Funmi Iyanda

It has been a dramatic weekend for me.

By my calculation and the careful planning of the Chimurenga team l should right now be in Durban at the Ugu festival of Maskanda. Thus when l arrived in Lagos Thursday morning l did not bother unpacking, l simply sent my passport to the SA embassy in Lagos for a visa.

Anyone who knows the first thing about getting a South African visa must wonder what sort of road side drugs l was on to expect my visa to come out in 24 hours. Well, l had put in the application three weeks before and it was going through the usual torturous process when l had to make a quick trip to London. So l requested a withdrawal of my passport while the application was processed. It was duly granted and l was told to return it for the visa as soon as l returned from London. read more

I watched the droplet of water from my hair roll down my newly painted green nail polish onto the thin foil covering the tray of freshly grilled South African lamp chops and spare ribs I was gripping while cursing under my breath as the lift lumbered up to the 13th floor apartment of a shabby high rise complex. I was on my way to meet friends for the June 12 Nigeria versus Argentina match but had wasted ten minutes threatening to slap an irrational driver who’d blocked the path. I of course had no intention of slapping him; I’m not Kaita! Read more here

I miss writing but l fear my quest to be the captain of my own ship means I am often not at my most creative mental space. However with Binyavanga urging me on with the subtlety of a hurricane I agreed to participate in this great project that sees fourteen writers going to different cities in Africa and Brazil during the world cup to contribute articles and stories that will eventually become a travel book. I will be in Durban from next week getting up to no good.

Here's a link to my introductory article