Saturday, March 01, 2008

Me

I’ve had a few comments on this blog over the past few months with questions and hypotheses about the kind of life I lead. People ask how come I manage to keep my blog going and post so frequently. They also wonder about where I get all my information. I think the assumption is that I am an over-paid and under-worked expat bathing in broadband with a huge generator humming away permanently in the background, living in a lux, calme et volupte compound with swimming pool, gym, amidst other lustrous foreigners spending their lives going to cocktail events etc. I suspect I am considered to be the type you glimpse turning to the left as they enter the plane to and from Abuja etc. People also probably think that being a Jeremy, I am the product of a public school education.

There’s a residual narcissism in writing a blog that can only be amplified by reflecting about one’s life on the blog. It puts me off writing about what I actually do and how I do it. However, at the risk of turning into a self-reflexive bubble, just for once, let me talk about myself and put the record straight:

The first thing to know is that I have been lucky to meet many inspirational people in Nigeria. I borrow a lot of ideas from them, and mix them in with my own to write my posts. In truth, ideas have no origin; they have always been there as a form of energy that connects people to actions and projects. So, I tap into the energy behind the ideas of the people I know, as they tap into mine. Many a post comes from this melange of bodies and beings.

There are, of course, wonderful humans everywhere in the world (even in Staffordshire); the trick is how to find them. When I say ‘lucky’, I’m not sure that that points to a simple random process. Rather, I take serendipity to be a dynamic of the cosmos, where energies go in search of each other, moving into aleatoric spaces of opportunity created by the unfolding of the world in time. Its as if there is an energy gradient for people, just like the meteorological pressure gradients that generate the weather. So, in terms of connecting with people and idea generation: its part happenstance and contingency, but paradoxically, also part necessity. More generally, I think we have to learn to accept the contradiction that life is a combination of contingency and necessity: absurd, comic and tragic all at once. Most of my ideas are not my own, but then they were never anyone’s anyway..

The second thing is, unlike many if not most people who move to Nigeria to work (expat and repat alike), I took an 80% pay cut to live in Nigeria. I left a job I enjoyed (working for a consultancy on the edge of Soho), reporting to a guy I admired and respected. I could not describe myself as an economic migrant. More like an experiential migrant, if anything. I am definitely not in Nigeria for the moolah. Moving here was one giant scary leap into the unknown, for both of us. Only now am I earning something resembling what I earned when I lived in London. Even so, had I stayed, I would be pulling in more over there, probably living in zone one, having a ball with ideas and creatively disruptive projects aplenty. So, I gave a lot up, just as I have gained through being here.

The third thing to know is that I am hyper-productive. I taught myself to type at 16, and now type 90-100 words a minute. I wrote my PhD thesis in 3 months, averaging 5000 words a day. Before that, I got an MA (distinction - from Warwick) and a First Class degree. These things did not come by chance. Nowadays, I typically write between 60 and 100 emails per day, and receive at least the same number, amidst the predictable oceans of spam (or should that be ‘supermarket shelves’?). At present, I am a consultant for DFID working for NEITI. Evenings and weekends, I work on a media start-up project. At the moment, it’s a quiet revolution under wraps. One day very soon, it will not be. I also do bits and bobs of consulting on other projects, whenever I have time. I tend to work 7 days a week, at any time of day or night.

Apart from earning money in these different ways, I am writing a book on memory. I have a long-term back-burner book on invisibility which is quarter written but currently unattended. I am also working on several film projects and studying the art and technique of documentary film-making. I also support Bibi with Cassava Republic – reading manuscripts, meeting potential writers, casting opinions on book covers etc. In between there’s tennis and yoga - bold attempts at keeping my belly the shape it should be.

I don’t think there’s anything so remarkable to celebrate in all this – many people keep themselves just as busy if not more so. It helps that we have a house-help, so there’s no time wasted on chores and the ultra-mundane. In a way, there’s no magic to the life I lead. It was an active choice to find a partner who believes in personal and social transformation. It was an active choice to study so hard, read so much, talk to so many people, ask so many questions, incessantly. I chose to spend night after night talking through the night, work consistently to become a better writer, spend hours and years practising jazz guitar. Years earlier, I had practised hard to be a cricketer. I didn’t make it. I’ve worked in factory after factory on night shifts, restaurant after restaurant, bar after bar. My first job was washing cars at the age of 14. Looking back, it was all about the desire to transcend the present situation and a desire to see and be in the world. Work, work and more work.

