now maybe i have not found the utopia abroad that a lot of you speak off because of the places i have lived but let me start breaking things down. these are places i have lived

1, london, too cramped. tiny houses, extremely restrictive. too expensive, owning a car is not even an option because of space and congestion.
2, manchester england, slightly better than london but it is a blue collar town. no fancy jobs (just a few ). lots of drug users
3, preston england (extremely blue collar town ). lots of drug users.
4, new york, too congested, expensive, tiny apts, just a pressure cooker
5, chicago, racially segregated, police harassment, high taxes, bad weather, angry people, bad roads,

Southern California

Spectacularly beautiful in the springtime, with none of that summer smog in sight, and panoramic views that go on forever.
I just love to hit cruise control as I glide those SoCal freeways on a clear spring day, the vista unfolding like a dream.

Amazing in mid-summer when those beach babes shed their clothes and show off the smoking bodies they've been working on in the gym all winter.  Think Newport and Huntington Beaches for bikini dreams, and think Blacks Beach for birthday suits.

Wondrous in the winter, when a mere half-hour drive from the valleys will take you to the snow skiing resorts in the San Bernardino and San Gabriel Mountains.  Night ski Holiday Hill and Mountain High, in the rustic town of Wrightwood, or Snow Valley and Snow Summit in the San Ber'doo peaks.  Powdery heaven peeling off your skis in delicious rooster tails. mmmm

"Have you ever rode west of,
The Arizona Border
Better turn the other way, boy,
If you never been there
Its a sight for sore eyes,
Any memory is lost in the the restless wind
You must follow ---  The Evening Star"

Jakumo:

Southern California

Spectacularly beautiful in the springtime, with none of that summer smog in sight, and panoramic views that go on forever.
I just love to hit cruise control as I glide those SoCal freeways on a clear spring day, the vista unfolding like a dream.

Amazing in mid-summer when those beach babes shed their clothes and show off the smoking bodies they've been working on in the gym all winter.  Think Newport and Huntington Beaches for bikini dreams, and think Blacks Beach for birthday suits.

Wondrous in the winter, when a mere half-hour drive from the valleys will take you to the snow skiing resorts in the San Bernardino and San Gabriel Mountains.  Night ski Holiday Hill and Mountain High, in the rustic town of Wrightwood, or Snow Valley and Snow Summit in the San Ber'doo peaks.  Powdery heaven peeling off your skis in delicious rooster tails. mmmm

"Have you ever rode west of,
The Arizona Border
Better turn the other way, boy,
If you never been there
Its a sight for sore eyes,
Any memory is lost in the the restless wind
You must follow ---  The Evening Star"

aahhh so i need to be in southern california for the utopia ?

Every land has its good and bad, but God sure was kind to SoCal, without a doubt, Buzugee.

@smanuel
You beat me to it. Didn't see the RENT sign, but the women's bag he is holding and the sign on the door that says do not touch suggest he was merely posing with the car. The RENT sign put the cake on top. And to think how he's being yabbing people with that picture here on NL for days now.

It is good to dream, but don't claim it until it is fulfilled.

Koruji shakes head in disgust

smanuel:

Did somebody see the RENT in the car? or is it just me. Who is the loser now, loser. Dont worry I will come visit in FDC or county if your lucky, when it happens. Mr. I am my own boss!

kabukabu50:

Oh hell no,I visit but I am not living in that wreck of a country,Nigeria? Oh no,where when you point out to people the right way to do things and they think you are snobbish,pls, I am comfortable here,as my own boss, I can vacation in Naija when I want.Those few going back cannot survive in the US,they will roast like hens when they hit Lagos .Losers.

Americans see green not color,many Africans live well here,even better than the native blacks,those who use their naija sense will not get caught up in the debt cycle.Nigeria cannot change from the ground up, it has to start from the leaders downward.They will all get swallowed up by the corrupt system.Good luck.

Dont hate because you can succeed in the land of opportunity,your mates are doing it,you are just sorry excuses.

Jakumo:

Every land has its good and bad, but God sure was kind to SoCal, without a doubt, Buzugee. 

heard dat but can you afford the million dollar houses with your $100,000 per annum salary ? taxes in socal aint no joke. the taxes on the property alone can run you about $50,000 a year.

buzugee:

aahhh so i need to be in southern california for the utopia ?

Put Jakumo in a Ghetto hood with a few na ked toothpick-looking girls and he'll still think he's in Utopia lol

You got me figured out Ileke Idi.

