Inspiration: Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

 

"The single story creates stereotypes, and the problem with stereotypes is not that they are untrue, but they are incomplete. They make one story become the only story."

A Deception?

Happy Sunday People!!

It's the day of worship for most Christians  and I usually like to post my Fav. verses or an inspiring picture. Well, today I'm going to post a thought provoking video. A friend of mine on NaijaCommunity shared this with me and I felt that I should do same with you guys.

Now, before letting you watch this video I will ask that you be open minded and not take this video the wrong way. Nigerians get very uptight about religion and this is what has put us in the confusion that we are in today. After watching this video I will like you to ask your self ...

"Nigeria's Millionaire Preachers" with Seyi Rhodes from Sahara Reporters on Vimeo.

...are you really serving God or your religious leader?


" my people are destroyed from lack of knowledge...." Hosea 4:6

Please Listen!!

 I stumbled on this Video while reading nappysexyfly.blogspot.com and I had to share it. <3<3! 

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Today's Message

source:inspire

Very important message for us to remember...thank You Lord.

Gbo Gbo Bigzzz Girlsssss!!!

by Sisi Yemmie of GISTDOTCOM

Girls wont kill us these dayss....Everyone sha wants to be biggzzzz....Abeg who has heard of this new craziness called Brazillian hair oh? and Indian one ma? what of malaysian? high 5 jare if you are very conversant with these things that have become like a virus especially in 9ja girls. Dem no go let pezin hear word again!. Ahn Ahn! If you dont have money, you go suffer. Who say money no good?bring am make i woze am! Is it an easy sometin to look like Beyonce,, Ciara, ati be be lo?tell me?! Well these hair people finally showed us the secret to their long natural looking hair pieces abi na extension dem dey call am. You see ehn...when I was ignorant, i would spend the better part of my day trying to figure out how a black girl like me will have long mammy water hair. Wetin I do? I go just dey wonder.But we thank God! Breeze don blow and fowl yansh don open. I now know that I can resemble all these celebrities one kind if i combine lace hair and brazillian hair!Some people sef will do the lace hair n resemble ojuju, na wah oh....

Naija girlss....kai! Do you know you can be walking on the road and one kobo legged girl will just say ' excuse me, is it brazillian you are wearing?'...lol...she knows its is not brazillian, she just wan mumu you n bring you down. And you sef ode will say, 'oh no, its darling yaki'...Na dat one dey pain me pass. The koboleg will now say ' oh...i thot it was brazillian, so i wanted to ask where you bought it cos my friend told me that mine was a rip off, u wont believe i paid 120k for this hair!'....hmmm....she don loyal you be that! In just ONE sentence, she told you kpe you no reach, say levels pass levels, and she be BIGGGSSSS what? BiIIIGGGGSS Girls!

Nne and Nna's, gone are the days when you will do darling yaki, yaki flip up, sensational, yaki mirelle, and be feeling cool with yourself. If you want to know your levels for society now na by your hair. If you're not rocking brazillian yet, my dear, na u sabi. All these kain oppresion can make people commit armed robbery and aristocracy! Ehen now. You want to be bigs, and your boyfriend still dey 200 level mechanical, wetin you go do? na to enter igboro go find one old monkey wey senior your papa. The man will be arranging you and you will be sorting him in return. Well that option is for girls wey know say, nuttin nuttin i must be bigggsss.

The other option is to starve. If your allawi was kuku 20 k per month, you will sha make sure you save 15k out of it. Dont ask me what you will eat oh...all those girls i know them. They will visit Angelina today chop rice dia. Go to tope tomorrow and swallow eba dia,borrow money from Imabong and then after 5 months, money don complete and they r now what? Biggggsssss. Thank you! What happened to the good old days? I remember VIVIDLY, how me I like to economise on my hair. No be 400 naira pere for darling yaki? thats if i dont even price it down to 350 pa pa. And i will make sure the one i buy is very full so that one pack will b enuf for my head (i kuku thank God i have small skull ). And if the hair dresser finish d one pack before she finish my hair , na she sabi! Because I always warn them before they start my hair kpe, me oh, na one pack i dey use oh. If they say hair wey no full no dey fine, i go say na scanty hair dey fit me pass. I don ya were ni? abi na winch i chop? But that was in the past. These days, we gats shed our ayetoro mentality and become biggs naw. Slowly but surely.

Have you noticed something kpe, when people don fix this hair they will be feeling like they r more than themselves?as in their mind go dey totori dem? and it will be like they are walking on air. have u noticed?I notice all these little things jor. Its hard not to. Infact, i have studied the hair sotay....one glance is all I need to tell u boya its indian, peruvian, malaysian, brazillian or Aba hair (darling yaki dem dem).lol. But last time I checked, other hair extensions like pro 10 (price of two mtn 1500 recharge cards) were still in vogue. From nowhere this sudden tornado of Brazillian hair just took over 9ja. I still dont understand how. I f you want to die of oppression go to Lagos! at least for warri dem never jasi too much.

