Saturday, December 17, 2011
Back again + Randoms...
Onto a few randoms, I attended a friend friend's husband's birthday party recently & i must say i was really impressed. At his age, the guy had done so well for himself. It felt bad to know that there are lots of equally intelligent aspiring young men his age everywhere without half the opportunity this young man had. Opportunity well utilized pays off really well. Ok, so in trying out new foods, i had this burritos from Chiptotle, before now i had heard a lot about Chiptotle and how great their burritos were my God!!... i almost choked.... TFC's burritos tasted better, not kidding!! (atleast in my mouth ohhh), oyinbo people's food can be over-hyped sha. I never knew a time would come when i would need to learn programming but right now i have to!, anyone ever used Matlab?
Going back to an issue that has been over discussed & over analyzed on the web- the FG's ban on same sex marriage, i am in total support of it. The jail term attached to it is a bit extreme though (Truth is, Naija peeps are not very good with keeping laws except there's a fine/punishment attached with it) so let me give them the reason of doubt that the jail term was put in there to totally discourage people from going into it. Nigerians especially in diaspora have disparaged and talked & said all sorts about this, i don't seem to understand, these days it seems speaking against gay people translates to ignorance, i don't understand, face it, its not natural to be gay!!, God created Adam & Eve not Adam & Mike!!... (joking) but seriously, homosexuality is not of God , yea science has come up with some plausible explanation as to why some people are naturally inclined to people of same sex, yes but that doesn't make it right. It's like saying people who like stealing (kleptomaniacs) should be condoned because it's a natural inclination they have?... No!. I'm happy about the bill & kudos to the FG but they need to Up their game on all the other pressing issues in Nigeria.
Again, why are Christians always so quick to criticize, cast slur & speak against fellow Christians???..... United we stand divided we fall (we can't even fall because God's word can't fail). I'm not saying it's ok to condone and endorse wrong things other are Christians doing, but blowing it all out rather than praying for the person is not the way to go. We have become this critical group of people, who don't see anything good in fellow believers, even non-Christians are not half as judgmental! It seems people are more quick to identify problems than suggest ways or even try to fix it, i guess it's the same reason we don't waste time in lashing out at our government without trying to help out or even praying for them. Ok, enough of the ranting....
It's a beautiful season & my favorite time of the year. 2011 went very fast howbeit it was a great year. I thank God sooo much for his faithfulness and how far He has brought me & my family this year (my sister miraculously got a new job, my brother came back home safely, my younger brother got admitted into the university, e.t.c.). In this season, remember to count your blessings and name them one by one & you'd be surprised how much God has done for you (this is no cliche, try it & you will see).
I wish everyone a merry Christmas in advance & a prosperous New year and i hope to be more loyal to my blog next year God willing. Take care now and remember to show Love to someone this season!!!
Friday, March 4, 2011
Discovery
I am at a place of awareness in my life right now…… awareness of who I am, awareness of who God is, awareness of my relationship with others. I have received the boldness to face life and all that comes with it. I really no longer cower in the face of opposition, I see myself a more confident and a more at-peace-with-myself kind of person. I no longer crave for the acceptance of others, I’ve come to realize that I am special, unique and different in my own way. I’m no longer under any form of pressure to please (yea, I have been a people pleaser all my life!). I hope this feeling never goes away…. I’m loving it...
That been said, how come what seems so right can end up being so wrong???..... little wonder the bible says “there’s a road that seemeth right unto a man but the end thereof are the ways of death”. It seemed oh so perfect, oh so right, oh so good, but see what it’s led to! **SMH!!** A lesson learned is forever cherished. Can’t make the same mistake twice
My first post for the year, Happy very belated New Year blogfam!.. Hope the year has been good so far?
Wednesday, December 22, 2010
Chukwu dalu
2010!!!.....A unique phenomenal year. A lot happened... i shudder when i think of the things i went through, don't know how i managed. I came out (eventhough still reminiscent of the experiences) stronger, braver and more courageous. I thank God for being my strength and support during those times, i thank him for rasing friends/family who helped me get through it all.....Baba you are worthy! I thank God for the visions he' s put in my heart and how he's gradually helping me realize it, i thank God for my family members (My sister esp. and her family, for providing shelter over their heads), I thank God for moving me to a better place, I thank God for divine health, strength, guidance & protection for me, family members & loved ones. I thank God for making me a partner with him in reaching many all around the world, i thank God for putting in my heart a deep hunger for him, these days, i can't seem to get enough of him :D.......To all of these & much more, i say Chukwu dalu, Nagode Jesu, Ose Olorun, Thank you Lord!!!