ANY place can seem like paradise if one is confronted with curvaceous women that aren't ashamed to display the promised land.

koruji:

@smanuel
You beat me to it. Didn't see the RENT sign, but the women's bag he is holding and the sign on the door that says do not touch suggest he was merely posing with the car. The RENT sign put the cake on top. And to think how he's being yabbing people with that picture here on NL for days now.

It is good to dream, but don't claim it until it is fulfilled.

Koruji shakes head in disgust

Dont steal my pic,telling your little rif raf girls that its you , you have ways to go before you get on this grown man level,when you arrange yourself then you can give me a holla.

Haters like you keep me motivated.

Ileke-IdI:

Put Jakumo in a Ghetto hood with a few na ked toothpick-looking girls and he'll still think he's in Utopia lol

IgboGirl:

How dare me? LMFAO!!! If you don't give a f*#k then what the f*#k was your ranting all about?
Yes! I said "you people" meaning Nigerians living in Nigeria! What is your emotional rant all about? If you want Nigerians living abroad to come home then make Nigeria favorable for them. Fix Nigeria up and welcome them back home properly. Don't ask them to come home where they can't find a job or fight for jobs with those who's been living in Nigeria. If Nigerians in Nigeria can't even change Nigeria for the better while living there for how many years what makes them think those returning home can? Unless you people think Nigerians abroad are better equipped to develop Nigeria than Nigerians in Nigeria?
What is there to come back home to? Come back to kidnappings, bad roads, arm robberies, lack of electricity, lack of good healthcare, constant strikes by university professors and healthcare professionals due to govt refusing to pay them? When Nigeria is fixed and changed for the better trust me Nigerians abroad will not wait to be asked to return home.

You can be mixed with anything, half Nigeria half Chinese or whatever I could care less cos I don't see the relevance! If you visit 3 times a year, what contributions have you made so far? What schools, hospitals, roads etc have you helped to reconstruct? What jobs have you created? Why visit 3 times a year, why not just go and live there?

I can tell you though that while living abroad I have helped to reconstruct a school and sending necessary school supplies. My next project is healthcare and I will be here enjoying all the fabulous opportunities in America while causing a change in Nigeria. I don't need to return home and live in Nigeria to help make Nigeria better. I can do it from here and do it better than those living in Nigeria.

GBAM! TRUE TALK

Back to the Topic. I lived in the US for 20 years and I am back in Nigeria since 2007. It can be done but you have to change your mindset. You have to bury that stupid white people mentality at the airport when departing ro come home. You have to be humble and not be arrogant. You have to raalise many people here in Nigeria have more money or assets than you and they have never left Nigeria.

I see a lot of people on here with massive chips on their shoulders. At the same time I cant blame them because some people seem to think living abroad is like some form of status symbol. I guess that's why a lot of people are disappointed with their diaspora experience. If you're just here because you think it sounds nice, why won't you be disappointed.

Personally, I'm here because I like it here. I'm not the most traditionally minded person and I know from my life here and my life at home where I am happier. At the same time, If i had to move home tomorrow, fine. I have a few ideas and at the end of the day just because I can't do some of the stuff I like to do abroad in Naija doesn't make it 'hell' jeez. some people

If this bloke wants to go home to make a difference he can try but the fact remains is that for all his hard work I fear he will be disappointed. Reading most of the threads on here does not give me much hope that the average Nigerian is ready or willing to make these changes.

buzugee:

now maybe i have not found the utopia abroad that a lot of you speak off because of the places i have lived but let me start breaking things down. these are places i have lived

1, london, too cramped. tiny houses, extremely restrictive. too expensive, owning a car is not even an option because of space and congestion.
2, manchester england, slightly better than london but it is a blue collar town. no fancy jobs (just a few ). lots of drug users
3, preston england (extremely blue collar town ). lots of drug users.
4, new york, too congested, expensive, tiny apts, just a pressure cooker
[size=14pt]5, chicago, racially segregated, police harassment, high taxes, bad weather, angry people, bad roads, [/size]

A Confirmed LIE!

^^Well does Chicago not have bad winters, gangland crime, unofficial racial segregation, police profiling of young black men, and gun-toting angry motorists? It is a fair assessment.

Jakumo:

Every land has its good and bad, but God sure was kind to SoCal, without a doubt, Buzugee.

