Nigeria Journal: June 27th

 Taught three classes today at the school. I had all of the students write a haiku and then a name poem. Within this lesson, they were practicing using adjectives as opposed to nouns. It was a difficult lesson, but one that was enjoyable for both the teachers and myself.

After school, I usually “go to town” with Dr. Korieh, which always turns into a 3 hour escapade of avoiding crazy drivers and ungodly traffic. I had quite a nice time relaxing at a road side café with Grayson, Tara, Dr. Korieh, Izdo, and our driver. We all order a few beers and just enjoyed the company of each other. Grayson insisted on playing games with Dr. Korieh and myself, and we both gladly engaged. I have been steadily drinking Star Beer while I have been here and it is OK. It is rather watery, but after a long day of teaching in this tropical humidity, nothing tastes better! Soon I want to taste Nigeria’s other brewery, HERO, which is Igbo based and supposedly is “internationally recognized for its taste and quality.”

This evening Dr. Korieh and I went into the Hausa section of Owerri on the prowl for some smoked “ram.” The Hausa are very distinct in Igboland. They all wear full-length robes and matching hats, which  mark them of being of the muslim religious faith. They also speak their own language known as Hausa, which is the lingua-franca of the northern regions of Nigeria. In contrast to the Igbo, the Hausa raised livestock and their diet primarily consists of food products derived from their herds. In Owerri, there is a small population of Hausa, who are known mostly for their meat market. I went there with Dr. Korieh. It was an absolute sight to behold. There were racks of ribs, thighs, and bloody steaks sitting on a type of brown wax paper. All of the meat was smoked over a pit fire that was directly underneath the table. I saw the coals and flame strewn about the ground. If one was not careful where they walked, they could trip directly into the  blaze. Each of the vendors had a small dish of very strong spices that they dipped the meat in. It was excellent. I have no idea what the spice was, and when I asked Dr. Kroieh, he told me that it is a blend of “Hausa spice.” That was not helpful. anyways, each of the vendors were yielding a huge knife and were cutting the meet, rather dexterously, into small pieces. There were chickens, beef, goat, and ram. Dr. Korieh and I purchased some of the ram—after loooong negotiations. It was fine meat, a little sinewy, but it had excellent flavor. We enjoyed it along a side of fried plantain (yum) and wine!