Creative Writing Workshop with Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

To all ya creative writers or those that are interested in creative writing. Here is the opportunity, here is a quick excerpt....
Creative Writing Workshop with Chimamanda Adichie, Binyavanga Wainaina, Dave Eggers and Marie Elena John

Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie will be organizing a creative writing workshop in Lagos from August 19 to August 29 2008. The workshop is sponsored by Fidelity Bank. Guest writers who will co-teach the workshop alongside Adichie are the Caine Prize Winning Kenyan writer Binyavanga Wainaina (author of Discovering Home), the Hurston/Wright Legacy Award nominated Caribbean writer Marie-Elena John (author of Unburnable) and the Pulitzer Prize nominated American writer Dave Eggers (author of A Hearbreaking Work of Staggering Genius). Workshop participants will be expected to read and discuss a wide range of fiction and non-fiction, as well as complete short writing exercises. The aim of the workshop is to encourage published and unpublished Nigerian writers by bringing different perspectives to the art of storytelling. Participation is limited to those who apply and are accepted. A symposium open to the public will be held at the end of the workshop.
Application: To a pply, send an e-mail to Udonandu2008@gmail.com Your e-mail subject should read ‘Workshop Application.’ The body of the e-mail should contain the following:

1. Your Name 2. Your address 3. A few sentences about yourself 4. A writing sample of between 200 and 800 words.

Please indicate whether your sample is fiction or nonfiction. Acceptances will be based on the quality of the writing sample. All writing material must be pasted or written in the body of the e-mail. Do NOT send any attachments. Applications with attachments will be automatically disqualified. Deadline for submissions is July 12 2008. If accepted, you will be notified by August 5, 2008.

Bestest luck!!!

Which Grammatical blunder is this?

Anyway, just for a funny Sunday. Some of us, depending on where we grew up in Naija or which tribe we belong will always have accent when we speak English. A proper (by “proper” I mean the ones that grew up in their home towns and attended public schools, correct me if am wrong) omo Ibo will let you know she/he is one when she/he speaks, same goes for omo Yoruba and Hausa. By their accent you shall know them.

Like me gan-gan wey dey talk na one ‘lil town I grew up and we have issues with pronouncing “h” in front of words that has “h” in it. Like I would say Enry instead of Henry, Ow is for How, Enshaw instead of Henshaw. Love comes out as luf, very as fery. Worst still our “sh” and “ch” don’t come out right!!! I try to be more careful since I am conscious of this deficiency.

If you happen to go to a public school where they speak your dialect all the time to teach you, you might end up not knowing much on how to use the right vocabulary or apply past sentence when you start speaking or working!!! I am always guilty of this and I would go “how is work today” instead of “how was work today”. Then I would go "I mean…"(Fill in the gap). It’s really annoying having to correct myself all the time.

As imperfect as I am, I am even an authority in some way. Take for instance, what do you say when someone or a friend asks you “can we take a stroke”? Or tells you “I crack my brain all the time trying to figure out your name”, or says “why do you frank, any trouble?

And in your mind you were like the right words were stroll, rack and frown, but you still hear it all the time. One day in a bus, a guy that looks well educated asked an apple seller to bring him one and he goes “give me one anpple madam”. And in my head I was like where did that “n” come from. Well, guess I am in no place to always make mental notes of all these grammatical blunders after all, I make mine. I can assure you though that I am improving before they will ask me “which univesity did you go to?” and I will go disgrace my great great Ife!!!

Let me leave you with this: 

1. I didn’t did it
2. He maded soup
3. Get losing (instead of “get lost”)

P.S: I was stopped by some police officers on my way to see the vet with my male cat Scofield, one of the officers asked for the receipt of my pet!!! Since when do we start showing a receipt for owing a pet? 

HAPPY NEW MONTH TO ALL YA STANDTALLERS OUT THERE!!!

25 WAYS YOU MIGHT BE SABOTAGING YOUR OWN JOB SEARCH

I found this on The Best Article Every Day and Thought I should share it.

Written by Anthony Balderrama

When you’re job hunting, you can go mad if you think about the amount of factors beyond your control that affect your chances of getting hired.

The economy, your location, industry trends — even the hiring manager’s mood — can influence whether or not you get a job.

Still, as nice as it would be to blame your lack of offers on external factors, you can’t forget that common denominator in your job hunt — from the résumé to the interview — is you.

Here are 25 ways you might be unknowingly sabotaging your own job search:

The first steps

1. Not keeping track of your accomplishments

When you’re happy with your job, it’s easy to forget about possible future job hunts. You never know when you’ll end up looking for new work, and if you don’t keep a running list of awards, promotions and accomplishments, you might not remember them when it’s time to update your résumé.

