this area. 

Don't deface our walls; Don't dump trash by the roadside #KeepLagosClean #LASAA (Pascal Case)

For now, I take the easy path of mentally summoning Wecyclers to come to our rescue. Agege needs you, Wecyclers; we desperately do. I should call the oga madam soon, just to see how things are going.

STILL VII

Lagos NYSC CAMP (Iyana-Ipaja road)

Within a five-minute drive of my house lies the NYSC Orientation Camp, Iyana Ipaja; as a matter of fact, the only one in Lagos state. As things would have it, it also happened to be my orientation camp during my service year (which ended February 2014). Somehow, seeing the place did not arouse any nostalgia in me. Goes to say exactly how memorable my camp experience was.

Funny how you trek from your house to your NYSC camp though, when you have hundreds of youths, travelling from far and wide to same destination. #HumanSeededMiracle

STILL VIII

Young man operates phone in-front-of barber's shop

random shot; nothing to say.

STILL IX

Car parked by a vulcanizer's... shop?

Not so clear, but around the front right car tyre is a tyre pump that marks the business point of most tyre technicians in Lagos. Tyre technicians in Lagos are popularly knows as Vulcanizer's or more accurately, "Foganiza". A foganiza  typically renders the following services:

• car tyre gauging and inflation;

• punctured Car tyre repair.

• miscellaneous wheel related services.

Curse the day when foganizas in Lagos mutually agreed to up the per-tyre service fee (gauging and inflation) from 50 to 100 naira. I remember, it was back in 2011, during my college internship at CHI Limited. Oh, sad days.

STILL X

I live very close to the arrow building #LetsPaintTheSkyBackOn

Spot me ;-)

STILL XI

Mobil Service (filling) Station, Ipaja road.

This is the Mobil filling station that featured in this story.

STILL XII

Returning home (I guess, from Owambe party)

I was soon to discover that she needed directions back home. I could not help. Sorry ma'am, trust you got home safe and sound. 

STILL XIII (yawns, this thing takes longer than you can reasonably estimate, or maybe I just suck)

New Year Jamz on Agege street

I hear my mum was appointed Chairperson of the occasion (struts by).

STILL XIV

My street; can you spot the building I pointed to earlier?

Look lower right of the picture; that's the "we're happy to have you back" dance from a bro in the hood.

STILL XV

Chemist / Pharmacy / Drug Store (you decide)

The neighbourhood doctor seems to be on vacation, yeah, and I'm losing inspiration after being here for say... shit, did four hours just swim by? Maybe this is what I really should be doing; nothing else makes time fly past so fast. Yes, not even coding, except sometimes.  

STILL XVI (Final Shot)

Hawker Lady

I've always been curious as to how many sales these folks get to make per day. Contrary to my instinctual feeling, it probably must pay somehow for so many people to still be hawking... baby wears(?) in a tray. 

Aje a wa o.

We're home!