When All Else Fails You Better Blog


I loved 234 next. I was a zealot for the paper. And when I moved home and could not buy it anymore I religiously read their online version. Until the sad day when they pulled the plug and turned out the spark of hope they had hitherto lit in the hearts of Nigerians.

I had several favourites (writers) in 234Next; Ikhide Ikhalose, Rukky Ladoja, Dele Olojede (sometimes), and Tokini Peterside are names that readily come to mind. But by far my best ever writer was Yemisi Ogbe.

Yemisi Ogbe! Where do I begin? That lady wrote about food and condiments like she had an intimate, private relationship with them. I am a foodie, and consequently, an avid reader of food blogs, and viewer of cooking shows, but I have never seen any food writer so enamoured  with Nigerian food, and so expressive of it, with such a rapturous passion akin to a new member in a religious sect. When she wrote about say, tomatoes, you were introduced to them anew; she would tell a story about her interaction with a certain type of tomato, or the seller of a certain type of tomato, or the preparation of a certain type of tomato. Leaving you with a new found respect for the fruit. (Tomato is a fruit.) Everything had a story, every condiment an origin, they did not come to you by chance, they had a purpose, and a drive, and direction. She gradually drew a crowd of ardent, opinionated, readers, which quickly made the comments, arguments and disagreements between them an added benefit of / side attraction to her column. 

If I am being effusive then that is exactly how Yemisi's passion came across- in a pleasant, sensible, interesting way. Whenever I opened the Sunday - or was it Saturday- 234Next, her column was the first thing I looked for. Gradually, as her articles reduced in frequency, ostensibly because of the impending closure of the newspaper, I befriended her on Facebook, in the hope that I would not lose touch with her if something happened to the newspaper, and that we could do some work together in future. Of course something happened to the newspaper and Yemisi's articles with it. I would see her occasionally post a picture or two on Facebook but nothing major.  (One day the people on my twitter timeline passed around a post written by her. It was a political post but no less arresting. And someone commented that she had been writing articles related to politics, several years ago, but was threatened by the government and decided to settle for food. As though writing about food was less intelligent or somewhat vapid. Dunce.)

A few weeks ago, however, my foresight paid off when I saw a facebook post from Yemisi Ogbe. It was a brief comment about dry smoked fish as Umami. Knowing Yemisi's style it was definitely written by her, but it tapered off mid-sentence and directed us to continue the experience at a particular site. My heart leaped! Could it be that Yemisi is back?

Yes she is! Ladies and gentlemen, foodies of all ages, prepare yourselves for one of the best food blogs you have ever seen : http://longthroatmemoirs.com.

Caveat: Enter only if you really like to read about food.

Thank me later


Chili!


Comments

Anonymous said…
Thanks, CP. Despite the caveat as I'm no 'foodie", I'll read anything about - or by - that young lady.

I was not looking for her but she's never far from my mind but one of my kids who also love her essays in 234NEXT wrote me today that she (yemisi) has a review on Adichie's AMERICANAH. That search brought me here along the way and I thought I should pause to smell the roses as I go along the trail.

August 30, 2013 at 6:29 PM
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