Wonderful Community I am in

It’s so blog-worthy how much new things you discover as you continue being a persistent member of this wonderful online community. I am happy not to have missed out.

Just a few days ago, I discovered that a blogger that I subscribed to via my bloglines feed had asked for bloggers living abroad and blogging for business to join her in showcasing their blogs!!! This was specifically for blog promotion. So fantastic!!!260 bloggers applied and they had a fabulous show!!! This is taking this community to the next level.

And of course another good news worth sharing is mi-lady Abbie winning the 2008 blogville idol. She is so fly!!! Congrats once again girl. I am so looking forward to SBR (Summer Bloggers Reunion). Hope Chari has not left me out in this so beautiful initiative of his.

I have also discovered some bloggers that are interested in using their blogs to advocate for different causes they are passionate about:

1. A new blogger that I hope will continue has chosen to blog about how women should learn self-defence for their own well being and protection.

2. “Children hawking” amongst other issues such as Gender issues, education, development, sustainable leadership, ethics and principles, change and sustainable development is the concern of another blogger. Powerful!!

3. Another blogger also wants to advocate for the rights of the children in Nigeria!!!

4. There is a new organisation combating epidemic diseases and educating women on some terrible diseases including TB and HIV in Nigiera and a wonderful lady put on this blog to talk about what her organisation is doing in Calabar.

5. Harmful widowhood practises are still far from stopping in Nigeria and a blogger wants to talk more about this issue and how to get it stopped.

6. I discovered a blogger that feels there is a need to talk about pre-marital sex (to do or not to do).

7. This next blog is all about African woman, her beauty, strength, courage, passion, of course her fears.

All these people are awesome. I trully wish them a fulfilling, interactive blogging moments in our very own blogville and beyond

There is a book I hope to buy soon, it’s an online book titled “The Secret to Writing a Successful and Outstanding Blog” and it cost $29. I am sure I will be able to learn more and make my blog outstanding.

So much to know, so much to learn, so much contributions to make to this ever growing online community.

Yes, meet the 50 NxE’s (North x East) Most Influential ‘Female’ Bloggers. This is very interesting. I just wonder why there is no single black female blogger among them. I really know we have a lot of black female bloggers that are powerful and influential. Perhaps they are unknowing to this group yet or they need to do more research...

Beheaded

I am in a very cloudy mood right now. I just got to work a while ago from a compulsory errand I had to run. The road wasn’t free to start with and some guys at my back found it pleasurable to place their hands at the back of my seat, disturbing me unnecessarily.

I was so glad to get to my final bus stop. I alighted only to be confronted with an accident. The car somersaulted leaving all the people inside wounded. Apparently it was a family car with 2 kids, their mother, possibly father and a house help. As usual people that gathered around not far away from the scene had fabricated their story in which the man that drove the car (the father of those two frightened female children) dead. My mood went from bad to worse until another person that moved closer to the scene said no one died.

Thank good, I proceeded to the office only to be confronted again with a BEHEADED dog on the way!!! The dog lied in the middle of the road with his head gone, the 4 legs gone as well in a manner that resembled no occurrence of an accident. I was so sad. To think that somebody would have done this to the poor dog!!!

This is not so uncommon as we have a lot of ritualists in our society. Those that would want to perform one cleansing rite or the other or worst still kill human beings especially women by cutting of their private parts and heads for money ritual!!! I am tired. I am sad. I wonder when we will have a good and orderly society where all forms of cruelty to animals and humankind will stop.

Yes, it's Natural

My head has refused to function to its full capacity. I am supposed to be working on all the details of my organisation’s forthcoming Technology Camp for Secondary School girls but I think I need a break for a few minutes to get my head back in the right track.

Yeah, I was away from Lagos to Obafemi Awolowo University Ile-Ife yesterday to attend the 1^st Ladies Technology Summit organised by Nigerian High-Tech Women (NHTW). It’s all about empowering university female students through ICT4D (Information and Communication Technologies for Development). 

My boss was asked to present a paper titled –“MDGs and ICTs: What’s got to do with Women”. Of course as usually done, she did justice to the paper by linking all the goals with what women can do to empower themselves and contribute to the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals.

Goal 3 out of the 8 goals is “Promoting Gender Equality and Empowering Women”. She talked about this goal like she did evry other goals. Wonderful, powerful paper; I made my contributions too and all the ladies at the summit got something to take home with them.

