day 15, i think

hmmm... today was quite a day. i got a call from dooshima at about 0830 asking if i wanted to go to the market with her and tessie. so we got in a cab and took off for lagos island to shop (and for me to watch) and get this; there were like no shops open! even though there's the whole church on sunday thing here they were sure some shop owners would go to evening services instead and then there's always the muslims shops that are closed on fridays and not the weekend. but there was little open. tessie got some tops (after trying on a bunch while guys dug thru big baskets of clothes looking for her size). and then we stopped at a (cheap) jewelry shop to brouse. i have to say, it was probably worse that the shops were mostly empty because the market was disgusting! there were various animal parts strewn accross the pathway mixed with a variety of detritus. it smelled like a rotten fish market. the produce and grain stands looked awesome; really vibrant colors and tasty looking dried beans and rice. and they dry fish and roll it into these donut looking things which are actually really pretty because the scales are irridescent and shine all different colors in the sun. and there were lots and lots and lots of wheelbarrows filled with some kind of hooved animal legs. and loads of orange peels and wilted greens littered the ground as well. it was just unpleasant. and the thing was this was just like going to a big outdoor fleamarket; cheap, knock offs everywhere. nothing interesting or original and i have a much easier time finding what i want at target. glad i went but even happier it was a very short trip and i didn't find (or look for) anything to buy. and then we went to a fast food shop, the chicken republic, for fried dough (sortof donuts without holes) and meat pies. we checked out of the hotel and checked in for our flight and after terrible weather and a 45min delay we were on our way back "home". and abuja is georgous from the air! i mean so lush and green with all these rocks and hills; a tropical paradise. and doesn't smell like any of the badness of lagos which has an uncanny resemblance to the smell of busch gardens at 3pm right after a rain when it 97 degrees outside. not to be mean but that's really it to a t (or a p u ). and godday met us at the airport and we were on our way to the office. i got my bag that i stashed there and we shoved everything into dooshima's old honda and took off to pick up gayathri and rush to the market before closing. and fabric! they have loads of patterns and prints and it's all in 3 or 6ft pre-cut pieces. i was so overwhelmed but i only had a few minutes to make my decisions because the market was shutting down for the night and the seamstress was meeting us in 30min! but after a few minutes my brain kicked back in and i was suddenly able to pick out a zillion things i liked at the 3rd booth we stopped at. so i just got 4 different fabrics and it cost about us$25 or so. and then we went back to gayathri's and had some wine while her tailor measured all of us for our outfits. i ordered 3 dresses, 2 skirts, and pj's and it will all be ready on thursday for <$100! very impressive. hopefully it will all work out pretty cool. i may be able to squeeze out one or two more things out of her if i find more fabric that i like too. but we had a nice time hanging out and chatting before i got dropped back off at the hilton and after sandwiches for dinner at the pastry shop i made my way back to my new room! this one is down a different side of the hotel, has a different view (although it's too dark to tell of what) and is very green instead of very orange. and there were slippers and a robe! super cool. and i got complimentary water and apples! double cool! so that's fun. and i'm pretty well settled back in here. and i think that's it. it was a good day; very good!