Sugabelly 2.0

Occupy Ministers in New York

2012-01-20T09:03:00.002-05:00

This is easily the best Occupy Nigeria related video I've seen all year.

The minister's people were just looking smugly on as if to say, well at least I can go back to my mansion. No conscience at all.

Nigerians are getting bolder about standing up to our corrupt government. This is necessary for every democracy to thrive.

The Nigerian police could learn a lot of lessons from the behaviour of the New York Police officers that were called to the scene.

Prism and Adura Ojo have been amazing blogging about the Occupy Nigeria movement.

Occupy all day ...... for as long as it takes.

New Occupations

2012-01-18T12:31:00.001-05:00

Right after the new year I suffered from major blogging fatigue. (Or more likely In spite of everything that went on in the past two weeks, I felt like I had nothing to blog about.

The NLC strike is over but by all rights the Occupy Nigeria protests should have continued but for GEJ getting his panties in a twist and trying to accuse pissed off Nigerians of treason for daring to criticize him in a democratic country whose constitution supposedly guarantees free speech.

Obviously in his mind peaceful protests are a threat to national security (this is because an unstable terrorist group bent on forcing the entire population to convert to Islam and adopt a draconian, stone age barbaric legal system (sharia) that has murdered thousands of people in the last two years is obviously NOT a threat to national security)

Oh and police who beat up and then shoot unarmed citizens that they are meant to be protecting are NOT a threat to national security either.

Removing a fuel subsidy in order to save money when you haven't asked yourself if you REALLY need ten personal assistants and fourteen special assistants, and three million dollars for FOOD ( by the way Mr. President, what the FUCK are you eating?) is another bright idea from the recesses of our President's obviously ever active mind.

Sha sha, no condition is permanent.

Welcome to the year of the Dragon.

The 10 People You Meet in Nigeria - Part 3

2012-01-02T11:00:00.000-05:00

Who are the people in your neighbourhood? If you live in Nigeria, you probably run into all sorts of characters on a daily basis. Of course, where you live and what your social status is influence the type of crowd you run with, but regardless of where you've been and who you are, if you live or are in Nigeria, sooner or later, you will run into all of the following people.

3. The Ajepako Pastor ( religiosium hungrius )

General Characteristics: Instantly identifiable by his 'jump-up' trousers, over long tie, and 'I swear to God' shoes, the Ajepako pastor always has a battered Bible in hand and is covered in sweat from jumping up and down to get the gospel across and call down Holy Ghost Fire on the never-ending swarm of ‘enemies’ that every Nigerian Christian is guaranteed to have.

Forget flashy cars, and private jets, the Ajepako Pastor’s message is one of righteous suffering. The rich are evil, the poor are good, and never mind that you’re dying of malaria, one day God go make you bigger. The only thing the Ajepako Pastor has in common with his more successful and well fed cousin (The Ajebutter Pastor) is their unified belief that miracles happen on the daily. Got a new job? It’s a miracle! Marriage proposal? It’s a miracle! Broke your leg? Don't worry, that’s a miracle too.

The Gospel might be known as ‘The Good News’ but strangely enough the Ajepako Pastor almost never bears any good news. Blessed with an acute ability to see witches, wizards, curses, and of course, ENEMIES hovering over just about ANYBODY, the Ajepako Pastor is forever binding and casting and conquering, usually with questionable results. Pity he rarely succeeds in conquering his arch enemy: hunger.

9 out of 10 Ajepako Pastors are skinny to an unfortunate degree.

Natural Habitat: Buses - particularly Molue and interstate Luxurious Buses (especially those operated by Ekene Dili Chukwu, ABC, and Ifesinachi), Markets of all kinds, Village churches, and most curiously of all, in close proximity to MTN recharge card stations.

Notable Habits: Super advanced Wizard Radar and the ability to speak in ~~gibberish~~ 'tongues'...

Natural Enemies: The Sisi Eko, The Aristo, and The Ajebutter Pastor

Related to: The Ajebutter Pastor and The Johnny Just Come

5 Years

2012-01-01T09:56:00.001-05:00

On a happier note, today is the 5 Year Anniversary of this blog!!!!!!

