Tuesday, January 04, 2005
gala o my broda, gala o my sista
Bengali fried fish, kati rolls, jollof rice, chicken peppe soup, samosas, papdi chat, fresh rotis, gulab jamuns, guiness stout, fried yam..que mais?HOME. This is what I am going to miss most, a week from now.
Earlier this afternoon while on my way to the Indian Consulate to get some documents notarised, the State Council chaps who stand around on street corners, with hawk eyes, preying on their next victims, hounded my car and insisted that I had attempted to change lanes wrongly. This, when I hadn't even moved an inch out of my lane for a mile, given we were in a traffic jam. I was driving alone. I should've known..complete fraud, they were out to screw me over. Just like the three other cars that were wrongly seized before me. Before I knew it, the burly officer jumped into the Peugeot and insisted I drive us to the Uru VI Local Government Office. Not to mention he was YELLING at me for having committed a MINOR offence, which in reality I NEVER did. Yes, welcome to the second most corrupt nation on earth. I had to threaten him in Pidgin to calm him down and convey to him that I knew exactly what was going to happen and that he didn't have to put on this show and that I knew I was being swindled. He said nothing afterwards and just navigated us to their office. Once there, about four reps from the LG Office threatened to puncture my tire and seize my car if I didn't cough up N15,000 = $100. I forced a smile and laughed out loud. I had to break ice somehow. It worked. They knew I wouldn't succumb under the pressure. I refused to negotiate a bribe with them until I made a phonecall. After an hours wait in the sun, Chris showed up. He pulled a few strings and after much arguing we paid those RASCALS N1000, a far cry from the previously demanded N15,000. Harrowing day.
Yet, I am not ready to leave home. NO!
Earlier this afternoon while on my way to the Indian Consulate to get some documents notarised, the State Council chaps who stand around on street corners, with hawk eyes, preying on their next victims, hounded my car and insisted that I had attempted to change lanes wrongly. This, when I hadn't even moved an inch out of my lane for a mile, given we were in a traffic jam. I was driving alone. I should've known..complete fraud, they were out to screw me over. Just like the three other cars that were wrongly seized before me. Before I knew it, the burly officer jumped into the Peugeot and insisted I drive us to the Uru VI Local Government Office. Not to mention he was YELLING at me for having committed a MINOR offence, which in reality I NEVER did. Yes, welcome to the second most corrupt nation on earth. I had to threaten him in Pidgin to calm him down and convey to him that I knew exactly what was going to happen and that he didn't have to put on this show and that I knew I was being swindled. He said nothing afterwards and just navigated us to their office. Once there, about four reps from the LG Office threatened to puncture my tire and seize my car if I didn't cough up N15,000 = $100. I forced a smile and laughed out loud. I had to break ice somehow. It worked. They knew I wouldn't succumb under the pressure. I refused to negotiate a bribe with them until I made a phonecall. After an hours wait in the sun, Chris showed up. He pulled a few strings and after much arguing we paid those RASCALS N1000, a far cry from the previously demanded N15,000. Harrowing day.
Yet, I am not ready to leave home. NO!
# posted by Surya Swamy : 1:53 PM
