I finally booked my ticket to Nigeria yesterday for holiday vacation. The agent informed me that, even though I booked a two week ticket, I can stay up to six months. The universe is apparently on the side of my defection from NYC. LOL! I bought the ticket not without much gnashing of teeth over the astronomical prices around the holidays. I think that the supply/demand curve should take into account people's emotional needs, ie, the curve inverts when people's demand is also matched by a profound benefit to their emotional/spiritual/relational wellbeing. I'm dubbing it the "W" factor. I am not sure who in the Obama administration can make it happen, but I'll look into it. :)

My cousin is in town visiting from Akwa Ibom/Uyo, a rare treat, so I am doubly excited as he's already catching me up on what's been going on. I have to spend some qt in Lagos, Uyo, and mostly Calabar where my grandmother lives and the legendary Christmas Carnival will be happening. I will likely be sitting in the kitchen watching her cook most of the time (I'm simple that way), but it brings me so much joy. I was hoping to take a videocamera with me to document her a little bit while I'm there, but I don't know that I can afford one at this point. She will probably hate it too, though like all documentary subjects, she will eventually forget the camera's there.

I also need to make some theater/film contacts in preparation for my Fulbright application next fall. And I need to do some research at the National Archives (can NG please get up to speed on the whole digital archives thing? their web search function is malfunctioning). I also wanted to visit Abuja, but it seems a distant dream given my two week time frame!

It has been six years since I last went home and in that time I have grown dreadlocks halfway down my back. I am not entirely sure how my hair will be received. Last time I had a short afro and my aunt dispatched me to the salon for extensions ("You can't wear your hair that way here!").

I hope I don't get too many "Ras Empress!" shouts. I get so tired hearing that in NYC.