Voices of the City: Lola Adefope
Voices of the City is a new, weekly feature that spotlights the everyday lives of our citizens, living and working in cities. By asking the same five questions to all our interviewees, we discover not only how our experiences of differ, but also what we share. It is a daunting task to try and capture the diverse experiences of our city's inhabitants, but we feel that it is a worthy, and necessary, endeavor, in order to better understand the present and future of our cities. This week, we hear from Lagos resident ?Lola Adefope, a creative soul who works in Corporate Travel Management, as well as writes poetry and makes fine art.
Question: What about Lagos inspires you the most?
Answer: The energy, there is nothing like it. No place on Earth vibrates in the same way.
Q: Do you have a secret space or place that you enjoy in the city?
A: I have three secret places. One is buried away in Ikoyi, people know to find me here squirreled away in a corner if I ever disappear, have had a bad day, have had a good day, or if I'm sulking or feeling creative. The second is where I go to breathe in what the tree's breathe out and stare across an expanse of water. At night the stars reflect and the creature choir sounds remind me I'm part of something. The third I can never tell you of is my "let loose" place. If you ever spot me there… you'll definitely understand.But I'm wary of "spots" in Lagos turning into "Popular Joints" and getting over crowded or turned into a fad, so I keep my places close to my chest and only ever tell/ invite a select few.
Q: What was the last exciting event you attended in the city?
A: I had an AMAZING time at the last Lagos Polo Tournament. But then I am genuinely biased! I love the rush of adrenaline, the beautiful horses, the agility and speed and strength! It's the perfect people watching afternoon out, and here there's always a buzz in the air as the ladies socialise amidst canapé's, suya, and champagne corks, the "polo bunnies" vie for an 'also spotted' – spot in the upcoming weekend fashion mags, fathers carry kids on their shoulders to go look at the horses and the players argue good naturally about what happened in the last chukka.
Q: What frustrates you about the city?
A: The. Lack. Of. Infrastructure. All my problems, my tantrum moments, the time I loose on a daily basis, my cost of living, my cost of playing… all of this can be solved- by adequate infrastructure. Basic things I used to take for granted in Chelsea and Putney, consistent light and an accurate electricity bill. Using a washing machine without worrying about if it's plugged into my purified water tank… or any water? Driving 25 minutes across town, without worrying if I'll get stuck in 4 hours of traffic because it rained today….Fix that, and I'll live happily ever after. Prince Charming isn't in a fairy tale? He's the word "ORGANISATION". I'm tired of being my own local government.
Q: You can have dinner with one person living or dead. Who is it and why?
A: My Grandfathers. I haven't learnt enough.
Check out our website next week for the next Voices of the City interview.