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canada goose outlet jackets For a child growing up in Lagos, Sundays began on Saturdays. We would iron our clothes, shine our shoes and cook for hours all in preparation for that memorable work free day,packed with the religious obligations we all canada goose clearance willingly observed. canada goose outlet jackets

It was the day when the streets were blissfully empty; the buy canada goose jacket traffic jams disappeared and the petrol stations were deserted.

The cooking rice, chicken and stew began with the washing and chopping of a huge bowl of fresh plum tomatoes. I never understood why we had to cook the tomatoes for so long, but my mum explained that it tasted better.

The entire process made me want to tear my hair out. canada goose First, we had to wash and chop tomatoes into smallpieces. We then cleaned the tatashi, abig red pepper,slicing it open and removing the seeds. The tomatoes, tatashi and small peppers were blended into a smooth paste and left to simmer for more than an hour.

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We also had to memorise the verse for Sunday school and set aside the Bible, readyto be usedthe following day.

On Sunday, people donned their ike Canada Goose sale akphati their best attire: accessories, expensive jewellery,the latest fashionablelace and Ankara fabrics, Italian leather shoes, a purse you name it. Sundays were fordressing up.

From the entrance of the church, parishioners exchanged greetings.”Brother Simon, how are you?”

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canada goose jacket outlet sale In Nigeria, everything good is ascribed to God,while the devil is seen as the harbinger of evil. canada goose jacket outlet sale

canada goose outlet in canada As attendees take their seats, we look out for those Christian mothers who swear by the colourful and gigantic gele adorning their heads. May God canada goose black friday sale help you canada goose clearance sale if you are seated behind them;you will have to stretch your neck throughout the Canada Goose Online service Canada Goose Jackets seeing uk canada goose neither the pastornor anyone else in front of you. canada goose outlet in canada

canada goose womens outlet After the service, there are groupmeetings, warm greetings, kids playing outside,family visits, food and drink. The children are often allowed more TV time on canada goose store Sundays while the women head to the salon later in the day, where they willsitfor hours styling their hair for the new week. canada goose womens outlet

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But, in the rural areas, where many elderly people lived, Sunday mornings were not that different to every other day. I remember going to visit cheap canada goose uk my grandmother in a village in the southeast. I recognised immediately that religion and spirituality were a central part of uk canada goose outlet life there.

canada goose kensington parka uk My grandmother had her own routine: By five in the morning, my sister and I were awakened by a noise gbagam, gbagam, gbagam, gbagam, gbagam. That was grandma’s morning bell. This small but important hand bell, like the ones used in schools, had a special Canada Goose Coats On Sale place at the edge of her bed so she couldeasilyreach forit every morning. I often toyed with the idea of flinging it into the thick brush behind our compound, but I never managed to summon the courage. canada goose kensington parka uk

canada goose jacket outlet toronto After ringing the bell, she’d takea seatin the living room and start canadian goose jacket to belt out songs that shattered the graveyard like quiet of the morning, accompanied by the sound of her rattling ichakaa. canada goose jacket outlet toronto

canada goose outlet mall The instrument looked like a calabash, carved like a big bottle with a round body and bottom and stringed with beads that were attached to a net like a dress. It produced a melodious sound when it came into contact with an object or was tapped repeatedly against the palm. canada goose outlet mall

canada goose outlet toronto “Anyi ekene gi nna, eze nwe uwa, anyi ekene gi nna, Imela. Anyi ekene gi papa, osebuluwa, mma mma dirigi nna, imela.” The words toone of grandma’s favourite songs.”We thank you, God, the owner of the universe. You have done well. We thank canada goose coats on sale you, God. Glory be to you. You have done well.” canada goose outlet toronto

canada goose outlet online uk The only other noise we heard so early in the morning was the chirping of birds and the crowing of fowls cuckoroko, cuckoroko, cuckoroko announcing a new day. Most of the houses were surrounded by thick forests, creating a sense of serenity in the early hours. canada goose outlet online uk

But when the bell sounded, we knew that if we don’t join grandma for prayer within minutes, she would wake us with a slap on the wrist or buttocks. Yawning and muttering under our breath, we’d drag ourselves into the living room. For grandmother, this first part of the day was simply non negotiable.

Devotion was followed by our morning chores. The country home sat on what could be described as a football field, with lots of work for my sisterandme. Large portions ofthe land were dusty with red earth thathad to be swept with an okokpa a bundle of thin bamboo sticks tied together with dried raffia cheap Canada Goose palm.

canada goose outlet winnipeg We lit the firewood to boil water. We took our bath, had our breakfast and started the long trek to church. After the service, grandma would send us off to our neighbour’s with a basket aSunday giftconsistingofa bowl of rice, another bowl of palm kernel stew and chicken. She would lay a beautiful napkin inside thebasket and pick out her finest metal dishes canada goose outlet winnipeg.