Brazillian hair is not the only thing oh. BB nko?infact, without that one, 'they' say you are a nobody! People no dey collect phone number again oh, na BB Pin,. If u no get and you are a girl in 9ja, your self esteem go drop! Ahhhhh...9ja girls can oppress. And you know ehn, when you hold BB, you no fit keep am inside handbag - what is worrying you?? you gats flaunt it naw...its not easy naw....c'mon naw! You will hold it n use it to point, touch, and gesticulate. One of my friends wrote on my wall (remember our topic on facebook manners?) and she said, send me your BB pin jor, mine is. blah blah blah. Wetin she dey try do so? She dey try make me look stupid. Olorun maje!!! I cant tell you how i replied her, but one thing is for sure, she will NEVER try it again.lol

I overhead this chic saying she cant even date a guy that doesnt use a Blackberry. E gbami! So blackberry naim dem go chop? She defended it by saying she wants somebody with status and that BB is relationship friendly. Na wah oh. Eyin guys, mo sorry gaaan! Una dey try. So BB now rates a guy? only in 9ja! Only! If you are even trying to be something in life n ur girlfriend just dey bug u up and down say all her friends r using BB and Brazillian hair what will you do? BB the cheapest is nothing less than 30 k, Brazillian hair nko? nutting less than 50 k..Lace hair is the killer...nutting less than 70k. how u wan do? All these girls, please take it easy oh. We understand kpe you must be bigs, but na small small.

Even me sef that im doing this tatafo...i shall not be found wanting. Before the end of 2010, I must be what? BIGGGSS.....Gbo gbo bigsss girls...I hail oh!!!! 

ps. If you want to be biggs, contact me cos i don dey sell d hair now sef :))))

Thankyou Sisi Yemmie...we don hear you o...lol

Nigeria, The Time For Action Is Now!!

Nigeria is a nice and amazing place to be, a country blessed with natural and human resources. I sometimes wonder what our problem really is... if you think about  it we are naturally supposed to be comfortable as Nigerians and life should be a blessing to us all  but unfortunately it's not. Why are we killing ourselves over religions and culture that we know little or nothing about it's origins. Many of us claim we know but do we? It is clear that all religions and cultures preach peace, love and mutual respect, why then if we know so much  can we not  simply do the right thing as it is written. Personally, I am sad that quite a number of Nigerians are illiterate without access to information and proper education. I feel this is the greatest challenge to our future as a nation. It is a fact that for there to be transformation there is need for enlightenment and empowerment. Most of our youths today are jobless... fueling idleness and crime within the country. We need to wake up to the reality that our future is in great danger if we continue like this. Look at the terror called Boko Haram in the north how do we deal with this? The time for action is now.                         

 -Victor Maranzu

In my opinion, the bane of our society is greed and ignorance. A  few munch the poor...we celebrate and respect the crooks in the name of culture .Some states give free education while some states refuse to educate their people(their leaders send their kids to the best schools in Nigeria and abroad)...some hustle to get educated while some say they are against western education. We have let the political class  make us a laughing stock to the world. These days religion has become so intertwined with politics, it's hard to tell the truth.... God help us all...

I vex till I tire...

“…too much money problems how to spend it…plenty dollars…straight to aboki…”

That's a line from the most popular song to hit the Nigerian market.  The artist glorified the maga and yahoo boy relationship. I tire…

Growing up in Nigeria, I have had the opportunity of being friends with the very rich, the really poor and the middle class. Money, I promise you, is not that easy to come by in these parts. My problem though is that most Nigerian youths have this fantasy that they are going to hammer (hit big at once)!!! We drop out of school to sing the lamest song on the planet and stand by super markets begging people to buy “the record”. We stay at home…chillin because we have a relative abroad who will send THE money home….I want to work in an oil company, I will be a local government chairman, I am first son, Popsy will soon die and all his money is mine…..the stories are endless. Desperation begins when these grand dreams don’t seem to materialize. So what do we do?... we hit jackpot with fraud!!

We feel no sense of shame or remorse for destroying the credibility of every hardworking Nigerian not to speak of the loss of our poor victims. The truth is that for every “sharp guy” caught abroad and in Nigeria millions of hardworking Nigerians suffer.

I watched a show on t.v where Nigerians abroad spoke bitterly about the treatment they received from Africans and other Nationalities. At the airports we are checked 5 times more than the next guy.Some of us deny our heritage because we are treated like criminals. Reason?...lazy youths who have decided that they “gather more sense than bros next door”.

