Sometimes, I just wonder how stressful moving around in Lagos, or as a matter of fact, any other Nigerian state, can be. Especially when you go to the place for the very first time. That period where you’re still trying to get acquainted with the place, you’d find yourself really struggling to catch up with the norms, unspoken rules, and cultures of that particular area. Because one area will definitely differ from another, even though they’re in the same state.
There’s a reason why we’re always advised to be on guard when we go to new places for the first time, not just because of safety issues, but because we basically don’t know how things work there. You could make the wrong move, and you’d find yourself in trouble. When you have a guide, the person will be the one telling you about the place, what is allowed and isn’t allowed, and all that stuff.
There are estates here in Lagos that penalize littering, and if you don’t know this about them before going there, and you’re one who litters wherever you go, you’d find yourself in a very embarrassing situation. What am I even trying to say with all these words? It’s just that when something is new to you, when a place is uncharted, going through it can be very stressful, but those who have been in that area long enough will be able to navigate it with such ease, you’ll wonder how they do it.
Yesterday was my first time going to the Alaba International Market here in Lagos. I escorted my elder brother to get his TV fixed, and it was quite a stressful experience. He had a shop in mind, because he knew who exactly he wanted working on his TV, but if you’ve been to that market, then you’d know that it’s nothing but one giant maze filled with people and cubicles! We had to stand outside the market and then call the guy who then came to guide us to where his shop was, otherwise, we would not have been able to find him. No matter what.
I thought I would be able to get some work done while I was there, but I was wrong, there was no network. And when I began to get hungry, I decided to take a walk to find what I’d eat. Big mistake! I walked for a while until I found what I was looking for, but then, wanting to return to the shop, I realized I didn’t know how. In my defense, I had been mapping out my route as I was coming, looking out for landmarks to help me get back. But for some reason, I started seeing those landmarks everywhere.
The weird shop at the very end of a line, which I thought was unique and stood out, turned out so many shops were like that! I noted a POS stall, one where all the fonts on their banner were green and bold! Guess what, I found more than five POS banners just like that, with different people manning the stalls. It was so frustrating, because when is see one of these supposed landmarks, I’d think I’m on the right track, but then I’d come upon yet another one, making me wonder if I wasn’t just going round and round in circles.
In the end, I couldn’t find my way back, I was just too confused and lost. So, I decided to leave the market altogether. There are many exits out of the market, so I followed the closest one until I was out on the major road, then I was able to return to the place where my brother’s customer had come to pick us up earlier. Somehow, by following the path we took in the morning, I was able to find my way back to the shop.
My brother was asking why I took so long. I just shook my head… he had no idea how close I had come to getting lost in the market. Of course, there’s no way I would have gotten lost, but it was really stressful, walking round and round, but making no progress. Anyway, while I was there, I saw some apprentices moving around the market as they knew it by heart. Almost as if they had the lay of the land on the back of their hand.
And that’s when it struck me, familiarity breeds… well, familiarity. The people who do their business there have been navigating that maze for months and years, doing their business there as they search for their daily bread, so they would know it perfectly. Meanwhile, I, for one who is going there for the first time, will have to calm down, if not, I’ll simply be turning and turning with no real progress in sight. Anyway, it was quite an eye-opening experience.
