Purpose Driven Blog

Waiting on God...

2012-02-08T18:00:00.000Z

I have been meaning to blog about this particular topic for a while now but when I got the opportunity to be a guest blogger at the latest blogsville mum's blog- Chichi of From Now Till I Do I thought it would be an apt post to do there.

Thank you Chichi for having me. :)

Here's an excerpt-

source

Some time ago, I was in the midst of a group of ladies and the conversation steered towards waiting and how hard it is to wait for anything.

Someone now asked the question- “which is easier- to wait on God for a husband or a baby?” A single lady in the group quickly shouted “Oh it is definitely harder to wait for a husband than a baby; at least a married woman has one out of the two- a husband, while singles have neither”. One married woman shook her head and said “hmm I think it is harder waiting for a baby, at least there are plenty single men around and you can easily pick one to marry, but when you don’t have a baby everyone especially your in-laws start staring at you wondering why you don’t have a child”. Another single person chipped in- “well you can adopt a baby not a husband or do IVF”. The argument kept going back at forth with everyone trying to defend their corner as they deemed fit. I sat there listening, not contributing, considering I have a husband and a daughter and didn’t think my opinion mattered anyway....

Please head over to Chichi's blog to read the full post. Cheers.

My first homemade green smoothie

2012-02-03T10:18:00.000Z

So Natural Nigerian always talks about eating healthy on her blog amongst other things. I love anything relating to healthy living but I must confess I am not completely there. I still drink coca cola on &off despite my resolution to stop and I don’t drink as much water as I should. Anyway, NN posted a liquidised veg and fruit recipe on her blog which I decided to try out. To be honest the idea of drinking vegetable didn’t sound appealing to me but another part of me was curious and intrigued.

So I got my ingredients- some green grapes, a green apple and spinach.

I washed and threw all into my dedicated blender for smoothies (which I have only made once, actually my sister did when she was visiting from the states a few years ago, SMH for myself).

I added a little water and blended the mix- looked like green gooey. lol!

I poured into my cup. (Sorry not so clear photos)

At this point I confess I was scared to taste the gooey mix… but then I took the first sip… OMG.. It was de-li-cious!!! I kid you not… ! I took the second sip- yummmm. Princess was already asking for some so I gave her in a mug. She was gulping it, saying " hmm yummy" lol. The apple and the grapes downplayed the taste of the spinach which totally helped. My only issue was I didn’t like the feel of the apple skin in my mouth so decided to sieve the drink!

Much better!!! The quantity reduced drastically and I probably lost some nutrients doing this but oh well... I gulped my tasty drink down. NN has a vitamix so her fruits including skin blend smoothly, lucky her! Next time I think I would just peel my apple. I was going to make more the next day but um Baale and Princess have chopped my grapes finish. So back to the market to get some more grapes.

This drink is full of nutrients (according to NN- "antioxidants, chlorophyll, phytonutrients, fibre, Vitamins A, C, K, E, B1, B6, Manganese, potassium and much more!") and it is lip-smacking, what more do you need? Seriously, you guys should try it out; your lives will never remain the same again :)

Now to some interesting news

We are giving away two powerful books on the soulsistas blog. Do check it out as it ends Feb 12.
We are also running a love chronicles series in the month of Feb. We have lined up some guest bloggers to tell us about their love stories and their marriages. It was kicked off by Gbemisoke on Wednesday. This is one series you don’t want to miss.

God bless people!

Managing my time

2012-01-19T21:50:00.000Z

source

I won’t necessarily call myself a procrastinator, but nowadays I have been procrastinating on doing things I need to do more often than not. Sometimes I feel so overwhelmed that I have a lot on my plate but then I end up spending my time on unimportant things. So this is a call to action. I need to:

· Curb time stealer activities such as:

§ Watching TV bye bye judge judy

§ Facebook/twitter - actually I am not as frequent on Facebook & twitter as I used to be but still doesn’t hurt to reduce my time on these social sites even further.

§ Sleep- now this one is going to be the hardest because I love my sleep!!! Guys, any tips on how to get out of bed early? I was thinking about going to bed earlier but psychologically I see it as “yay more time in bed”. Sigh. I need help seriously

§ Blackberry chatting- apart from normal chatting, I am active on three bb groups. Go figure.

· To help me actually do stuff I need to do I will-

§ Keep doing a to do list- outline what I need to do daily in order of priority and DO THEM.

§ Firm up my routine, and stick to it.

§ Eliminate distractions - switch phone off, switch internet off except it is needed for the work I need to do

§ Set reminders on my phone - I normally do this, just need to continue

§ Do ~~one~~ some task then reward myself with some play time e.g. browse online aimlessly, bb chatting or maybe TV

§ Remind my self that I don’t have to catch every ball thrown at me.

§ Delegate where I can- to Baale, my help, ~~princess~~ and friends.

How do you manage your time? I would love to know, maybe I can learn a thing or two and add to my list! :)

I am still selling the Figurine DVD, contact me on aloted@yahoo.com if you are in the UK and would like a copy.

"The Figurine" movie is now on DVD...

2012-01-10T14:15:00.001Z

This post would most likely interest African readers of this blog based in the UK-

So I got a small contract to sell the award winning movie "The Figurine".. Woo hoo!!! So far so good, thank God for that. Apparently a lot of people have been waiting for it to come out on DVD, so that is helping it "move".

If you haven't heard of this Nigerian movie, please check http://www.figurinemovie.com/. The story is about two guys and a girl – all down on their luck, whose lives are suddenly changed for the better after one of them discovers ‘Araromire‘; a mysterious figurine in an abandoned shrine which according to ancient legend grants seven years of good luck (pun intended) to any one who touches it. However no one told them what happens after the 7 years are up….

Actors include Ramsey Nouah, Omoni Oboli, Funlola Aofiyebi-Raimi, Tosin Sido, Chief Muraina Oyelami and Kunle Afolayan.

I have heard mainly good reviews about this movie. I also think the production of the movie is very good compared to other Nigerian movies I have seen. The story is full of twists and suspense all the way to the end. Have you seen the movie? What did you think? No spoilers in your comments please! :D

The DVD cost only £5, and postage attracts extra cost. Please if you are interested, email me at aloted@yahoo.com. You can also leave a comment below.

For those of you not based in the UK- please tell your friends in the UK. Like I said before, I know a lot of people have been waiting for this movie to come out on DVD. US peeps, I hear it is coming to the States soon, but if you can't wait for the DVD, I have been told you can pay to watch it online on http://www.hibuzz.com/ (applies to readers in other countries).

Enjoy the rest of your week people!

My Super Dad's day!!!- Thankful Post

2012-01-02T12:36:00.000Z

source

Today is my daddy's birthday! Woo hoo!

In 2009, the devil tried some dirty tricks; he tried to steal my daddy away. Armed robbers shot my daddy in broad light! The full gist can be found here. Any time I remember that day, I just give all praise to God for his protection and faithfulness. I remember when I saw my dad the following year, he could laugh about the event while giving me the gist.

My dad is a strong man. He loves life, he loves his family and most importantly he loves God. He has sacrificed a lot, he works hard and he has his priorities placed appropriately. He has achieved a lot in his life- career, marriage, family- children, grandchildren, extended family, business, you name it. All by God's grace.

I used to quarrel/argue a lot with my dad as a teenager till I realised he wasn't out to get me, but he actually did love me and wanted the best for me. Now as a parent I am beginning to see a lot of things from their (dad & mum) perspective.

Daddy can be very dramatic sometimes, oh yes...and I have been told by some I inherited this "drama-ness" from him. Oh well! :D

I can go on and on about my daddy but I just want to thank God for my daddy's live, for watching over him. I pray he will live long to eat the fruit of his labour.

Love you Popc!!!!!!!!

Out with the Old, In with the New

2012-01-01T00:00:00.000Z

It's a new year!!!!!!!

source:google images

We made it!!!!

Thank You Lord!!!!

Too many young people passed away last year but we are still here. Not because we are better but by God's grace. I am grateful o!!!! I am very excited about the new year- new beginnings, new opportunities, in fact everything is NEW!!!

I congratulate everyone who has made it into the new year and I pray it will be a fruitful and blessed year all round.

Oh yes! A few people ~~begged~~ asked for a pic of my roast chicken from Christmas day (below). Baale enjoyed it so- there you go! ;)

N.B- This is a scheduled post, so when this post goes live I would be at Church- praying my way into the new Year.

Merry Christmas to you all!!!

2011-12-25T00:30:00.000Z

source

Matthew 1:21

New International Version (NIV)

²¹ She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.”

Christ is the reason for the season. He came to die that I may have eternal life. I am forever grateful.

May the true meaning of Christmas be made known to each and everyone of us.

God bless! & Merry Christmas!!!!!

PS- I am braving myself to make that Christmas Chicken Roast. :)

Not feeling Christmassy....