It's incredibly hot right now & NEPA knows just how to be at their best at times like this(if you know what i mean)...lol. My friend's FB status made me laff, she wrote: "Dear PHCN, in the Spirit of the season, it won't be too much to ask you to release the power a few hours a day instead of holding on to it permanently" i thought it was very funny...and laffed so hard, heheheeee!!!, Seriously, NEPA is hoarding power so much now? don't know what they're saving it for!
Special Prayer: I pray for the salvation of family members who have gone astray or have run away from home, that God by His Spirt will touch their hearts & bring them to the knowledge of his son Jesus Christ most especially at this period of christmas, that they will come to know the true meaning of the season, Amen
Merry Xmas in advance....!!!
Friday, May 28, 2010
The Basket Sandals
I loved the basket sandals. Back in the days, they were the raining rubber sandals in school. Everybody had them, I mean, everybody. Ify had them and you’d often see me trail behind her as we trudged home together from school under the hot sun. I loved watching the pattern it left in the sand. Ify will wear hers with a set of sparkling white socks which always made it look grander. My own sandal was a brown ugly one which was bigger than my feet. I wanted the basket sandal too, all the girls had it, I loved the beautiful pattern it made on the earth. My Mum said I didn’t need it because I had a very good one which will last me for some years. I was desperate, I wanted the basket sandal just like all the other girls, I wanted to wear it with my socks and look just as smart as Ify. I will go the extra length to get it! So I began to wear my ugly school sandal everywhere I went, to church, to play, to visit, even at home I would wear it, the faster it wears, the quicker I got another one. One afternoon as I was coming from school, “plap!”it snapped. It cut from the sole, I was glad! I knew I had to work extra hard in convincing my mother that what I needed wasn’t a repair but a new one, alas I did and she conceded. Guess what I bought? – The beautiful basket sandal!!!..I still think of this & smile- the frivolities of growing up. Can’t believe I lost sleep over I think so little.
I’ve been following a lot of amazing blogs on the Ville lately eventhough the Ville has been generally kinda quiet, I’ve been having fun. I miss Original Mgbeks soooo terribly, sisto, update more often now!!!, Olufunke, Enkay, where are you galz???. Thank God for ExSchoolnerd, for delivering her from evil. There’s no need apologizing for my usual disappearance, it sounds all very cliché now. Hooray to the Naija Bloggers award, can see a couple of my favorite blogs there. Will surely vote for ‘em.
Yáll have a nice weekend!!!
Thursday, February 4, 2010
Chimamanda Inspired...
I just saw Chimamanda Adichie’s talk on the danger of a single story & I was totally blown. Sheeez!, that girl is good. I love her diction, her composure, the passion with which she spoke & she’s sooo down to earth (or so it seems). She narrated how she grew up reading British & American story books and how those books influenced character choices in her early writing. I would say that was my case as well. I grew up reading Enid Blyton books (Mallory Towers, Famous Five, Secret Seven, St Claires, e.t.c.), Sweet Valley High, Keepsakes, Babysitter’s club, e.t.c. Those books formed my thinking, my mindset, my paradigm. For Chimamanda, it was just her writing style but for me, it was my life. I wanted to eat strawberry, I wanted to eat cupcake & scones, I wanted to own a dog, I wanted to be popular in school, I wanted to have a best friend, I wanted to live the kind of life I read in the books. I remember my first story book, it was about a nineth grader named Thomas Thrackery, he was the finest boy in Wellington High school, all the girls had a crush on him, Yes, I had never left the shores of Naija but I knew enough to write a story about an imaginary High School in Los Angeles…LOL
TV did not help matters either because I watched a lot of it, I fantasized about being a “Huxtable”- (The Cosby show), had a huge crush on David (The wonder Years), wished to be Laura (Family Matters) and wished that uncle Phil was my uncle (Fresh Prince of Bel Air), I wanted to live like them….I just couldn’t understand why my parents made me do house chores. On TV and in the books I read, children didn’t have to do house work, they got hugs & kisses and had bedtime stories read to them, children were not flogged, they only got grounded when they misbehaved. I fantasized about my sweet sixteen birthday, how my parents will throw a big party for me, Aha!, only in my dreams, in Nigeria such things never happen (or maybe was just my family). I spent my sixteenth birthday at home doing normal house chores. I wanted to have a room all to myself because all the characters in the books I read had nice pretty rooms all to themselves but ofcourse I didn’t get any of that because I had sisters who needed shelter as well.