Here comes the Compere, he sure knows how to speak English and he attempted to use this in swaying the conversation. He pointed out (I wonder why he had to do this anyway since the discussion had not generated any argument or clarification) that “Equality is not Natural” that women should not bother themselves about equality but empowerment. And that they should learn not to fight or compete with the men blah blah. He said further that Womanism is preferred to Feminism as pointed out by his lecturer whom I know, whom I have read her book since I graduated from the same university. Who as I recalled did not say anything negative about feminism.

He referred to a book called “Women at point Zero” (I have not read this book, I will admit). That the woman in the story fought a lost battle or something and destroyed herself via what she was fighting for!!!

I thought it was necessary to put things in a better perspective since we were to form groups and see how those goals can be achieved. I knew that with what he has said, a lot of women might not want to join group 3 for goal 3. I briefly pointed out the fact that “Equality is natural” I refer to an International Preacher whose book I once came across (forgot his name now). Where he mentioned that God created us equally as he mentioned in Genesis that “I created them Male and Female and gave the dominion over the earth” (rephrased). That saying equality is not natural is like admitting that Mandela and the rest of the black race should have folded their arms and said “yes, we are not equal to the white hence the right to enslave us!!!” And that feminism principle is upholding equal opportunities between men and women amongst other issues. Fine, some people could have taken it to the extreme. I said I did not support fighting the men either but those that have fought the men for one reason or the other must have done so based on their past experiences. I mentioned too that empowerment will in the long run bring about equality. I concluded by saying “Equality is Natural”.

The gentleman collected my contact details for further discussion. He is more than welcome!!! I was happy to have spoken up though because a lot of women eventually joined “goal 3 group” and when I listened to their personal experiences on how some of them have being discriminated against career-wise and how a particular lady says her husband has fenced her in and that she is not happy that she is not maximizing her potentials. We are looking into how we can come up with programmes for both men and women to address a lot of issues.

YES, before I forget again. I am inviting all the bloggers on facebook to hurry and join my group on facebook. The group’s name is Gender Equity and Equality Network. I am sure the name says it all. And another group that I like is Women and Technology in Africa.

The bloggers that I am appreciating right now: Abbie, Charizard, Grahamn Kcracker , Lisa and Ore. Thank you folks. (Pls don’t ask me what I am thanking you for, you are appreciated ***WINK***).

She is a BlogHer

Do you know that Michelle Obama blogs?

Do you know that there is a community of blogHer that is women who blog? Do you know that, this community organises conferences? Do you know too that it’s a big community? Check out BlogHer.

It doesn't Matter

It doesn’t matter whether you can buy me expensive gifts or not

It doesn’t matter whether you can take me out and spoil me or not

It doesn’t matter whether you have money or not

It matters not, whether we have kids or not

It doesn’t matter whether we can afford the best in life or not

But it matters:

That we keep being friends

That you keep being a partner

That you keep being yourself

That you love me for me

That I trust you and love you

And he sent this to me:

My angel, its been a year since we both agreed that "WE DO". Its been a year of trying hard, a year of ups and down but most of all a year of discovery, the discovery of what LOVE means. And here once again with renewed vigor, with the understanding of what it means to love you and be loved by you I here by renew, upgrade, update and reload that vow again;I WILL ALWAYS LOVE YOU. Now tomorrow and when its just me and you at the other side of age and graying I will continue to love you. You are my world, my everything, my ARIKE EDU.
D MAN!

And I said to him:

My dude, I don’t mind being single, I don’t mind being alone, I don’t mind not having anyone to refer to as my “husband”, I don’t mind what the society would think about my beliefs BUT given you up would have being the greatest error in humankind history and I am happy I averted the error!!!

HAPPY “ONE YEAR” WEDDING ANNIVERSARY TO YOU AND ME!!!

Black Women Blow theTrumpet

The day I discovered the "black women blow your trumpet" blog was a very wonderful day for me.

It was very refreshing to see that there is a systa somewhere blogging about serious issues that can lead to more important solutions in the lives of women and their environment. I never regretted my commitment to this "online community" as I would love to call Lisa's blog.

She is currently taking the online discussion to another level by starting an initiative where women would feel free to share what they face in their daily lives and receives counseling that we make them feel better and whole no matter their past crippling experiences while keeping their identity if they choose to.

Blogville, I believe we all have one or 2 things to gain and contribute to black women, blow the trumpet blog. Are we there yet?

My Day!!!

