Meet Jide

I've been wanting to write about our amazing driver (in the black shirt) for quite a long time. His name is Jide, short for Olajide. He's a Christian. His wife was Muslim but converted, with the blessing of her family, when Jide wanted to marry her. They have 5 kids ranging in age from 23 to 5. The youngest is their only daughter.

Jide is the oldest child in his family -- a family that includes Jide's father/the patriarch, 3 wives and a kaboodle of daughters (most of them Jide's half sisters as almost all of his sisters have died -- one during childbirth and another to unknown causes, ...) Jide is the only male, which makes him extra dear to his father. Jide's mother is the old man's first wife and the most beloved of the wives. Yes, I've had many long discussions with Jide about polygamy -- isn't one wife enough to handle, anyway? :-) Thankfully, that practice is disappearing with younger generations. Though, for the wealthy, it's still very prestigious!

Jide acts like my personal assistant. He's always planning ahead for trips I need to make during the week. He could take new arrivals on the "three hour tour" I usually provide and I wouldn't even need to be around. He knows how to tailor the tour to their nationality and interests. He knows the places that are most important to show them. And he can converse with them and answer their questions quite well. He's gracious to each one though he does become more quiet, I've noticed, with those individuals who arrive with an attitude. He reminds me of things I ask him to help me not forget. He records every business trip we make -- beginning km reading, ending km reading, purpose of trip, etc. I don't have to even check his math -- he calculates the whole report so that I can simply turn it in for reimbursement.

We entrust our lives to Jide's care each day. He knows how to avoid trouble spots; he drives defensively, constantly murmuring and muttering about the crazy drivers out there. He even thinks that if we ever got hit by a crazy driver he would be at fault because it should be his responsibility to be alert for every crazy one out there! (That's a bit unrealistic but we do appreciate his goals and standards!)

We never have to problem solve for Jide; we just present the facts and he works out a solution. This is an amazingly rare trait in, even for those who work alongside Jim in the industry!

He is an independent thinker. He is intrigued by, but rarely supportive of, Nigerian politics. I gain a lot from his insights into the latest scandal-of-the-day. We had quite a discussion today on our way home in the traffic. Tomorrow could be quite an historic day for the country. The tribunal (the very same that has ruled that at least 9 governors are in office due to illegal elections) will be ruling on the legality of the president's claim to the role -- the elections were totally rigged by the president's party but probably not by him -- the former president, Obasanjo, is the real culprit. But I appreciate Jide's honest assessment of his own pathetic government. He is ashamed of his leaders but he still holds out hope for his country. He has to, really, in order to make it on a day-to-day basis.

Jide is about as honest as they come in Nigeria -- we trust him at least 95% of the time which is a whole lot more than the typical situation! If the circumstances had been different, he could have been a major CEO in some business. He's quick, great with people, and completely diligent and responsible. Because he did not have the opportunity, he is pouring himself into his children, especially his youngest son. He pays for their education out of his meager wages from the company our company pays and the overtime that we pay him. He trains his children in the evenings every chance he gets. He wants them to learn the value of hard and honest labor. He wants them to pursue education even if the quality of education in the schools is such that he needs to pay for private tutors to REALLY provide an education for his kids.

His youngest son, Jonathan is his Christian name, began school all on his own initiative before he was three years old. He insisted on going off to school with an older brother. Jide and his wife believed the boy would tire of the requirements within the first day but the boy has never stopped! This guy loves to read long into the night. So, I just gave him a copy of the complete Chronicles of Narnia and the kid is devouring it! I can't remember if the boy is 7 or 9 years old but he's a little guy! I've got a children's devotional Bible that I want to give him for his next read! Jide is so proud of his kids. And he is committed to see them go farther than he ever could.

Jide loves Jesus. He's a bit messed up by the prevailing false teaching of the country -- the demands that everyone gives to "God" out of their poverty so that "God" (translated the pastor) can drive a fleet of 20 different cars. Anyone is bound to misjudge God based upon the phony people who dare to carry His name. But we've had some great conversations with Jide, showing him how the God of the Bible is so very different from this "witch doctor/magician/movie star" god of this country.

