May cockroach not die in a vegetable soup you cooked with shrimps. It may sound hilarious of a prayer but erm... Okay!

If there is one thing I've learned, or let me not lie this time, let's just say one thing that amaze me a lot about Benin people is how they'll cook so cheap, yet aroma so expensive. You'd probably think they've used the whole Nigerian budget to cook the meal, whereas the sum that killed the sweet soup is not even enough to make a down payment for a roasted corn, quiet blulaba!

So, about three days ago I visited the Ugbiyoko market for the first time after months of being in the city. Don't ask me how I've been surviving, I'm a 'lazy Nigerian youth'. As not-so-small as the market is, the blaring noise from the bustling of activities in the market, traders hawking their wares and shoppers bartering for the best prices, was enough to deafen a deaf man.

I didn't go to the market with much cash, so my tour was coordinated and straight to the point. I made my way through the throng of shoppers, dodging the occasional goats or chickens that dragged the narrow path with passerbys. The list I...