30 Days of Thankfulness - Day 27

Oi! I know I'm supposed to post up pictures of my Trip but that can surely wait for my next post...this is way more important...I have been tagged by a few of my blogfam and what better time to do it than now?

I am thankful for:

The gift of life....of freedom, of the ability to function well...to be able to breathe, to praise Him, to just be....

God's many blessings upon my family and me; our health, our finances, our relationship with Him, our security, provision, time at work, at school and during our leisure.....

His gift of family and friends....the ones who stay by us through thick and thin to remind us that He is who He is....

His promises that He will finish the good works He has started in my life!

The gift of another life....His angel who he has sent to the world through me...

New beginnings at work....for giving me a double portion as He promised..(He knows...)

Promotion

My blogfam...believe me, I'm thankful when I know there are people out there who care, regardless of the fact that we are all living in the www...

I'm grateful for far too many things....I just want to end this by saying I am thankful that God is...His blessings are just too many to mention and I'm overwhelmed by them....Thank you my Maker!!!

'moni

I'm tagging all my blogfam who have not given thanks yet...for tomorrow 28th November 07, use the header 30 Days of Thankfulness - Day 28....Please don't break the 30 days chain! God bless you!

To Dubai and back....

Hello my friends...I'm sorry I keep doing this...I was really really due for a break at work and I had to up and leave like that....I got a week off and traveled with my sister and her son, we returned last Wednesday...I was unable to blog before the trip because of work commitments and I appreciate your concern...Thank you!

Anyway, I went to Dubai and had a funtastic (yep, I said funtastic) time... It was nice to hang with her (plus one) for the week and we really really had a swell time...
It started off with my camera getting stolen from my suitcase which was not very good for me, but I bought another and have some pixs and gist to share...will do that in the next post, promise!

Just wanted to say I'm back for good...and thanks, my baby's kicking well by His grace! To my blogfam, thank you!!! I will be doing my blog rounds today so see you at your spots!

1 Love,
'moni...

still here peeps..............

Hello bloggers!

This girl is still here! I may be away from blogsville but I dey o! Nothing much happening but works been piling up on me....

As per your request for a feedback regarding my last post, here goes: The said lady has left the company! She left unceremoniously and did not even give them a clue until the day she was to leave... she'd told me she was working on going to the UK for her Masters degree and had been refused a visa before (last year) but she tried applying again and was lucky this time around...She came to my office to bid us farewell shortly after the whole shebang and she just 'up and left'- using my supervisors words...by the way, my office is looking for an accountant cos we now realize the importance of having your own staff rather than depending on 1-(wo)man-owned-consulting firms...We basically need someone young, with about 2 years of experience and do not mind someone with a HND...please send your resumes to me at kalabari@gmail.com .......I shall not fail to pass it to to the peeps in charge...

On a personal note, my little girl turned 4 on October 7 so it was yet another reason to thank God...Here's my shout out to my creator "Baba God I thank you O!!! We thank you wellu wellu!"
Secondly, this yer girl here is expecting No. 2 so there you have it! aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaarrrrrrrrrrrgggggggghhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh ;-) - That means I'm excited...lol.....hehehe!
I'm very glad about this but it's not easy coping with driving 2 hours to work and 2 hours back home everyday, work-related stress, and although they say (my sister esp.) no two pregnancies are alike, for me I reckon the first three months are really Uuuugh!!
Anyway, I'm still tryna hide it from my office cos the end of this month makes me 1 year here and here I am fighting for increase in salary for next year bla bla bla...wouldn't do to let on that my productivity next year wouldn't exactly be 100% would it?

Anyway, I just wanted to drop a line to say hello to all my blogfam and to share my joy! For my peeps who dropped a line asking about my whereabouts thank you for taking out the time to check up on me...I truly appreciate...Now let me do my round of blogville so ya'll will be seeing me at your spaces!

Playlist
I can't get over the Fray...really, really can't..I'm listening to 'How to save a life' and 'Over my head' like always! I've also been listening to Mark Schultz a lot lately...'He's my son' and 'I am' are two of my fav and a lil T-pain never hurt anybody! I think I've done well considering I only wanted to drap a line or two before......Take care guys...keep well!

The set-up

Wow, it feels like ages since I last came by here...don't blame me too much but it's the usual excuse..I've been swamped with work! LOL...Anyway, this time, it's not really the usual excuse...We moved offices so everything has been crazy for the past week or so...I have to travel further to work now, more traffic, more wahala....anyway. we're settling down in the new place now so it's going to be back to the old swing of things for me soon....

Anyway, I want to blog about something that went down in last week/this week...it was quite an interesting and surprising thing that left a bad taste in my mouth....it relates to a staff of a consulting company that provides accounting support services to my company, their work basically covers preparing our payslips and remitting PAYE to the govt. within the stipulated time, calculating WHT of the suppliers and remitting and generally helping out with our accounting using a software of some sort...but that's not the gist. Well, this staff of theirs was posted to my office and she comes in regularly, in fact she's here three times a week and we've gotten quite friendly over the months.

Now Angela (not real name) confided in me that although they (her colleagues and her) raked in a lot of money for their company, they are very poorly paid and she earns next to nothing. I was surprised to learn the actual amount because I happen to know how much her company gets from my office monthly (though it's based on the number of hours worked, I have a pretty good idea of the average) and thought it sad that she was treated so poorly in terms of remuneration. Anyway, I encouraged her to look for a better job being that she has 5 years of experience as an accountant although she's not Chartered. I took her resume and helped her send it to a few places, and she also passed it around through her other contacts. The idea was to push it around in the hope that she would go for interviews and eventually get a job that would raise her earning power.

Last week, she got a call from a certain "Charles"(not real name) who introduced himself as a staff of XXX Company, asking her to send him her profile and telling her he had heard of her and that he wanted to meet with her for a chat about possible employment with his organisation. She told him she wasn't free during the weekdays, and they fixed an appointment for Saturday, it was planned to be an informal interview... She wondered how he got to know about her and asked him when she met him for his 'chat'. He told her he knew someone who knew her and gave him her contact details and in the course of the meeting/interview, he asked her questions like how much she was earning, and all sorts of interview questions and told her he'd get back to her as soon as....

Well, well, well... on Tuesday this week - she comes to our office three times a week i.e Monday, Wednesday and Fridays and reports at her office on Tuesdays and Thursdays- she went to her office and was surprised that a Management meeting was to be held -and yes, she's supposed to be management with that dirt cheap salary - and she was the subject of the meeting. Her M.D told her she had been found out, and that they all knew she was up to something and so she wanted to leave eh? Turns out the whole interview was stage managed by her Madam and she told me yesterday that she finally understood the meaning of wanting the earth to open up and swallow me.

I wonder why her boss and her colleagues had to go to such measures to find her out...I thought it was very low and then, is there anyone who doesn't wish to change his/her situation for the better? What was her crime? To attend an interview in her spare time.. I just don't know what to make of this but to say I am disappointed is really an understatement. Anyway, that's the gist for today! I'll be back soonest with berra gist..Take care!

P.S
Pamelastitch, wassup? How come I cant view your blog? Na wah, I go vex o!

We are grateful!

I'm writing this post on behalf of 3.

The first is my girlfriend Ms. K, we went to the same primary school....grew up in Port Harcourt, attended the same University, studied the same course, were room mates for three of our four years in the University... Now, she lives in the U.K and I live in Nigeria, continents apart but still tight friends... we don't get to see every year but I love her for all the memories we share, for the times she had my back and for the times she stood up for me when I couldn't do things my self...this one's for us...

The second is my blogger pal believer who I haven't had the pleasure of meeting but whose posts on her blog encourage me immensely. A lot of the time I just go to her blog and read her posts and I leave encouraged... His word says we should worship Him in the days of our youth and she really is a motivation to do so. I hope we get to meet someday girl...this one's for us...

I am the third of the trio. Yours truly, Nyemoni. I will leave you guys to make up your minds what to make of me, but this one's for us....

We three share the birth date 22/09. I'm doing this for us all, because we are all grateful to God....for allowing us reach yet another milestone in our lives..I may be doing it different this time around, but the point is that we are grateful...