2011-12-16T10:54:00.003Z

9 days till Christmas! Yet, I am not feeling “Christmassy” AT ALL- whatever that means. My colleagues at work keep asking "so have you done your Christmas Shopping?" Chris-tmas what?? Ya! Another means for them shops to get my hard earn currency right?

I was going to get a Christmas tree and some decorations but thought Princess will not let this Christmas tree rest, so that idea went down the drain. I'mma still get some decorations.

I was going to get a Christmas Chicken/Turkey to roast for the family on Christmas day, but I have never roasted a whole bird before in my life. What if it comes out a mess. Ok calm down-I could look up recipes- google is my friend and it can’t be that bad! A Question for cook experts!! – So Christmas day is on Sunday; do I leave the bird in the oven while we go to church? Or start roasting when I get back?? This is all assuming I buy the bird in the first place!!! Phew

I was going to do some Charity stuff this Christmas, all in the spirit of giving, but still haven't gotten round to that. Shame on me! Ok I still have 9 more days. Make a plan girl.

We were going to meet up with friends at their place on Boxing Day but due to circumstances beyond their control, that is not happening any more. Gutted! I was so looking forward to that.

Oh well!

Even though I am not feeling Christmassy…I am thankful for the gift of Christ, who in fact is the reason for the season. I am forever thankful HE was born to save me.

Christmassy feeling or not- I will make sure to have a wonderful Christmas day with Baale and Princess :)

So anyone out there like me not feeling Christmassy?

What are y'all doing this Christmas?

Life as a Blind Person- Interview

2011-12-02T09:21:00.001Z

As a typical Nigerian, the little I "knew" about blind people was that they were illiterates or beggars on the street till I met Dr Ife Akintunde, when I went to do my masters in Lancaster. My perception changed completely. Ife is one of the most inspiring, intelligent, lovable, always willing to help and loving person I have met in my life (he is a blogger as well). He might not know but he inspires and motivates me. I learnt a lot from him during my one year in Lancaster, one of which is you can live a purpose fufilled life even with a disability.

I have been wanting to blog about my dear friend for a while now but didn't know where to start as there is so much to write about him so I decided to interview him. I was chuffed when he agreed to let us into his world. Thank you Ife!!!!

A bit of warning- this is a long read but I assure you totally worth it.

Ok let me not make this post any longer. Enjoy the interview.

Dr Ifeolu Akintunde

Tell us a bit about yourself
I was born in Nigeria, on 10 November 1967. Shortly after birth, it was discovered that my eyesight was not as good as expected. From then, my parents began the search, through ophthalmologists, educational institutions and friends, to ensure that I received the best education and care possible. I attended the Pacelli School for blind children in Lagos, King's College, also in Lagos, and after spending the 1984-1985 session at the University of Jos, resumed as a direct entry law student at the University of Lagos. I graduated in 1988, then went to the law school. After being called to the bar, and serving, I came to do a masters in international relations and strategic studies at Lancaster university. It was here that I first discovered the difference IT can make to the education and employability of blind people. I stayed on, did a few computer related and disability courses at Lancaster and Morecambe college and then began my doctorate at Lancaster university. I finished that in 2001. Having searched for work over a period of several years, it occurred to me that I might perhaps consider self-employment, so I set up IOA Consults in 2007.

How and when did you become visual impaired (VI)?
I was born with a medical condition which meant that my eyesight was not good. Gradually it began to worsen, though to someone who was used to living life in a school for blind people, that deterioration was imperceptible. My family observed sometimes that the things I could see at one time, I could no longer see later. I also have cataracts, which the doctors in Lancaster advice I should not remove, because it would make no material difference. Let us say that we are in disagreement on this point.

I am aware that some VI people have some degree of sight does this apply to you?
In fact, this is a difficult question to answer, because I never knew how much sight I had, relative to other people. But I can say categorically that my eyesight has worsened, because there was a time I could read the bold newspaper headlines. Sometimes, I believe I can see things, not just shadows. I may be walking fast, and just notice something in my way. I try to clarify whether it is a shadow or not, and sometimes, I can plainly see that I see more than the shadow. At other times, I'm not so sure.

What are the day to day challenges of being visually impaired and how do you survive?
There are many, such as reading letters, asking for assistance, etc. There is now technology that can assist in many of these things. A good optical character recognition software can help read letters, but they're expensive. So, I often have lots of letters piled up on my frontdoor. Other times, there's a psychological need to know what's happening around you. I once spoke to a girl, who spent the entire period exchanging written notes with her companion. It felt to me that those notes were about me. Sometimes, people are a little apprehensive about talking to me, which worries me, because I want to shout that I'm no different from others. On one occasion, I was being guided in Lagos and fell into a gutter. I got up quickly to reassure my guide, but she was so upset that she talked to God instead. She'd been telling me about a healing meeting and what she said was "God, and you know I was only trying to tell him about your meeting". On another day, here in Lancaster, I went out with a friend. I was looking for a house to move to and just as I approached an estate agent, I met my friend and she walked me into the agency. The lady who answered us simply presumed that my friend was actually my carer and proceeded to explain to "my carer" all about the houses on offer. Interestingly, my friend had no clue about my housing needs and kept pointing out that she'd only met me outside the estate agents. On the whole, I suspect that too many people are uncomfortable about meeting visually impaired people, and that makes us really lonely for the people who can treat us as normal. How do I cope? The most important thing is my faith. I once spoke to a group of 12 year olds and someone asked me why I'm still a Christian, despite being blind. So, after giving the glib answer, I went home and asked God, and He showed me so much. He showed me that what I've learned as a blind person, I couldn't have learned any other way. Like the fact that there are so many different types of people in the world, like empathy, like the need to be outgoing and friendly, even the independence of recognizing that I can't always expect someone to be there for me.

How do you respond to negative reaction to your visual impairment?
I believe that negative reaction is two way. It's also a result of ignorance. Not many blind people really know how sighted people are, and there is a lot of stereotyping both ways. I like to tell people about visual impairment and to encourage them to explore my world. I also try to be as independent as possible. This worries my family, but I have to keep reminding them that if I asked people to do everything for me, they'll get tired. I have so many letters on my frontdoor, crying to be read. Fortunately, offices can now provide me with copies in Braille or via email. Friends can also send emails, so I act on the presumption that any letters on my door has either been sent to me in another format already, or is unimportant. Every now and again, someone might visit and we'll look through them. I find that there are one or two that I should know about, but I'm generally correct. Maybe someone sent me a letter without realising I'm blind. I take the details and contact them and the matter is resolved. I also try to learn about the world of sighted people. I know that not many blind Nigerians like movies like I do. When I was younger, I could recite the words of "Sound of Music". You might have thought that was normal, but not if you're a blind person.

As a VI person who has to rely on his other senses, what other senses have been enhanced as a result of your visual impairment?
That's another tough question, because I'm not sure how it works. For example, I know a few people who are visually and hearing impaired, so you see, it's not a natural presumption that all senses are automatically enhanced. I think it's how well you use them. For example, I never had a diary, calculator or address book. I used to be good at remembering addresses and phone numbers, until the computer and mobile phone came with address book features. Now, I'm not so good. So I still try to do basic numeracy and can add sums with 2 or 3 digits. I've resisted using the calculator features for that reason. The other day, I tested the theory about developing other senses. I have now concluded that all senses are always working, but we can't really distinguish which one is doing what, because we're so busy concentrating on the results. If you're walking and you avoid an oncoming car, you have to ask, did you see the car or hear it. Most times, you're not really sure, you just presume you saw it, but when you're blind, or deaf, you're really sure how you knew the car was approaching, because the other sense has been eliminated from your calculation. I once took a friend on a smell tour of the shops in Lancaster. It was really interesting for her to discover that you could simply walk into a shop and smell its contents. It's true that some research has now come out to suggest that departmental stores actually enhance the smells of their products, but we don't notice that, we're just subconsciously drawn to the shops.

Please tell us about your education and the challenges and triumphs of been a visually impaired student studying in Nigeria?
Education was difficult, but fun. I went to a school for blind children at primary level. We were taught to Braille and type. I once joked that at 8, when I passed my typing test, I could have been employed as a clerk in an office. Then, nobody knew that the computer would become predominant and the typewriter keyboard would be used by all. We just thought it was for blind people and secretaries. We were told we were receiving the very best education in the world, and we believed it. When I got to secondary school, I had to live and work with sighted people. There were only 2 blind people in my class at that time. The rest of the class was curious, and before we came to understand each other, they even played some games, (even dangerous ones). But some of them are still my best friends now. I find it's easier for younger people to understand visual impairment, before they grow old and develop fixed viewpoints. We had few books and I depended mostly on notes and friends who could spare time from their football to read to me. It was even tougher, studying law. I was perhaps the first visually impaired student in UNILAG to study law and I was one in a class of several hundred students. And we needed a lot more books. I'm sure I could have done much better if I didn't use mostly notes for my answers. In fact, I had part of a book for an exam I did and I heard later that the lecturer showed people my answer scripts as a model. My coping strategy was to assimilate as much as I could from the notes. If you transfer that skill to a whole book, you can imagine. It wasn't cramming, because a question can easily fool the crammer, it was looking at the points and remembering what they are so you can apply them. Now, I hear that blind people in Nigeria have computers, which is good. But they still don't have the books, and the internet access is poor. Besides, just getting a scanner and an optical character recognition software would mean that they could scan all their books onto an electronic format, but in Nigeria, that's only available to 2 or 3 institutions who are understaffed and under resourced and have to provide for the entire country. The important thing is that more visually impaired students are studying in various universities, and communication means they can share their experiences and interact with their lecturers and universities in a different way.

