Some 2 and half years ago, I was invited to steem precisely December 2017. Actually, I created my first account by August of the same year but misplaced my key because I wasn't serious about blogging. By December 2017, I created another account (@ckole). I didn't write any introduction, I just started contributing to utopian (@tykee and @knowledges can attest to that because they pushed me in). When the chain split into two, (steem & Hive), I didn't post an introduction on the hive either.
I've been hiding my ugly face from people who would laugh at my contoured coconut head. But there is always a day of exposure. I've been operating in the dark, but today, the dawn met me like a witch bird that perched on a life wire and fell flat on it's back.
Here I am, @theycallmedan has exposed, me with his wonderful initiative. Well, I could publish without my picture, but this is about my identity, my community, and my beloved country. It won't be complete without showing my coconut head.
My name is S.K Olatayo. When I was a child, I do wonder why my parents gave me such a name. I didn't know the meaning, but I was so inquisitive and I asked my dad one day (My dad isn't gentle, but, may his gentle soul rest in peace). The young man smiled and rubbed his hand on my coconut head, and he said, your name means "Wealth is worth rejoicing". I looked at him in awe.
He knew I didn't understand and he brought out some money from his left pocket (I can still remember vividly)and handed it over to me saying "go and buy you favourite sweet and candy". I was happy and jumped up like a frog trying to catch its prey, and he said to me, son, you are happy because you have some money to buy your favourite sweet and candy? I said yes, and he replied, that's what your name implies. When you have the wealth, (money and properties) that is capable of acquiring the things you love, then it's worth rejoicing. The practical sank into my coconut head and stick to it like haradite gum.
I'm a Nigerian, born in Nigeria, Schooled in Nigeria, working in Nigeria, and probably will die in Nigeria someday. I sound like my life is too inclined to Nigeria, but that doesn't mean I won't explore. For now, let's leave it that way. I'm a certified engineer of single honour ( more on the way). I'm also a self-certified freelancer that has a complete flair for technology. Yea, I love computer things. I trade forex (very volatile and crazy). If you are not disciplined, you gonna lose all your fund. I'm a living testimony. I shouldn't say I'm a crypto enthusiast. It's written all over me. It's my love for crypto that brought me to steem, and eventually hive.
I was happy when I discovered myself (Brain wise)
I'm an intelligent guy with a flamming brain. I have a strong point, which is learning things practically. I discovered that long ago. I told you the practical display my dad used to explain the meaning of my name and how it stuck into my head as a child. I'm going to narrate another one that has not left my head for years.
Mr Taiwo was my mathematics teacher. When he was first introduced to us, by the vice-principal, we did not think much of him. He has a tribal mark on his face that ran from the centre of his head down to his jaw. He was brutally brutalized with tribal marks on his face. We seem not to like him, maybe because of his ugly face. After a mild clap as he was introduced, we forgot about the man with hungry gaunt looks. But when he came for his first lesson, we didn't see him holding any book. What we saw him carrying was a small carton of chalk.
When this ugly man began to teach us with zeal and playlike methods, we started falling for his tricks. While teaching us the
properties of a square, he made us measure our lockers, windows, classroom doors and other objects. It was then we discovered that the objects have opposite equal sides and all have equal angles. Another lesson I won't forget was when he instructed us to take out the bowl we used for the mid-day meal and measure the distance around it. The topic was properties of a circle. We measured our bowl of different sizes and we laughed at it. He then told us to divide the distance around the bowl by the distance through the centre. To our surprise, all answers were the same irrespective of the difference in the size of our bowls.
This explains the base in all computation regarding the circle. I love practicals right from childhood, and self-discovery has helped me to channel my learning style to ways that suit me.
Nigeria
Arise, o compatriot, Nigeria's call obey! I'm obeying the call to the Nigerian community, that's why I'm writing about myself and my beloved country. Nigeria is located in the western part of Africa bordering Niger to the north, Chad to the north west, Benin to the west and Cameroon to the west. We have a population of about 200 million (that's a crazy figure. More reasons for unemployment, and corruption). We have 350 ethnic groups speaking 750 languages of which 739 is active, 2 without a native speaker, and 9 on extinction.
Nigeria has three major languages namely Hausa, Igbo, and Yoruba. Of the three tribes, the Yorubas are more respectful, followed by the Hausas. The Igbo people don't give a damn about respect. They stand on their feet to greet their elders. It's their culture, similar to the western world.
Talking about the mode of dressing, the Yoruba men love flaunting their Agbada, with Sokoto and Buba, while their women rock their Iro and Buba with gele.
Check out the picture above. That is a Yoruba women rocking her Iro and Buba accompanied with a well-curled gele. I intentionally used that picture because the woman looks familiar. Smiles. That's my sweet mum. I call her the beauty inside of beauty. The last time I saw her was in 2016. I can't wait to see her before December.
That woman is a rear gem.
See the Igbos and the Hausas in their respective attire.
igbo
hausa
I love the food
There is no food in this life that I ckole can compare with Amala and ewedu with bokoto, and ogunfe meat. My oh my! I can eat this delicacy and forget my name. You can disturb me when I'm eating Rice and Chicken. In fact, you can do away with my salad (foreign food), but don't try it with my amala. else, you are calling for war.
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Nigerian delicacies are superb. Every tribe have their delicacies, but we've mixed up because of the love we have for one another, so I eat Igbo food, Calabar, Hausa, Fulani, ibira, and so on.
There is one thing I won't forget to talk about. It's palm wine called emu funfun. Ha! Your life will never remain the same if you taste this local wine tapped from the palm tree. As a kegite back in School, I drink palm wine almost every day. You cannot compare the local calabash used for zipping with glass cup. They are two different entity.
