Explorer of Experiences

As a marketer currently visiting my birthplace, Nigeria, how can I not share my commentary about Indomie ! For the uninitiated, Indomie for many Nigerians is more than just a product . Over four decades, this Indonesian brand of instant noodles has swirled its way into being a staple on the dining tables of the people of this West African country, both locals and expats alike. Here, you don’t eat noodles, you eat Indomie. As little kids in school in the early 90s, I envied that one classmate who used to enjoy those yummy soggy chicken flavoured Indomie noodles for lunch while I ate the healthy tiffin my mum packed for me (delicious as it was). As teenagers, our evening congregation was incomplete without a packet of Indomie that we crushed, seasoned, and ate off the packet (what a snack!). And as high school students studying our nights away during exam season, our hungry stomachs and tiring minds only craved that warm bowl of Indomie.   For years, Indomie had no competitio...

The bustling Lagos Market For too long, we’ve embraced the standards set by the West as that of excellence, and strive to achieve them. We may be forgetting that professionals in the West operate on the bedrock of mature economies with the benefit of structure and resources. For those of us operating in emerging markets where time is money and creativity the need of the hour, perhaps we will go further if we replace our ‘appetite for the acclaimed’ with ‘curiosity for the unknown’. Our creative process must become more inclusive if we are to create work that sets us apart rather than one that elicits a 'seen before' response. And so, I recommend shifting our gaze away from the same sources of inspiration in the West towards unlikely sources in West Africa to stir us up.  Countries like Ghana and Nigeria have served as incubators for creatives that thrive with meager resources. From there, underdogs have emerged and broken onto the world stage  despite a severe lack of systemi...

This post is written as an entry to the #MoreIndianThanYouThink contest by Lufthansa India.  It was a contest I found out through Indiblogger:  http://bit.ly/MITYTIndiblogger  Good ads are rare to see these days. But this Lufthansa India TVC was really touching. Here we have an international airline that has tapped into the EQ of Indians so beautifully. We witness a conversation between a grandfather and his grandson where the former discusses his preconceptions about travelling to Germany by a German airline. But Lufthansa breaks these notions with the airlines being so clued in to India and its culture! This topic 'How the world is more Indian than you think' is an interesting one. While our country with her burgeoning young population is aping the West, the rest of the world is watching India closer than we think. Decade after decade, NRIs have been leading the way in being India's culture ambassadors in foreign countries. Until five years ago, I was an NRI too. So...

   A                   Image courtesy:  iskandals.com Aubergines – I don't know too many people who will jump in the bus with me on this one. This is one vegetable I love - right from its deep purple color to its flesh. At home, we deep fry thin slices of the aubergine and then sprinkle it generously with powders of coriander, red chilli, mango and salt. Deeeevine! B Image courtesy: Lovefoodeat.com Bananas – Fatty fruit this one, but lord, 4 of them for 10 bucks is a steal. And what’s more, no annoying seeds to deal with. Simply peel, bite and relish! Not just the fruit itself but I also remember loving this particular banana wafer biscuit I used to eat when I was a kid. Banana toffee or caramelized banana is nothing short of a heavenly sweet treat after a meal. If I see it on the menu, I won’t go for anything else listed in the dessert section. My shot at the JW Marriott breakfast buffet Bread – Buns...

Following 'An African Myth - Part 1', I wrote part deux in July 2010, so keep that in mind while you're reading and if you think some details are outdated. Enjoy :) To get out and about in Nigeria, it was never safe for us non-locals to walk on roads or hail a taxi or ride pillion on the 'okada' (local two-wheelers), so we had to depend on our tall and frail driver, An okada rider Mr.Emmanuel, one of the few Nigerians with a heard-before name. Otherwise, Nigerians have the most amusing names. Take for instance, old Tunday who drove the school bus and Mr. Saturday who taught me 'la langue du francais' and Peace (or was it Happiness?) the cook, and Mr.Yellow, one of dad's brawny customers. Want to hear more names? Chew on these – Messy, Blessing, Gift, Monday, Tuesday, Godfried, Ejyoma, Tolulope...(Oh btw, Tolulope is the mega star creator of the Youtube video series 'Don't Jealous Me'. Watch this webisode below called 'Pronounce M...

I wrote this post in 2010. It's just me reminiscing about growing up in Nigeria. My attempt is to take you on this journey with me... It has been only a few years since I moved to the Indian subcontinent. Before this, I spent over fifteen years of my life on the other side of the globe, and it is the memories of the times spent there that I cherish most! The country I was born and brought up in is one that I find most intriguing and peculiar at the same time and I always thought it to be an interesting subject to write upon. I shall do so in two parts and here goes the first...  Just a little over two decades ago, a baby girl was born in First Consultancy Hospital located in the coastal land of lagoons, sandy beaches, palm trees and…petroleum reserves. The baby was me and the hospital was in Nigeria - Lagos city, to be precise. Yes, I hail from this busy and overcrowded African city reputed to be one of the most expensive in the world. Marred by stories centered mostly on ...