Writing A Book is Like Having A Baby: Notes from My Diary

Sunday March 16, 2008
Novotel Accor Hotel, Port Harcourt, Nigeria
Room 335
I am alone in this cosy room watching a Nigerian movie on the Africa Magic Channel of Mnet's DSTv. It is a very good room. I am glancing at the faces of the top Nollywood actors, Olu Jacobs and Bob Manuel-Odogwu as I am writing, but my mind is far away from Port Harcourt. The ride on the Aero Contractors' helicopter was fine and the aerial view of Bonny Island was good for my reflections on life as we flew over the Bonny Channel from Bonny Island to the Nigerian Airforce Base airport in the Garden City of Port Harcourt.

Monday March 17, 2008
9.30 pm
We left the Novotel Accor Hotel for Enugu and returned safely, but we could not leave for Bonny Island, because we came back hours later than the expected time for the last helicopter for Bonny Island. We returned to the Novotel, but there were no more rooms reserved for us. The reservation and travel manager of the Nigeria LNG Limited told me that we should go to the Protea Hotel nearby. We took a taxi cab to 1C, Eva Crescent, G.R.A, Phase 1, Port Harcourt. The lobby of Protea Garden City looked like a business centre as both the guests and visitors milled around the reception and some were busy on their laptops.

As we waited for a long time before we could check into our rooms, my thoughts on the importance of peace in Nigeria filled my mind. I thanked God that Port Harcourt is now peaceful after the Niger Delta militants clashed with themselves and the Nigerian Armed Forces, four months ago. We saw Peace Anyiam-Fiberisima of the African Movie Academy Awards (AMAA) at the reception. She was escorted to the elevator with her luggage.

Read the complete notes on http://totnaija.blogspot.com/2014/11/writing-book-is-like-having-baby-notes.html