Journey to the UK & US Part Two

I will be impolitic again and mention that my first impression of the US on arrival from the UK was that the public spaces were less pristine, the people less fashion conscious and much bigger. Truth be told, and I’m shamelessly generalizing here, Americans apparently don’t bother to dress up. They look like they just rolled out of bed and don’t give a damn about it. Baggy clothes are the de facto uniform in this part of the world and I must admit, I was influenced by this trend during the latter part of my stay.

Having been frustrated by Apple Itunes in Nigeria, I was finally able to open an Itunes account in the US and using my login name, I can use it wherever I am, even here in Naija. Apple needs to have its head examined…I can’t add songs to my Iphone from another computer, so now my flash drive is my “library” and I have to carry it everywhere I go!!! Furthermore, I can only authorize 5 computers with my Itunes account and any music I buy on Itunes can’t be changed into MP3s. What’s the point of having a sophisticated Iphone? With the old Ipod, at least you can transfer music at will. Naija babe in bitching frenzy. Word!

New Jersey can be a bit depressing. I had a wonderful time visiting my friend but for about a week, I was on edge. I realized it was because I had this nagging sensation that I was in "Surulere", even though I had paid hundreds of thousands of Naira to “go abroad”. There were Naijas everywhere (and to be fair also a good number of Latinos & Portuguese), African shops, hairdressing salons everywhere you turn…common! Now I better understand how Nigerians can travel and the country they visit doesn’t really pass through them! They remain so cloistered in the Nigerian community: eat, go to school, go to church, befriend & live with one another….

A major difference between Asia and UK/America is that in Asia, one rarely sees black faces and you get the sense you’re in an exotic locale…truly abroad. I bet you may also feel like that in some primarily Caucasian European countries.

I value new experiences. I respect the ability to reach out to embrace and understand the best of other cultures while junking the worst of yours…and a lot of what I saw exhibiting as African culture in NJ was (…insert something very unkind here).

I don’t know who infected who, ‘cause even the names of the churches in NJ are suspect – “Aroma of Christ Ministries (Deliverance Chapel)”, “Deliverance Jesus Is Coming Church” and “United Prayer Of All People Church”!

The transportation system in America is not as extensive as Europe’s, though the train system in NY is pretty good and there’s a stop sign at almost every bus stop in NJ, giving you time to figure out where you are. As in Europe, get a pay-as-you-go transport card or deal with bringing out the exact change for every trip! The UK is definitely more structured than the US. On public escalators, you get a sense of order. If you want to simply stand, you stay on the far right making room for people who want to walk up. Enroute the tube, there are distinct pathways for people going to and fro.

It was weird watching TV in America…seeing and hearing about places you had just visited and realizing the Obama-McCain debacle was going on right there…figuratively just next door.

Travelling really helped me appreciate the progress we’ve made in Naija. We’ve really come a long way. What is lacking are 3 major things – Systems (Law & Order, Security, Checks & Balances Against Corruption/Power Abuse), Infrastructure (Particularly Power & Transportation) and Global Consumer Brands (Sometimes, just seeing a MacDonald’s or Starbucks evokes a feeling of development). Without intelligent, resolute and compassionate leadership, we cannot have any of these things.

After spending some time in New Jersey, I was off to Michigan, a land of wide open spaces and beautiful fall colours. There are trees in Michigan! On the way to my host’s home, I noticed a curious sign advertising an Adult SUPERSTORE. I reasoned it must be a store with a very very wide selection of porn! :-) In NJ, there are advertisements asking you to donate your car (I learnt you can get a tax break if you donate a used car to a school). In Michigan, you’re asked to donate your boat!

The best way to see America is to drive. There are pretty good directional signs on the highways and armed with a GPS, you can go anywhere. But, be prepared for holdups during rush hour, especially at tolls. America is a land of regions with distinct customs, accents, habits and cultures – the Mid-West, Down South, The City…A key difference from Nigeria is that because there is one common language and destiny, while customs and cultures thrive, there is no “tribalism”. Americans tend to cluster around things like sports, food and events like Thanksgiving. There are a lot of self-service functions in America – Gas Stations, Ticketing Stands; even the Gym may be unmanned! The cinemas show full 15 minute previews, so you can afford to stroll in a bit late.

On a curious note, peeing in the open is a sexual offence in Michigan (a variant of Indecent Exposure). If you’re caught, you will be registered as a sex offender. In Europe/America, weather reports are important! A few degrees matter. When it’s cold, it’s freeeeeeeeeezing.

As you travel, you tend to collect/need an odd assortment of information at your fingertips– tourist locations you’d like to revisit, credit/debit card numbers, log in details for various websites, bank account numbers, internet banking log in details, hotel honours numbers, frequent flier numbers, passport number, phone numbers, addresses…the list goes on…I wish there was some way to manage this stuff without worrying about them falling into the wrong hands…