Father Lord, we thank You
We thank you because of your Grace upon our lives
We thank you because of unwarranted favour on our families and ourselves
We thank you because of the Good health you gave me

God, we bless you
We bless you for your provision
We bless you because you are our help
We bless you because your Angels have taken charge over us

Abba father, We glorify your name
We glorify your name because You are the God greater than all other gods
We glorify your name because You are the Father who answers
We glorify Your name because of your promises to us

We Praise you because we know that no matter how much or how little we say You know what is good for us and You know even before we ask that which is important for us...
We are Grateful...

Guys please join us as we cross another milestone tomorrow... will not be here to post but my girl believer will be... Join us as we cross over to another year! Let the party begin!!!!

Chicken Soup: The Baggy Yellow Shirt by Patricia Lorenz

Hi guys,

This is another entry from Chicken soup for the soul. Enjoy!

The Baggy Yellow Shirt by Patricia Lorenz

The baggy yellow shirt had long sleeves, four extra large pockets trimmed in black thread and snaps up the front. Not terribly attractive, but utilitarian without a doubt. I found it in December 1963 during my freshman year in college when I was home on Christmas break.
Part of the fun of vacation at home was the chance to go through Mom's hoard of rummage, destined for the less fortunate. She regularly scoured the house for clothes, bedding and house wares to give away, and the collection was always stored in paper bags on the floor of the front hall closet.
Looking through Mom's collection one day, I came across this oversized yellow shirt, slightly faded from years of wear but still in decent shape.
Just the thing to wear over my clothes during art class!" I said to myself.
"You're not taking that old thing, are you?" Mom said when she saw me packing it. "I wore that when I was pregnant with your brother in 1954!"
"It's perfect for art class, Mom. Thanks!" I slipped it into my suitcase before she could object.
The yellow shirt became a part of my college wardrobe. I loved it. All during college, it stayed with me, always comfortable to throw over my clothes during messy projects. The underarm seams had to be reinforced before I graduated, but there was plenty of wear in that old garment.
After graduation I moved to Denver and wore the shirt the day I moved into my apartment. Then I wore it on Saturday mornings when I cleaned. Those four large pockets on the front-two breast pockets and two at hip level-made a super place to carry dust cloths, wax and polish.
The next year, I married. When I became pregnant, I found the yellow shirt tucked in a drawer and wore it during those big belly days. Though I missed sharing my first pregnancy with Mom and Dad and the rest of my family, since we were in Colorado and they were in Illinois, that shirt helped remind me of their warmth and protection. I smiled and hugged the shirt when I remembered that Mother had worn it when she was pregnant.
By 1969, after my daughter's birth, the shirt was at least 15 years old. That Christmas, I patched one elbow, washed and pressed the shirt, wrapped it in holiday paper and sent it to Mom. Smiling, I tucked a note in one of the pockets saying: "I hope this fits. I'm sure it will look great on you!" When Mom wrote to thank me for her "real" gifts, she said the yellow shirt was lovely. She never mentioned it again.
The next year, my husband, daughter and I moved from Denver to St. Louis and we stopped at Mom and Dad's house in Rock Falls, Illinois, to pick up some furniture. Days later, when we uncrated the kitchen table, I noticed something yellow taped to its bottom. The shirt! And so the pattern was set.
On our next visit home, I secretly placed the shirt between the mattress and box springs of Mom and Dad's bed. I don't know how long it took her to find it, but almost two years passed before I got it back.
By then our family had grown.
This time Mom got even with me. She put it under the base of our living room lamp, knowing that as a mother of three little ones, housecleaning and moving lamps would not be everyday events. . .
When I finally got the shirt, I wore it often while refinishing "early marriage" furniture that I found at rummage sales. The walnut stains on the shirt simply added more character to all its history.
Unfortunately, our lives were full of stains, too.
My marriage had been failing almost from the beginning. After a number of attempts at marriage counseling, my husband and I divorced in 1975. The three children and I prepared to move back to Illinois to be closer to the emotional support of family and friends.
As I packed, a deep depression overtook me. I wondered if I could make it on my own with three small children to raise. I wondered if I would find a job. Although I hadn't read the Bible much since my Catholic school days, I paged through the Good Book, looking for comfort. In Ephesians, I read, "So use every piece of God's armor to resist the enemy whenever he attacks, and when it is all over, you will be standing up."
I tried to picture myself wearing God's armor, but all I saw was me wearing the stained yellow shirt. Of course! Wasn't my mother's love a piece of God's armor? I smiled and remembered the fun and warm feelings the yellow shirt had brought into my life over the years. My courage was renewed and somehow the future didn't seem so alarming.
Unpacking in our new home and feeling much better, I knew I had to get the shirt back to Mother. The next time I visited her, I carefully tucked it in her bottom dresser drawer, knowing that sweater weather was months away.
Meanwhile my life moved splendidly. I found a good job at a radio station and the children thrived in their new environment.
A year later during a window-washing spurt, I found the crumpled yellow shirt hidden in a rag bag in my cleaning closet. Something new had been added. Emblazoned across the top of the breast pocket were the bright green newly embroidered words, "I
BELONG TO PAT." Not to be outdone, I got out my own embroidery materials and added an apostrophe and seven more letters. Now the shirt proudly proclaimed, "I BELONG TO PAT'S MOTHER."
Once again, I zigzagged all the frayed seams. Then I enlisted the aid of a dear friend, Harold, to help me get it back to Mom. He arranged to have a friend mail the shirt to Mom from Arlington, Virginia. We enclosed a letter announcing that she was the recipient of an award for her good deeds. The award letter, on official looking stationery printed at the high school where Harold was assistant principal, came from "The Institute for the Destitute."
This was my finest hour. I would have given anything to see Mom's face when she opened the "award" box and saw the shirt inside. But, of course, she never mentioned it.
On Easter Sunday the following year, Mother managed a coup de grace. She walked into our home with regal poise, wearing that old shirt over her Easter outfit, as if it were an integral part of her wardrobe.
I'm sure my mouth hung open, but I said nothing. During the Easter meal, a giant laugh choked my throat. But I was determined not to break the unbroken spell the shirt had woven into our lives. I was sure that Mom would take off the shirt and try to hide it in my home, but when she and Dad left, she walked out the door wearing, "I BELONG TO PAT'S MOTHER" like a coat of arms.
A year later, in June 1978, Harold and I were married. The day of our wedding, we hid our car in a friend's garage to avoid the usual practical jokers. After the wedding, while my husband drove us to our honeymoon suite in Wisconsin, I reached for a pillow in the car so I could rest my head. The pillow felt lumpy. I unzipped the case and discovered a gift, wrapped in wedding paper.
I thought it might be a surprise gift from Harold. But he looked as stunned as I. Inside the box was the freshly pressed yellow shirt.
Mother knew I'd need the shirt as a reminder that a sense of humor, spiced with love, is one of the most important ingredients in a happy marriage. In a pocket was a note: Read John 14:27-29. I love you both, Mother."
That night I paged through a Bible I found in the hotel room and found the verses: "I am leaving you with a gift: peace of mind and heart. And the peace I give isn't fragile like the peace the world gives. So don't be troubled or afraid. Remember what I told you: I am going away, but I will come back to you again. If you really love me, you will be very happy for me, for now I can go to the Father, who is greater than I am. I have told you these things before they happen so that when they do, you will believe in me."
The shirt was Mother's final gift.
She had known for three months before my wedding that she had a terminal disease, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (Lou Gehrig's disease). Mother died 13 months later, at age 57. I must admit that I was tempted to send the yellow shirt with her to her grave. But I'm glad I didn't, because it is a vivid reminder of the love filled game she and I played for 16 years.
Besides, my older daughter is in college now, majoring in art . . . and every art student needs a baggy yellow shirt with big pockets for art class!

Another A-Z meme

Hey guys, thanks for all your comments to my posts...I appreciate the responses.. I meant to put up this meme for a long time now, but I never got around to doing it. I can't even credit the blogger from who's blog I got this 'cos I've forgotten. I tag all my regular blog visitors.... Have a nice weekend guys!

