Sunday, December 31, 2006

Saturday, December 30, 2006

My 2006 Year Review

This is a break-down of the notable times of the past year for me. I had a good number of highs and lows, good and bad news, pleasant surprises and disappointments, laughs and tears. But all is well that ends well. I'm looking forward to a 2007 with plenty of hope, starting afresh and an assurance that whatever life throws at me, I can handle it with God's help.

January 2006
The year started with lots of expectations for me. I had finished my Masters degree in September 2005 and started job-hunting. So by January I had been playing the perfect housewife at home for 3 months. I was applying for hundreds of jobs everyday, attending countless interviews but to no avail and it was becoming frustrating. I was itching and praying for a good job to come up soon. My classmate and friend had also been in the same boat as I was, but she started working in January so I felt left out. Hubby tried to encourage me at times. And I soon found that I was on the prayer request list for a job at house fellowship!

February 2006
After applying for loads of jobs to no avail, I finally got a phonecall from a lady regarding a 3-month internship. I had the interview and was offered the post immediately afterwards. I jumped at it, because I felt it was better than nothing. At least it was something to do, to keep me busy while looking for something more permanent. I was really pleased with the role, because it was fun. I got to meet interesting people, attend financial markets training courses and stuff, and I was still allowed to go for other interviews. Hubby was pleased to, probably because I stopped grumbling. And I finally came off the prayer request list.

March 2006
I was amused to hear people telling me they were expecting a baby from hubby and I by now. Like I had even finished sorting myself out. Hubby and I cooked up an elaborate story to tell anyone who asked us what we were waiting for. And then we would ask if they would be willing to come and sit down at home to look after the baby while we went to work.
My internship was going well, and I was still attending interviews. I got an invitation to attend an assessment centre for a finance graduate role that I had applied for, so I was really excited.

April 2006
My cousin got married this month. It was a nice weding. Hubby and I worked hard. All my family members were saying that I had put on weight since I got married. Hmmm. Like I need them to tell me.
I prepared very well for the two-day assessment centre. I was still very nervous though. We had to do group exercises, interviews, scenario tests and presentations, and by the end of the day I was well exhausted. The company said they would get back to us. I was very surprised and happy to get a call that I had been offered the job! I didn't think about it for long, before I accepted the offer cos I was too excited. Hubby was very pleased too, but he had some reservations.

May 2006
I turned 23 this month. Gosh I'm getting old! I had a small celebration with hubby. He bought me some nice presents and took me out to dinner after work. I ate so much food and chocolate cake. Then I felt really guilty afterwards.
I finished my internship and I concluded that it had been worth it. I gained a lot of new useful skills (They had also allowed me to stay an extra month). Since I had another job offer in hand, I was pleased to take a break and chill out. Hubby and I were planning to go off on a short summer break, my friends were planning to come to England for their summer hols, so it was looking like summer would be lovely.

June 2006
It was a lovely month. The weather was nice, warm and sunny. My mum popped into the UK for a few days on her way to the US. It was the first time she visited hubby and I in our home. She was really pleased to stay with us. Soon after, my good friend from Nigeria came to spend a weekend with us and we had lots of fun. We then had a small reunion with our classmate from secondary school, that was so cool!
My sister went to the US for a summer work experience programme.

July 2006
I had been eagerly waiting for this month. Hubby and I celebrated our 1st Wedding Anniversary! To me it was a very important milestone. It was also hubby's birthday this month, so we had a double celebration. I had to get him two presents though. We had been planning to travel to celebrate, but we had to cancel due to work commitments. Still had a nice time though. A friend of ours also got married that weekend so we were at that wedding. Hubby wrote me a lovely poem, we received lots of cards from friends and family and we watched our wedding dvd from beginning to end, to remind ourselves of what we were celebrating. It was fun reminiscing and looking back at our first year of married life. Here's to many more happy years!
Funny enough, I started a new job this month. I found out that the job offer I had accepted required me to relocate twice as it was a 3-year rotational scheme and I could be posted anywhere in the country. After a long time deliberating and considering all options, I decided to defer the job offer till Sept 2007 and see how it goes. Then another job came along completely out of the blue. I got a phonecall on Friday and started the job on Monday just like that. And it's been great!

August 2006
My new job was going great. I was a bit disappointed about the other one, but I knew that God knew what was best for me. So I left it all to Him. When one door closes, another one opens.

September 2006
I discovered blogging! Yay!! Wish I had started sooner.
My sister came back from the US with sooo many stories of her adventures.

October 2006
Summer was over. We are trying to move, so we have been house-hunting. I've started studying for exams. All the while re-thinking my career path. Serious doubts have been creeping around in my mind since then. Am I really doing what I'm meant to do? Ooooh!

November 2006
Found a new place and started planning move. Had exams so not much fun.

December 2006
Christmas time came and went too soon, but I had a nice time. Finally moved into a new place. New place is still in a mess as all our stuff are still in boxes. Anyway it's just a matter of time.
Looking forward to 2007. New year, new opportunities!!

Have a very Happy and Prosperous New Year!!

Thursday, December 28, 2006

After Christmas....

I had a very lovely christmas. The day was lovely from beginning to the end. At midnight on christmas morning, hubby gave me my christmas present. Then my sister and I called our parents in Nig. My little sister had left the US on the 21st, arrived in Heathrow, but had missed her connecting flight, so she only just arrived in Lagos on the 23rd. She told us how she roughed it by sleeping at the airport! I was worried sha, but glad that she was at home safely. We talked and talked, and we didn't go to bed till 4.00am christmas day. When we finally woke up, I flew into the kitchen to cook up a feast. Here's where multi-tasking came in handy. Soon our families arrived and we had a nice time, eating, gisting, opening presents and taking photos. The in-laws were well impressed with my excellent cooking skills (lol). But at the end of the day I was well tired!
Boxing day was a real "boxing day" for us cos we are moving out soon! Hubby and I have started putting our stuff into huge boxes, ready to be taken away. So while clearing up after the christmas day festivities, we have been trying to pack stuff. Our flat is a complete mess at the moment. Unlike previous years, hitting Oxford Street to spend my vouchers is not a priority this year. The good thing though, is the end-of-year sales going on at the moment, as we are looking to replace some furniture. Here's hoping we grab a bargain at furniture stores!

My sister left yesterday to go back to her uni. She really enjoyed her christmas break with us. Not only did she get presents from the in-laws, plenty to eat and drink etc, she also took full advantage of the fact that we are moving house, and carted off with my new mobile phone, half my wardrobe and shoes! Sisters eh? I know...I know.... I'm too generous. But I love my sis! In fact, I'm missing her already. I can't wait for my sister in Lagos to drop by on her way back to the states. It'll be fun!

Well I'm back at work now, and seriously bored. The office is so quiet cos most people took the rest of the week off. But I was doing "good girl". Anyway I had a meeting today that could not be shifted so, oh well. Hubby is still on holiday though, so he will be doing most of the work with moving, while I am at work earning some money. Division of labour runs. Although when we move next week, we won't have our landline and internet connection for a while. I'll find a way.
Gosh I can't believe 2006 is almost over. The year has gone sooo fast! But I have reasons to be thankful. That's what matters most.
Maybe I'll borrow the "2006 Review" from Belle's page and do that before the end of the year. Hope you all have reasons to be thankful too. And to those going to Lagos, enjoy!!

Friday, December 22, 2006

A Partridge in a Pear Tree!

On the twelfth day of Christmas, my true love sent to me.... Twelve drummers drumming, Eleven pipers piping, Ten lords a-leaping, Nine ladies dancing, Eight maids a-milking, Seven swans a-swimming, Six geese a-laying, Five golden rings, Four calling birds, Three French hens, Two turtle doves, And a partridge in a pear tree!

I love singing christmas carols. I remember singing carols in primary and secondary school. It used to be fun. So I was quite pleased that my church is organising a midnight carol service on sunday. Christmas is really in the air now. I took the day off from work today (it was a half-day anyway). The weather is cold and foggy. My sister has arrived to spend her christmas with us. Some of my family came to visit us today and we had a nice time. And tomorrow hubby and I are going to buy some ingredients for christmas lunch. I have planned my menu. Who wants to come to my house for christmas? The menu consists of fried rice, beef stew, roast turkey, fried fish, fried plantain, prawn salad, yam porridge, salad, cake and ice-cream and many more stuff. I'm presiding in the kitchen whilst looking hot in my new christmas outfit. Here's to multi-tasking perfectly :-)

The year has really really flown by so quickly. I remember when it was just February! One of these days I'll write about the highlights of my year. God has been good.

Here's wishing everyone a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!!

Saturday, December 16, 2006

Christmas Plans

I've finally snapped out of my bad mood. I'm just getting into the Christmas spirit now and enjoying it. Shops are playing christmas songs, lights are twinkling in the streets, we are ordering presents from amazon, christmas cards are arriving at our doorstep. I am now looking forward to a nice time at Christmas. There are decorations, carol services, plenty of food, presents, and family members coming round to sort out. I must find time to relax and enjoy myself as well. I've even started planning my christmas day menu. Got to go food shopping soon, and buy the largest turkey in the shop, lol. One of my sisters is coming to stay with hubby and I for the holidays, so I'm looking forward to that while my other sister is going to Lagos. My in-laws are spending christmas day with us, so we are having a full house. Should be fun. Hope I get lots of nice presents!

