Week One

Just checking in to say:

Happy New Year!

I'm planning, writing and working on many things at the moment, but all will be revealed soon. Got to get cracking on those goals for the new year. Time doesn't wait - can you believe on week in 2010 is gone already!

Wish everyone a wonderful year 2010! May all your dreams come true.

Thankful for 2009

Wow, 2009 is almost over! Did the year fly by quickly or what? Can anyone believe that all the hype about entering the new millennium was actually TEN years ago? Soon it will be 2010 and another decade will begin. Time flies, they say, and it seems like it is spinning even faster nowadays.

This time last year I was looking forward to the year 2009 with hope and expectations. I had a long list of hopes , dreams and ambitions. I had a list of prayer requests and petitions that I placed before God to help me achieve by the end of the year. Now it's the last day of the year, and I am really grateful to God. Nope, I didn't get everything on my wish-list. But I have gained so many wonderful things in this past year, and I have received so many blessings from God, that I cannot but be grateful.

I'm thankful to God for my blessings. I have been overwhelmed many times when I think about how good God has been to me. I can't list them all but I can mention a few:

I'm thankful for my family: mum, dad, sisters, aunts, uncles, cousins, in-laws, etc. Sure, once in a while somebody gets on my nerves but I know I love them, and I cannot do without them.

I'm thankful for the simple joys of peaceful sleep. I have slept and woken up everyday in the last 365 days.

I'm thankful to God for meeting all my needs. I never had to go hungry or beg for anything in 2009.

I'm thankful for the good times that I enjoyed, and the not-so-good times where God was my strength and hope.

I'm thankful for laughter and fun in my life. There are too many sad and lonely people in the world today.

I'm thankful to God for adding another year to my life. I celebrated a birthday in perfect health, surrounded by good friends and family.

I'm thankful to God for the many wonderful new friends I made this year. Especially my fellow bloggers who have become my friends and sisters. Aloted, Believer, Writefreak, Nolimit, Diamond Hawk, GoodNaijaGirl and more. And to my writing mentors: Abidemi Sanusi and Dr Tade.

I'm thankful for another peaceful, happy and fulfilling year of marriage. I know I am so blessed and privileged to share my life with a man that makes me happy, believes in me, loves me, supports me and wants the best for me.

I'm thankful because I'm older and wiser now, than I was a year ago.

I'm thankful for protection and safety. I went through 2009 without any accidents - amazing.

I'm thankful for the trips around Europe I enjoyed during the year.

I'm thankful for the progress I made with my work this year. And the opportunities I have to explore further in the coming months.

I'm thankful to my co-writers on our blog series: Latifa, Jaycee, Icepick, Flourishing Florida, Diamond Hawk, Ayodele, Writefreak and Rayo. Thanks for believing in my idea and working with me.

I'm thankful because I've moved closer to God this year.

I'm also thankful for the many lessons I've learnt this year:

I've learnt to depend on God more than ever

I've learnt that respecting my husband is the key to a peaceful marriage

I've learnt to be more patient

I've learnt to appreciate the important things in life

I've learnt not to compare myself with anybody

I've learnt that I should choose carefully whose opinions I take on board

I've learnt to receive criticism graciously

I've learnt that a positive attitude wins in the end, even in the face of overwhelming odds.

I've learnt that pride and sacrificial love are not compatible.

I've learnt to be humble and content with what, who and where I am at the moment.

For 2010:

I want to be completely in tune with where God wants me to be, what God wants me to do and at His perfect timing.

I want to be more and more like Jesus everyday.

I want to achieve my potential with my writing.

I want to become a better wife, sister, daughter and friend.

So help me God.

Now I'm counting down to 2010........................!!!

Happy New Year to everyone! May 2010 be the best year ever in all aspects of our lives!

I'm off to church in a few hours. How will you see in the new year?

As The Year Draws to a Close

Hey everyone! Hope you had a Merry Christmas and you are rounding up 2009 on a great note. I had a nice time over the Christmas period, with time spent hanging out with family and friends. And of course, lots of things to eat, and the exchanging of gifts. Apart from the small hitch of some of my Christmas shopping being delayed in the post, and hence some people not getting their presents, it was all good.