Accent: Dunno! Ask My friends..
Booze: Can’t abide by it, so no booze for me, thanks
Chore I Hate: Tidying up and scrubbing the toilet
Dogs/Cats: Hard to decide cos I grew up with both! But dogs, I think...
Essential electronics: Radio, Portable music device, TV..
Favourite Perfume: Organza by Givenchy & Poême by Lancomê
Gold/Silver: Gold.
Hometown: Abonnema (Nyemoni), Rivers State
Insomnia: Hardly ever!
Job title: It’s too complicated!
Kids: 1 for now and hopefully 2 more!
Living arrangements: Pretty comfy apartment…
Most admired trait: I heard them say they can confide in me and I am fun to hang with!
Number of sexual partners: And how?
Overnight hospital stays: Typhoid Fever and after childbirth.
Phobia: Electrophobia
Quote: “Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins. Offer hospitality to one another without grumbling” (1 Peter 4:8-9)
Religion: Christianity
Siblings: 5- 1 sis, 4 bros
Time I usually awake: 6a.m
Unusual talent: I’ve still not discovered it…
Vegetable I refuse to eat: Can’t think of any..
Worst habit: Delay…
X-rays: Age 6 when I swallowed my dads’ little key!
Yummy foods I make: Okra soup, Spaghetti Bolognese, Kekefiyaye
Zodiac sign: Don’t believe in those things..

'moni..

Play list
I'm loving Justin Timberlake so much right now so I leave you with two of his songs from his latest album FutureSex/LoveSounds.. Songs are Lovestoned and Losing my way (Hawt! Hawt! Hawt!) Enjoy!

Grass to grace....

We all know that the only thing constant in life is change. But it is also one of the things we dread most. It's because we do not know exactly what the wind of change will blow our way. If the change which comes our way is positive change, one that elevates us financially, socially and indeed in all ramifications we would be all for it, but when it is an ill wind that blows our way we almost know for sure that dire consequences await us.

Such is the plight of some of us, who rather than take the hurdles we come across in life as lessons and try to pick up the threads of our lives would fall deeper into the clutches of despair, despondence, depression.

My father has this theory: Constant wrong decisions = Failure
Time

I don't know where he got this but I believe it.. It's a formula he swears by and has instilled in all his children. I like this formula because it seems sound to me.... of course that does not necessarily mean that all who fail have constantly made wrong decisions or that making constantly right decisions if the fool-proof way to success but in a nutshell, the theory seems pretty concise to me.

This leads me to my post for today.... I was pondering about certain acquaintances of my husband and I who were very well to do in the late '90's and now live like paupers. I am in no way celebrating their lot but I spent a lot of time in thought about the term "falling from grace to grass". It hit home when we paid a visit to this couple.....

Case Study:
Joel (my hubby's childhood playmate)and Mariam (not real names) got married in the late '90's.... then it was all rosy as Joel had a lot of money from his "Oil Bunkering business" -the most legitimate of all illegal businesses- and he had so much cash to spend then.... they always had parties for absolutely no reason and Mariam was always off to some distant country to buy goods to sell.... They lived a fast life, spending, partying, having fun, I used to wonder then just how rich I would have to be to spend without planning- that was how it seemed to me. She had two kids in quick succession and life seemed like it was going to be eternally blissful because they were living the life!

Fast forward to 2003....my hubby was away in school so I basically lost contact with his 'friends' some of them called occasionally, others even visited. I lost all touch with Joel and Mariam. In 2005, we ran into them at an event and they look like a shadow of their former selves... No nice clothes, no bling and just plain simple... I had to ask my sis-in-law if she noticed. Of course she did and we wondered, but left it at that...
Moving on to this year I got a call from Joel that Mariam had just put to birth and he wanted us to know... being that the Christening fell on a week day, we were unable to attend (because of work commitments and hubby and I decided between ourselves to visit them on any given Saturday.

Two Saturdays ago, we decided to visit them and called to let them know we were on our way. Wifey reluctantly gave us sketchy descriptions to their place... we got to the general area and called...believe me, it took about 5 calls before she answered and gave some more directions. We eventually located the place and parked on the street because we were not told which house it was....It took an over 20 minute wait and our having to question some security guards with descriptions of the family and the fact that a new baby was born recently for them to identify the house were looking for. Hubby wanted to go in, but I dissuaded him and told him to be patient....after all, we didn't give them the benefit of telling them beforehand that we planned to visit....

Finally Mariam made her exit from the compound- as we say in naijaspeak- and ushered us in...she was a shadow of her former self and she looked so embarrassed.... we got in and were all trying to act normal and all, Joel initially claimed to be sleeping, but later came out and it was on the whole a painful visit.... I felt so bad and I just wondered what went wrong...we all chatted for a while about old times and then Joel took hubby aside and confided in him about his situation. He alluded to the fact that his wife and her family ran him down...He said he spent millions for her dads burial, she never brought a penny in from her business, kept demanding for money for more...How very easy to apportion blame! They never saved for a rainy day....How about the houses you were building, my hubby asked? Which house? Apparently she spun tales about that and a lot of other things as well...bla bla bla...but where do they start? With 3 kids and no income, what do they do?

Our analogy on our return home was that they did not invest.... they thought that whatever their source of income was would last forever.... I recalled the days when I would see Mariam and she would go, Joel's building 2 houses now...One in Lekki Phase 1 and the other at VGC...where are the houses? I'm going to the UK next week to buy things for resale... what happened?.... She never even completed her Law degree at the University because she dropped out of school after her wedding...why oh why? Even the business she was doing never brought any money in, she went back for more and more from her hubby for every trip, Whatever happened?

I mourned their circumstance but I took the lesson with me. It pays to live with an uncertain tomorrow in mind because change will come and then, what happens?.... What do we do if an ill wind blows our way? Of course the average Nigerian will bind and cast and say tufiakwa! But still we know that He who fails to plan has planned to fail. As for me and my house....God help us, we're planning for our tomorrow today!

'moni

GSM Wahala

The inception of the GSM in '01 was of course a welcome development in Nigeria and a lot of us folks felt that we were 'getting there' upon acquisition of our own lines and phones... But of course, the gsm has come fraught with its attendant wahala as well...
It has wrecked relationships/marriages, caused people to lose jobs and caused untold embarrassment to lots of people.
Am I making sense here? I'm willing to bet I'm not, but let me share some stories with you...

1. I have these friends from Secondary School, we all know each other and I recently found out both of them are not so cool with each other anymore, they're only on Hello-Hi levels... Caused some surprise I tell you, so I enquired from them separately as to what the matter was...I asked the girl first and she went, "don't mind him jo...I saw him at a wedding and he was being very cold so I just decided to give him space since then..." Humph...nothing there...I asked the guy and he was like "I saw her at a wedding...some of my friends I went with were admiring her from afar so I told them, OH, I know that babe now, we were in school together, bla bla bla..she's my buddy"... he further decided to call her to prove "tightness?" to his guys and they all watched her from where they were seated....He saw her reach into her bag.....take her phone....look at the caller name... make a really nasty face and return the phone into her bag...he assured me it wasn't funny as his guys still yap him about it to date... Of course they 'ran into' themselves at the wedding but he was not as warm as she wanted him to be...

2. I was driving out with my hubby one weekend and he got a call from one of his Oga's at work... he was supposed to be at work that morning but did not go thanks to my *clears throat* persuasiveness.. anyway, he checked his phone and saw his oga's number and asked me to answer and tell him he had gone out and left his phone at home. Here's how it went:
Me- Hello?
Mr. T- Hello Madam, how are you? Give the phone to Mr. Nyemoni, tell him it's Mr. T
Me- I'm sorry but he's not around, he.....
Mr. T- (laffing really hard) Hahahaha...Tell him I'm driving behind him...so he's sending his wife to cover up for him eh? Hahahaha
Let's just say we're glad the guy is an understanding Oga or else....

3. My daughter has on countless occasions tried to embarrass me when I do the "my husband left his phone at home thing"...she always screams, my daddy is at HOME!!! lol..Now when I want to lie, I run of her earshot....