At work, people have been giving out christmas cards all throughout last week. People have been smiling more, so as not to get crossed off christmas card lists. We had our office christmas party on Thursday. It was a well-planned event - lovely venue, good food, good music from a live band, nice entertainment and even a poker table. Everyone made an effort and we all got glammed up for the evening as it was a black-tie event. Before the party I had heard funny stories of staff getting drunk and making a fool of themselves. You would have thought people would learn from their past mistakes and not drink too much this year. But whenever there is an endless supply of free wine, things are bound to go wrong. I had a great time with my colleagues and got to meet a few people that I didn't have a chance to socialise with before.

On Friday evening, I attended hubby's work chirstmas outing as well. This time it was in a restaurant. It was fun too, but by the end of the night, I was too full, I was tired and I needed my beauty sleep! Meanwhile, we are planning our move to our new place for the new year. We've been choosing new furniture and stuff. That's something fun to look forward to after christmas.

Hope you all are having a nice weekend!

Ups and Downs

I've had a really really busy week. Well the last two weeks have been hectic. I've missed a lot of new posts in blogland, so I need to catch up. I hear lots of people are flying to Nigeria this week. Have a safe journey and have lots of fun! I'm soo jealous. I'm stuck here in the cold weather. But hey, it's christmas time. Anyway here are some of my thoughts this week.

Highs and Lows
It's odd when you get good news and bad news at the same time. You don't know whether to be happy or sad. Why is life like that? Last week, at some point, I was feeling very low emotionally. I had received some disappointing news and I was sooo frustrated that I felt like crying. Sometimes you just have to count the blessings in your life over and over again to help you keep hope alive. Otherwise you just might give up. It gets me down when I feel like something I want to happen is not happening and it is completely outside my control. There's nothing I can do other than to pray and hang in there. Oh but it drags me down!
Then my very good friend left me a yahoo offline message. I called her and she told me that she had broken up with her boyfriend of six years!! They had been together since uni days, they had been planning to get married. Now it's all gone. I felt so bad that I didn't know what to say. I hate break-ups. Especially when it seemed like the relationship was perfect and the two people were right for each other.
The week went on, and thank God I got some good news. I heard from another good friend that she had gotten a good job. She had told me she wanted to change her job so I rejoiced with her.
For me, I finally got some good news on Thursday. I had my review at work, and my boss was pleased with me. That means a better salary and benefits, still subject to some conditions though! But at least I could smile. As someone said, "when one door closes, another one opens". So that was my emotional rollercoaster. I need to go and count my blessings one more time. I hate feeling sad.

Sunday, December 10, 2006

419 Scammers Busted

I saw this video on youtube and I was quite upset. What is the problem in Nigeria? High unemployment and poverty. That's why many graduates turn to scams to try and get rich. I think it is unfortunate but not enough reason to turn to criminal activity.



Nigerian 419 Scammers Busted

The truth is, it is embarassing to all Nigerians. At least it looks like something is being done about it now. I think it is time for honest and decent Nigerians to stand up against these rascals ruining our country's image everywhere.

Friday, December 8, 2006

Life Lesson #46789

It is not a good idea to have a serious discussion when you are tired, grumpy and hungry.


This I found out two days ago. I had come back from work late, I was hungry but there was no time to eat before I rushed out again to attend house fellowship till 10pm so I was really tired when we finished. Between when hubby and I left fellowship and when we got home, things got frosty. Then there was a big misunderstanding. In the best of circumstances, that was bad enough, but when you add all the other factors wrong with me, it was not a pretty sight.

We got home and I logged into my msn. Who should I see, but my relationship mentor online. Now this is someone I have never seen online before. In fact since we got married I have only spoken to him once. Why is he online tonight? He starts chatting with me. Asks after hubby. Asks how is married life. Errrrm... I said married life is sweet. Well it wasn't sweet at that moment. But I didn't dare tell him that we had just had an argument.

Anyway sha, the whole episode is sorted out now, over hugs and kisses. I don't like it when we are quarelling.It takes so much energy to remain angry with someone when you are living in the same house. God help us all.

Friday, December 1, 2006

10 Things About Me

Hello all! I've had a reeeeeeaaaally busy week. Nothing but work work work!! (Although I got to know hubby a bit more as well ;-) I've also been catching up on reading all the blogs that I have missed out on in the past week since I finished studying. You guys have given me jokes man. Anyway since Overwhelmed tagged me, I thought I should get off my butt and put up a post of my own.

So here are 10 things about me. I don't think I am particularly weird. Even if you think I am weird sef, I'll call it being special. He he he.

1) I process information for days and weeks. For example, I could watch a movie on Monday, and still be analysing every scene a week later. Or I could read a book and still be thinking of an alternative ending to the story 2 months after I read it. Or ruminating over some gist my friend told me a week later.

2) I'm such a keeper. I hold on to emails, letters, text messages and birthday cards for as long as possible. I still have letters my friends wrote to me when we were in secondary school. And I still have my 13th birthday cards. And my diaries from 1998. Hubby recently tried to get me to throw some things away but I wasn't having it.

3) It just dawned on me recently that the world existed long before I was born. I know that sounds daft, but it was such a profound revelation to me.

4) I would rather spend my money on experiences like travelling, enjoying good food and wine, going to see plays and shows, visiting museums and art galleries, having massages, etc than buying stuff. I think life is for living to the fullest, not for accumulating material things that only depreciate.

5) But if I must spend money on buying things for myself, well........ I prefer to spend my money on expensive creams, lotions, potions and make up. Most of my friends prefer to spend money on clothes, shoes and accesories. I get bored with clothes easily. After all, fashion changes every season.

6) I like laughing. People who know me say I laugh a lot. I can't help it, maybe I just find lots of things funny. In the office, my colleagues would be having a conversation and I would be laughing to myself.

7) I can hear a song twice and learn all the lyrics off by heart. Sometimes this is good, because my family and friends are soooo impressed when I know the latest songs off by heart already. Sometimes it is annoying because I pick up songs that I don't even want to.

8) I was a virgin until my wedding night. Not because I didn't have any offers (lol), but I made a conscious decision to wait when I was 13. It was hard, but sooo worth it!

9) I try to avoid getting addicted to anything. When I realise I have started liking something too much, I stop doing it immediately. This applies to everything except chocolates.

10) Following on from point 9 above... I have a terrible sweet tooth. But I don't like some things. I don't like biscuits, cookies, and things like that. But things like ice-cream, chocolates, yoghurt hmmmm.... Never put me and cake in the same room.

Hey this was fun! Maybe I'll do it again somethime....

Wednesday, November 29, 2006

Happy Birthday Sis!!

Today my little sis turned 21!! She's my immediate younger sister. My sister is a wonderful girl. She's very smart, beautiful, responsible, ambitious, intelligent and determined. I'm so proud of her. We used to have our differences when we were kids, but we've grown closer and closer since we were in secondary school. Now we are best of friends. We talk about anything and she clears out my wardrobe for her own purposes. Younger sisters eh? I remember when we were very little and my mum used to dress us in similar outfits. I remember in secondary school, when I would punish any silly person that tried to bully my sister..... Awww, I can't believe she is now an adult. Sister dearest, as you turn 21 (and supposedly become an adult) I pray that God will continue to be your guide in life, you will never lack peace, joy and favour, you will realise your ambitions, and nothing will hold you back from becoming who God has called you to be. Love you loads.....

Sunday, November 26, 2006

Sober Thought

Life is funny. When you're at the top of one stage, you're at the bottom of another.

Friday, November 24, 2006

Exams Over!!

Hello all,

At last my exams are over! At least for another six months I'm free. A big thank you to all of you that wished me all the best in my exams. Hope you all had a good week, and you are looking forward to a lovely weekend. Happy Thanksgiving to the folks in America. Hope you have lots of things to be thankful for.

I have to catch up with all the blogs I've missed out on since last weekend, and update all my blogs. I'll do that tomorrow. Tonight, I'm going to sleeeeeeep!

Saturday, November 18, 2006

Studying-Tired and Bored


Fellow blogpals hope you are having a great weekend! I defiantly went to the cinema yesterday to see Casino Royale, the new Bond movie, in spite of the fact that I have exams next week. I just had to take a break from the stress and boredom. I don't like reading my textbooks. Novels and magazines are fine. Not school books. The movie was quite good. It was very different from the last Bond movie, but in a good way. Less gadgets, more action.

Now I'm feeling guilty for running away from my studies. So no more fun for me this weekend. And no blogging for the next few days. I can't wait for the week to be over. I've got papers on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. So by next weekend I'll be free! Then I can go back to blogging. And other interesting things like playing monopoly with hubby, cooking and arranging my dressing table. LOL. See ya!!

