Labyrinths of Lahrah

On the Street of Bukit Bintang, Kuala Lumpur

When ever I travel around India, I am always with my resident permit...because I don't like any embarrassment...I carry it with me some nights when we go to the club...so you can imagine, how dumb and stupid I felt, when I got to the Chennai airport on my way to Malaysia and realized I left my resident permit in Hyderabad...I did not expect it to be a big deal, till the immigration people refuse to stamp my passport stating how are they sure I registered with the FRRO as my visa stated. It was not a funny matter at all...my flight was due to take off in the next 30mins and they refused to let me go...na so begging start, the lady was using me to parambulate all in the name of looking for her superior...I had to call my office to send me a scanned copy which I was lucky to have scanned back for some reason I can't remember. Of which, when Oga came, he was not even interested in my matter...rather he was interested in the Indian dude who had 2passports...the Indian and US passport...thing is Indians are not allowed dual citizenship, you have to surrendered one...dude came in on his Indian passport and wanted to leave on his newly acquired Green Card...
We arrived Malaysia at 12: 20am (Malaysian Time), and to my surprise, my friend's sister sent her husband and one Nigerian who moved there for an internship and absorbed in the company. She told me about it, but i told her not to worry that we would take care of ourselves. The people where waiting there, for us because we spent another 30minutes, changing money and looking for where to get sim card since our numbers failed to roam...The men drove us all from the airport to Kuala Lumpur which was about 50mins drive from the airport, found us an hotel, took us to the club and ensured our stay was beautiful.

I did not realize I had so many pictures till Facebook told me I had gotten to the album limit...I will just share the few I can upload.

The Petronas Towers

Pineapple rice

Lunch in a Thai restaurant.

♥ Lara from Incredible India

The Petronas Towers, Kuala Lumpur

For those who do not follow my rant on twitter, your truly was in Malaysia for 3days last week...came back yesterday. This trip which was almost aborted was planned with my fellow TCS-Nigerian family, out of 5, only 2 of us finally made it to Malaysia...my boss would only grant 3days leave instead of the 5days I asked for...

Left Hyderabad on Tuesday for Chennai by bus, I am getting too addicted to the night travels by bus, don't blame me but it is so safe and cheaper...don't mind me, that is the Ijebu blood in me talking.

I have heard the gist of how rude and nasty Chennai auto-rickshaw drivers (aka Keke Marwa abi na Napep we dey call am) are from some of the acers living there, but I never imagined how stupidly rude they really are. Trouble started with the auto driver, when I told him our actual destination was Kottivakkam instead of Thiruvanmiyur...the guy abused us in Tamil and said he will increase the fare, I no just get him time and I did not reply. He kept turning back, and abusing us at some point, guy parked and said he was not going again, later he said he will carry us to the Police Station...my friend and I started laughing and this got him mad, I don't know what Chalo means in Tamil, but in Hindi, it means go ahead....but the word Chalo, sparked some plug from the guy's head and he wanted to hit my friend for saying the word. At some point, I got tired of the whole show and we decided to get down as the guy could not locate our actual destination.

Malaysia to me is "Truly the World", the Country is the a melting point of all race and cultures...the country that give freedom and allows you to be what you are and who you want to be. So happy to finally be in a place where I could walk on the street and no one was turning, staring and pointing at me because I am different...no one gave a second glance.

Malaysia is said to be an Islamic Nation and so I was expecting to see people all covered up and living according to Islamic laws...I saw transgenders, ladies in bum shorts, ladies in hijabs, guys with crazy hairstyles...no one raised an eyebrow, no one gave a second look, everyone was themselves the best way they could be.

Joy in my heart to finally walk on the street and see a lot of blacks like myself and particularly Nigerians. I saw some man in Agbada with his boy-boy carrying his bag for him, Igbo, Yoruba and Pidgin flowed on the street..ate Poundo yam and soup made with palm oil with ponmo, shaki and beef. I finally got to enter a club at the time, I am used to...from 12am....

Long Bar said to be owned by an Indian, with a Nigerian DJ, Nigerian Bodyguards patronized by Nigerians and their African chicks...I actually thought the girls in the club were Nigerians, then my new friend explained to us how the Nigerian girls avoid the boys and go out with the whiteys and only go to resorts and other high-class places. The guys on the other hands stick to girls of other African countries with few dating the Malaysians and other race....A Nigerian girl is hardly found in the clubs, except she is there with her Nigerian boyfriend.

I have never lived in or visited any organized country, so those of you in the UK, US and every other organized country can relate to Malaysia...India has a long way to go to meet up with this country...my beloved country Nigeria has got a very long way to go.

Pictures in next post...

♥ Lara from Incredible India

The battle and bashing has been on since like for ever.

I have always stayed out of them, because I found them dumb and not worth discussing and I have always felt it had to do with personal choice.I am talking about people's personal choice to date people of other tribe, country and particularly race.

I don't hate on a brother for dating a non-Nigerian or other race, I really have never been bothered.

I once saw a tweet on one of those random TTs on Twitter, where babe wrote that she is still single because the brothers have decided to be gay or date people of other race...biko if you happen to love someone who is not from your country abi race, go for it.

some weeks back, I attended the birthday of one of the interns here in Hyderabad. The moment I entered the club and saw them, I knew they were Nigerians but since I do not know them. I stayed on my lane, not because I could not talk to them but here one has to be careful and there are lot of gists about Nigerians even within ourselves. If they are not interns and not students, stay off them because they are usually trouble.

I was dancing with my flatmates and some other interns...I was dancing with a Kenyan guy most of the time and even when one of the Nigerian guy tried to dance with me, I turned to my flatmates.