4. There are countless incidents of people reading their partners text messages and finding out what they really did not expect... I don't want to go into that because I heard too may horror stories... People please...share your GSM gist! Laterz!


`moni

It's all in the Jazz!

Let's face it. Some of us pretend we like some genres of music just so we can be seen as being "in the know". We are all guilty of this. Some people choke down food they don't like, others read a book or watch a movie they don't like and because everyone else is raving about it, they go- that book was Faaaab! I couldn't wait to get to the end.....Uh, wait a minute....maybe so, but for entirely different reasons. Some go, "How I loved that movie, my favourite scene was bla bla bla.... I could watch it again and again.." Like really?

For me, it was all about the jazz! I have deceived myself for as long as I can remember that I like jazz, probably because the rest of my family does and have even gone as far as buying a jazz CD or two....I finally faced it last 2 weeks or so when I was in training and had to listen to jazz every morning before the training session began. This went on until....Lord...I couldn't take it anymore.....the last day of training, I actually asked the guy who set up the projectors and all to kindly play something else.....lol! I finally accepted the fact that Jazz doesn't soothe me, it doesn't calm my nerves, it doesn't do ANYTHING for me! I'm sorry Kenny G, but what I do like are instrumentals, I like the piano, the guitar, the cello, the harmonica, and the drums...any kind of drums...but the SAX does absolutely nothing except annoy me! I've decided I'm going to give out my Jazz CD's to true lovers of Jazz, maybe my sister or one of my brothers. Let's just hope they really love jazz and aren't kidding themselves ;-) As for me.... I've decided to come out of the closet... I DON'T LIKE JAZZ!!!

By the way, I'm reading.....

Think devil wears Prada...if you like chic, witty books you'll like this one! I'll fill you in on this one next week! Laters people! ;-)

'moni

EUREKA!

Guys, I found the vid.... Enjoy!!!

'moni

TY Bello - Greenland

*pix courtesy this blog

I'm not usually one to do this, but I just have to cos I'm sooooooooo feeling this girl... I'm talking about TY Bello. She used to belong to the girl band KUSH which comprised Lara Bajomo, Emem Ema and TY Sokefun and they had the popular hit: Let's live together.

A graduate of Economics from the University of Lagos, TY also belongs to Depth of Field, a collective of six Nigerian Photographers: Kelechi Amadi Obi, Emeka Okereke, Uchechukwu James-Iroha, Zaynab Odunsi, Amaize Ojeikere and TY Bello. Their aim? Creating a complex portrait of the Lagos and its multitude of dimensions....from what I have seen of them, they have done very well...

The girls from KUSH have gone on to do their own things and TY Bello's new album Greenland is one of the products of the disbandment of the group.. I have so far heard only one song from the Album: Green Land and I am completely blown away! I heard it about a month and a half ago on CoolFM and I heard it on and on.... yesterday I was watching MTV Base- which is usually not my fav spot on TV- and I saw the video..It was simply a breath of fresh air!! I was so impressed by the video, I just kept dancing and singing along....I will SO buy that Album the minute I see it!!!

Anyway, everyone should look out for it cos it's really a nice song and I'm not going to list any other song as is my tradition on Fridays...

Guys, enjoy your weekend, stay safe and don't do anything I wouldn't do!!!

One love my people...

`moni

Monday Update

I'm back to work! Yeah so United won Chelsea yesterday in the fight for the Community Shield at Wembley. Yay!! Edwin van der Sar was the man... Big ups my fellow United suppoters and OUCH you blues, try again! Our next challenge: Glentoran FC on the 8th... Let's give it all we've got!
ONE UNITED!

This PHCN sef.....
So it's possible to have almost constant power supply in Nigeria? Who would have thought. Can someone please tell me why PHCN always supplies light in Lagos these days? I say Lagos cos I don't know for sure about the other states of the Federation but everywhere I go, everyone says the same thing: There's amost always light - at least 70% of the time. I am scared cos I think they're going to get ugly real soon...some one tell me to be more optimistic cos I fear I'm being a pessimist

Who gave the order?
What's up with the fashion police? Who appointed anyone Lord over outfits Lagosians wear? I've been hearing this "confirmed" rumor that people are being picked up because of their attire. Guys with dread locks and earrings on are being arrested, as well as ladies who show off more than they care to see..... I want to know if anyone can confirm what I heard on the radio today, that they take these people they arrest to an undisclosed location in Lagos and force them to Learn a trade...I'm concerned because we have serious security issues in Lagos with Armed men controlling a lot of places in the Lagos Metropolis, e.g, Akpongbon Bridge, Lekki- Ajah Expressway, Oshodi Expressway, Orile -Mile 12 Route, etc and nothing is being done about this... Pray tell, is fashion the most pressing of our issues? Tell me, WHO GAVE THE ORDER?

Big Brother Africa
BBA is back with the second edition... it features 12 people, 6 guys, 6 gals from 12 different countries in Africa: Angola, Botswana, Ghana, Kenya, Malawi, Namibia, Nigeria, South Africa, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia and Zimbabwe..
Nigerian Ofunneka is repping for 9ja... I watched it for a bit yesterday and so fa? I'm not so impressed, well lets just watch and see shall we?

Take care....
'moni

In training................

Hello Blogfam,
Thanks for all the love as per my Blogiversary lol.... I have been at some random place on the Island for a training programme... I'm supposed to come back with more skillz to equip me to give better service to my employers bla bla bla... just came in to the office now to write a report and couldn't resist dropping a line...anyway, I have a helluva catching up to do on all your blogs...

My sister who gave birth on May 15th is in Nigeria with her baby for her maternity leave - in Canada, they have 1 years' maternity leave - I get to see her this weekend after almost a year, plus she has a thanksgiving service on Sunday! I'm super excited! Anyway, spoke to her earlier today and she was asking about my blogfam... she sends her love!
I'll be back in the office on Monday 6th August so expect a post then...Until then, have a lovely weekend!


Mad love!
'moni...

P.S

Music I've been listenin' to....
Plain white T's -Hey there Delilah
KD Lang - Crying
The Fray - How to save a life
Green Day - Working Class Hero

1st Blogiversary!!

Hey! It's my 1st blogiversary! I started blogging on Tuesday, July 25, 2006 and it's been quite an experience! Blogging has opened a whole new page in my life and I tuly have no regrets starting this blog... I've made many friends and some enemies too but Hey! It's mostly been worthwhile... Thanks to blogging, I now have these group of people who I call my blog fam...

It took me quite a while before I decided to start this blog mostly because of my desire to remain anonymous and also because I thought it would be too much quality time spent killing my eyes, but I'm glad I took the leap O' faith and ventured into the blog world.

I remember the very first blog I stumbled upon, sometime in June last year. The layout was pink and I saw the eyes of a young lady staring at me...I'd been trying to get some info on coolfm and I was led by google to this post... I read through a lot of her posts and left with tired eyes, didn't go back for another month...but then I returned.. opening link after link and I discovered a whole new world...

The journey's been fun so far, sometimes I come to blogsville just to get away from reality for a bit and to have a laugh.... I'm just really glad I started this... Here's to many more blogiversaries! Guys, thanks for taking this journey with me and I hope blogging has been as much fun for you as it has been for me.... Cheers y'all!

Me-me

I am …NYEMONI
My ex-boyfriend ….turned out to be my husband..... Maybe I should …get another job? I love …Music! I don't understand.....accounting! I'm not even interested in the least! I lost my....toe ring last year My current boyfriend is …my husband People say I'm ….fun to be with Love is …diverse Somewhere, someone is…getting murdered
I will always... love books Forever is....eternity I never want to…have to kill anyone I think the current President is….a subject under review
When I wake up in the morning….I thank the Lord for yet another day Life is full of....mysteries My past is.....incredibly bland! I get annoyed when….I see bad quality customer service Parties are for...having fun! Girls are ...complex creatures Sex is…. overrated I wish...I had more financial prowess Tomorrow I'm going to…..take my daughter out! I really want some….more of God in my life! I have low tolerance for people who….are pathological liars If I had a million dollars... I’d never be broke again My job makes me…. wanna go crazy!

