lesson learnt....

don't be quick to pat yourself on the back........i resisted the loveliest pair of purple platform sandals recently,purple is a favorite color of mine, i mean you should have seen my legs when i tried on those shoes. but i walked away, and my friend was so shocked, she even discussed it at the alpha group meeting.

Dr Okey Onuzo preached on being content some weeks ago, i left church that evening feeling renewed in spirit and ready to battle out my greed and want for more clothes, more this and more that.

i told myself i was content as i walked away from the shoes. i was proud of me and even though i've dreamed of that pair of  shoe for days now, i've been commending myself on my new found self control when it comes to shopping, after all my account is more or less the color of the pot at the end of the rainbow, i don't need the extra drama.

so today. i was sleeping peacefully in my cool room, glad to be indoors on such a hot hot day, the only thing taking me out is the shooting for celebrity takes 2,if i make it that is........i woke up at mid day, had breakfast in bed... well i wasn't served breakfast in bed, had to go whip something up for myself, but i had the breakfast in bed, so that counts as an 'awwwwww, how sweet' factor:) i served myself in bed.......sooooo romannntic.

then the call came in, this 'friend' just got back from brazil, i'd been hoping the call wouldn't come, but after my shoe resisting escapade, i knew when the call came i'd be able to resist the pull of temptation to buy, well so i thought, the call did come, and  i decided to humor her,and let her come home with the goodies, i'd uhhh and ahhhhh over her lovely bags, tsk my tongue at the brazilian weaves as i smugly tell her 'lovely things but sorry I'm not interested' and i would smile in glee at her shock that i would even think of punking her.

well she just drove off, i uhhhed and ahhed over the bags, shook my head at the brazilian weaves and walked away and i'm back in my ac'ed room and still sweating,NOOOO i did not just pick a bag costing 20times more than those shoes(now i'm thinking i should have saved myself the trouble and picked up those shoes).  I couldn't let it go, there it was shining in its labeled leather glory giving me the puppy dog look and i knew i just had to take it. its funny cos as much as i love the bag, i dumped it in the laundry room with a pile of dirty clothes as i ran up to my room. not sure why i dumped it, probably self denial? not seeing it might seem like i didn't actually buy it. how could i? i haven't paid so i might as well return it, she wouldn't kill me would she? but would my life be the same without it? i've seen me use it with a dozen outfits already.

brings me back to the topic of self control and contentment Dr Onuzo preached about. he says we try to be godly, live godly lives,be better people on our own accord, yes self resolve does work but not enough to scale you over that hard pull of temptation. you resolve never to drink anymore and its fine, you do a good job at it, smugly announce and tell the story of how long we've stayed off drinking till you're out somewhere someday and everyone else is drinking and you're bored with your lime and soda thus you say 'oh, just a little vodka wouldn't hurt' and you end up being drunk..... the point is there's always something that'll take you back to a broken habit if you break on our own accord.

 the only way to overcome self and be a better person is by knowing you cant do it on your own but by the power and help of the holy spirit. when the spirit controls, its easier to overcome temptations, you laugh at those temptation in the face and waltz away

I was so proud of myself i forgot to thankGod for giving me the will to resist the lure of senseless shopping/spending. i went around smugly telling my story and claiming that i had changed. i didn't actually ask God for his spirit of wisdom and strength to continue in my resolve to break that habit.

i have been humbled, i've learned a lesson, an expensive one at that. but its a lesson learnt and i'm glad i learnt from it. now to return or not to return? that is the question. 

The single married man.

He’s everywhere you turn. He haunts you; he taunts you, he’s the new species of men available. The single married man

He’s that young handsome dude who’s wedding was splashed all over recently; yes they one you screamed in despair that you missed and envied the lucky ‘idiot’ who nailed the hot brova you always admired and hoped would notice you some day. it brought the crème de la crème of the society to a standstill as they all gathered round to bid him a happy married life. But you’re just in luck because after the honeymoon, he came back to town and he’s single again.

He more than before hangs out at his best mates penthouse, drinking Champagne, eating buckets of take out chicken wings, watching football on the 500inch TV, and playing PS20 on the larger than life screen with the boys. Belching on beer, scratching crotches, ordering pizzas and playing some dbanj’s ‘bad’ at the highest on his bang and olufsen speakers, with no care in the world.

“Its hard to be a married man” Ak droned as he tries to pop a bottle of Champagne, “you just cant give up being one of the boys with your boys, i ain't giving it up for no marriage you just cant leave that behind, life’s got to move on as it was.”(yes that’s a typical response)

Of course he has his ring glittering in all its 94k gold and diamond glory as he steps into the clubs/restaurants/lounges/ churches. Looking all pimply cute in some vintage Armani suit. But that doesn't stop him, no the ring is just another statement piece of jewelry, like his wristwatches.

