FINE = GOOD ?

A really funny incident happened recently. I was parking the car in reverse in Reef Mall parking lot, where I was taking Naqiyah while her mom went for Slum Dog Millionair. Seeing the obvious attention that I was paying to parking the car properly she commented:

Be careful how you park the car. If you park wrongly policeman will give you a fine.(Thats fine, however she immediately repeated) - If you don't park properly policeman will give you a Good!:)

Ofcourse explaining to her that a good is not a fine, although fine means good was not so easily done :)

Amnesty 100 days campaign

Obmama represents hope.. never more so evident as during my recent trip in Africa.. there you can see people selling Obmama portraits.. calling Kenyan Airlines - Obama Airlines, and surprise surprise Nigerian Foreign minister saying this shows that African people have to stop blaming the world for their woe's and backwardness and start taking their future in their own hands (One of the titles in Kenyan airport shop - 'How Europe kept Africa backward').


Besides these ofcourse we have middle east, global economy and many other things.. but close to my heart and for which Obama already has gotten thumbs up and brownie points from me is human rights.. Obmana has made a good start by many of his pr0nouncement for closure of Gautanamo Bay.. Checkout this wishlist for more that we hope is done:

You have something for me ?

Nigeria.. crossing the border is quite an experiance as recounted by friend of his first experiance. Luckily for him, now since he's a Member of Parliment of neighbouring Country (cant give specifics and his name, to protect his identity, he still has to visit Nigeria from time to time), from now on he only travels by his friend Nigerian Ambassador's official vehical when he needs to cross to visit Nigeria.. nyway story is relevant cause i'm in process of trying to cross over by land to visit Lagos ( foolhardy some say..) tommorow will know the final result.. seems some chinese crossed over from benin and decided to stay there ( God knows why!) and hence the difficulties to get visa are compounded..


My friend's experiance:

Guard : Welcome.. Hope you are fine
My friend: (thinking.. wow such friendly people) Bonjour!( Speaks french generally)
Guard : Passport please.
My friend hands it over...

Guard : You have something for me?

My friend: Doesn't quite understand and says no...

Guard: Keeps the passport aside.. now my friend is in one corner, parked to the side.. waiting..

after half an hour...

My friend: Sir.. my passport..? is it checked?

Guard: You have something for me?

My friend : No , Sir!

Guard: We need to do security check.. step into that room please..

My friend having clean concience goes into the room..

Guard: Starts searching him... You have something for me?

My friend.. obstinate as ever.. no sir! (Guards in question are young kids who generally we'd not take seriously)

Guard materialises a packet of Cocain from his own pocket..

Guard: What is this.. you are trying to smuggle cocain into my country!!!!...You have something for me??

My friend now sweating : No , No, Thats not mine...!!! I did not have that!

Guard: No! It was with you, You are trying to smuggle drugs into my country!!

Guard starts to file an official report of the drug catch...

My friend: What you want.. take , here 100 USD(removes from his shoes - cause most people going to Nigeria tend to tuck away money in different supposedly inaccessible places)

Guard: Thats not enough... 1000 USD....

My friend : What ??? 1000 USD for what!!!!

Guard continues writing the report till my friend has litereally stripped himself and given all he has...

Guard finally convinced that he's taken all stamps my friends passport and tell's him to go ahead.

My friend: No, No, I want to go back to my country... Now I have no money, no need to go to lagos..

Guard: No! You have to go, finish your business and come!!!

Ofcourse Guard doesn't accept my friend to go back to Benin.. finally my friend goes ahead and takes a long u-turn ahead to Benin border...

At the border crossing to cross over to Benin on the Nigerian side, to get an exit stamp...

Guard : You have something for me ?????