Exciting day at the Abuja Literary Society's Monthly BookJam

Left to right: Lady InspiroLogos, Ken Ike, and a cross-section of the audience
during the National Poetry Slam held on 6th July 2012 at the Transcorp Hilton Hotel.
Photos by Inside Track. 

Bookjam holds this Good Friday, March 29, at Lifestyle Bookstore, Silverbird Entertainment Centre. Time: 7pm prompt. ALS features: Lady Inspirologos (Yellow Eyes Gone White), a true story of the author's struggle with sickle cell anemia; Sally Williams (Bird Eye), her debut anthology with an elegant twist; and R & B, pop and soft rock singer, Age Beeka.

NB: Book of the Month (April), Death and the King's Horsemen by Wole Soyinka and Book of the Month (May), There Was a Country by the late Chinua Achebe.

ABOUT ALS
ALS meets every, 1st Friday of the month at Transcorp Hilton Hotel, 7p.m; Second Friday @ Silverbird Entertainment Centre Abuja 7pm, Third Fridays @ Salamander Cafe, Abuja; BookJam holds every Last Friday of the month at Silverbird Entertainment Centre Abuja 6pm; Abuja Poetry Slam (performance Poetry competition) holds in March, June, September, and the Grand Slam will be in December. Special Guest writers will normally feature at the First Friday readings @ the Hilton. Special workshops, retreats and exchanges are part of our programmes. ALS can help you with manuscript editing ,organize a book presentation, marketing or special literary nights/events.

FMI, SMS: Chinelo: 08067958680; Ken: 0803-155-2555; or Victor: 0803-311-7246.

In Abuja... Girl talk with dinner

LEFT PHOTO: Yacine, Maria, Denise (back), Victoria, Hilary (back), Thalie, and Emanuela
RIGHT PHOTO:   Front - Araceli, Maria, Victoria and Emanuela. Back - Denise, Hilary and Yacine

For many diplomats, life is about a series of comings and goings. It can be fun, but it can be tough as well. Fun because you get the chance to visit or reside in different countries, know different cultures, meet different types of people... and tough because you make new friends only to part ways with them again in a matter of time. And just when you have settled down to enjoy the new environment (as the case may be), someone in the Home Office is telling you to pack your things and move to another post – and that’s how the cycle goes. For those who have chosen this path, I guess they are very much aware of the system and they get used to it in time. They get used to the welcome and farewell parties, the packing and dealing with moving companies, and saying hello as often as you say goodbye.

Last Saturday, 16 March 2013, Victoria Tunba, who is with the American Embassy, said goodbye to her colleagues in the diplomatic world here in Abuja. Her tour of duty in Nigeria is over and she is going back to the United States for good. A farewell dinner in her honour was hosted by Yacine Ba, Ambassador’s P.A. at the Canadian High Commission. I was one of the invited guests... along with Yacine’s and Victoria’s colleagues from a few embassies in Abuja.

Yacine is a most gracious and vivacious hostess, entertaining us with a multiple-course dinner that we enjoyed along with the conversations. I liked that the night had a very informal feeling – all very light, and friendly, and cozy. And Yacine has a lovely home, filled with art works – paintings and carvings – a couple of family photographs, a potted plant just at the right place, a veranda with a magnificent view... and it’s perfect.

And despite the heavy rain that night, I was glad I was able to go because I met all these lovely, lovely ladies and I enjoyed listening to them. Had the chance to talk with Victoria and ask her a couple of questions, like what did she enjoy most while she was in Abuja and she said, “As you may know, there isn’t much to do around here. But I do enjoy giving myself a chance to read and to discuss what I’ve read with the ladies from the American community. I’ve never joined a book club before coming to Abuja. And because I love traveling, the other thing I enjoyed while here was traveling outside of Abuja . . . though I’ve only been to places like the pottery in Bwari, Gurara Falls, and Kaduna which was the farthest place I’ve been to – as a day trip in Nigeria; trip that was taken in January of this year.”

As I post this, she has but a few hours left before she boards a plane back to California.. Her parting message to expats who are coming to Nigeria for the first is simple and practical and that is: “Make effort to meet people outside your community.”

I couldn’t agree more.

So goodbye, Victoria. We at  INSIDE TRACK ABUJA wish you all the best!