He loves his wife don’t get him wrong, or well he feels something close to love for her, and he’s fulfilled all righteousness to self, society, family and the girl he dated for 3years by putting a ring on it( I’m doing the beyonce single ladies hand move here), and yes, she’s already pregnant, that’s an extra something something for her, what else does she expect from him?
(that’s why I feel so sorry for all those girls that scheme so hard to get the boyfriend to propose, they weigh him down with so much scheming that he has no choice but to get on his knees from the weight and propose……oh, you’re so toast)

Now its time for life to go on for him. He meets you, dates you, he takes you to the movies he holds your hands in public, he sleeps over, sometimes he even goes to church with you. But wifey never gets to hear about it, shes probably shopping in some country or too tired from taking care of the baby to notice he isn't home.

I might have spotted him a couple of times holding some damsels hands at picolomondo, but I’m all muddled up, was that really him and a mistress? (or girlfriend as he would correct me) I thought he got married two weeks ago? Or maybe its his sister or a business meeting. You never can tell these days, I try to make myself believe that maybe it really isn’t what it seems to be. But it is really what it looks like.

He’s the perfect boyfriend, the perfect husband, father and son in-law, The perfect married boyfriend and he’s the plower….in all the clubs, at the bars, the churches, the shops, well dressed in all his swagger, he’s there watching, flaunting the ring cos that’s what gets him heard, he’s the threat to the genuinely single guys(aka the unmarried single man).

You say ‘well the ladies must be stupid to still date him’ I agree with you, they’re stupid to remain with him after they find out he really is married and he really isn't leaving her(for those who had no idea from the start,90% of them know from the start),

The girls agree with you that its stupid but then where else would she find such a manly man from? Yes the single married man is as manly as can be, because he’s been moulded by his wife, his swagger is tighter, he’s taken lessons 505 in the workings of the female mind from his wife, I mean he’s got to have had something to offer(outside money) for her to get married to him in the first place, he’s been screened and past the test of being manly by his wife, thus he’s just perfect for the single ladies, they don’t have to waste time giving him lessons, he’s a ready made man. He knows just what to do and say to make the single girl sigh, hes got lessons on intimacy and saying exactly what she needs to hear. He’s well glazed, honey glazed I mean, and he’s taken the scene, he’s every woman’s dream…….he’s the single married man. BEWARE!!!!

This leads me to saying, if it ain’t love then don’t do it. You can force a man to wed you but you cant make him be a married man or stay faithful, except he’s such a God fearing fella.

Adesuwa Onyenokwe of TW magazine and today’s woman’s show inspired me in one of her articles on her 20th wedding anniversary, about how she’s never had to deal with the issue of other women(yeah yeah some might call her naive for that thought, but somehow I believe cos I’ve seen their relationship although from afar and it makes me sigh).
She thought his faithfulness had to do with her trying her best to be a great wife and bla bla bla, until she asked him why? and he said he made a decision to be faithful right from the start and he worked at it to ensure he wouldnt fail regardless of temptations, now that’s something. He obviously wasn’t forced and schemed into marriage:)

You can be the best wife there ever was, cook, clean, scrub, be superwoman with a cleo patra/Helen of troy or a domestic loving goddess with some sort of seductive powers,or such a faithful student of cosmopolitan, its not enough to keep him faithful, its got to be an effort on his part, a vow between his spirit, soul, body and his God.

Through all this talks of cheating and all I have to remain positive and believe that when I FINALLY get married it will based on love and trust and Godliness, and hubby of mine will be a genuine Married Man.

Celebrity takes 2

Spirit of David's "Celebrity takes 2"(naija's edition of dancing with d stars/strictly come dancing) is back, bigger, more exciting. Season 2 is tagged "war on the dance floor", dont miss as nollywood battles the naija musicians, starring dakore, stella damasus, fred amata, yemi blag, fathia balogun, yinka davis, obiwon, kel, faze, zaaki.....
CT2 airing times are DBN:Wed 9.30-10.30pm; Sat 9.30pm-10pm. STV:Sat 9-10pm; Wed 3.30-4pm. HiTV (Nig): Sun 7-8pm; Wed 7-7.30pm.AIT:Sun 6-7pm,Wed yet to be confirmed.AfMag & HiNolly (Eng) will be confirmed later. Spread d word, Let's get Nigeria dancing.