Tuesday, November 14, 2006

Playing Hard to Get

My weekend was brilliant! From Thursday to Monday I had a great time. My dad and favourite uncle were around, and I spent most of the time with my family. Catching up with gist from back home, recording our adventures for future reference, going out to a restaurant for dinner, it was all fun. My dad came to stay with us for 2 days and he said hubby and I made him feel old. LOL. Then on Sunday, hubby and I stayed overnight at a hotel in London. Had a nice time. That made my commute to work much easier. Couldn't ask for a better start to my week! The only fly in the ointment now is the fact that I've got exams next week, so I have to start swotting hard. I've discovered that exams and blogging are totally incompatible. Oh dear. I'm seriously rethinking these exams. I'm beginning to feel like I'm going in the wrong direction. Food for thought.

This gist is about a friend of mine who is "playing hard to get" for this guy. Now this friend is someone I have known for a long time, so I know her quite well. The guy is a friend of ours as well. Any fool can see that the guy is besotted with my friend and he has been in love with her ever since I can remember. She on the other hand, has not made up her mind. They hang out together, he gives her really expensive gifts, they go on holiday together etc, but when I ask her about them, she says they are just good friends. Of course I know the guy is more than just a friend. As it is now, no other guy can ask her out because she is really not available. She spends all her free time with this guy. But still she says she doesn't like him "in that way". And she claims that they are not in a relationship. I don't get it. Is she blind? Undecided? Or just playing hard to get?

Playing hard to get used to be fun in our teens. At the time your friends tell you that it is not cool to agree to go out with a guy immediately he asks you out. You should front for a while, make him beg, spend his daddy's cash, take you out, beg your sisters, and do everything he possibly can, before you finally agree to be his girlfriend. And the longer you can front, the better. The 'reasoning' was that the guy will appreciate you more, if you are not easy. And you mustn't just fall into his lap. Hmmmm, that was fun then, those teenage years. But now that I'm older and hopefully wiser, I think that reasoning is flawed. Would a guy necessarily love you more if you front for a long time? Does it prove that he will appreciate you more? Does it guarantee that he won't cheat on you? Does it mean that when you finally agree to go out with him, things will be perfect? Nope.
So why do we girls front? Personally I don't believe in fronting. To me it's simple: you either like the guy or you don't. And the decision is made. OK fine, you may think he has some but not all of the qualities you desire in a man, and you are waiting for the guy that ticks ALL the boxes. OK fine, you may not want to hurt him by turning him down flat, but stringing him along and keeping him hoping is not nice either. It's different if you have already told the guy that there is no chance you will go out with him, but he keeps on pestering you. Even if that is the case, there are ways to cut him off gently. If I was a guy, I probably won't have the patience to wait for a girl that is fronting. If I ask someone out and she fronts too much, I would just move on. And I know a lot of guys who think like that.
Anyhoo, back to my friend. I think it's very unfair for her to string the guy along for so long without giving him any direct answer. In my opinion, he must be a really patient guy (either that, or very optimistic!) for him to stick around while she decides to be or not to be his girlfriend. I don't know whether this one is "shakara", fronting, or indecision. At 23, I think we are old enough to know what we want from our boyfriends and relationships. So why do we still front?

Friday, November 10, 2006

TGIF

After all the excitement of last weekend, I was looking forward to a normal week at the office. We are still finding soot in unexpected places in our flat. No worries, we were planning to move out soon anyway! Maybe hubby did that on purpose,so that I wouldn't change my mind about leaving our current spot!

Anyways I've had a good week. No more fire accidents, no issues at the office. And to top it off, my dad is around from Nigeria!! I'm seeing him tomorrow. I'm so excited, can't wait. I'm a real daddy's girl. Even marriage can't change that. I always said that the only man that I would love like my dad would be my husband.

In other news, it has been quite sad and annoying these past few weeks, to hear of so many marriages ending due to infidelity, ego clashes and "irreconcilable differences". Last week I was so shocked to hear that Reese Witherspoon's marriage was ending. I was always pleased to read her interviews where she mentions the strong marriage she had. Now that is gone (sob). I had not even gotten over that yet, before I started hearing rumours about Alesha, Harvey and Javine in a bizzare love-triangle that ended up with the newly-married Harvey sleeping with Javine. Urrrgh! I don't know whether to be angry or sad. Maybe both! See here: Javine Hilton being caught in bed with ex So Solid Crew star Harvey And then of course, the Britney/Kevin gist. That was just sooo silly. Let me not say more than that.

I'm looking forward to enjoying my weekend. I'm meeting my dad, sister and other family members tomorrow, so that should be fun. It's good to have family around. Here's wishing you all a lovely weekend!

Monday, November 6, 2006

Not the Usual

The last few days have been quite unusual. I have hardly had time to sit down and chill with my laptop surfing through blogland! Another exciting weekend. I was actually glad to go back to work today. At least, I could have a break. Let me tell you how my weekend went.

House on Fire
On Friday I had the day off. I went for lectures in the morning, and then I went to get my hair done. After that I went shopping. I stayed in London till late so hubby was home before me. He had decided to make some dinner for himself. I got home as he was roasting potatoes. He asked me if I wanted to have something to eat, but I wasn't hungry. All I had on my mind was, "I'm tired, I need to go and sleep". But oh boy, that was not to be.
About 20 minutes later hubby and I were on the landing, trying to clear out some stuff on the corridor, when I smelt something burning. Initially I ignored it, thinking it was just the oven or something but the smell got stronger. I asked him to go and check on what he was cooking and the next thing I heard was "Fire! Fire!" Call the emergency services!" I rushed to see what was going on, and I was greeted with flames rising up from the cooker and thick black smoke everywhere. It took a few seconds for it to sink in before I ran to open all the windows and doors while hubby tried to control the fire. We called the emergency services and they promised to arrive shortly. Within 5 minutes two fire trucks had pulled up in front of our house and about 8 huge guys ran into our kitchen to quench the fire. Then they started asking us questions to file their report: how did the fire start? how come we didn't fit a smoke alarm? what were we doing? etc. All very embarassing. Eventually hubby said the fire was his fault. He had put some oil in a saucepan to fry eggs but he left the kitchen for a while. In the meantime, the oil had overheated and caught fire, a plastic bowl and a ladle had melted and spread the fire. After the fire-fighters filed their report, they promised to get us a new smoke alarm. Then they left hubby and I to do the clearing up.
We stayed up all night scrubbing the whole kitchen. The tiles, the walls the ceiling, everywhere was black. So much for sleeping early. We did as much as we could and didn't go to bed until 2.00am. We thank God that it wasn't worse. At least we are still alive and we still have a roof over our heads. But there goes our deposit on the flat. And I won't be letting hubby near the cooker for a long long time!

Trip to the West

Some time during the week, I decided to surprise my sister in Cardiff. She had invited me to a concert in her city and I wasn't planning to go. But I changed my mind at the last minute. So on Saturday morning, I hopped on the coach to Cardiff. And I turned up at her university unannounced. She was sooo shocked to see me, but it was a good surprise. We ended up going for the concert organised by the christian students in Cardiff. I enjoyed the concert , there were nice performances and stuffs. I had a nice time with my sister- eating, gisting, taking pictures and all that. Sister love.....!!! Got on the coach back to London on Sunday to the waiting arms of hubby. He greeted me like he hadn't seen me for a year :-)
So, this was not my average weekend. I'm hoping I have a very normal week!

Wednesday, November 1, 2006

Mid-week Musings

Yesterday I attended the naming ceremony of a friend's new baby boy. It was a nice gathering. I was thinking, wow, last year this girl was a "sisi" like the rest of us. Then she got married. And now she is a mother! Life changing stuff. I even met a couple of old friends there. The girl's mum was telling me she's coming to my baby's naming ceremony next. Hubby and I just looked at each other and smiled at her. And we said we were working on it.

In other mundane news: I noticed my handbag is quite heavy. Hubby goes out carrying his wallet and keys. But me? I'm carrying so much stuff around. In my handbag I have: keys, mobile phone, wallet, 3 tubes of lipgloss, a pack of mints, office security pass, my travelcard, a make-up mirror, an umbrella, mascara, hair-brush, USB pen, eyeshadow, calculator, a pen, pocket-sized perfume and a novel. Oh and a letter I've been meaning to post. And now that the weather is colder I'm going to need hand cream, tissues and a pair of gloves. Gosh is it just me? Or do we ladies need so much stuff? What's the most random thing you have in your handbag?

Sunday, October 29, 2006

On Career Changes

Since I decided I needed a career change, it seems I have been coming across a lot of inspirational material. Most of which I didn't go looking for. I saw the list below on one website.

10 questions to help you discover the work you would love to do.

1) If you won the lottery or somehow had your financial needs taken care of, how would you want to spend your life? What would be the purpose of your life?

2) If you only did work that inspired and delighted you, what would you want to do?

3) If all the work was equally paid and had the same status, what work would you love to do?

4) If you felt free, had no fear and no guilt, what work would you love to create or do?

5) If you were told you only had six months to live, would you do the same work? If not, what would you do instead?

6) What has your heart always called you to do or be in your work?

7) As a child, what did you most often dream of doing or being when you grew up? What happened to these dreams and ideas?

