abuja, nigeria: happy to leave

I\'m from Nigeria. -
Instead of using an email using the word \"barristers\", try to rip you out of thousands of your hard drivesThe money earned-
But as tourists in the country, they often appear on late-night television.
This is not my favorite place, at least in the capital abaya, where I have worked for 10 days.
While Nigeria is clearly an underdeveloped country, here it tries to hide behind the flash.
In the United States, there are many broad avenues to sweep through the modern buildings of tall buildings.
However, many cars on the road are barely able to drive and there are very few working traffic lights.
There are run-down green taxis everywhere;
Cheap but dangerous. -
Most missing seat belt-
When they weave in and around other cars.
Without crosswalk or traffic lights, pedestrians seem to be in deadly danger every time they cross the road.
Most large buildings have the names of companies or banks.
This is a country that has found a lot of oil reserves and become rich. It will appear on buildings and roads. Its citizens are sharing wealth.
Unlike Nairobi, for example, there are very few slums and beggars.
But, unlike oil, there is still a lot of stuff on the surface.
The poorest inhabitants of Abuja-
Including many workers working in high-rise buildings ---
They were forced to move to the outskirts of the town where many people had no running water or electricity.
When you travel from the airport to the city center, you will see the windows if you stare at them.
The woman carrying the baby balanced the heavy parcel on her head, and the man sitting under the tree looked at you with empty eyes.
Abuja is a planned city designed by three American companies;
Although they may have made the infrastructure right, they forget the heart.
Since everything goes back to the 1970 s, there is not much history and charm here.
There are speed bumps in the middle of the main street that always lead to flat road tires and disabled cars.
The constant whistle will drive people crazy.
Oil wealth has caused price inflation.
We visited the Amigo market where foreigners and rich people shop and are shocked by the cost of food-
The price of fresh fruit is too expensive, and the price of a small box of yogurt is almost $4.
Outside the market, young people like all kinds of things, from bananas to pirated movies on DVD.
In a country where some people become rich, everyone is eager to make money.
Something sad happened in Abuja.
I \'ve been to other parts of Africa and Southeast Asia, where I see huge poverty, but I always feel a sense of hope and a strong community spirit.
I don\'t see it here.
Abuja is a place where there is not much warmth.
Of course, people say hello and seem to do what they should, but there is little extra effort.
Maybe just the soul-
It hurts them to see the corruption and wealth surrounding them, but not to provide food to all.
Five days after my visit, I spent a Sunday evening in the Gospel --and-
The largest church in Abuja, the jazz service of the house on the rocks.
It\'s Pentecost and similar low.
Rent a large shopping mall in the United States.
Cheap plastic chair-
Maybe 1000 of people-
Fill the cave space facing the huge stage with disco lights and several Jumbotrons.
My two colleagues and I are the only white faces, but the members are very enthusiastic.
We got an honorary seat in the second row behind the missionaries and clearly saw the singers and band members on the stage.
No preaching, no preaching ---
Only music from the heartAmazing, soul-calming music.
Trumpet, saxophone, drum, guitar and bass.
The rhythm of some tribal drummers is becoming more and more fanatic, a traditional appeal for worship, and singers wave their hands to God and raise their eyes as they admonish us to give life to God.
The people who gathered stood up, clapped and danced, and swayed with the music.
A woman fainted and was taken away.
It was a beautiful night, even if we were picked up by a priest as a new \"convert \"---
A Jew, a Quaker and a reformed Angolan Catholic-
We applaud when our faces appear on the big screen.
It\'s okay.
I was transported to the soul of a place and I was worried that this place would hide a part of myself from me.
The next day, there was a power outage, and those damn car horns, people knew that the wealth distribution of the country was so uneven that they claimed to be fighting corruption and corruption.
But I insisted until the evening that none of my religion, color and nationality prevented me from being part of Nigeria\'s uplifting and community.
I think there is hope hidden in every corner.
Throughout my last day in Abuja, an explosion occurred at the United Nations compound opposite our hotel.
Black smoke billows from buildings where people work every day to bring peace and development to this country and other countries.
We were told that within hours, a suicide bomber from the radical Islamist group was driving his bomb.
Full of cars into the building. It is Ramadan.
I don\'t think the bomber saw the irony.
Eighteen people were killed and dozens injured.
The siren of that day seemed to last forever.
When I flew to the airport to prepare for my first stop home, the driver said there were still many people trapped in the ruins of the building.
I\'m going home trying to catch up with Hurricane Irene and expect the hurricane to hit my neighbor in Arlington, Virginia.
In the face of the destruction of nature, I am fully prepared;
What is even more terrible is the cruelty of my fellow human beings.