Blowing My Trumpet

I've been tagged (and nagged) by Aloted so I came to update my blog. It was well overdue! Honestly, I've had the urge to blog several times, but I can't seem to find enough hours in the day. And every little creative spark I have at the moment is going towards my professional writing. But anyway, back to the post:

Aloted and NoLimit came up with this idea for us to reflect and think about ten really positive attributes about us. (Here's the link to Aloted's post - here). I thought it was a great idea as Aloted mentioned, somehow we find it easy to remember the negative aspects of our character and we ignore the positives. So this got me thinking... and it was slow at first, but soon I was able to come up with more than ten good things about me.

So here goes:

Adaptable: I find that I can adjust to situations easily. Sometimes the fear of the unknown gets me worried, but once I'm in a situation, I can adjust and adapt easily.

Generous: I'm able to give and share easily. If I have something and someone else is in need, I will give. I actually find it enjoyable to give because I like it when the recipient is happy.  Sharing my stuff comes easy to me too.

Dedicated: I don't commit to things easily, but once I do, there's no going back. I will make sure I see it through to the end. Whether it's a relationship, a project, an idea, etc.

Creative: Of course. I have to be, I was created by an awesomely creative God, lol. I find that the more I express my creativity, the more I get creative ideas. Whether it's in writing, cooking, interior design, problem-solving, or other things, I enjoy coming up with something new and different.

Curious: Not about gossip or other people's business, lol. I have a thirst for life and knowledge. I love to read, to travel, to explore, to experience new things. I love to ask questions about the big issues in life.

Optimistic: I like to see things in a positive light. I function better when I'm positive about the outcomes of any task. I'm drawn towards happy, good, positive things. I like to dream big and hope for the best all the time. I can't stand negativity, it drags me down.

Loyal: I just am. I haven't got many friends, but I am very loyal to the ones I have. I don't think it's fair to betray anyone, much less someone that considers you a friend.

Thoughtful: I consider all angles before I speak or act. I don't like to feel that I acted rashly or unfairly towards anyone, so I go out of my way to avoid that. If it was unavoidable or unintentional, I always apologise.

Team-Player: I can work very well in a team. I like to share tasks, do my part and make sure that everyone else is doing their part too. I will happily offer to help out other members so that the whole team achieves its goals.

Gentle: I'm usually calm and gentle, not a lot stresses me out. I don't like aggression or drama so I stay well away from it. I like my peace of mind too much to go looking for trouble.

There we are! I really enjoyed doing this, actually. I should recall this post from time to time, when I'm tempted to beat myself up.

So to share this, I would like to tag:  Doll, Jaycee, Lara Daniels, Just Doyin, Believer, Vera, Simeone, Yellow Sisi, Shorty, Just Joxy, Enybee, Jhazmyn, ... okay, EVERYONE who has commented on my blog this year!

Stay blessed and favoured!

FG

Need to Compare?

It's almost December! Around this time, I start getting worried because the year is almost over and it seems like I haven't done half of all the things I set out to achieve in January. I would hope that every month so far has been productive. Maybe some more than others. Then you think- how am I going to really make this year count before 31st of December? But ultimately, I'm thankful to God for keeping me alive, giving me a purpose, and allowing me to grow older and wiser everyday.

Have you ever felt that compared with "everyone else" around you, your own circumstances are the worst? Do you have thoughts like "all my mates have achieved this, done that, have this or have that"? I'm now exploring this phenomenum of measuring myself with another person's yard stick. Where does it come from? Is it parents, peer pressure, the society as a whole or just my own unrealistic expectations?

It's probably a mixture of all four. On one hand, it drives me to want to achieve more and more (sort of like healthy competition) to ensure that I can boast too, but on the other hand, it makes me think "What's the point? That person just had better opportunities than I have". Like when you hear of your classmate in uni who is now a millionaire, or your friend from high school now running her own fashion empire. You are happy for them of course, but you also compare yourself and you end up feeling very small.

I think it starts when we still are young. You are put in a classroom with 15 or so other 3-year olds. There you are expected to all be at the same level, grow at the same speed and learn at the same pace. If for any reason you don't keep up with the rest of the class, then there's a problem with you. This pattern continues throughout life. You want the latest toys because "everybody has one". You want to wear a certain item of clothing because "that's what all the other kids are wearing". You want to feel like you are similar to everyone. You find yourself constantly looking around and checking to see if you are ahead or behind of your peers. Then you grow up and suddenly you realise that some things are outside your control. Your career is progressing very slowly meanwhile your mates have soared far ahead. Or your mates are getting engaged, married, and launching babies while you are still single. Or your friend has just bought a new flat, while you are still renting or living at home. It all adds up to a perfect recipe for frustration.