8) What gives you the greatest sense of joy, aliveness, motivation or excitement?

9) If you had no doubt that you could be financially rewarded for doing what you most love and enjoy, what would you do then?

10) If you knew you had all the support you needed, what would you begin creating?

These questions are prompting me to make a radical career change. It won't be easy. Where do I start?

Lovely Weekend

I've had a great weekend! It's been relaxing and hubby has been wonderful. Add that to the fact that I had an extra hour to enjoy on Sunday morning! Bliss...

My weekend started well. I got paid... yay! After work, hubby called me to say he was renting a movie and our friends were coming over. So when I got home, there was finger food, ice-cream and drinks laid out and everyone was waiting for me to join in. We settled in and watched the movie "Munich". It was long and we didn't finish watching till about midnight. Said goodbye to friends and called it a night.
Saturday was very cool too. Got up early had breakfast, and went to view some properties and we finally chose one! Dashed off to put in an application. It will be available in December so we might be moving around then. Looking forward to that. Not the stress of moving, but the feeling of living in a new space.
After house-hunting we went shopping cos both of us wanted stuff. This was funny. Even though the differences between shopping habits of men and women are well documented, it's still funny when it happens to you. Hubby and I walked into a shop and he got bored within 5 minutes. Meanwhile I had just started. If you are a lady like me, you know it takes more than 5 minutes to shop to your heart's content. I need to appraise the clothes, imagine myself wearing it, see if it goes well with other stuff in my wardrobe, see if I have accesories to go with it, try it on.... etc.... before I make the decision to buy it. This takes at least 15 minutes. So to buy myself some time, I followed hubby to the menswear section and spent time with him choosing stuff for him to try on, then I escaped to the ladies section. It was fun in the end, he got interested in picking out stuff for me too and frowning at some 'ugly' items he didn't like. Oh and he paid too. The best bit.
In the evening, I took him out on a date, we went to a restaurant and had a nice time. The food was good, the conversation was good, and afterwards, I knew I was going home with the coolest guy in the world :-)

Today was nice too. I woke up at 9.00am. Hubby was already up, getting ready for church. I then remembered that the clocks had gone back by an hour, so it was just 8.00am. Lovely! A whole extra hour. So we had time to make breakfast, watch TV, and prepare for lunch in church later. The service today was hosted by the teenagers which was quite cool. They had a drama and everything. After service we had our fellowship lunch, met some new people. Came home and fell asleep.

Wish all my weekends were like this!

Friday, October 27, 2006

To be rich?

Thank God it's Friday!! It's been a good week. Work was busy as usual and exams are drawing nearer. I need to get to some serious studying, but I get tired just thinking about it. I finally got my paycheck! Imagine that, I have to rely on the company to pay me. Why do we have to work so hard to get limited salaries? I wonder how it feels to be soooo rich that you don't need to work for money. Perhaps work just for fulfilment and pleasure not out of necessity. Something for me to think about.

At work the other day, my manager was saying she was going to play the lottery because the jackpot had increased to £75 million for that weekend. That got us all discussing what we would do if we won that amount of money. If I was rich, what would I do with my wealth? Would being rich change me? Would I act differently towards people? Would I be more or less generous? Would I become a snob? Buy loads of houses and flashy cars? Spend my money on luxury goods and designer brands?

I have dreams and ambitions of becoming a millionaire by the time I am 30 so we'll see :-D I want to be able to afford what I want without getting into debts. I want to be able to choose when to buy something, not postponne because there is no money. I want to be able to buy good quality stuff. Money makes life a bit more comfortable. Having money means you can afford to buy what you need, and even indulge a little. But can money ever be too much? So much that it leads to even more worries? Can having money and all the trappings that come with it, make you a better or worse person?

I'm sure most of us know some very rich people. I know some rich people who are genuinely nice and warm. I also know some very obnoxious people, who think they are better than other people because of their wealth and status. I know people who are not rich, but are immensely generous and I know some rich people who are notoriously stingy. So does having money make you a better person? I don't think so. I think having more money only makes you more of what you already are. So if you are a warm generous person, you will be, whether you are rich or poor.

True story: I've heard of a family that are so rich that they are paranoid and they cannot leave their home. Everything they need is brought to them, they don't go out and they don't receive visitors. The only people that go in and out of their compound are the domestic staff. I wouldn't want that kind of wealth that chains me.

The other day, a colleague at work was on a phone call. He sounded stressed out. When he hung up he said the caller was a client who was a very rich. Very rich meaning extremely rich, worth upwards of £200 million. But according to my colleague, he was a horrible person: he was rude, he was arrogant, he was impatient and extremely patronising. I wondered how it would be to have that kind of person as a family member. Would he be nicer if he wasn't rich? I wonder.

More money, more problems- as the song goes. And the love of money is the root of all evil. People stress themselves and do evil things for the sake of money. I hope I will not let my quest for more money lead me to forget that it is not the most important thing in life.

Tuesday, October 24, 2006

My Ideal World

A world without suffering.
A world without pain.
A world without guilt.
A world without war.
A world without hunger.
This would be my ideal world.

A world without greed.
A world without selfishness.
A world without fear.
A world without hate.
A world without strife.
This would be my ideal world.

A world without crime.
A world without tears.
A world without sorrow.
A world without disappointment.
A world without sickness.
A world without prejudice.
This would be my ideal world.

A world without jealousy.
A world without divorce.
A world without lust.
A world without poverty.
A world without unforgiveness.
This would be my ideal world.

A world without famine.
A world without drought.
A world without conflict.
A world without division.
A world without disasters.
This would be my ideal world.

A world with peace.
A world with love.
A world with joy.
A world with laughter.
A world with honesty.
A world with acceptance.
A world with forgiveness.
This would be my ideal world.

Oh and one more thing. A world without taxes would be my ideal world!

Saturday, October 21, 2006

The end of the week

It's the end of another good week, thank God. I recovered from the cold and now I'm taking every single precaution in the book. Thanks you guys for your care and concern! I have to say I'm loving this "blog community", sharing my thoughts on the web, and meeting interesting people on this blog space. My few short weeks here have been wonderful. I'm officially addicted to blogspot.com, so much that I have started reading blogs at work, and hubby has commented that I spend more time on the internet nowadays. What can I say?

Anywayss, here's the breakdown of my week:
I went back to work on Tuesday to meet a ton of paperwork on my desk, and things that I had to work on meaning I had to stay late. And I missed my usual train and got home late :-(

I've been trying really hard to eat healthy all week, and it's been good! I didn't have any biscuits, sweets or chocolates. Knowing me, that's a good step in the right direction. I also ate more veg, including it in my dinner, I ate more fruits and less bread.

I've applied for an upgrade! I should be getting my new phone next week. I can't wait :-)

This week Londonbuki got us all tagging each other and making me spend a fair amount of time doing the MEME. Aaah I'll get her back for that.

I'm going house-hunting with hubby tomorrow,so that should be fun. Here's hoping you have a great weekend, whatever you do!

Thursday, October 19, 2006

I was tagged!

Londonbuki tagged me, so I have to complete this. Here goes:

FOUR JOBS YOU'VE HAD IN YOUR LIFE
1. Admin Assistant
2. Course Producer
3. Market Researcher
4. Trainee Accountant

FOUR FICTIONAL JOBS YOU WISH YOU HAD
1. Space Astronaut
2. Heaven's Gatekeeper
3. Award winning fashion designer*
4. Travel Writer*
(Not fictional)

FOUR MOVIES YOU COULD WATCH OVER AND OVER AGAIN
1. I-Robot
2. The Italian Job
3. A Knight's Tale
4. Saworoide (Yoruba movie)

FOUR CITIES YOU'VE LIVED IN
1. Lagos
2. London
3. Nottingham
4. Colchester

FOUR TV SHOWS YOU LOVE TO WATCH
1. Everwood
2. Everybody Hates Chris
3. Desperate Housewives
4. Scrubs

FOUR WEBSITES YOU VISIT DAILY
1. hotmail.com
2. blogspot.com
3. yahoo.com
4. bbc

FOUR OF YOUR FAVORITE FOODS
1. Jollof rice and fried plantain
2. Prawns in Black Bean Sauce
3. Chinese seafood platter and dumplings
4. Assorted meat pepper soup (yum)

FOUR THINGS YOU WON'T EAT
1. Frogs
2. Dogs
3. Tofu
4. Raw steak

FOUR THINGS YOU WISH YOU COULD EAT OR DRINK RIGHT NOW
1. Prawn Satay
2. Jollof rice
3. Vanilla & Honey Smoothie
4. Pancakes

FOUR THINGS IN YOUR BEDROOM
1. A bed
2. Full length mirror
3. Dressing table
4. Wardrobe

FOUR THINGS YOU WISH YOU HAD IN YOUR BEDROOM
1. A fluffy rug
2. A change of paint colour
3. A new dressing table
4. More clothes and shoes

FOUR THINGS YOU ARE WEARING RIGHT NOW
1. Black trousers
2. A camisole
3. Black dangling earings
4. Silver bracelet