Sent from my BlackBerry wireless device from MTN

Waxing it out!

Whoever invented waxing has got to be a foe of the female folk. I mean its mean man, after the first strips been reaped off, all i want to do is run off half waxed to pick up my shaving stick. But I end up enduring it with very teary eyes:)
Cos in the end,I love the relief I get from the soothing gel and I love the smooth feel of my legs.

But we just keep going back to the waxing table despite knowing how painful it is because....well its like childbirth, you're in labor and you curse and spit and regret ever having sex, till you push that little bundle out, you see its face and its all worth it,you forget the insanity of it all, and then you find yourself having sex yet again...:)

The end result of waxing is great,like the end result of being in labor, but the process is hell.

Lifes like having a good ol' wax, to achieve your dreams sometimes, you go through difficult situations....but you have to keep striving, bear the pain and frustration cos in the end it'll be all worth it, you'll get a nice clean out shiny skin(life), run away halfway and you look like a lunatic.

we've got loads of people roaming the streets with unfinished dream projects just because they're not tough enough to endure after the first challenge....if only we could just clench our fist and bite our inner lips and endure it all till its over...if only. Then life would be better.
Sent from my BlackBerry wireless device from MTN

Stooped to what?

Gullible girl: "He stooped to conquer", how sweet"

Me: "He stooped to conquer? No darling, he stooped quite alright, but twas to take a shit"

And that's life for you. You'll get played if you don't wisen up:)

xoxo
Sent from my BlackBerry wireless device from MTN

those who be.....

"Those who be clerk today, make them chief clerk tomorrow, those who are petty trader today, make them big contractor tomorrow, those who dey sweep street today, give them their own big office tomorrow. If dey walka today, give us our bicycle tomorrow...those who have bicycle today, they will ride their own car tomorrow"........bro chume in trials of jerome by Wole soyinka



Well I would say, those riding in business class today, give them first class tomorow, those in first class, give them private jet tomorrow, those who get private jet, give them their on wings to fly. Those who get wings to fly, may thunder strike and sun burn them so they start to walka again:)

Those who eat for buka today, give them Mr biggs tomorow, those who eat in Mr. Bigs today, give them jevnik tomorow, those who eat in jevenik today give them prime chinese tomorow, those who eat in prime chinese today, may they fly on their wings to paris to eat, those who eat in paris today, may they purge tomorrow.........:)



We never really get satisfied as humans, we always want one more....just one more step ahead, sometimes that 'one more step' takes us right back to where we started out from. And the process starts all over again.



Is anyone ever really satisfied? Would you call the want for more greed? Its funny how the person with a million dollars sometimes is never as satisfied as the one with just a thousand dollars.



I think the secret of satisfaction is all about God....trusting completely and casting all your burdens to him. Your little would seem so big and you really don't care anymore. You would board that plane and your coach seat would feel like you're in first class. You're content, and that's bliss.

Sent from my BlackBerry wireless device from MTN

Tarzan Monologues--and the men also have voices.

I haven't been to the theatre in a while,or to any poetry event taruwa, and bla and bla and bla for about three/four months, i was begining to feel rusty and unfaithful to my love for the arts.
thus today, i went to theatre@terra, not knowing what was showing, but going to have a good time all the same with a friend.

And what a comeback to theatre it was for me, i was welcomed with one of the best plays ever 'the Tarzan monologues' its a spin off of the vaginal monologue, highlighting the world through the eyes of men. it was the premiere of the play. just my luck.
all i can say is OMG, it was hilarious. Wole Oguntokun the director and writer(remember he directed the v-monologue- the Nigerian story)did a wonderful job. its such a creative idea and he had wonderful actors to compliment it all. there was kunle Adeyoola of the music group Roof top Mcs, the acclaimed Nigerian actor Bimbo Manuel, my personal favorite Terra male act Precious Anyanwu, O.C Ukeje and a couple of other wonderful actors.
   (obviously not the official poster of T-Monologues. i thought i'd give a lil' credit to Tazan:)