That is, until I heard the news about the Nigerian terrorist. Until that Boxing Day, I never thought I would hear of a Nigeria attempting a suicide bombing... ever. In fact, for many hours, I was at a gathering of friends and we were all speculating that perhaps the guy was not even a real Nigerian, and was just an imposter posing with a Nigerian passport. Until CNN, Sky News and the BBC released (and keep releasing) further details of who he is and the stories surrounding how he became a terror suspect. I have read countless blogs, articles and commentaries about the story and all the angles, even some wild, crazy speculations. All I can say is, the guy did Nigeria as a nation and all Nigerians no favours at all. It's hard enough trying to shake off the negative images we already have as fraudsters, a corrupt nation, a failed state, etc now we have to deal with the added 'terrorist' tag. I can just imagine how much more difficult it will be for ordinary, decent, honest and hardworking Nigerians to get a visa, or travel around the world. I know how I feel every time I travel around Europe and my passport is given extra attention at immigration desks, and I am subjected to extra scrutiny. This latest incident will only make it worse. Sigh.

So what can I do? As one person, I can only continue to uphold Nigeria's name by showing the rest of the world that one individual's actions cannot and should not define who the rest of us are, as a nation. I will continue to proudly declare that I am a Nigerian, and no, I am not fraudulent, neither do I have any intentions of blowing up airplanes.

Moving on, I am thankful to be alive to see 2009 coming to an end. It really did fly by so quickly! Thankfully, I'm ending the year with many many many reasons to be grateful to God. I've grown older and wiser, learnt many lessons, received tangible and intangible blessings, made new friends, travelled to new places, enjoyed some new experiences and fulfilled some dreams. Yes, it's been a wonderful year.

I'm looking forward to 2010, it looks like it's going to be a very interesting year. Here is wishing everyone a wonderful year 2010! May we spend the year in perfect health, may we move many steps forward in achieving our dreams and may we all be far better people in 2010 than we've ever been. Happy New Year in advance!

Trip Summary and Observations

Hey guys! Hope you've all had a great week and a wonderful start to the year. I think I need something to jolt me back into reality. I've been back from Lagos since last Wednesday but it seems my brain is still in holiday mode. It's been slow to get back into my usual routine, well until yesterday. A friend came to stay the night, so I had to get up and get active.

I've got lots of stuff to do. I feel like I carried over most of my goals from 2008, so I have to step up my gear a bit with accomplishing my targets. I have a few new goals for this year though, one of which is to finally start driving in the UK! Here's hoping I achieve that. I started the process last year but I got distracted towards the end of the year. I also want to take my writing up another notch, aim to finish my first novel this year and start working on a second one. But one thing at a time.... I still have a way to go with catching up on my favourite blogs and entries from the last three weeks, so I'll be back in full mode next week.

I had a great time in Lagos with family and friends. My schedule was really tight so unfortunately I didn't get to meet any bloggers like I did last year. I attended a few sallah parties, two weddings, the Farafina literary event (where I met Chimamanda - yay!!) a friend's bbq, two Christmas parties and organised a get-together with my sisters. Add to that, meeting up with friends, reunions, and a trip to Ghana, all adding up to a busy time. It was lovely though, doing everything in the searing heat of Lagos. As soon as we got off the plane, myself and my fellow passengers didn't waste time in shedding all the coats, sweaters and other layers of clothing. It was a relief to go out of the house without checking the weather report first. I tell you, being back in the cold weather is not fun! Since I got back, I have hardly gone out in the last week, apart from the very necessary trips to the supermarket and post office. Even when I do, I have to wrap up in so many layers. The contrast is so amazing.

Fortunately for me, I didn't have the huge culture shock I experienced in 2007 but sometimes I saw things that struck me as odd about the culture in Nigeria. When I point out something, I get strange looks from people.

One thing that became really obvious to me was the way people in Nigeria regard cars as the ultimate status symbol. I found it strange that in church people give testimonies about how God has just blessed them with a brand new car. Or people count cars as part of their assets, for example, "that man is very rich, he has five cars". Companies also reward their employees with cars as part of their remuneration package. On the roads, scores of new flashy cars abound, and it seemed to me that people would rather drive around a flashy car than eat good food or live in a fine house. Somebody even told me that the kind of car you drive determines the amount of respect you get wherever you go. I found this strange but amusing, because to me, a car is just a vehicle to get you from one place to the other. As long as it works we're good to go. I guess it's a Nigerian thing!