How does this compare to studying in the UK where you gained your Master's and Doctorate degrees?
When I came to the UK, I thought everything would work out brilliantly. I was surprised that it took so long to get books in Braille, (6 weeks, as opposed to several years in Nigeria) but in the 6 weeks, my colleagues had made substantial progress, and a lot more was expected of me. Fortunately, as I neared the end of my doctorate, the internet had gained ground and I was in a great position to study effectively. I had access to every material on the internet, journal articles, etc. I may not have been able to properly interact with graphic materials like maps, for which I still required help. I'm still a serious campaigner for IT as a leveller between sighted and visually impaired people.

Having lived in both the UK and Nigeria, how do you compare your living experiences as a VI person?
Every time I return to Nigeria, I always feel at home in a way I can't explain. That is, until I want to get things done and I can't. I can't walk on the streets of big cities because there are huge ditches and refuse, I can't get the information I need because telecommunications is so expensive and inaccessible. I once organised a conference in the UK, from my home. That included interacting with conference delegates, arranging the venue, accommodation, etc. When I eventually arrived at the venue, everyone was surprised that I had a visual impairment. That's not possible in Nigeria. I was much younger when I lived full time in Nigeria, so I did not mind hopping on and off the Lagos buses. But even my visually impaired friends can't do that now. They're all busy trying to acquire cars, even though they're underemployed. And when they get the cars, they have to pay for drivers as well. I thought that employment would be easy here, but it's not. Employers found some ingenious reasons for not employing me, because they couldn't fall foul of the disability discrimination act. There is no disability discrimination act in Nigeria. I have a friend who got his degree in political science and masters in public administration. He currently works as a telephonist in a bank. He's not the only one. Another friend died recently. In primary school, he was on television for his speed at adding up. We thought he was going places, but he eventually got a job in the Ministry of Transportation. He didn't move to Abuja with the ministry. I once came to Nigeria and visited him at home. It was 10 AM and he was just getting up. He said there was no need for him to go to work, they'd pay him anyway and they didn't care if he was there or not. I couldn't live that life. In the sense of friendliness, I can't forget Nigerians. I don't like it sometimes, when they gave me coins in my secondary school. I used to wonder if my school uniform was dirty and I hadn't seen it. One day, I was walking with my mum and someone stopped us. We didn't know why, but we stopped. She fished in her handbag for coins and handed to me. My mum wept. It was in the 1980s, I bet they wouldn't give us coins now because they have no value, but I also hope things have changed. To tell the truth, I'm still less formal with Nigerians than with British people, I don't know why. Perhaps it's because I grew up in Nigeria.

What do you think Nigeria can learn from the UK in terms of supporting and accepting the visually impaired and vice versa? The Nigeria government needs to adopt a disability discrimination act. For political reasons, that has not yet been done, but in the disability world, we'll soon become a laughing stock. Even other African countries are promulgating discrimination provisions. As I've often argued, the Nigerian law allows for no discrimination on the basis of ethnicity or religious orientation, yet close to 20% of our citizens can be subject to discrimination. But more important than the law is the attitude. What I like about the attitude in the UK is that disabled people count enough for books to be produced, computer equipment to be designed, and legislation and government policy to be established. What can the UK learn from Nigeria. If a Nigerian is watching me, and I'm about to fall, they'll shout. I've fallen too many times in the very few obstacles in the UK to know that nothing would happen here. Maybe that's not true, some do help, but it's not as widespread as in Nigeria.

How has new emerging technologies contributed to your daily life and business?
It's wonderful to be able to report that I can do anything on the phone and computer. You need to understand the improvement that represents. Before the technologies came on board, all the books available to others had to be converted to Braille. Can you imagine a bookshop and all the books in it? Even now, only about 5% of books get converted to an alternative format. But if it's on computer, I have it. Or imagine all the letters we get everyday from banks, utility companies and so on. I can get all via email now. When mobile phones first emerged, we were doing well, till text facilities started. Then we thought we'd be lost again. Now, I have access to everything on my mobile phone. I set the time and alarm, text, access the Internet, exchange ring tones, ... everything. Satellite TV and DVDs also have audio description facilities, so that a voice tells me what you can see. It's impressive, and the most important thing is that within a few years of new technology that might otherwise exclude a visually impaired person, an adaptive alternative comes on stream.

What are your hobbies?
When I was younger I used to play football, but now, like everyone else, I'm just an armchair coach. But I still try to keep weekends free (with limited success) so I can enjoy the premiership. I also love current affairs, music (I play piano and still do some radio presenting) reading, movies and plays, and sometimes, just sitting and reflecting. I live such a full life these days, and I'm so glad for that; I think I should make sleeping a hobby so I can engage in it a little more. I have fond memories of when I went skiing, rock climbing and canoeing, but time has prevented further activities on those lines.

I know you like to travel a lot and you travel alone frequently, how do you find your way around and how do you remember locations?
You're right, I love travelling and have visited many locations in many countries. The great thing about travelling is that I can call on assistance from staff if I inform them in advance. There's usually someone to meet me at the airport to direct me to my next point, taxi, local transport, whatever. In Nigeria, it's usually a driver or a family member who has come to pick me up, but in Europe and America, I've done some travelling by myself. When I get to a new place, I don't really bother to learn the route, unless I intend to stay there for a while, perhaps 2 or 3 days. By that time, if I'm in a hotel, I know the basic places, where the food is and where the reception desk is. If it's walking through town, I've learnt several places in London I can get to from the nearest tube station. I even learnt a new route in Lancaster last week, because I just developed a new contact for work.

Has Ife being lucky in love? What challenges do you face in this area and how do you overcome them?

It's taken a very long time, but we're getting there at last. Challenges are many. The girl should expect her friends and family to object. I would have married a girl, but her dad said it would only happen over his dead body. Others didn't even go that far, as one told me that she'd never met anyone like me, but still she wouldn't put the proposition to her parents. It's mostly a question of what people know and what they expect. People are afraid to ask the questions such as "will our children also be blind"? How will I cope with all the looking after"? And the most difficult to put in words, "Will you be able to see what you're doing when we're making love"? I know these questions are asked in quiet places and I have positive answers for all. When a girl has come close to me, she also realises the answers, but she still can't effectively sell it to parents and friends. Again, we're getting there at the moment, but there's still a bit of work to do with the current situation.

What keeps you going?
Faith, dreams, the certainty that things are getting better and the fear of being stagnant. Usually, I look back on an event and wonder how I managed to pull through it. I've pioneered so many things already; I was the first blind law student in my department at the University of Lagos, the first in my department at Lancaster to do a masters and then a doctorate. Along with some friends, we organise the International Conference of Nigerian Students. We never knew it would become as significant as it is now. I never know I'm doing it until it's done. I can only thank God. I once thought that if Moses knew what would be involved in leading the Israelites from Egypt, he wouldn't have done it. Maybe that's why God doesn't show me those things until it's done.

You presently run a Consulting service, tell us a bit about it and your motivation for starting this business?
IOA Consults ltd was started because I looked for work and didn't get it. In the meantime, I'd begun to do a lot of voluntary work with international students and disabled people. I'd also helped with organising the International Conference of Nigerian Students. Gradually, I began to see that all the things I did on a voluntary basis could be converted. I believe that although charities have the best intentions, they're likely to use as much free service as they can get. Yet, the government and the shops expect that you work so you can afford to be independent. Unfortunately, some of the charities and individuals I used to work with have stopped engaging my services, because I said I'd begin to charge.

Where do you see Ife in 10 years time?
I wish I could say, taking a rest. I hope that by then, I'd have more recognition, that the causes I espouse will be better known and most important, that I would be associated with excellence in what I do. But more than the professional aspirations, I hope that at the end of each day, I'd come home to a loving family. That's the one thing I've actually planned for, but it's the one thing that has taken the longest to materialise.

As a blogger, why did you start blogging and what do you blog about?
A friend had been telling me about blogging for so long that one day, on a visit, we just said, "do it". My blog is called "Birth of a Notion" because I was thinking about the bridge between an idea and its implementation. In one sense, that's what I hope to do with my company as well, convert people's ideas into reality. But the blog does more. It's subtitle is "challenging perceptions" because I'd like people to look beyond the face value. I blog about my faith, life events, international politics, disability and anything that takes my fancy.