On our way home from the beach this weekend, we had our cook, Michel with us -- because we had a bunch of guests and Michel did all of the grilling. Imagine the amazing discussions we had as both Jide and Michel were firing questions at us all the while we drove down the road (other than during the time that we had to hide, with our escorts, in a village until armed robbers passed by on the main highway -- the escorts have radios and get reports of all problems.) Questions usually started with "does God really say that ..." and were followed by some obnoxious false teaching that only benefits the bank accounts of the pastors.

Jide is one major reason that we can survive in this crazy place. He gives us hope in the people of this nation. He's a bright light in a very dark place. And he has such potential. We know that any money we give him will be well invested and well budgeted. We know that the countless hours we spend talking with him will matter for eternity. It is our privilege to have Jide in our lives. We are blessed.

So, I'll write soon about Michel ... another amazing blessing we have -- another precious human being for whom Jesus died!

It Takes 9

Jim and I occasionally get to go to the beach alone and it's quite peaceful and refreshing! However, how we laugh at how our understanding of "alone" has changed!

You see, it takes 9, count 'em ... nine people for us to go to the beach "alone!"

Here is most of the group -- and a bunch of the neighboring village kids. (It's "magic" -- out comes my camera and out come the kids!)

For the two of us to have a peaceful day at our beach hut, we require assistance from:
1 --Jide, our driver
plus 4 -- a driver and three escorts, two of them armed
plus 2 -- Ola, our caretaker and his assistant, Sampson
plus 2 -- our chosen assistants, those two precious kids Gbenga and Ishak

That totals 9!
The amazing thing is that it actually does feel peaceful compared to entertaining the scores of guests we usually take along for the fun!

We swing back and forth between feeling total shame for requiring the attention of so many to feeling totally blessed for the privilege of having their help and the joy of providing income for all of them!

Staying Put

My head has been spinning since we returned to NGA. Re-entry is always such an adjustment. It seems that most of us who are ex pats have two very difficult times in this place -- right before we are due to leave on a vacation and right after we return. If those are our toughest times, it would follow that we should just drop all vacations and stay here indefinitely ...
NOT! The joy of being away overshadows the struggles connected with leaving. But, the struggles are great nonetheless.

So, I "hit the wall" last week and really had to bring my desperation to the Lord again and again. It's the same stuff that bothers me with renewed volume, vengeance, vigor -- the filth, the lies, the corruption, the lies, the chaos, the lies, the noise, the lies, the laziness, the lies, the poverty, the lies, ... you get my point.

Almost everyone I deal with in my job is from this country. And there are some bright lights admidst the masses. But they are rare and they're probably not even that bright -- it's just that the contrast is so extreme that the light is obvious. I don't want to develop an edge, become totally cynical, become hateful and demeaning, or become cold. Certainly none of those options are very Christlike. I pray against those tendencies constantly. And God is so good to give me renewed love for each individual. Taken one at a time rather than as a society, each one can be seen as someone precious to Jesus. That helps me cope. But coping is not enough. I want to know that all of my efforts count for something eternal, something of Kingdom significance. But it is difficult to make a dent in this culture. We are just one strong and persuasive leader away from the same chaos that is facing Kenya, Chad, ...

So, I'm doing a word study on "perseverance" in the Bible. I've asked my daughter, Jeri, to join me in it because she is dealing with some cultural struggles, herself, in Thailand. Though Thailand is decades ahead of Nigeria in development and miles apart from Nigeria in basic civility, there are similarities. Many. And Jeri and I each have realized that sometimes we just long for the familiarity of home. We have not been back to the U.S. since August 2006. It's becoming such a distant memory.

Even just staying awake most of the night to watch the Superbowl LIVE was a huge help -- we felt, for a few hours at least, that we were closer to home.

So, I'm now in the "settling in" stage, once again, in this crazy place that we sometimes call "The Land of Barely There." That label is borrowed from a children's book series our kids once had.

But my struggle is not homesickness as much as a sense of pointlessness. No matter how much I bang my head against the wall, the wall remains as permanent as ever and I just have a miserable headache.

