A lot has happened since I went on recess from this blog. I went on honeymoon as our program draws nearer to the end. I supposed to have traveled to some US states, but the rise in Covid cases at the turn of the year did not allow. And the Spring semester began. This should have been a sad story since I would be leaving the US. But I know I would be back in due course if I like.
Going out of Nigeria does not come to me as a surprise. It’s something that I have been working on once I developed the taste for international exposure. Being a Fulbrighter gives you a badge of honor in US academic circle, but the American privilege is a whole perk on its own.
Americans talk about big, impossible dreams. The American dream is infectious. For instance, recently, I heard a Nigerian talk about his daughter becoming a US president. That sounds far-fetched to Nigerian ear. The US has its faults, but things like that are not impossible.
I remember an incident in a history class I audited. In her remark at the last meeting in the semester, the professor rhetorically asked the students why they were here, in her class. She mentioned that it’s important they know the history of the US. One of them might become president, she said without batting an eye. The class would help them make important decisions when in power. This would be met with rolling eyes in a Nigerian university class.
No matter how these things are explained, it’s hard for you to understand until maybe you come to America, and more importantly, when you come to America on a J1 visa. Which is to say, on a J1 visa, I am like doing NYSC for the US government. All kinds of privileges and perks, from visa process to your departure. You wake up with hundreds of thousand dollars in your health insurance account, provision of security by one of the greatest intelligence agencies and the professors introducing you in class as “an international visiting scholar from Nigeria.”
I have been a NASA and International Space Station enthusiast since from Nigeria. I contacted NASA office in DC to pay them a visit during the New Year break for our mid-year conference. This could have been possible except for the rise in Covid cases.
Another example of American privilege is about my uncertain situation, when I started thinking about my life after the Fulbright year. I wanted to leave the US and go back to Nigeria and do my two-year residency requirement. I have so many things to do with my life in Nigeria. However, there was a certain hesitation somewhere in my mind. I casually started thinking about moving to the UK.
If you know me, however, you can tell that I love traveling and development work. I talked to my student who works on Africa in development sector. A meeting would be arranged with her professor, who has a lot of friends in Africa development sector. She asked if I had specific countries I had in mind. I mentioned Ethiopia of course, Rwanda, and Niger Republic. Niger Republic being a neighbor to Nigeria. I could see people, food and great elements of my own culture. But more importantly, at the back of my mind, I wanted a place where I could easily fly back to Nigeria to refuel the Naija vibe.
Madison, WI