TV, books, (The western media) affected my childhood a lot, I spent most of my childhood with my head pretty much in some faraway dreamland than on planet earth. I have long come to terms with reality though but I wouldn’t deny that those books helped me get past most of the tough times in my life, those times my elder sisters were mean to me (not that they are wicked …they just loved bullying me), those times when my parents punished me (for a good cause ofcourse becos I was naughty), those times when I was just sad (happened once in a while), I’d lose myself in the world of those imaginations and nothing else will matter anymore.
What led to all of this rambling sef??...Chimamanda’s danger of a Single Story!, great speech.
Monday, November 30, 2009
On my mind....
Was it 31st Dec. last year when I sat in church thanking God and soaking in every word of prophesy the man of God spoke concerning the year 2009 & by jove another 31st Dec. already approaching?!, How time flies especially when you are getting old …..LOL, sometimes it’s scary. It was a very challenging year & by all means, a year I grew the most. I remember my pastor in one of his messages say – “Welcome Challenges, don’t run from troubles, welcome troubles because they will make you stronger”. Truly, this year, I saw it. As I look back now, I wonder how I was able to make it through those tough, difficult, hard times….it could only have been God. I feel refined, processed & improved, just like that solid mass of raw gold that’s chunked into a hot blazing furnace & the end result a high quality refined gold, that’s the way I feel. This year I grew, & grew & grew…..my values changed, my dreams got bigger & my faith in God soared.
I want to specially thank God for everything, specifically want to thank him for:
1) Life – mine, my family members & luved ones
2) Protection & guidance – When the road seemed tortuous & un-ending, he was there with me, guiding me every step of the way
3) Divine Health – Healed my dad & has kept us all in good health
4) Provisions – provided all my needs
5) Promoted me on my Job this year
6) Provided us with a new accommodation
7) My sister finally graduated & is billed for nysc feb. next year
8) Journey mercies in all our waka waka dis year
9) Wonderful friends
10) Everything, every single thing!
On a final note just have to say this- Stay away from people who belittle you. Stay away, Stay away, Stay away!!!!!.....Don’t think because they are popular, rich, pretty, influential you have to stick with them just because you want to be identified with them. Because you want to be identified with them is not enough for you to stick with the torture they put you through. They find every reason to shine at your expense, to discredit you, to run you down in front of others & worst still they feel you have to be in their good books to get it going. Fa-fa-fa- Fouuuuuuuuul!...Keep away from such! (now doing the cross sign with the finger) ‘cos if you continue with them, you’d soon lose the true essence of who you are. You’d lose confidence in your abilities & soon enough, you’d lose sight of your purpose in Life. Make friends with people who will nuture & spur you unto greater works. Not someone who thinks you are in a lifetime competition with them…oh bother!, pls move on....
Thursday, June 18, 2009
Randoms.....
I am totally rocking my new ipod TOUCH!, beaurriful piece of something, oyinbo, una too much!, the thing is totally taking too much of my time- downloading songs, movies, e.t.c…..i carry it everywhere, have it plugged to my ears as I type now…lalalalalala…lol.
