Things I will miss about Nigeria, Part II

• Warm weather all the time (well, more or less). That hug of heat whenever you walk outside; not needing to 'get ready' to go out - just walking out of the door in a t-shirt; living space that is partly outside.
• Bougainvillea. Beautiful magenta flowers on long, lolling arms falling over walls at the side of the road.
• Joy. As far as I remember, there's not much joy in the UK. In Nigeria, there's joy everywhere. Laughter in every situation, even when - in fact, especially when - something has gone wrong.
• Friendly, smiley, chatty people everywhere. Just chatting to someone on the bus, or on your way down the street. Feeling genuinely welcome.
• Barbecued fish covered in chilli and served with soggy chips.
• The lovely Sea Breeze bar - a serious contender for the best local in the world.
• Shawarma (kebab type thing), suya (grilled meat), fried plaintain, and kosai (little fried bean cakes).
• The best work-life balance I'm ever likely to experience. The experience of living, rather than just surviving (which, ironically, coincides with the time of my life when my living conditions have been closer to survival than in the UK). Having time and headspace to think, to create, to just be.
• And, it goes without saying, the many wonderful people I have worked with, spent time with, drunk with, laughed with, played with, watched grow up, and generally grown to love.