FOUR PLACES I'D RATHER BE RIGHT NOW
1. In bed
2. On holiday in The Maldives
3. At a spa
4. Shopping at Harrods... lol

FOUR FICTIONAL PLACES I'D RATHER BE RIGHT NOW
1. Narnia
2. Troy (?)
3. St Clares
4. The land flowing with milk and honey

FOUR PEOPLE YOU’D REALLY LOVE TO HAVE DINNER WITH
1. Jill Briscoe
2. Oprah
3. Donald Trump
4. Hubby

FOUR THINGS YOU ARE THINKING RIGHT NOW
1. I'm tired
2. I need to get out more
3. Have I lost some weight?
4. I have exams coming up soon

FOUR OF YOUR FAVORITE THINGS
1. My family and friends
2. My mp3 player
3. My laptop
4. My Books

FOUR PEOPLE YOU TAG
1. Omo Ibadan
2. Calabar Gal
3. Zaiprincess
4. 1982

Monday, October 16, 2006

Rethinking my Career

Lately I have been wondering if I made the right career choice to become an accountant. I've been doing some research into myself. What I've done is to find out what really interests me, my strengths, my skills, the things I'm good at, my talents, what I actually enjoy doing with my time, what my hobbies are, what I would spend the rest of my life doing if I didn't have to work for money. I've found out some very interesting things. Some of them are things that I have known all along, but I never connected them rationally, or thought they should have a bearing on my jobs and career choices.
Here goes: I am a creative person, I like drawing and designing, I am a thinker, I like analysing things, I am curious, I am observant, I am introspective, I enjoy reading, I enjoy writing , I enjoy research, I enjoy my own company, I value my independence, I like flexibility, I'm interested in languages, I make up stories in my head so I am a good story teller...... etc.

It's like a light bulb was just switched on in my head! What am I doing pursuing a career in Accounting? I will end up stifling the real me and letting my talents rot if I don't develop them and use them fully. Armed with this new insight, I did a personal career assessment on http://www.prospects.ac.uk/ , now that was quite useful. I entered my new-found skills into their assessment page "What Jobs Would Suit Me?" and I was really amazed at the results.

Apparently, the best job matches to my skills are: Photographer , Ceramics/pottery designer , Fashion designer , Graphic designer , Magazine journalist , Newspaper journalist , Writer , Operational researcher , Academic librarian , Social researcher and Market researcher
These results are like wow! Where have I been? Why have I been wasting my time pursuing a career that I don't like? When I could be doing something that I would love, and would actually be good at naturally. Of course this calls for a decision. And it's not an easy one. It seems like I would have to leave Accounting and start doing something else sooner or later. I admit I'm a bit scared. I would have to leave my current job and the regular income. I will probably have to re-train by taking some courses in my new chosen field. I would have to start learning new things again from scratch. I would be leaving certainty for uncertainty. And if I do manage to start myself up, there are no guarantees that I will make money for my efforts. Hmmm. God help me. But I will have to bite the bullet. I can't remain unfulfilled and miserable in my career for much longer.

Down Time

Last Friday (upon all my carefulness) I came down with a cold, so I stayed in bed all day. Didn't go to work and didn't get any studying done. So I had a quiet weekend at home. Was supposed to go on a date with hubby on Saturday but that didn't happen cos I was coughing and sneezing. I made him promise to take me out next weekend though when I'm feeling better, so I'm looking forward to that :-) He's been very nice to me, so he has earned some brownie points this weekend. Didn't go to church on Sunday either. So I had some down time. In between swallowing copius amounts of "Day & Night Nurse" and Vitamin C, I caught up with some friends, watched Naija movies, read lots of blogs, started a new blog (Journey down the Aisle), etc.

I'm not at work today either. Decided that I deserve the rest, since I had been going non-stop for 12 weeks working and studying. Hopefully I'll go back to work tomorrow refreshed. Have a great week and keep smiling.

Thursday, October 12, 2006

Commuting Hell

If like me, you commute to work in London, then you will understand some of my ramblings on this post. And the frustrations of going to work 5 days a week on those train and tube journeys. If however, you work from home or your workplace is just a stone throw away from where you live, then count your blessings!

I've had it up to my neck with issues on the trains. First, navigating round the ever-changing and complicated time-table. Apparently my journey time had to change last week because they are now running the winter time table. Next is the frequency of the trains. Where I live, sometimes if you miss a train by one minute, the next one could be in 45 minutes. By then of course, you are very late. When you get on the (smelly) train, you jostle with other passengers for a seat and settle down for the journey into Central London. Your thoughts are (rudely) interrupted by an employee of the train company coming and shouting "Tickets please!!". You fish in your bag and produce your ticket with a mixture of pride and anger because you know how much that ticket has cost you for the uncomfortable ride. Anyway sha, you finally arrive in the City. You get to work and you need 5 minutes and a cup of tea to recover, before starting the day's activities. Going back home, you repeat the whole process again.

Add that to my issues with other passengers. How come some people at 7.00am in the morning, are already smoking their cancer sticks? Yesterday a lady sat beside me, and I nearly choked She had been smoking just before the train arrived and she stank! I had to start "faning" myself with my newspaper until she got up. I hope she got the message. Then there was a guy was coughing, sneezing and sniffing behind me. Last week someone got into the train and sat in front of me and I had to bolt out of my seat and change carriage otherwise I would have choked to death. He had such a nasty odour going on.

My commute takes three hours out of my day, every Monday to Friday, becos it takes approximately 90 minutes each way. Like that is not bad enough, recently the train lines have gone haywire, breaking down at every opportunity. So for the last three weeks, my train has been cancelled, delayed, diverted, or kindly replaced by the train company declaring, "we have a replacement bus service running....". Oh the frustration!!

Sorry guys, I needed to rant about it. Poor hubby has had to come and rescue me a few times when I am stranded on the way home, so I can't exactly complain to him. Writing to the train companies doesn't help much either, nothing changes, because they know we don't have a choice as commuters. All they see is their profits at the end of the year. So we have to accept it as "that's life in the City".

But you know what, I will let it inspire me to find a new way to earn my income without the commute. So I'm looking forward to the day that I can work from home. And if I must show face in the office then I will do it with my personal chauffer-driven Bentley. That will be the day :)

Wednesday, October 11, 2006

Mid-Week Already

Na wah o, the days seem to be flying by. When was it Saturday?

I have been busy, with work and studies. And the occasional randon thoughts and memories. Sometime ago, I remembered going on school trips or "excursions" in primary school in Nigeria. Does anyone else remember any of those school trips? In my school, we got lots of invitations for those trips, but my parents didn't let me go to most of them. I remember the few I was allowed to go for. Once we were invited to NTA Channel 10 for their Christmas party. It was fun! And we were watching the TV eagerly to catch glimpses of ourselves afterwards. Another trip was to the Coca-Cola bottling plant. They showed us round the factory and the manufacturing process from start to finish. Which was fun too. Until we got back to school and the teachers told us we had to write an essay on what we saw at the bottling factory. There was one trip my mum absolutely refused to let me go on. It was to go on a ship. I was soooo upset cos most of my friends were going. It seemed to me that my parents were boring. All my friends went on the cruise and came back to school with so many interesting stories. Once we went to Abeokuta to see Olumo Rock and the town and it's historical spots. That was good too. As part of our education, it helped us to see beyond just our little world.

Another random thought.
How come it is easier to get a job or a date when you already have one? When I graduated, I spent 5 frustrating months at home job-hunting. I applied for hundreds of jobs, attended countless interviews. Finally I got a job. Now those recuitment agencies are calling me, emailing me and writing to tell me about jobs that I would be perfect for. In this week alone, I have been offered 5 jobs. Where were they when I needed them? Shio.

Anyways, I'm currently loving this song: S.E.X. by Lyfe Jennings (The Phoenix) recommended by my sister. It's not what you think. The song is about telling a 17-year old girl to think about it before giving up her virginity. Nice music, lyrics and vocals.

That's all for now. Enjoy the rest of your week all.

Friday, October 6, 2006

Breakdown of my week

It's the end of the week! I've had a good week, all thanks to God. Here's a random collection of the events of the week. In no particular order.

1) My mobile phone fell into a bucket of water (don't ask). It's still working, but now the screen has gone blank. So I've been guessing who my callers are. I cannot account for missed calls or flashers. Text messages are out. And I have only called the numbers I can remember off the top of my head. Anyway the phone is due for an upgrade anytime from now. So I want to get the new Sony Ericsson phone. I saw it rated highly in an article in the newspaper. I'm hoping T-mobile is now generous with their upgrade packages. They are notoriously stingy.

2) Hubby and I had a quarell slash argument on Monday. I over-reacted to something he said (I blame it on that time of the month). I wonder how men cope with us women when we are hormonal and quite irrational. Anyways we sorted it out and both apologised. It's not fun "boning" for someone when you share a room and a bed.

3) In the UK, the summer is well and truly over. I regretted going out with open shoes the other day. Time to buy a new winter coat, scarf, gloves, hat and boots. And stock up on fruits for Vitamin C and garlic for boosting the immune system. I need to arm myself for the battle against viruses on the daily commute.