You also run a radio station, how did that come about and who are your audience?
I don't run the station, I've been involved in 3 projects however. One is Salt FM, which belongs to a friend of mine. I suppose sometimes, I'm his consultant on several levels and at other times, more of a business colleague or partner. I also present a programme. The second station I'm involved with is Diversity FM, where I run a 1 hour gospel programme. Finally, I used to be involved with a programme on disability from a Christian perspective, run by a charity, Torch Trust for the Blind, and aired on Premier radio. The programme is called Insight, and it still runs, though because it's so distant, I've become less and less involved.

If you could give a word of advice to a visually impaired young person living in Nigeria what would it be?
It's tough, but you're tougher. Keep trying to persuade your friends and the government that you can do it, but you'll never persuade anyone if you don't believe it yourself.

If you could give a word of advice to the same young person living in the UK what would it be?
Don't be complacent.

"I love everything about YOU"

2011-11-24T14:44:00.001Z

Yesterday was Baale’s birthday. Even though we drive each other crazy ~~some~~ a few times, we certainly make the best team. In order not to go into any long stories, I will simply dedicate this song by Darlene Zschech to him which summarises how I feel :)

Love you babes!

I LOVE EVERYTHING ABOUT YOU

You chased me
I caught you
so glad we found each other
We whispered forever
to share our lives together
to watch our dreams unfold

And I love everything about you
everything you are
You'll catch a falling star
if I asked you
And I couldn't live a single day without you
You hold me in your arms
and once again, I know
that I'm the only one for you

The way you laugh, the way we dance
the way you hold my hand
the way you give, the way you kiss
the way you look at me
make life beautiful

Oh, I love the light that shines in your eyes
when you talk about our ~~girls~~ girl
and love the way you smile when ~~they~~ she walks into a room

Oh, I love how you care about brokenness
how injustice moves your heart enough
to make a change
You give all you are

I love everything about you
You hold me in your arms
and once again I know
that I'm the only one for you
the only one for you
the love of my life
So glad I found you

M4WDMRSK9TJG

Reinvent yourself

2011-11-13T18:40:00.001Z

A few years ago, I blogged about working your gift based on a sermon I heard. On Sunday, I was privileged to listen to the same pastor who also preached a similar message but this time it was more profound for me.

No one on earth is gifted more than another, only that some people have learnt to develop their gift. And it is those people who shine and live fulfilled lives. Proverbs 18:16 says "A man’s gift makes room for him, And brings him before great men". Proverbs 22:29 says "Do you see a man who excels in his work? He will stand before kings; He will not stand before unknown men."

Those two verses are loaded with some deep revelation. Ok lets take the first verse. It tells me we all have gifts and we have to discover what those gifts are, if we haven't already, because that is what will open doors of opportunity for us.

Second verse tells me I have to develop my gift! It is one thing to discover your gift(s), it is another thing to develop it, be consumed by it and excel in it. When you do this, men will talk about you, you will be the answer to some one's problem, not just someone but a GREAT person. They WILL look for you, you don't have to look for them. You have to be so good at your gift such that when someone thinks for who to call for help in the area of your gift- your name comes to mind.

source: google images

Now it takes time to reach that level obviously. Rethots in one of his posts blogged about the silent years (I can never forget this post in my life). These are the years when you busy researching, developing, learning and reinventing your gift. I was chatting with a good friend/blogger the other day and she mentioned she has been reading and researching a lot and not doing much in the area of her gift and she felt she was wasting time. Well now it is clearer to me. Dear friend (I know you are reading this lol) no you are not wasting time, these are your silent years. You are developing and building yourself! And I know when you launch out you will be the best in what you do. :)

All, ever heard of the 10,000 hour rule? If no, you can google it up). The rule says that in order for an individual to master any complex skill, be it brain surgery or playing the cello, he/she must put in 10,000 hours of focused practice. For instance, it would take 10 years of practicing 3 hours a day to become a master in your subject. It would take approximately 5 years of full-time employment to become proficient in your field. So this shows it definitely takes time to master your gift. I do not know if the 10,000 hours has to be exact but I believe the earlier you start developing your gift, the more hours you put in every day, the better your gift is developed. Like they say "practice makes perfect".

Why do you think Tiger Woods is one of the best (arguably the best) golf players around. His father introduced him to golf before the age of 2! He practiced and practiced and practiced every day. By the time he was 11 he was already beating Daddy at golf games. By 13, he had done his first major national junior tournament. The guy is 36 now and he is the highest-paid professional athlete in the world. Can you beat that? I can imagine he has had well over 10,000hours of practicing golf. Forget that he has had personal issues recently, you can not deny his achievement and wealth from just swinging a ball into a hole.

A note to parents, once you discover your child's gift or what they are good at, lock into it and encourage them to start working on it ASAP. That way by the time they are older they have master it and are living purpose fulfilled lives.

So my people, as the year is coming to an end, I am taking my own advice and going back to the drawing board to learn, to research, to develop, to reinvent my gift(s). I am also watching Princess aka Bionic closely, and will keep encouraging her in her strengths. 2012 must be a productive year all round by God's grace.

I mentioned earlier, no one is more gifted than the other, some people have just developed their gift and excelled at them. There is no point been envious of them. Don't worry about people finding you, focus on finding your gift and working it! Great Men will FIND YOU according to the bible verse above.

What do you enjoy doing? What are you passionate about? Ask God to show you if you can't see it and start developing that gift. Sometimes fear stops us from realizing our dreams but remember God has not given us the spirit of fear but of POWER and LOVE and SOUND MIND.

People, reinvent yourself by developing your gift!

"The Small Print"- a debut novel by our own Bimbylads

2011-11-07T12:08:00.002Z

A lot of the veteran bloggers would know Bimbylads. She used to blog way way way back. I followed her blog religiously then as I like her writing style and her posts were so funny! She always had one humurous story to share with us. She went off blogsville for a (long) while and came back with two surprises- a baby girl and a debut Christian novel called The SMALL PRINT!

I am so excited about this novel and I look forward to reading it. I have read the first chapter and all I can say is WOW. Bimbylads is currently organising a blog tour and I thought it would be a honour to host her on my blog by having an interview about her and her book. Please read and enjoy.

Please tell us about yourself
My name is Abimbola Dare. I was born in Nigeria , and attended Vivian Fowler Memorial College for girls. I am in my very, very early thirties (please stress that very early, lol). I relocated to the UK in 2001 and now live with my wonderful husband and our three year old princess. Many of my friends call me ‘bimbo or bimby, I am a Nigerian to the core, a God love and a fun loving person.

When did you first consider yourself a writer?
I started writing in blog, http://www.bimbylads.blogspot.com/ about 5 years ago ( not sure about the exact year), and until then, I never realised I could write. When people started reacting positively to my writing, I decided to take it further by enrolling in a creative writing course at the Queen Mary university, London . I think it was when my creative writing course lecturer asked to use a piece I had written as an example for future students… I think that was when it hit me. I thought, wow, so maybe I can write!

What books have most influenced your life most?
I’d have to say, “And the Shofar blew,” by Francine Rivers. It is Christian fiction, and the novel was an eye opener for me because I never knew it was possible to write a Christian novel without being preachy. It was the novel that gave me the confidence to write the Small Print as Christian fiction.

“The Small Print” (TSP) - how did you come up with the title?
The Small Print also called The Fine print, is often the smaller, sometimes hidden clause in a contract that are often disadvantageous to the person signing the contract. In the novel, two of the characters realise that they may have potentially entered a “contract” without carefully considering the implications. The title came after I had gone over like a million possibilities.

Is TSP your first book? If not, how many books have you written published and unpublished?
TSP is my first book. And boy, that took a while to finish! I am working on a possible sequel to TSP- trusting God to see me through that as well.

What is the inspiration behind TSP and what made you decide to publish it?
Seriously? Ok, without being too preachy, The Holy spirit inspired the Small Print. I also drew inspiration from everyday stories on marriages and immigration issues: I am an immigrant in a foreign land. We all are ( for those of us that live outside Nigeria ) at one point in time, we have directly or indirectly had immigration issues, or known someone who encountered one.

How long did it take you to finish writing TSP and what challenges did you face along the way?
I recall starting the Small Print on my blog as a series in 2007. For some reason, that story drew a lot of positive attention( as badly written as it was). So I took that away, rewrote it extensively (after attending a creative writing course or two and reading books on creative writing) and voila, TSP was born.

Did you learn anything from writing TSP, if so what was it?
That you cannot run from God. God literally forced me to make it Christian fiction. I wasn’t going to. I wanted it to be literary fiction/ pure romantic suspense. But He had better plans for me.

The design cover looks really attractive to the eye. Who designed it?
Thank you. :-) I hired a professional graphic designer from South Africa ( UK based) , called Wim Van Ryswk.