But why do we compare? Are we all given the same opportunities? Did God give us the same talents? Do we have the same circumstances? Do we all have the same goals? Do we have the same experiences or backgrounds? No, no, no and no. We don't even have the same genes!

So I've decided, from now on, I'm not going to compare myself with anyone else. I am me. I am unique. We all have our time and purpose to fulfil on earth. My time and purpose is not dependent on other people. Only God is in full control. And only God will I give the ability to push me forward.

Have a good week and a blessed month of December!

PS: It's my sister's birthday today! Happy birthday darling! xxx


Image credit: plmtwine.com

Achilles' Heel

Hi folks! It's been a minute on this blog. I've been doing a lot of work and writing behind the scenes, updating my JDTA blog, writing short stories for magazines and working on our fiction series blog too, so I've allowed this blog to slide a bit. But rest assured, I'm doing great! Thanks to my friends who checked on me - I appreciate you guys!

So what's going on Blogville? I can't believe it's November already! For real, when was it June? Summer is now well and truly over, the days are getting shorter while the nights are getting longer, Christmas adverts are already appearing on TV, and I've had to start taking stock of the happenings of 2010. Soon, we would be making plans to welcome 2011 and then 2012... In everything, I can't complain because I've been experiencing God's blessings and favour throughout the year.

It's been a busy time for me in the last two months. Apart from writing, I've had my family coming over, been taking driving lessons, and generally moving into a new phase of my life. I've also been catching up on my reading, as I've got so many books on my to-read list, it's unbelievable. But I still can't stop myself from buying more! In the last month, I've read The Book Thief by Markus Zusak (this was quite a strange book, very different from what I would usually pick up, but it was a very good read nonetheless), The Boy Next Door by Irene Sabatini (I quite enjoyed reading this love story woven around the politics of Zimbabwe), and  Love at Dawn by Lara Daniels (a tale of love, forgiveness and redemption which I thoroughly enjoyed reading) and I'm looking forward to a couple more before the end of the year.

Ever since I saw the movie Troy, I've been fascinated with the main characters in the story, especially Achilles. He was the great hero of the Trojan War and apparently when he was a baby his mother dipped him into a river which made him invincible except for his heel. According to Greek mythology, Achilles grew to become a great warrior and no one could stop him until Paris, a prince of Troy managed to shoot an arrow into his heel. Thus the phrase "Achilles heel" came to mean a weakness or flaw that can lead to a person's downfall in spite of his overall strength. 

This story makes me think that we all have a weakness that can potentially lead to our downfall if we don't deal with it. I can think of many great men who have been destroyed by their lack of self-control when it comes to women. Some people have ended up in prison because of their greed for money. Some people have committed atrocious acts because of anger. And the list goes on. It may seem like it's not a big deal, and just overlook a small flaw in ourselves, but we do need to be careful. I know that I have my weaknesses too, and I have to constantly ask God for grace to overcome them. It can be all too easy to let one thing get out of hand, until we lose control and succumb to negative desires.

If you are struggling with some temptations or something that goes against your principles, please don't ignore it or hope it would go away by itself. You have to take steps to make sure you don't fall. For example, if you know your married boss at work is showing inappropriate interest in you, it would certainly not be wise to go on a dinner date with him. Do what you can to remove yourself from such sticky situations! One little slip of judgement could be all it takes, and before you know it, you are involved in an affair.

Oh well, that's enough sermonising for now, lol. Do head over to our series blog for some news on the In My Dreams It Was Simpler Story and the latest installment. Yours truly is writing this week and I promise it will be a worthy read! 

Make sure you have a very relaxing weekend!

FG

Musing and Rambling

Excuse me if this post is a bit all over the place.

I've had a couple of inspiring weeks, both spiritually and professionally.

Spiritually, I'm grateful to God for the many lessons I've learnt in the past year. If I was to write them all down... it would take too long. Okay, I guess I could share a few....

