An American in Nigeria

*I'm going to start writing a series of blogs relating to my trip to Nigeria in August. My hope is to have it all published into a book someday so please read and enjoy!*

Intro - Me in Nigeria? Yeah, right!!!

A year ago, I had never been anywhere except the U.S. Well, scratch that, I did once drive through Canada on the way back from Vermont for a Fraternity convention, but I don’t think that counts… except for stopping for gas all we saw was the highway. But a little over a year ago, I met a beautiful Nigerian girl, and pretty much my whole life is different now… for the better!

As it turns out, my Nigerian girl absolutely loves to travel and within a year of meeting we had a trip to her family’s home in Lagos on the schedule. Yikes!

I had never set foot in Africa, but unlike the media portrayal of many Americans, I could definitely find it on a map. Most importantly, I don’t listen to the talking heads on television (and one seriously mis-guided friend) who say travelling to Nigeria is dangerous; or that I “won’t last 10 minutes in Nigeria”; or I’ll “get kidnapped”… honestly people, get a grip. I could get killed walking down the street, for crying out loud.

Where does all this fear of travelling to Nigeria come from? A quick search of the Internet comes back with a whole slew of unsavory terms ranging from “crooks” to “scumbags” to “kidnapping”. Hmmmm… Sounds like panic mongers to me. Let’s try another source… Well, how about that, Nigerians seem to be fantastic athletes, doctors, actors, and singers. Sade and Seal are both Nigerian, as are such athletic greats as Hakeem Olajuwon, Christian Okoye, and Osi Umenyiora. As I came to learn, Nigeria is also known for some spicy food (Suya, anyone???), fantastic Beer (I’ll have a ‘Star’, please!), and wonderful, beautiful, and warm-hearted people.

Unfortunately, Nigeria seems to be most well known for a couple things. The so called “419 Scams” and oil. “419 Scams” are named for the Nigerian criminal code that addresses criminal behavior involving conning people out of their money, property, etc… Now, these types of scams are much older than most people realize, it just so happens that a handful of nasty Nigerians are behind some of the more recent and prolific “419 Scams”.

Nigeria also seems to be well known for corrupt government. Of course, any country which is a leading producer of oil has deep pockets, and unfortunately Nigeria is known for that money not really making it into the country’s coffers, but instead filling private Swiss bank accounts. Rumors of corrupt Nigerian politicians stashing away billions of dollars may or may not be true, but many times perception is reality. After decades of military rule, the recent “free” elections have been widely criticized by global organizations.

Of course, the American people see what Fox News or CNN want them to so it will all be as sensationalized as possible. “Don’t go to Nigeria or you will end up like this unfortunate person who lost $50,000!” or “MORE VIOLENCE IN THE NIGER DELTA!!!”

I grew up on the South Side of Chicago so I have seen my share of scam artists (“Hey buddy, my cab is right down this dark alley…”) and violence. Of course, I am not saying that growing up there made me some ruthless thug, but I believe I may be less naïve than most. The other thing I think I learned by growing up there is having an open mind, especially for things that are wholly different than what I am used to. One of my old sales managers used to tell us to “get out of our comfort zone” in order to be successful selling. I think I have taken that to heart in all facets of life.

While we were in Nigeria, I was able to visit Lagos (the largest city in Nigeria), Calabar (a wonderful city near the epicenter of the recent kidnapping fears), and Abeokuta (home of Olumo Rock).

What I learned about Nigeria during my trip was not only enlightening, but also allowed me to think about the world from a different pair of eyes. As a first time “world traveler” I had a lot of American stereotypes that I tried to address with my eyes wide open. I tried to cover everything from “don’t drink the water” to “don’t pee in the ocean”. I didn’t get kidnapped, and no one stole $50,000 from me (of course, I would have to HAVE $50K laying around for someone to be able to steal it, right???). I made some wonderful new friends and strengthened some family relationships that will follow me for the rest of my life. Instead of being afraid or being the “belligerent American tourist”, I tried to behave myself and not be obnoxious.

And maybe, just maybe, I changed a few Nigerians minds about Americans in the process.

Bears vs. Steelers thoughts

Wow... that's all I can say... I gotta say I like Jay Cutler a heck of a lot when he is tossing TD passes. Sadly for me, I am not one of those fans that just gets all excited when we win and doesn't pay attention to the things we are doing wrong that might make our lives a WHOLE LOT easier and less stressful!

Some great things I saw last night in the Bears victory:

1. Johnny Knox didn't had some of the route running mistakes from week 1 and played a brilliant game. He had some fantastic catches, some near highlight reel stuff (pass on the sideline that he just couldn't snare in), and really played very solid all game long.