It’s mi-birthday today. I have got a lot to say but I want to be off to church to say “Thank you” to God first. Then I will expect Charizard. My neighbour, hubby and my friend that stays with us to share drinks with me. If I have my way, I will be in orphanage or old people’s home given out things to them.

Well, it’s mi-30th birthday. And like Victor said at a seminar I attended yesterday where I talked about blogging for business, that it’s a new face, a new beginning and yes, I want to keep imparting and impacting my world. I am happy that I am making a difference, and I will not relent!!!

I wish that I now have my jeep and a comfortable home, but it’s not too late they say…. Let’s step into this new beginning and see what it has to offer….

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU STANDTALL!

HE STOOD UP FOR ME

My friend, lover and husband has a black belt in Taekwando. He is God fearing. He’s an introvert and I am an extrovert. Guess that’s why this marriage is working. But now he knows how to gist because I have infected him and now I know how to enjoy my own company because I picked that from him.

Oh, I am deviating already from what I want to share. My hubby has taught a lot of people how to defend themselves, restrain from hurting people, win a fighting competition and abide by the tenent of Teakwando that says you must not abuse your knowledge or something like that.

He is so peace loving that anytime I am abused or harassed in anyway by conductors or touts or any other riff raff, he would calmly tell me to forget it and pulled me away from there. Most times, when we get home and discussed about the incident, he would say he really wanted to slap that person blah blah blah and I would go “you should have instead of tell me you wanted to”.

3 nights ago, we went to get something to eat, on our way back, I paused to read a poster, while he was to catch up with me since he waited to get our change. 2 guys passed me by and one of them decided to talk to me anyhow. I was so mad that I lashed back at him. To cut a long story short. Hubby walked up to me, and asked the guy why he was insulting his wife. Well the idiot did not apologise but was ready to slap me. I was ready to cause a scene too. It was even so annoyed because he is just a boy. But he would not know we are in our 30s because hubby stature didn’t suggest he could be 30+ while my low cut made me look like a teenager.

Hubby was trying to avoid him attacking me and he went first, threw the guy off balance in away I have seen Jack Chan and Jet Li do. The second guy took a pill of the medicine when he was holding on to my man in away that suggested he wanted his friend to attack him. (the 2^nd guy after getting himself beating up, now said he was trying to separate them). The trouble shooter later ran for his life after his tooth flew out of his mouth!!! All this happened in less than 2 minutes. The people in our area were so surprised as they always know us to be friendly and peace loving.

I did not feel any remorse as I would have because I was tired of all this insult from the riff raff and the wanna be big boys. Hubby felt bad about his action but I told him I am proud of him for standing up for me.

I am ass Invaded!

My ass invader is LG, she tagged me. She was obviously looking for mi-trouble. Tairebabs you don get your wish!!!

The rules:
1. Put Your iTunes/ Music player on Shuffle
2. For each question, press the next button to get your answer
3. YOU MUST WRITE THE SONG NAME DOWN NO MATTER WHAT
4. After you’ve answered all of the questions, tag 5 other people and then let them know

HIT ME!
*IF SOMEONE SAYS “IS THIS OKAY” YOU SAY?
Another Day in paradise- Phil Collins: Well isn't it?

*WHAT WOULD BEST DESCRIBE YOUR PERSONALITY?
Red, red wine- UB 40!!! Intoxicating personality you would say?

*WHAT DO YOU LIKE IN A GUY/GIRL?
Easy Lover- Phil Collins: Hmmmmmmmm really?

*HOW DO YOU FEEL TODAY?
Jailer- Asa: Why not? I am an activist, it's only normal to think of how people celebrate injustice in the society

*WHAT IS YOUR LIFE’S PURPOSE?
Stick with you- Pussy Cat dolls: really? Guess I must stick with my dreams

*WHAT IS YOUR MOTTO?
Who Knew- Pink: hmmmm is this who knew what tomorrow would bring? We got to try

*WHAT DO YOUR FRIENDS THINK OF YOU?
She loves me not –Papa Roach: why are they skeptical?

*WHAT DO YOU THINK OF YOUR PARENTS?
One love- Bob Marley: Hmmm rest in peace mi-parents

*WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT VERY OFTEN?
We are the World- Michael Jackson (All Stars): Aren't we?

*WHAT IS 2+2?
No one knows -Asa: Does anyone know?