What's on my playlist? Robin Thicke - Lost without you (finally caught the bug) Rihanna - Umbrella Gwen Stefani - 4 in the morning Justin Timberlake - Ayo Technology Ciara - Like a boy Beyonce - Get me bodied Akon feat Bone Thugs n Harmony - I tried Nickleback -If everyone cared Fergie - Glamorous (This is cos of my daughter!)

Have a great weekend everyone! I'll try to post something "sensible" next week... It's been really tough at the office these few weeks...and all ye reading this are hereby tagged! CIAO for now!

'moni

Friday the 13th

"The superstitious man is to the rogue what the slave is to the tyrant." -Voltaire

They say Friday the 13th is an unlucky day.... True, for people who believe in superstition but I don't belong to that category of people. I however want to blog about Friday the 13th and also list some superstitious beliefs I've heard....

Friday the 13th
As we all know, the 13th of any month which falls on a Friday is considered Friday the 13th. The number 13 is considered an unlucky number and Friday is considered an unlucky day, I think this has a lot to do with Friday the 13th theory, i.e. two unlucky factors...The fear of Friday the 13th is called paraskevidekatriaphobia.

Other superstitious beliefs

- The number 13 is unlucky. 12a is sometimes used as a substitute and some buildings skip floor 13 completely. Other superstitious beliefs related to the number 13 are:
More than 80 percent of high-rises lack a 13th floor.
Many airports skip the 13th gate.
Airplanes have no 13th aisle.
Hospitals and hotels regularly have no room number 13.
Italians omit the number 13 from their national lottery.
On streets in Florence, Italy, the house between number 12 and 14 is addressed as 12
and a half.
Many cities do not have a 13th Street or a 13th Avenue
- Breaking a mirror will result in 7 years of bad luck.
- The numbers 7 and 9 are "lucky."
- It will bring you bad luck if you step on the cracks in a sidewalk.
- Expectant mother should throw salt three times behind herself shortly before her 'Due Date'
to ease her labour
- Placing a hat on a table is bad luck.
- In the United States, many people believe that two-dollar bill brings bad luck. Gamblers
sometimes call it a "deuce", a term for two which also means "devil."
- Black cats are generally considered unlucky; when a black cat crosses one's path, something
bad will happen
- Wearing clothes/ Underwear inside out brings good luck
- A penny is found heads up, it will grant good luck, however, tails up will grant bad luck.
- If one walks underneath an open ladder it brings bad luck.
- It is considered bad luck to open an Umbrella indoors.
- If your right eye twitches you will soon have good luck. If the left eye twitches the reverse
applies.
- To drop a fork means a man is coming to visit.
- If the palm of your right hand itches it means you will soon be getting money.
- If the palm of your left hand itches it means you will soon be paying out money.
- A mirror should be covered during a thunderstorm because it attracts lightning.
- All wishes on shooting stars come true. (Star light, star bright First star I see tonight, I wish I
may, I wish I might Have the wish I wish tonight)
- Knock three times on wood after mentioning good fortune so evil spirits won't ruin it.
- If you make a wish while throwing a coin into a well or fountain, the wish will come true.
- For a lucky bride: Something old, Something new, Something borrowed, Something blue and a
lucky sixpence In her shoe.

Do share the superstitious beliefs you've heard, whether you believe them or not!

`moni

Random Wednesday

MICHELIN MAN DENIES PATERNITY SUIT... Claims child is not his




What do you think?

What my mother taught me

My mother taught me Endurance. Her words were “what cannot be cured must be endured” She taught me to endure whatever obstacle life brings my way such that it would not bring me down; rather I would learn a lesson and be better for it.
My mother taught me resilience. She taught me to get up if and when I fall down.
My mother taught me kindness. She showed me how to look at every man as an equal and not to think that I was better than any just because I had certain privileges they didn’t have.
She also taught me humility. That’s the only thing one cant brag about having so I’ll leave it at that and let someone else say it on my behalf!
My mother taught me perseverance. She made me understand that the road may be long and I would be weary, but showed me that I’ve been equipped to handle all of life’s challenges.
She taught me to live well beneath my means. That way, I’d be able to manage most of my affairs (if not all) without having to borrow unnecessarily and thus compromise my stability.
My mother taught me the beauty of giving…… I now understand what it means to give without expecting anything in return and I love the feeling I have when I give, no matter how little it is………
She taught me Laughter. She taught me how laughter can change situations no matter how bad and she taught me how to take a joke. She taught me to pay now, play later… that’s the way I learned responsibility.
She taught me how to earn trust. It showed in the way I was alone and unsupervised for four years in the University paying all my fees, going to classes religiously, studying, earning my grades and graduating. All that was done without one visit from my parents to my school, from my matriculation day to graduation day.
My mother taught me Faith. She taught me the word of God which says that faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen…..
She taught me the power of prayers…I’ve learnt that its power is immeasurable………she also taught me hope… sometimes it’s all some people have got……most of all, my mother taught me love. She taught me to love beyond reason, without reason and to love just because God says so.

My mother taught me all these and much more… I cannot imagine my life without her guidance, counseling and direction. She’s played the most important role in my life by miles and I cannot thank God enough for giving me to her … I wish that I be wise and patient enough to teach my children as she taught my siblings and I and pray that her children are able to show her how much she means to us… She may or may never get to read this but I just hope she hears the song of my heart… Mummy, I love and appreciate you… May God bless you with long life and show you His salvation.



‘moni

it's da weekend.......

Hey Guys,

It's been such a long minute.... and it's not just about the strike... Yeah, the strike has taken it's toll on me but it's not just the strike... it's something in the air.... like the world has come to a standstill... but then I know the world's not at a standstill.....but what with No Power supply, No fuel for my car or generator and to top it all, I went to the market today and things were three times the usual price! I'm not talking about tinned food or cleaning items, I'm talking about the kind of food I like to eat- Plantains, Yams, goat meat, etc... Plantain was sold at 400 Naira for four fingers.... Oranges were 25o Naira for a dozen, everything was so expensive and when you complained, they went... "no be me do o! Na fuel cause am... transport wey I carry come market today...." Na wah o! Nigeria na wah...

I asked a friend who is coming from obodoyibo to buy me a pair of these slippers below...

I had them when I was younger, and they were so comfy... I kept reminding her to buy them and she was like "no be dat skoll? No worry now, I go buy am" And I remembered that I used to call them skolls as a child.... in fact everyone in my family used to call them that. I realized that we found a way of twisting the name Dr. Scholl around to suit us and the name skoll was formed, and it was not just us, everyone around was calling them skolls. I printed out a copy of the lovelies and took them home to my hubby and asked him if he had seen those around in the late '80's and he went.... those are skolls now, my mum and sisters used to have them then! lol...

It got me thinking of other names Nigerians had reinvented..... I have a few lined up for you....

Real Name..........Nigerian version
Scribbling.......................Jagajaga
Slides..............................Jangulova (Ekpu Motor)
Bottle cork.....................Counter
Platforms.......................Secretariat
briefs..............................Soccer pant
rouge..............................rosy cheeks
Clean shaven head.......Gorimapa
albino..............................opulo pulo
the words
move over......................dress or shift
the day after tomorrow..... next tomorrow

LOL....there are so many others... I just can't think...feel free to remind me! I just needed to put my thoughts down for some comic relief....

Songs I'm feeling
I wanna have your babies - Natasha Bedingfield
Lil Star - Kelis ft. Cee-lo
Who knew- P!nk
Break it off- Sean Paul and Rihanna
Buy you a drank- Tpayne
Lost one -Jay Z

This is all for the weekend guys..... stay safe y'all.... have fun!

Cheers,
`mon!

Blogville Idols...and more

Hey guys, wassup? Nothing new is happening oh! I've been too busy to blog, but I've been around blogville dropping comments here and there... Wow, so much is going on in blogville, most importantly Blogville Idols, an initiative of Pink Satin and Naija Opeke and hosted by Cheetarah..... check it out here.