2. Kelln Davis! Who needs Desmond Clark, right? The third string TE came in and had 5 catches including the Bears first TD of the game.

3. Alex Brown was a one man gang registering 2 sacks and 4 tackles for loss. He has long been our most consistent D-Lineman, maybe this is the year he really sets the pace on the line and does this EVERY week.

4. Cutler was accurate and put a lot of steam on some passes. The mental miscues from last week were nowhere to be seen (hint, maybe the receivers ran the right routes this time???) and he looked to be in command the whole game. A couple of the throws he made were pinpoint accurate and moving - particulary the TD to Davis where he pulled the defense left with his eyes before zipping the ball right between two defenders.

All in all, it was a good game, and a victory over a team as good as the Steelers (remember, they won the Super Bowl last year!!!) to avoid starting out 0-2 was HUGE! The problems I have that kept me stressed out the whole game, and Angela and Remi wondering what exactly is wrong with me are these:

1. We did not even attempt to establish a running game. Now, maybe our whole gameplan was to come out and throw the ball 20 times more than we ran it. I dunno... seems to be playing with fire against such a good pass rush as the Steelers. And I don't believe for a second that Green Bay and Pittsburgh CANNOT be run on in their 3-4 defenses... point in case, look what Cedric Benson (yes, that Cedric Benson) did to Green Bay's D yesterday. If Lovie really thinks we are a running team from the moment we step off the bus then he really needs to have a chat with his Offensive Coordinator.

2. O-Line - where are ya? Trouble picking up blitzes and zero room to run when we did pretend we wanted to run the ball.

3. When the Bears blitz, why is it we rarely get to the QB? Especially on our favorite blitz - two LB's up the gut. When was the last time anyone saw that work for us? Of course, it works just fine when teams do it to us! You would think that our O-Line would know how to block pressure up the middle since that is all we try to do (ok, I am exaggerating a bit since Danieal Manning had a safety coming on an edge blitz last week - but that is a RARE occurence).

Perfect example of this... the Steelers lined up with 3 guys coming off the Bears left edge. Now a REAL offense would adjust to a quick slant to the completely uncovered Devin Hester. We tried to toss the ball to the flat over the 3 blitzers as they buried Cutler... naturally it was incomplete. Why is it that EVERY team in the league employs sight adjustments when there is an overload blitz coming, but the Bears stubbornly refuse?

Anyhoo... We won, I am happy... still stressed to the Bejeezus, but happy... we cannot win every week like we did last night or I will age a decade over the course of the season.

Alright, that's all I got for today... gotta see if I can find a job soon!

Peace out!

Heitz

Seriously? I am over-qualified?

Alrighty... so before I go off on Coach Lovie Smith for benching Kevin Payne... I gotta vent about the job search stuff... just gotta do it...

A very cool non-profit organization was looking for some help on a project. I have worked on a few projects EXACTLY like what they are doing. BUT, since I have a wealth of experience they decided against even interviewing me because they figure I will leave as soon as a "better" job opportunity presents itself.

OK, so here's the background... someone else who was also "over-qualified" was in the position for a month and quit. I am not sure why someone would leave a position in this economy unless they had something else lined up. Also, it is a contract position - so, most people working on a contract basis are probably still sending out resumes. You HAVE to assume that when you are working with someone on a contract basis instead of hiring them outright.

The frustrating thing is that while I do have a wealth of experience in the field, I was out of it from 2005-2007. I am trying to get my foot in the door at a lower level to work my way back up but no one is willing to pull the trigger. They think I will be "bored" with a lower level position and they make this judgement without even speaking with me. Most hiring managers are so swamped with resumes that they can't go calling EVERY person that sends a resume, but in many cases they are working with recruiters as well. If they won't trust their judgement and meet with a candidate that is worthy, then why are they wasting everyone's time???

Well, all I can say is that someday someone will wise up and hire me, and they will never regret that decision. Until then, I am gonna drink my coffee, play some Xbox, and keep writing...

OK, onto more important things...

Lovie Smith has decided to put his boy... his pet project... Danieal Manning into the starting lineup at Free Safety...

http://www.suntimes.com/sports/football/bears/1778855,CST-SPT-bear19.article

Now, don't get me wrong... I dig Manning... he's got skills... he can return kicks with the best of them... but to say he is the only "true free safety on the roster" is just missing the mark entirely. Does anyone remember the last game Manning started at Free Safety? I do... he got schooled by his bro, Peyton, and Reggie Wayne as the Bears lost momentum in the Super Bowl.

