Title: Emily Bullock (
Nigeria)
Status: Active
URL:
http://emily-in-nigeria.blogspot.com/
All Posts Cached via RSS
Petrol at£4 a litre? - 11/Jan/2012 15:33 - 4712 days ago
I left Nigeria less than two months ago and am still very aware of contrasts between Britain and Nigeria, so I know that in...
Electricity, water and plastic money - 26/Nov/2011 11:22 - 4758 days ago
Last Tuesday morning I got a phone call, which led me to jump on a plane in a hurry, and arrive in the UK. VSO of course d...
Happy Birthday Nigeria 51 today! - 01/Oct/2011 19:53 - 4814 days ago
Today Nigeria is 51, this time last year I was in a crowd of Nigerians in Eagle Square in Abuja, who were proud of their country...
Climate Change - North and South - 03/Sep/2011 20:55 - 4842 days ago
The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change defines an extreme weather event asan event that is rare at a particular place and...
Jesus wept - 28/Aug/2011 08:48 - 4848 days ago
Last week as I sat in car on a journey to the Sunshine State, I was driven at speeds of up to 140kmph by a Nigerian, who maybe t...
OD - Happy Day! - 23/Aug/2011 08:26 - 4853 days ago
Having promised to tell you more about my work, today I found a message in my inbox from the Chair of the Board congratulating m...
Lagos - Perceptions and Reality - 22/Aug/2011 01:03 - 4854 days ago
Before I came to Nigeria, I was scared of it, and even more scared of Lagos. If you are wondering why I am surprised, Niger...
And then the doors closed... - 20/Aug/2011 18:57 - 4856 days ago
Last Saturday I got in a lift, and pressed number 6, as the doors closed I panicked a little and questioned my sanity. I ca...
My Work - 19/Aug/2011 20:59 - 4857 days ago
I realise I haven’t written much about my work, maybe because it feels like it is taking me such a long time to achieve anythi...
NEST Organisational Development Plan - almost there - 16/Aug/2011 13:26 - 4860 days ago
About a month agoI wroteabout the challenges of getting from an OD assessment to an OD plan, and how I had just had a week of us...
Being a professional - 01/Aug/2011 18:22 - 4875 days ago
Earlier today I wrote a blog post, about feeling very small against the big hierarchy that is Nigeria, about how an incident had...
Feeling very small - 01/Aug/2011 09:05 - 4875 days ago
My boss is a "big man" a Professor no less, and as he is busy meeting "big people" to do big things, like getting Nigeria's Clim...
Where are all the children? - 22/Jul/2011 22:10 - 4885 days ago
Today was a good day, in this case because I chose to speak honestly, this is what happened.As I was walking to meet one of my c...
More rain - 21/Jul/2011 16:13 - 4886 days ago
In yesterday's post, I mentioned that the road near my office often floods when it rained, so today, much to my surprise, it onl...
Don’t go out there, it’s raining! - 20/Jul/2011 21:09 - 4887 days ago
When I was first in Ibadan and still staying at the luxury Davies Hotel, one evening Abdul, a member of VSO staff was also stayi...
The Educated Elite of Ibadan - 14/Jul/2011 18:25 - 4893 days ago
Three times in the last couple of months I have flown between Ibadan and Abuja. Ibadan, is famous for its university, the U...
Change catalyst??? - 08/Jul/2011 22:14 - 4899 days ago
One of the hardest things about being a VSO volunteer is that your aim is to facilitate change, and change is hard! However...
Give me something - 25/Jun/2011 15:11 - 4912 days ago
There is a perception that because I am white I must be rich, and therefore I ought to share my riches, this means I frequently ...
Take me to your country - 23/Jun/2011 14:43 - 4914 days ago
Take me to your country, is a phrase I hear too often for my liking, sometimes I make a joke of it, but often I ask them why, wh...
My first Nigerian wedding - 09/Jun/2011 08:47 - 4928 days ago
My friend and former colleague Hamzy, invited me to a wedding; in true African style I had never met the Bride or the Groom b...
Election fever - free, fair and fatal - 06/Jun/2011 08:06 - 4931 days ago
When VSO asked us to stay inside during all three voting days, and on the days that results were announced, I thought they were ...
The long silence - 01/Jun/2011 07:26 - 4936 days ago
I try to update my blog at least weekly, after my Mum telling me she gave up looking because it never changes, this has not been...
How many Nigeirans does it take to change a lightbulb? - 08/May/2011 19:30 - 4960 days ago
This morning I went to buy a lightbulb and some akara, a delicious Sunday morning breakfast treat, basically deep fried beans, s...
Election Fever - POSTPONED! - 04/Apr/2011 20:39 - 4994 days ago
Havinghad strict advice from VSO not to leave the house for all voting days; on Friday, I made sure I had plenty of things to ea...
To plan or not to plan, that is the question... - 04/Apr/2011 20:22 - 4994 days ago
Nigerians and I have a different attitude towards planning, and towards making plans public. I find this strange, but as my Dad ...