Since I left my job, I gave up my income, so I've had to learn to depend on hubby financially. That was one huge step for me because I was brought up to think I should never rely on a man to provide for me. I think God needed to teach me this lesson because earning my own income made me proud (not in a good way), such that I could give hubby attitude if he wanted to know what I was doing with my income. I also felt like I didn't need him to agree with me regarding any purchases I made, afterall it was my money, not his! Now I'm a lot wiser and calmer, I'm also less wasteful, realising that I don't need to buy everything the fashion mags are throwing in my face. I'm also learning to be humble because I've made the mental shift from thinking "it's my money" to "it's our money".

I like the way God uses the mistakes I make and turns them around for my own good. Several times I've been kicking myself for making a wrong move, and then a couple of days later, I realise that the mistake I made was actually a good thing!

I've been learning to trust and rely on God every step of the way. I've had to pray that God should help me to be better organised with my time (and stop procrastinating). I think I'm a lot better at managing my time now unlike in 2007 when I was swimming in oceans of time without structure, and still not managing to be productive.

God has been helping me with good ideas, inspiration, meeting the right people, organising my work, prioritising my projects, etc. I think it was a great idea to make Him my CEO. lol

Professionally, I've been attending a few literary events at the Southbank Centre since the beginning of the month. So far I've attended three book readings including the Booker Prize reading, a Book Club discussing Sadie Jones' "The Outcast" and a creative writing class on blogging. I've learnt a lot, and got some great ideas for my work. I've also met some really nice people that I intend to keep in touch with.

I'm considering the idea of getting rid of my anonymity. I know a lot of people know who I am but I have still managed to cling to the idea that I'm still an anonymous blogger. Hmmm.

Enjoy the rest of the weekend!

Never a Bridesmaid

I've just read Vera's current post and it occured to me that I've never been a bridesmaid too! Ever! I guess that's because I was a bride first.... hmmm....but there's no rule that says married ladies can't be bridesmaids is there?

So instead of "always a bridesmaid, never a bride", my own issue is quite the opposite - I've been the bride, never the bridesmaid!

I know there's a lot of stress involved, there are outfits to buy, accesories to coordinate, a bridezilla to deal with, a bridal shower to plan and all that, but I want to experience it all, at least once!

Okay I need to do something quickly to rectify this... let me start contacting all my friends getting married in the next few months. Then I need to start praying for my other single friends to meet their husbands really soon so I can be asked to be a bridesmaid.

Ok, I'm off to do just that.

I'll be right back.

Mixed Gists

How's it going bloggers and readers? I hope you've had a great week, whether you've been at work or at school battling the approaching deadlines. Even if it hasn't been a particularly good one, at least it's over now and you can look forward to a happier, relaxing weekend. Plan something fun for yourself, or just unwind with your favourite pleasures - whether that is shoe shopping, a tub of ice-cream or a good book.

I've had quite an eventful week, starting last valentine weekend. Hubby and I usually go out for dinner on valentine's day but this time we decided to stay in instead. In the morning, we exchanged gifts, cards and kisses -and in the evening, I made us a nice home-cooked three course meal. Hubby loved it a lot and said my cooking was better than any restaurant meal he had eaten! That's great, cos that means I'll experiment a bit more and surprise him with another fancy meal soon. So that's how I spent my valentine's day and I couldn't have wished for anything better :)

I got back into the swing of things with my writing this week and made progress which I'm pleased about. I still feel like I'm going much slower than I want to so I've set myself a deadline of March 30th to finish the first draft of my novel. (By God's Grace!) There, now that I've put that date on this blog, I hope I'll have the added incentive to accomplish it!


I've been missing my baby sister all week. (She's not really a baby anymore, but I'm four years older than her - so even when she's 60 she'll still be my little sister). I really need to give her a call soon, I've run out of excuses and yahoo messenger just doesn't cut it anymore. Besides, I have this feeling that she needs to talk to me, just as much as I need to talk to her. Isn't it funny when you call someone for no reason, there's usually something important happening in their lives that they need to tell you?

Something else came up this week, hubby got a new job - yay! I'm really proud of him and thrilled with his progress. This new job is based in London though - so- you guessed it! We might have to move back into London soon. Now, me and London have a funny love/hate relationship. I moved out of London in 2004 and have quite happily settled into a cosy arrangement where I visit London once in a while to do what I need but don't have to deal with all the hassle of living there. It's a useful place - lots of friends and family live there, I can get access to Nigerian food shops, my writing class and most networking events happen in Central London, I used to work there, etc etc. But there are downsides too, which I'm not looking forward to. Anyway we'll see how it goes. Hubby doesn't start the job until the end of April so we've got time to sort ourselves out. Time enough for me to get over my reservations.