What genre of book will you classify TSP as?
That’s the thing. It’s really difficult cos TSP has a bit of romance, drama, suspense and of course, a message of salvation. I’ll call it African Christian fiction. How’s that?

I consider myself an avid reader but I haven’t really come across so many Nigerian Christian Writers. In your opinion do you think there is a market for Nigerian Christian Writers?
Well, the Bible is the best selling book of all time. God inspired the bible. And God inspired the Small Print. I trust that God is able to create a market for Christian writers out of nothing. That said, I know that there are a few of us Christian writers in the Nigerian market and the market is young and unexplored. But I hope my book is good enough to enable Christian fiction to be recognised as a genre in the Nigerian market. I hope. I pray.

Tell us a bit about the storyline- no spoilers please? :)
This is the bit I struggle at. I cant talk about the story line without waffling. lol. Ok, lemme try: The Smlal Print is the story of three individuals ( Wale, Sade and Jennifer ) who must battle insurmountable challenges- including adultery, deciet, lies and obsession- on a journey across two continents- to discover that it is in the midst of despair, confusion and desperation that God’s unconditional; all- consuming love shines the brightest.

Is the story based on real life event or is it pure fiction?
A mixture of both. Some of the challenges faced by Wale Ademola are based on real events.

Is there a message in your novel that you want to pass across to your readers?
That ultimate Trust in God will always lead to victory

Do you intend to take up writing as a career, or is this a one-time thing?
By God’s grace, ill keep writing as long as I can. I work full time in a major publishing house in the UK , and so, I am always surrounded by books. Writing is me.

What do you like to do when you're not writing?
I read. Lol. I am a mother to a beautiful daughter and I am a wife to the cutest man on earth. I love being with friends as well.

For those who would like to buy your book, where can they get it from?
Its on Amazon (kindle edition) and Smashwords ( search for The Small Print on Smashword).

Amazon UK- https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B005YRQB98
Amazon US- http://www.amazon.com/dp/B005YRQB98

The paper back will be out in a few weeks and will be available in Nigeria as well.

Lastly, do you have any advice for upcoming authors?
Read. Read. Read. Hone your craft. Tighten your prose. Eliminate predictable scenes. Pray. Work hard. Don’t give up. If you want to self publish, please, don’t destroy your career by publishing work that has not been properly edited or checked. I know we can’t fully eliminate all typos, but do please, publish the best. And finally, not everyone will like or enjoy your writing. Take the best you can and learn from the criticism (constructive ones)

I am also giving out free copies to 10 lucky readers who join my fan page: www.facebook.com/bimbylads.

Thanks for having me!

I must say that I feel proud when I see fellow bloggers pursuing their passion. We are on earth to live Purpose fufilled lives. Bimbylad has just proven that to me again. So my dears, please let us support our fellow blogger by buying her book from the sites mentioned above. I think you can download kindle for free on your computer/laptops/ipad so there's no excuse for not buying the kindle version :) or you can wait for the paper edition.

Thots,
Aloted

Natural Hair Anniversary (Hairversary)

2011-11-01T09:36:00.000Z

It is my natural “hairversary” today i.e 3 years since I did the big chop. Woohoo!!! Gosh it has been such a roller coaster but I am still going strong. Just recently, I made a commitment to consciously grow my hair especially around my edges which don chopped off due to constant braiding and weaves (sigh). I am getting to know my hair more and techniques that work for natural hair. I am also on a mission to grow my hair and retain length.

Aloted rocking a Bantu knot-out updo.
Self-Styled :)

I am thankful for natural hair blogs run by Natural Nigerian, ilola and Coilybella (just found her a few days ago) which I ~~stalk~~ follow consistently. I follow a few African- Americans on Youtube but these girls can like oppress someone with their long flowing natural volumious hair… phew!!! sigh! So it is very comforting to find my fellow Nigerians who are running things. (Not that Nigerians can't grow long volumious hair but for some reason I can't explain I feel the Americans have special hair genes.) You ladies rock. Learning so much from y’all. I was excited to find coilybella's blog as we have similar type of hair (fine-hair)and she blogs specifically for what she does to maintain "our" type of hair.

By the way, NN is organising a natural meet up in Lagos this Nov. So if you are in Lagos please check her blog for more details. I gather it is not just a meet up specific to natural hair but natural products and natural living as well.

I remember Vera hosted a radio talk show a while ago about teamnatural vs teamrelaxed. It was so hilarious and some comments from both teams were like wow..ok…slow down. Even though technically I am teamnatural because I have natural hair, personally I don’t see myself as a "conc" teamnatural as it is not a “if you are not for me, you are against me” type thing. I see myself as teamaloted as I do what's best for me :)

Ladies, and men…keep rocking you :)

Thots,
Aloted

PS. conc= concentrated

Thankful Post- Princess

2011-10-20T13:29:00.000+01:00

Monday- OCt 17 was Princess' 2nd birthday. She had a wonderful day, I believe. I just want to thank God for her life. She amazes me every single day. She is becoming her own person. Before you know it she will be off to college. sigh

My prayer as a mother for her include:

-She will know Christ as her personal Lord and Saviour at an early age.

-God will continue to protect her against any harm in any shape or form. As the mountain surrounds Jerusalem so shall the Lord surround her always. The devil will have no hold over her life

-As she grows older, God will give her wisdom to choose her friends wisely. She will have a spirit of discernment of people's true character. She will know the difference between right & wrong and choose the right way.

-She will stay pure- in mind and in body. She will be a woman of virtue.

-She will not wander into cheating, stealing or lying. If she does, she will be caught and will learn from it.

- In school, she shall be the best. She will be sociable, she will be the head and not the tail

-When it is time for her to choose a spouse, she will choose a MAN (not a woman) from a godly home, the bone of her bone. A man with an appetite for spirtual truth. A man who fears God. They will both have similar goals and purposes in life.

- She will fufill the destiny and purpose for which she was brought into this world for.

I pray for myself that God will give me the grace to be the best mother to her, to live by example and be her role model.

What are you thankful for?

Thou shall not argue in front of the children

2011-10-13T14:01:00.002+01:00

So three people I tagged on the blow your trumpet post have chickened out and informed me that it is too hard to blow one's trumpet (sigh). Should I call them out? Ok, ok I will help them save face. I know it is not easy to blurt out great stuff about yourself just like that however I hope they get round to doing it, even if they don't publish for the whole world to see. Many thanks to those who have blown their trumpet- GNG, Myne Whitman, Writefreak

Anyway moving on to today's post. I have a question for y'all- there is a school of thought that says never argue in front of your children. Ever heard that? I have, almost all my life. So, I was watching a Christian Women programme the other day and one of the ladies had another school of thought- Argue in front of the kids! That way they can learn how you resolve issues instead of making everything appear rosy dosy all the time. They went on to say because many people never saw their parents argue or because most arguments were resolved (or not) behind closed doors most people grow up not knowing how to resolve issues. And then the cycle continues.

So I'll like to know your thoughts- to argue or not to argue in front of the kids? This doesn't include shouting and beating each other up o in front of the kids (not that this should be happening at all). Think this only covers arguing amicably (thats possible, right?)

I look forward to your comments. I now declare the floor open :)

photo credit: www.cartoonstock.com

Thankful Post

2011-10-05T11:03:00.001+01:00

It has been a loooong while I did a thankful post. I used to do it on Tuesdays but today is Wednesday. Since I feel like doing it now, I will and decide later what day of the week I'll like to do it. Fair enuff? To many dos, doing, did..phew...anyway here goes-

I am thankful for the gift of life. I can never stop being thankful for this. I keep hearing of people dying all around but I am still here, and as long as I have breathe I will praise the Lord.

I am thankful for Baale, he is the best thing that has happened to me. I am thankful for his love, friendship, care. He is a GREAT man and I love him :)

I am thankful for Princess. She is a delight and is destined for greatness. She turns two in a few weeks. How time flies!

I am thankful for provision. God has been faithful and he will never put me to shame.

I am thankful for the ideas God has given me and I believe since he gave me these ideas he will provide the resources to implement them.

I am thankful for my friends- blogger family inclusive. Y'all rock!

What are you thankful for?

Btw, I have decided to tag the following people in my Blow your trumpet post. Y'all didn't think I was joking right. LOL.

GNG

The only thing I ask is that you pls mention my post and link to it when you do your post. You can tag anyone if you like. Let's blow this trumpet!!!

Thots
Aloted

419 Reasons to Like Nigeria

2011-10-01T00:00:00.000+01:00

For too long, Nigeria and Nigerians have been readily associated with the online scams, financial crime and impersonation - termed ‘419’. However, beyond the unfortunate stereotyping, there are several positive characteristics and cogent intriguing traits of the country, Nigeria and its people, some of which are highlighted below as part of the ‘419 Reasons to Like Nigeria’ campaign which enlisted 100 volunteers and bloggers to share reasons why they like Nigeria. These reasons echo the voices of Nigerians, with resonating similar themes. The campaign is being facilitated in partnership with ‘The 419Positive Project’.