So yesterday, we saw Naijadude and Nigerican leave.... it was so sad, but well, people had to leave... I see a bright future for them cos I think they've got what it takes to make it...lol! Well done guys! The show is now down to 12 contestants...Bimbylads, 2nd Corinthians 5:17, Abujababe, Bobby, Chicala, Diary of a G, Everybody loves a 9ja girl, I am a Babe, Idemilli, Lurlar, Mimi, Sparkle & Taureanminx...let's see how the next e-LIVE show will go!

In Nigeria, there are two major things making headlines...Mujahid Asari Dokubo has been released medical grounds.. You may read more here

Peter Obi has also been reinstated by the Supreme Court as the Anambra State Governor. The court ordered Obi to remain in office till March 17, 2010, when his four-year tenure would terminate. Obi’s reinstatement came just 17 days after Andy Uba was inaugurated governor following the controversial April 14 gubernatorial election in the state.In a landmark unanimous judgment, the apex court ruled that since Obi was sworn as Anambra State governor on March 17 2006, the constitutionally guaranteed four-year tenure must be respected. The reinstated governor had gone to the Supreme Court to appeal the earlier ruling of the high court and court of appeal that had declined jurisdiction to hear the suit."The Independent National Electoral Commission was wrong to have conducted elections to fill a non-existent governorship in Anambra State," Aloysius Katsina-Alu said in the unanimous judgment of the full complement of a panel of seven Supreme Court justices.

They ordered Uba to vacate office immediately. In Awka, the capital of Anambra State, Uba, the erstwhile governor, was addressing a gathering of traditional rulers when one of his aides handed over the phone to him. After receiving the call, his countenance changed. He quickly ended his speech, drove straight to the Government House and hurried out of the premises 20 minutes later at 2.45 pm with his personal aides in a convoy. The special adviser on media and strategy to Uba, Okey Ifionu, said that they were taking the judgment with "philosophical calmness".

Former governor of the state, Chris Ngige, while congratulating Obi "on his victory" said the judgment will mark the end of the crisis in the state.The pan-Igbo socio-cultural organisation, Ohaneze nd’Igbo, praised the judiciary for upholding the ethos of the democratic process. Dozie Ikedife, its president general, said: "This has gone to show that the judiciary in Nigeria can be trusted and this has also shown that Anambra State remains a reference point in the political permutations of Nigeria. It has in a way proved to us that our democracy is growing and we in Ohaneze congratulate Obi for ensuring that the due democracy is growing."

Obi’s deputy, Virgy Etiaba, who was at the court when judgment was delivered, could not hide her joy as she danced and sang praises to God. Uba who was declared winner of the controversial governorship election in the state ran under the platform of the ruling People’s Democratic Party (PDP), while Obi, representing the All Progressive Grand Alliance (APGA), won the 2003 election but could only assume office after three bitter years of legal struggle.
In Onitsha, Awka and other towns in the state, it was celebrations galore on the streets when news broke on the Supreme Court judgment. Ike Olisa, an Onitsha-based trader, told Business Day that justice had been done to the people of Anambra State. "The whole election process that brought Andy Uba was a farce and magical," he said.

Reacting to the judgment, Olisa Agbakoba, the president of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) and an indigene of Anambra State, said it was a fantastic decision. "I am delighted that Andy Uba is out of office. He rigged his way into office. Anambra people did not vote for him. There was no election in Anambra State. Andy Uba should leave office immediately", he said.
Commending the judgment, Agbakoba said the judiciary had been the "saviour of the 2007 election. At every point that government and its machinery tried to undermine the process and subvert the will of the people during the last general election, it is the judiciary that intervened to bring justice and restore confidence of Nigerians."

Lagos lawyer Femi Falana hailed the judgment, saying last April’s election where Uba was declared winner was a nullity, adding that there was no need for an election in the first place.Mike Ahamba, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) said no governorship election would be due in Anambra State until 2010 when Obi would complete his tenure.

Info on Anambra State Courtesy Businessday....

More to come...

`moni

Happy Weekend Everyone!!

Thank God it's Friday!!!!!

So I got off work late.... so what? I'm grateful to God that He has taken me through this week without any mishaps and everything concerning me is well by His grace!

I pray that next week will be better that this week...Amen...

and the week after that will be better than next week... etc...Amen...

I just want to wish everyone who reads this a lovely, fun filled weekend!!! May the hand of the Almighty always be upon your lives... Enjoy your weekend! Mwah!

xoxoxoxoxo

`moni

Did I read that sign right?

TOILET OUT OF ORDER. PLEASE USE FLOOR BELOW

In a Laundromat:AUTOMATIC WASHING MACHINES: PLEASE REMOVE ALL YOUR CLOTHES WHEN THE LIGHT GOES OUT

In a London department store:BARGAIN BASEMENT UPSTAIRS

In an office:WOULD THE PERSON WHO TOOK THE STEP LADDER YESTERDAY PLEASE BRING IT BACK OR FURTHER STEPS WILL BE TAKEN

In an office:AFTER TEA BREAK STAFF SHOULD EMPTY THE TEAPOT AND STAND UPSIDE DOWN ON THE DRAINING BOARD

Outside a secondhand shop: WE EXCHANGE ANYTHING - BICYCLES, WASHING MACHINES, ETC. WHY NOT BRING YOUR WIFE ALONG AND GET A WONDERFUL BARGAIN?

Notice in health food shop window:CLOSED DUE TO ILLNESS

Spotted in a safari park:(I sure hope so)ELEPHANTS PLEASE STAY IN YOUR CAR

Seen during a conference:FOR ANYONE WHO HAS CHILDREN AND DOESN'T KNOW IT, THERE IS A DAY CARE ON THE 1ST FLOOR

Notice in a farmer's field: THE FARMER ALLOWS WALKERS TO CROSS THE FIELD FOR FREE, BUT THE BULL CHARGES.

Message on a leaflet:IF YOU CANNOT READ, THIS LEAFLET WILL TELL YOU HOW TO GET LESSONS

On a repair shop door:WE CAN REPAIR ANYTHING. (PLEASE KNOCK HARD ON THE DOOR - THE BELL DOESN'T WORK)

LOL!!!

`moni

Breaking News: Paris Hilton Out of Jail

I don't usually do this, but I just couldn't resist!

US celebrity hotel heiress Paris Hilton has been released from prison in Los Angeles after serving just three days of her 23-day sentence for a probation violation, it was reported today.Website TMZ had learned that Paris Hilton has not only had her sentence cut short, she was already out of jail."Unimpeachable sources tell TMZ the deal was sealed yesterday, and that Hilton made her exit early this morning," said TMZ.She was originally sentenced to 45 days in jail, but that was reduced to 23. She served a total of three days.

Read more here, here and here

Why am I not surprised?

`moni

Introducing Nigeria's first female Reps Speaker!

Mrs. Patricia Olubumni Etteh, representing Ikire/Irewole Federal Constituency in Osun State, made history by becoming the first female Speaker of Nigeria's House of Representatives.
And, recognising the historic occasion, she pledged not to disappoint womanhood.

The new Speaker, whose election was unopposed, was the Deputy Whip of the House at the last dispensation. She pledged to use the position to quicken the delivery of "democracy dividends" by ensuring a smooth relationship between the House and other organs of government......

(read more here , here and here!

This is such a milestone for Nigerian women in politics!!

What do y'all think???

`moni

7even Things Me-me

It's June... thank God!! For my first June Post, I've decided to catch this 7even things meme bug which has been going around blogville...Yeah, I know I've not been tagged, but who cares??? I don't!

1. I studied Geology in the University... Yeah... that's my brand of science... I like all them talk of liquid Gold!!! Talk about seismic interpretation, petrophysical evaluation, etc and you'll certainly get me interested!

2. I'm extremely secretive.... tell me something you'd like to be kept under wraps and even my hubby wouldn't hear it... a lot of my friends trust me with things they would tell no other!

3. On the contrary, I detest talking about my very personal life to all and sundry... I hardly even discuss it with family! maybe that's why I find it difficult to go the whole hog with blogging! I like to seperate blogging from my real life although sometimes the two interwine when someone who knows me discovers my blog!!! Everything for me is on a need-to-know basis and you don't need to know!