I'm planning to have a quiet and productive weekend, fingers crossed! I'm reading a book at the moment, The Evidence Against Her which is something very different from what I usually read, but it's interesting and I hope I learn lots of useful stuff from it. Have a great weekend too, whatever you do!

Random Things About Me

I got tagged to write this note on facebook - 25 things about me - so I'm putting them up here as well. Enjoy!

1) I’m very shy and quiet when I’m in a crowd of unfamiliar people. But with my close friends, I’m playful and talkative.

2) I process information for 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 be thinking of an alternative ending to the story 2 months later.

3) 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, birthday cards from three years ago and more.

4) I would rather spend money on experiences like travelling, enjoying good food, going to see plays and shows than buying stuff. I think life is for living, not for accumulating material things that only depreciate. For example, I would rather spend £2000 on a nice holiday than on the latest “IT” bag.

5) I love listening to music. Even when I'm working, I have to have some kind of music playing in the background, or in my head. Can't stand absolute silence.

6) I learn songs quickly. I can hear a song twice and learn all the lyrics off by heart. Sometimes this is good, because people are 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.

7) I try to avoid getting addicted to anything. When I realise I have started liking something too much, I stop doing it immediately.

8) I have a terrible sweet tooth. I love things like ice-cream, chocolates, yoghurt hmmmm.... Never put me and cake alone in the same room.

9) I am a night owl by nature. That explains why I’m awake at 2.43am typing this. That also explains why I hated the 9 – 5 work routine.

10) I recently cut all my hair and decided to start over. I realised perms and weaves don’t work for me.

11) I can be so disorganised, procrastinating with work even when I have deadlines fast approaching.

12) I have a very low boredom threshold. (I’m already getting tired of this meme).

13) I am very loyal to the people I really care about.

14) I have just started learning how to drive. Hey, better late than never!

15) I admire naturally fashionable and stylish people but I’m quite clueless with throwing things together and coming up with a striking outfit. Who can help a sister out?

16) I love reading books and magazines. My dream holiday would be: sun, sand, sea and a heap of good reading material.

17) I'm very indecisive but I can be very stubborn once I’ve made up my mind.

18) I absolutely hate feeling guilty. I would go out of my way to avoid upsetting anyone, and if I have then I’ll apologise at once.

19) The worst thing a person can do is to betray my trust.

20) I’m not really a TV person. I don’t watch many shows because they require commitment to follow. And I don’t like watching the news; most of it is depressing stuff anyway.

21) I’m obsessed with my kitchen and bathroom. I don’t care much if every other room in the house is untidy but I can’t stand a dirty kitchen or bathroom.

22) I like cooking and trying new recipes. Dear hubby gets to eat all my experiments – good or bad ;)

23) I usually spend ages brushing my teeth, often more than thirty minutes. (Totally random, yeah?) Well, actually that’s because I’m daydreaming at the same time.

24) I love photography – just haven’t found the time and commitment to focus on it.

25) I love God and I’m complete in Him.

I thought I should throw in a few extras:

26) I love travelling! I love the planning, the anticipation, and the excitement of discovering a new place, a new culture, trying new food, etc! And I love taking photographs and collecting souvenirs. *Sigh* If I could get a job as a travel writer, that would be just perfect.

27) I love seafood - give me shrimp, prawns, mussells, squid, scallops etc over chicken or beef any day. When I eat out I check for seafood on the menu first.

28) I'm a gadget girl. I love getting a new gadget and getting to grips with it, reading the instruction manual and what not.

29) I really want to learn a foreign language - French, Spanish and Italian top my list.

30) I'm still not sure if I want to have kids..... Oops, did I just type that, the in-laws mustn't read this...


YOU'VE BEEN TAGGED IF YOU READ THIS!!

Funny News - Blogger Plant

Hi everyone! I've been MIA from blogville for a while. I'll be back soon to do a proper update. I just want to put up this story that I stumbled on today from the Telegraph news site:


Blogging plant posts daily news on its mood

A potted plant that posts daily news on its mood and health is believed to be the world's first botanical blogger.

Midori-san, which lives on the counter of a Japanese café, writes regular updates with the help of sensors attached to its leaves.