The full list of ‘419 Reasons to Like Nigeria’ is available here

The list of contributors to ‘419 Reasons to Like Nigeria’ is available here

If you would like to say something positive about Nigerians and Nigeria, please do so here.

NIGERIA - THE LAND OF POTENTIAL AND OPPORTUNITY

I like Nigeria because it is a land of endless opportunities and possibilities. Nigeria is one country I believe the world is yet to experience it true potentials. I believe Nigerians are sharp, brilliant and accommodating people. Giving the right enabling environment the world will marvel at what Nigeria will become.

Nigeria is the most populous black nation - and a buying one at that. From a capitalist point of view, this makes for a great investment opportunities.

The fact that Nigeria currently lags behind so much - in infrastructure and developmental terms - hints at the size of the potential for innovation and transformation, and at the huge number of vacancies that exist for 'transformers'. What I think this means is that the world will be hearing a lot about Nigeria and high-achieving Nigerians (in the public and private sectors) in the near future.

NIGERIA - THE COUNTRY

The Nigerian Green and White flag is a notable national symbol. The green color symbolises agriculture, seeing that the country is endowed with masses of arable land, while the white colour signifies unity and peace. Other national symbols include the Nigerian Coat of Arms, which depicts an eagle on a black shield, tri-sected by two wavy silver bands, and supported on either side by two chargers. The national motto underlies the coat-of -arms: "Unity and Faith, Peace and Progress." Her national symbols convey great meaning to its people.

The Nigerian accent is currently ranked by CNN Global Experiences as the 5th sexiest accent in the world.

Nigeria is home to Nollywood, one of the world's biggest film industries.

NIGERIA - THE CULTURE, THE FOOD, THE WAY OF LIFE

Something great to like about Nigeria is our cultural diversity. A strong affinity exists, despite our differences. Learning about other ethnic cultures in my country really helped me personally relate to other cultures when abroad.

I think the food is tastier in Nigeria than that I have found in other countries.

Nigerians live a communal life style. The extended family is part of the immediate family in a Nigerian home.

NIGERIA - THE MUSIC, THE MOVIES, THE DANCE, THE ART

Nigeria has produced many world class musicians. A notable mention in this regard is Fela Anikulapo Kuti. A Broadway show titled ‘FELA!’ was produced in 2009 depicting the life and times of the Afrobeat musician.

Nigeria’s movie industry, Nollywood, is reputedly the 3rd largest film industry after Hollywood and Bollywood, and has grown gradually into a $250 million industry in more than 10 years.

Nigerian indigenous musical instruments are unique, soulful and rhythmic. They comprise the popular Talking Drum, producing proverbial and storytelling sounds, the Shaker (shekere), the Udu drum, the Lute, the leg and arm Rattle, the Omele, the Ogene (Gong originating in Eastern Nigeria), the Ekwe drum and the Kakaki (A 4m metal trumpet popular in Northern Nigeria). Many of these instruments have been incorporated in South American music over the years

NIGERIA - GEOGRAPHY and NATURAL RESOURCES

Nigeria is a nation blessed with rich human and natural resources. As the 8th largest exporter of Oil in the world, with the 10th largest proven reserves, our blessings cannot be overemphasised. No earthquakes, no tsunamis, no droughts, an evergreen land. The rest of the world should live here.

The beauty of the Nigerian state cannot but leave one in awe. Blessed with captivating physical features and abundant wild life. From the rolling hills to the vast plains in the North Central Nigeria and the forests in the South, the beautiful scenery of the country is more than breathtaking and with the wildlife spread all over the country; Nigeria is surely a beauty to behold and a tourist's delight all year round.

Nigeria is blessed with tremendous agricultural resources. Cotton in the North, Cocoa & Oil palm in the south amongst many others. The flag is green for a reason

NIGERIA - WEST AFRICA, AFRICA and THE WORLD

Nigeria has the largest population of any country in Africa. Approximately 1 out of every 2 West Africans, 1 out of every 4 Africans, and 1 out of every 5 persons of African origin is a Nigerian.

Nigeria is the largest contributor of troops to the ECOWAS Monitoring Group (ECOMOG) and by extension, is the largest force for peace and stability in West Africa.

A Nigerian will stand out anywhere you find him/her, from Libya to London, Tokyo to Timbuktu. Well known examples include Hakeem Olajuwon (Houston Rockets, USA), Olumide Oyedeji (Seattle Sonics), Tunde Baiyewu (Lighthouse Family), Sunday Adelaja (Ukraine), Chris Aire (US), etc.

NIGERIA - INDUSTRIOUS, INNOVATIVE and ENTERPRISING, with ACHIEVEMENTS

Nigerians are intelligent, brilliant minds who have proven their mettle in various fields - Wole Soyinka was the first African to win the much coveted Nobel Prize for literature in 1986. Chinua Achebe’s classic novel ‘Things Fall Apart’ was ranked as number 14 in a list of top 100 books in the world by Newsdesk in 2009. Others include Cyprian Ekwensi, Mabel Segun, Chimamanda Adichie and Helon Habila whose literary works have won both international and local awards at various times.

We have budding fashion designers. Yes! It's a line every Bunmi, Amaka and Amina has decided to tow but to disregard the effort and originality of our Fashion Designers would be disrespectful. Tiffany Amber, Lanre Da Silva and Deola Sagoe are building world renowned brands, not to mention the legacy developed by the likes of Abba Folawiyo, Maureen Onigbanjo, Remi Lagos and Zizzi Cardow.

Nigerians have excelled in the fields of economics and finance, managing well established global bodies. Ngozi Okonjo Iweala, the current Minister of Finance, was until recently a Managing Director at The World Bank. Obiageli Ezekwisili is currently the Vice President for Africa at The World Bank. Mr Adebayo Ogunlesi is a first class graduate of Oxford, and Managing Partner of Global infrastructure Partner (GIP), a concessionaire of London’s Gatwick International Airport.

We take technology and expand it in ways those who created it could not have imagined. For instance, take the BlackBerry Messenger (BBM) which allows you to send broadcast messages to all addresses on your contacts list; Nigerians recently found a unique way of advertising the different businesses they do. Someone started a message highlighting the fact that many people in Nigeria are entrepreneurs or provide a service and included his BB PIN in the message and sent to all his contacts with the charge that they state the service they provide, include their PIN and send on to all their contacts too. This seemingly small campaign has gone “viral” with whole lists of entrepreneurs and their BB PINs being passed from phone to phone. This is a clear sign of the ingenuity of Nigerians!

NIGERIA – GREAT PEOPLE

Nigeria is the 7th most populous nation in the world (over 160 million) and most populous in Africa - a gold mine of energetic, determined and talented people in each and every field. From Lagos to Aba to Kano, the Nigerian business spirit and desire to succeed is visible. It requires just proper harnessing of these human resources before Nigeria becomes the super power she was meant to be.

Nigerians are passionate, friendly, welcoming, hospitable, and well cultured people. The average Nigerian reflects a combination of vivacity, intelligence, energy, talent, and resolution.

We are a nation of people that can hardly hide their excitement at seeing family and friends. Some misconstrue this thinking we are loud but let's just say we are EXPRESSIVE! If you see us on the streets of New York making a big ruckus and hugging? No sweat. We are just happy to see each other.

NIGERIA – THE RESILIENT SPIRIT

The Giant of Africa: Not ignoring the current challenges, eventually, when we get our acts right, we will reign supreme on the global scene. We have the potential and as is much touted by the Warri people - "Naija no dey carry last"

The 'survivor-mentality' hard-wired into the DNA of Nigeria's people. The fact that against all the odds (and there are many of them), Nigerians continue to live, hustle and seek to triumph. It is not by mistake that Nigeria is regarded as one of the "happiest" countries in the world, despite its challenging economic and social conditions.

We are hardy. The average Nigerian does business under circumstances that are unimaginable to people from other parts. In a place where there is no power, no credit, and scant regulation, people do business and do very well for themselves too. If you can make it in Nigeria, you can make it anywhere in the world.

NIGERIA – TOURISM and SPORTS

Nigeria is an amazing tourist haven and is home to the Obudu Cattle Ranch, located in Calabar. It is only 45 miles from the Cameroon border. The Obudu Plateau is spread over 40 sq. miles and is 5,200 feet above sea level. The Obudu resort features a Gorilla Camp where tourists may observe gorillas in their natural habitat.

Nigeria has two UNESCO world heritage sites, the Osun Osogbo Sacred Grove and the Sukur Cultural Landscape in Adamawa. UNESCO world heritage sites are places designated as being of cultural significance.

