I am a bit of a people watcher and I have watched with interest the man in the room next to mine at the guesthouse. He is what Nigerians refer to as a 'big big man.' He is an Advisor to a State Governor. He is a wonderful gentlemen who is taking personal time and using personal funds to study at seminary. He wants to build up his faith, especially for the job in politics he has. As a big big man, he lives differently than the average Nigerian.
His 'bigness' shows in the clothes he wears. He generally is wearing a full Nigerian suit, neat and pressed with none of the usual signs of wear most Nigerian clothing displays.
He is traveling with an assistant, a young man who stays in separate room (remember this man is paying for everything personally). The young man carries his bags, books, etc , I wonder if he young man sits in the class with his boss???
The man owns a nice Toyota Aveno; fairly new in good condition – very fine by Nigerian standards- which he drives each morning to class, maybe a 5- minute walk.
What I first caught my attention was that young aid who washes the car every morning. Even today when for some Nigerian reason there is no water, the aid uses his wash rag dry and wipes the entire car down. A nice car is something, but a nice clean car is clearly a status symbol here in Nigeria!...
Interesting isn't it… every country, every area has its own ways to display your 'bigness.'
I guess some things are the same no matter where you live…
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