Friday, June 20, 2008

RESUMPTION PALAVA:

I worry a lot about the time I resume for work, I worry about the circumstances surrounding everything. I like to be perfect; I like to put my integrity first in all I do. I like following set rules and regulations. But it’s being very difficult to keep up with my principle as far as resuming for work is concerned.

I once worked at Victoria Island and I said to myself never to work in that end of Lagos again since I leave far away from the said place. You are faced with endless traffic in the morning and same in the evening when you are going back home.

Well, I am back to the Island, this time Lagos Island. I took the job because I love it but I still get late to work!!! I am supposed to be at work 8:30 am which is fair enough but I often make it to work after 8:30am. See me see trouble o.

Care to know why? I will just describe a typical day from Monday to Friday. But before then I will like to say here that if I leave home before 6:00 am, I will get to work by 7:00 am but if I leave home by 6:30 or 7:00am I get to work after 8:30 am most time. And the big unsolvable problem is, I wake up latest by 6:00am on the dot!!! My body has been so conditioned to this that it’s being so difficult to adjust. Let’s start:

Monday:
  1. Long queue at the bus stop (this takes about 20mins or more than at times)
  2. Traffic; blocked road, 3rd Mainland bridge is worse, we could be there for an hour
  3. Bus won’t stop me at my desire spot at my bus stop, I have to trek a lot to get to work
Tuesday:
  1. It’s Raining
  2. Conductors says my bus stop should not enter, which means more time at the park
  3. Flat tire on the road
  4. Traffic
Wednesday:
  1. Bus enters the filling station to get gas/fuel. Takes forever to get done
  2. Traffic phase one before we ever reach 3rd Mainland Bridge
  3. Bus overheat
  4. Traffic phase two before on 3rd Mainland Bridge
Thursday:
It could be any of the above or road might be free

Friday:
  1. Overslept!!! Hurried out of bed to make it work
  2. Traffic must add to my displeasure
  3. Rain might now add to my trouble
  4. Etc etc
I don’t like excuses and it’s now becoming increasingly difficult for me not to have or give one. I tire. I vex, am sad. I can’t help myself!!!
at

37 comments:

  1. bumightJune 20, 2008 at 11:25 PM

    is there any of your colleagues that lives on ur route that u could hitch a ride with or any of ur friends from home who work on the island?

    ReplyDelete
  2. ShadeCrownJune 20, 2008 at 11:28 PM

    wow.. dat sucks..
    oh well.. goodluck

    ReplyDelete
  3. AnonymousJune 21, 2008 at 12:40 AM

    Girl, if I could, I'd buy you a ca ASAP!!!

    ReplyDelete
  4. AJIKEJune 21, 2008 at 1:56 AM

    yay am firt...yupee dandan oooooo!..lol

    ok now babes, i know howyou feel, heard so much about this lagos palava, but it is well, cheer up, don't be sad....i guess its one of the hassles of life.....maybe you might have to get up so so early after all...pele my dear

    take it to the lord in prayer!!!...lol

    don't be sad now, remeber ure name..stand tall...you are not called that for nothing

    ok let me stop yarning balls. when i remeber one song ild come back

    muah muah

    ReplyDelete
  5. ishaJune 21, 2008 at 3:08 AM

    pele my dear! I pray it gets better for you. It's just the first week yeah?
    Enjoy the weekend.

    ReplyDelete
  6. AnonymousJune 21, 2008 at 4:21 AM

    congratulations on your new job. I lived in Nigeria one year when I was much younger. In Calabar and my mom's village.

    ReplyDelete
  7. O'DeeJune 21, 2008 at 10:26 AM

    Pele dear.
    Try asking around ur office u might find sm1 who lives near u.

    Am dreading the mainland - island traffic, when I move back 2 9ja.

    Keep standing tall.

    ReplyDelete
  8. LGJune 21, 2008 at 2:43 PM

    i feel u my sistah, in the office , they kno me d last person to sign in, lolll, d good tin is dat i get to d office b4 my boss *grins*
    newayz,'try to sleep early, change ur alarm battery *grins* n tell hubby to wake u byforce b4 6am lollll

    njoy ya w'end
    how r my cuties
    *do i want to kno??????????,lollll*

    ReplyDelete
  9. AfrobabeJune 21, 2008 at 3:17 PM

    That sucks...would make me cry just to get out of bed....

    ReplyDelete
  10. Nigerian Drama QueenJune 21, 2008 at 5:11 PM

    Eya kpele!
    Maybe you could start waking up@ 4am?!LOL

    ReplyDelete
  11. SOLOMONSYDELLEJune 22, 2008 at 4:08 PM

    my sista sorry oh!!!! e no easy at all.


    NIGERIAN CURIOSITY
    IT WAS SO MUCH EASIER WHEN I ONLY HAD ONE...