The detectors pick up electronic signals on the surface of the plant, which responds to light and human touch.

The data is then combined with weather and temperature information and translated into chatty blog posts using a computer algorithm.

"Today was a sunny day and I was able to sunbathe a lot... I had quite a bit of fun today," it wrote on October 16 from its cafe in Kamakura, near Tokyo.

A more recent entry was less perky: "It was cloudy today. It was a cold day."

Satoshi Kuribayashi, part of the team at Keio University behind the project, said that the aim was to reveal something of the hidden internal world of plants.

"We were initially interested in what plants are feeling and what they are reacting to where we can't see," he said.

Midori-san is a hoya kerrii, which are more commonly called "sweetheart plants" because of their heart-shaped leaves.

It joins a blogosphere that is thought to have several hundred million members across the world. More blog posts are written in Japanese than either Chinese or English, according to a 2007 study.




Interesting stuff! lol If you can read Japanese, check out the blog here: http://plant.bowls-cafe.jp/index.php

Have a great evening!

Totally Random

This is dedicated to the one I love.

Thank you Mr Leo Sayer.

It's midnight. I'm sitting down on my bed. Utterly bored, yet restless. I have lots of things to say but I'm feeling too lazy to write. I'm too awake to go to bed thanks to several cups of tea. I'm tired of the conversation I'm having with a friend on yahoo messenger. I decide to blog but I've been staring at the screen in frustration for twenty seven minutes. I give up and try listening to music instead. This song by Leo Sayer come on. "Dedicated to the one I love". Hmmmm.

The one I love is sleeping beside me. I'm reminded of one of our dates in February 2003. Valentine's day. We had been quarrelling three days before. I've forgotten what the argument was about. It doesn't matter anymore, maybe it never did. I still love him though.

Another song comes up: "Clubbin" by Marques Houston. This song reminds me of my days as a student. Days of hanging out with my friends. It reminds me of going clubbing on the night after exams. And those wonderful summer barbecues, that turn to house parties that go on till 2.00 in the morning.

"Unfaithful" by Rihanna comes up. Even though it's a fairly recent song, it makes me think of my teenage years. It reminds me of complicated love triangles.

Another song come up....

Gosh I'm soooo bored! And I'm in need of inspiration. Can anyone help?

This is the most random post ever! I wonder if it even makes sense? I don't know jo, I'll post it like that. I blame writer's block.

I Need a Wife

Yes I'm female and I'm married to a guy, excuse the tongue-in-cheek title. I've got so many things going on in my mind and I couldn't decide what to talk about. So I just decided to write whatever popped into my head today.

One day I popped into my local WHSmith and picked up a writers magazine. In it there was an article talking about how writers face time management issues with structuring their work around other daily activities, especially if they are full time writers and don't have the structure of the 9 - 5 routine. The article included a survey of writers, a mixture of both men and women, and the responses they gave. The majority of the male writers said that they had no time management problems as such, they just got up from bed in the morning, had breakfast and then went to their study to get on with work. The female writers seemed to have a more complicated day however. One of them said she has to get up, make breakfast for everyone, get the kids bathed, dressed and ready for school, go and drop the kids off, come back home, clear away the breakfast plates, do the washing up, sort out the laundry, and plan what to cook for lunch before she starts her writing for the day. She might need to also do some shopping to stock up the fridge. In the afternoon, she has to prepare lunch, pick the kids up from school, feed them, supervise them and play with them, or find something to engage them while she works. When dinner time comes around, she has to cook for the family and clear up before returning to her work. It's much harder for a female to work from home where there are a myriad of tasks that keep distracting her from her work.

The writer of the article commented that it must be nice to be a man and have a woman in your life to do all the domestic stuff for you while you just get on with your job. Somebody has to look after the home whether one or both parties are working. Nowadays there are some men who don't mind helping the woman out in the home sometimes, but it's still not automatically a shared responsibility. That got me daydreaming about how nice it must be to have someone who looks after me while I spend hours in my study writing.

(Daydreaming) I would like to wake up in the morning and my breakfast is ready for me on the table. My study has been cleaned, my clothes are washed, ironed and ready for me to wear to work. After breakfast I disappear into my study to write for hours on end and I don't come out until lunch time. When I finish working for the day, my dinner is on the table and I can just relax and watch TV. The children are tucked into bed and I go to wish them goodnight. My own bed is neatly laid when I go to sleep and when I wake up in the morning, the cycle continues. (End of daydream).

