The Nigerian Proclamation

Hey Guys,

Just wanted to drop a note about the Nigerian Proclamation by solomonsydelle.

It is a document that will serve as a reminder to the newly elected officials about their responsibilities to us as citizens of nigeria and also a reminder to nigerians that we should take a stand as a nation and demand what is right. We have to let the new administration know that they will be held accountable for their actions during their time of service to our nation.

Nigeria is our home. Our nation. She is as much our duty as citizens as the leaders'.

XxX

~Mimi~

Have A Happy Meal!

Hi guys. Sorry I've been missing in action, I see I missed a lot in Blogville. Its been quite a busy week. Moving, settling in, working etc. Anyway hope you're all ok? 9jaOpeke :) I heard you coming babe but I was trying to keep those songs from screaming out 'save us' to you, I have played the living daylights out of them.

So anyway, I've done a lot of reflections over these past few weeks. And I think I'm done reflecting. At least for now. Its time for some major actions now. May God guide us all.

Two days ago, I was on one of the colourful yet ever so dramatic london buses coming back from work. We had been on the journey for about 2o minutes when suddenly the bus stopped at a stop which was far from his last stop, and turned the lights off in the bus. Everyone knows what this means right? At least everyone in london, it means 'Get off the bus, I am not moving from this spot!'

So people start making their way out. There was this old lady - i wonder if lady is the right word to use- who looked like she wasn't about to stand up. The bus driver called out on his PA and said that if people could wait, he would move in the next 3 to 5 minutes, so I stayed put. Suddenly, this old lady started yelling in the conkest jamaican accent I ever heard. I didnt understand what she was saying though but I knew it wasn't good for the driver and his future generations. Suddenly another 20-something looking caucasian woman too started to 'effing eff' the bus driver. She was cussing him so much that she turned all red in the face and was stomping towards him. I was dazed/amused. It all had been peaceful some minutes before and suddenly all these rage was coming out from different directions. I was scared of a stampede so I took to a seat in the corner.

So me being me, started smiling to myself and started thinking why all the anger and rage? I mean it might not have been the driver's fault.And he had already said he would move in the next 3 minutes. I understand that people have places to go and people to see, but my goodness, there is so much anger around. I am not left out of this. In my personal relationships, I get upset and though I dont show it aggressively its something I have been working on and I must say even I like the results I am seeing! Who wants to walk around like a ticking time bomb?

My boyfriend's sister brought her baby with her when she came to see me and I was so glad to see him, I was blowing him kisses everywhere. The little handsome boy was fast asleep but I just cant help myself around babies. He woke up and gave me this 'Who is this human being disturbing my life?' look. I felt silly but continued blowing him kisses anyway. He looked like he was saying 'Are you sure you're ok?' but 10 seconds later he was flashing me this beautiful smile that had me saying 'awwwwwwww he's smiling at me.' I embarass myself around babies, when they are around its just me and them in my world. They are one of my weaknesses. I imagined if someone had woken me up from sleep without a good cause like 'the house is about to burn down', hmmm, that person's hair will burn down that day o.

Got me thinking about why Jesus said we should be like little children. It is not that we should be stupid but we should attain and retain the innocence that the blessed little hearts have. It is that we should have the same amount of faith in Him as a Father as children have in their parents. Have you ever had the 'my daddy will buy me an aeroplane' talk with a child? If you've never had it, you most definitely have said it before. No matter how broke a father is, if a child gets him to say he will do something for him, no amount of talk can change that child's mind on his father's ability to provide for his needs. After all, it is Mighty Daddy. This is the same amount of faith God wants us to have in Him.

So when you're about to blow up or find yourself losing faith, even if you never had a good parental figure, there is One above who cares soooooo much about you and He still sees you as His little angelic child.

Ever bought a happy meal for a child? (if you know Mcdonalds you know what I mean). It comes with a toy! Lol, granted we are too old for those little toys, I just hope you understand that being 'child-like' sometimes comes with its benefits. Meanwhile I am not talking about the walking terrors of the ages 7 and above.... those are some other kind of species.

Have a great weekend!

I intend to be more frequent.

XxX

~Mimi~

The Ladder of Success

I see my nigerian man on the bus (last post) got very popular. If only he knew I was blogging about him, maybe I will receive my own lecture about him having his BSc and Masters.

Speaking of degrees, I have been doing a lot of research into different career paths and the respective degrees that are often demanded required for the chosen careers. I mean some careers are not so fussy about qualifications like being a WAG (you know the pretty young things that hang on the arms of the muscular young lads who chase that little round thing around on that green rectangular thing) or say being Jade Goody (I mean I find the words hard to qualify what exactly her profession is so bear with me).