    ReplyDelete
  12. alotedJune 22, 2008 at 9:04 PM

    oga o!

    looks like you have to start waking at 5a.m! set up alarm to wake you at 4/4.30 and keep snoozing till 5..well thats wat i would do..i hear it takes 6 weeks to break a habit so all da best!

    better still get a car..or hitch a ride with a colleague that can pick you up part of the way..

    Pele dia!

    ReplyDelete
  13. DuchessJune 23, 2008 at 12:48 PM

    its not easy atall...i know...cos we have same story, cos i go thru all this too....Lagos is really messsed up...thnk God my boss is a lil undastanding..it wnt have bin easy for me either...
    Pele dear!

    ReplyDelete
  14. DonJune 23, 2008 at 1:19 PM

    sometimes i struggle with the same. it kinda hurts my job evaluation, but i have to keep telling myself that everything will balance itself out. eventually.

    i tell myself that, as well as stop turning the alarm clock off so many times, in the morning. LOL.

    ReplyDelete
  15. naijaletaJune 23, 2008 at 3:09 PM

    There was a time I was working on the Island and living in Agege. I used to wake up 4:30 AM everyday.

    ReplyDelete
  16. ButtercupJune 23, 2008 at 4:01 PM

    oh my word, that aint gravy at all! wow....the Lord is ur strength babe..

    ReplyDelete
  17. tankojjettyJune 23, 2008 at 4:47 PM

    FROM EXPERIENCE...AND I HAVE 3 YRS IN THIS SORT OF THING..LOL
    STAY AT WORK TILL LATE IN THE EVENING,IF POSSIBLE BE IN THE LAST 5 TO LEAVE WORK...
    AND MAKE SURE EVERYONE KNOWS ABT IT THE FOLLOWING DAY...
    AND TRY AND MAKE IT TO WORK B4 9AM EVERY MORNING...
    SO AT WORK U HAVE THE REPUTATION FOR STAYING LONGER AND STILL ARRIVING EARLY (EVEN THOUGH U'RE LATE)...
    JUST DO THIS FOR A MONTH,UR COLLEAGUES WILL FORGET ABT U COMING IN LATE...

    ReplyDelete
  18. JeremyJune 23, 2008 at 5:03 PM

    Your wish is my command madame. Now, how about some reciprocationals?

    ReplyDelete
  19. Jennifer A.June 23, 2008 at 5:50 PM

    I'll have to empathhize with you because I know how difficult it is to get to work if a person lives in Lagos! Traffic is just impossible...

    I think the best bet is to get a really LOUD alarm clock that can wake you up at 5:30am, so that you can be ready to leave the house at 6.00am and get to work by 7.00am. What do u think?

    ReplyDelete
  20. SmaragdJune 23, 2008 at 6:20 PM

    i've vowed that if i get a job on the island, i'll move to lekki or ikoyi, cuz i dont think i can survive that daily traffic!

    I currently leave home 8:15 to get to work 8:35! it's pure bliss.

    pele.

    ReplyDelete
  21. Chris OgunlowoJune 23, 2008 at 6:27 PM

    Thanks for your comment on The Obama Speech on Nigeria ;)

    ReplyDelete
  22. tobennaJune 24, 2008 at 11:17 AM

    Truth is, you can do it.
    You can wake up earlier and leave to work earlier. I waas in that same situation when I was working in VI. It was hell, but it was better to get to work earlier than to risk looking sloppy to my colleagues and oga.

    Wake up earlier. It can be done.

    ReplyDelete
  23. Flourishing FloridaJune 24, 2008 at 2:45 PM

    pls, don't get me started on dis lagos traffic thing! its d only thing dat makes me dread dis possible move 2 lagos (2 go join MM).

    ReplyDelete
  24. ZenaJune 24, 2008 at 3:38 PM

    can u hitch a ride with someone or have someone wake you up?

    used to be late for work, had my best-friend call me to wake me up and it worked?

    pele sha

    ReplyDelete
  25. The ActivistJune 24, 2008 at 5:12 PM

    This comment has been removed by the author.

    ReplyDelete
  26. The ActivistJune 24, 2008 at 5:25 PM

    @ Bunmight:My former schoolmate works on V.I and he could dorp me off along the way but he leaves home at 5:00/5:30 am everyday!!! I no fit! Cos I will be gerring to work by 6:00am if I were to go with him.

    @ Sha: thanks Sha, ya it sucks

    @ Abbie: thanks love. The car would have solved a lot of these palavas cos that means I can ride straight from home without having to queue and all that.

    @ Ajike: thanks for the inspiration. I am waiting for the song o.

    @ Isha: thanks. I have being in this job since January this yr and I really wish I cld be gerring to work on time cos my boss is so considerate, she asked us to resume at 8:30 daily. She don try

    @ femmeautonome: hmm that makes u a Nigerian mi-lady.

    @ oluwadee: thanks dearie, the person I know leaves home at 5:00/5:30 everyday!!!

    @ LG: mi-lady. Your case is better but mine isn't cos I feel so uncomfortable seeing my boss seated b4 I drag myself to work. She is not saying anything as in she is understanding but I dont want it to look like I am taking her for granted. She is the best

    @ Afrobabe: that means u r not an early riser?