The fourth thing to say is that we do not live in a fabulous apartment with reliable electricity supply and broadband internet and a David Hockney patch of aquamarine in the compound. Our house leaks, has cockroaches, constantly disappoints. Our power is oftentimes supplied via battery/inverter. If we still lived in London, our living space would be way more comfortable, if a little smaller. We pay rent for occupation and maintenance, but nothing is ever maintained by our landlord (the norm in Nigeria). The door handles regularly break and fall off (it seems its impossible to get decent door handles in Nigeria). Ditto for taps. Our ceilings sag and shit dust and termites. Still, we’ve done the best we can to make it habitable. People often make mildly-impressed noises when they enter our living room, with our Bida tables, Moroccan wall hangings, big green abstract painting from India, our coffee table books and the welcoming ambience we create around us. But then, our taste didn’t come from nowhere. It too was work: galleries and books and conversations and experiences, not just thoughtless trips to Ikea amidst the numbness of the suburbs. The cultivation of taste has an intrinsic snob element to it – this cannot be avoided or denied.

The fifth thing is that I fly economy. Which is problematic, being a small giant. I’ve flown business class about ten times. I do have a sense of business-class entitlement, but that is height-based more than an in-built sense of superiority. I should also say that I went to a shitty comprehensive school full of brainless thugs, with only a smattering of sentience. My pre-tertiary education nearly ruined it for me. I am an auto-didact. We have to educate ourselves.

I get my insatiable curiosity for the world from my mother, and my indefatigable work ethic from my father. I’ve been lucky, to find an element of the cosmos that is the self of my other. But then, even that was not luck, it was work. I wrote this while flying Virgin Nigeria to Lagos. It took me 35 minutes to write, and another 30 minutes to edit. If it sounds pretentious and self-satisfied, so be it. There's no self-congratulation. The reality is, I am never satisfied and there is never any pretence.

61 comments:

Anonymous,  9:13 pm  

Bravo Jeremy!

But please don't feel the need to explain yourself to anyone.

A famous lady and personal icon of mine (Kimora Lee Simmons, or KLS as I like to call her) once said: "If no-one's talking about you, you're probably not worth talking about".

Mgbo Jeremy - how many of these blogs started up because of you - if not following your lead, inspired by you or simply to diss/hate on you? The important fact to note is that they still all read your blog - and are moved enough to type a reply :D

Waffarian 10:07 pm  

Jeremy. I am disappointed in you. You do not owe ANYBODY any explanation.

First of all, the people that are blogging from naija and actually know how often you update, have internet as well and perhaps are blogging from better circumstances than you. The swimming pool, 24 hrs internet, 3 house maids, drivers, etc. Yep. They all have them.

As for the people saying you should not be in Nigeria...heheheheh, let me laugh first. Why are Nigerians abroad? At least, you have a good reason, you are MARRIED to a Nigerian. That is enough reason...and by the way, who cares? I intend to travel the world and I WILL settle in any damn country I please, if I am allowed to. And by the way, I don't even have a good reason, the only reason being...ehhh, just curious.

Your home is a reflection of you. My home is filled with stuff that I love...moroccan wall hangings? No. But I have a carpet from turkey...is that good enough? Ah well! who cares?

But what am I saying? Why are we even discussing this topic? People always have something to say. You of all people should know that(I am thinking about philosophy...).

Abeg, you dis man, no vex me dis early saturday night. I was just going to drink bacardi and cola...I suggest you do the same, forget these people and their comments. Na dem sabi.

Waffarian 10:28 pm  

Meanwhile, because I plan to shack dis night, I will not read ya thesis but I am very interested in Phenomenology, only because a certain prof killed me with this book: "Weymouth Sands" by John Cowper Powy...a pity, he was a good guy but the whole phenomenology thing killed his classes. Now years later, I feel I should have given him a chance. Maybe I will. Never too late.

Anonymous,  11:26 pm  

Jeremy,
I agree with the above. You did not have to explain yourself to anybody. I am also tired of people that leave comments that insinuate –albeit implicitly- that because you are not Nigerian you should not be commenting on Nigerian affairs.That is the critics real bone of contention. You have fallen into their trap /lair and further scrutiny which will no doubt follow.Please do not digress from blogging about Nigerian societal/economic/political issues. That is why I read your blog.

Anonymous,  12:57 am  

House negros come home to roost.

Cats will never realize being talked down to until somebody slams it down and says straight up what a bunch of filthy, thieving moofockers he believes populate that nation. I bet there will be people defending such madness if (when!) it happens.

Anonymous,  2:06 am  

@ anon 9.13

If I had Kimora Simmons as my icon, I'm not sure I'd be in a hurry to tell anyone about it. But now to worry, I don't think you are thick!