Nigeria has produced great footballers like Teslim “Thunder” Balogun (the first Nigerian to play for an English Club – QPR), Segun Odegbami, Muda Lawal, Stephen Keshi, Rashidi Yekini (who scored Nigeria’s first ever goal at the World Cup), Nwankwo Kanu, Austin 'Jay Jay' Okocha, John Mikel Obi, Osaze Odemwingie, to mention but a few.

Nigeria has excelled in athletics over the years, still holding continental records in the 100m men and women, 4x100m men and women, 400m men and women, among others. Over 100 skilled Nigerian professional footballers played in First Division leagues in different countries all over Europe in the 2010/2011 season, 9 in England; 8 each in Finland, Norway; 10 in Ukraine and 7 in Sweden.

NIGERIA – UNITY in DIVERSITY

Nigerians, despite our diversity are a united people who always strive to help one another. With 774 local government areas, multi religious and ethnic affiliations, 36 States, and population of over 160 million, we still stand undeterred to move forward together.

Even outside the country, Nigerians remain united. This gives a quiet assurance somewhat that you can get on a plane and go to any country of the world and find a Nigerian there who will not only make you feel welcome but will go out of their way to be of really good help. I have experienced this several times on my travels and each time it amazes me how all I need to be is a Nigerian, not Igbo, Yoruba or Hausa and once I run into another Nigerian, I will immediately feel at home.

Our greatest strength lies in our diversity.

The ‘419 Reasons to Like Nigeria’ Campaign is in partnership with ‘The 419Positive Project’.

Blowing My Trumpet

2011-09-29T15:19:00.001+01:00

The other day Nolimit and I were talking about how it is very very easy to find negative things to say about ourselves yet difficult to find positive things to say. Society has taught us to focus on the negative and not to blow our trumpets. Some times when people pay me comlipments I would think they want to get someting from me with no hidden agenda! It was hard to believe they actually meant those things. I would even say something negative to make them change their mind about that good thing! Nowadays I am learning to say thank you and move on.

We need to credit ourselves more and know that we are full of "good stuff". Wonderfully made with talents by God!

Anyway back to Nolimit She came up with an idea- she was going to blog about 10 things she was proud of about herself. You know, ten positive things about Nolimit. I thought it was brilliant idea and decided I was going to do same. I don't know if she has done it yet but I look forward to reading about Nolimit blowing Nolimit's trumpet. hehe

So here I am about to put myself out there. No "but this or but that", just 100% positive content. Honestly, you don't have to agree with me on any of the points but this is Aloted blowing Aloted's trumpet in the most positive way ever! :)

1) I am a very good cook. I actually find cooking therapeutic. I paticularly love cooking jollof rice, fried rice, any type of rice really and efo elegusi and I have been told they are t'oh bad (GOOD). I have also been picking up some new recipes from 9jaFoodie.

2) If I need any information about anything I will find it. I love researching and finding out new things. I have had a number of people ask for my help when they need information about something and 99% of the time I get the information they need.

3) I am very determined and result oriented. When I put my mind to something or set a goal I always achieve it by God's grace

4) I know how to manage money. Infact I am the financial secretary of the Aloted household.

5) I have great organisational skills. I am very good at organising events, trips, meetings. I get commended at work for organising my meetings and workshops efficiently.

6) I consider myself a loyal friend.

7) I am excellent with using Microsoft Word, Excel, Access, Visio and Powerpoint. I self taught myself and always find a way round any problems on these application.

8) I think I have something called Practical Intelligence, which according to Robert Sternberg is "the ability to adapt to everyday life by drawing on existing knowledge and skills. Practical intelligence enables an individual to understand what needs to be done in a specific setting and then do it." This has helped me a number of time at work especially when I have no understanding of the project. This also helped me during my Msc in Operational Research, where for more than half of the time I was very clueless on the subjects but I managed to pass all my exams.

9) I look way younger than my age. I used to find this very annoying before especially when some people try to take advantage of me but now I find it rather amusing and will even find it more appealing when I turn 40 and look 25 30 ;)

10) My eyes are probably my best physical feature. Chinese looking eyes (yes o!). Princess inherited them from me which makes her an absolute cutie. lol

Phew, this was actually harder than I thought. I had to thinkkkk. lol. Negatives thoughts kept coming but I make sure I edited and re-edited just to keep it all positive yet truthful.

Ok so now it is your turn ( you knew this was coming, didnt you??). If you enjoyed reading my 10 positive points above, then go on over to your blog and blow your trumpet. Please let me know when you do so I can go read. I will tag a few people if nobody conforms o.

Much love,
Aloted

photo credits- google images.

I have a new best friend- on blogville!

2011-09-20T13:23:00.000+01:00

Most of you already know I have been natural for the past 3 years. If you don't then you can read all about that here. Recently I have set hair/skin goals for myself and one of them is to use more natural homemade products on my hair/skin. As a result I have been doing a lot of research online about natural oils, how to make my own hair and skin conditioners, spritz, moisturisers etc. Not only is it ultimately cheaper, it is safer and healthier for me and princess.

The good thing about having a daughter is that she can be your ~~guinea pig~~ test subject. When I mix up my deep conditioners, I try it out on princess. Don’t worry I try it out as well (I can see all you defender of princess). The other day I mixed up coconut oil and honey to do a deep conditioner, I let it sit in hot water for 1 mins, put it on our hair , wrapped hair in cling firm for 20 mins, washed it off and then shampooed. Viola! Our hair came out really really soft and moisturised.

Ok I have digressed o as this isn’t the essence of this post. So yes from my research I discovered Natural Nigerian’s blog. Gosh, her blog is so informative and educative. I just learnt how to cleanse my face with the oil cleaning method (OCM) from her blog! OCM is amazing. The thing that also trips me is that she has a daughter as well so another opportunity to learn more stuff from her on how to take care of Princess' hair.

I have already told her on her blog she is my new blogville best friend but thought let me better shout it out on my blog as well, so she knows I am for real. Let the ~~stalking~~ friendship begin! :).

Natural Nigerian- thank you for taking time to blog and educate other Naturals about how to take care of their hair using your experience.

PS1- I think her tips can also work for team relaxed :D

PS2- I might share some of my natural hair goals and what I am doing with y'all later on.

God bless!

On Suspence and Thriller Books

2011-08-30T14:55:00.009+01:00

This post was inspired by Tomexy of Diary of a Media Junkie. She made valid points about how romantic books can mess with your mind if you let them. Unlike Tomexy, I grew up reading a lot of detective series and novels. When some girls in secondary school were busy fighting over M&B (mills and boons), or Jackie Collins x-rated books, I was busy looking for detective books as they intrigued me. I found romantic books rather predicable. Same old story- boy meets girl, girl acts hard to get, boy wins girl over, and everything is rosy in la la land. A test of true love occurs, will they survive? Yes they always did! 99% of the time! Phew! After reading my first two three M&B to see what the hype was about and there wasn't any apart from unnecessary arousing, I moved back to my suspense and thriller books! Now note, I do not do horror books or movie, they freak me out. However books on solving mysteries & crime did it for me.

Anyway, I got initiated to the Famous Five; they were a joy to read, always going off on one adventure or the other. Then gradually I moved to Nancy Drew. I think I read all the series. She was like my role model then, I wanted to become a detective and solve mysteries. She also had a cute boyfriend (he was cute in my mind) to top up the matter :)

As I grew older (teenage years), amongst other books, I read Sidney Sheldon (all his books I think), then moved on to James Hadley Chase (JHC) and James Patterson. That was when trouble started. Ok before I go into that, anyone that has seen a JHC books know that the cover almost always has a picture of a half naked woman (the ones I saw and read). Why on earth I do not know. The pictures put me off the book as I though it was porno material. But a friend convinced me otherwise, so I decided to try it out. OMG, I got hooked! Chei! JHC is a baba mastermind when it comes to crime. It was a world of danger, theft, lying, murders and all the bad bad things in this world. I felt compelled to turn the pages quickly to reach the end of the book to find out who the killer was or how the killer got away. So much twists and tension! After some time, I started to become paranoid, yet I didn't stop reading them. James Patterson didn't make matters any easy with his psycho stories. I would be walking on the street and start looking at people suspiciously like they are about to attack and abduct me or something.

Anyhoo, one day I decided to put an end to it with the help of the Holy Spirit. I was beginning to live in fear. Even though the books were FICTION they were beginning to have an effect on my REAL life. Besides, my spiritual man was suffering as I was feeding myself with junk. Evil things were beginning to look attractive and normal albeit in fantasy world. I stopped reading all them books, and moved to Christian books, self help books, and inspirational books. Life became much better and saner.

Now please, I am not saying as Christians don't read or read thrillers or romantic books but to be careful not to let them mess with our minds. I still have some suspense books in my "library" which I hope to read some day as I think I am older, wiser and can handle them now. Besides those books don't have any hold over me any more. But emm, I am off JHC books o for life. As in if there a JHC recovered anonymous addict club( ya I just came up with that) I would be a chairwoman in that club. lol

But seriously if we can draw the line and keep a balance to these things, I guess we are good to go. Let the Holy spirit be your guide.