I've been blogging on Sugabelly 2.0 for FIVE YEARS non-stop. (not counting little breaks)

Along the way I've made so many online friends and lots of online enemies (heh heh) and all of you have helped me grow and learn and understand myself better through my blog.

364,000 + visits, 617 posts, 5633 comments, and more drama than anyone ought to have.

I think that's pretty cool.

So thank you. (Yes, even those of you that hate me! We're all people with flaws and I love you too ^_^ )

But thank you especially to all the friends and people that care about me that I met online and make being a blogger worth it.

You guys are awesome.

Things I wish ...

2011-12-31T19:55:00.000-05:00

I wish I had somewhere to go.

I have nowhere to go and so I have to stay here.

I wish I could just walk and walk and walk and keep on walking forever

But the pain in my feet, knees and heart means I don't get too far.

I got home and it wasn't there. Nowhere to live. But it stopped being home a long time ago.

I wished I had somewhere to go then too.

I think for the longest time, my safe place was my dorm room. It was just me, and I could close my door, and be alone with my thoughts. At least, for a time, it was mine.

Now I feel as if I have nothing that is my own. I'm just drifting, just floating from place to place with nowhere really to go.

Too poor to get my own place; my own space, no matter how small, really mine.

I hope one day (soon) I'll have a place to truly call my own.

Another sad start to the new year.

Hello 2012... please bring me happiness, love, and peace.

Happy New Year!!!!

2011-12-31T18:05:00.002-05:00

2012
Here's to an absolutely wonderful year!
Love, Sugabelly

Alcohol Dreams

2011-12-26T12:51:00.001-05:00

Last night I went out with Skinny Goat and had way too much to drink. I remember arguing with somebody about something, singing off key, and Skinny Goat kissing me a lot.

That's all I remember, but according to him that's the least of all the things I did that night so I'm sort of not looking forward to entertaining conspiratorial looks from him.

Hopefully I didn't do anything too embarrassing.

Smirnoff Ice is not my friend.

Merry Christmas!!!

2011-12-24T03:50:00.001-05:00

Have fun everyone!!!

Wazobia :: Work in Progress

2011-12-19T19:19:00.000-05:00

It's Igbo from WaZoBia!!

I'm still working on the WaZoBia web comic. For something so short, each page takes a lot of hard work! Just the first page took me a whole day to draw. It's pretty tiring but this is what I've dreamed of doing so I'm not too bothered.

Here's a video of me inking some of the panels below:

Code Name: Skinny Goat

2011-12-14T01:59:00.001-05:00

Love is not my friend.

Not in the very least.

Needless to say, every time I have fallen in love or 'liked someone', it has inevitably ended in disaster.

After everything that happened with HL (Japanese Boy), I just wanted to be by myself. Be by myself and fly on autopilot for as long as I could.

I thought I was going to be sad forever but then here I am.

A month and a half ago, I met Yoruba Boy and every day has been hilarious ever since.

We need to find a code name for him though....

What shall we call him?

I'm suggesting Skinny Goat. a.k.a. SG*

* He once called me Fat Cow and I called him Skinny Goat, and that's where the name came from plus I think it's kinda cute.

My Hair ....

2011-12-12T03:15:00.001-05:00

It's grown!

O gugo.

YouWin

2011-12-11T00:35:00.001-05:00

This pretty much sums it up...

Five December 10s

2011-12-10T08:23:00.001-05:00

No tears today

Just memories.

Rest in Peace, Love, and Happiness

I miss you so very much

Zikora Okafor 

March 6, 1989 - December 10, 2005

Lover of books (especially Sabriel, Lirael, and Abhorsen), magazines, gossip and gist of all kinds

Avoider of Jogging, Sanitation and Morning Duty

Loyola Jesuit College Head Boy 2004/2005

Beloved Friend and Partner in Crime

Commission Done

2011-12-05T00:58:00.001-05:00

And here's the finished commission that I was working on from this post back here.