Unfortunately life doesn't work that way! For most working women, many of us have to juggle our jobs and careers with housework, whether we are single, living with parents, or married. And house chores have to be done - there is no getting away from them. I can understand why many women back in Nigeria have to get maids to help them with the housework and nannies to help with looking after young children. Personally, I don't think I would ever get a maid, because these things tend to become complicated, but once in a while I feel like I wouldn't mind having a wife to do my cooking and cleaning, to look after the kids and make sure that my home runs smoothly, while I sit in my study to write. It's nice to imagine.... LOL.

In other news, the Caine Prize Award 2008 was held last week. The shortlist was as follows:

Mohammed Naseehu Ali (Ghana) ‘Mallam Sile’, from ‘The Prophet of Zongo’
Henrietta Rose-Innes from South Africa ‘Poison’ from ‘Africa Pens’
Stanley Onjezani Kenani (Malawi) ‘For Honour’ from ‘African Pens’
Gill Schierhout (South Africa) ‘The Day of the Surgical Colloquium’ from ‘African Pens'
Uzor Maxim Uzoatu (Nigeria) ‘ Cemetery of Life ’ from ‘Wasafiri’ No52

And the winner was: Henrietta Rose-Innes from South Africa, with her story ‘Poison’ from ‘Africa Pens’. If you want to read any of the shortlisted stories, there are links on Molara Wood's blog: here

Meanwhile I need to go and check out Blogville Idols, seems like I'm missing out on all the fun and excitement going on. Hope you are having a great weekend!

"Phone-versation"

I've been quite busy in the last week, hardly doing anything apart from going to work, attending my classes and a bit of writing here and there. I'm looking forward to something to break the monotony. Maybe a party, a holiday or some great news. Fingers crossed...

I was in a taxi the other day and the driver received a call on his mobile. He's not allowed to put the phone to his ear whilst driving, so he put the call on speakerphone and the following conversation ensued:

Cab Driver: Hello?

(There was this very excited female voice on the other end)

Excited Voice: Hi Rob! Guess what night it is!

Cab Driver: It's Friday night. Does that mean it's my turn to buy the coffee and donuts?

Excited Voice: No! It's Donald's turn. But that's not why I'm calling!

Cab Driver: Ok, so what's the reason for your call?

Excited Voice: I asked you to guess what night it is!

Cab Driver: I don't know, you tell me.

Excited Voice: It's Traffic Light Night!!!!!

(At this point I was curious too and I listened with interest)

Cab driver: What's that then?

Excited Voice: You know, Red, Amber, Green!

Cab Driver: That's good, so you know your traffic lights.

Excited Voice: No, it's for the party tonight!

Cab Driver: Oh the party?

Excited Voice: Yeah, it's the dress code! You wear Green if you are on the pull and you are hoping to meet someone, Amber is if you are not sure but you are open to offers and Red is a definite No, No, No!

(I'm thinking this is fascinating)

Cab Driver: Oh right, so what time does the party start?

Excited Voice: It starts at 10 o'clock. All of us are going, so are you coming?

Cab Driver: I'm still on the beat, but I'll finish in an hour.

Excited Voice: Great! We'll be at the bar. So what will you be wearing?

Cab Driver: I don't know yet, but I'll go home and get changed and meet you there. Just make sure there's coffee and donuts.

Excited Voice: Okay!! Byeeee!!

LOL! I thought that dress code is a brilliant idea. I repeated the conversation to hubby and after we had a laugh over it, he said if he got an invitation to that party, he would wear green just to confuse people. I said I would turn up in Amber. I think some guys would go for the girls wearing Red just for the challenge....

Hope you enjoy the rest of your week!

Question?

I log into MSN Messenger this morning. A friend is online and he says hello. The conversation goes:

Friend: hello
Me: hi
Friend: I heard Shola is going to Naij for a year
Me: yes she's going for NYSC
Friend: are you not going?
Me: no, it's not on the books right now
Friend: when are you getting pregnant?
Me: WHAT?!

