Dear Diary,
Body dey tortori me to yan you about my waka as one African PhD student for Rice University, wey dey live for dis yorirori city wey dem dey call Houston. Di experience wey I don gather sweet die, enjoyment full ground and dey things wey I don see dey enter eye and e dey burst brain also and na why I wan make other Africans know say dem fit feel at home here for Houston. Join me as I dey explore di sights, sounds, and cultural mix wey don make my time here unforgettable.
After all di tortori wey dey follow Rice University acceptance, visa approval, and landing for Yanki don finish, I come face di reality say Houston go become my home for at least di next five years. E dey tough die to leave my family and my cute dog, but di adventure dey wait for me.
Di first things wey my eye catch quick-quick for Texas na how big everything be—roads wide well well, ogbonge trucks wey big, and sharp sharp fine cars . Na true wetin dem dey talk: "Everything dey big for Texas!"
Fun and Entertainment
Wetin blow my mind pass for my first week for here and wey make me feel like say I dey Africa? Afrobeats lounges! Finding dem for my first weekend sweet me pass. Aura, Xhale lounge, Rumors and O2 lounge na some popular ones wey I don go. Afrobeats dey help me relax well well, so I know say I dey di right place wey Afrobeat hangouts dey yanfu yanfu, come dey very close to Rice. Na di same experience with Afrobeats wey we dey Ghana wey we dey dance from dusk to dawn, na him dey for Houston so. Make we commot lounges keep one side first, Many weekends, afrobeat/amapiano party or concert dey dey well well. I dey mostly find them for Instagram and my guys dey keep me up-to-date too.
African Food and Shopping Scene
Omo, di food! Very fine African diners, plenty for here with very good prices and the food portions dey belleful well well. The food dey sweet well well. Even though say di Jollof debate still dey on, Houston get enof diners wey dey offer delicious and spicy Senegalese, Ghanaian, and Nigerian jollof. We go need separate blog for African food for Houston, but make I give una small yarn, here na some places wey I don visit: Aria Suya, and Afrikiko Restaurant. Plenty African stores dey like Makola Market, SouthWestFarmers, and Wazobia Market, wey get all di African foodstuff and groceries wey you fit think of. E dey give me a some kyn joy say I go fit get access to African groceries and foodstuff while I dey over 6000 miles away from home. Rice dey organize plenty events with plenty food, like Culture Night, where different groups dey show the different different food wey dey get for their country.
Church
As I be Christian, for Sundays, I dey like connect spiritually, and e dey satisfy me say Ghana church dey where go make me feel close to home. I don visit two Ghanaian churches, CPIM and The Church of Pentecost, and from di praise and worship to di sermon, e just dey remind me of home. You go also connect with other Africans when you go.
People dey always ask how I dey balance my Houston waka and acada for prestigious school like Rice University. Rice get better work-life balance, wey dey encourage extracurricular social activities even for graduate students. All these sweet sweet experiences no for dey occur if I stay alone all the time. I be active member of clubs like Rice African Graduate Student Association (RAGSA), Rice Graduate Christian Fellowship (RGCF), Black Graduate Student Association (BGSA), and Computer Science GSA. I dey look forward to di RAGSA events because we dey enjoy African food and culture for Rice. Orientation week social events been dey very helpful, e allow me meet other Africans and students from all over the world. Rice international student body dey fantastic, and everybody dey very friendly and approachable, wey dey make me enjoy the different cultures wey dey this world.
I no fit believe say one year don pass already. I dey live my dream, and I no fit wait to see wetin di next few years for my PhD waka get for me.
Watch out for my next blog, "Houston Food Scene: One African Foodie for Rice University."
Translated by:
Osinachi I. Okafor
Art History Ph.D Student