4. I am proud of where I'm from...I am from NYEMONI, i.e. Abonnema, one of the small Islands that make up the Kalabari kingdom...That's where I got the name of my blog from...I love my people, the language and the food...NYEMONI 4 lyfe!

5. I dislike the sports golf and cricket.... I think they're painstakingly boring!!! Too long! A friend has explained the rudiments of golf to me before so I understand it a bit more but I refuse to give it a chance to grow on me!!

6. I'm an information junkie... I like to know a bit of everything!!! I love to watch TV shows like "The Weakest link" and "Who wants to be a millionaire" so I can test my general knowledge.....

7. Photography is an untapped hobby of mine.... I would like to delve into it soon!!!

P.S
I hereby tag the 7even peeps underlisted:
april, mimi, pamela, solomonsydelle, jaja, believer and beyond... Get to it guys! End of!

`moni

Nigerian Politics....my views

Hi everyone! I've been out of it for a bit... not that I've been I'll, but I just stayed off the internet for a while 'cos I wanted to rest! Now I'm back and feeling more tired than before! Does anyone feel me? You take a break of work for 1 week and you're expected to return with renewed vigour... instead you come back lazier and more tired than before....Phew! Life seems so hectic sometimes!

Now a lot has happened during my absence and I have had to go round my fav blogs and fill myself in on what's up....not that I'm done blog-trotting anyway...

In Nigeria, we watched history unfold on Tuesday the 29th of May as Alhaji Umaru Musa Yar'Adua and his deputy Goodluck Ebele Jonathan were sworn in as the new President and VP at the Eagle square in Abuja in the first civilian handover of power since Nigeria's independence....Interestingly, it was reported that tens of millions were spent on the handover ceremony alone.... that aside, Former President Olusegun Obasanjo in a public broadcast on Monday 28th May said...."Tomorrow, May 29th, will usher in a new and glorious dawn for our country. A new generation of Nigerian leaders will take over the great responsibility of running this great and diverse nation."

Overall, I would say that OBJ did a fair job as our president (my view, so shoot me!) I feel it is not an easy task to control the affairs of a country like Nigeria with diverse minded people, who can be so unreasonable to the point of committing murder (think Reverend, Dr. Pastor King), people who can be so indiscipline (You! yes, you jumping that queue to fuel your car..) and also people who dare to stand for what is right to the point of risking their lives (Prof Dora. Akunyili) We have them all in Nigeria..the good, the bad, the awful, the awesome!

In the beginning, i.e. the early part of the first four years, he was on a constant high- I mean air-bound.... I remember he was reported to have spent half his time flying from one country to the next.... we are all witnesses....

Later on he started to make positive changes....his government made NAFDAC a force to reckon with, his government introduced the GSM, therefore making communication easier for all Nigerians, EFCC started with initially good intentions which turned to bad when they were used to witch-hunt the enemies of his government....more good changes in between with the hiring of Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala who helped the country secure debt relief from the Paris Club....major draw-backs were experienced in the security sector as Nigeria experienced an all time high crime rate in the Niger-Delta region as well as in the Urban areas...

The power sector progressively declined to the point where people have lost hope in getting 24 hour electricity...Traveling by land or air became a source of major concern as we all witnessed numerous Plane crashes and Road accidents.... We lost so many Nigerians to accidents in the last few years and these need to be addressed i.e. AVIATION and ROADS.... the Health and Education sectors did not fare any better as we had strikes on the regular from healthcare practitioners and Teachers in Primary, Secondary and Higher Institutions.....

Just before the expiration of OBJ's tenure, we saw his government in what seemed to me as a desperate bid to line the pockets of the powers that be conduct a bid round in a very wishy washy way, the Port Harcourt and Kaduna refineries were 'sold' to the friends of the government with one getting a 51% stake in the Kaduna refinery and the other acquiring a 51% stake in the Port Harcourt refinery....

In what some have described as a final parting gift to us, the price of petrol rose from N65 to N75, the VAT in Nigeria was hiked from 5% to 10% effective last week, and a new tax payable by oil companies was introduced whereby they pay 1% of their profit after tax to the government...pray tell, what's the tax we pay used for? Healthcare? Road rehabilitation? Fuel subsidy for the citizens? what???

Whoa! Let me take a very deep breath here.... this government was also one that 'made' a lot of unknowns....and generally a lot of love was spread all around... left, right, centre, people were getting rich!

At this point, I'd like to say kudos to the bloggers who initiated and were a part of the Nigerian bloggers proclaimation....You go peeps!! Let's make our voice heard... let's leave our mark in the sands of time...

For our new President, I have Hope......very unlike me because I'm usually a skeptic when it comes to Nigeria..... call me foolish, but I am indeed hopeful now.... Let me recall the words of our former president...."Tomorrow, May 29th, will usher in a new and glorious dawn for our country. A new generation of Nigerian leaders will take over the great responsibility of running this great and diverse nation."......let's just hope that by the year 2015, I would not have cause to regret because take it or leave it, Alhaji Umaru Musa Yar'Adua's going to be here for another 8 years!


`moni

And then there were three...

Hey Peeps, thanks for all your love as regards my last post.....I am truly grateful for all your prayers and comments, one can never have a thing as too much prayers can one???? And thanks from my sis as well, guys!!!

In about an hour or so, we'll know who the Top 2 Idols are, but first.... a run down of the performances of the Top 3. Yesterday, the idols were given the opportunity to sing whatever song they wanted in any music genre..... they basically were given a free hand to make or do themselves in! Here are the highlights....

Timi started the first show with Lemar’s ‘If there’s any justice’ , Temitayo was next with ‘I’ll be there’ by Mariah Carey. Omawumi followed with “I don’t want to wait in vain” by Bob Marley....

I thought Timi played very safe on this one... he does Lemar very well as his voice is uncannily like Lemars' and he nailed the song... Temitayo had a few hiccups but there were no major issues in her singing and she delivered it well... Omawumi I would say took a risk singing this song... she gambled and it paid off 'cos she rocked the house with her sassy attitude as usual..

For the second group of songs, Timi sang ‘Everything I do, I do it for You’ by Brian Adam’s. Temitayo followed with ‘He lives in You’ by Diana Ross and Omawumi ended the show with ‘Ain’t No Other Man’ by Christina Aguilera.

Timi, I felt did not deliver on the song... he should have, but somewhere along the line, it did not work for me... He didn't fall flat, but I would say he has not upped his game...Temitayo sang OK, but I was not blown away by her performance....all in all though, it was fair.... Now Omawumi was something else.... she totally rocked that song... No one could have done it better than her and I liked the fact that she took a chance with singing a particularly difficult song and delivered it so well.... I wonder how the votes will swing??? Only time will tell.....

I cannot say at this time who will leave and who will stay, but I daresay I will be SHOCKED to say the least if Omawumi goes home.... I wouldn't like that at all.....

That's my 2 cents on this post.... for more on the Idols, check this link out!

Take care fellaz!

`moni

It's a boy!

I'm so happy today, I could burst!!!! Remember I posted something about my sister being pregnant and all a while back? You may read it here.. Well, she gave birth to LeRoy (not real name) yesterday!!!

I just bless God for this little miracle....I pray that God will equip his parents with every thing they need to cater to him... that he will Grow up in the fear and understanding of God, that he will find favour from God and mankind all his days..

I pray that to everyone who knows him, he will be a bessing, that He will always excel in everything he does, that the hand of the Almighty will always be upon his life and that God will satisfy him with long life, to see his children and their children...infact, words fail me...

Here are pixs of my 'lil LeRoy.....

I'm just so excited about my nephew No 3!!! Anyway, laters.... God bless y'all....

'moni

Idols WA Top 4 update....

We all know that Jerrilyn left at the last eviction, so at yesterdays' show, we had the Top 4 perfoming 2 songs each........Temitayo, Eric, Omawumi and Timi...