Please visit his blog here:

theunstarchedcollar.blogspot.com

Dear God...

2011-11-30T01:52:00.001-05:00

May all the children and relatives of every senator, House of Rep member, Minister, Governor, and Local Government Chairman that voted for or supported this bill be gay.

In Jesus' name we pray

Amen

Maybe when their own children are gay they will understand that gay people are just as human as you or me.

Men First???

2011-11-26T11:49:00.001-05:00

We had some guests over from work, two men and a lady. And of course we brought out drinks to serve the guests. About to pour a drink for the lady, suddenly, one of the men quipped "Madam, men first!!!!".

He then went on to say " I know women only drink Fanta so give me the Coke." Completely ignoring what the lady who was offered her pick of the drinks might choose. What if she wanted the Coke?????

To say my jaw almost hit the floor is the understatement of the century. They were not my guests and it was not my house so I said absolutely nothing.

My respect for this man sitting across from me speedily zoomed to about minus fifty million percent.

Please tell me I'm not alone in wanting to slap this boor upside his head. Men first? Since when does having a penis give you the right to RUDELY override the host's chosen order of serving guests and commandeer the refreshments being offered?

What the fuck is wrong with Nigerians? Seriously, Nigerian men can you tell us because I'm sure many of us are burning with curiosity. Is there some sort of secret night meeting that Nigerian men all over the country attend where they are given mind altering drugs that fill them with humongous delusions of entitlement?

Gosh, I still can't get over my disgust.

Excuse me while I go vomit.

Men first..... wow. Just fucking wow. O_O

Come! Come! Come! (And Hopefully Read ^_^ )

2011-11-21T17:32:00.001-05:00

Coming Soon

Yay! ^_^

Nothing Dey Happen

2011-11-14T08:11:00.001-05:00

And that's the summary of my life right now.

Suo Beke | Speak English

2011-11-11T04:20:00.001-05:00

Suo Beke by sugabelly

(Sorry there's some repetition. I don't know what went wrong with the soundcloud player)
Igbo:

Ndi Yanki na kpam amu.

Otue fa na asi madu suo beke na olu, i ga che na a we soso ofu asusu na obodo fa. Nonia, madu si obodo rinne ju Yanki ka aja, mana ndi ocha na su Beke akpachia anya maka fa choro itinye uche na ndi ozo na su asusu ozo.

Ewero asusu obuna ka ocheche Yanki kwe ga bu asusu obodo, mana iweta ka ndi a si a koyeli na Beke bu asusu ocheche obodo fa, na ndi ozo ga sulili ya, na fa choro isuo, ka fa si na Yankee puo, i ga eche na o we ebe fa de na i suro Beke na Yankee, a ga tunye gi na nga.

O di mkpa na ndi na su Beke na Yanki wota na oburo soso fanwa bi obodo a ebi. Na Naijeriya madu na su asusu iche iche rinne ju mana anyi na asopulu asusu onye obuna maka anyi amago na inyocha madu na asusu ya ajoka.

English:

Americans make me laugh.

The way they insist that people speak only English (especially at work ) you'd think English is the only language of America. Meanwhile, people from a lot of different countries live in America but white Americans who speak only English ignore this because they don't care about people who speak other languages.

America has no official language but you should hear them harping on about how English is America's official language, and other people must speak it, and if they don't want to then they should leave America, etc You'd think it was written somewhere that if you don't speak English in America, you'll be put in jail.

It's important for English speakers in America to understand that they're not the only ones who live in the country. In Nigeria, there are lots of people who speak all sorts of different languages, but we respect each person's language because we have come to understand how wrong it is to separate a person from their language.

Twenty One Questions

2011-11-08T08:02:00.000-05:00

A while back I did a post saying I'd answer any questions you guys had and here's what I got. I also had some questions left in my formspring inbox so I thought I'd answer them here.

1. Are you happy?

Yes... mostly. I think I can honestly say now that I am generally happier and more content than I have been in a very long time.

