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Lagos, how can I forget you!

03-18

Speaking of Lagos, one cannot help but mention the life in Lagos, which is as impressive as its traffic and security. If it weren't for this, that period of life would only be as dull as a faded black and white photo, without any brilliance. It is precisely because of this that this place has become one of the places I miss the most.

Present-day Lagos is formed by six islands and a part of the surrounding mainland connected by wide elevated bridges. The city expands east and west from Lagos Island, connecting to the scenic Ikoyi Island and Victoria Island to the east, and extending west through Iddo Island to the mainland. To the north is a saltwater lake, and to the south, the bay is the famous Lagos Harbour in West Africa. This area has many lagoons. Lagos enjoys sunshine all year round, with its location by the sea and lake, making the most of water resources. The sea breeze blows, and it is near the equator but not excessively hot. Palm trees sway, coconut trees wave, trees provide shade, the water is clear, seagulls soar, it is a scene of water towns, and it is called the Venice of Africa.

IKEJA is an island in Lagos State, the seat of the Lagos State government, and the area with the highest concentration of Chinese companies and individuals. Due to the excessive concentration of Chinese people in this area, it often attracts the attention of the government and local underworld forces, and incidents of robbery and kidnapping of Chinese people in their homes frequently occur. There is even the possibility of the Lagos Immigration Bureau detaining Chinese citizens at any time. Compared to VI and IKOYI, where Europeans and Americans gather, the security situation here is indeed worth pondering. There are police patrols during the day and soldiers on guard at night in those areas; robberies and kidnappings rarely occur, let alone arbitrary detention. Perhaps they are afraid of being harassed by Europeans and Americans, perhaps those people are too rich, perhaps they have an innate fear of white people, or perhaps these countries' protection of their citizens surpasses everyone's imagination, making you feel that it's not an individual but a country that is being targeted. No one in the world would dare to do such a thing. Even Bin Laden could only hide in a cave and live a dark life after becoming a so-called hero. We are aware of this, but we still live here like most Chinese companies. Here, there is a strange sense of belonging.

Although we live in a relatively affluent area, I still feel it's a bit off. There is a decent paved road in front of the door. Walking along the road for less than ten minutes, you will find a large market, with many temporary stalls on both sides of the road. This is exactly the same as the situation in the villages of Chinese cities. I find it amusing; is the random setting up of stalls a human instinct? Even separated by thousands of miles, people do it instinctively. Unfortunately, you can't find any vegetables in this kind of market. Apart from a little beef and eggs, there are some rice, noodles, fish, and other daily necessities. There are more grilled meat stalls on both sides, and some sell grilled bananas. I watched the yellow smoke rising from the passing traffic and didn't dare to try it. In such a place, it's best to avoid anything you can. If you're not careful, who knows what kind of exotic disease might befall you? In the initial period, we ate mostly instant noodles and rice noodles brought from China. Fortunately, the hotel kitchen was free to use, so we could have fried eggs and make a soup with almost no vegetables. Ham, instant noodles, and eggs filled my three meals a day. I hated these things, and even now, except for eggs, the smell of the first two makes me want to vomit. You can still find vegetables at the BAR BEACH market; it's the largest and best vegetable market in Nigeria, with plenty of fresh vegetables. For us, that's too far away to solve the immediate problem. In fact, there are several larger supermarkets here. There are several supermarkets in VI. The largest is SHOPRITE, which has a relatively complete range of goods, but its location is a bit remote and often causes traffic jams; PARK N SHOP is very close to the Chinese embassy, and it has a complete range of daily necessities and office supplies; GOODIESS, not far from PARK N SHOP, has the best pork and beef, but the price is also higher; but who wants to be stuck in the famous Lagos traffic jam for hours just to eat a meal? Oh my god, what kind of world is this?

Only in Chinatown can we eat delicious food. I will never forget the time I had dinner with Situ (a Hong Kong friend). Near Chinatown, there are small supermarkets, bookstores, and shopping malls, with all the functions of a big city. What I remember most is Mr. Situ's specialty dish - Dongpo pork. That was the first time I ate such delicious food in Africa. Although it wasn't as authentic as in Meizhou Restaurant, I will never forget Mr. Situ's Dongpo pork; the taste still lingers in my memory. In Lagos, although the cost of living is one of the highest in the world, shrimp, fish, and crab, which can only be eaten in high-end seafood restaurants in China, are quite cheap. The first time I ate pangolin was here; a wild pangolin weighing about two kilograms only cost more than 100 yuan. Crocodiles, antelopes, it seems there is nothing Chinese people won't eat. I am not an animal rights activist, nor am I a butcher, but during my time in Nigeria, I didn't care about those things. Only then could I stay away from instant noodles. Behind Chinatown is a racetrack. Sitting on the roof, eating Dongpo pork, seafood, chatting, drinking beer, watching the races, and being blown by the sea breeze, at that moment, I forgot the scorching sun, I forgot everything...

As one of the most crowded cities in the world, there is another strange phenomenon: street vendors. On the streets, besides beggars with their families, the most numerous are vendors holding things in their hands. They are active among the throngs of vehicles, freely standing in the middle of the road to hawk their wares. They look at the people in the car windows, and as soon as they see someone glancing at them, they rush up to sell. Moreover, I found that they sell a wide variety of things, including snacks, fruits and vegetables, daily necessities, shoes, glasses, etc. I have never bought anything from them.

In Egypt, I have seen some young men and women carrying large flatbreads on their heads. But carrying things on the head is even more popular here. The head has become their most important load-bearing tool. As long as it can be carried, everything can be carried. More than 100 kilograms is nothing to them. They carry it high, without using their hands to support it, and they can still walk quickly. I have seen this many times, but I have never seen anyone drop anything. Perhaps Nigerians have a natural balance gene. It's amazing.

Lagos is a city with extreme polarization. There are large stadiums, international airports, international telecommunications buildings, national theaters, high-rise office buildings, and villas hidden in the jungle. Often, not far from these highly modernized areas, there are shocking slums, with garbage everywhere, flies buzzing, uneven ground, yellow soil flying, and sewage flowing after a heavy rain, leaving the already dilapidated cars powerless and stalled in the middle of the road. It is a paradise for the rich and a hell for the poor.

The sea in Lagos is still very beautiful, and the most attractive are the beaches on Victoria Island and Takwa Bay. To avoid the noisy city areas and dirty corners, we always go to the faraway White Beach, which is dominated by Europeans and has become our leisure destination. I only went twice, but those two times were a godsend to my life in Africa. It let me know that there are such tranquil places in Africa. Coconut trees, soft sandy beaches, gentle waves lapping the shore, lying on a beach chair under a large parasol, eating peanuts, drinking fresh coconut juice, at that time, I had already melted into the sea, my heart as blue as the sky, as wide as the ocean, boundless, extending to the horizon...

I miss Lagos, and what surprised me most was the rainy season there. I really like the rain in Lagos. Often, we would be awakened by the sound of rain hitting the roof while sleeping at night. After a hazy night, you would see an exceptionally blue sky and exceptionally fresh air the next morning. The rain here is generally not very strong, and it usually doesn't last more than half a day. That's the rain in Lagos; it never drags on.