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| Owen Gee |
Owen Osamwengie, aka Owen Gee, is a comedian, singer, dancer and movie
producer. He speaks with JOY MARCUS about his memorable trip
to Istanbul, Turkey
In what country did you have your most
memorable travel experience?
My most memorable travel experience was when I
travelled to Istanbul. That trip was very impressive because I enjoyed
myself. It was a holiday trip. The folks there don’t speak English but we
had a tour guide who interpreted for us.
Did you travel alone or with a group?
I travelled with my wife. We stayed for about
five days in a lovely hotel. We had a wonderful trip and I didn’t feel like
coming back. We didn’t even communicate with our children back home because we
had no reason to.
Can you recall some of the things that
fascinated you about Istanbul?
A lot of young people in Turkey drive flashy
cars, including brands that we haven’t seen in Nigeria. There are a lot of
stores in Turkey and things are cheaper there than in the United Kingdom. The
only snag is that you won’t be allowed to try out lingerie because it is an
Islamic country; so; you can’t display things like that. Food is very cheap and
no matter what you buy, bread and tea is free unlike in Nigeria. Once you buy
any food, you would be given a loaf of bread which you can’t refuse. You can
also walk into any store to drink tea at any time you wish. Turkish people are
really strict when it comes to underage people buying things which are meant
for adults. I remember going into a store with my wife to buy something and
they asked my wife to go out because they sold tobacco in the store and she
looked like she was underage. My wife had to show them her ID that she was
almost 40 and they screamed. It was an interesting trip. We also attended a
Mountain of Fire church there. The difference between attending a church and a
mosque there is that some churches are hidden; you have to go underground to
locate the church. Members of the church were basically blacks from different
African countries. In Turkish churches, they serve food in a bid to
encourage you to come back the following week.
How would you describe their culture?
They have a very ‘quiet’ culture. It is not a
flamboyant Islamic country and when we went on tour, I saw the bridge that
separates the part of Turkey where they speak Arabic and the part where they
speak a little bit of French. They are very simple people. Their culture is
basically Arabic but they are not extremists. They have a very good tea culture
and I am a tea addict. I was taken to a store that had over 200 flavours of
tea. I sat there for over four hours trying different flavours. It was really
fun.
How receptive were the people?
They are very friendly, although there aren’t too
many black people there. Their character is similar to that of the Igbos
because they are very business-minded.
Are they well informed about Nigeria?
Yes, they are well informed about Nigeria. In
fact, once you say you are a Nigerian, they would start calling the names of
our footballers. They love our footballers a lot.
What were some of the tourist sites that
you visited during your stay and what did you buy from there?
We went to their biggest mall; it was as big as a
village. We also went to the country’s border and I attempted to put my leg on
the other side but they warned me that it would be illegal. I can’t remember
some of the places we visited because the names were written in Arabic.
Were there downsides to your trip?
That would be the language barrier. There was a
day my tour guide didn’t come and I had to do a lot of sign language before the
people could understand what I meant. Whenever you found a person that could
speak some measure of English, it would feel as if you won a jackpot.
How would you rate the entertainment
industry in Turkey compared to what is obtainable in Nigeria?
Sport is bigger than entertainment in Turkey from
what I observed. On a few occasions, some Igbo guys there told the natives that
I was an entertainer and they wanted me to sing for them. It was difficult for
them to understand what it means to be a comedian except when I did some of my
stuff and they laughed. Their entertainment industry is not as advanced as that
of Europe because their Islamic tradition restricts them.
In terms of security of lives and
property, how would you rate the country?
Security is top-notch over there. When you see
their policemen, you would be too afraid to commit any crime. Their policemen
are well fed and equipped unlike the average Nigerian policeman. Our police
officers are always looking hungry.
Was there anything you saw in that country
that you would like to see replicated in Nigeria?
That would be the structure of their streets.
It’s structured as if you are climbing a hill and descending to another hill.
The streets are not straight while their houses are straight.
Which other places would you like to
visit?
I would like to visit Brazil because of their carnivals.
I like women wearing bikini; so, I will like to go to Brazil. I would also like
to visit Jamaica because of their lifestyle and the way they talk. I like their
carefree attitude to life.