Snappy Dressers - 28/Mar/2011 14:57 - 5001 days ago
One of the things I love about Nigeria is the variety of clothing that people can wear, men and women. These images from J...
Election Fever - a bike instead of a car - 28/Mar/2011 14:49 - 5001 days ago
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My new home - 20/Mar/2011 20:53 - 5009 days ago
More photosI am now living in an area of Ibadan known as Bodija, and specifically JK Junction.The street I live on is ...
"My sister lives in Arsenal State" - 19/Mar/2011 18:57 - 5010 days ago
Nigerians are mad about football, and most of them, well most of the men, follow a British Premiership team, so when the securit...
Chimamanda Adichie: The danger of a single story - 17/Mar/2011 20:05 - 5012 days ago
If you have a fast enough internet connection, have a look at this, a Nigerian speakshttp://www.ted.com/talks/chimamanda_adichie...
Anticipating mangoes - 12/Mar/2011 18:20 - 5017 days ago
On Thursday evening, I was very excited to see a man carrying mangoes on his head, yes my first mango of the year, 150 Naira, (A...
Making a difference in Nigeria? - 09/Mar/2011 21:06 - 5020 days ago
This isn't really a fresh post, but an article I wrote for the Friends of Nigeria newsletter,see page 4...
I am soft and squiggy - 07/Mar/2011 20:24 - 5022 days ago
Yesterday my soft squiggy body spent 9 hours inside a hard metal box on wheels, in close proximity to many other hard metal boxe...
Abandoned in Nigeria - 05/Mar/2011 17:51 - 5024 days ago
Twelve months ago last Sunday, I arrived in Abuja at 4 45am with Heather and Richard. We were the three Brits arriving wit...
My Grand Tour of Northern Nigeria– rat survey - 24/Feb/2011 18:55 - 5033 days ago
Kaduna– rat no 1Since my previous employer granted me an extra two weeks leave, I took the opportunity to see a bit more...
Finally the Christmas holiday blog post - 18/Feb/2011 20:42 - 5039 days ago
For those of you who have forgotten, Christmas occurred about two months ago, and while for you it was cold and snowy, for me it...
Start of Part 2– NEST - 13/Feb/2011 15:55 - 5044 days ago
Last Sunday I travelled to Ibadan to start my new placement at NEST. My job is called“Climate Change Technical Wri...
End of Part One - Farewell to ICEED - 11/Feb/2011 18:02 - 5046 days ago
Farewell drinks at IbizaMy placement at ICEED was originally supposed to be for two years, however this was shortened by my empl...
Whoops we lost a wheel - 01/Feb/2011 13:21 - 5056 days ago
Yesterday as I was travelling back from Panyam to Abuja, I heard a loud bang, panicked as the driver tried to control the vehicl...
Shaking hands with Hafsat Abiola - 18/Jan/2011 16:53 - 5070 days ago
I recently attended a production ofSeven,the story of Seven inspirational women, from Afghanistan, Guatemala, Pakistan, Northern...
Back to Bida! - 17/Jan/2011 17:11 - 5071 days ago
If you read my blog back in the“summer” if you’re in the Northern hemisphere, you will have read about Bida. We had a proj...
My name is in Hansard - 14/Dec/2010 21:06 - 5105 days ago
If you read my blog back inSeptemberyou will remember that I helped to host Jo Swinson MP, who came to Nigeria for a week as a V...
A bus and a plane– order and chaos! - 12/Dec/2010 17:59 - 5107 days ago
Last week I went to Ibadan, reputedly one of the biggest cities in West Africa, I travelled there to have a look at an organisat...
CONFLICT AND HOFSTEDE! - 24/Nov/2010 08:19 - 5125 days ago
There was a conflict, and shortly afterwards I found myself reading about Hofstede. Some of you will know that Hofstede came up ...
Go Slow - 19/Nov/2010 14:20 - 5130 days ago
Last Saturday, I got stuck in a big Go Slow. Go Slow is pidgin for a traffic jam, and I think this was the worst traffic jam in ...
At Church with the President, God and Goodluck! - 21/Oct/2010 19:35 - 5159 days ago
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Nigeria at 50 - 04/Oct/2010 16:16 - 5176 days ago
Last Friday, 1st October was Independence Day, 50 years of independence from the British, celebrations were to be held at the Ea...
Entertaining the Honourable Member for East Dumbartonshire– Jo Swinson MP - 29/Sep/2010 16:51 - 5181 days ago
For the last six days I have been on a temporary“holiday” in a different part of town withJo Swinson MP. Jo was taking part ...
Barka da Salah - 21/Sep/2010 13:39 - 5189 days ago
The week before last was the end of Ramadam, and Thursday and Friday were public holidays, so I went with some of my fellow volu...
Emily Bullock speaking live from Aso Radio the "Station on the Rock" - 06/Sep/2010 23:19 - 5204 days ago
One day when I was with my boss on the way back from a meeting, he said, that's where Ugo works, and pointed to a rock...