So, I pray that I can be rooted in a sense of purpose even when I can't see the results. My purpose is to live a life that shows Jesus to the people around me -- the TRUE Jesus who does not want their bribes, only their surrender. The TRUE Jesus who isn't drawn to anyone's position only to their pure hearts. The TRUE Jesus who loves each one so much that he won't leave them in their messiness. I must just love them, work with them, and not see anyone as a "project!"

Through the strength of Christ, I must see past each offensive behavior and listen past the arrogant words -- and seek to love each needy, lost, searching core. So many examples of "perseverance" in scripture don't show someone sweating it out or grunting -- just remaining, just staying put.

Staying put.

That's my theme. Until such time as we are no longer to remain in this place. And with the occasional respite of a vacation :-) ... that's what I'm called to do ...

stay put.

Brad and his birthday

Yesterday our son, Brad, turned 23! And I didn't have a chance, yesterday, to blog about it. Counting our in-laws, we have five kids between the ages of 20 and 25! Wow! What a blessing!

So, let me tell you a bit about Brad. He's our middle child. So, sometimes, he suffers in this role. Add to that the fact the Jeri is our first-born and our only daughter and Joey is our baby ... well, it could be "bad for brad"! But, he rallies -- as always. He is a rally-er! He is our first son, after all. And he is the first of our crazy boys! And the guy is special ... I'm telling you ... honestly (I wish I could write the inflections that are used with those two expressions here in Nigeria -- the emphasis is on the middle so it's "I'm TELL-ING you" and "hon-EST-ly!" said verrrrrrrrry slowly).

Brad is this amazing guy who has an amazing wife, Karissa. Together, they are this amazing team. They've left the comforts of "home" in Alaska to head to further training in Australia at Hillsong. Brad's birthday was spent trying to get the "new" car that they just bought to run properly -- hiking to a shop only to discover that all parts had to be ordered ...

Brad is an anointed musician and songwriter and worship leader. And he's great with people, with teens, with everyone. It will be so exciting to see where God takes Brad and Karissa in the years ahead. I know it will have high Kingdom-impact for certain!

And you could call Brad the surfing fisherman -- he's equally passionate about both!

So, here are a few shots of Brad ... he's one unique and cherished fellow!

My Mom!

My mother is one amazing woman! Here she is with Jeri -- two beautiful women! She's in that age bracket when a woman begins to tell her age -- she's 74. She lives with constant pain from a blend of diseases and injuries. She had a shot to reduce some pain in her back before she flew to Thailand for Jeri's wedding.

Actually, she and my sister, Kathleen, were quite the pair. Kath has put up with amazing pain from a severe case of rheumatoid arthritis and requires regular injections to slow the pace of the damage. But, they both stepped off the plane in Ubon and hobbled towards us with huge smiles and no complaints!

So, more on Mom... She counts three consecutive hours of sleep during one night as a good night! Truly, it's God's strength that carries her along and allows her to have such a great attitude! Her great attitude includes being able to laugh at herself and join in when her grandkids are teasing her!

She was a huge help with the wedding -- 'took over the entire cake decorating project and all. 'helped with many other projects as well.

But, above all, I want to tell you about her spirit of adventure. She's always willing to try new things. With her age and her valid excuses, she could easily decide to take up residence in one of her many rockers and just skip anything new. But, we're all so blessed because she doesn't!

On this trip, she faced the culture shock of a developing country head on and enjoyed getting to know the people even while she was taken aback by their poverty. She tried new foods (the food the local Thais eat is quite different from that in western Thai restaurants!! -- that's for certain!). And, after the wedding, her adventures really took off!

I only have pictures of one of her adventures. But her adventures included elephant rides, sitting on an elephant's trunk, paddle boating in a river, sea kayaking in and out of caves and coves (and getting stuck in one until the guide let some air out of the kayak -- must have been a very low tide!), snorkeling with the fishes, and ... getting jabbed about 10 times by one fish that caused her to come out of the water with both legs bleeding! (The guide said it could have been some unknown black fish or, more than likely, a baby shark!)