@ Jeremy

So you've gone on a PR offensive? You wouldn't know hard work in a rubbish school if it stood up in your soup Mr! My advice to you: write your blog, love your wife, mind your own. You'll need a lot longer to figure out this country, and flashing a first class degree is not necessarily the right way to begin, as we all know, university teaches you how to think, not what to think, and you cant measure that on a piece of paper.

indar ph 4:19 am  

so Jeremy,
which guitarists do you listen to ?

Anonymous,  8:17 am  

Jeremy,

I've been reading your blog for a long time and enjoyed reading a bit about the who you are and what you do.

All those people who think that only Nigerians can comment on the country should get a life, stop being so bloody touchy! Who says only a native can understand a country.

Anyway don't worry about the narrow minded fools, you get them everywhere. They just need to broaden their horizons a bit and take your lead by educating themselves and experiencing the diversity of the world. .

Chxta 10:11 am  

You shouldn't have...

anonymaus,  11:27 am  

Jeremy I had wandered about your background, but never dared ask, reasons being
1) if if was me, would I be prepared to answer such a question from some strange person
2) I didn't feel it was appropriate for me to ask such a question, "who am I, to ask such a question of you?"

What does intrigue me though, is what do you find in Nigeria, that consistently interests you? It's not like the country is rapidly metamorphosing like India and China.

The other lesson, that I knew beforehand, is that in this world that is becoming more competitive, most people have to hussle for living. This is not sole preserve of people from developing countries, or can trace their ethnic origins to such countries.

I liked the part of how you tap into people's energies and utilise that to your advantage and the fact that you are prepared to put in extra work in to what you choose until you achieve the desired result, ie there is no short-cut to success. Lesson learnt, thank you.

pink gloves 11:43 am  

The reality is, I am never satisfied and there is never any pretence.

The statement above, I am in total agreement with.

Please dont feel the need to defend urself, blogsville is about free speech.

Aaron Rowe 12:05 pm  

A great post.

I have often marvelled at your achievements and wonder how it is possible for one person to do all this.

Now you must share these productivity secrets!

Anonymous,  12:08 pm  

Ok so where are the people that have been asking Jeremy these questions please? No one gives a flip what class you fly in abeg we read the blog and sleep, not spend hours wondering how you live!! Why do you feel the need to explain yourself? Pathetic.

positive diva,  2:19 pm  

I have been reading your blog for awhile no and actually started of starting up my own. I am quite afrocentric, intrisincally defensiveness about my nigerianess and igboness, nad have taken issues to some of the things you have written in the past. However, I am just surprised at how far you have let some folks drag you down. There was absolutely no need to explain your life to anyone. If you want to make the blog about 'your life' and not about issues, so be it, but really you owe no one Jeremy... Just do you and your wife!!!

Anonymous,  3:27 pm  

At anon 8:17a.m. 'natives' indeed.

Your use of the word betrays your colonialist attitude. 'Natives'? Jeezuz. According to? It's much the same as white South Africans calling others 'colored'. According to?

Anonymous,  4:34 pm  

Greetings all.
Anon 9.13 here.

Yes Kimora Lee Simmons is one of my icons - read about her - she will inspire you to live your life to the fullest, in style and not to worry about what other people say - very empowering. And she is a brilliant business woman - not a doctor, engineer, scientist or whatever, but still inspiring young black women the world over.

Like my good friend Jeremy, I also have a first class degree (lol) so we prolly fell off the same "booksmart" dumb tree - so not to worry, I know for a fact that I am not thick. At this point, I will give you another one of my favourite quotes, from Erykah Badu this time: "The man who knows something knows that he knows nothing at all." Nuff said.

@ anon 12.57am, I'm sick and tired of your House Negro rhetoric. You need to read up on that a bit more. I shall recommend a book to you: "The N Word", by Jabari Asim. Please read. And before you brand Jeremy an honorary KKK member, please try and analyse your own comment. Does filth not overrun certain areas of our beloved Lagos? Are "thieving moofockers" (of Nigerian descent) not ruining our dear country as we speak and stealing away hope from millions of our bright young people in a manner only perpetrated by the most brutal, insensitive dictators/enslavers/colonialists of yesteryears? Shine your eyes o.

The sort of racist pricks you are trying to make Jeremy out to be would not even step out of the comfort of their immediate environment (and certainly not for the considerable amount of time that Jeremy has done), but would form their stupid opinions from behind their clouded veils, without having lived in the places they discuss long enough or interacted with the people to the extent that Jeremy obviously has. Jeremy only tells it like it is - he brings both the good and the bad to the forefront. Yes he is different from you, so he will not always see things from the same perspective as you - but that does not make him wrong, or his opinions and observations any less valid than yours.