Of course the play had to be such a come back at women...everything said about the female species bordered on the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth, so true i actually went ouch even as i cheered and laughed at monologues after monologues. it talked about everything from money, women, sex, erectile dysfunction, sexual abuse, religion, pressure, sterility, virginity,job loss, relationships, age, marriage and infidelity and of course the centre of all this themes was woman(they just cant do without us errr, the good the bad and the ugly, we're right there in their faces)

from Mr Manuels monologue on how as an older man, a way older man, he has it so easy with the younger ladies, they just seem to fly into his territory without him having to try so hard unlike in the days of his youth in 'powerful, sexy, grey' (of course his money draws them in), to the nagging of mothers, always berating their less successful sons lack of ingenuity in 'jack Gowons mother', to the vicious mouths of ladies especially when it comes to the bedroom,they just dont understand that a man fails to function properly when even the sound of his heart beat scares him as he imagines its the landlord coming for his rent or the banker coming to harrass for a loan payment, to the inevitable contempt a woman feels when somehow the tides turn and shes the sole bread winner in the family, to the male child syndrome(which it was revealed, that really the men don't care about having a male child, its the women who keep wanting to try again and again after having girl after girl) in 'mama na boy', to religion and the role of pastors in courtship in 'me, my girl, her pastor and the church", and of course it talked about how the desire to satisfy the wants of your girlfriend from prada shoes and jimmy choos to new cars to land, yes..land(the girls these days are mean with their demands) etc, leads you to start taking money that doesn't belong to you from work(who knows maybe the politicians embezzle cos of women) till you find yourself in jail.....and of course the lady is still free outside and in his words "another would buy her prada"

there was pimp my bride.....the hilarious story of how women retire from taking care of themselves after marriage thus sending men to infidelity and vice versa, to the story of the immigrant, the one who would go to America and come back for holidays in his home country, liberated from poverty thus the power to scream 'bullshit" as he pleases to whoever he wants including the president, to 'hadijat' the childhood sweetheart in the village who now walks in heels in the city ignoring her local love while he does the labor in the parks reminising about the good old days of loving he and hadijat shared.... I laughed my heart out at the ploy women use to hook ready made men as husbands. hilarious, all you girls thinking of hooking a man by getting pregnant, get your facts straight first.

'open letter to my father' gave food for thoughts, would you say you were wealthy because of the mansions and cars your father had or because of the love and attention you got from him? 'A mans world' got me smiling so broadly....just because i was spent laughing. it really is a womans world afterall.

then theres 'the first time' which talks about sexual abuse. it made me think how much we've taken for granted that the male child gets sexually abused too, its not only the females that are subjected to it. maybe we think 'they're boys', they probably enjoyed it and even went back for more. even as much as i laughed hard at this particular monologue, i think it should be taken more seriously. how many men are walking the streets traumatised by the actions of their childhood 'aunties'...
i loved 'local boy' and how Mr Manuel talked about what a local boy he was despite the oxford education, being seen in the right places with the right people, eating in the right resturants and playing the right sports. in the midst of all the glitz and glam, he still remains just 'a local boy'

and i was so proud of 'defilement' the monologue about rape. the men came out to disclaim all animals formerly known as men who dared to defile the delicacy of a woman by raping her. they raved at the excuse used of her causing it by wearing short skirts or whatever. rape has been such a silent crime in Nigeria for soo long, the sooner we start to discuss it openly and give the beasts what they deserve, the sooner we'll become a better people. think of all the ladies who are victims of rape suffering in silence just because they've been told it's their fault...."why would you sashay past a man and not expect him to rape you? especially in those jeans'. pathetic

oh theres more, lots more of the monologues, more than i can write about, and the grand finale was the '6 myths about marriage" i love love loved it.

I'm still not over the thrill i had there. i loved the fact that the actors sang and danced to popular naija tunes before each monologue, there was d'banjs 'suddenly' and 'tongolo' sunny nnejis 'tolotolo' and a couple of others. i would never in a million years be able to put to words the thrill i had. you can only watch it to understand what I'm all gushed out about.
its hilarious and same time thought provoking.

Tarzan monologue will be showing every Sunday for the rest of the month at terrakulture. tickets cost just N2000. theres an afternoon show for 3pm, and the evening show for 6pm. check out this website for more details on theatre@terra. and naija theatre
i've got a feeling they're going to be touring with this one. so watch out, just incase they march into your town. you wouldnt want to miss this.

xxx

the Figurine.....movie premiere

for lack of better things to blog about:)
i was at the Lagos premiere of the 'figurine' staring Kunle Afolayan, Funlola Aofiyebi-Raimi, Ramsey Nouah, Tosin Sido, Omoni Oboli.
the movie was priemered at Genesis Deluxe cinemas at the palms. i think the guys at genesis did a wonderful job. as it went Hitch free and was quite glamorous.

i didnt take the pictures myself so you wouldnt have the best,as i would have captured more familiar faces and fun moments. i didnt get the red carpet pictures, i wish i did, it was grand, more like a raffia carpet, with the african tourches by the sides, ushers dressed in some funky styled ankara, food served in banana leaves, african staples like akara and thingys.....