2. Leaving on a bad note

As much fun as it is to fantasize about telling off a bad boss, don’t actually do it. Leaving a trail of angry bosses or co-workers will come back to haunt you when you need references.

3. Not networking

If you’re silent about your job search, your friends, family and colleagues won’t think of you when they hear about job opportunities.

4. Only using the Internet

Online job boards are fantastic resources, but you need to do some footwork if you want to increase your chances of finding a job. Contact companies whom you’d like to work for, even if there are no job listings. Not all companies advertise openings online.

5. Only searching for the perfect job

Yes, your job search should be focused. After all, applying to every job posting that comes your way is a good way to waste time but not an effective way to find a job you want. However, if you approach your job hunt unwilling to accept anything less than the precise job title, pay, vacation time and hours you want, you’re setting yourself up for disappointment.

The résumé and cover letter

6. Writing a generic cover letter

If your cover letter looks like it could have come from a word processor template, right down to the “To Whom It May Concern,” don’t bother sending it. Hiring managers look for a candidate who wants that specific position, not someone who sends out applications en masse. Write a new cover letter for each job application and include details specific to that company.

7. Typos

Sending a cover letter or résumé filled with grammatical mistakes and typographical errors shows hiring managers you don’t care about the quality of your work and probably not about the job, either.

8. Including your current work info as the best place to contact you

Making sure employers can get in touch with you is important, but they shouldn’t be contacting you at work. “Potential employers are going to question if these people will search for a new job on their time,” says Kathy Sweeney, résumé writer for the Write Résumé.

9. Focusing on yourself and not on the company in the cover letter

“When ‘I’ is the predominant subject — and there are times when it is the only subject of all the sentences in the cover letter — it indicates to me that they don’t understand my organization and its needs, and, in fact, says they don’t care to know,” says Dion McInnis, associate vice president for university advancement at University of Houston-Clear Lake. “And therefore, I don’t care to know them.”

10. Not targeting your résumé to the position

Just like the cover letter, your résumé should build a case for you to be hired for a specific position. If you’re applying for a financial analyst position, don’t waste space including your teenage stint as a lifeguard.......

To read the remaining 15 ways... pls visit http://www.bspcn.com/2008/05/29/25-ways-you-might-be-sabotaging-your-own-job-search/

DEMOCRACY DAY: WHERE THE HEAVEN ARE WE?

Hmmmmmmmmmmmmm I have been asking mi-self time and time again if there is anything to celebrate on this Democracy Day. For me it is another time to reflect.

Yar’adua our promising leader, took over the mantle of power a year ago and he promised to be a servant leader. I quite like his philosophy. Amidst his tasking roles of leading this country is taking care of his health. I do hope is health is in good shape for the tasking tasks ahead.

One year gone, and I am still yet to see improvement in a lot of areas. Am I hearing wait, the work is going on? Or am I hearing well, things will never change we have being promised several times before?

I am throwing this open to you all, if you have noticed improvement in the following areas of concerns will you share with me?

1. Electricity, Light, NEPA, PHCN, Light, Light!!!
2. Inflation
3. Security
4. Food scarcity and high prices
5. Dilapidated educational system
6. Corruption
7. Bad roads
8. Maternal mortality
9. Affirmative action
10. Pls add to the list if there is any area of concern you need to add

Where the heaven are we in this country?Visit NIGERIA CURIOSITY for more

A Dozen Ways to Get to Know Your Real Partner

I got this through yahoo Personals and I thought it would be great if I share it

The Signs Are All Around You

By Special to Yahoo! Personals Updated: May 20, 2008
Here are the dozen indicators:

In my line of work -- family law -- I often hear the same old refrain when my client explains to me why they split from their significant other. It goes like this, "I guess I didn't really know my partner after all." You might ask, "How could that be?" How could you have an intimate relationship with someone only to wake up one day to find out that the person you fell in love with is not the person they turned out to be?

I believe there are at least a dozen ways to know who someone really is -- indicators -- and if we do an inventory early on, we might stand a better chance of getting to know the real person before we fully commit. The following "observance" suggestions are important ones to make in the early stages of any relationship because each offers insight into habits, patterns, and behaviors. As you ponder these observations, know that there is no right or wrong; it's a matter of acceptance. Sometimes we have to accept quirks and differences as part of the give-and-take process. As you do your assessment, however, the goal is to decide whether or not you can live with or without your real partner.

1. Protocol: First or Second? Whether it's walking through a door, ordering dinner, or taking a bite out of the freshly baked cookies you have made together, if your partner always have to go first this could indicate self- centeredness. Are you willing to always be the giver?