No doubt that God blessed some other lands as well.  Depends on what your perspective is. Dependng on whether you are running your own multi-million dollar business or you are just a salaried employee on secondment from London for instance.

tensor777:

^^Well does chicago not have bad winters, gangland crime, unofficial racial segregation, police profiling of young black men, and gun-toting angry motorists? I[b]t is a fair assessment.[/b]

Wrong!

Jakumo:

Every land has its good and bad, but God sure was kind to SoCal, without a doubt, Buzugee.

buzugee:

1, . nigeria is not bad, its the people in it who are un-productive. this is a nation of 150 million people. go abroad and pick up a useable skill. the problem with a lot of you also is that you do silly courses and then wonder why you are unemployed. nigeria is a blue-collar country.

There is an issue that too many Nigerians  go and study "MASTERS"  abroad solely for the perceived edge that this would give them in the saturated white-collar  job market in Nigeria. Inevitably many of these people end up being disapointed at not securing their dream job when they come back.
The main issue in the Nigerian economy is not lack of manpower for white-collar jobs but rather the lack of direct investment for niche markets. A Nigerian with the foresight to take advantage of these gaps in the market would gain tremendous rewards.

Obodo999:

Back to the Topic. I lived in the US for 20 years and I am back in Nigeria since 2007. It can be done but you have to change your mindset. You have to bury that silly white people mentality at the airport when departing ro come home. [/b]You have to be humble and not be arrogant.[b] You have to raalise many people here in Nigeria have more money or assets than you and they have never left Nigeria.

word !

IgboGirl:

How dare me? LMFAO!!! If you don't give a f*#k then what the f*#k was your ranting all about?
Yes! I said "you people" meaning Nigerians living in Nigeria! What is your emotional rant all about? If you want Nigerians living abroad to come home then make Nigeria favorable for them. Fix Nigeria up and welcome them back home properly. Don't ask them to come home where they can't find a job or fight for jobs with those who's been living in Nigeria. If Nigerians in Nigeria can't even change Nigeria for the better while living there for how many years what makes them think those returning home can? Unless you people think Nigerians abroad are better equipped to develop Nigeria than Nigerians in Nigeria?
What is there to come back home to? Come back to kidnappings, bad roads, arm robberies, lack of electricity, lack of good healthcare, constant strikes by university professors and healthcare professionals due to govt refusing to pay them? When Nigeria is fixed and changed for the better trust me Nigerians abroad will not wait to be asked to return home.

That  is so warped. Trust me Nigeria does not even need an influx of white-collar jobseekers from America. What it needs are investors who are smart and skilled to take advantage of the numerous gaps in the market. And no these investors don't have to be Nigerian for that matter. They can be black,white, yellow, red or any other colour for that matter .,
If you have  a professional job in the west and are happy in it then simply stay where you are.

Kobojunkie:

A Confirmed LIE!

really ? ok lets see. try going anywhere south of 26th street (except for hyde park) this is black neighborhood, anywhere west of western avenue is hispanic neighborhood, downtown and goldcoast is white neighborhood, then within these divisions we also have subdivisions like chinatown, greek town, ukranian village, then we also have the jewish settlements on the extreme northwest side of the city from peterson on the south to touhy on the north and kedzie on the east and mccormick boulevard on the west. this is jewish town. read here http://www.thechicago77.com/2009/01/chicago-is-americas-most-segregated-city/

police harrasment ? yeah i get pulled over like every week just for the hell of it. the city is in billions of dollars of debt and the way the mayor has proposed to get the money is from traffick stops. who will be the intended targets ? the minorities. black folk. i have recieved tickets for crazy stuff like 'there is a tiny crack on your windshield' you failed to indicate before turning, your taillights are not working properly, etc etc. getting stopped by the popo and attending traffick court to fight the case and get my license back or pay the fine if they find me guilty is now a part of my daily schedule. at one point in time i had 5 tickets at once that i was fighting in court. all bogus tickets. tis like the popos are the predators and we are the prey. read here http://chicagodefenseattorney.clickforward.com/?adid-2E343B92-B097-442c-BFA5-BE371E0325A2=589597&kw-2E343B92-B097-442c-BFA5-BE371E0325A2=chicago+police+brutality

high taxes ? i will let you read it for yourself here http://www.bestplaces.net/backfence/viewcomment.aspx?id=6FB8F712-A4FF-4E7E-886E-7940D42B631D&city=Chicago_IL&p=51714000

