Hello Guys,

"Morning has broken "I thought we were supposed to meet at the common room in 30 minutes for a short meeting with Eva :) Hahah..you can tell that my mind is yet to accept the fact that we are now geographically miles and ocean apart.But in my heart,i still share room 35 with Kauhsik and i can still see Jacques living directly opposite "mama Africa" and "Shnappi".

My flight was smooth..i sat next to a middle aged African American lady who's on her first visit to Africa.We did nit talk until about 2hrs to landing.I was lost in thoughts...thinking of the times and moments that we shared..from the early BOBilicious ride to the 1st-things-1st instructions from Sepp & CO.I already miss the dramatic greetings with Lucas and Kilian :((

Ok.I'm in Port Harcourt city the Capital of Rivers State and the head-quarters of oil-exploration in Nigeria.I was born in a small town called oyigbo a few minutes away from the center of Port Harcourt.Although, I've been living in Delta State(my home state) for about two years,all my family members still reside in Port harcout and its environs.

On arrival, i went straight to Salma Restuarant right there at the airport where i had eba and afang soup.Eba is one of the most popular food in Nigeria.It is made from cassava grounded into a flour-like but a bit rough powder...At this stage,it is called garri.When you add garri to hot water, it hardens and becomes eba!!! Eba is eaten with soup..various types of soup;egusi,okazi,afang,etc.Different ethnic groups and cultures have their own special soup.What i had at the airport was Eba and Afang Soup.Afang is a special delicacy from the Ibibio people of southern Nigeria.

After three months of Rigatoni,Primavera,etc I have developed another level of respect for my local food.I eat every bit with respect and curiosity...i ask questions and dig deep to understand the stories behind the food.This new level of curiosity is a function of my stay in Bavaria.The people love their culture,everybody had something deep and meaningful to share.This also validates the truth that the more you see and respect other cultures,the more you respect your own identity...Variety is the spice of life and it is important to learn more about your culture so as to spice up the world when you meet people with another flavor.

Salma Restaurant is owned and run by my late Pastor's wife,i'm very close to the family.We spent a few hours at the restaurant talking about her new project to support widows after which we drove through Igwurita,Eneka,Elingbu,Rumukwurishi and Elelenwo to their family house in Apkajor where i passed the night.

This morning, i accompanied my friends to buy water with a big plastic bucket 'cos their tap ain't ready yet.I was happy to do the smallest bit of task in the house which is not typical for an average young male who's trying to be a "man" in the Nigerian context..i have seen humility in action from Bobby and Markus.At about 8am, i walked my friend's 5yr old nephew to school.His name is Wisdon and he MUST go to school with biscuits and juice if not, there will be war :))

It's 11:25am here and the temperature is well over 30Degrees.I left Apkajor for Rumudara to visit my elder brother and his sweet kids.The kids are still in school..i can't wait to see them.Right now i'm in a public internet cafe close to my brother's house.There've not been electricity since i arrived here..the sound of the power generator is loud enough to cause panic in Bayrischzell,but everyone here is relaxed typing and chatting away like "no-man-business".

Hey,my timer says i have only 20:53 minutes left to work on this computer.I paid for 2hrs 0.8953 Euro

Do you want to know more about daily lie in "9ja" and the peculiarities of this nation with a population of over 140million ?Follow my diaries :))

One love,one heart,onw world!

Timothy Ogene
Port Harcourt,Nigeria