Mr. Bigg's

Mr. Bigg's is the fast food sensation in Nigeria. It would be the equivalent of McDonald's here, I guess. But they sell spicy rice with chicken or beef, meatpies, fanta, hotdogs (but not like ours), and other oddities. Its the low cost eating out, but not low cost enough that the average person can eat there. There is a hired door personnel to keep out the street people, and to open the door to customers... This place however, isn't a favorite of the baturias, or people that are avoiding tummie ills. I went there a couple times, and tried this and that... but each time I got a terrible tummie ache. I'll stick to the bowl of mash potatoes.





This Mr. Biggs is right down town in the market area. The beggar follow you in and out of the place. They stand at the windows looking in, and stand at your car windows, surrounding the cars. There is never enough to give. There is an abundance of beggers here. It is accepted way of life in Muslim culture. One of the five "pillars" of Islam is to give alms to the poor, so the "poor" make sure they are out there to recieve the alms. Families sometimes refuse to get medical help for their members if, by being handicapped, they can bring in extra income. In fact, some parents will sometimes purposely maim their infant children in order to make them beggars for life. The white-colored boys are the "almajiri" students studying Islam. Several times a week, their teachers send them out to beg. To greet the beggars you say, "Allah, ya ba da sa'a" God gives hope.