So this is my contribution to Jeremy's blog this Sunday (lol). And all you haters should all be ashamed of yourselves. My advice to you haters is: Let your light shine. And don't try to stop other people's light from shining.

Anonymous,  5:49 pm  

Jer,good on you..if u felt like doing this good for you, it is after all ur blog. As I have noticed amongst nigerians(NOT ALL OF THEM), they are mean spirited wicked people thats is the ones with access to broadband and fill their days attacking other people and replying other people comments on other peoples blogs.Cyber bullying is a crime people,RECOGNIZE!

Olorunfe

Anonymous,  6:10 pm  

Jeremy someone must have definately hurt your feelings. I have never read such such an execise in self justification before. Please tell us who he or she is and what they did to make you react like this.

Iyaeto 6:10 pm  

I agree with Waffarian.You owe no one an explanation. Although we haven't met but it's like I've met you and Bibi before. Don't mind those people you're more Nigerian than most of them. You're married to a Nigerian even if you're not you have the right to comment on any issue. Most of them are sitting down somewhere arguing about Obama and Clinton while some are blogging about it. I beg Jeremy it's you blog do whatever you like on it. If any body doesn't like it, they ca BOUNCE!i appreciate what you and Bibi are doing for to revive the Nigerian book reading culture and young authors too. CARRY GO MAN!

Anonymous,  6:24 pm  

@ Anon 4.34

From which University did you graduate I wonder? Kimora Simmons is your 'idol', you live life to the 'fullest', and you spell probably 'prolly'.

Here's hoping you don't start a blog anytime soon!

oguro,  6:26 pm  

Jeremy,

Good for you!!! lovely getting a peek into your fascinating life ... you should be used to the barbs by now ...
Keep blogging and yes keep posting!!! I'm constantly entertained ...

Anonymous,  8:02 pm  

i have to admit the first time i read ur blog i loved it and laughed real hard until i realised u were a white man. boy, was i pissed!

i still have a few 'go back to bloody england' moments but i've accepted u as the arrogant, critical a** that u are. fact is, i enjoy gettin mad at u.

and by the way, i love ikea so watch urself!!!

Ob,  8:32 pm  

Jeremy I disagree with a lot of the comments , Im thrilled you shared something about yourself( the roaches were a bit much though) ...and Naija roaches are a scary breed !!!!!! lol !.
I appreciate your blog and always will.

I know many "Oyibo women" married to Nigerians who have made Nigeria their home ... a french woman married to my friend's dad ...she told me once, how she fed her kids Akamu in Lagos during the war ....my economics teacher's wife who lived in a cottage on my high school convent grounds in a little village called Itak-Ikono Akwa Ibom state.

My friend (a former Miss Nigeria) her British grandfather(also a serious Olumba believer) lived many years with his family in PH untill his death.

My music teacher is an English woman who continues to live with her husband a former senator for many years in Nigeria with her grown kids.

Im glad you have a wife that compliments you.Im glad you live in Nigeria too and blog about it ,I dont see other Oyibo peeps in Naija blogging ..they could care less!!

@ anon 3.27pm
you are ignorant ..the word natives is not offensive its the same as saying villagers or locals as in area peeps/residents !!

@2.06am
I agree with Anon 9.13pm

KLS is an icon whether you like it or not !!!
A woman who made the best out of her opportunities...today we dont have to read boring tabloid details of her chasing her husband around town for child support or alimony ...for that.... she is an ICON with a big "I" !!
She did her thing big time and yes she is vain but she is a gogetter and works really hard at her various projects,which are very successful. The lesson this icon has taught ladies is even when life is nice and comfy ,go after your dreams/money making projects for no one knows tomorrow !!


@ Jeremy I love your blog since the day I read the story of the sovernir pail "Aram Aram" ....I wish I could write as beautifully as you ...and please feel free to talk about your First class degree and PHD after all your blog readers are Nigerians and yes we would do the same too hands down !!!

Its not easy to achieve these things .."na come chop?"
keep it up and yab Naija anyhow you like ...you are Nigerian by marriage you have every right to break it down... straight up.. on your blog.
I dont hear Americans complaining about the Austrian who is now governor of California and what he has to say both good or bad !!

Anonymous,  8:40 pm  

Lol @ Anon 6.24pm! You are hilarious!

Do endeavour to read Jeremy's blog more often - hopefully you will be enlightened.

And thank you ever so much for teaching me to spell the word "probably".

P.S. I never said KLS was my idol. I said icon, not idol. There is a difference.

I'm sure you went to a much better uni than I did, so I will not even countenance your enquiry. And before you waste your precious time correcting me again, I only used the word "uni" as an abbreviation of the word University :) Is that OK?

