CHANGE

In May 2015, a former military head of state and dictator,  retired General Muhamudu Buhar, won  the presidential elections in Africa's most populated, and thus most complicated country; Nigeria.

His party APC "Action People's Congress" who delivered him as president, after three failed attempts by Mr. Buhari to win the presidency, promised millions of Nigerians change. In fact their motto throughout the election was the word CHANGE.

Although it is still too early to tell how exactly the president and his new cabinet, intend to change for the better, we Nigerians suppose, in a country that hails, encourages, and loves corruption, amongst other vices and ills; we sceptics, do not mind paying a ticket to watch this four year long show, that will hopefully take us to the next elections, in 2019.

Personally the only structural change I believe I will see in the next four years, will be in the landscape, as new luxury homes, hotels, and buildings emerge, as the lay man stops to look at and wander. The story of this country, since independence in 1960.

LOVE OVER GOLD AFRICA REAWAKES

Africa had to emulate the west it didn't have a choice after long years of occupation, the old term for colonization.
The life styles the synthetic image of exterior success, the American European dream that killed the ancient African dream was nemesis revisited this time with new fresh guinea pigs. A simple African dream, a man hunts, farms, builds a roof over his wife's head, he loves her,  she takes great  care of the household the children, helps with farming, and other chores, she loves him unconditionally. He is her world, they love themselves, truly content with what they  have, and are happy, in love until death do them part.

 Then came in the insatiable beast of capitalism, capitalism, over socialism, over Africanism with the its fierce little brother greed or over greed. What was a  simple and manageable lifestyle, quiet, peace minded reality inevitably was substituted in post independence by much more far fetched ambitions, the same; the Westerners had and have. And with it came their value system, killing ours, came their pop culture over our ancient culture, aesthetics over substance, immorality over decency gold over love. The need to have the pretty plush house the car, our women drenched in expensive perfume and relishing European fashion, and all that we can access materialistically took over  completely our once less complicated,  simpler and far more reasonable lives.  All in the name that we too live like our once white skinned occupiers did, even though we didn't before their occupation, until  we expelled them, and even celebrated what we thought was true and unconditional freedom. A neo freedom. In wealthy African countries this maddening  hunger for materialism is as clear as the sun, and as abrupt and aggressive as a rhino storming towards you for the kill. We will literally do anything today to obtain that dream house, literally anything,  for the Mercedes even more, for the shoes the watch the fashion perfumes, the glamorous and sexy wardrobe your wife will even become a whore not to talk about your girlfriend, cousin sister, and more. Divorce rates are high in this continent now, specially when the bubble bursts as it normally does for the majority. We had it all the cars the houses, the exotic travels,  the kids in great schools, anything we are willing to become enslaved for. But wait a minute what happened to the love? As we sleep in separate bedrooms as a couple,  practically mutually untouchable but attend church as one, with abundant smiles  as all seems fine. Those who don't want to divorce or separate are willing to love this farce  until the end of their days.

Many today are simply tired of the farce the act though. The searching for love in hundreds of  sites have quadrupled, conversations between certain single people certainly divorcees or separatees range now from  quality of life, to romantic travels, peace of mind, true pure love, to living in a  simple lifestyle, with the one you love, the one you will die with. As it was four hundred years ago, before the white man accidentally found our shores and cursed them. No longer merry pre marital, conversations about the mighty big house, the fleet of cars, the American dream tenfold. We were there, done that, had that, but our souls and hearts remain empty, as life so it seems, has lost its true sweetness. Spending time our singles time in our forties with friends, rather than with a now much appreciated loved one we now have to seek at our lonely fragile age. Contemplating  holding hands with that special one at a beach, watching another breath taking sunset, and kissing and frolicking  until sunrise. Yes we learned we learned the way most of us prefer, the hard way, as we drown inside our empty souls. If only we had realized when we were young. Better love over gold, genuine peace of mind, and happiness, no large bills and credits and loans to pay, rather than waking up some day realizing what a frock of nonsense it all was, the imported dreams and all the rest. Specially when we had our own, simple and warm, realistic and free; from, vanity,  from shame, from the creditors.

Yes For sure,

Love Over Gold...... Love Over Gold Anytime....

 

 

 

GONE THE DAZZLE OF FLYING

 

What happened to that dazzle of flying? Those days in the sixties seventies early eighties, when flying was  made to be glamorous, truly an experience and a half for everyone right up to economy class. The food was great the smiles from those fashionably dressed flight crews genuine, and the aircraft perfumed and spotless.

Came the increase of air travel. Higher demands larger supply and the drop in quality of service all the way through. Even checking in back in the days, was an enjoyable and friendly experience. Today airlines want you to check into a machine, the airports are cluttered, and everything seems to be on automatic mode. This the death of a great flying experience.

 Unless for those who can afford to go first class, when the first class of today forty years ago reminded you of economy, the experience of flying today has been made redundant, as a simple means of getting you from point A to point B as your local bus does too.

More people flying more aircraft, more demand for air crews to break into their tasks faster, everything is faster, seemingly easier, less scruples, less quality as more of us fly fly away...

Aviation today is on automatic mode. The turn around for an aircraft, is much faster these days, more flights, more aircraft, less human resources especially on the ground, more overworked schedules. The need for faster delivery, fast fast fast..... As another airbus must get on it's way This is so much more evident with the low cost carriers, the McDonald's of the skies. . I tremendously dislike the term airbus, for psychologically in many peoples minds, it has become the way to operate an aircraft today. Less thrills, quick turn around, on schedule when possible. And off you go.

Global aviation growth. Asia, Americas, Africa, Middle East Europe everywhere. The fast demand in
An increasing fast world. And fast as you have noticed is a key word here.

Yet when a Malaysian aircraft disappears from the radar with some 240 people on board, and can't be found as in last year, and pilots commit suicide by murdering all their passengers on board by downing an aircraft, when human error still causes avoidable  accidents, on better built and supposedly safer technology advanced planes, when you check into a highly cluttered airports and queue in queues much larger than taking a train or any other form of transport, you can't but ponder. Is this the price of higher demand,  is this the price of fast a fast fast world ? As airline operators increasingly are eager to make higher profits, at the detriment of you and me.

All this colossus must and has to be revised soon. Air safety needs to quickly tackle all sorts of anomalies, and bring order and sanity to a sector fast derailing. Airlines need to start giving back and much more to all of us who keep them flying in the first place. Bringing back tough safety measures, amore dazzling service both on board or not, to mention but a few basic points. They need to captivate  us all, as they once did twenty, forty and fifty years ago with a more serene, quality driven, inventive, comforting way to get us  from point A to point B without truly and profoundly compromising our safety, integrity, and for some of us the joy of flying.... Flying as an amazing memorable experience...