2. Why do you put so much of your private life on your blog?
Because I blog in order to deal with my feelings and stressful situations that I can't emotionally cope with. My therapist things it's great that I have a place to process my feelings and I agree. The fact that other people / the public read my blog is one big coincidence. I primarily blog to keep from losing my mind.

3. As an illustrator would you ever consider doing children's books?
Yes I would!!! ^_^

But the problem is, what if the parents stone me for drawing boobies in their children's books? I think breasts shouldn't be hidden from children but parents these days are so freaking scared of everything (not to mention under the influence of the moralistic hordes of Nigerian society), so I dunno.

4. Do you have a DeviantArt account?
Yep! http://sugabelly.deviantart.com

5. What are you looking forward to?
Paying off all my bills and being debt free!

6. You're an interesting person and a very good artist, do you mind sharing on your blog about how it all started?
Thanks!! ^_^ I started blogging because I needed an outlet for my feelings and emotional / psychological issues and my mother and other people were forever trying to steal my journals so going digital at the time was the obvious way to go. Of course at first absolutely nobody read my blog (that's the way it always is) but by the time people started reading my posts, I was already going through some pretty messed up stuff and needed my blog to cope. I used to draw when I was little and I absolutely loved it, but somewhere along the line I got sucked up in the whole Expectations Placed on a Nigerian Child rubbish coupled with the fact that my mother randomly decided I was going to be a Plastic Surgeon, end of. and came to my school and made me change my subjects from Art to Physics, and Chemistry (which I have NEVER used in my adult life since, so thanks Mom!!), I just stopped drawing. I only picked it up again a year ago, and I haven't looked back since. Drawing rocks. Period.

7. What was your proudest moment?

I honestly think it hasn't happened yet. Or at least I hope it hasn't.

8. If reincarnation was true, who would you like to be born as in your next lifetime?
This is so cliche, but I'd totally want to come back as me. Maybe a seriously prettier me .... with a bigger butt... and wider hips (shallow, yes I know), but as much as I've been (and still am) at odds with myself, when I like me, I think I fucking rock.

9. Without any equivocation, I often enjoy reading your blog.However, I would want you to clear the air on certain issues you mentioned in some of your posts. First, what yardsticks or benchmarks did you use to determine the best school in Nigeria?

I think if a school regularly churns out well-rounded, thinking folks who can hold a decent conversation, come up with decent ideas, and know what they're about then it's a pretty damn good school.

10. Second, don't you think educating Nigerian students about the Biafran war might re-invite hatred and bitterness that we had put behind us as a nation?
Don't you think sweeping it all under the carpet is an insult to the memory of the people who died in the Biafran war? It's extremely important to talk about the secession and the war and examine our issues as a country so that we learn from our past ignorance and start appreciating our differences as Nigerians instead of using them as a platform to launch campaigns of hatred.

11. As traditional igbo culture was a breathtakingly patriarchal one (no inheritance rights for women, primacy of the male in society etc), in focusing on courtesans and footwear are you somewhat whitewashing the oftentimes grim reality of your fore mothers?
Sorry but your information about inheritance rights for women in Igbo culture is wrong. Igbo women have always had inheritance rights. Igbo inheritance is DUAL inheritance not patrilineal inheritance. What this means is that most of what a female child inherits is from their mother and then a limited amount from their father, while most of what a male child inherits is from their father, and then a limited amount from their mother. If you think this system means women end up with less, you'd be surprised. As breadwinners of the family, Igbo women usually had an immense amount of riches to pass on to their daughters while men usually passed on land. Admittedly, there is inequality, in that women weren't getting the same number of opportunities to automatically get land as men, but land can always be bought with money, and since traditionally, Igbo women had the utmost freedom to pursue any kind of business they wanted, there was nothing stopping women from advancing economically in society. Successful women have always been well respected in Igbo society.

Also, courtesans and footwear are still part of our culture, and I think they are equally important so I like to discuss them!