Anonymous,  8:51 pm  

Oh btw what is the correct usage of the word (fullest)? Should it be "most full"? I anxiously await your correction Anon 6.24pm. I am afterall an auto-didact (lol), with an insatiable thirst for knowledge, constantly learning new things :)

omo-obanta 10:50 pm  

He he. I love how you manage to fit in some Baudelaire in there.

Calm down jo. People (or should I say I) occasionally get annoyed with you but it's because they (again I) disagree with your opinion, not because of who you are...

In any case, the "PR offensive" only serves to make you sound like you're blowing your own horn, something I wouldn't usually accuse you of. But what do I know, I'm just a struggling university student living in another man’s country and loudly commenting on the politics of said country too…

You can't help being involved: you live in Nigeria. Things affect you too. You comment because of this: not because of your spectacular credentials but because it has become your business.

Of course people get annoyed, it's natural-but they really should just say things instead of being anonymous.

Patrice,  11:01 pm  

Thanks for sharing. Always good to get a peak behind the scenes.

According to my calculations (90 days x 5000 words per day), your PhD thesis is 450,000 words. That is more than 1000 pages! I have repetitive strain injury just thinking about it.

Anonymous,  11:35 pm  

I wasnt sure i was going to jump into this at all- this is one of those fun, entertaining, leave your computer on and watch the masses mud wrestle(hopefully naked)posts- but i must say this, Jeremy HOW must you feel when you've worked soooo hard for all you've achieved, for Ms "Kimora Lee is My Idol and Let Me Just share A Quote From The Great Philospher Erykah Badu While I'm At It" [so i paraphrased abit, -sue me] to say she has a First from university like you? Bit of a backhanded compliment innit? anyway- love you, love Ms B more. Keep on rockin'...(with your intelligent narcississtic self)

Anonymous,  12:00 am  

@ Anon 11.35pm: It gave me great satisfaction to see the look on the faces of narrow-minded, self-obsessed faffs like yourself when I graduated at the top of my class! Call it a Legally Blonde moment if you want, but it only confirms my belief that we are all equal (Thank You very much).

I do not try to measure my intelligence against Jeremy's - that would be stupid and pointless, in my humble opinion.

When I log on to my computer and start to post a comment on someone's blog, I usually have some sort of meaningful contribution (however small) to make to the discussion - as opposed to being a spectator, ridiculing those who are capable of making constructive contributions to the discussion.

Stay tuned :)
And continue to kiss Jeremy's ass, instead of worrying about how you can improve your limited intellect :O

omo-obanta 1:23 am  

@ anon 12am
dude, considering where someone is coming from and thinking of more than your oh-so-clever self is not being a kiss-ass, its being a well-adjusted human being.
Get over yourself

In my head and around me 2:01 am  

I have to say this is one of the best posts I have read in a while. It answers a lot of unasked questions and addresses questions yet to be formed.

"I don’t think there’s anything so remarkable to celebrate in all this – many people keep themselves just as busy if not more so"

It is interesting the way you refuse to take any credit for being more than your average joe. You should.

Having said all I have, I think it would be wise not to write anymore about yourself. At least not for a while. It would be a shame to make a post like this commonplace

Anonymous,  2:16 am  

cant resist, i know i should walk away, but...Anon First Class- was your degree in Popular Culture? (sorry, this seems the case to my limited intellect)

doy,  4:50 am  

You shouldn't have...you should have...blah, blah, blah (you have a right to your own blog and what you choose to express on it). Whatever. All that matters is that you have and this glimpse into your life has been priceless. Thanks.

Akin 9:28 am  

Jeremy,

I am really sorry for the circumstances that lead to you having to write this blog.

Somehow, I feel discretion should remained the better part of valour - you must not let those rotten candiru get under your skin.

Anonymous,  9:40 am  

Anon 2.16am, I couldn't have said it better myself.

Omo-obanta I see you joined in late.

My sincere apologies to Jeremy if I have taken the topic off-track. But damn, I see how blood-thirsty your commenters are :)

Relax guys.

