When people mention Nigeria, they think of flashy clothing, tribal dances, and grass huts; however, senior Rose Isang and her brother, sophomore Dan Isang, can testify that while the garb of the country is sometimes beautiful, Nigeria is a more sophisticated and modern place than Americans assume.

“People have this impression like, ‘Oh, Nigeria, like when you go there, there’s no electricity,’” said Rose in a recent interview. “[But] there [are] houses, there are cars… it’s just like the States.”

Rose has more experience with Nigeria than the average American. She’d just returned from there on a trip that lasted from the week before Christmas break to the week after.

The trip was to visit extended family; Rose and Dan are Nigerian, though they were born and raised in Baltimore, MD.

“We went to visit family, eat good food, party,” said Dan Isang.

Rose recalled that the reunions were the best part of the trip. “It was good seeing my family,” said Rose. “I have such a big family, so it was good seeing them, and seeing how Nigeria [has] changed.”

A democracy since 1999, Nigeria has dodged many of the problems commonly attributed to African nations. However, it does sport one unique feature.

“There’s something called, ‘Masquerade’ in Nigeria,” said Rose. “I was walking with my aunt at her hair salon, and all of a sudden [there was] this guy in this weird outfit, like he had wraps on his head. He was half naked…with a machete. I was like, ‘What is this man doing?’ My aunt said, ‘It’s called Masquerade… You give him money, or he might kill you.’ Later my mom explained … not all Masquerades are killers, but yeah, that was pretty scary.”

Nigerian ‘Masquerade’ can refer to any masked performer, but they occasionally carry dark connotations. You can find some of the most colorful masquerades this year at BBC News here.

Even though this was Rose’s fourth trip there, she’d never before heard of the Masquerade. Nigeria is such a colorful, rich country that a group like the Masquerade becomes just a tiny facet.