the night went well, i was really impressed with the movie, not your typical naija movie, the plot, the cinematography, the acting, the suspense, the unexpected twist, nothing like your everyday predictable naija movies..... i mean i'm not a naija movie buff but gosh, i was soo impressed, ramsey killed his role, and the little kid? so not the 'mummy, daddy said(pause) i should have(pause, look at the camera for a second) ice cream today' typical naija child role type.

i love it that they took care of details, the rich didnt have mansions like our movies love to show with a dozen cars parked outside and body guards with tons of househelps trying to be comedians.....rather, they had a beach house, the effect was nice, a beach house is simple but we all know its expensive. the scence at the golf course was credible too(although they tried so hard in marketing the golf resort, and promoting unilever prouducts which were sponsors) i'm not so good at giving rave reviews, so all i can say is, twas a nice movie, better than the rest in technicalities.
only thing is i have a problem with the 'ararome' theme. I wouldnt watch harry potter movies and same reason i wouldnt go for halloween parties...the whole ararome thingy was quite scary and my senses kind of revolted against it, i walked out towards the end of the movie. thus its not a movie i'll go out of my way to watch, like i'll never go out of my way to way a harry potter movie even though its that good.

enjoy the pictures

i love this...the african theme
i've got to admit, never been a big fan of Ramsey, but gosh, he looks so pweety...oops handsome here. i still maintain he should have worn natives like his fellow cast members, afterall, the theme was african. but who cares. oh, thats his son by the way.
i love his(Ramsey) daugther, shes so cute.
'The Figurine' star Funlola Aofiyebi-Raimi(she was fantastic, gave depth to the definition of 'successful desperate lagos big girl)ramsey Nouah and co-star Tosin Sido
cast
Rita Dominic......couldnt find a pix of Genevive in the mix. she looked stunning too:)
is that a blackberry i see in Ritas hands? cant Nokia like sue for this? lol,shes supposed to be the face of nokia right? that means representing nokia all the way.
Omoni Oboli, Toyin Subair HiTV MD, Peter Balogun of Genesis Cinema

yummy...the lady had wacked it all
Singer obiora obiwon, Kene Okwusa, Tewa(publisher Exquisite magazine)
cast and crew of the figurine
cast, crew and friends
Kene Mkparu MD Genesis Cinema's and Ramsey Nouah
Kunle Afolayan(directed and featured in the movie), Kene Mkparu and Omoni Oboli with her son(they both did an awesome job)
Ramsey and family
patrick Dolye and Ramsey
Comedia Tee A and friends(i hate the tags on pictures FQ and friends, it pisses me off...lol but i have no choice here)

the Genesis fellas....or should i say Odeon convicts(they all broke out to come give Naija cinema culture a boost the Odeon way...only better, well i hope:)

errrr....guest??? i think the chics nollywood. i mean the photographer took her a pic:)

Adegberon Ajibade(aka) Soji in Mnet soap tinsel...hes an old school mate. what a jolly renuion we had(you'd think we were so close in school)
D1(abi keke? of primetime entertainment) Patrick Doyle, Fred Amata etc

There was loads of nollywood out to support, joke jacobs, kate henshaw, genevive nnaji, the cast of mnet series tinsel, errrrrr, cant remember em all, the musi industry too were well represented, roof top mc's, obiwon, the coporate top guns, and of course me:)

i'm not cut out for entertainmet news obviously, i'll leave that to bella and linda ikeji lol'. gosh, loading all the pictures and tagging them. i could have written a post with all that time.

**********************************************************************

Its Mum's 61st birthday today...HAPPY BIRTHDAY to the best mum in the whole wide world. yeah i know you always thought your mum came first, sorry to burst your bubble, she comes right after mine:)
this year, theres no ticket and planned trip for her:) blame it on the recession.
but shes got the best gift ever, our love and our prayers.
God bless her and keep her and grant her long life and prosperity to see all her childrens children.
Going to creep into bed now with her......i love having my mummy around. it turns me into a baby all over again:)

bless you all.

xoxo

a few of my favorite things.....

was going through my photo archives, and this brilliant idea popped out, do a post on 'a few of my favorite things' with some of the pictures, so yes, i was really bored in the middle of the night. but i had fun doing it.