Last weekend, I attended the farewell party of one of a Nigerian interns who is also a friend and all these Nigerian guys were there, they are students here in India and then when I introduce myself to them they all have this expression on their face. Apparently the dude, I refused to dance with had gone on to tell everyone that I fell his hand by dancing with a Kenyan instead of him. It was so funny that when they hear the Lara the next word was so you are the girl. I really did not think much of this on that day, because we all ended up joking about it and forgot the issue.

Today, I was chatting with a friend who I know has been with a couple of non-Nigerian girls and he told me he was disappointed in me. He talked about how Kenyans do not have swag like Nigerians and whatever gibberish he could think of. Okay, I am not going out with said Dude. I found the gist funny in the beginning but right now I am not amused. I am not one for male bashing but I think, this set of Nigerian boys are just the dumbest I ever met and I would not be surprised that there are a lot of them out.

I can live with or rather I am expected to live the idea of our guys chasing and marrying girls from other countries, biko why can't you.

♥ Lara from Incredible India

I see a strange in the mirror
Who she is, I do not know
even though she is molded in my image
I know nothing about her.

Do I like her, I am not sure
But I sure hell know, she is not me.
I do not want to be her,
I am better than her,
I want a better me and a better her.
----------------------
I must say, I have lost my way.
I don't know how, I don't when...all I know is that I am not on the right track...
I am not talking about my professional life right now, I am not complaining about the insane weather...I am not even talking about ever growing love for Hyderabad and how sad I am when my wonderful new friends leave.

T. Notes, now I understand better the struggles you post about, to think we are birthday mates.Lately, I have lost my zeal and passion for anything...I miss reading, I miss living life....yes, I stopped living.My life has become routine and maybe that is why I even find it boring, all I do is go to work, staying indoor weekend, party if I feel like and travel to the same cities I have been to.

The zeal for adventure and exploration is gone, I have been struggling to learn the Spanish letters, all my aspirations and dreams are all on hold for no reason.

Spiritual, I have fallen...I have fallen from the 50% I have always struggled with to less than 10%. I can blame it on the society I live in but I know it is still me who needs to make that decision to be closer to my God no matter the situation of things.

Coming to India was an opportunity for me to find myself and totally understand me...I am finding myself quite alright but I do not like the woman I am discovering. That woman, who is emotionally weak is not me or better said who I used to be.

A friend recently told me that I am hiding from the world...that I should let the world truly know me and I should stop hiding behind their assumptions of me...how true this is, I am yet to accept.

I have been living without thinking, I have been taking actions without thinking, I have been running away from thinking...Even though a part of this stranger is good, I want to be better and be the woman I have always wanted to be.

Not that super woman, but that strong independent woman who can balance every aspect of her life and accept every flaws she has...

I am as lost as the uncoordinated post...I hope I find my way back soon.
♥ Lara

My baby sister, Zainab was a year older on Friday...I miss that girl,I miss her trouble, I miss the way she woukd barge into my room and ask me some random question or tell me to warn Aisha for disturbing her precious life. I feel like a mother who is missing out on the progress of her child.

Saturday was supposed to be Fuad (my late cousin)'s 28th birthday, it also happens to be the birthday of a wonderful ex-roommate turned friend.

Yesterday was a paternal Cousin's birthday, even though we have never met, he is such a wonderful person. He is such an exceptional man and I can only pray for God's blessing and Grace in his life and that of his family.

Tomorrow is my cousin, Deola's birthday...She is in the Uk, I am in India...for now we are far from each other's world.

I shall be a year older in 8days...I don't even know if I will be celebrating. I am thinking of having dinner with my flatmates as they are my family for now. Maybe go to the club for the weekend, celebrate with colleagues.

I still have 7days to plan for that.

This morning,, I woke to read, the post of a friend to his late friend....I don't know what it means to lose a friend but I know what it is like to lose a loved one.

The first quarter of the year is almost over, I have spent 4months and 3days in India, far away from love, home, and family...In the last 4months, it's been death all around. Watching the New-Zealand quake live on TV, watching the Japanese tsunami and wishing in my head, that I was watching a movie. Reading and listening to the news of the Libyan, Ivory Coast and Bahrain uprising and wondering what the hell is going on in our world.

I was never one to be shaken by death...but any news of death gets to me nowadays, even if I do not know jack about the person. Some interns were teasing me the other day about the Japanese quake, and was wondering why I was so interested and emotional watching the water wash away the lives of people.

In the midst of all these sadness, also is joy for some. My Uncle by marriage celebrated his 80th birthday in February. Some days, I am jealous of the man, to me he has lived such a fulfilled life...not that it has been all rosy for him, but in all I must say, he is a happy man.

Not everyone will get the to chance to celebrate such age, just like the death talked about in my friend's post. but no matter how long or short our life is, it is the joy amidst the pain we leave in the heart of our beloved ones that matters. In my friend's post, I saw the love he felt for the deceased, the impact she made in his life. She left such a positive imprint in his life.

This is what I wish for, no matter how short or long my relationship with people, all I care about is the mark I leave in their lives...I love to always be remember for good and whenever I am remember, I want a smile across your face and not a frown.

It is a new week, It is the month of the Diamond and like the Diamond, I wish everyone a sparkling fulfilling week. To all the April aka Diamond darlings....wishing you all a Happy Birthday.

N.B: Sorry I had to put up such a sad and uncoordinated post on a Monday morning, but I have just been down lately with all the sadness around me and I just had to let it out.

♥ Lara from Incredible India