Nuggetzman 9:44 am  

Some of us who live with Jeremy in Abuja can tell what life is like here. It's not all rosy and sure there're expats that live like kings and queens here. A Russian lady/permamnent resident of US who works for USA-sponsoed projects in Lagos once told me how she lives in a level comfort she's never known in all her life in Russia and USA.She's a journalist but employed as a logistics and procurement 'expert' for the group. She knows no jack about the job, but she got it becuase it was reserved for American citizens or Permanent residents..and she lives in an official 3-bedroom flat, but locked the other 2 rooms, and could only sleep in one.
But that's not how Jeremy lives...he's a multitasking and multi-talented person that I have deep respects for cos he's done much more than most Nigerians have done in promoting literary arts in Nigeria. He met not remember though,but the first time I saw tall/long Jeremy was in 2003/4 at Majek's Jazzville in Yaba where Beautiful Nubia used to hold poetry performance show on weekends.He just walked in with Bibi and I wondered what dis 'oyibo pepee' dey do 4 yaba with dis babe?...not knowing they were married. It was at same Jazzville that I watched phenomenal Asa( www.asamusic.net) perform with her guitar 4d 1st time, and I knew she is an out of the box artist.
Jeremy sure is an utterly busy person...he hosts a free film club every Sunday evening in Abuja, and I have seen him play his guitar and I would wish he becomes my guitar teacher cos I have always longed to strum the guitar as a child, but I still display my guitar prominently as though I am a virtuoso!..but seem not to have Jeremy's kinda discipline. Oh sure, I love the artsie look of Jeremy's house...just pay ur ticket and I'll be sure to arrange a guided tour for interested tourists!

Anonymous,  11:17 am  

You're good peoples, Jeremy Weate.

Reading that list (esp the thesis in 3 months bit) makes me feel like crap about how I've been carrying on. But like you said, it's all work, and what I need to do is really just get. to. work.

Make no mistake -- this world is not a meritocracy. But I do believe that it's everyone's responsibility to make the most of his/her own abilities, resources and opportunities. Most people, regardless of their social or economic circumstances, don't do that. But that's where it has to start first.

Dotun 4:10 pm  

wrote your Phd in three months. that is genius. I as still writing a journal paper since December. I and I can only play 3 chords i guitar which i have been learning since September. you are tall man

i dont think you should have replied your critics, when its not that you need their vote or something. if you are testing your popularity, you are more loved than you realised i must say.

hey...what about the documentary thingy i told you some times ago

Sandrine 6:42 pm  

Hi Jeremy,
I wanted to say that I found your blog by accident/luck/fate a while back when looking for information on Lagos.I loved it because your tastes are very eclectic and I like the way you write.I don't know why you worry about people who criticize you.To me it's OK to not agree on everything all the time because it makes the discussion more interesting, but if one is always in disagreement with one person's thoughts,why not move on instead of being mean about it.It's like going to someone' house everyday and complain about the food!
Take care
Sandrine

PS:I love Ikea and I wish we would have one in Miami ; -)

Anonymous,  8:26 pm  

Hyper-productive? More like unfulfilled! I'm no psychologist, but it seems pretty apparrent that your over-active arm-chair philosophizing is born more out of a willfull attempt to fill a void, perhaps convince yourself that you're worth anyone's attention, than something naturally emergent from your personality.
For one, the superfluity of your English, i find laughable. I for one, read so called "Naija Blogs" in an attempt to gather some sense of the home-grown Nigerian mentality/sensibilty. The only thing i've gathered so far is that either people living in Nigeria are really bored with their lives or so enamored with other people's(real or on TV) lives that they wish them to be their own. For besides, the prolific habit of posting, that defies (at least my sense) of normalcy for someone who indeed has some kind of life, friends(actual not cyber), family etc, there exists a constant and dare I say, remarkable amount of either one of two things: a wannabe academic, over-intellectualization of insignificant aspects of their lives OR these exaggeratedly ludicruous, wanna-be "Sex in the City"/ Next Top Nigerian Socialite type of expressions. (Of course i refer to none other than the BelleNaijas,Bibylads and wannabe Bellenaijas of the naija blogger world).
Blogger in essence seems to be place, especially for Nigerians, to create the person they wish to be as opposed to being a place where they can reflect on the person that they actually are. That is why some of these bloggers are so prolific- because they would rather devote time to
adding to the unreal 'life' of this cyber-person that they have created (by literally inputing textual pontifications of this or that subject or incessant exclammations of "That is soo Fab!") than devoting time to enriching the life of the real person that they are.
For my part, as a budding entrepreneur, it is an interesting (and entertaining even if sometimes annoying) exercise in market research. Now i know that if you want to sell a Nigerian (fresh of the boat) or born/raised/living in Nigeria something, then it either has to be some haute couture knock-off or some volume of Tennyson poetry- or perhaps any existentialist will do.

That 'little' blurb of yours jeremy was my belly-laugh of the day. so thanks for that and keep up the good work!

