The Choluteca Bridge was built in Honduras between 1996 and 1998. It was a magnificent structure designed to withstand nature’s fury. But in 1998, the very year it opened, Hurricane Mitch struck the nation with devastating force, destroying roads and infrastructure, including the roads connecting both ends of the bridge. Yet, the hurricane had one […]
THE RIVER HAS MOVED Read Post »
Manihot esculenta. Oryza sativa. Zea mays. Dioscorea. These were our prized weapons after we learnt botanical names of plants in Agricultural Science in secondary school. We proudly flaunted them, especially before students in lower classes, making them feel as though we possessed some special knowledge they could never understand. Then their turn came and they
IF YOU KNOW, YOU KNOW Read Post »
Imagine a flood raging through a community when, in the midst of the emergency response, someone arrives with a fire extinguisher or a charged fire hose. Those around would wonder whether something was wrong with the person. Not only would such an intervention be completely ineffective in addressing the crisis, but it would also amount
EXTINGUISHING THE FLOOD Read Post »
During wet seasons, the golf course usually becomes very soft because the ground is soaked as the heavens generously open their windows. Because of this, golf balls often sink when they land, becoming either partially or fully plugged in the ground. They are usually covered with mud in this process. When this happens, the players
CONDITONED REFLEX ACTION. I remember learning about this in secondary school, using the example of Ivan Pavlov’s dogs. He used a bell to signal to the dogs that it was time to eat. After doing this repeatedly, the dogs started to salivate whenever they heard the bell, even when there was no food. They had
CONDITIONED REFLEX ACTION Read Post »
I have met quite a few sets of identical twins. Usually, I get to know one of them first, so I become familiar with them. But then when I finally meet the other twin, it’s difficult to tell who’s who. This has led to some awkward moments, when I greet the less known twin with
ANOTHER MAN’S CLOCK Read Post »
I don’t remember exactly who told me that I was good at break dancing when I was a toddler. All I know is that someone told me, and I believed them. On the strength of this belief, I went ahead to volunteer to do a special performance during an event as an innocent four-year-old. At
I was driving through my neighbourhood recently and I saw a toddler kicking the wall of the fence to their house. He did not appear to be more than 2 years old. From his regalia, I could deduce that he was either coming from a martial arts training session or going to one. He had
Recently, I was in a room with a few people. We were engaging in side chats in different clusters until a mother walked into the room with a toddler. She let the toddler loose, and he was roaming around the room freely. At this time, most people shifted their attention to the young lad, and
“When you are chasing lots of chicken at the same time, you will end up catching none.” Igbo language proverb. Growing up, neatly cleaned and packaged chicken was not sold in supermarkets. Chicken was a rare treat, reserved strictly for special occasions, usually Easter and Christmas. During those celebrations, we would buy live chicken and