What's up with people playing music from their phones through the speakers(without earphones) in public places? I don't get it. And it's usually gospel. What makes them think anyone else wants to hear the music? Why is ok? Why can't people figure it out without being told that it is socially unacceptable? It's driving me nuts!!!
Anyways, today was our last day in camp. Ofcourse I have dodged every parade since I returned to camp so I wasn't part of the selected ones that would march at the passing out parade. However, we were still required to attend and be on the field.
After a couple of hours of sweating and baking in the sun, the deputy governor of Osun state arrived. The parade took place and I must admit that the people chosen were amazing. It was lovely. At the same time, we were all curious and dying to get our posting letters. To know what part of Osun state we would end up. We had teased each other about ending up in the rural areas with funny names that we read in the books we were given while we hoped for the best.
Being a fortunate individual, I had requested to be posted to Oshogbo Grammar School(Oshogram), which is in the city but i'm sure you remember when my connect failed me the first time. So, I had some butterflies but I was posted there.
The reason I chose a secondary school(apart from the fact that it is practically in the heart of the city and I checked it out prior to choosing) is that I get to do less work and I get to go home more frequently compared to a university (I suppose).
But... I have someone who says they can get me to complete my Community Development(CD) and PPA(primary place of assignment) in Lagos. Once again, due to the failure of my previous connect, I don't wanna depend on this.
I also got this mischievous idea after a friend called me to warn me about stereotypes I might encounter and how to avoid them. These stereotypes I usually face in Nigeria, especially a place like Osun due to the amount of piercings I have and tattoos(when they are visible). She advised I take them all out tomorrow when I go to see the Principal of Oshogram, as the school might reject me and lie that it's based on lack of space for teaching or something silly. So I thought in my cute little head that i'd leave them all in, stay respectful, speak English as foreign as I could and watch the stereotypes get me rejected. Now, if that school rejects me, chances are that many other schools will, so what happens if no one wants me? *whopa gangman style*
Perhaps I get to go home or maybe not, I'm not sure.
So, I've suddenly realized that I don't really wanna stay in Osun state for the next 10 months. I'm gonna try my best, stay positive and prepare to make the best of my time here. I'll be going to my PPA tomorrow and the local government and we'll see what happens.
I must tell this story. ... After passing out from camp, various churches send buses to come and pick up Corpers from camp and take them to their PPA/local government offices for registration. They often provide accommodation for those who need it in case your PPA does not have any. I joined the Mountain of Fire and Miracle Ministries bus by chance and partly because they were the closest to where I was coming from in camp and they mentioned they were gonna drive us to the local government and our PPA. Halfway through the drive, the pastor driving the second bus calls and asks us to wait while they caught up. We waited another half an hour then he arrived and changed plans. They wanted to show us the accommodation, then take us to the local government offices and then we can go to our PPA ourselves. Ofcourse I had no intentions of leaving one hostel for another. I chilled and figured I would take the drive to the local government after they showed others where they would sleep then I would go to my PPA and head to the hotel that was recommended to me, which is on the same street as my PPA and not too far from the local government office.
NOT to my surprise, we got to the church, they get extra nice, ask us to come in, they started with "let us pray with you." My head went "bang! There they go doing that thing I don't like...forcing religion on me." If they kept to their word, I wouldn't have been mad. After the prayer, they proceeded to say that we should check out their lodge and we should shower and eat and rest because we can't do anything today anymore because it was after 2pm and most school officials and authorities usually don't stay past 2pm(dem people are living la vida). Also, there was no point in going to the local government before your PPA because you need the letter of acceptance or rejection from the PPA to show to your local government. So basically, they had wasted our day by making us wait on the second bus and praying. At that moment, I wished I had went on another bus.
With that being said, I spoke to my feet, dragged my suitcase and walked over to one of the church people and asked for help to get a cab to bring me to my telly(hotel). They told me there were hardly cabs. That was the beginning of my nightmare. Then they gave me a ride to a bus-stop where I would hop on a bus that would bring me to my telly. I must have stopped about 15 buses and none of them were going to that area.
So now, no cabs, no buses, sweating and baking, had to pee badly and hadn't eaten anything since 2:30am that I got outta bed (okay, I had a gala and a malt before 4am). I had to man up and hop on a bike/okada/moped (whatever u wanna call it). I cautioned him very carefully and I bargained with him for the hell of it because I figured he would try to rip me off seeing how I was dressed as a Corper and he obviously knows I'm foreign. I mean it's one thing for me to give money and another to get ripped off. My momma ain't raised no fool.
Alas! I made it to the hotel. Ate, peed, rested and went apartment hunting in the evening.
Tomorrow is the rejection/acceptance day!
~kdamsel~
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