Friday Track: Pata On The Line
Posted on Friday, November 6th, 2009 at 7:17 pmBy Bobo Omotayo
Kilon sparkles people!
If there is one thing I can suggest to Nigerians to start considering as a start purchase when building or moving into a new home – it’s investing in a washing machine and dryer.
When I was younger, I always thought owning a washing machine was pure luxury and something most people could do without. In fact, yes most people can do without afterall some scientists have endorsed hand washing and natural sun drying as the best way to treat/ take care of your precious clothing.
I hear all that, but, I don’t think those scientist/analyst/fabric biologists have paid Lagos a visit.
As a Lagos indigene and one who still has drying wires in his backyard for the purposes of drying his precious valuables and in fact has no washing machine at home, I suggest we all start putting a washing machine + dryer on the top of our house list next to the ‘dream plasma’.
It seems even the average ‘face-me-face-you’ Lagos flat has plasma – plasmas have become this years’ ‘I-better-past-my-neighbour’ status symbol.
Why this washing machine talk – I hear you question? Well, if you live where I live and have a low fenced neighbour as I do then you’d feel very sorry for my poor eyes that are increasingly exposed to some harsh viewings on the regular.
This morning, I was treated to a full spreading of what seems like an entire wardrobe full of ‘undies’ a.k.a. pata a.k.a underwear. They include shrivelled thongs, huge briefs, and girdles – all stretched and seemingly fading in colour. My first question was how someone could have this much dirty ‘undies’ at once? What is most interesting is they all sit nicely in between expensive lace and brocades. I’m thinking…surely if you can afford this type of lace, you really have no business wearing huge orangina- style briefs. I can’t even call them lingerie that is just inappropriate.
So I got to thinking, this is what can be considered airing one’s dirty laundry. Unless you have high fences and your neighbours can’t see into your compound, drying your underwear on outdoor wires is like LeBron’s acting career. It is not a good move!
So the next time you are thinking of shelling out N300k on your precious plasma, please ask ourselves the question ‘do I have a washing Machine + Dryer?’ I won’t judge you on how sexy your parlour is it’s what you’ve got on the line that I’m looking into.
This week’s Friday Track is from B.O.B and his brilliant sample Fugees ‘Killing me softly’ track, this is the very cool ‘Put Me On’ “………When I wake up from a full night of sleep/ I put my best foot forward indeed/ And as the colours begin to sing/ They seem to say to me “Come On” / You gotta put me on”
Easy!
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The Friday Track is started as a weekly music exchange email where the Renaissance Man “sender” identifies a song over the course of the week – it could be a single in the charts, an album track or an unreleased demo track – this song is shared with the 9,200 people on a current mailing list.
The weekly posts will be traditionally posted on Friday Afternoons as to help herald/usher the Friday festivities in – it has been previously described as the ‘jumpstart to the weekend’ by a fervid fan.
The writing style of the Friday Track has also become a main feature and essentially a unique selling point for the weekly receivers. The Friday Track tends to come not just with a song but an analysis of the choice ‘track’ or a social commentary on a host of topics from pop culture, to politics. This has substantially enhanced the appeal of the FRIDAY TRACK, giving it a double edged advantage in communication – music and citizen journalism.
In February 2008, the database recorded was estimated at 9,200 recipients from all parts of the globe from the UK to South Africa to Amsterdam to San Francisco to Lagos.
The FRIDAY TRACK overnight has become a light hearted entertainment medium for young people who are fans of music and followers of the popular blog site and Guardian column – The Renaissance Man and now BellaNaija.com
Tags: Bobo Omotayo, Friday Track, The Renaissance Man
you know when i first saw your comments, i was like too loooong, but i’m glad i read...
Loolllll…nice read! keep ‘em coming
This is funny. My mum always taught us to NEVER gather underwear. nd that airing all that is just plain tacky. Ask me if I apply those rules
But since I have a fence, I’ll advice natural sunlight. There’s no NEPA to even power a dryer in a country with plenty scorching sun in Abuja and up north especially. Washing machine definitely though, my hand-washed results satisfy me more. And the washerman does a pretty good job.
LOL! I hear you…It’s tricky though. We had washing machines while growing up and they all “died” bcos of NEPA. It was either they were shutting the electricity on and off every 5 mins which caused the fuse to explode, or they were giving us “half-current”, which was even worse. It’s definitely a good investment if you have a very powerful generator. When I said “powerful”, I mean like those semi-industrial types. The one we had back then couldn’t pick up the electric load of the washing machine. I really don’t know what will become of me when I relocate back to Naija. The thought of sitting down in front of a big “basin” and hand-washing a mountain full of clothes with loads of OMO!!! >:-( …not funny…I’d gladly give up a plasma TV for a washing machine.
abi oh! Thats why I tried not to stay away from Nigeria, before I get so used to the American lazy-ass style. With my annual visits, I say re-adjusting shouldn’t hurt that bad.
Hire a washer man (needs no NEPA, saves power bill, and you employ one more Nigerian and stimulate the economy).
THIS IS FUNNY! LOOOOOL!