Do you know how important it is to find fulfilment in all areas of life? Especially your work-related life? I guess I don't need to ask you intelligent bloggers that question. Maybe I am asking myself that question. I have been doing a lot of research and trust me, I came up with some very interesting results.


Did you know that Giorgio Armani was once trained in Medicine, then he pursued photography before he became the famous house for those amazing 'suits'?

Did you know that at 23, Ozwald Boateng was working in IT which he found mundane (or at least it was to him, sorry IT folks if that's where your buzz is!), around his late 30s he started to make suits and in his 40s he was appointed creative director for the mens wear of Givenchy? P.S He is ghanian so no one should give me the cock and bull story of racism. He doesn't have two heads.

Need I bring up that most famous celebrities worked either in fast food restaurants and stuff before they got their big break...
Gee, imagine if J-Hud (Jennifer Hudson known to others) had said to herself....

'I have a dream. A dream where burger king burgers taste half as good as McDonalds' amazing Big Macs. I have a dream where KFC would increase their prices of barbeque sauces from 10p per pack to 20p so that we can have more customers.Dare I say, I have a dream that maybe just one of these glorious days, I will become a manager in oh so lovely burger king. I have a dream'

Eh. I believe you get my drift. In case you didnt, J-Hud used to work @ Burger King before she became an Oscar Winner. Neither would Burger King have honoured her by giving her a supply of Whoppers 4 Life! (You go girl!!) if she had a remained a burger-flipper.

Finally let me leave you with the story of a man who should be an inspiration. His name is Joseph Pujol and he was a french professional Farter(yes!! you heard me right! someone who expelled gas from his anus for money).

He found out that he had a 'gifted' bowel system and instead of letting this be an embarassment to himself, he used it as a means and way of life. Read Le Petomane's story. I'm sure he was a happy man. I mean all that fame and no gas...

The whole point of my post is, its never too late to start dreaming and fulfilling your dreams.

Anyway I was thinking along the lines of careers and success (like I always do, I'm always inside my own head ), and I started to think of people's motivation to be successful. Some for fame, some satisfaction, mostly comfort,..so I am thinking why do I want to be successful.....these words are right from the top of my head (not a poem but knowing me it could end up like one ...lol)

I will succeed for a comfortable life

I will succeed because any other way is just not acceptable

Because of those blue and brown eyes I see on TV gnawing at the very existence of my soul, making me wish that I could just for a lifetime, change someone else's life

Because of those dreams I keep having and just won't stop haunting me until I very well do something about them

Because of those hungry children who could very well have been me on the streets and they in my shoes, knowing maybe they would have done a better job than I am doing

Because of those who make a living out of prostituting their bodies, their soul's habitation, their lifetime inheritance, just because it is their only way of survival

Because of the little children who think war is a way of living and that having their limbs ripped off is ok, just because they have known no period of peace

Because I want to be a blessing to all these people and change someone's life, heck even change a whole community's way of life

I will succeed not because of the glitz or glamour or fame but just to have the chance to make this world just a little bit better for a fellow human being.

Have a fabulous weekend y'all

XxX

~Mimi~

I just added this to thursday's post, didnt want to put up another post. HAVE YOU HEARD THE NEWS????? THERE IS TO BE A BLOGGERVILLE ANTHOLOGY AND YOU ARE REQUESTED TO SEND ANY OF YOUR ARTICLES THAT YOU THINK IS OUTSTANDING TO BE PUT UP IN THIS BOOK. THIS IS THE IDEA OF LASPAPI, A FELLOW RESIDENT BLOGGER, AND FOR MORE INFORMATION CLICK HERE!!! DEADLINE JUNE 15TH 2007. TERMS AND CONDITION APPLY.

Weekend Gist.

Hey y'all. How was your week?Hope it was a nice one. Thank God it's Friday right?? Well I don't really have that much gist for you, just little tidbits.
So I was going home on wednesday evening and as I turned into my street, a car slowed down and stopped right next to me. My first reaction to this action is always that maybe the person can't find their way and they need directions and it always, always turns out never to be such a person.I need to learn! Anyway this car stops and an asian dude peeps out of the window and here goes the conversation, it was brief, sharp and straight to the point.

Asian Dude: Hi
Mimi: Hi
Asian Dude: Do you smoke weed?
Mimi: (concealing shock) No
Asian Dude: Do you sell weed?
Mimi: No
Asian Dude: Do you want to buy weed from me?
Mimi: No
Asian Dude: Thanks for your time
Mimi: You're welcome
Asian dude drives off leaving Mimi wondering and confused as to when she started looking like a drug junkie/seller but appreciated that the conversation was very polite. Lol.

