From Me to You, continued
In this editor’s page – a picture from my early 30s that “mysteriously” got darkened, I’m dressed like a Yoruba MAIDEN at one of the numerous festivals in Yorubaland of Nigeria’s Southwest – except for the gele [head-wrap]. The [Iro [wrap] and Gele [head gear] are Aso Oke, perhaps my favorite fabric which I’ve always used to create a lot of things: the traditional Iro, Gele, Buba & Iborun [shawl]; long skirts with frayed edges which I had made for me as far back as the late 70s and also for an Emotan photo-shoot from around the same time (will post a picture next time); home furnishings, purses, handbags, etcetera.
The Iro is tied way up as shown but no top is usually worn but I breached the custom in more ways than one even though I have the requisite Ileke [bead] on: the gele, as I mentioned above, is not usually worn and the wearers are in most cases real maidens, not a married woman. There are cases, though, when older married women tie only Iro and no Buba [top/blouse] for certain festivals in certain areas.
A Supplement – the 70s Style showing one of the featured new-style drug stores and its ad:
Although Juli Pharmacy, as then known, has now gone into bigger things like manufacturing, this was its ad in the supplement.
And, from one of our regular columnists, Dotun Laja-Enwezor
And the cover for the issue is one I presented with the story of Nigeria’s first winery by Dr. Dolapo Ogutuga,
http://emotanafricana.com/2011/09/11/dolapo-ogutuga-starts-nigerias-first-winery/
L-R: Funmi Ariyibi & Funmi Ajede grace the cover of Emotan with Deebee Wine story. Photo Credit: Depo Adenle
Postscript: Any similarities between my wannabe outfit and that of the two maidens on the cover of the issue was co-incidental! TOLA. May 27, 2012.
May 27, 2012 at 8:41 pm
I was struck by your description of how you felt with air travel. In my teenage years, I wanted to be a pilot. The thoughts of soaring beyond the rain gripped my youthful imagination. But the Nigerian civil war was on; my family totally objected to my becoming a pilot. They feared I might end up in a plane crash. More than fifty years after they hid my admission letter to Aviation School and subsequently steered me into a career path ending in academics, I am yet to lose my fascination with air travel. Watching from an aircraft, the clouds below look, awesomely, like endless bales of immaculate and fluffy cotton wool- a celestial duvet seemingly insulating the heavens from earth’s distresses. The most breath-taking views of sunrise and sunset are from within the vantage heights of an aircraft!
May 28, 2012 at 8:31 am
Dear Dr. Adeyeye,
Adding my thoughts to this wonderful description would be superfluous. Have a great week.
Regards from a Gator for Life.
TOLA.