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Source
The white foam of the fresh palm wine that stays on the moustache when you drink from a calabash is memorable. Oh thou sweet palm wine, when will I get to feel your real taste again. The ones I get here in the city is diluted with water, and the real taste is almost gone.
I like attending festival, but the only ones I've witnessed are the Egungun, and Osun festival
I grew up in a village where traditional practices were mandatory. Each time the egungun festival is about to take place, people are not allowed to walk around on the major road where these egungun's display. We only stay at the front of our houses or observe some distance from the road to watch. As a child, I loved every bit of the egungun display. I remembered some of their names, but I had to call my uncle to get more. We have Pajepolobi, Egbede, Egbonsisi, Kelemulagbe, Arobate, Abajapekun, Monjeleku, Ajanwora, and so on.
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Pajepolobi is a masquerade from the king's clan. He goes around with a shining sword, and no one dares move close to him. The Egbede masquerade spits fire like a dragon. He is a very fearful masquerade. Egbonsisi is a gentle masquerade, but when he gets angry, only palm oil serves as the antidotes. If there is no palm oil around, (Mortein, run for your life) One of the egungun I love to watch was Monjeleku. He is very friendly. All he does is dance hunter dance with lots of stunts. I can't really remember all their performances, but I never forget watching these set of egunguns in the early '90s. (1990-1991 to be precise)
There are other festivals in Nigeria like the Argungu festival, where fishermen from different community gather to compete. Anyone who kills the biggest fish wins a grand prize. I've not witnessed it, but maybe I will one day. (Don't get me wrong pls, I won't go there to compete, only to watch.lol)
If I forget to talk about pidgin, also called broken English, I'm a goner.
Choi! Don't pronounce that as choir, it's slang in pidgin English. Pidgin English is a universal language in Nigeria. Every tribe can speak it fluently, in fact, stark illiterate in the east and a decent number of illiterate Yorubas in the west can speak it. Only the Hausas are lagging in every aspect. They are the only uncivilized people we have in this part of the world. If you speak pidgin English to most of them, their response would be "ba turenchi" meaning I don't understand English. I don't think I've come across any Hausa on the Hive.
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Pidgin English was formed on the street among the ghetto boys before it trend across the country.
Let me give you some proverbs in pidgin
Fly wey dey dodge bullet, na broom go later kill am. English: A fly dodging bullet will eventually be killed by broom
Who dey sell pepper no dey scratch prick. English: A pepper seller will never scratch his penis with his hand
Who naked no fit chok hand for pocket. English: A naked person cannot put hands in his pocket
Who get long biabia no dey use mouth blow coal pot. English: A person with a long beard don't blow coal pot with his mouth.
There is a deeper meaning to the proverbs than the normal English translation. If you care to know, tell me via the comment section, I will explain extensively.
Some simple pidging for you
- I will slap you. Pidgin: I go sample you
- Let's talk in privacy. Pidgin: Make we yan for corner.
- I had sex with her. Pidgin: I nak am apako
- what is your problem? Pidgin: wetin dey
worry you - Jesus can come at any time. Pidgin: Jesus fit land/surface anytime
- You can't get a dime from me. Pidgin: You no fit get shin-gbain from me.
- We are too intelligent. Pidgin: We too get sense.
We broke the English into pieces and added Naija melody to make it sekedelik. Chai! We too get sense.
Where I like to go (cool places) in Nigeria
This would take me to discuss Nigerian tourism, but I would rather mention a few places. We have countless tourist attractions. The Oke olumo in egba, ErinIjesha waterfall, Zuma rock, Ikogosi water spring, where hot and cold water coming from a source flow side by side and meet at a confluence. Obudu mountain resort, Yankari game reserve, Eripa waterfall, bar beach, and so on. The only places I've visited are bar beach, Eripa waterfall, ErinIjesha waterfall, and Zuma Rock.
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erinijesha waterfall.jpeg)
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obudu mountain resort
I love visiting places where I can Swim and have fun because one of my hobbies is swimming.
that's me many years ago
I love swimming
Let's talk about the Benue people before I drop my pen
The people are from the river side of the country. They are known as one of the most hospitable people in Nigeria. The treatment they give to strangers is superb. Apart from the tantalizing dishes they use in welcoming visitors, they have another sweet way of showing a visitor more love. If a man visits any family for the first time, they welcome him by giving their wife for sex as entertainment as a sign of good gesture. While this is seen as irritating and ungodly, this tribe hold a different view as they see it as a way to seal a friendship, show respect and build a stronger relationship with people.
While many civilized people from this part of the world denied the rumour, some of them attest to it but said such practises was present when there was no civilization in the region. But the truth is; some people would never leave their culture. If there are still villages in Benue State (which I believe there are) such practices might still be going on. It's painful I don't know anyone from there, I would have paid them a visit.
Conclusion
I'm glad to introduce myself for the first time on the hive. The initiative pulled a lot of trigger by getting many people acquainted with their community. I begin to see new faces around as people started jumping and flying into the Naija discord server like escapees from an inferno. It's cool. I made a post to this effect last week calling our Naija people to come together. The aim is to build an active community that has one thing in common, which is the country in order to create an easy way of onboarding people from various vicinities on the hive. This is our true decentralized chain. We all have a voice.
I've shown my ugly face coconut head. Hope I made your day with my little funny gesture. It's my pleasure showing my identity. It's your Naija boy. We no dey carry las.
Thanks for reading.
Images from prixabay.com, google and are my personal shot.
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Oshey big brother Ckole. Nice to meet you again bro, your Mum is beautiful, Oga come Ibadan con chop better amala and gbegiri with ogunfe, you go tire o
Thanks brotherly to sure. I go enter Ibadan after the inter-state travel palava. Amala nor go taya me o😀
This is a brilliant piece, proud of being a nigerian
Welcome to hive
Thank bro. Much love