God bless Nigeria, God help NEPA!. Those guys are so wicked, there’s absolutely no light these days…..morning, afternoon, night, no light! All you hear everywhere are crazy generator sounds. From the “I pass my neighbor” generators to heavy duty generators, all of them work overtime. Generator business is a cash cow business now so if you are looking for a viable business to start, think generator…lol!. It’s a true saying that those who live near a rich man’s house suffer the most. There’s this rich man that lives directly opposite our house….. he has this big old generator that makes so much noise, infact the kind of noise it makes can bring a dead man back to life & it churns out smoke like no man’s business & the annoying thing is it’s always on 24-7. We’ve gone to beg the man to atleast buy a new generator or service that one so it doesn’t add to people’s problems, for where?....the man has completely refused. Good thing is we’ve learnt to live with it. We’ve become so used to it that when visitors complain, we are surprised…
This issue has been bothering me. …Is it easy for men to move on with their lives so quickly??, Ok, I have this friend who recently met this guy through a friend, they were casually introduced and since then, the guy has not let her rest, he’s been calling, said he likes her and would like to know her better….guess what we found out?... the guy lost his wife in February just a few months after their wedding and that’s like 3 months ago, and I’m like what???... he’s already looking for another woman?, I mean it’s not bad for him to carry on with his life, but I think it’s rather too soon for him to begin chasing another woman, there should be some mourning period for the blessed memory of his wife abeg!, Men!!!
My Company recently restricted us from Facebook-ing ……”F-R-U-S-T-R-A-T-I-N-G!!!”. Imagine seeing requests from long lost friends and you can’t accept!. It’s so annoying. I guess I’m left with going the Starcomms way, (i.e. getting my own personal internet connectivity). But seriously?, what is it about Facebook that addicts?, I really don’t know…. what I do there if not post/check out pictures is update my status. Facebook isn’t the only social site that offers such service, yet I wonder why the hype is with face book, maybe it’s in the name, who knows?....A name is so very important, it forms people’s initial perception of you. If I said my name was Linda you’d probably perceive me differently from if I said my name was Cynthia. Names are like labels (a lot of people don’t believe this but it’s true), I’ve seen some exceptions sha, but if you say your name is Blessing chances are you’d live a blessed life. God changed Abram’s name to Abraham and he became the father of many nations. My friend recently changed his name from one obscure native name to a bible name, I thought it cool but he got enough yabbings from people, and guess what?, that name is working for him already! Well, Little wonder my name’s Beulah, ‘cos I am God’s special….lol
Monday, April 27, 2009
On Everything Else...
I have a lot on my mind , a lot of thoughts in my head and happenings around me, I hope I don’t stop halfway before I’m through, this thing called laziness ehn? is so alluring (Olufunke, this is why I’ve been MIA). Nywayz, let me get down to it. Remember like the children of Israel when they had tarried on the plains for so long and Moses told them it was time to move up?? That’s the way I feel now.. I feel some voice telling me it’s time to move up. And I feel so obliged to obey that voice, Up I am moving!
Like I narrated in my previous post, I’ve been back in my former unit for over a month now & really, things have changed. It’s never same returning to a place you used to be. For instance, if you left home for a while, traveled for business or to school , most times when you get back, things are usually not the same. It’s either Joy has matured some and is no longer the gullible 7 year old who would jump at your commands or she has shifted her attention on someone else other than you. Things are never the same. In the two years I was away from my unit on some project, a lot of things have changed. some people I left behind in the unit moved on to greener pastures, some got married, some had children,, some got new jobs, in two years. Anyway, I wasn’t exactly wasting myself those two years ‘cos I grew, got experience, got promoted, got promoted again., I was doing well for me but being thrown back to the same old unit leaves me wondering.… I guess I need to de-clutter my head of the way things used to be & just re-adjust to reality. Is the saying not true that goes – “Change is the only constant thing in life.