2. Politics: Liberal or Conservative? How your partner views what is right or wrong in a political sense tells you a lot about his deep inner beliefs about society, and ultimately, the way he will approach your relationship issues. Will his views cause a rift in your relationship?

3. Television: Sitcoms or News? If his tendency is to watch "escape" TV programs versus "newsy/event" oriented ones, you can learn a lot about one's intellect. Do you want a mate who can keep up with your every day interest in what is going on in the world or a person you can run away with to avoid the world we live in?

4. Money: Flash or Stash? If your partner throws money around while dating, he might well be reckless with your joint finances when you move in together. Do you want to hook up with a tightwad or splurger?

5. Stress: Freak or Peak? Under Pressure, does he go to pieces or rise to the top of his game? If the answer is the former, every minor incident in your relationship might become a crisis. Do you like a lot of drama?

6. Conversation: About You or Him? As you first get to know each other does he always talk about himself first or you? If he is usually the topic priority do not expect that to change. Can you subordinate yourself to the world revolving around him?

7. Pets: Warm or Aloof? Believe it or not, the way in which he treats animals will not be dissimilar to how he treats your children. How do you want him to treat your loved ones?

8. Communication: Listens or Ignores? If you have something you want to talk about and he tunes you out as a general rule, can you cope?

9. Strangers: Kind or Rude? How he treats those they do not know (waiters, grocery clerks) often reflects on how he will treat people in general, including you, shortly after the glow wears off.

10. Priorities: Family or Work? You can tell almost immediately where a person's preferences lie in terms of what comes first (a family member's illness or a business trip) by the choices he makes when faced with an "either/or" situation. Do you care if he leaves on the next plane to present the such-and-such report if you or the kids have pneumonia?

11. Appearance: Fat or Fit? How he regards his appearance screams loudly about his sense of self-esteem. Those who eat sensibly, workout reasonably, and who take pride in their appearance are the ones who have a great sense of self. Does he really have self-confidence or might it be a front?

12. Faith: Strong or Weak? If you want a peak at his soul, learn more about his spirituality, or lack of it. What a person believes deep down is often what shapes the way in which they conduct their day-to-day affairs. What is your mate's "words to live by?"

I Love This Song!!!

TAGGED AT LAST

Guess it is time to do 6 quirk things about me since I have been so tagged by Oluwadee and Ajike.

1. I am always thinking; It does not matter what the subject on my mind is, though it is everything. I will think in my sleep over things I could change or things that should have been etc, I would still wake up thinking. I think , I wonder, I wander and I take in scenes all over my head and around me.

2. I always replay incidents in my head and it gets worse if am the one that made the mistake or did something too right like given out a necessary outburst, I will keep replaying everything in my head. Sei this head of mine.

3. I am an incurable gender activist and feminist;  my head snaps, my antenna receives danger signals anytime I hear any negative, derogatory comments about women. No, I must address this. I do, I do. Getting into argument all the time. I even analyze adverts like dettol “if I don’t take care of them/him who so, who takes care of her?
 

4. I can’t seem to wake up early, cos of that have to fast forward my phone alarm since I don’t have a wrist watch, (what is the point anyway since my 2 phones always tell the time) 30mins in advance so I can wake up to make it out of the house on time.

5. I fix peoples faces with whatever it is they resemble from bird to goat to rat, to ram, to lizard to cat to dog i.e snopp and of course to other human beings they look like on TV, on the road, name it. Well, I usually share this with hubby and a few friends. Not all before they will think I have fixed their faces too. I felt our former vice president resembles a bull while Obasanjo resembles a chimpanzee. Yes only God will forgive me, what do I resemble? Of course I am a pretty looking hippo (do you believe that for a minute?)

6. Can’t keep things I am no longer using e.g old clothes, shoes, etc I always look for people to give. First, to help the world, second cos I consider keeping stuff am not using junks. And I know things I no longer need due to growing tired of it or they don’t fit like I think they would are always useful to someone else.

 
P:S: do you know I had a crush on Michael Scofield of Prison Break? My Hubby left me to bask in the euphoria of my dream until I got over it and named my male cat after him (lol).

Peace out. Tagging: Ore, blazingdaola, Don, Abbie, Pyoowata and Vera

The rules:
1. Link the person who tagged you

2. Mention the rules in your blog

3. Tell 6 unspectacular quirks of yours – six, not more.

4. Tag 6 following bloggers by linking them

5. Leave a comment on each of the tagged blogger’s blogs letting them know they’ve been tagged