Thought Pyramid Gallery to celebrate Nigerian Independence Day with an art exhibition

Invitation to Philippine Bazaar

The Embassy of the Philippines in Abuja, Nigeria, with the support of the Filipino community, is having a bazaar, featuring Philippine products, cuisine and services, as well as food and products from other Asian countries.

DATE and TIME: Sunday, September 30, 2012 – from 9am onwards

VENUE: Embassy of the Philippines, at No. 2, Kainji Street, off Lake Chad Crescent, Maitama, Abuja

OTHER ATTRACTIONS: Bingo games and raffle draw

Proceeds from the bazaar will go to charity in the Philippines and Nigeria

100 Thousand Poets and Musicians for Change -

Come September, 29, 2012, Abuja will join hundreds of towns and cities across the world to mark the second annual 100 Thousand Poets for Change. This year’s edition of the event will as usual provide a platform for renowned and upcoming poets, musicians, artists,painters, exhibitors of arts & literary materials to register their voices on issues dear to their hearts for the betterment of Abuja and the country at large.

Tagged Poets and Musicians for Change, the event is an initiative of Michael Rothenberg, Co-Founder of 100 Thousand Poets for Change, who believes that peace and sustainability “are major concern worldwide, and the guiding principle for this global event.”

The 100 Thousand Poets and Musicians for Change is a free-ticket event that offers opportunities for all to showcase whatever they have with a bid to promote peace and sustainable development in a carnival-like/trade fair atmosphere.

INVITED SPEAKERS: Mr. Tope Fasua (CEO, Readers Are Leaders Bookshop), Prince Zubairu Jide Atta (Atta Associates) and Max Gbanite (Milliken-Hill Group Ltd.)

DATE: Saturday 29th September 2012

VENUE: Gudu Recreation Park, Gudu District, Abuja, Nigeria

TIME: 10.00am

ARTISTS TO BE FEATURED AT THE EVENT:
Dike Chukwumerije – Performance Poet
Denja Abdullahi (Poet & Dramatist)
VALERINO – Musician
Baba Adugbo - Musician
Rita Oranyelu - Musician
Bai Daddy - Musician
Al-Kasim Abdulkadir – Media/Communications
Monday Osasah - Strategy
Eriata Oribhabor – Organiser, Abuja

Pizza and suya night - an update on Abuja restaurants and fastfood centres

Once in a while, after a hard and not so hard week at the office, I don't mind having a treat for myself. One of the places my colleagues and I go to is the clubhouse of Dantata and Saowe, which serves pizza and suya on Saturday nights. The pizzas are baked in a wood-burning brick oven, making them a bit of a rarity here in Abuja. Unfortunately I cannot recommend the place to everyone because I heard that the Dantata Clubhouse caters only to the staff of Dantata and their guests. Oh and JBN staff are allowed to enter also... 

Shoprite shopping mall opens in Abuja

Finally had the chance to visit the newly opened shopping mall, SHOPRITE, here in Abuja sometime last month and took the above pics. The supermarket / grocery store is well stocked, but many of the shops are still empty.  

The place officially opened to the public about a couple of months ago. That was when everyone in Abuja wanted to see the place that traffic movement became a huge problem! But I think now that the people's curiosity has been satisfied, there's no more congestion.

A few of my favourite things - a local fruit known as African pear or ube

It's called native pear, ube, African pear, and many others. It has a sourish taste  (and I guess that's when they are not yet fully ripened when plucked), but these are some of my favourite fruits in Nigeria. It's a fruit, but it is not eaten raw. First it has to be dipped in hot water for about 10 minutes before it can be eaten with a dash of salt. Hmm, yummy.

Nigeria Now, an art group, presents SENSUALITY, featuring Nyemike Onwuka

After a summer break, the Nigeria Now team is back, bringing you an exciting new Art Soiree featuring Nyemike Onwuka and others. 

34 Limpopo Street, Maitama. 4pm-8pm

Only guests on the Security list will be admitted.  RSVP to nigerianow2012@gmail.com. 


The Nigeria Now Art Fund was established to support emerging Nigerian artists.

....and in Lagos - a film showing by the Goethe-Institut

The Goethe-Institut, together with the Nigerian Film Corporation and iREP; the Documentary Film Festival, presents its monthly film-screening with German, Nigerian and African films on Saturday, 29.09.2012, 3pm.

The film is called Kinshasa Symphony – directed by Claus Wischmann & Martin Baer, 2009, Germany

"Kinshasa Symphony" shows how people living in one of the most chaotic cities in the world have managed
to forge one of the most complex systems of human cooperation ever invented: a symphony orchestra.
It is a film about Congo, about the people of Kinshasa and about music.