I am a classic example of “Miss Goody-Two-Shoes”. Sometimes I wish I wasn’t as nice as I am. I like making people feel good about themselves even at my own expense, I feel very bad when I know someone is sad or unhappy because of my action/attitude towards them & it’s made me an extremely polite & and courteous person. I look back at my life and see a couple of steps I’ve taken not for my sake, but to make someone else feel happy or pleased with themselves. Vee called me up Saturday morning to invite me for her hubby’s surprise party, I went for an all-night-church service the night before and was deep in sleep when I heard my phone ring. I ignored it, turned to the other side and switched the sleep to gear 5. The phone rang again. With tired frustration I picked it without looking at the screen. “Hello” I muttered yawning..”Hi it’s me Vee, it’s my husband’s birthday today, and im organizing a surprise party for him, I’d like you to come..bla bla blab la..” she kept on & on & begged me to show up. I nicely told her I was coming from an all-night long service & was still trying to catchup on sleep..”No…you must come oh!, u know you are my friend!”, Nyways, it ended with me agreeing to come but might be a bit late because I had another program planned for the day. Long &short of it, I ended up not making it, my program ended late & there was no way I could make it across town. I tried calling Vee on Sunday to apologise for not coming, she did not pick my call, called & called her two lines, sent text no response & I began to wonder, was she angry at me??: (1) I agreed to go not because it was convenient for me because her invitation notice was short but I was going to sacrifice my “long-awaited” Saturday for her just to make her happy (2) She wouldn’t do same for me if I was in her shoes. I feel so angry that she would even dare be angry at me!...I wish I had told her straight up there was no way I was going to make it. . It is always like that. It’s not as it it’s cool to abandon your friends and not be there for them when they need you., but it shouldn’t be at your own expense because the funny thing is the same person/people you try to please by making sacrifices for, throw it back at you in your face!, it’s as if the nicer you are, the more people take you for granted. Human beings are not worth it really, you’d never be able to please everyone.
Am I the only one who feels the year is running at light speed?...i need to catch up fast, 2009 must never pass me by! It’s gonna be a good week, I can see the signs already. Today’s Monday & I’ve got to de-clutter my desk, I wish I could continue, but I need to face work now before I am caught!
Friday, March 13, 2009
Randoms...
I’m so glad one phase of my life/career is ended. I’ve been on this project in my office for what..2 years? and finally it is over Halleluyah!...Actually I expected it to end on a certain note but it ended differently but thank God it’s over. Now, I’ve been re-deployed to my former unit….(after making so much mouth I will not return there, enough yabbing for me) but yeah, things happen….and I know it’s working together for my good. Sincerely, I need a career break. Why do we have to work anyway?, same ‘ole crazy cycle everyday….Work-Home-sleep-Work…..everyday!!!!!... I don’t have a choice I guess, so I’d have to settle for a few weeks break.
I always had this ill feeling that Rita was weird and didn’t really like me but after speaking with her yesterday, I felt so inspired, she’s really a good person deep down….yeah. PP birthday is coming up very soon and we are planning a big surprise for him. He deserves it so very well.
Thank God it’s Friday!!!....iT’s gonna be a terrific weekend…
Wednesday, March 11, 2009
Twice bitten...
“Yes now, that’s how it’s done” Mary intoned “When you wash it and it’s dried then you put it in the pot, it comes out nice and delicious”.
Yemisi having no reason to doubt her friend did exactly as she was told, she put in all the sliced bitter leaf (onugbu) into the pot, stirred and inhaled the aroma stifling from the pot….hmnnn..it smelled delicious!..Dozie would love it!, she was making him his favorite Igbo dish, he will bite his fingers today.
She and Dozie have been married for three fantastic years and he's been a very sweet husband. He doted on her & spoilt her silly. Because of her several miscarriages, her doctor advised that she stayed clear from strenuous physical exertions and because of it Dozie employed cooks and maids to cater for and take care of the house while she merely supervised. She’s experienced marital bliss in every sense of the word much unlike what her parents had. She was barely seven when they separated, her mother went with her brother while she stayed on with her father. Till date, she never knew the reason for the separation, few times she tried asking, she got rebuked and seriously scolded by her father.
Recently, however she noticed that Dozie had been complaining a lot about food. It’s either the food is too salty, or there’s no pepper or it’s too watery….she wondered when he started taking particular attention to food. Dozie was not a food-food person, he could whatever was been served him. She remembered when they just got married, she would serve him anything ranging from gbegiri, to ewedu to efo and he would eat with relish without realizing the difference between it and his local igbo soup. All of a sudden, he wakes up one morning and begins to insist that she must start doing his meals again. “Honey, I am tired of all these food I’m served”, I want you to start doing my meal again”.
“See me see wahala oh!”, she complained to Mary during their early morning exercise at the gym “ Dozie doesn’t eat anymore oh!, , he says I must cook his meals otherwise he wouldn’t eat, must I when I have maids and cooks??...his complaints are becoming tiring. “It’s your duty as a wife to cook for your husband so you must, you can win his heart more through his stomach,” Mary was always the voice of reasoning. So she went ahead and sacked all the cooks and made up her mind to start cooking for her man.