*WHAT DO YOU THINK OF YOUR BEST FRIEND?
Everything I do- Bryan Adams: that sums it since is my hubby

*WHAT DO YOU THINK OF THE PERSON YOU LIKE?
Gongo Aso- 9ice: Let's get it started!!! let's get on. Keep rocking it!!!

*WHAT IS YOUR LIFE STORY?
Is not right but is okay- Whitney Houston: It's not right that things don't always work out the way one plans. Our government is even complicating a lot of things but we got to make it okay and rule our world against all odds

*WHAT DO YOU WANT TO BE WHEN YOU GROW UP?
Full Moon- Brandy: Yes, I relate with this. I am a grown up already and I know I want to affect the word in a positive way- it will surely be a FULL MOON kinda way. I will be 30 on the 13th of July no celebration though. Would have loved to meet the Nobel Laureates Soyinka cos he's mi-b'day mate. I have got mi 2 god sons from the same family of 2 brothers that wanted me badly then. Now they got their first sons on my b'day!!! I have other b'day mates and I keep b'day records of peeps cos I am a freak when it comes to reaching out to peeps on their b'day. This is my hobby at its best. Charizard will be coming to my place for the love of cat anyway (lol). And I am inviting LG since her b'day is a day after mine but she is giving excuses cos she doesn't want to see mi- cats and kittens!!!. (I know u didn't ask me but I felt like talking anyway-lol)

*WHAT DO YOU THINK WHEN YOU SEE THE PERSON YOU LIKE?
Olorioko- Infinity. This is a gospel song dedicated to God. Guess I like in a godly way (lol)

*WHAT DO YOUR PARENTS THINK OF YOU?
Eye Adaba- Asa: this song is powerful so must have been their feelings about me

*WHAT WILL YOU DANCE TO AT YOUR WEDDING?
I don’t need a man- Pussy Cat Dolls: Yeah right. But it's true cos I don't need a man to make me feel complete but to be a friend and a lover

*WHAT WILL THEY PLAY AT YOUR FUNERAL?
One Mic- Nas: Yes, to speak on right??? We still speak after we die don't we?

*WHAT IS YOUR HOBBY/INTEREST?
Light my Fire- UB40. You can't guess how much.

*WHAT IS YOUR BIGGEST SECRET?
Seven Lives- Nubia: “Seven lives is all have got I am an African girl”. Why is this a secret anyway?

*WHAT DO YOU THINK OF YOUR FRIENDS?
Toxic- Britney Spears: Hmmm, I wonder

*WHAT SHOULD YOU POST THIS AS?
There is fire on the Mountain- Asa: Can't you all see the fire? LG ass invaded me. No light, no water, no food. I need to meet and talk sense into Yar'adua's head!!!


Since LG found my trouble I am passing it on to Zena, Rethots, Doug, Naijaleta, and Blue eye Blonde. Pls do not take it up with me. Blame it on LG!!!!

A RIDE WITH MY FATHER

I often felt it;
no one was blessed as I was for having you
Mother chose to fall in love well
and I thank her for making the right choice

You, daddy was the right choice

You loved her at the very best
You never cheated;
you said she was your equal

She came first in everything

You were a good example in all you do
 No domestic chore was too unmanly for you
You made us breakfast, lunch and dinner

you bathed me, you washed my clothes

You gave me a great mentality
You made me believed in me
You said I would excel
because I have got a good brain
You said too, that I was equal to any boy even better
I was happy to have you, daddy
Very happy I was

Though we weren’t rich
but I had the best father!
You and mother contributed to everything
You would hug and tell her she was everything
You bonded in a “too good to be true” way and I was proud

I rode with you to school
and to everywhere else
in you motorcycle I called “our jeep”
I could remember the way it made you laugh
I would cling to you
Laid my head on your back with no worries

Trusting you
Lost in my own world of sheer happiness

The ride with my father
was the best part of my life

I bonded with you as no daughter has
You told me I was worth more than a 100 boy-child
I was the apple of your eyes!!!

But now I ride with you no more

I could not impress you with excellent marks
and my silly little jokes any more
I could not compete with mummy as her rival
seeking your attention any more
You left without saying goodbye

All mother does these days is sit at your favorite spot
gazing into the sky, reminiscing the old times
and talking to know one in particular

Could you be the one she commune with?
 I wonder

I remembered our last conversation
Where you told me I am the best and
I should always remember daddy loves me
That was what you said
and now I ride with you no more


FYI: This is a fiction, the poem has no link with me