Temitayo was first with ‘Like a Prayer’ by Madonna. Eric followed with ‘Uptown Girl’ by Westlife, Omawumi was next with ‘I Bruise Easily’ by Natasha Beddingfield and Timi ended the first set of perfomances with ‘Faith’by George Michael.

I felt everyone did well with the first set of songs, Temitayo is improving stadily as the weeks go by and I used to be so opposed to her, but now I can see that she can sing... I fear that Eric is the weakest singer (in my opinion) in the top 4, but he greatly improved from last weeks mess! Omawumi did okay on her song, but there was a bit towards the end that she missed a note...she came out slightly nasal, but it wasn't as offensive as her first perfomance last week... Timi was classic with his perfomance and he surprised the srowd when he jumped to the judges area....all in all, he did well...

For the second part of the show,

Temitayo started with ‘True Colours’ by Cyndi Lauper, Eric was next with Boyz II Mens' ‘I’ll Make Love To You’, Omawumi followed with ‘The First Cut Is the Deepest’ by Sheryl Crow and the last perfomance was by Timi who sang Give me the Night’ by George Benson

My best perfomance from this set was Temitayos'... I liked that her perfomance was so controlled and I didn't notice any mistake... she was on point from start to finish... I really thought she did very well with that job......Eric did okay on the whole, Omawumi also did well but TIMI!!!! On this second set, Timi messed up big time! This was his worst perfomance by far... he forgot his lines and the only lines we heard from him after the first verse was "just gimme the night", "just gimme the night", "just gimme the night".... It was awful!

Let's just see how the voting will swing because at this stage, the votes could go any way because sadly, it's all a question of who's got more friends, fans and family voting for them, not about excellence...anyway, we'll know by this evening...

Here's wishing all the contestants the very best!!!

On a side note... (this one's especially for my blog sister ~MIMI~) It was Dede's birthday on Saturday (I am not even sure if it's Saturday or Sunday cos the supposedly LIVE show is actually recorded on Saturday and aired on Sunday) Anyway, it was his birthday and the Top 4 sang a surprise "Happy Birthday to you" to him.... It was actually shown at the close of the show...Dede was quite surprised that they did that for him, or at least, he looked the part....You may read more here... That's almost all folx! I have here a pix of the Top 4 for you!

`moni

TAG-IT....

It's not to surprising, I don't have anything to say today! I am going to post an old draft of mine... some of you may remember it from last year cos I saw it on quite a few blogs, made a draft response and never posted it... maybe one or two of the newer bloggers might have a go, who knows?
Here goes nothing!

1. What time did you get up this morning? 6.00am as always
2. Diamonds or pearls? Diamonds.
3. What was the last film you saw at the cinema? Pirates of the Carribean: Dead man's chest
4. What is your favorite TV show? 24
5. What did you have for breakfast? Didn't have any
6. What is your middle name? starts with a D and is 12 alphabets long!
7. What is your favorite cuisine/meal? Native lol Eba and some native soup I think...
8. What foods do you dislike? Egusi soup, boiled eggs, beans
9. Your favorite Potato chip? Any kind will do
10. What is your favorite CD at the moment? The Sweet Escape by Gwen Stefani
11. What kind of car do you drive? Peugeot
12. Favorite sandwich? Club!
13. What characteristics do you despise? People you can't trust
14. Favorite item of clothing? Denim!
15. If you could go anywhere in the world on vacation, where would you go? Heaven
16. What color is your bathroom? Bland- ok, tan
17. Favorite brand of clothing? Maybe Abercrombie and Fitch?
18. Where would you want to retire? Who knows? it wont be for another 30 something years!
19. Favorite time of day? 6.00pm, I get to go home then!
20. Where were you born? Port Harcourt
21. Favorite sport(s) to watch? Football and Athletics
22. Who do you least expect to respond to this? Anyone who likes me-mes
23. Person you expect to respond first? No one
24. What laundry scent do you use? Comfort
25. Coke or Pepsi? Neither
26. Are you a morning person or night owl? Morning person
27. What size shoe do you wear? 8 and a half (American)
28. Do you have pets? No
29. Any new and exciting news you'd like to share with everyone? Not yet ;-)
30. What did you want to be when you were little? Rich!
31. Favorite Candy Bar? Too many to mention
32. What is your best childhood memory? getting New books every weekend!
33. What are the different jobs you have had in your life? Database Admin, Contract rep and my current job...scientist!
34. What color/type underwear are you? red
35.Nicknames: Fresh
36. Piercings ? Ears 1 each
37. Eye color? Brown
38. Ever been to Africa? Oh have I?
39. Ever been toilet papering or rolling? Nope
40. Love someone so much it made you cry? Yes
41. Been in a car accident? Never
42. Croutons or bacon bits? Bacon bits
43.Favorite day of the week? Friday
44. Favorite restaurant? None for me thank you!
45. Favorite flower? The Red Rose.
46. Favorite ice cream? Vanilla anyday
47. Favorite fast food restaurant? TFC
48. What color is your bedroom carpet? Have tiles not carpets
49. How many times did you fail your driver's test? Never had one! lol
50. Before this one, from whom did you get your last email? My brother-in-law
51. Which stores would you choose to max out your credit card? Duh?
52. What do you do most often when you are bored? Solve Cross word puzzles or Sudoku
53. Bedtime? 11 ish
54. Who are you most curious about their responses to this questionnaire? Dunno
55. Last person you went to dinner with? Hubby
56. What are you listening to right now? Lionel Richie - I call it love (thank you limewire!)
57. What is your favorite color? Orange
58. Lake, Ocean or river? River-its more manageable
59. How many tattoos do you have? None.
60. Which came first, the chicken or the egg? God created the chicken on the 5th day. lol

`moni

Idols Update

Hey guys, it's been a while... I have here an update after another eviction of one of the idols... I'll save that bit for last...

Everyone knows by now that Jodie (OMG! What were we thinking?) left last week, so they are down to five idols.....Omawumi, Timi, Jerrilyn, Eric and Temitayo

The idols sang two songs each, and so we had ten perfomances in all...

Jerrilyn opened with ‘Never Too Much’ by Mary J. Blige and Temitayo was next with ‘I’m Your Baby Tonight’ by Whitney Houston. Timi followed with ‘Flying Without Wings’ by Westlife, Eric then sang ‘Kiss from a Rose’ by Seal. Omawumi closed the first set of perfomances with ‘Be Without You’ by Mary J. Blige

My take on the 1st....
Jerrilyn was much better than last week with this song but the judges gave her bad reviews, which made her cry and say she hoped she would impress them with her next song... Temitayo was very controlled with her perfomance and seems to have improved in the area of perfoming and singing.. I think she did well with this one..Timi did OK on this one, though I didn't feel it as much as the crowd and the judges were feeling it, Eric was at his worst to me and I didn't feel him at all..lai lai! Omawumi was Awful with her song.....I swear.... this girl had a nasal perfomance... she sang from scratch to finish through her nose and it did not just work!

For the second set of perfomances, Jerrilyn sang The Voice Within’ by Christina Aguliera, Temitayo was next with ‘Reach’ by Gloria Estefan, Timi then sang ‘How Am I Supposed to Live Without You’ by Michael Bolton, Omawumi followed with Gloria Gaynor's ‘I Will Survive’ and Eric drew the curtain on the show with Lionel Richie’s ‘All Night Long’

My take on this was... Jerilyn came through by singing her heart out...and the judges told her as much, Temitayo gave a soulful perfomance which I also liked, Timi was out of the world because he chose a song that he has obviously mastered and he just rocked! Omawumi brought the house down with her perfomance... Now this girl has ATTITUDE when she wants to rock the house, which she did and Eric was sadly dissapointing on his 2nd song..

Overall, I felt the judges were on point with their critique yesterday, you may read more about the top 5 show here

A pix of the Top 5

I felt Eric was the weakest performer last night but the voting public did him well and he made it to the top 4... and for our cat with 9 lives Jerrilyn, it was good bye yesterday... I truly felt she was not the worst in the last show but well, what can I say? The public has decided.....you may read more here.... Next sunday, it would be the Top 4.... stay tuned...

`moni