Does this happen anywhere else in the world? Seriously.

Said one frustrated Nigerian mind to an angry one;

'I think the NEPA or is it PHCN (same terrible difference as far as i am concerned) issue is becoming ...well, somewhat of an issue.'

'Somewhat!!! Did I hear you say "somewhat of an issue"? How's that for the understatement of the century?! It has gone beyond "somewhat of an issue" and has entered the "crisis deserving of a global summit inviting the G8, G28 or G48, whichever is the highest possible level." category

I mean imagine I've been back home for about three weeks now and I can't remember seeing my lights on (not for a fuse crisis at my end, of course), save for a few flashes in the morning just as i'm about to leave for work, it all got me wondering whether i should bother about Christmas lights this December (they got that covered for me already).

Watch a movie? That's being a little too ambitious. The light doesn't ever stay on long enough to finish an episode of them Mexican soaps. Got my Players, DVDs and CDs gathering dust, and my disc-man, and laptop on hyper-drive (they are already protesting, stubbornly too). I ask myself, why bother?!

My laptop? It only works at the office these days(office... generator...getting it now?) one would think that i might as well get a desktop, right there in the office. At least until they make those lappy batteries that last 48-96 hours.

Coupled with the heat and mosquitoes, i find i do not need to bother about night creams or moisturizers, i have gotten the replacements. Odomos and Dusting powder. :)

Generators, you say, are the answer. A part of me is rebelling against gen-sets. Of course, there's one in the house, but all of my life i have not known how to turn one on and i am not planning to learn how to. It's my personal crusade against these gen-set makers/sellers/marketers, who are the major sponsors of this crisis, because of their unfair yet certain proceeds in this(i make bold to opine). Methinks they are the brains (and purse) behind this whole operation. This has got me looking for the latest innovations in torches, lamps and rechargeables.

Besides, it has been discovered that generator emissions are the major cause of death among Nigerian women, due to oxidation and stuff, leading to osteoporosis, cancers and other related ailments (another science lesson for another day). This is usually misdiagnosed or disguised by our failing healthcare system:(

*{Outta breath} * In the famous words of Shakespeare "...what's in a name...", NEPA by any other name would still be as...appalling.