I guess Lovie is trying to make a splash for the home opener... in my opinion a winnable game. The Steelers and Bears are both without stud defenders, and I think Pittsburgh's D is without a doubt a step above ours. So how does chaninging your Free Safety at this point helps us? Will we see Hines Ward and others roaming free in the secondary?

Besides all that, who better to play safety than a guy named "Payne"??? That just screams intimidation at ya!!!

Anyhoo... at least the game is on regular TV so I don't have to sit in a public place when we get beat. I can hide on my couch...

Fun times...

Peace out...

Heitz

Dilemmas

I could re-title my blog "Diary of the Unemployed" - maybe I'd get some notice then. ;-)

Some random thoughts after 7 months in the unemployment line.

1. The job market in Florida is REALLY bad. When I was laid off in Chicago in June 2003, I was able to find project consulting work within a few weeks. It wasn't an ideal situation, working for a fraction of my previous salary, but it was something.

After 7 months of looking, I don't feel I am any closer to finding work than I was the week I was laid off back in February. I am overqualified for the "entry" level or junior level positions, and I had too much time away from IT to be qualified for the Senior level IT positions. What's a boy to do? 5 layoffs since March 2007 is almost too much to take...

2. Unemployment compensation really sucks ass. Not just the lack of funds coming in (and believe me, I have lost almost 15 pouns by just NOT drinking beer nearly as much as I used to) but the lack of health insurance is a big issue. I never go to the doctor, but a couple days before going to Africa I came down with some weird dizzy spells and vomiting. Yeah, 1 hour in the ER and a $3,500 bill later I am wondering WTF? was that all about?!?!?!? Told me I have "Positional Vertigo"...

Yeah, no shit, Einstein, I coulda told you that... I saw the movie... WHY did I suddenly have it? No clue... thanks, Doc...

3. A couple things I am able to do that I realize I REALLY enjoy...

3a. Reading... I seriously LOVE to read... if I could get a job where all I had to do was read? Shit, sign me up... I'll do that til the day I kick it. I have typically been reading 2 or 3 books at a time over the past 7 months. Lovin' it...

3b. Making noise on my guitars... I really suck, can only play a handful of licks / riffs, but I really like it and it makes me feel good. If nothing else, i have a severely low stress level these days. Well, except for the certified letters from the IRS, etc...

3c. Writing... I've written two short stories which I have entered in a contest for 'Zoetrope': All Story magazine - literary publication put out by Francis Ford Coppola. Check it out at www.all-story.com

3d. Spending time with my woman... after a 12 year long distance relationship (even when we were in the same place it felt long distance some times...) it's a refreshing change to be able to see my baby cakes EVERY day... ;-)

4. The IRS really doesn't give a shit... Due to a clerical error when I cashed out some stock a couple years ago, I received more than I requested and owe a little over $5,000 in back taxes. "We'll levy a tax lien on anything you own..." - yeah, good luck with that! the only thing I own is the skin on my back...

5. I love football... and not so much baseball. Seriously, I have not watched a single inning of baseball this season. I have a buddy who HAD to order the Baseball pakcage when he moved here to Florida so he could watch the Cubs every day. All I need to see is the headlines of the Chicago papers online to know I haven't missed a thing... same shit as the previous 30 years. As for football, hell, I even will watch soccer over baseball these days. And now we get the Bears rolling into their season and one game in I am already drowning in melodrama... urlacher gone for the year, a horrible gameplan in the first matchup on prime time TV... hell... I am hooked!

Alright... time to do some dishes or something... gotta make myself useful every once in a while...

Peace Out

Heitz

Game 1 - Need to do Better Boys!

OK, I got a lot to beef about with the way Game 1 of the Bears supposed Magical Season of Cutler started out...

My complaints are many, too bad no one is listening.

1. I thought we were a "running team when we step off the bus"? First half resulted in only 10 running plays and 24 (yup, more than twice as many!!!) passing plays. Of course, the announcers are all like "I don't know why they aren't running the ball!" That is a two word answer - RON TURNER... he thinks he can out-scheme folks and do it by becoming the NE Patriots. Then when he finally does allow our stud running back to get in the flow, he insists on doing it from formations that ensure poor results.

Couple points on this... we couldn't do SQUAT on the ground from a two TE set all night, yet we kept doing it. Our best runs came with a blocker in the backfield - both running and passing - yet Turner feels keeping someone in to pickup the blitz or clear a path is beneath him.

Turner reminds me of John Shoop a bit these days - he's got Cutler... a fancy new QB with some skills. He acts like it's his own personal Erector Set and let's see what kinda fun it is to fling the ball all over the place to rookie receivers.