You go, Momma! We love you and we're proud of you!

Wedding Report!

Greetings from Thailand!

These photos were taken by Kara Pennington -- a long-time friend from AK who now is a wedding photographer in Florida. If anyone wants information on her availability for weddings, let me know -- she did fabulous work!

We are rejoicing over a terrific wedding experience for Boy and Jeri! It was beautiful!














The few days since the wedding have brought us opportunities to hang out with our family -- my mom, my sister, and our kids. Things are now winding down and Jim and I will soon leave for a couple of days of vacation on the beach before heading back to Nigeria.

We've had a great time in Thailand -- visiting with Boy's family (the term "visiting" is used lightly as we usually just sat and smiled at each other due to language barriers!) and doing a few tourist things, too!

It has been a blessed time to see Mom and Kathleen, Brad and Karissa, Joey, and Boy and Jeri!

Christmas Greetings!

I'm dreaming of a white Christmas ...
white sands would do fine, too ...
but both snow and sands will have to wait.

I'm dreaming of a CHRISTmas ...
here in Thailand -- a land of Buddhists
the only Christmas is more of a Santamas or Bellmas ...
God cannot be mentioned.

Even in the Starbucks, when a song was played that contained the words "holy" and "Christ" (and they weren't used as exclamatory comments) the song was immediately turned off.

But, we are so looking forward to attending a church service this Sunday! There will be a few words we'll recognize!!!

No matter where this Christmas finds you (physically and spiritually!) ... may your Christmas be blessed because of Jesus Christ -- who is worthy of all of our celebrations!

Little Lives with Big Needs

So, I promised I'd blog about a couple of dear boys who live near our beach hut.

Firstly, let me explain the big picture. Our beach hut is about 1 1/2 hours from the island areas of Lagos. (If there weren't "go slows" then we'd get there in about 40 minutes!) We travel with armed escorts because anything out of our little island area is off limits to ex pats without escorts (and even WITH escorts for some of the areas!)

Our drive takes us past hundreds of thousands of places where people live -- the "big man's" houses/villas that look opulent but upon closer view really aren't much; the shanties that are shelters made of corrugated metal; the squatters who are making a home out of one area of an unfinished building while the owner scrambles for another ten years to try to get the funds to get the place finished. (Vines and squatters grow in these situations at about the same rate -- overnight!)

Our hut is along a row of beach huts that are generally leased to people such as us. To reach it, we go through 4 villages -- an experience in itself. See a few photos:










Some of the villagers are wealthy and just maintain a little place in their home village. Generally, though, most of those who have obtained some level of wealth have moved away and have quickly forgotten the family they have left behind. Stories abound of fathers who have sacrificed in order to send one son to school in order to gain a better standard of living. Generally, the son gains his education (notice I didn't say a "quality education!"), gains a fairly decent job, and abandons the father and family who've made the sacrifices.

So, we always assume that the people we meet in the villages are desperate for anything. The children are adorable and always tug at our hearts. From our first visit there, we began the custom of handing out sweets (lollies, candies) to the kids when we are ready to leave.

The first time we tried this it was quite chaotic and the kids dropped the candy wrappers all over the ground as they ran off giggling with delight. After that, our driver, Jide, had a chat with the kids and since then they always form a nice queue and keep their trash (at least until they're beyond our sight!). Each visit, when the day is growing long and we are thinking about needing to pack up the car, we begin to hear the laughter of children as they gather outside the fence. They know what's coming. And the stragglers rush down the path to get to us before the treats run out.

We try to find little jobs for the kids to do. 'Gbenga is the 12 year old that we've gotten to know a bit. He always shinnies up the coconut palm trees with a machete in his mouth in order to get us some fresh coconuts. On a good day, when we have guests with us, he can make even N1,000 (almost $7). That's a huge profit even after he has paid the owner of the trees!










Ishak is a little guy, a 7 year old who has become the official "fanner" for Martin when Martin is grilling the food for lunch. Martin is our friend from Austria who absolutely loves to cook and considers it restful to slave over a hot grill for the day! So, I bought a fan from a vendor so that Martin can at least be cooled.