4) I've been quite lazy with my studies this week. Didn't do any studying. Probably because my interest in Accounting is fast approaching zero. God help me, I've got exams in November.

5) I visited a few websites (One is this: HERE ) in a quest to examine my health and my diet. I discovered that I'm not supposed to be eating bread! Why, because it contains yeast and it gives me a bloated belly. I wailed. So no more subs, sandwiches, wraps, baguettes, etc! What am I going to do without my lunch-time bagel?
In the same vein, I visited a website that calculates your life-expectancy based on your current lifestyle and gives you a full report. It also gives suggestions on how you can live a longer and healthier life. Apparently, based on the responses I gave in the questionnaire, my predicted life-expectancy is 79. Time get on the treadmill..... for more visit HERE

6) I left home without checking the weather forecast or taking an umbrella. BIG mistake if you live in England. I rained cats and dogs today while I out during my lunch break. I was soaked! Fine girl like me. I've learnt my lesson.

7) I started a new blog. My New Blog

8) I am making a mental list of the kinds of jobs I would be doing if I wasn't an accountant. Something that would bring me personal freedom and fulfilment. I will draw up a short-list soon.

So that was my week. I plan to have a relaxing weekend. I doubt if I will be doing any studying. Hubby and I have some catching up to do. Our friend Londonbuki is running in the RunLondon Challenge so I'll be supporting her from here. Go girl!

Y'all have a wonderful weekend and keep smiling.

Thursday, October 5, 2006

God is faithful

Just being grateful today. The song below is one of my favourite hymns, if not my favourite. Anythime I need to remind myself that God remainds true to me, I hum the song. I even made sure that it was sung on my wedding day! I have now made sure I have crammed the words so that I can sing it anywhere. On the train, at work, on the queue to buy my travelcard, in the shower, any time and place. A constant reminder, cos I can be quite forgetful (sigh). God help all of us.

Great is Thy Faithfulness
Great is Thy faithfulness
O God my Father;
There is no shadow of turning with Thee;
Thou changest not, Thy compassions, they fail not;
As Thou hast been, Thou forever will be.

Refrain
Great is Thy faithfulness!
Great is Thy faithfulness!
Morning by morning new mercies I see.
All I have needed Thy hand hath provided;
Great is Thy faithfulness, Lord, unto me!

Summer and winter and springtime and harvest,
Sun, moon and stars in their courses above
Join with all nature in manifold witness
To Thy great faithfulness, mercy and love.

Refrain

Pardon for sin and a peace that endureth
Thine own dear presence to cheer and to guide;
Strength for today and bright hope for tomorrow,
Blessings all mine, with ten thousand beside!

Refrain

Words:
Thom­as O. Chis­holm, 1923. Ac­cord­ing to Chis­holm, there were no spe­cial cir­cum­stanc­es which caused its writ­ing—just his ex­per­i­ence and Bi­ble truth. The hymn first ap­peared in Songs of Sal­va­tion and Serv­ice, 1923, com­piled by Wil­liam M. Run­yan. It is the un­of­fi­cial “school hymn” of Moo­dy Bi­ble In­sti­tute in Chi­ca­go, with which Run­yan was as­so­ci­at­ed for a num­ber of years. Copyright © 1923 Hope Publishing Company. 380 South Main Place, Carol Stream, IL 60188

Saturday, September 30, 2006

Questions and Answers

I took this from Zaiprincess' Blog and filled in my answers. You can do the same!


1. What time did you get up this morning? 9.00am. It's Saturday!!

2.Diamonds or pearls? Diamonds. Much more versatile

3. What was the last film you saw at the cinema? My Super Ex-Girlfriend

4. What is your favorite TV show? Desperate Housewives

5. What did you have for breakfast? Grilled sausages and Eggs

6. What is your middle name? Unique Yoruba name... lol

7. What is your favorite cuisine/meal? Chinese

8. What foods do you dislike? Goats cheese, raw steak (once had a nasty experience..)

9. Your favorite Potato chip? I prefer Plantain chips, proper Naija stlye

10. What is your favorite CD at the moment? Jamelia's "Something About You"

11. What kind of car do you drive? None yet

12. Favorite sandwich? Smoked Salmon and Cream cheese bagel

13. What characteristics do you despise? Jealousy, Back-stabbing, Lying

14. Favorite item of clothing? Nice jeans and satin top

15. If you could go anywhere in the world on vacation, where would you go? The Maldives

16. What color is your bathroom? Cream

17. Favorite brand of clothing? None, I collect them all

18. Where would you want to retire? Spain or Switzerland

19. Favorite time of day? 5.30pm - The end of the working day!!

20. Where were you born? Lagos baby

21. Favorite sport(s) to watch? Soccer and tennis, but I also like gymnastics

22. Who do you least expect to respond to this? Hmmm...

23. Person you expect to respond first? Anyone

24. What laundry scent do you use? Comfort

25. Coke or Pepsi? None

26. Are you a morning person or night owl? Night owl

27. What size shoe do you wear? Do you want to buy me some?

28. Do you have pets? Nope

29. Any new and exciting news you'd like to share with everyone? I'll let you know when it happens

30. What did you want to be when you were little? A singer or fashion designer. What happened????????

31. Favorite Candy Bar? Lindt Chocolates

32. What is your best childhood memory? Going out with my daddy, reading Enid Blyton books, my 10th birthday, gisting with my sisters, etc

33. What are the different jobs you have had in your life? Mostly admin, research or accounting jobs, thank God.

34. What color/type underwear are you? That's for me to know

35.Nicknames: Errrm.....

36. Piercings ? Ears

37. Eye color? Brown

38. Ever been to Africa? Been there? Born there!

39. Ever been toilet papering or rolling? Nope

40. Love someone so much it made you cry? Yes, it hurt, but I got over it

41. Been in a car accident? Once, escaped unhurt

42. Croutons or bacon bits? Bacon bits

43.Favorite day of the week? Used to be Thursday, now it's Saturday

44. Favorite restaurant? Chinese restaurant nearby

45. Favorite flower? White roses and tulips

46. Favorite ice cream? Tiramisu

48. Favorite fast food restaurant? Benjys

49. What color is your bedroom carpet? Brown

50. How many times did you fail your driver's test? Never failed it

51. Before this one, from whom did you get your last email? My good friend in Nigeria

52. Which stores would you choose to max out your credit card? Debenhams, ALDO, H&M, Zara, Topshop, Monsoon... just let me win the lottery....

53. What do you do most often when you are bored? I dream about winning an Oscar or the Booker Prize

54. Bedtime? 11pm these days

55. Who are you most curious about their responses to this questionnaire? Hubby perhaps?

56. Last person you went to dinner with? Hubby

58. What are you listening to right now? Unpredictable - Jamie Foxx

59. What is your favorite color? Purple

60. Lake, Ocean or river? Ocean, it's 5 minutes away

61. How many tattoos do you have? None.

62. Which came first, the chicken or the egg? The Chicken of course

Wednesday, September 27, 2006

Sisters in "Bomb Threat" Drama

My silly sisters were the cause of a recent scare at the Arundel Mills Mall. When they told me the story, it was so funny, I nearly collapsed cos I was laughing so hard. But my sister said it was not funny at the time o! They were questioned by the police, fire department and Anti-terrorist squad and they were nearly arrested and fined thousands of dollars.

They had gone to the mall for some last-minute shopping as one of them was flying back to the UK later that night. When they got tired of carrying her luggage, they stashed the bags under a bench and wandered off. Unknown to them, security cameras had seen them dropping the stuff and walking away.

They came back 30 minutes later, to find that the whole mall had been evacuated, the shops and cinema had been closed down, there was a yellow "Do Not Cross" police line, there were cops and firemen everywhere, tv reporters running about, people were panicking... a full scale drama. When they asked around, some people said there was a fire, some said there was a bomb. As they attempted to cross the police line to retrieve their luggage, a policeman asked them where they were going. They said they wanted to go in and get their bags that were still inside. The policeman asked them where their bags were. Eventually the story came out that it was their luggage that caused the panic. They were taken away for questioning. Their bags had been opened and policemen were taking pictures of the contents, ready for destruction. Fortunately they got the bags back just before they were destroyed.

Read the news report and watch the video HERE

The police didn't like it cos they wasted their time, but I found it really funny. I'm sure that has taught them a lesson never to leave their luggage unattended. My sister's nickname is now "Bin-Laden". LOL

Sunday, September 24, 2006

Changes

It is said that "Change is the only constant thing in life". How true that is. We never seem to be content with the way things are, we are always looking for something to change. If it is a positive change, then all for the better.

Lately I have been thinking. I definitely need to make some changes in my life. Some big and drastic changes. The big change seems to be coming from the direction of my career. In secondary school and college, I studied Economics because I enjoyed the subject. Then at uni I drifted into Accounting, and soon found myself graduating with an Accounting degree, getting accounting jobs and studying for professional accounting qualifications.

But now, I've started having doubts as to where I would be in 30 years time if I remain an accountant. I noticed that I am not so fulfilled in this profession anymore. I like my current job because it is not too stressful, I like the company and the people I work with, but something is just not right. There is nothing fulfilling about it.