2. Speaking of the receivers... Hester and Bennett were OK. Bennett had a busted route at one point and Hester was our only real weapon all game. But it was clear that GB was taking away Bennett at some points (4 defenders around on a rollout toss) and they completely took Greg Olsen out of the game.

Johnny Knox... great long ball, but where were ya on two blown routes that resulted in INT's? And why is Knox active instead of the guy that really seemed to click with Cutler in the offseason - Devon Aromashodu. Knox looked WAY out of his league and it cost us big time.

Of course, the mental mistakes were not just on rookies - Desmond Clark gave up on a route that became another pick. The only INT that I don't blame a receiver on was the crazy one handed stab by Johnny Jolly - all 320 pounds of him. Yeah, I'll hang that one on Cutler.

3. Offensive line - where were ya? I am ecstatic that we went out of our way to get Frank Omiyale... the fourth time I saw him laying on the ground when Cullen jenkins blew up a play I started to cry. Then I started to laugh... Only the Bears could have such high hopes only to implode so badly.

4. There were a few bright spots. The Defensive line played a stellar game registering 4 sacks and putting serious heat on Aaron Rogers all game long. Of course, one botched coverage at the end meant the difference between winning and losing.

Speaking of blown coverage - last I heard, Nathan Vasher should feel lucky to have a job. The way the media made it sound, had it not been for a hammy tweak to Zak Bowman and assorted maladies to Trumain McBride, Vasher may have not even made the roster. So, why is it that he is the guy in there covering a stud WR in Greg Jennings in such a crucial situation??? He looked so completely out-matched as Jennings strolled past him downfield for a 50 Yd TD toss that I don't doubt he will be working at Chuck-E Cheese by the end of the season.

Well, at least we have a few days to recover from this one... oh shit... Urlacher getting surgery, Tinoisamoa out indefinitely, and how many other injuries??? Pittsburgh next on the slate? Can you say "get ready for an 0-2 start to the Year of Feeling Good in Chi-town!"???

all I can say is... "poop"...

Peace out...

Heitz

Getting my ass kicked

Wow, I haven't sweated this much in probably 15 years...

I have been unemployed for 7 months... fortunately my girlfriend is an amazing woman and puts up with me. ;-) We recently decided to get our butts in gear and join her 9 year old son in Taekwondo classes. We thought it would be a great way to bond as a family, while also getting us in better shape.

Well, tonight was our first real test... one on one sparring with the whole class basically. I used to do plenty of fighting in the streets of Chicago, and even boxed a little back in the day... but nearing age 40, I wasn't sure how I would hold up against a load of 20-somethings.

Everyone in the group (except me and Angela) are Brown or Black belts... just an added bonus.

And to make things worse, I have three blasted discs in my lower back... very painful, but I suck it up and make it through each day.

So, we basically get our butts handed to us. Sweat pouring off us in buckets. I have blisters on both my big toes and had two near misses on the family jewels. All in all, a very good night though as I landed a few punches and kicks on some black belts (I know, they probably let me... but it felt good...).

I haven't thrown a punch in probably close to 15 years so using muscles that have been dormant for so long was exhausting. But I think we'll all have so much fun with it each week that it might just be our Friday night tradition... ;-)

Oh yeah... and tomorrow at 9am we have a Mixed Martial Arts class... apparently it's guranteed to destroy us as well...

yippee!!!

Heitz

Sheesh... Football Season!!!

Well, I am just a slacker and a half... I will have a blog coming (or maybe a series of them) about my trip to Nigeria. I promise...

For now, I am just excited about the upcoming football season! The Chicago Bears have like their first REAL quarterback in forever. Now, the big question is, was our probelm all along the play of our QB's? Anyone that knows me knows how I feel about Ron Turner (how is it he has a job and I am unemployed???).

I think the offense will be better than it has been recently - with the production of Matt Forte and the reunion of Jay Cutler and one of his college teammates, Earl Bennett, as well as the continued development of Devin Hester - I just think that for once our offense will not be an embarrasment. I am really worried about the defense though.

Tommie Harris is one knee bump away from being ineffective. Is Urlacher back in his 2006 form? Can our defensive secondary survive the Danieal Manning experiment at Safety or the injuries at cornerback? I honestly don't know what to say about all that...

What is clear to me is that the defense must play better than it has in the previous two years. They don't have to be as good as 2006, but at least the top half of the league. If that is the case and the offense ocmes anywhere close to what people think they can do, well, then we might have something to celebrate.

For now, I am just going to wash my PAYTON #34 jersey, and get ready for game 1 against the Packers.

God, I hate cheese...

Heitz