bad weather ? this is just a taste http://www.chicagobreakingnews.com/2010/06/the-bad-weather-returns-power-outages-too.html  if you park your car outside in the winter. the next day you will have to hire thugs (i usually give em like 20 bucks ) to dig your car out of the 12 inch snow pile. tonnes of accident due to skidding etc. and the summers are crazy too. 100 degrees sweltering humid summers where tonnes of people die because of the heat. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1995_Chicago_heat_wave

angry people ? lets just say quite a number of people have met their demise because of road rage. on 3 occasions i was nearly smashed on because of road rage. dudes come out of their cars with weapons heading for me. we thank the lord that i am still here. i have practically seen someone spontaneously combust in a matter of seconds. dude was foaming heavily at the mouth too. crazy yanks. all drugged up. read here http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2010-02-16/news/ct-met-truckers-road-rage0216-20100215_1_road-rage-road-rage-truckers

bad roads ?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GN71V-V7F18  i have seen tonnes of potholes the size of craters on the street. thats why alot of folk in chicago have problems with their cars suspension and steering system

tensor777:

^^Well does Chicago not have bad winters, gangland crime, unofficial racial segregation, police profiling of young black men, and gun-toting angry motorists? It is a fair assessment.

GBAM. you have said it all

tensor777:

There is an issue that too many Nigerians  go and study "MASTERS"  abroad solely for the perceived edge that this would give them in the saturated white-collar  job market in Nigeria. Inevitably many of these people end up being disapointed at not securing their dream job when they come back.
The main issue in the Nigerian economy is not lack of manpower for white-collar jobs but rather the lack of direct investment for niche markets. A Nigerian with the foresight to take advantage of these gaps in the market would gain tremendous rewards.

i like your mind. you have said it all. nigerians study all kinds of useless courses. i have lost count of the amount of MBA,s etc. people fail to realize that nigeria is a blue collar country. doing accounting and law etc will only put you at the discretion of other people when you are trying to secure employment. everybody wants to be the chief but nobody wants to be the indian. thats the myopic and subtle mindset of every nigerian. bigmanism. thats the bane of our existence

so what would you recommend people study buzugee. what are these 'blue-collar' courses? blue-collar work to me equals factory work, mechanic, cobblers etc.

suprted:

so what would you recommend people study buzugee. what are these 'blue-collar' courses? blue-collar work to me equals factory work, mechanic, cobblers etc.

here are a few choices http://www.uti.edu/

buzugee:

really ? ok lets see. try going anywhere south of 26th street (except for hyde park) this is black neighborhood, anywhere west of western avenue is hispanic neighborhood, downtown and goldcoast is white neighborhood, then within these divisions we also have subdivisions like chinatown, greek town, ukranian village, then we also have the jewish settlements on the extreme northwest side of the city from peterson on the south to touhy on the north and kedzie on the east and mccormick boulevard on the west. this is jewish town. read here http://www.thechicago77.com/2009/01/chicago-is-americas-most-segregated-city/

police harrasment ? yeah i get pulled over like every week just for the hell of it. the city is in billions of dollars of debt and the way the mayor has proposed to get the money is from traffick stops. who will be the intended targets ? the minorities. black folk. i have recieved tickets for crazy stuff like 'there is a tiny crack on your windshield' you failed to indicate before turning, your taillights are not working properly, etc etc. getting stopped by the popo and attending traffick court to fight the case and get my license back or pay the fine if they find me guilty is now a part of my daily schedule. at one point in time i had 5 tickets at once that i was fighting in court. all bogus tickets. tis like the popos are the predators and we are the prey. read here http://chicagodefenseattorney.clickforward.com/?adid-2E343B92-B097-442c-BFA5-BE371E0325A2=589597&kw-2E343B92-B097-442c-BFA5-BE371E0325A2=chicago+police+brutality

high taxes ? i will let you read it for yourself here http://www.bestplaces.net/backfence/viewcomment.aspx?id=6FB8F712-A4FF-4E7E-886E-7940D42B631D&city=Chicago_IL&p=51714000

bad weather ? this is just a taste http://www.chicagobreakingnews.com/2010/06/the-bad-weather-returns-power-outages-too.html if you park your car outside in the winter. the next day you will have to hire thugs (i usually give em like 20 bucks ) to dig your car out of the 12 inch snow pile. tonnes of accident due to skidding etc. and the summers are crazy too. 100 degrees sweltering humid summers where tonnes of people die because of the heat. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1995_Chicago_heat_wave

angry people ? lets just say quite a number of people have met their demise because of road rage. on 3 occasions i was nearly smashed on because of road rage. dudes come out of their cars with weapons heading for me. we thank the lord that i am still here. i have practically seen someone spontaneously combust in a matter of seconds. dude was foaming heavily at the mouth too. crazy yanks. all drugged up

bad roads ?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GN71V-V7F18 i have seen tonnes of potholes the size of craters on the street. thats why alot of folk in chicago have problems with their cars suspension and steering system