Now Saner

Okay I wrote that previous post in a moment of intense frustration. Although I am dealing with different emotions right now.
I had been having a good weekend. On Friday I took the day off from work. I had to go and see the doctor to check all was well. He said a few things - nothing too alarming- and said I should come back next week for a blood test and a scan. So that went well. After that I went for a spot of retail therapy, there's nothing like a pair of shoes to make you feel better! Met up with hubby when he finished from work. We went to see Spiderman 3 in the evening. It was alright, not bad at all though not as cool as Spiderman 2.
Yesterday, we woke up early as hubby was travelling to Lagos in the evening. He was looking forward to this trip because he hasn't been back to Nigeria for more than 10 years! When he told me he wanted to go, I was pleased. In fact I was alright throughout the day, even seeing him off to the airport happily. Only when it was 5 minutes before he had to leave that I started feeling sad and I almost cried. He's only going for 5 days but I'm going to miss him so much. But as I left hubby at the airport, my dad called me to say he was around for a week. I told him I'll call him later. Got home and didn't go to bed until 3.00am. My bed was half empty :(
I was woken up this morning with a call from hubby to say he had arrived safely and already having fun. I wanted to tell him I was missing him but decided not to. Didn't want to spoil his mood. Later called my dad and we spoke for over an hour, just talking about different things. I told him I was fed up with my career as an accountant and I wasn't cut out to work in an office for the rest of my life. Surprisingly, he seemed fine with it! He even said I should start writing my book right away, that he wants to read the first two chapters before he leaves next week! He said he would be happy to help me if I needed anything. Thanks for your support dad - that means so much to me.

I just spoke to one of my best friends now. He has been having a rough time lately with his relationship. Now he told me that he and the girl had broken up during the week. I had known they were having problems, but I never really thought they would break up after all this time. I feel so bad now, even though it's not my fault. I just feel bad for them.

The weather is rather grey and gloomy, matching my mood. I'm going to find something to do to cheer myself up. Maybe I'll listen to my old Destiny's Child tunes, they always used to cheer me up before!

Today's Rant

Today I'm dealing with a cocktail of different emotions. I am very happy. But I'm also upset because I feel I still have limitations on my life. Who can feel happy when you are placed under restrictions? Why is there no way out? I need to let go of the ridiculous weight of expectations around me. Why should I be labelled? I am a unique person, why should I fit into another person's mould? When will I be free to express myself as I am designed to? Why do I have to succumb to cultural demands? Why should I act as "normal" as everyone around me? Who defines what is normal anyway? Who is really in control of my life and my circumstances? Who sees into the innermost corridors of my heart? Who should be predicting what I should do next? Who should understand my deepest desires? What about what I want? When will I really really be FREE...

I'll be right back.

Random Gists

I had a great Easter break, it went too quickly! I had time to rest, chill out with hubby, tidy up my house, and attend my dad's birthday party on Monday. I wish we had more 4-day weeks like that. I remember Easter three years ago, when "The Passion of the Christ" was in the cinemas and everyone was talking about it. Had a chance to see it again this time and it was still very moving. Well now the Easter break is over, and I've had to resume back at work. My department is drowning in paperwork at the moment, all the Easter eggs in the supermarkets are half-price, and the Easter cards have been removed from the card shops... lol.

Help me o, fellow bloggers, I'm dismayed. I was at a family get-together last week and everyone was saying that I look like "I'm enjoying married life" which just really means I've put on some weight. What! With all my healthy eating and brisk walking, it seems I'm fighting a losing battle. What more can I do..................???

I had popped into Sainsbury's after work to pick up a few items. I got to the till and I was supposed to pay about £17 for my items. When the cashier swiped my Nectar card, he told me I had accumulated some points and asked, Would I would like some money off my shopping? Who would say no? He did the maths and I ended up paying less than £5 for my stuff! I was so excited because I had been having a boring day and that cheered me up considerably!

Recently my mum has been making funny comments about babies. She has even been advising me on the best methods to concieve! It would be funny if it wasn't so mortifying. I've told her to calm down. I guess she is just so keen to become a grandmother. She is not thinking that babies cost money and effort to look after.

Sometimes don't you just think that fulfilment eludes us on purpose? I have a friend who had been working in a bank for about a year. She told me that she felt there were not enough opportunities for progress there. So she left and got a job at a different bank. Three months down the line, she's even more unhappy because the new job is very boring. That's life, the grass always looks greener on the other side. So how do we find real fulfilment and contentment?

Let me stop rambling on and on for now. I need to go and reformulate my lose-weight-and-get-fit plan. I'll be back to browse blogs. Blogging takes up so much of my online time. Anyways, enjoy the rest of your week.

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

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.

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