The instances i caught the opposing sides of a city in the making.

Photos: EuroMast

erikowatuoyo — Fri, 29 Sep 2017 18:48:00 GMT

EuroMast Posing

The EuroMast

erikowatuoyo — Fri, 29 Sep 2017 18:16:00 GMT

The EuroMast was a dream i never had. I did not know about it until my trip to the Netherlands. Originally, the location city of the mast is not a common place like Amsterdam.

The EuroMast is a spectacle but the most interesting thing is the people. They are warm and gentle. Rotterdam is a fine city but it was a bit surprising to find them warm and cool. The EuroMast towers a whooping 185meters above the city with great views of a tunnel road, the old port and waterways. There are restuarants and stops in the structure to ensure you have more fun.

I took a train from Amersfoort to Rotterdam (good to have some personal savings). At the train station (Rotterdam Centraal), i was a bit lost. I have heard of the City of Rotterdam some twenty years ago. It was a fulfilled dream to walk the streets but i felt something is amiss. So i stepped back in the station and ask the a station attendant what is the most iconic sight in the city. She mentioned without a wink "The EuroMast! it is not far away from here. You can ride in the tram". She continued "Let me show you" She pulled out a map and pointed at the location.

10 minutes later, i was at the tram stop close to the train station and waited patiently to get a ride.

Please note i cannot remember the stop for EuroMast but it is quite easy if you ask the station attendant in the tourist stand. You will need a few euros for a the tram and about 10 euros to climb the EuroMast.

The warm people are just nice. I could not pay by credit card or any card for the matter so i simply asked a couple if they could pay on my behalf and i will give them cash. They agreed with huge smiles.

During winter it is chilly at the top (the first landing) and the highest you can go is on the "rotating donut shaped" structure. It gives a 360 degree view of the city.

It was a blockbuster experience, i finished it up with some Chinese food and a good soda drink. I employ everyone to create some time and have some fun at the EuroMast.

The Hindu Temple In the Arab World

erikowatuoyo — Wed, 15 Apr 2015 02:35:59 GMT

The Hindu Temple will go unnoticed by all. It is the only Hindu Temple in United Arab Emirates. A one storey building that houses the Shiva and Krishna sects. The Hindu temple sits among some glorious standouts in the Arabian heat. The smell of sweat greased with the desire to explore led me there.

It is located just after the famous Dubai Museum and the Grand Mosque. The Dubai Museum is famous and easy to locate on Al Fahidi Fort, if you coming from the Maritime City locate the 34th Street turn off to Ali Bin Abi Taleb. The Grand Mosque is by the left, the Hindu Temple is just behind the Mosque.
Coming from the British Consulate? Use the Al Seef Road all the way to The Ruler’s Court on Al Fahidi Street. You come to see the Museum, proceed north for another 100 meters the Mosque appears again behind it is the Hindu Temple in a “sea of Arabs”.

The Temple goes unnoticed because it looks like a regular building. It has a squarely semi-park that doubles as snack joint. This space in front of the temple is roughly 50 square meters. As most parks do have, a bench to sit and tree to shade you from dehydrating sun. I sat on the bench while my friend and Instructor, Piyush went inside to ask if a person of my race could enter into the temple.

I will get back on track with my request to enter the temple. You should visit the Hindu Temple next time you are in Dubai. With the city filled with the volumes of awareness that you are in an Arab world it’s very easy to miss the intricate details of a smaller group in that same space. The curiosity to learn and experience what’s like visit and worship in a Hindu Temple not based in India or Pakistan but in an Arab Country when you are not Indian nor Arab, European nor American but an African led me to this travel treasure.

I saw Piyush smile as he walked towards me under the shade of a tree. He said “Anyone of any race is welcomed”. We smiled together walking towards the entrance, he said to me: “Do exactly what I do”

Once inside, there are white pillar columns in two rows leaving a space between them for worshippers to navigate. On the walls along the pillars, are images or pictures of gods and goddesses. Each should be worshipped as you move along to the front of the hall where the grand god sits and the leader of the temple stands to bless you. You stage out through a door to the right.

A piece of advice, take off your shoes and do not go out the way you came in.

Photos: Passport & Plate - Eba/Garri

erikowatuoyo — Sat, 25 Jan 2014 00:24:00 GMT

Ingredients
1. Six (6) to Eight (8) cups of water
2. Four (4) cups of garri (roasted and grated cassava, this ingredient is the main one and could only be seen in West African region)

How to prepare this recipe
1. Put the water in a pot and boil to steam point
2. Lower the heat
3. Add or pour the garri (roasted and grated cassava) into the hot water by sprinkling it evenly till the garri fills the water.
4. Stir the mixture with a ladle until its consistent. Add more garri or more water to obtain the thickness you would like. Because garri is a little coarse, the resulting eba will be a little course, but if done properly, should not be lumpy.

It is ready to be eaten with any Nigerian soup.

The story behind this recipe
The story behind the recipe is unique. When I was about 10 years old, my mother did prepare this recipe and forced me to eat it. My siblings were not spared the agony too.

Later in life, i realized that i didn't really know how to "eat" eba. Eba would be very enjoyable if you would cut a small piece with your thumb, index and middle fingers. Roll the piece into ball shape using your palm and fingers and deep into a soup (Eguisi or Okra soup; any soup from anywhere in the world can be used)

So i learned how to eat eba and my days of dread was gone. Now i "swallow" eba with joy and thanked my mother for it .

Photos: My Scholarship entry - A 'place' I have visited

erikowatuoyo — Sun, 30 Jun 2013 22:16:00 GMT

I am a citizen of Nigeria, educated, fit, lover of adventure and a rare breed of travelers from this part of the world that takes discreet shots and keeps them. A brilliant moment in life should be captured and should be captured descriptively. I am that person who can present these brilliant moments to the world descriptively with an angle of insight. I began just under two years of taking purposed shots in photography. I do not make a living from photography (its nearly impossible in this part of our world) it is just purely passion. This is an opportunity to give to the world images that tell the state of condition of places, politics, uprisings, Eco-systems and life of the people of planet earth that will cause a corresponding action for a progressive evaluation of any particular scenery. This is an opportunity for me to grow, learn, discern and accommodate in essence the equilibrium of what makes the planet our world. Thank You.