So I'll like to hear from you, did you read a lot when growing up, what type of books did you read? Do you think those books had any effect on you. Do you consciously choose what books to read?

Thanks for sharing!

It's party time!!!!

2011-08-10T16:06:00.004+01:00

Remember this post on What I have been up to? Well there's more!!

Calling all chicks, babes, kokolets, mamalets, chikitas etc in London this summer to the latest swap party in town themed - Starve the landfill! It is happening live in North London. Details below-

Date: Saturday, 27th August 2011

Time: 2p.m prompt

Venue: Emerald Suite, the Rock Tower, 49 Tufnell Park Road, N7 0PS

London

18+ only, No children/buggies.

What do we do: An afternoon of Clothes, Shoes, Bags and Books swapping,

fashion/wardrobe advice and networking.

To get in: Come with quality swap worthy items you loved but no longer

need/wear and SWAP them for fabulous treasures from other ladies.

Items with dirt, rips, stains, broken zips, broken heels would not be accepted.

Items that do not meet our quality standard will be rejected.

Mifani shoes will be donating one of their fabulous embellished shoes at the event. Their shoes are worth over £70. Check here for how to enter.

All the event details can be found here

Here's a chance to upgrade your wardrobe without robbing the bank.

Look forward to seeing you there! No dulling o!!!

Please tell your lady friends as well.

Thots,

Aloted

How Time Flies

2011-08-04T12:50:00.004+01:00

We are in August already. Geez! Where is 2011 running to?? So much to be done, isn't it?!

The year so far has been eventful, a lot of reasons to rejoice and a few challenges here and there but through it all I know my God is my sustainer of all times. This has kept me going.

I don't really have an update but just to say the soulsistas blog has been resurrected yet again. Writefreak and I have gotten so busy with stuff that it is a struggle to update our own blogs. Hpwever we intend to work on the soulsistas blog as we feel we have a word in season for our single sistas out there. Please bear with us as we put our acts together. We are passionate about women and helping them identify their selfworth. Our partners (or furture partners) are meant to compliment us not complete us. (just thot I'll chip that in)

Please go on over and see the latest post we have for you. Please share your thoughts with us in the comments section. Also if you have any questions or topics you want us to address, just let us know via email thesoulsistas@googlemail.com

God bless y'all

Aloted

Everything is Working Out for your Good

2011-06-28T14:05:00.006+01:00

Last week was a very very challenging week for me, I stood for what was right but it appeared to backfire. My faith wavered and I doubted God. On Sunday a friend prayed with me and asked God for mercy. Yes mercy, that was what I needed. By Monday morning, God turned my situation around with just 1 text message and now I have a completely different story. He came through! He surprised me! Woo hoo!!!!!

This post is simply an encouragement to someone out there trusting God for something.

You feel pressured to do the wrong thing because everyone is doing it

You speak the truth but discomfort, pain and rejection follow suit

You pray and pray and that thing you so desire isn't coming forth

HOLD ON!

Do not be discouraged

Everything is working out for your GOOD

Just HOLD ON and TRUST in HIM who knows you and loves you

God is bigger than any mountain or trouble you may be going through.

Even in good times or bad times- HE is STILL GOD. He is Unchangeable, Unshakeable, Unstoppable!!!!!

Cast all your cares on him

He will SURPRISE you much more than you can ever imagine!

Stay STRONG.

Below is the song I am loving now. Heard it in Church this Sunday and it reassured me of God's love. It is all about God..only God.....

Hope it blesses you.

Thots!

Aloted

What Aloted has been up to...

2011-06-14T10:10:00.009+01:00

Hi people!

How goes it?? Hope you are all doing well?

You may or may not know about an exciting initiative a friend and I started last year but I would like to share it with you. FabXchange, (formerly known as Wardrobe Swap Party) is a cloth swapping company we started after we both found fashion treasures in each other’s wardrobes that the other didn’t need or wear. We realised that between us, our friends and women in the UK was a mountain of clothes rarely worn and sitting in wardrobes all over the UK.

Think of clothes you have bought in the store but are not exactly your size or don’t have the right fit and you never had the chance to return to the store. Think of clothing items you have worn once and know you will never wear again (because you don't want to be caught in the same outfit at that party lol). Think of quality clothing items in your wardrobe you hardly wear. Such items are what we welcome at our swap parties in the hope that they would go to new owners that would treasure them. We also swap shoes, bags and books.

Our cloth swapping venture gives ladies the opportunity to get new clothes into their wardrobe without going shopping. It also provides the chance to get rid of clothes that are hardly worn, and de-clutter their wardrobe in the process. It is the trendy way to do ‘ethical shopping’ and now ladies concerned with keeping the earth green can keep their carbon footprint down while getting something back.

Our exciting and entertaining cloth swapping parties also feature numerous appealing side attractions such as beauty and makeup giveaways, beauty makeovers, book giveaways, entertainment, fashion advice and the sale of accessories.

We provide other services that might be of interest to you, your friends or community.

We have had three events now and they have all been successful. This is one feedback (amongst others) we received from one of our attendees- "The swap party was full of fun and I made new friends. I got a new black evening dress, a mini jeans skirt (my husband thinks its gorgeous!), a Ralph polo top, just to mention a few. The organisers pulled it off beautifully well and I believe the subsequent ones will only get better. I recommend FabXchange to ladies out there."

More feedback can be found on our website.

As per my blogville family concerned, if this is something you would like to know more about or be a part of, then kindly

• like us on facebook- We are currently doing a giveaway on fb and twitter so maybe that might be an incentive for you;)
• follow us on twitter if you tweet - @fabxchange
• visit our website www.fabxchange.co.uk. follow us there for more details and leave us comments too!

I am seriously counting on you guys o cuz we need your support.... :)

Don't hoard the love, please tell your friends about us, as every woman needs to know how they can look good without breaking the bank!

Our next event is in July or August, God willing. More details will be available on fb, twitter and our web page soon. I hope to see the "Londoners" there or if you are in London then.

Thank you in advance. Any questions or suggestions do drop us an email at info@fabxchange.co.uk or leave your comments here!

Best
Aloted

Re letter to Nigerian Parents and #wePray275

2011-05-21T09:49:00.006+01:00

Hi People! Hope you are all doing well? Thank you all for your comments on my last post i.e. the article “A letter to Nigerian parents”. Unfortunately I do not know the author so couldn’t get her to respond but I thought I could share my own views. People made a lot of valid points in the comments so will try not to say much.

Someone mentioned to me the writer should have titled the letter- "A letter to Affluent Nigerian Parents" and then maybe her article will be completely justified. I tend to agree. I don’t think all the examples she provided are valid or would resonate with a large group of Nigerian parents but I agree with the underlying message she was trying to pass across.

As parents we are accountable for how we raise our kids. I read in a book by Dr Robert Anthony- “the greatest gift any parent can give their children is to help them to become self confident by making them self-reliant. Children should be given as much responsibility as they can handle at any age level. Only through independence will they learn the joy and privilege and human dignity of standing on their own two feet”. This I think is one of the points the writer was trying to make. “Overpowering, over permissive or over possessive parents are usually the ones who can turn their child into an emotional cripple.”
There are so many examples one can give but I will go back to my first point. We are accountable for how we raise our kids. The bible tells me if I bring up my child in the way of the Lord he/she will not depart from it. This doesn’t only mean spiritually but mentally, emotionally. Teach them with love and encouragement on how to move from a state of dependency to a state of self reliance. This would help their confidence as they grow up. So by God’s grace I am doing my part and I am holding God to his words to do his part. My children will turn out just right.

Ok moving on to other things, is it me or have you all noticed that there has been a tremendous number of young people dying recently. I started noticing it last year and this year the number has grown exponentially. Almost every week, I hear of a young person’s death. Personally I have lost two friends, I know friends that have lost friends, siblings or partners. This is not right!!! It is not our portion to die young so why is this happening?? I don’t know but I know I can pray about it, stand on and declare God’s word that this would stop. To this effect, a fast as being declared on May 27th, Children’s day to pray against the spirit of untimely death. I got to know about this through someone who lost his cousin recently. I would like to invite you to please join in the fasting and prayer on that day. Let us stand as one and pray this untimely death away. If you can’t fast for whatever reason you can still join us in praying on that day. God says he will hear us if we repent and call on his name. Please spread the word. Pray for yourself, your family, husband, wife, children, partners, siblings and every young person. PRAY as the spirit leads! Prayer is the only way I know so I will PRAY.

Please if you feel led too, you can blog about this to so others can join the fast/prayer. I noticed that Zoe Believer tagged this on twitter as #wepray275. So for those twitter gurus, do your thing- tweet about it with the tag. Who knows it just might trend!

Thanks and God bless.