Something else I noticed was when I go into people's houses, the living room is usually very well kept, nicely decorated and tidy. But the kitchen and the loo/bathroom is usually a totally different story! I don't get it. Why would you not want every room in your house to be presentable. It's as if people forget that guests also see other parts of your house, not just your living room. Personally I'm even more particular about my kitchen and bathroom than I am about any other room in the house. But that may just be me.

I was looking forward to attending church again, because I had missed the lively and bubbly praise worship sessions in Pentecostal churches, something I don't get in my church in the UK. But when I went to church I couldn't help but compare the different styles of teachings. After the service I didn't feel inspired or empowered at all. I felt like somebody had just shouted some instructions at me from the bible, with no explanation of how I was supposed to become a better Christian. I felt like I was expected to meet those high standards on my own. I also got the feeling that the leaders of the church carried themselves as if they were a little higher than the members so I could never hope to be one of them unless I attain a certain level of perfection. Now I may be wrong but those were the things that struck me.

Amusingly, I knew what to expect with stuff like making rapid, and I mean rapid telephone calls, NEPA and their frequent power cuts, the traffic in Lagos and the delightful mosquitoes. I just prepared myself mentally before hand. Still, a trip to Nigeria is never without its surprises. I'll talk more about that, and my trip to Ghana in the next post.

Hope you have a really nice weekend.

Happy New Year!

I'm back!

Happy New Year 2009 folks! I'm grateful to God for bringing us through year 2008! It was an interesting year and I look forward to a wonderful and exciting 2009! I pray that we all experience peace, joy, perfect health, success in all our endeavours, realise our goals and draw closer to God in 2009.

I had a great time in Nigeria over the last three weeks, I didn't want it to end! But I was missing hubby so I couldn't stay away forever ;) and I arrived back home last night.

My trip was quite eventful, we even managed to squeeze in a four-day trip to Ghana, which was lovely. I'll get down to writing all about it, and sorting out my photos as soon as I'm settled in. Right now I'm reuniting with hubby and acclimatising to the cold weather again. Sigh, Nigeria was so hot! I had been hearing that this has been the worst winter in recent history and I was so dreading it.

I'll be back with a proper update soon, in the meantime I wish you all a very blessed week, month and year!

New Year Update

Happy 2008 to everyone! Yeah I know it's 10 days late, but who's counting? The important thing is that I'm wishing everyone a very happy, peaceful and fulfilling year. I had a great time over the holiday period and I've been having a great time since the year began. It's only been 10 days but I already have testimonies! God is good for real.

Last Saturday, I went to the Bloggers Party and had a great time. Initially I wasn't sure if I would go, but Writefreak said she and her hubby would be there so I decided to tag along with them. The party was held in a nice bar on the island, but it was quite chilled out as in, everyone could sit down and talk to the next person without shouting. When we got there we met Tayo (playing host), Princesa, Manda, Obi and an anonymous bloke. We introduced ourselves, ordered our drinks and had a nice time chatting and getting to know the people behind the blogs we read online. Soon we were joined by UnNaked, Omohemi Benson, Dscribe and her sister, Babs (of Babs House), Fantasy queen, Omo Alagbede, Tope, Jaycee and two other bloggers that I didn't get to meet. Everyone was really nice and friendly, we all got on very well and the conversation flowed smoothly. We were all rather surprised to discover that UnNaked is actually a very shy person! I was pleased to meet Omohemi and Jaycee because I love their blogs, so it wasn't surprising that I felt as if we were old friends meeting again, not strangers. I got to chat with Dscribe and her friends and we got into a very interesting discussion on relationships. I can't remember the conclusion of the gist now, but it was fun while it lasted. Then we asked her to produce her album quickly so that we can have an album launch and another bloggers get-together! As the winner of 2007's Blogville Idols, she has to do something, don't you think?
I stayed for a few hours, chatted to a few more people and posed for all the flashing cameras. Babs, the nice gentleman agreed to give some of us ladies a lift so I hopped off when he was ready to leave. I was hoping I could meet Overwhelmed but she arrived much later after we had left. Still it was nice meeting everyone there and I hope we can get to do this again sometime. Many thanks to Tayo and Tope for hosting and organising the event. Maybe the London bloggers want to plan a party? I'll be there!