Six months in Nigeria - 29/Aug/2010 21:39 - 5212 days ago
On Saturday, I was having a drink with my fellow British volunteer, Richard, and he said it was our six month anniversary, a lit...
Would you notice if the power stations were shut down in your country? - 26/Aug/2010 07:58 - 5215 days ago
Pride comes before a fall, and following my recent blog posts about how wonderfully reliable our electricity has been, I got hom...
Would you go to school, send your children to school or teach if.... - 24/Aug/2010 13:20 - 5217 days ago
Its hard to tell what Nigeria is really like when you work in an air-conditioned office in the capital city with colleagues who ...
Defining customer service - 22/Aug/2010 08:04 - 5219 days ago
More NEPA / PHCN stories, for a reminder that stands for Nigeria Electric Power Authority / Never Expect Power Again and Power H...
Well done Ugochi or should I say Sannu and a sad farewell to Angie - 13/Aug/2010 14:08 - 5228 days ago
Well done and Sannu are often heard phrases here, you don't seem to have to have done anything well, or done anything at al...
Sharing Skills and Changing Lives - 05/Aug/2010 10:06 - 5236 days ago
Sharing Skills and Changing Lives - (for the uninitiated this is the VSO motto!)I sometimes wander why I am here, yes its intere...
PHCN became PHGA - 03/Aug/2010 13:31 - 5238 days ago
So the good news is Problem Has Gone Away, ie electricity is back, this will only make sense if you read the previous post, scro...
Paying for NEPA or not? - 29/Jul/2010 14:27 - 5243 days ago
If you read one of my earlier posts you will have heard about NEPA and PHCN. NEPA stands for Nigerian Electric Power Autho...
More trips to Bida - 22/Jul/2010 13:46 - 5250 days ago
Second“jolly" to Bida.The following week I returned to Bida, this time no driver so we used“public”. “Public” transpor...
A "jolly" to Bida - 16/Jun/2010 16:09 - 5286 days ago
A jolly is a British term for a business trip which implies that you will be travelling at someone else's expense and probably s...
A new president and a new prime minister - 13/May/2010 10:53 - 5320 days ago
Last Thursday when most of you were going to the polls, to elect who would believe it a Conservative / Lib Dem coalition, I was ...
Two months and one day in Nigeria - 28/Apr/2010 11:44 - 5335 days ago
So I have been in Nigeria for two months, but this is an attempt at“a day in the life of me” because when I spoke to my Dad ...
And finally arriving in Zone 4– 8, Port Said Street - 10/Apr/2010 15:23 - 5353 days ago
Last week Velice and I moved to our new home. It is a two bedroom flat on the first floor, and is very secure, it wou...
Abuja - 10/Apr/2010 15:19 - 5353 days ago
Abuja is hot and dusty, its is a strange place, lots of roads that sometimes make me think of America, little public transport, ...
Starting Work at ICEED - 10/Apr/2010 15:16 - 5353 days ago
ICEED is in a building called Bassan Plaza, on the third floor, and there is air conditioning– hurrah! Well actually there is ...
A trip to Kaduna, and a look at the real Nigeria. - 10/Apr/2010 15:13 - 5353 days ago
A few days into our in-country training, we were sent off to visit existing volunteers in their placements. I went with Anne, to...
Arriving in Abuja - hot hot hot! - 18/Mar/2010 08:09 - 5376 days ago
So on the 28th of Feb, at 04:30am, UK time, I arrived in Abuja, with Heather and Richard, from the UK, and Elizabeth and Charlto...
Emily is not in Jos - 08/Mar/2010 18:01 - 5386 days ago
Hi all - sorry for the lack of updates, I will rectify this as soon as I can, but meanwhile, be assured that I am not in Jos, VS...
I made it! Arrived in Abuja at 05:30am - feeling rather hot! - 28/Feb/2010 14:20 - 5394 days ago
I am in Nigeria, got here safely, met a lovely lady on the plane, was met at the airport by cheery VSO staff, and just chilling ...
Its about to happen - 27/Feb/2010 15:43 - 5395 days ago
Well I have checked in online, my bags are packed, I've seen most people for the last time in a while, a few more tears still to...
7 days to go - 20/Feb/2010 23:44 - 5402 days ago
So - 7 days from now I will be in the air, hopefully calmly drinking a glass of something provided by BA, looking forward to my ...
20 days to go - 07/Feb/2010 18:55 - 5415 days ago
Hi allWell since the last post, I have left my job and become a lady of leisure, if you can define leisure as painting my flat, ...
Trouble in Jos - 21/Jan/2010 16:05 - 5432 days ago
Hi you may have heard that there is some trouble in Jos at the moment, this is quite a distance from where I will be based. I r...
6 weeks to go - 19/Jan/2010 21:50 - 5434 days ago
I'm off to Nigeria in six weeks to work with VSO for an organisation called ICEED International Centre for Energy Environment an...
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