Although Lagos, the capitol, had served as a wonderful
introduction to Nigeria I was eager to relocate to a more rural area. I
was soon transferred out of the Yoruba's Western Region to the Eastern Region's
land of the Igbo. My new duties were in the village of Awo Omamma where I
occupied one-half of a recently completed duplex on the property of the Community
Grammar School.
Within a few weeks of arrival, a donated generator was
connected up and provided electricity to all of the buildings on the campus.
This is a view from the front door of my
duplex.
Nicholas, a local boy, helped me out around the house and
in preparing meals. He occasionally bunked-in in a spare room at the end
of the duplex. On one occasion, in the early morning hours, he discovered
under his bed a large poisonous snake which we captured in mosquito netting
and later destroyed.
It didn't take me long to get used to the local foods,
dress, and haircuts. Two other recent additions to staff were Mr. V.M.Thomas
from Kerala, India to teach chemistry and Mr. P.K.C.Panicker from the Bombay
area to teach biology. They lived in a similar duplex adjacent to mine and
over the coming months I would get to share a number of authentic Indian
meals with them.
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