My camera and i
I love my camera. I love taking pictures. i'm no expert, i dont really care about iso speeds and whatever grammar they speak with photography. i just love to take pictures. and i love my Sony camera although i've been lusting after the Nixon D90. i'm hoping to get myself one for Christmas or get one as a Christmas present:)

the pearl set and i

There are some things you cant let go of, no matter how broke you are. once you see it displayed you know you've got to get it. I saw this piece and fell in love with it. I was hooked, I was broke, I had a sleepless night, twas like a druggie who needed a fix. I finally had to break in to my secret stash to pick it up before the other bidders beat me to it. For over a year I’ve had it just seating in a case, never worn it, till about a month ago when i finally got to show it off. I fell in love all over again.

the beach and i

i love the beach. i love the sand, i love the feel of the water on my legs, that pull( i never go more than a few feet into the water:)), i just stay close enough for the waves to touch me. there's something soothing about sitting and staring into the ocean, vast and blue and so mysterious, makes me think of me........

the borrowed wristwatches and i

one is a mont blanc and the other a chanel. i love these watches. but unfortnunately they arent mine, i love the feel of them on my wrist, thats why i hate to wear any of my watches sometimes. i just sneak out hers(elder sis) and have a ball with it, not because i'm showing off, but because i love them...and then maybe i love it when the few odd people try to catch a glimpse of the watch:). i also love the pinkie rings, especially the bvgalri on the left. thats a real beauty i behold, the other is a gold ring with three tiny diamonds stones in it

tesco coconut cake and / oreos crumbled in vanilla bluebunny icecream
Oreos, separated, cream licked off and crumbled into a bowl of bluebunny vanilla flavored icecream…my guilty pleasure. I love. Then this coconut cream cake from tesco….my my my, mouthgasm is the word, the way it melts in my mouth...wow.....i try to get a steady supply of cake coming in to lasgidi, but its becoming a burden on my family *sigh*

cool aid and i

yes its all about the food:). i love kool aid in every flavor it comes in.


muimui and i
This bag….carries everything…makes it feel easier to be a lady without feeling clumsy with yourself for having so much stuff to carry. It hides everything, from a pack of cereals to that extra pair of slippers to the dvd sets to the pile load of books and a change of clothes, to the bulky camera and cos its so big, its easier for money to get lost in it, so on that day you're really broke at home, and you take your time to search, you find some good 'ol naira note you need to recharge your phone

river island and i
i love this river island bag, and i love it even more cos its so cheap and georgeous.

mac and i
its true what they say, once you go mac, you cant go back. been using it for just over a year and now using any other laptop is pure torture. i'm such a faithful convert.

candles and i
i love candles. Nothing stimulates the mind more than candles. i love to light them up in dark rooms and just watch them flicker and burn while i inhale the sweet and almost heady scents. And days when i'm really bored, i play around with them, move objects and watch how they glow in the light, then i take pictures.

food and i
i love well presented buffet tables . i'm not a big eater, but i love food. especially during occasions, which is such a drag as eating at events is such work for me(trying to act all babe like, while i starve to death). so i can only go crazy with buffets when its at events done at home. by crazy i mean, having a taste of whatever looks interesting and safe.

red velvet and i
i'm beginning to feel like a food junkie. i'm not. i love this one from hummingbirds bakery, omgoodness, you need to try it out, and cos we dont have any hummingbird bakery in niaja, my sis decided to try baking one herself when the crave for some red velvet cake almost gave us the shakes. she did a good job, it was just as delicious….although it doesn't look exactly like the real thing:) she tried vamping it up a little by just pouring melted chocolate on it to give it some extra something something,this was a first attempt, the second was even better.

shopping and i
every girl loves to shop. i love to shop, although i confess, i hate the process of shopping. i wish i could seat in a shop and all the shopping comes to me. makes it more convenient and even more fun than walking my feet out. this were pictures were taken while unpacking stuff sometime last year.








wii and i
i love my wii. especially wii fit. then i do a little wii sports, and then i'm a fan of fifa 09 my fun moments with fifa is playing as arsenal against man u, and making arsenal loose woefully:) i even have arsenal players scoring against themselves.....ahhh, the joy of virtual world. the wii fit has helped keep me fit. seriously, i do yoga and suddenly i'm doing stretches i never imagined i could. i love boxing too and step dancing. although i havent been on the board for a little over two months, i hope to continue gaming soon enough.

year of the ox pendant
this is the Chinese symbol of an ox, which represents the year of my birth. i've had it for about 6 years, in silver. i had a gold duplicate made for me while in dubai last year. I try not to get interested in all the zodiacs cos i feel they're not what a christian should do. but i think this is different from the everyday zodiac. the year of the ox has some story attached to it, according to the books The Ox symbolizes prosperity through fortitude and hard work. Those born under the influence of the Ox are fortunate to be stable and persevering (of course in my view you cant be all that without God)." Oxen do not appear to be imaginative (not so sure about this bit) though they are capable of good ideas(this i know). Although not demonstrative or the most exciting people romantically (so wrong)they're entirely dependable(right on point), and make devoted parents. Oxen are renowned for their patience, bit it has its limits, once roused, their temper is a sight to behold(yeah, you should see me flare up)" kind of true. and i really do make a wonderful mummy...ask my nieces.