What a reject,you can't handle chicago roads,what roads will you drive on in naijaRoad ragetry hitting a molueagberos?touts?Police harrassment,can you compare the US to Nigeria

The only point,I'll give you is weather,you can move to Atlanta,Miami,Dallas,San Antonio,California,DC,Houston,Orlando you are just whining if you ask me, all of the above issues you complain about are multiplied by 10x in Naija.

You post like you don't think some of us,have never been to naija .

kabukabu50:

What a reject,you can't handle chicago roads,what roads will you drive on in naijaRoad ragetry hitting a molueagberos?touts?Police harrassment,can you compare the US to Nigeria

The only point,I'll give you is weather,you can move to Atlanta,Miami,Dallas,San Antonio,California,DC,Houston,Orlando you are just whining if you ask me, all of the above issues you complain about are multiplied by 10x in Naija.

You post like you don't think some of us,have never been to naija .

and you post like someone who is an illiterate. dude the point i am trying to bring out is that nowhere is utopia. learn to think before you post. how old are you ?

really ? ok lets see. try going anywhere south of 26th street (except for hyde park) this is black neighborhood,
anywhere west of western avenue is hispanic neighborhood, downtown and goldcoast is white neighborhood, then within these divisions we also have subdivisions like chinatown, greek town, ukranian village, then we also have the jewish settlements on the extreme northwest side of the city from peterson on the south to touhy on the north and kedzie on the east and mccormick boulevard on the west. this is jewish town.

So, let me get this straight. What you are alluding to is that when people, of their own accord,choose to live in neighborhoods where most others of their kind do, those particular people are racist OR are you in some way condemning other groups in this case? Is it now a crime against humanity to choose to live in clusters like most animals do anyway?
I cannot believe what I am reading here. Are blacks racist when they choose to live in communities that are predominantly black, even when they do so all so they can hang around those of their kind ( a natural phenomena by the way)? Are jews racist for choosing to live in communities that cater more to their own kind? Are Chinese racist for choosing to live in clusters where they can better fend for, relate and help one another? Are hispanics racist for wanting to live and work in communities where they can speak their language freely without feeling they have to apologize in anyway for that? Or are those who do not live in these neigborhoods the racist ones?

buzugee:

and you post like someone who is an illiterate. dude the point i am trying to bring out is that nowhere is utopia. learn to think before you post. how old are you ?

REALLY? THIS IS what you want to waste our space here on?

Kobojunkie:


So, let me get this straight. What you are alluding to is that when people, of their own accord,choose to live in neighborhoods where most others of their kind do, those particular people are racist OR are you in some way condemning other groups in this case? Is it now a crime against humanity to choose to live in clusters like most animals do anyway?
I cannot believe what I am reading here. Are blacks racist when they choose to live in communities that are predominantly black, even when they do so all so they can hang around those of their kind ( a natural phenomena by the way)? Are jews racist for choosing to live in communities that cater more to their own kind? Are Chinese racist for choosing to live in clusters where they can better fend for, relate and help one another? Are hispanics racist for wanting to live and work in communities where they can speak their language freely without feeling they have to apologize in anyway for that? Or are those who do not live in these neigborhoods the racist ones?

once again you fail to see the point here. as a black woman go and try to rent property in a jewish or italian or ukranian neighborhood and see if you will get the lease. abi you think it is just coincidental that the different hoods are segregated ? better yet make the mistake of being in albany park (hispanic neighborhood) after 1 am and strolling on the street. see if you come out of it alive. you know how many bodys have been dumped in that river in albany park ? better yet just stroll in goldcoast after 1am as a black person. popo will arrest you on trumped up charges and throw you in the cell till morning. you think this is a joke ?

Kobojunkie:

REALLY? THIS IS what you want to waste our space here on?

that there is the premise of the argument. that their is the koko of the whole matter. that there is why your auntys, uncles and cousins risk their lives crawling through libyan desert in search of that elusive utopia in the west. yes, kobojunkie, this is what i am wasting space on

You all just talk and reason like a child.US is better than nigeria i agree,nigeria is bad but not everybody is bad.Some people talk about touts for your info there is nothing like touting in my city.