In every country, birthday celebrations follow a certain fashion/trend. In Nigeria, the way a person celebrates their birthdays is dependent on how much money they are willing to spend. Okay, let me rephrase that and say; "In Nigeria, currently", because Nigerians are one of the most trendy and fashionable people in the world.
So, it begins with the planning. The Celebrant, depending on how creative he or she is, would usually curate a team;
- Stylist - The stylist is involved with choosing the theme of the Photo shoot and getting the costumes
- Set/Location manager - the one who ensures everything goes on well at the Location of the Photo shoot
- Costumier - The one who provides the costumes
- Makeup Artist
- Photographer
- Events/Party planner (who deals with every other aspect)
Yes! Nigerians are extra extra, however, not all Nigerians can afford this, so, many people just make do with what they have.
Last week Sunday was my birthday, I wanted just two things;
- A Photo shoot
- A visit to the Park
For the theme of the Photo shoot, I wanted 3 costumes among others;
- To reflect my relocation to Northern Nigeria
- To reflect my culture
- To reflect my successful weight loss journey
So, I had everything planned in my head, now, execution was the issue. For one, I was less than two weeks at my new location and knew very few people, so, I began with… You guessed right! I began with Maps, I called up several vendors but the rates were so exorbitant 
!
- one of the photo studios charged 45,000 naira for a one hour session
They had no costumes too and I had to look for a Stylist. woohoo1 - another will take 15,000 for two pictures on one outfit
Well, Maps wasn’t helping, so, like I would say; “where Maps fail, the Local people come to the rescue”, so while I went to the Church for Lectors’ rehearsal, I met a lady who had just the perfect solution.
All thanks to the Local Guides Program, I am able to make friends so easily! She introduced me to a make-up artist, after my make-up was done, she drove me to the Photo studio! Can you imagine?!
So, that was settled.
After selecting a place for photo shoot and sorting out all the details, it was time to select a park, was it going to be Central Park or Magic Land? For this, I asked someone I just met and a Local Guide, both of them went with; Central Park. So, my choice was made! It was going to be Central Park!
I put a call through to the Park and was quite excited that a Park actually had a working Phone number!
So, here is what I did this year!
- Photo shoot
- Thanksgiving at Mass
- Visit to the Park
- This the Traditional attire of the Yoruba women of South-Western Nigeria. It consists of 4 pieces; Iro which is the wrapper, buba which is the blouse, the gele which is the head tie/head wrap and the Ipele the thick woven cloth draped across the shoulder or tied around the waist (made of something called Aso-Ofi or Aso-Oke), I shared a little about that in this post, both the gele and Ipele are made from the same material.
Here is another shot wearing the same 4-piece Traditional attire (Iro, Buba, Gele, Ipele) below;
- For some reason, this was the favorite photo of many people.
- What’s there not to love about a headshot?
- Is a Photoshoot complete without a jump in victory?
Cake: This cake was baked by @FalguniP and sent to me. I am still waiting to know who ate it on my behalf
Away from the Photo Shoot, I had a Thanksgiving at this Church; Holy Family Catholic Church, Life Camp;
- Processing to the Altar with few people who decided to accompany me. I was quite emotional and nostalgic!
- Items for thanksgiving; Bread and Wine
- The Sanctuary of the Mass displaying the date right after the Final blessing and before dismissal
Finally, my visit to the Park; Central Park
- At the Garden located right by the entrance of the Park!
- On the Bridge overlooking the Go Kart Arena of Central Park with a glimpse of the National Mosque in the distance
- Now, you know what to expect at the Park
- I made Stir Fry Pasta, Fried Chicken and fried Plantain
I packed my bags and made my way first to my French lesson, then to the Park
- You can feel my joy in this photo
- I sat by the fountain and munched!
- At the Chess area
- The Paintball Arena of the Park
- One of the fountains at the Park
- On the bridge overlooking the Go Kart Arena! From the bridge you can see much of the Park
- You can see the power of recycling at this park and see how tyre is been reused to create art, like the swing I sat on in this video is made from Tyre and twines/ropes
- Go Kart Racing
Going forward, I think much as we add up lists for everything-under-heaven on Maps, we should look at the ‘trends’ surrounding birthdays in our countries and create lists suitable for those trends, e.g. I am looking to create a list of; “Most affordable Photo Studios” since Nigerians love photo shoot so much!
Now, it’s your turn! If you come to this Park with me, will you be willing to Go Kart Racing?
hit me up.