Gotta love Londoners & Nigerians - branches of the same tree...haha


-Ekaete
Crooklyn, USA
([email protected])

eVaDiVa,  8:30 pm  

I don't know why yo uha dto explain yourself...It's my first time reading you rblog and I have to tell you you are doing a good job. Keep u the good work!

eVaDiVa
www.evasitoe.wordpress.com

Anonymous,  10:57 pm  

Lol @ Ekaete!
What an essay! Jeremy, are you not entertained?

Nine 1:49 am  

I enjoy your blog.And the shitstorm on this thread is entertaining.Kinda like watching a train wreck in real time:).

Seriously,you don't have anything to explain.You live in the country,you're entitled to express your opinion.And you do so civilly,and with insight.I'll be back.

'derinsola,  8:35 am  

LMAO @ 'Madam Ekaette'!!! You REALLY need to get over yourself girl, you gat issues!

Effiong!,  7:17 pm  

Ekaette, it is interesting that you find so called naija bloggers unfulfilled attention seekers. You note that we spend a lot of time trying to fill some kind of void by creating cyber-personalities. Good observations I say. You found the specks in our eyes but your plank, you missed.

Bellanaija and Bimbylads are some of the most popular naija blogs and you read them hence your observations. Does that say something about you? Perhaps that you are in greater denial than the ones you write about with such derision?

Anyway, what market researcher relies on Nigerian blogs to conduct their 'research'? If that ain't stupidity, I ain't never seen none. My dear, go find a life... and a hobby. What next? You'll soon be saying scrabble players are in denial. Nonsense.

Dr Chic,  9:46 pm  

@Ekaete

As we say in Naija......eyaaaa!
Did you not notice that you are reading this blog and also posting a comment?
I'm no psychologist(lol),but you are sad about something friend.

Idongesit,  12:15 am  

@ Ekaette ...please could you post a link to your blog...Im anxious to read all the self enriching info you have there ...thanks,
Respectfully,
-One of those wannabe's you talked about !!

Anonymous,  6:02 am  

Ekaette, go on, express yourself. A lot of what you said resonated.
But watch yourself, if you do not have a syrupy sweet comment or a pat on the back of the blog author ,you should not leave a comment.

E.g.

Wow, Jeremy, you do not owe any faceless spineless anon hater an explanation of how you live your life! Your blog rocks and is the center of my world!Your life is so fab! You go Boy!!!! Kisses!

Ekaette, I hope you were taking notes.You have not arrived in the Naija blog world until you have haters.

kemi (the one and only),  10:32 am  

Dear Oh Dear. I haven't posted in almost a year, but this merits at least a comment.

What can I say, the funniest thing I've read so far is this person defending their adulation of icon/idol, Kimora Lee Simmons, without even the SLIGHTEST hint of irony. Good God!

Ekaete and the anon (you really need to pick a name!) who posted at 6:02am, who I think also was questioning the KLS girl... what can I say? :-) You are not alone and some will never get it. Remember the response "How dare you criticize, where is your own?" is that of the simpleton.

Jeremy is a good guy sometimes even great, don't get me wrong,but as someone who knows him off-blog, I have to say he never fails to shock and sadden me with how unbelievably pathetic he can be sometimes.

bisola,  5:56 pm  

This is too much. I have to speak.

PEOPLE!!! If you do not agree with Jeremy, or the KLS loving anon, that's not a problem, but goodness, let's stick with the ISSUES being discussed and not personalize them. Sometimes Jeremy's posts are on point, sometimes not, but i would think the whole point of blogging in the first place is to provoke discussion, stir up arguments that get us all 'juiced up' as we debate THE TOPIC.

I personally am often enriched more by the comments than the posts. It's always interesting to read about another person's point of view and if not agree with it, at least respect it.

To see some people stoop so low as to hurl insults at the blogger and at anyone who so much as dares to (gasp!)disagree with their point of view is to me the height of crassness. Ditto disagreeing with someone by trying to put that person down. That speaks volumes about your self esteem in my very 'umble opinion.

And then to actually refer to someone as PATHETIC??? Haba Kemi, did jeremy offend you in the past? That's a bit much and makes me think you're someone who in the line of evolution is somewhere between a cockroach and the mildew collected on the back of my grandma's old fridge.

Kemi's mirror,  1:17 am  

Kemi dont we just love pathetic bloggers ?
We check their blog updates to remind the likes of you(thru our carefully constructed comments) how uneventful our lives behind the computer screen is. I mean without them how would we display our air of arrogance and imaginery superiority in our utterly perfect lives outside cyberland.
You go on with your bad self mighty Kemi.

Mr C 11:38 am  

Jeremy,
My first encounter with Jeremy was on trip to Abuja at a friends. When I asked what he does, the response was -The ability to make sense of things in ways other than the conventional (not in those exact words, but that is how I interpreted it to mean).
Very lovely post.
Please keep the information coming and remain your hyper productive self. The knowledge and information I tapped from this site has, so far, been priceless.