Venue:
Nigerian Film Corporation,
Lagos Branch Old Film Unit,
Opp. Ikoyi Cemetery
Ikoyi, Lagos

Entrance is free!

French language lesson for FREE at the French Institute

Celebrate the European Day of Languages at the French Institute on Wednesday, September 26, 2012.

 

FREE SAMPLE FRENCH

LESSON FOR BEGINNERS:

10 am - 11 am

2 pm - 3 pm

 

Interested in learning French? 

Choose your time slot and register at coordinatorstudies@institutfr-nigeria.org

It's totally FREE!! 

More info at www.institutfr-nigeria.org or at the Institute: 52 Libreville street, off Aminu Kano Crescent, Wuse 2 (behind M. Biggs)

The Bukka - an update on Abuja restaurants and fast food centres

One of my favourite restaurants in Abuja is THE BUKKA at the Transcorp Hilton Hotel. The food is a combination of Nigerian and continental dishes. I think this is the place where you can have the best Nigerian buffet in town - with a wide variety of choices, including the meanest pepper soup in the whole of Abuja... and I mean it literally burns your mouth! 

Bukka is actually a local term which means 'roadside restaurant.' So anything you want to eat in a roadside restaurant, you can find it at THE BUKKA.  

The ambience is great and the waiters/waitresses are very courteous and friendly. It's expensive though, at 6,500 naira per person, excluding drinks. But it's worth it. 

Two vacancies at the U.S Department of Defense Walter Reed Program - Nigeria

The Henry Jackson Foundation Medical Research International (HJFMRI) has two vacant positions for the U.S Department of Defense Walter Reed Program (DODWRPN). Interested applicants can send cover letter and resume to rpnrecruitment@gmail.com stating the position applying for as subject. (see position description attached) Closing date for submisison is Monday 24 September 2012.

For complete details, CLICK HERE

More on ASOHOM...

Below are photos taken of the ASOHOM INTERNATIONAL CHARITY BAZAAR in 2009, 2010, and 2011. I also had photos taken during the 2008 bazaar at the Hilton, but my laptop was stolen and all the pics were gone. Here in Abuja, I've had my laptop stolen at least 3 times (L.O.L.), twice at my former flat in Wuse and the other at the parking lot of the Transcorp Hilton. I still love Abuja notwithstanding....

...more photos - ASOHOM International Charitiy Bazaar 2011

Posted by Araceli Aipoh

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ASOHOM International Charity Bazaar to take place in Abuja on October 13, 2012 - at the Sheraton Hotel

I just received the poster for the International Charity Bazaar organised annually by the Association of Spouses of Heads of Mission (ASOHOM).  The event takes place this year at Sheraton Abuja Hotel on the 13th of October from 10:00am to 4:00pm.

The ASOHOM BAZAAR is one of the most exciting events in Abuja during the year, so be sure to be there.  Great prizes to be won at the raffle draw including the following:

INTERNATIONAL AIRLINE TICKETS from Air France/KLM, British Airways, Egypt Air, Ethiopian Airlines, Lufthansa, Turkish Airlines.

• DINNER VOUCHERS from your favourite restaurants 
• SHOPPING VOUCHERS from your favourite stores and supermarkets
• GIFT HAMPERS
• ELECTRONIC GOODS

Also, there will be:

• LIVE MUSIC
• CHILDREN'S CORNER
• ART AND CRAFT
• INTERNATIONAL FOOD STALLS AND MERCHANDISE.

Raffle tickets cost N250 each. All raffle proceeds go to charity!

For more information or more tickets please email asohom@gmail.com

Below are some of the pics taken at the 2011 ASOHOM INTERNATIONAL CHARITY BAZAAR.

More photos of the ASOHOM INTERNATIONAL CHARITY BAZAAR below.


Posted by Araceli Aipoh

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Indonesians celebrate National Day at the ambassador's residence in Abuja

Members of the Indonesian community in Abuja and the diplomatic staff of the Embassy of Indonesia, headed by H.E. Ambassador Haseng and his wife, were joined by guests in well-wishers at the ambassador's residence in Maitama, Abuja, on Wednesday last week, the 29th of September 2012, to mark the National Day of Indonesia.

These photos were taken at the event by INSIDE TRACK ABUJA.