    @ Nigeriandramaqueen: you wan kill me? I no fit

    @ Solomonsydelle: thanks mi-systa

    @ Aloted: i will try and see if I can break the habit

    @ Duchess: The truth is my boss is an angel. She understands too but I am not happy with this situation.

    @ Don: you too mi-brova? E go beta o

    @ Naijaleta: that ur situation was definitely worse than mine. Kai

    @Buttercup: yes the Lord is...my systa!!!
    @TankoJjetty: what a solution!!!

    @ Jeremy: I would have sworn you were on mi-blogroll. I must have forgotten to put it back after I changed my template. No vex. U dye my blogline sha

    @ Jaycee: I think apart from gerring a "LOUD ALARM", I have got to keep it 5 fts away from me cos of temptation to always turn it off

    @Smaragd: I envy you mi-systa

    @ Aloofar: you are welcome!!!

    @Tobenna: I have got to try. Thanks a bunch

    @ Free-Flowing Florida: "to go join MM" who is MM? I am curious. Anyway, if you come you might be luckier or you get use to Lagos life

    @ Zena: My hubby is appointed to do the "pls wake your wifey up" thing but he got tired cos I am always fighting him to leave me alone. See my life. The person i cld hitch a ride with, leaves home at 5:00/5:30 everyday!!!

    ReplyDelete
  27. LoLuJune 24, 2008 at 6:44 PM

    Oga O! you are like me. Despite no traffic, I still get to work at 8:30am coz l cant wake up before 7:00am(shhhh...did l say that?)

    Start to put alarm for 5:00am, best of luck!

    ReplyDelete
  28. ParakeetJune 24, 2008 at 9:54 PM

    Lagos palavar...kai. They need trains in that town. get people off the road...Lagos will soon get to gridlock...no be curse. You try standtall, pele.

    ReplyDelete
  29. ChariJune 25, 2008 at 6:55 AM

    girl...I don come back...

    ReplyDelete
  30. darkelceeJune 25, 2008 at 8:31 AM

    Me i don tire for this lagos

    Its 8.39am now and i feel so sleepy.

    the rain that fell yesterday made lagos to practically float on water. gothome around 11pm when i should have been at home by 9

    please govt should get a policy out to all employers to ensure that employee start some KM to the office! abi now? :)

    ReplyDelete
  31. The ActivistJune 25, 2008 at 10:17 AM

    @ Lolu: You lazy o!!!

    @Parakeet: Thanks dearie. I agree with the train initiative.

    @ Charizard: welcome back mi-boy!!! This your Paris tirp is short o

    @ Darkelcee: I agree with you o

    ReplyDelete
  32. shhhhJune 25, 2008 at 5:27 PM

    pele dear, i pray you buy a car soon or get promoted to ease this condition. pele. i would have suggested train.....but dont we need electricity first? have a blessed day

    ReplyDelete
  33. Flourishing FloridaJune 25, 2008 at 6:53 PM

    MM = my man. i was supposed 2 move 2 lagos after d wedding

    ReplyDelete
  34. Blue Eyed BlondeJune 26, 2008 at 5:15 PM

    I feel you sister! For those days am early, it means i was up at 4.30am, outta the house at 5.30, and at work at 7am, anything else and i get to work at 10am!....

    kpele. That's the cross some unlucky lagosians bear.......

    ReplyDelete
  35. LoLuJune 26, 2008 at 11:26 PM

    Not my fault O...lol...I sleep late so l have every reason to wake up late non?(my bad habit)...lol

    ReplyDelete
  36. TairebabsJune 29, 2008 at 12:20 AM

    I soooo understand what you mean. My body has conditioned itself for 6.00am as well. Last year, I relocated from v.i to lekki. I work on Lagos Island as well. It used to take me fifteen minutes to get from v.i to work. Then my relocation to that lekki and I understood the saying you don't know what you have got until it is gone. The traffic is horrible and if you miss the required wake up time, forget it you will be lying all week. I have used up all available excuses, flat tire, car trouble, LASMAN self have been ropped into my late to work excuses. But hold forte, things will get better my dear, my body has accepted 6.00am now from 7.30 before. It is well take it to God in prayers, the third mainland traffic I just don't know a way out.

    ReplyDelete
  37. The ActivistJune 30, 2008 at 3:06 PM

    @ The Last King of Scotland: O se o mi-king. And you r right we need electricity first.

    @ Free-flowing Florida: oh I get it but I no envy you o. I want to relocate to Abuja sef

    @ Blue Eyed Blonde: How are you coping with getting to work at 7:00am?

    @ Lolu: o kay o. All the best in ur blogville idol pariticpation!!!

    @ Tairebabs...kai this s something else. I will key into ur changed waking up habit and discuss this with God. Thanks dearie

    ReplyDelete

StandTall folks, let your comments be the witness to change....