Well, the last time we were there with a bunch of friends, a friend found out that I was paying Ishak to fan Martin and she wanted to contribute. We gathered all of our small bills and I gave him a little pile of money. He and I counted it together and I fought back tears as I watched his eyes get wider as we approached the total. It was N320 -- a little over $2. After he stopped saying "tank you, Mudduh!" I asked him what he was going to do with the money. Without hesitation he said, "buy school sandals, Mudduh." OK, I held the tears off just long enough to get into the "toilet" and have a good, though silent, cry.

That's what lead us to finding out more about these two guys -- 'Gbenga and Ishak. Ishak's mother died when he was young and his father's second wife took him in. But when his father died and the step-mom remarried, he became less valued. The woman now has other children. He has a roof over his head but that's about it. It's better than 'Gbenga's situation, though. 'Gbenga has no one. He's lived on his own for quite a few years. He tries to earn food or money by helping where ever he can. And he lives wherever he can find a place to lay his head. He seems to enjoy the freedom this affords him, though.

Amazingly, both boys are in school. Even the public schools cost money for "fees," dashes (bribes) to the teachers, books, uniforms, ...

So, with the advise from our driver (who, out of his own poverty, gave 'Gbenga N500 on a previous visit to help with some school fees ... and, quite to Jide's credit, never told us about it!) we decided to give each of the two boys some money as Christmas gifts. Jide will oversee the use and check in with the boys during the time we are on vacation (Jide's family lives 6 villages down and grew up in the area and will be there for two weeks during our/his vacation). Depending upon how they have managed by the time we return in January, we hope to give them additional money. They plan on keeping the money a secret. Jide was getting word to Ishak's "guardians" so that they would not think Ishak had stolen the money. 'Gbenga told Jide that the only person he was going to tell was his big brother who lives in a village in the area. 'Gbenga was soooooo excited that as soon as we left he planned on running to the brother's village to share his good news (and probably to share the money, too!)

The corruption and the poverty can be so overwhelming that you just close your eyes to it all. We pray that we will never close our eyes but that we will be able to see ways that we can, just as little people ourselves, make some kind of long-term impact.

We'll keep you posted (pun intended!).

There are things about this place ...

that we really, really like!

Jim took me out for a lovely dinner (our 27th anniversary) at a restaurant that was actually quite lovely. We tend to be excited about most restaurants here but then we always have to ask ourselves, "would we ever step foot in here if this was in the U.S.?" and the answer is usually "no way!" But, this restaurant was actually one we'd go to in the U.S. In fact, it reminded us of our favorite Italian restaurant in Denver "Three Sons" -- in the Highland area. The service was exceptional, the food had excellent flavors, the decor was quite lovely ... OK, we'd die at the price in the U.S. but the phrase "you get what you pay for" has new meaning here because you really, really have to pay bunches to get even a little!

And we sooooooo enjoy our beach hut. We went there alone yesterday -- see a few photos.


























That's our driver, Jide, playing Petanque with Jim! We are so very blessed to have Jide in our lives. He's much more than a driver. He's my own personal assistant. He helps provide directions to other drivers. He advises drivers based upon my feedback to him about what works and doesn't work for drivers of expats. He thinks of us as another mother and father and he said that he doesn't feel like he's going to work every morning but rather going off to visit his parents. (Now, for most folks this would just entirely be "a line!" but for Jide, it's truth!)

I'll have to blog more about Jide sometime. We've learned a lot from him!



And I'll give you some interesting information on a couple of young kids we've helped a bit who live near our beach hut. They're orphans and amazing survivors! I'll put that in another blog.

Busyness as a Survival Skill and What it is We're Surviving

Crazy busy is the best description for how life has been of late. The benefit is that it helps us not notice how crazy life is in general around here! I recorded a figure skating competition a couple of weeks ago and have tried to watch it, oh, at least 5 times. It's only two hours and when you fast forward through the commercials that brings the total time down considerably. But ... alas ... I still haven't watched the last portion.