house and i
dr Gregory House. why I haven’t been following house till recently still dazzles me. I love that grumpy funny arrogant doctor. mcdreamy what? Greys anatomy what?...move over, Dr house is in the house.
funny thing about watching all the medical dramas is somehow you get educated and familiar with terms, you actually feel like you could be a really cool doctor. and then theres the panic attack when you get a headache and blurred vision, you start panicking and thinking maybe its something more, maybe you should go see dr. House, what would Dr Foreman, Dr Cameron and Dr chase think it is? would they have to call dr. Cuddy in for a consult. well thankGod its only a headache afterall.

my praise and i
Redeemed praise and worship meley. Awesome. I love the talking drum, makes me want to marry a Yoruba man, so we can get our praise on together:)
nothing sounds sweeter than hearing God’s name praised and worshiped in Yoruba. i just cant explain that feeling. this would probably be playing on repeat if you get in my car.

Pure T,Mac and i
Germaine de Capuccini's "PURE T" skin range is the shizzle. its the perfect therapy for my oily skin. I love it, and I love Yeni at barazahi even more for recommending it to me. and the mac primer is a winner too. thanks to the two oily face isn’t such a lover of my face anymore.




shoes and i

i got these pair about 2months ago, never used them. but i love staring at them, jessica simpsons song comes to play when i bring it out 'these shoes are meant for walking, and some day i'm gonna walk all over you" :)



flowers and i

i'm not exactly crazy about flowers, but i love to recieve them, be from a hater or a wannabe lover or a friend. theres this feel good enzyme it sends to my brain. i'm almost stoned with being happy. i dont go all sniffing on them, but i love the flash of colors, and the look of envy because 'yes, the flowers are for me' when the delivery guy comes knocking.


nicole farhi and i

Nicole farhi femme…this is my favorite perfume ever…unfortunately it’s almost finished and I dont have an extra supply. thanks to the fact that you dont find it in every store, you'd think it was so expensive from the way it gets scarce. I love it, its unique. Its like my secret stash, I wipe it out on special special occasions.


money and i
i put this on the list cos without money how do i get some of my favorite things? everybody likes money. its when you serve and worship money that you know you're in serious trouble. well money's so serving me or it will pretty soon. and it's one of my favorite servants:)

amongst other favorites are...my blackberry. i really cant use any other phone anymore. my second line has been abandoned for a bit cos the iphone just gets dumber by the day. even dear old nokia phones i was faithful to have become such bores...sigh. as long as i havent gone crazy or checked into a home for bb addiction after a year plus. i'll stick to the crankberry.

my bible and i.....…I’m going intimate with God and studying his word is like a letter from a lover. Very refreshing, very honest and true and comforting and uplifting. my open heavens daily devotion by pastor Adeboye and ODM(our daily manna) are faves too. they serve as a GPS system for me in navigating through life. its taught me how to navigate my way out of anger and depression and fear and frustration.

theres the spa....these days barazahi spa(gosh they've got to pay me for hyping them up so good). but trust me they're so good. i've recommended some stiff neck guys(i dont do spas in naija types) there and well, they've gone a second time.
going to the spa is one of my favorite things to do. its relaxing. you're secluded from the world for a few hours, just you and the therapist who respects the need for silence as she works on you. i love the herbal massage. it doesnt just relax your muscles, it relaxes your senses too, i'm not a sucker for facials, but i know i have to do it. i love body scrubs and mud wraps, and steam rooms and the jacuzzi, the Spanish manicures and pedicures...the hated waxing that i try to avoid as much as i can. Its luxury sometimes, but its a much needed luxury. i always feel like a new woman when i step out, just like the lady in the joy soap ad must have felt when she walked the streets and the people stopped and stared. i'm not saying people stop and stare,but gosh, she must have felt so..... its just about that 'Whoa-oa-oa! I feel good, I knew that I would, now....so good, so good..." feeling.

jeans and i....i've got over not about 20pairs of jeans...i always feel so comfty in jeans, i could do with wearing jeans every day of the year. it got worrisome i had to start investing in skirts and dresses. its just so versatile and chicky. especially if you've got the right fit.

inyamus eldorado and i...yeap, i love inyamus eldorado weally weally much. shes such a companion:)

MaMa...

