Mushin citizenship: live in CMUL for a year to get your green card
Man's identity constantly changes and is very much influenced by the environment he lives in. Such as which ever country you're born in, you’re bound to pick up the language, behaviour and ideals peculiar to that country. On the flip side, if a single person or persons (especially a person or persons of influence) changes character, one that is acceptable by the people around him, they copy the new behaviour, and in no time their environmental behaviour changes. What's an environment without the people in itanyways?
The College of Medicine of the University of Lagos (CMUL) is a school situated in the middle of two hot communities in Lagos; Idi-Araba and Mushin. These two combinations are interestingly similar, and as a student there, you can’t but have something to do with them, Mushin especially. Unlike the main campus, a bigger school which is a heterogeneous and detached community, CMUL isa smaller, more homogeneous and close-knit environment. If you as a student of CMUL have to cook, then you sure have to make frequent visits to Mushin market like it's your mummy's kitchen for regular essentials, you repair and get electrical appliances in Mushin, chemists and pharmacies are also in Mushin for fast grabs (Why? the drugs in LUTH pharmacies are sold only on prescription). I know guys that on a steady eat Mushin moin-moin, amala and mama put delicacies. I mean, how can you be a student of CMUL and not know Amala Iya Samodi? It just comes with your studentship. There’s no way you can avoid interactions with Mushinites.
Of course, this is not a slight on Mushin indigenes but there’s a reputation that Mushin (and Idi-Araba) has, being a suburb with low quality housing and congestion. It’s known for crime, razzness, poor sanitation and a prevalence of area boys' activities. As such, many people living there have learnt street smartness and adopted allshades of they no send anybody attitude. It is therefore no surprise,that over the years, a couple or more of these 'Mushin traits' (albeit a modified and civilized), have been imbibed by CMUL students so much that some even pride themselves in being razz medical students. While some of these traits are actually harmless and fun,some others are destructive and not worthy of emulation. If you want to see all these things play out en masse, visit the health week awareness walks, you'll see the civilized Mushin genes coming out to play.
It's so easy to identify a newbie (200L students) in CMUL. Why? They are always naive in look, language and character. Give them half a semester, after they must've been humbled by their first in-course test, and watch them learn how things work around here. By this time, they relate more with the staylites, and whilst they learn how to work and play, they start to get accustomed to the system, learning some Mushin traits both consciously and unconsciously. Their language and tone changes; Pidgin and the native language, especially Yoruba become a common means of communication. English language thus becomes a formal language reserved specially for presentations and seminars. They even begin to use some agbero slangs that have been incorporated into the system. Why? They hear it all the time.
One of the traditions you can’t but imbibe as a naturalized Idi-Arabite is steeeeeple chase. Mehhnnnnn, if you've not steeplechased, I'm not sure you're a CMUL student–never mind if you're a fresher. Steeple chase is the one time you'll see the tush medical students hustle for chaw, not because they're hungry, or won't get food ordinarily if they would like to, but it has just become a tradition to step out and chase steeply. Such evenings, you see boastful pictures of hundreds of packs and drinks on WhatsApp statuses, food they may never finish consuming. I can beat my chest that most award winning steeple chasers never thought they could stoop so low to carry bags around chasing chaw.
The CMUL community will teach you how to be outspoken, smart and street wise. That's one good thing I've come to realize withCMUL civilized Mushin citizens. Learning how to interact with the communities around makes you reason out as an adult, because out there, nobody sees you as a medical student, who only recently left mama’s apron strings to try to figure out how to live an independent life. They see you as any regular member of the community and you need to learn to act like one without losing yourself in the process.
Now you go ahead and use the medical, moral and Mushin lessons you've learnt from CMUL to influence your world!
Meanings of some terms used in the article:
Razz- A Nigerian slang used to describe an obnoxious person who tries desperately to fit in.
Agbero- is a Yoruba word which has become widely used in Nigeriato describe a thug or lout.
Mushinites- citizens or inhabitants of Mushin
Mushinism- the traits characteristics of Mushin people.
Amala iya Samodi- a popular local restaurant in Mushin close to Mushin Oloosa bus stop. It is especially know for it’s exquisite Amala, ewedu and gbegiri, a Yoruba delicacy.
Mama put- a woman who sells cooked food from a hand cart orstall; a local restaurant, often found in street corners.
Freshers- used to describe new entrants into the college of medicine, University of Lagos. Mostly made up of 200L students of UNiLAG studying a medical course or allied medical course.
Staylites- used to describe students from 200L to final year in college of medicine, University of Lagos.
Steeple Chase- an annual event where students go out en masse during induction ceremonies to gather food shared by inductees during such occasions.
Tush- a Nigerian slang used to describe a posh person.
Area boy- are loosely organized gangs of street children and teenagers, composed mostly of males, who roam the streets of major cities in Nigeria.
Chaw- a slang used in Nigeria. It simply means food.
Idi-Arabite- another term for describing a CMUL student.
Tolu, 400 level
Editorial board member, 2020
Comments
Nice piece, NUEB.👍
😂😂😂