The 042 Spirit

So this foxy mama needed a lil’ ‘me’ time, and the lil’ munchkin wanted to go see her grandma, so it was a win- win situation for everyone. Therefore off we went, landed in Enugu and drove to Abagana, got them settled and off I went to one my favourite cities, Enugu a.k.a 042 (back in the days of NITEL land line, 042 was the area code for Enugu).

With the way I talk about Enugu, one would think I was from Enugu. Nope, but I was born here, moved away as a child, came for holidays, moved back and rediscovered the city as an adult. There’s a quaint, laid-back air around the people in the city which I love, and which some people mistake for ‘lack of ambition or the hustling spirit’, but which I term ‘contentment’. Granted that the city is not known for the hustle and bustle that’s synonymous with other urban cities in Nigeria, but it’s the kind of city where you relax to get away from the hustle and bustle of stressful cities.

The foodie in me calls Enugu the ‘home of good food’; from Emily to Dolphin to Esuru esuru azu, to all the bukkas and even the women that sell food from a cart or wheel barrow, you’re sure of getting good tasty meal at a cheap cost.  I remember my pregnancy craving was for fio-fio(a species of beans) sold by a woman from her cooler in a wheel barrow! Good food!! LOL. I wasn’t a fan of Abacha till I rediscovered this City. From Njemanze, to New Market, to New haven, each area has places where they sell Abacha, each with its own distinct but equally great taste and with the freshest palm wine!. Hmmmm.... yum yum.

With the over 5 institutions of higher learning in Enugu, the city is filled with a bevy of young people, boys and girls alike. You can therefore imagine the social life in this city!! If you love night-life, You’d have loads of fun here!

_Here I also discovered my very own ‘Ken Paves’ (google him if you don’t know who he is). He’d whip up sexy hairstyles for me irrespective of how cheap or expensive the weavon is. Give him a style, and he’d do it better than the original, the ones he invented were equally as great, and the city is filled with a lot of young men and women like him, combining school with hair-dressing. In Enugu you absolutely have no reason to have bad hair, because they’re good at it, braids or weavon, and it’s affordable.

Another reason I love this city is that here I found the strength and courage to carry my pregnancy and give birth to my daughter. Yes, I probably would’ve succumbed to pressure from friends and foes alike and terminated the pregnancy if I was in Abuja then. Here, I was at home, felt loved and protected. So really, what’s not to love about this city?

Want to explore my city? Join me for a night out in town. All work and no play make Nneka a dull girl! Let’s have fun!!!


Have a fabulous weekend!!
Hugs