Jim had to leave early this a.m. for Port Harcourt so I'm staying awake and trying to get caught up on a few things! It's his first time back since we both had to leave very quickly in early June when our co-workers were kidnapped. He'll check on the progress of the banana tree that we planted last year!

Back to the topic of busyness --

Putting a westernized work ethic in the midst of a land of "go slows!" (the name for the traffic congestion) is a dangerous combination. It's because it makes it difficult for the ex pats to ever stop working. We are so determined to reach our goals, to make a difference, to accomplish something! But we lose time in traffic, we lose time because we're waiting on some local to do his job, we lose time because the job wasn't done properly, we lose time when we're waiting for a delivery or a food order or a meeting to begin or a driver to meet us or ... You get the picture. For the majority of Nigerians the response is "no wahala" -- "no problem!" For the majority of ex pats it just makes us work harder and smarter. But sometimes maybe smarter involves just giving in to the general "go slow" mentality! It's tempting to just sit back and say "whatevuh!"

Deadlines aren't really meant as a date the work should be completed. It's more or less a time to start shouting at someone to get started on the work. If it's before the deadline and they haven't even begun they always say "no problem, we're starting it tomorrow and we'll bring on a double crew to meet the deadline." Silly me ... sometimes I still believe the promises.

So today I'm meeting with a vendor who was supposed to deliver household items to 8 flats in August. And he's mad at us because we have the audacity to complain to him about his lack of service delivery when it's the end of November. He points out the items that he has delivered (which amounts to a little more than half of the list) and thinks we're unappreciative! And of the items he has delivered, we are expecting too much because we think the irons should heat evenly and the electrical kettles actually heat at all ... And, this vendor is one of the best! He is constantly putting down Nigerians because he's only half Nigerian. He laughs at the excuses other gives but he doesn't hear his own voice.

There are lessons to be learned here, as always. The education we are receiving is at least double the value of a university classroom, I'm sure.

One lesson is -- integrity does matter and we should still honor our promises and accept responsibility for our errors. Even when no one else does.

Another lesson is -- pray without ceasing! Praying about attitudes has to be as common as breathing. Attitudes can get corrupted so slowly by the corruption around us. It's subtle.

Which leads to another lesson -- racist statements and generalized statements about a pattern that is evident in a group of people are very similar. We constantly ask God to help us love each individual and not start to lump all faces into one group that we label as "them." I've had quite a bit of heated discussions with folks of late -- as I try to defend a Nigerian that I respect and as more and more seemingly racist comments are made. I typically say, "Would you agree that a racist is someone who makes a generalized statement about a group of people and then makes a statement about an individual based upon the fact the s/he is in the people group?" "Well, I suppose so," someone answers. "So, then, what you've just said is a racist comment." "No, it's not. I'm just stating a fact." And so the discussion goes on ...

Subtleties -- "Never trust a Nigerian." vs "Be cautious about trusting people."
"There's not a single Nigerian in this whole _________ ( insert: "country," "company," "world") that is honest." vs "He's a very honest Nigerian." (I hesitate to use the label Nigerian at all but I want to point out that this person is honest and is Nigerian -- together in one person.)

Anyway, you can see the struggle. And the busyness helps us to not over-analyze the whole thing!

I've learned a lot of other lessons lately. I only hope I'll have time to write about them soon.

Title, Honor, Shame, and how it all works

I met with a chief, yesterday, in his home. Now, the home was not what I expected -- picture clutter and then triple it! 50 framed pieces of "art," piles of stuff on every table and every chair, papers and glasses mixed together ... but amidst it all ... obvious signs of wealth. The 50+inch plasma TV and surround sound speakers, the gold plated Motorola mobile phone, the "keepsakes" from China, the portraits of each child graduating from a UK university. Wealth mixed with a lack of "class" ... a strange combination. Class without class, so to speak.

The reason three of us from the company met with him was that he totally and completely has failed as a landlord for a property we've been renting. But he didn't know that. One of his sons is in charge. And the son dares not tell his father anything negative. So, for almost one year the old man has been told that everything is fine when, in reality, our people who are tenants there have been suffering to the point of asking for early transfers out of country.