Dozie had called from the office earlier that day to say that he was coming home with a friend. She wanted to surprise him hence the cooking thing she was doing. She gave the soup a final stir closed it and turned out the burner.
Minutes later, Dozie’s car pulled into the compound. She hurriedly set the table and went on freshen up. She greets Dozie with a light kiss on the check
“Welcome honey”, hope your day was good.
“Sure,”...here, he quickly introduces the middle-aged man with him, “meet Mr. Wilcox, he’s the new head of finance ”
They exchange pleasantries and she soon gets them seated around the table. The soup melt so good. “My wife is such a great cook”, he bragged to Mr Wilcox who seemed all too eager to start with the meal. She sets the food before them. At first, she thought she imagined her husband’s expression when he contorted his face after he swallowed the first ball of eba, then Mr. Wilcox exclaimed “tufiakwa!” and spat out the portion he had put in his mouth….
What was wrong??...this was the meal she spent time preparing…”Honey what’s the matter?” she anxiously walked towards them…
Dozie’s eyes were full of embarrassment, “Yemi, what is this??..pls take this poison away!,”
“Poison??, Poison?, how could Dozie call her food poison, the food she spent so much time and effort making for him.
Dozie apologized profusely to Mr Wilcox and led him out through the door and they went away. Hot tears stung at her eye. What has she done wrong?..why would Dozie treat her so callously like this…
She was dabbing away the tears clouding her vision when she decided to taste the soup, she had not tasted it even while cooking. As scooped it into her mouth, she almost gagged.
“Arggghhhh,”!!, she spat it out, what is this??.....the soup was bitter!!!!...whatever happened?, she followed Mary’s advise ….. then all of a sudden, it dawned on her. She had been misled again. Mary had done it to her again. When will she ever learn her lesson?.....
Wednesday, February 25, 2009
What If....
T.E. was my first baby crush!...We were in primary three/four then. He was very intelligent , from a rich home and was very handsome too. All the teachers loved him and ofcourse all the girls, I still wonder what we knew back then ‘cos we were so tiny yet….we had eye for fine boys. I sat a few seats behind him and always wished he would talk to me. I was too shy and timid to even try. I would day dream and see us getting married and having children in the future (daydreaming was my second nature as a child....). There was this game my sister taught me, if you wanted to find out if someone liked you or not, you’d write down their name, divide it by your name and strike out similar alphabets, whatever number of alphabet was left would determine whether it was love or hate..lol, One day, I tried it, using his name and my name and was grinning ‘cos it turned out positive. My sister saw the look on my face and snatched the paper from me and screamed with glee
“Ehhhhh….everybody come and see oh!, MOI & T.E. like eachother oh..”
I almost passed out. Till date, I’m still teased about it at home. Anyway, we finished primary school and moved on to separate schools for secondary school. I never stopped thinking about what became of him ‘cos I never heard of him. Many many years down the line, I see him on Facebook (thank God for facebook). And I thought to myself, what if I had connected with him much earlier than now what would have happened?, would we have hit it off again (not like we did before sha)?, Well….I guess I am only left with my imagination, “What if”…. Somethings are just never meant to be. No matter how right they seem…..
Happy married life T.E. May God grant you Joy, peace, Happiness & plenty of goodies in your marriage….
Tuesday, January 27, 2009
2 Truths, 1 Lie
Let me go straight to the game,
1) I am extremely petrified by Earthworms & Wall geckos. The sight of them leave me gasping for breath. Once, i refused to use the bathroom the whole day because i saw a gecko in it, yuck!
2) I once won an award in school for singing. Music is my life and i'm a great singer
3) I'm terrible with faces and names. If i've just met you, you'd have to tell me your name atleast seven times before it sticks - (embarassing)?!
I hereby tag the following people, hope you've not been tagged already sha,:
ECHOES
Stuck in my throat o
Simple gal
Ebony
Original Mgbeke
Aijay
In case you don't know the rules of the game, here they are -
1. You have to tell us 3 things about you, 2 truths and 1 lie
2. Link the person who tagged you.
3. Mention the rules in your blog.
4. Leave a comment on the blogs of those you have tagged
5. Tag 6 following bloggers, link them.
Thanks yáll for your concern over my lost phone, i have long gotten over it and totally rocking my new one.