Oh yea speaking of asians, something happened to me a while ago that i'd share. In a previous post I explained how some people tend to get my nationality mixed up sometimes (one man once told me to ask my mum if my dad was my real dad and I thought that was rude but I was only 10 or so then but anyway its now something I'm used to) . People trying to figure out my nationality is always a joke to me because I have heard it all from all countries, from ethiopia, to morocco, to the caribbean to asian origins to sri lanka. The height of it was when I walked into an asian shop in london (I have a thing for the asian culture as people have drove me close to thinking maybe I have relatives from there lol) and there were two men and a woman at the counter.When I went to pay for the products, the woman started to speak their language to me.The conversation went thus:

Asian Woman: &58J!!???*%$$£33"""~@@@?????
Mimi: Sorry I can't speak your language
Asian Woman: (frowns at me) you can't speak?
Mimi: No (smiling)
Asian Woman: Why no hijab? your scarf? (obviously orally challenged @ english)
Mimi: (looking confused)
Asian Woman: Your scarf..for your head?Why no tie?Why you carry your hair out without covering?You, young woman should not behave like all these london girls.Respect yourself and tie pashmina or hijab. okeey??
Mimi: (smiling) .. Ok. Thank you.
Asian woman feeling proud at having passed a message across, Mimi sparing her confusion.

Lol, maybe one day I will blog about my experiences concerning this topic, especially with nigerian guys, for example the two nigerian dudes speaking in yoruba next to me and arguing amongst themselves about my nationality and then arguing which one of them would come and 'toast' me.
I have mastered the art of pretending I dont understand Yoruba around nigerians especially in London as on every bus there is at least one Yoruba or Ibo speaking loudly on their phone or to their counterpart...Reminding me of one man on the phone on a london bus i was on one day. It was funny and at the same time pathetic and sad. Seems like I will spend the better part of today scribing conversations

A nigerian man gets on the bus looking very puffed up and upset. Sits down in front of me and folds his arm across his chest. Five minutes later, his phone rings.

Enraged Man: Can I help you?
Voice on Phone: --------- (cant hear so clearly but its a woman but jus little bits) where r you?
Enraged Man: What kind of stupid question is that? Where am i? where am i? (Loud Hissssssssssss)
VoP: -----------
Enraged Man: Don't give me all this shit men. Leave me alone. I said leave me aloonee!!!
VoP: ---

For the benefit of those who understand yoruba I will post his conversation then translate it to english for non-speakers so as not to break the flow. I should be getting paid lol.

Enraged Man: Which part of leave me alone don't you understand? Mo ni mi o ba e soro (i said i'm not talking to you). Na by force??Ehn.Ehn.Look, you are just useless.Good for noting nie (you are good for nothing). Right. You want to know where I am?Mo wa lori bus Mi o deni so ibi ti mo wa fun e. (i am on the bus and I wont tell you where I am). Right, right. You said we should go shopping. A lo. (We went). When you finished shopping and you paid (note he said 'you paid' yeye man) o wa so pe o fe sare lo check aso kan tori ni shop kan, pe kemi ba e drop eru sinu moto (you said you wanted to go and check some dress you saw in a shop and i should help you take the bags into the car). Emi na, bi mugun, mo lo sinu motor. (Me too, like an idiot I went to the car). Now, now, I am talking here so let me finish. Tell me how many minutes did it take you to check your dress? For 45 good minutes, you left me alone in the car. You did not even call to say why you were taking your time, you just behaved like someone wit no common sense.O fe kemi duro sinu motor titi shop ma close abi? (You want me to stay in the car till the shops close right?) Kon se ejo e (it is not your fault). She ni tori pe iwo lo ni motor ati pe odo e ni mo de si lati naija (Is it because the car is yours and I am staying at your place since I got here from Naija). You shall see!!! Look, excuse me excuse me, I have a Bsc and I have my Masters and I will soon start my PhD so you cannot be treating me like your slave. I dont need you to drive me around. My friend, I have a month's bus pass!!!! (@ this junction I had to pinch myself to prevent myself from laughing because he had been speaking in Yoruba half the time, I guess hoping no one understood) So take your car and drive yourself home. And dont even call me. I don't want to hear from you. Ma pe mi ra ra ra ra. (Dont call me at all, at all).

Enraged man hangs up the phone. and hisses again for punctuation. I actually thought it was not nice of the woman to have left him for 45 good minutes as he said, but mehn, the guy was vexxxxxxxed. You could practically see the steam coming out of his head. I am serious, it condensed as sweat on his bald head. lol.





Gosh I had so much to say before, digression has taken today's post. Anyway I guess today's story will come another day and I will continue my 'nationality dilemma' gist some other time. Lol.

Have a nice weekend people. I might just write again this weekend if I have time.

XxX

~Mimi~