12. You reject western imperialism, racism and white supremacy, yet embrace their god and religion. And as an igbo catholic your religious leader on earth was a member of the hitler youth. Do you see any contradiction in this?
The Pope isn't "my" religious leader. I'm just as likely to start cooking food because he told me to as I am to start thinking women are inferior to men. If he was a member of the hitler youth then that's his (seriously messed up) problem not mine. And I don't "embrace" anything. I was born into this religion and unfortunately once you've been exposed to something you can't unexpose yourself. Once the idea has been planted you can't get rid of it completely without doubt. This is the reason why most people don't change from their birth religion... because it's very hard to accept the new religion without an enormous amount of doubt. That being said, I am very happy for people who follow Nigerian traditional religions and I think more needs to be done to stop Nigerian discrimination against them. There's a national Mosque and a national Church in Abuja, why isn't there a national Shrine? There really needs to be at least a national Ifa Shrine and a national Odinani shrine in Abuja.

13. How come you know Igbo so well as to be able to write a blog to teach the language. Did you ever study Igbo formally apart from just speaking it at home?
I studied Igbo in school in JS1, but aside from speaking it frequently, I study the language independently.

14. In the pictures on your blog, there is aaaalways some sort of food item present in them. Just an observation lol.. Any explanations for this?
Heh heh!!! ^_^ I like Kit Kat and many other yummy things.

15. Let's go on a diet together! I need to loose weight for my retreat in Vegas next month!!!
Yay! Let's!!!

16. Is Sugabelly an artist or a graphic designer?
An artist. I'm not a graphic designer, I'm an illustrator. (And hopefully a mangaka)

17. I know this is probably a stupid question, but how did you come up with your artist's signature? Does it mean anything?
Trial and error. It means Sugabelly. And it's not a dumb question.

18. I wrote you earlier, about your pain, about my being mixed race etc. I just want to know that you are happy. You are wonderful and talented, please be happy....
Thanks for writing me! I love all the emails I get. Even the mean ones. And yes, I'm happy now, so thank you.

19. Hi I found your page while doing research on Yoruba art. Do you have any additionnal infos on the Yoruba Box you show there? Thank you for your help & kind regards Jean
Hi Jean, it's from Hamill Gallery. www.hamillgallery.com

20. Do u still keep in touch with HL? do you know if he was affected by the earthquake in japan?
Unfortunately no. I haven't spoken to him since March of this year. I called him when the earthquake happened and his parents and his grandparents are fine and as far as I know noone he knows was hurt in the quake.

21. What made you smile today?
I made the first page of my graphic novel! I'd been putting it off for ages because I was scared. But I feel happy and like I broke through a barrier that was holding me back so I'm really happy.

Bastard and Proud

2011-11-02T14:22:00.000-04:00

Today I had a disagreement with my aunt who came to visit, and we got into an argument. Not my aunt from the last post, but my other aunt from these posts here and here four years ago.

She called me a bastard and said my mother and I will never amount to anything. Of course I told her that if I was a bastard then her children were equally bastards and many other horrid things ensued.

She then started crying and left my aunt's house for my other aunt's house.

When she called me a bastard I could have easily burst into tears but I didn't. Why? Because I've been called worse before.

In Loyola, in JS1, when asked about my family, I happily and naively told everyone that my Mom was a single parent. What ensued was relentless bullying where people called me a bastard and made cruel barbs about the fact that I lived with only my mother and my father didn't care about me. So, as you can see, this "bastard" thing has been following me around for a very long time. At the time, it hurt me terribly but I've experienced and learned many things since.

I've not only been called a bastard but a slut, stupid, a freak, ugly, fat, etc. In fact, if it's in the book, I've probably heard it once or twice, but in my twenty-two years of life on this planet, I've come to understand that the labels that other people put on you externally have nothing to do with who you are inside.

Whether my personal circumstances fit the description of the English definition of 'bastard' or not, it doesn't change the fact that I like to draw, or that I'm not good at math, that I flap my arms up and down when I'm bored, and I love McVities Shortbread and Peak milk. It doesn't remove my love of Korean historical dramas, Inuyasha, or my hatred of custard.

A rose by any other name is still a rose. The things that people call me are just that - names and labels.