I met a lady last weekend who is an accountant and working on a major finance project for her company. She was telling me about her job, talking about the project she is working on, describing every single detail. She sounded so passionate and enthusiastic. She said "I love accounting, and I love working on exciting projects". In my mind I was thinking, "Wow! She actually loves her job!". Afterwards, I searched myself, I definitely cannot say that I love accounting with so much passion. To me it's just a profession I trained for and a job to keep some money coming in. Nothing more. I don't actually derive fulfilment or pleasure from any aspect of my job. If I was to leave the job, I won't miss it one bit.

After more soul searching, I came up with some more thoughts that have been nagging my mind for a while. I had ignored them previously because I thought there was no way out. Things like: my work-life balance is rubbish, I hate working the full-time 9 - 5 route because it's so inflexible, I am answerable to layers of management people above me, I can only take so many holidays in a year, I can only get so much money for my sweat; I am working to make someone else rich, and there seems to be a limit to how much I can progress in a certain time. Plus there are so many strict rules, rules and rules! Rules of dress code, conduct in the office at all times, office politics, office gossip etc etc.

All this has led me to one conclusion: I am definitely not suited to working in an office for the rest of my life. I would go mad. So what do I do now?

I feel like God is telling me that I am not fulfilling my purpose. I can sense that I will have to make some drastic changes soon. The only thing holding me back is: fear. Fear of failure and all the things associated with it. That, and the feeling that I have wasted all my schooling years doing something only to discover that I'm not happy with it. Dad wouldn't be too pleased with that one. But we'll see...... watch this space.

Baby Palava!!


Being a Nigerian, you know what your culture expects from you at every stage in your life. But, boy! does it get very annoying sometimes.

I got married last summer, right in the middle of my Masters degree (studying for a masters and planning a wedding at the same time, absolute fun!!). Finally, that put an end to the "when are you getting married?" questions. But wait o. It didn't end there. It seems like the minute I was out of my wedding gown, the next thing everyone started asking is "So when are the babies coming?". Hold on! I need to finish my degree and get a good job, we need to plan our finances and even get used to being married first before rushing to have babies. Calm down everyone.

Now barely a year later, the questions have started again. Last week I called my uncle to say hi, and the first thing he asked me was, have you called to tell me you have given birth? (!!!). My in-laws have been asking if there are any problems, my aunties have been sniffing, my cousins, my friends, my sisters, my sister's friends have been chatting........even my mum (who last year said she wasn't in a hurry to become a grandmum) has been using "style-style" to ask about plans for babies. See me see peace o!

At the moment, I'm not even ready for all that. I have just started getting used to the responsibilities of combining career and wife duties. I am not ready to start nappy duties as well. Even if I was ready to start popping out the babies, hubby and I can only do so much. The rest is up to God isn't it? Out of all the people chasing you to launch the babies sef, how many of them will come and live with you to look after him/her? Besides, once you start giving parents the feeling that they can dictate to you, then it will never stop. They might just come one day and say they want 5 grandchildren (I laugh and shudder to even imagine that).

All of them should leave me alone jare. I'm still young, not even 24 yet, I am not a baby factory, and I cannot make babies on my own. When God is ready to give me the child, then I will be ready to accept. No one else dare dictate!

Saturday, September 23, 2006

Wise Words


A friend sent this to my email box:

*A Soulful Relationship* by Reverend Ronald McFadden

If you're not married yet, share this with a friend. If you are married, share it with your spouse or other married couples.. and reflect on it. An African proverb states, "Before you get married, keep both eyes open, and after you marry, close one eye."

Before you get involved and make a commitment to someone, don't let lust, desperation, immaturity, ignorance, pressure from others or a low self-esteem make you blind to warning signs. Keep your eyes open, and don't fool yourself that you can change someone or that what you see as faults aren't really important. Once you decide to commit to someone, over time their flaws, vulnerabilities, pet peeves, and differences will become more obvious.

If you love your mate and want the relationship to grow and evolve, you've got to learn to close one eye and not let every little thing bother you. You and your mate have many different expectations, emotional needs, values, dreams, weaknesses, and strengths. You are two unique individuals who have decided to share a life together. Neither of you are perfect, but are you perfect for each other? Do you bring out the best of each other? Do you compliment and compromise with each other, or do you compete, compare, and control? What do you bring to the relationship? Do you bring past relationships, past hurt, past mistrust, past pain?

You can't take someone to the altar to alter him or her. You can't make someone love you or make someone stay. If you develop self-esteem, spiritual discernment, and "a life", you won't find yourself making someone else responsible for your happiness or responsible for your pain. Manipulation, control, jealousy, neediness, and selfishness are not the ingredients of a thriving, healthy, loving and lasting relationship. Seeking status, sex, wealth, and security are the wrong reasons to be in a relationship.

What keeps a relationship strong? Communication, intimacy, trust, a sense of humor, sharing household tasks, some getaway time without business or children and daily exchanges (a meal, shared activity, a hug, a call, a touch, a note). Leave a nice message on their voicemail or send a nice email. Sharing common goals and interests.

Growth is important. Grow together, not away from each other, giving each other space to grow without feeling insecure. Allow your mate to have outside interests. You can't always be together. Give each other a sense of belonging and assurances of commitment. Don't try to control one another. Learn each other's family situation. Respect his or her parents regardless.

Don't put pressure on each other for material goods. Remember for richer or for poorer. If these qualities are missing, the relationship will erode as resentment, withdrawal, abuse, neglect, dishonesty, and pain replace the passion. " Nurture your mind with great thoughts, for you will never go any higher than you think." The grass withers, the flowers fades, but the word of God stands forever. Isaiah 40:8 Shall we make a new rule of life from tonight. Always try to be a little kinder than is necessary.

The difference between 'United' and 'Untied' is where you put the i. Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away.

Hmmm, wise words indeed.

Thursday, September 21, 2006

A "Normal" Day

Today was a normal day in the life of the girl called me. Nothing special. My day went like this:

I woke up at the usual time after "snoozing" my alarm twice. Finally got up, had a shower, got dressed in a rush and left the house. Hubby dropped me off at the station and I took the train to work. I had no time for breakfast as usual. Read the morning newspaper on the train. Got to work, greeted my colleagues, made a cup of coffee and settled in for the day's activites. Ages later I looked up at the clock and it was only 10.30am! I thought the time was dragging really slowly. Eventually it was lunch time. Went to the shop and decided to choose the healthy option and have Thai Chicken soup instead of a burger. Work dragged on sha, but finally it was time to go home. Said goodnight to co-workers. I left the office, got on the train back home. It was packed as usual, but I managed to get a seat. Got home and was greeted by hubby. He had even started preparing a meal! Had dinner while gisting with hubby about our respective days. Checked my emails, read some blogs and chatted with my friend on MSN. Decided to go to bed before midnight. So, it was just a normal day really. Or was it?

I seem to have taken a lot of things for granted today. If I analyse my "normal" day closely, I see that I have indeed been given countless blessings. I have decided to acknowledge some of them. Perhaps this will prevent me from complaining when I am feeling discontent:

Today, I was able to hear my alarm and open my eyes. Today I was healthy enough to get out of bed. Today I was able to wash myself. Today I have a job to go to. Today my husband is still alive and we are together and happily married. Today I had a safe journey to work. Today a bomb did not go off in my city. Today I had money to buy lunch. Today I didn't get sacked. Today I had a safe journey back home (I even have a home to go to!). Today nobody in my family died. Today I did not have any accident or injury. Today my husband didn't lose his job. Today I enjoyed communicating with my friends, I have good friends. Today our house was not repossesed. And it didn't catch fire. Today I am safe in the knowledge that I am God's child and He will never leave me or forsake me. Today I had angels watching over me. Today I can go to bed safely knowing that the angels are going to watch over me and my family as we sleep.

So this was my day. I have had a wonderful day. I thank God, without whom my day would not have been so smooth. Please God, help me to ask less and thank you more. Help me to grumble less and praise you more. Help me to want less and appreciate more.