So, imagine this --- we needed armed escorts following our vehicle because I'm white and, therefore, I couldn't travel to the area on the mainland where the man lives.

We arrived, unannounced, because a source told us he was in country and available -- like so many successful Nigerians, he lives out of country more than in.

A man who appeared to be house staff met our car after we passed security at the gate to his villa. He was not staff; he was the chief, himself. The escort alarmed him so he decided not to send anyone else out to investigate, he sent himself.

We were warmly welcomed into his home. He served us lovely tea with honey in beautiful cups and saucers from China.

I opened with words of appreciation for the lovely first impression one receives when approaching the rental property followed by words regarding the potential the property has as a lovely landmark in the area, a place we would long appreciate leasing.

He was charmingly gracious and warm and courteous.

He was shocked (but didn't reveal it!) about our concerns and immediately jumped into action -- calling various staff and contractors on his gold plated flip phone. He was shamed by the failings of his people and, not admitting to the shame, went about immediately trying to impress us with his power to fix things. Indeed, he has the power. I was impressed.

Within a short time, every one of our major issues had been addressed and he'd made the appropriate calls to take care of the problem.

When referring to his photos of his children who each graduated from various UK universities, a co-worker asked him how many children he has. The chief smiled and calmly said, "Sir, I am a traditional chief. Do not ask me the number of my children. I cannot answer." To which I responded, "Chief, I believe you have answered." He laughed.

I received yet another education and a glimpse into the "class" society of Nigeria.

More scenes from Thailand

Still shocked by NGA sometimes!

We had an interesting conversation with our driver on the way into the office this morning. In a nutshell, he believes that he and about 70% of all Nigerians would VOTE for a return to military rule if allowed to do so!

For the average Nigerian, this pretend democracy is a failure and has negatively impacted their lifestyle options considerably! Jide was quick to clarify that they would prefer democracy because they know that it works in other countries but because the civilian government has only meant an increase in corruption at every level of power, he says that this is not really a democracy. In the absence of a real democracy, military rule is better than a corrupt civilian government, it appears.

Under military rule the streets were clean, traffic flowed properly, people obeyed the laws. The schools were high quality and there were public schools that were actually public, with no charges other than minimal fees to the families. The government subsidized many items and there was free trade from the neighboring countries and beyond so prices were affordable on clothing, food, and even non-necessities.

The only negatives that Jide could think of if there was a return to military rule were -- loss of free speech to some extent and the presence of soldiers to keep order.

However, it's interesting that the loss of free speech must not be too severe because he also said that the military government listened to the people better than do the elected officials and responded to their concerns. His examples -- adjusting the prices of bags of cement, fuel, etc. when the people complained -- seemed valid.

Here's a practical way for you to see the differences. This is what began our discussion this morning:

As we ventured out into the jungle of traffic yet again, I was asking Jide how drivers obtain their licenses in the first place (if they even have one!).

Here's the deal -- for N3,500 they can fill out a form, provide a passport photo, sign the form, and the license will be processed. This could take up to 9 months. No driving test. No written test.

However, if they don't want to wait so long ... They can pay N6,000 ($42ish), turn in a photo and a signed form and they'll have the license in 3-4 days! The N3,500 goes to the government (or the gov't leaders) and the rest goes to the people processing the request.

He went even further with his explanation -- Jim and I could each sign an empty piece of paper. Jide could take our signatures and our photos to the office. He could fill in the form and provide our signatures and photos and we'd have licenses by next Monday!

And, a little further. We could get licenses in the same manner for Jeri, who has visited NGA once. And ... for Brad and Joey ... who have never set a foot in this country.

And a 6 year old child could have a license if the person put age 18 on the application.

And ... Jide knows of men who have licenses, get them renewed every 6 years, and have never sat in a driver's seat of a car, don't know how to put a key in the ignition, don't know anything about a gas pedal, ... you get the picture!

What a place is this Nigeria!

Photos from Phuket, Thailand

It's taking many days to get any photos uploaded -- SLOW NETWORKS. Please be patient. I'll try to post more that we took from other locations in Thailand.