Have you watched the movie or read the book ‘flowers in the attic?’ well just like their mama locked them up in the attic stunting their growth, limiting their freedom and exposure and poisoned them with the cookies, so is my mother killing me, slowly she poisons me, she’s locked me up in cell of ignorance, stunting my growth, limiting my potentials, Quenching my dreams of the future even before it takes shape. leaving me to dwell in ignorance while I peep out and sadly watch as other mothers send their kids to the best of schools and embraces their potentials.

Its funny how much I still love her despite it all. She’s caused me so much pain and hurt, deprived me of sunshine and emaciated my mind…ohhh, there have been tussles in my mind as others with hearts of love try to adopt me, the foster parents keep calling. I hear that the foster homes are a dream come true. Well I know they are, on those occasions momma lets me go on vacations to the foster homes, I live in bliss, I see my brothers and sisters who couldn’t stand mother anymore and ran away to foster homes looking all jovial, all so fresh and so clean, and i wish i could remain there with them. But I cant bear to be adopted, to be taken away from mother, there’s something about her that brings me crawling back to her. That thing is hope. Hope that she will change….eventually. Some would call it foolish hope.

You see, I don’t blame her entirely ….i blame her husbands. They changed her. Sometimes she had good ones, most times not. There was daddy Zik and daddy Balewa and daddy Ahmadu, daddy Awolowo and daddy Gowon(he was her youngest husband to date) who dotted on her, there was Daddy Segun…(who i had to call daddy twice cos she remarried him after the first divorce) The others? Daddy Ibro, daddy Sani? Oh my, those were years of terror. Mother could hardly breath when they were around, talk less of we her children. They openly took her jewelry and all her heirlooms and disposed of at their will, They would abuse me, molest me, and keep me starving while they had the best of everything, mother watched silently but did nothing, cos she was powerless…they are responsible for mother loosing her mind. I could name the rest, but there's no use dwelling on the past is there?.

Most only married her for her money, her inheritance…none of them for her substance, her grace or her natural beauty. They all pretend and whisper sweet nothings to her, telling her they would take care of she and her kids, they would make her smile again cos they are better than the last….then they don’t. its always the same pattern, the same sweet lies, and we the children are so desperate for change that we're gullible and have hope that maybe this time we'll have a better daddy, and mama too, she’s so desperate for companionship that she lets them in even when she knows, they wouldn't be better than the last.

I hear from those who know, my elder brothers and sisters, that mother was once beautiful, that foreigners wanted the whole of her, her head was always held so high when she walked that he almost looked like she was gliding, her breast were perk and firm, her hips well rounded, her waist as tiny as could be, her eyes shone with warmth, you could almost drown in it, people listened when she spoke….her hair glistered in the sun as she wore it in those endearing weaves….she was the toast of most….till she got into one abused relationships to another.

I cringe with disgust at how she lights up when foreigners come to visit, some take advantage of her eagerness to please, that they allow themselves get adopted by her, her eyes lights up as she tries to please them, treating them with priority, huge banquets held for them, the best toys given to them… while a majority of her kids are given left over’s, with nothing but the sand to play with.
How ignorant mummy is, thinking her adopted ones would speak well of her, if only she knew that they just pretend to love her for what they can get and not for who she is….if only she would know how much we her children love her….. well she’s been brain washed by her husbands, they always want to show that side of them we never see when we have guest around the house…like in Annie, when Daddy Warbucks visits the orphanage and Miss Hannigan kept acting all sweet to the orphans. foools.

I pray for her, I hope one day mother would be mother again. She would wear the right bra to get that perk look, she would wash her hair and brush it till it glitters again, then weave it in the most glamorous of styles (patawa and front maybe? Lol), her eyes will have that glint even as she stares at me and listens to my dreams. maybe she can't be exactly as she once was, but who knows maybe she could be better than she was?(theres always reconstructive surgery)
I pray that the day will come when she wouldn’t hit me anymore, she would nourish me with her riches, settle the fights between my siblings so we don't have any more deaths in the family, feed my younger ones milk from her breast. Stop the poisoning, open the doors up and let me into the sun to bask in its rays and develop my ideas. She would splurge her riches , whatever is left from the looting of her previous husband, on we her children who have remained faithful to her .
Nigeria is my mother. And those men who whisper sweet nothings in her ears, are the selfish

politicians who make her giggle and take over her life just to steal from her resources while we the citizens her children suffer….we’ll keep praying that one day it’ll be better again.

oh, i cant end this without screaming LIGHT UP NIAJA!!!!!