Tuesday, September 19, 2006

Our years on earth


Our speaker in church told this story one Sunday:

At the beginning of creation, God called man, a bull, a monkey and a dog to tell them about their time and purpose on earth. God spoke to the bull first and said: "You bull, you have 50 years to live on earth. Your strength is your main character. You will work very hard all your life but you will get little reward for it. You will toil and sweat for the benefits of others. You will be used in the farm to pull trucks and tractors and plough the fields." The bull said to God, "If my life will be so miserable, then I don't need 50 years on earth. Please let me give you 30 years back and live for 20 years on earth". God agreed to this.
Next God spoke to the monkey, saying "You will have 40 years to live on earth. All your life will be to amuse others. You will jump about, dance and make faces at people and they will laugh at you". The monkey said to God, "If that is all I will do, then I don't need 40 years on earth. Let me give you 20 years back, so I will live for 20 years" and God agreed.
God then called the dog and said, "You will have 30 years to live on earth. All you will do is to sit in a house and bark at people around. Whenever people are coming in or going out, you will bark at them". The dog replied, "That sounds boring. I don't need 30 years to do that. Please let me live for 15 years and I will give you 15 years back" and God agreed.
Finally God said to the man, "My child, you will have 20 years to live on earth. Your days will be full of fun and enjoyment. You will have no worries. All your needs will be taken care of. Your job is just to enjoy all the pleasures of life. And after 20 years, you will come back to heaven to live with me". The man said to God, "Only 20 years!! Why did you give me only 20 years on earth? You have just described a life full of pleasure and yet you gave me only 20 years to enjoy it. Tell you what, let's make a deal. Since the bull has given you 30 years back, the monkey has given you 20 years back, and the dog has given you 15 years back, why don't you give those years to me? Then I will have a much longer time to live on earth to enjoy myself". God asked the man,"Is that what you really want?", and the man said yes. So God granted him the extra years.
And that is why man's life is thus: The first 20 years of our lives are full of fun and pleasure. All our needs are met and we have no worries. For the next 30 years of our lives, we work very hard, we get stressed, we toil and sweat and we grow tired and weary. We have no time for enjoyment. The next 20 years of our lives, we are laughed at by younger people, we spend our time entertaining and making faces at our grand-children. And for the rest of our lives, we have nothing to do, so we just stay in the house and bark at people going out and coming in.

LOL!!

Sunday, September 17, 2006

Cool Weekend

I have this sweet little niece. She's actually hubby's niece, but since she met me, she's become my best friend. She's fashied her uncle's side. Hubby is jealous but I can't help it if his niece prefers to hang out with me now........ I met her 4 years ago and she took to me instantly. Even her mum doesn't understand our special friendship. She told me one time that she now uses my name to bribe the girl. Stuff like: "If you eat your veggies aunty will come and play with you" or "If you are naughty, I won't let you wear the skirt aunty bought for you". Mums and their tricks sha.

Anyways I love the little babe. She is sweet and well behaved. And she is a right little madam. At her young age she already knows more about fashion and make-up than most teenagers. She told me she wants to be a fashion designer when she grows up. And she made sure she was a flower-girl at our wedding telling me well in advance, even before her uncle proposed!

We spent the day together yesterday. I picked her up and we had a nice girly day out. We planned to see a movie. However, it dawned on me that going to the cinema with an eight-year old seriously limits your film choices. So we went bowling and had pizza afterwards instead. It was fun though. She told me all about her club of which she is the leader, how she solves quarells between her group of friends in school, the boy that has a crush on her etc. I listened to her stories and made comments. I then imagined her in another 8 year's time. She will be one interesting teenager. I can't wait.

Today was cool too. For a while I had felt God was distant from me and I couldn't reach him. But today as I stepped into church I felt God's presence again. That was very comforting. You know you just feel at peace when you feel God's presence. It reminds you that the Rock of your life is there right beside you. The King of Kings and Lord of Lords is right by your side. Nothing is more comforting than that. I guess I need to learn how to trust that He is still there in the background when I can't feel Him around. That requires a different level of knowledge and trust. I will get there soon, amen!

So, a new week begins tomorrow. May God guide and protect all of us. Have a good week.

Thursday, September 14, 2006

Underneath the Exterior

It's so true, you cannot judge a book by it's cover. People can be soooo different in reality from how they appear on the outside. This was brought home to me again this week. There's this girl who works in my department at work. I see her everyday but we have never exchanged a word. She never smiles, never socialises with the rest of the department, always takes her lunch alone and leaves the office without saying goodbye to anyone. She has been with the company for a year but no one knew much about her.

But yesterday I met this girl in the kitchen and we started talking. After lunch we spent the rest of the afternoon sending emails to each other and I learnt so much about her. Turns out that she is a nice person and she is funny too! And she has led a very interesting life, she can speak 6 languages including Arabic, German and French. She's also thinking of leaving the company to set up her own business. I think I've made a cool friend. Today she even came to my desk to have a chat, and we emailed each other again. It just goes to show that there is usually more to people than meets the eye initially.

On a completely different note - I have a question: Would you tell your good friend that her fiance was cheating on her? Even as you watch her happily plan the wedding? Hmmm.... tough one. A friend of mine said she attended the wedding of her good friend recently. Everyone (including my friend, her mum, and many of the bride's friends) knew the groom had been sleeping with another girl. But nobody wanted to tell the unfortunate bride because they didn't want to be the bearer of bad news. Who knows how the bride would react if she had been told? The worst part of the story was that the girl the groom was cheating with was also invited to the wedding, and she boldly went to congratulate to couple and give the bride a hug! My friend called it "the hug of death". I accused her of not telling the bride about the sorry state of affairs long before the wedding day. Her defence was that the bride probably knew but deliberately chose to ignore it because she was desperate to hang onto the guy. Ah! God help all of us.

Secretly though, I wondered if I would have the courage to tell the bride if I knew her. Would I risk my neck and our friendship or watch my friend get married to someone who would never be faithful to her (no point hoping he will change after marriage)? I can't answer that question. I think I would prefer not to know. At least then I won't have that responsibility.

Friday, September 8, 2006

It's the weekend!

It's been a busy week. Going to work, and also resuming at college where I listen to my teacher droning on and on about accounting stuff ...... At least it's nice to know I can have a lie-in! Kind of anyway. Knowing me, I won't go to bed until 3am and then wake up at 8am because the other half of the bed is cold.

Hubby is away this weekend on official matters so I have the house to myself. I'm missing him, but I'm also enjoying my own company. I didn't have to cook dinner tonight, I won't have to cook anything special for breakfast and I can crank up my music without worrying about disturbing him.

Don't get me wrong, I love him very very much and hanging out with him is one of my hobbies. But I think it's healthy to take a break from each other once in a while and experience being "me" sometimes and not just half of a couple. Like most ladies I know, I like my space and I need some regular "me" time to reflect and recharge my batteries. I also need to keep my passion going for the things I'm interested in. I'm sure he feels exactly the same way when I go off on a trip on my own. We appreciate each other when we are reunited and we have more stuff to talk about. Win-win all the way.

Oh hang on... he's calling me....lol he says sleeping in a hotel room alone is not fun. I agree. Come back soon love.

Anywaysss for those in Nigeria to celebrate the Independence Day you can check out this concert happening in October HERE I must say I'm quite impressed. If Beyonce, Ciara and Snoop are going to perform at a concert in Nigeria, that's a good thing isn't it?

Anyway take care all, and have a good weekend. Try not to do something you would regret.

Thursday, September 7, 2006

Why do we have to grow up??!!


Recently I have been getting bogged down with the fact that I'm growing older each passing day, week, month or year. I turned 23 in May but somehow my mind is stuck in last year and I still think of myself as being 22. I know I'm not old yet. It's just that the worries I never had when I was 15 years old, have started creeping into my mind. Things like: I need to get my career on track, sort out my spending and savings, buy a house, keep my relationship with God and hubby going sweet, volunteer at church to prove that I am not lazy or self-absorbed ... etc etc.

Sigh. I wish I could be a kid again like 14 or 15. Actually I wish I could be 10 years old again, when all my needs were sorted out by mum and dad and I didn't have a care in the world beyond doing my homework.

Look at me complaining as if I can do anything about it. The truth is, Mother Nature and Father Time are conspiring against all of us to drag us further and further into adulthood. Oh gosh. Soon I'll be old enough to look at my little nephew and tell him about the 1990s and he will think "Gosh auntie you're so oooooold!"

Maybe I'm a bit odd but I never wanted to grow up so fast. I know most kids my age when I was little couldn't wait to be older. They were in a hurry to drive, wear make-up, go out alone, etc. By the time we were 12 years old, some of my friends were already claiming to be 14 or 15. I would wonder, "where are you rushing to? why the hurry to grow up?" I didn't understand it. Heck, I had figured out that if we are alive for 80 years on this planet, we would spend a maximum of 16 years being a child. From 17 upwards you are considered an adult. So why waste the brief childhood and rush into adulthood? I enjoyed being a kid, we had more fun. We didn't have cares and worries and so many responsibilities. Adults were boring. They always looked grumpy, they were always tired, they always seemed to be in a hurry and they were always trying to cramp my style.

I remember when I turned 13. My parents called me to their room on the morning of my birthday to have "the talk". You know the one... "you are now a big girl... we have to tell you some things about the changes you will start to experience.... you have to grow up and become responsible... you are a role model to your younger ones.... etc etc" I listened to the gist and I thought to myself, kai this is the beginning of the end. And it was!

Anyways, back to the present day. I guess I will be stuck in the 22-year old mentality for a while. I'm not ready to move on yet. If I admit it to myself then I might lose the battle to stay in touch with my inner child. So it will be for now... maybe when I have a child of my own, I will finally grow up.

Settling In

Hiya! I've finally decided to start a blog. I had been hearing of "weblogs" everywhere, but I didn't want to join the herd as it were. Until I did a google search one day and the results led me to some Nigerian blogs. I started reading them and found them so interesting. One click led to another and now I'm hooked! Okay, I love writing so that helps. Here's to where this blogging thing will take me. I like the idea of having a diary, so I should enjoy putting my thoughts down here.
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