I'm not going to halt my life or stop doing what I want to do because of a name that someone called me. I'm still going to try my best to achieve my dreams, I'm still going to sing badly, be Igbo, and cook terrible food.

And I'm sure as hell still going to fucking draw.

So, a person who thinks that I am going to fall down and my life will grind to a halt simply because they said so obviously doesn't know the first thing about me.

I am who I am.

Bastard and proud.

Portraiture

2011-11-02T03:54:00.001-04:00

I've decided I like doing portraits. There is something very calming and relaxing about drawing a portrait, perhaps because you have to take your time and it can't really be rushed. (Or at least, I can't rush portraits. I'm sure some really amazing artists can.)

But more importantly portraits (especially from life) and figure drawing develop your drawing and observation skills because you have to really see what's there down to the minutiae.

It's an immensely enjoyable process seeing the drawing develop and come to life bit by bit from a pair of eyes, maybe a mouth, a nose or ear here or there to a full face, head, and neck.

Unfortunately, I didn't record this one, but here's a new portrait I did.

This one is a drawing of a drawing, and only for practice. Inspired by this brilliant portrait here.

Commission Portrait Process

2011-10-30T04:32:00.003-04:00

Here's a commission I'm working on.

It's a not-so-serious portrait of a blogger I'm doing for his blog.

I've also got a bunch of other drawings to do for him and everything's due tonight.

In progress

Almost done

And here's a video of the process!

(sorry, I forgot about the camera until I had drawn quite a bit)

Sorry the camera is so shaky. I didn't use a tripod, I was holding the camera in my left hand and drawing with my right.

I Can Haz Employment?

2011-10-27T16:14:00.000-04:00

Woohoo!!! N wetago olu!!!!!!!!!

Ekene dili Chukwu! I got a new job!!!!

After graduating in May and four months of unemployment and serious nail biting, I finally have my first grown up job.

No more subsisting on one eternal bag of lentils!! And best of all, I can finally pay Suliph the $120 I owe her ... once I get paid that is. ^_^

*N wetago olu = I have (now) got a job
** Ekene dili Chukwu = Greetings (as in praise) be to Chukwu ( The Igbo supreme God - colloquially used by Igbo Christians to refer to the Christian God Yahweh )

Give It To Me

2011-10-24T07:39:00.000-04:00

Why do so many Nigerians feel the need to constantly ask others for things they know they shouldn't ask for?

I visited my aunt and while staying with her, her housekeeper asked me to give her my phone! I felt backed into a corner so I told her I was using it and then told my aunt about it. My aunt then called her and shouted at her and now I feel really guilty for telling her about it.

I keep thinking, it was just a simple phone that I don't really use and I have other better phones so why couldn't I give it to her, but at the same time, I think it was really inappropriate in the first place.

I don't know. I'm just left nursing a guilty conscience and feeling like a selfish, greedy brat.

Did I do the wrong thing?

Update: Just to clarify, she didn't ask for my phone because she NEEDED a phone - She already has one.

The phone in question that she asked me for just happens to be a nicer model than the one she has so she just wanted it.

Also, when my aunt asked her about it, she told my aunt that she asked me for it because she wanted to help me sell it. O_o.

Obviously I don't really believe that but even if that was really why she asked me for it, isn't it bizarre to just go about assuming that people want to sell their possessions (without them informing you first)? And even if they wanted to sell their possessions, why would you assume that they are incapable of selling them themselves? I mean, is she some kind of super duper sales agent that we don't know about? The explanation she gave my aunt was all kinds of faulty but I do feel bad about telling my aunt because she got yelled at and I don't want to put her job in jeopardy.

The thing is, my aunt pays her well and it's not like my aunt just pays her something random. When she came to work for my aunt, she sat at the table and my aunt let her negotiate her salary. My aunt asked her what she wanted to be paid and that's what she's paying her plus she gets a lot of freebies/bonuses/extras on top.

I wouldn't have told my aunt if I'd thought about it more but I was just really shocked/surprised by it and I was taken aback and my aunt and I are really close so I just mentioned it to her.