The very next day I attended the engagement ceremony of a high school friend, which was very interesting too. The bride looked absolutely lovely dressed in her aso-oke and everything and you could see that they were both excited to be taking this next step in their relationship. I met some old school pals there and we had fun, dancing in with the bride, taking photographs and all that. People in Nigeria know how to have parties. I was telling my friend that those are the things that keep us from going crazy during the stresses of the week.

I'm making plans to return to the UK now and one of the things I've done is to buy 11 albums of the coolest Nigerian artistes right now. I got Sasha's album and I must say I enjoyed it a lot more than I thought I would! Big props to her, if she continues this way then we would have an international female rap star on our shores. Then I also got Asa's album recently and I was blown away. She's got such an amazing voice, her songs are deceptively simple but they stay with you long after you've finished listening to them. I'll be watching out for her because I think she's got a wonderful gift that you can't help recognising. I've also bought "Plan B", the new Plantation Boys album and a few others that I've been hearing about but haven't had a chance to buy.

I still need to stock up on a few more books and Nollywood movies however. You know a trip to the motherland is not complete until you bring back indomie noodles and nollywood movies! The problem is, there are so many to choose from, it's not even funny. You just have to do a lottery when picking, some will be good, some will be average and some will be silly. But we still love Nollywood.

I hope I can blog again before I leave but if I can't, do stay blessed until I come back again and have a great weekend.

End of 2007

Happy New Year in advance to all the bloggers and readers out there! I hope you had a lovely time at Christmas and you are looking forward to a lot of good things in 2008. It’s my last post in 2007 and I pray that the New Year will be a year of peace, joy and fulfilment for us all. Amen.
I had been unable to blog for a long while because I've been so busy running up and down. And then I came down with a bout of malaria the week before Christmas. It was horrible being ill during that week because I missed out on so many fun events happening around me including a wedding of two of my very good friends.

I had planned to write a completely different post, but in a moment of reflection this morning, I started thinking about the past year. So 2007 has drawn to a close, it proves again how quickly time flies. This year I had many ups and down moments in many aspects of my life. There were times when I felt so close to God and I could feel His love surrounding me on every side. And then there were times that I felt that God was very far away or He was ignoring me. I had times of happiness, hope and peace, and there were also times of utter despair and discouragement. But through it all, God remains faithful. And it is during the frustrating and difficult times that I have grown, and moved up to a higher level in my faith and journey with God.

Still, I have many things to be thankful to God for in 2007. I’m thankful for life, health, my mum’s life, my wonderful hubby, my new career, my family and in-laws, my friends, my experiences and my many answered prayers.

At the beginning of the year I had plans of how I wanted things to turn out but some things have turned out very differently. In some aspects, the course of my life has changed completely. In many ways, I have grown and I’m grateful for that. I feel like I’m in my purpose now and I can move forward confidently, knowing that I’m going in the right direction.

I’m sure that most people have goals, ambitions, aspirations and targets for 2008. I have mine too, some in my spiritual life, some in my career, some in my personal life. I’m realising though that some things are up to me, while some others are totally out of my control. But I’m promising myself that I will do all that I can to achieve the goals I want, and leave the ones I can’t control to God.

Okay enough of my sober reflections; I hope you are all having fun during this festive season. In Nigeria, it is full-on wedding season. I’ve lost count of the number of invitations I’ve received in the last two months, as in they are just too many. Last week, a friend of mine had six weddings in one day and she had to attend all of them. There are several other events happening too, my friends have been dragging me to high school reunions, engagements, house warming parties, cinema trips, concerts etc. I’ve been having a great time though so I’m not complaining. I went for the Sound City Blast Party just before Christmas and I enjoyed myself so much. There is talk of a blogger party happening early in the new year too. I’ll try to attend that because I want to meet some of my favourite bloggers.

I'm still trying to decide if I should go for a watch-night service tonight to usher in the new year, or I should just have a long conversation with God in my room. (It's funny, recently the way I approach prayer changed: it's not a religious ceremony, it's more like a conversation going on in my mind with my Father. It's fun, you should try it!). Whatever you decide to do, I hope you step into 2008 in peace and joy. I know it's going to be a great year!!

Happy Year 2008!!

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!!