Anonymous,  12:14 pm  

Still rolling my eyes at 'Cosmos', 'Melange' and 'Energy. And the answer you gave Mr C above me.


Me.

Kiibaati 7:25 pm  

What I find most intriguing about you is that you seem to care so much about Nigeria. I can't think of 100 Nigerians who share the same attitude. Now that I know more about you, you have earned a few more stripes on the sleeves in my books.

Anonymous,  11:00 pm  

"Rather, I take serendipity to be a dynamic of the cosmos, where energies go in search of each other, moving into aleatoric spaces of opportunity created by the unfolding of the world in time."

......this is meant to be funny right? Please, no one talks like this.

Anonymous,  6:14 am  

@ bisola, how are you better than Kemi now? You chastise her for calling Jer out of his name and you then proceed to call her out of her name. This is akin to beating your child for smacking a younger sibling.

Read my comment again, slowly, yes that is how you do it.And i'm out.

Anonymous,  9:38 pm  

Jeremy

You're at it again...I truly think you suffer from very low self esteem.

Why else do you need to tell people what job you abandoned in London to move to Nigeria or how intelligent you think you are? Who cares! Why do you crave attention so much?

BTW can't you see people like Mark Zuckerberg, founder of facebook becoming billionaires at the grand old age of 23, far younger than you. If you're so intelligent, why aren't you a self made billionaire?

It's only in Africa that people like you would be tolerated. In London, you're just another ant doing the usual 9-5, nothing extraordinary.

Get a grip and grow up! You're almost middle aged.

And as for the person that has KLS as her idol,(shaking my head here..), words fail me..

Nine 4:46 am  

@anonymous 9.38pm
You are entitled to your own opinion.But I hope you do realize that if you spoke to ANYONE like this in Nigeria you'd be asking for a beating?And you would deserve it.

Consider,how many people would you speak to like this in RL?And how many people would support you if you did?

You may not agree with the man.Fair enough.But personal attacks?Why?Is he a pedophile?Does he sell children into slavery?Did he drive your company into bankruptcy?If not,why the vitriol?Haba!

I've never met the guy,but at this point the tenor of the negative comments being posted here are actually sort of a back handed compliment.To get these many personal attacks to an otherwise innocuous post,he must be doing something right.I'll be sure to drop by more often.

Anonymous,  4:24 pm  

You sure told 'em Anon 9.38!
But what about you? Do you have a life/existence of your own, or do you exist solely to criticize and put down anyone who dares voice their own opinions?
Get a clue, you're dissing Jeremy on his own blog! Don't you see how lame that is?

I'm still thoroughly amused by how irate some "commenters" have gotten over three simple words: Kimora Lee Simmons. Any suggestions for a better icon? :) The word "icon" was used lightly - with humour, dare I say. I do not dedicate my time to campaigning for KLS or anything like that (lol). Its kind of like how you would watch a funny movie and say "Oh so-and-so (actor/actress) is my idol (JOKING!)" because of something they did that was funny or something........ It doesn't mean that you will then begin to worship or emulate said actor or actress - it just means you appreciate some quality or talent they have.

And what's with the comparison? Mike Zuckerberg, Jeremy Weate? I don't get it.

Jeremy, I'm no psychologist (lol - PROLLY not smart ENUFF), but I suspect that some people have mistaken your blog as some sort of outlet where they can vent their frustrations (of whatever kind).........You might inadvertently be rendering them a service they can't get elsewhere - perhaps you should begin to charge a fee; I mean they keep coming back, so obviously the treatment (lol) is having some sort of beneficial effect on their lives!

Not bad for a KLS-lover huh?! :)

culturalmiscellany 12:52 pm  

Jeremy, I think its great. ONe day I hope to meet you but until then I'll a glimpse through your writing. Keep up the experimental writing and explorations of the world, in my own way I try and so the same thing. I sympathise re: comprehensive education in the UK. I too had brainless thugs next to me in class but it came in surprisingly usefuln in Barcelona when I was mugged and managed to punch the guys :) K

Chanteuse,  11:01 pm  

I'm glad you provided some background, Jeremy. I stumbled upon your blog and this particular post gave me some real insight into what you're about. I like the blog. Your opinions are your own. Sometimes I agree, sometimes, I don't quite agree. You are a storyteller and I love stories. Thanks for your blog.

PS - But, sha, let me touch the hem of your garment so I can get some of that thesis-writing power. I want to go for a PH.D in African History or African Literature and balk when I think about writing a thesis.

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