Our approach to life should be that we represent not just our families, but also our tribes, our country and our race. It’s not a burden when you think of the havoc that your selfish decisions in this life time can cause the generations to come. I will be very hurt if I am brought back to life and see that my children are treated as criminals when they did nothing. We are Nigerian and we can work things out by making a conscious effort to change our today for those yet unborn. It hurts that no one trusts you even when you do nothing wrong…oh, yes you did…remember, your brother/ sister from another mother just did them in!!…eish man…what a life...:(

They are people too!!

 

We do it all the time; walking down the street, in our offices, schools and even in our homes. Every day we walk past people less privileged than we are and we don’t even bother to offer a smile or word of greeting. Now I’m not saying you should have a smile forever pasted on your face for the lowly or go to extreme lengths to be the do-gooder. We live in a society where everyone is wary of their neighbour and for good reason too. The many stories of man’s inhumanity to his neighbor are enough to kill any communal bones in our bodies. But it doesn't hurt to offer a smile in certain circumstances. It doesn’t generally have to be the lowly or less-privileged, even a harassed or worried looking individual next to you on the queue in the banking hall could perk up with just a smile from you.
 I took time out today to notice how my attitude affected others (needless to say I was in a very hearty mood for no reason, which tends to happen once in a blue moon). With less than N2000 to my name at that point I still took the time to say the usual ‘well done oh’ or at least pass a smile to few people on the streets; from the bank to the market. And the looks of surprised pleasure they returned were enough to keep my mood going strong. I even got offered a free ride (which I turned down of course; I’m not naive enough to believe that ulterior motives may or may not have existed).  Everyone has problems and ‘to each his own’ is our daily mantra. But haven’t you notice how the world seems a bit better or the day brighter when a stranger directly or indirectly makes you laugh? It doesn’t even have to be someone of the opposite sex (note how wary we ladies are of strange men), it could be another woman or even a kid. Life is hard but we should strive to make it beautiful by looking for happiness at every turn and in every situation. Whether we believe it or not, we’re all connected in one way or another; the banker who takes care of our finances, the street cleaner who keeps our environment livable, even the beggar reminds us to praise God for blessing us with what we have! So I reckon a little smile from you would at least serve as payment in return for their indirect albeit positive impact in your life.
 No one is solely responsible for his/her fortune, of course the choices you make in your life go a long way towards determining your future but there’s also a reason why words such as ‘Fate’ and ‘Luck’ exist (wink). The next time you’re taking a walk in your neighborhood or your nanny’s down with the flu, a little smile or ‘sorry dear’ from you might just make someone’s day and if it does isn't that an unselfish enough reason to smile? We each know our daily emotional struggles but we don’t stop to consider that the next person might be going through that as well and realise how someone else’s smile or funny chit chat with us would have made us happier when we were down. There are times we let even our friends down without knowing (like the time when they didn’t get that job they wanted after getting to the final interview and all we kept doing was yap about our gorgeous boyfriend..), when all they needed was a hug and a smile. We’re all so into ourselves nowadays which is no surprise considering how earlier generations had to go through  being forced by society to give all of themselves to others while putting what’s best for you first was considered the height of being selfish! Now we all know that if you don’t love yourself, no one else will, but as they say too much of everything spoils the broth and you could just end up self-absorbed. So there has to be a balance, and the only way to achieve that is to take the time to find out what’s wrong or right with your brother, sister, friend etc. and offer a smile to that sad -looking girl in the shop. I won’t even go into the benefits of smiling for your health but as they say it takes less facial muscles to smile than frown. There are people all around us every day and we somehow seem to forget that but the next time you’re out and do remember that they are people too with their individual problems, offer that megawatt smile of yours in exchange for a look of surprised pleasure and we just might start working towards a better society; it only has to start with you.
                                                                                                                                    -Vera MA.

Support For The Sisthren

Source

My heart breaks each time  I hear a sister talk about a bad experience she had with a fellow sister concerning her hair. Nothing makes me sadder than criticisms from Christian sisters in the Church. We preach love but do we really show it?
No matter what a person is, no matter what a person does...our responsibility is to leave them better than we met them and not vice-versa.At Church we are taught not to judge or be judged. We all have a little voice in our heads telling us what to do. Sometimes we are our own worst critics. In essence ,we have enough pressure coming from within and more negativity from another person only makes life harder.
Most people on the street just need a smile...thats all. Encourage people,  make them happy and your life will be happy too.
As beautiful African women (or women of African descent), we aught to pull together, help each other grow and not "help" the next sister feel horrible about her decisions. Writing people off and telling them about it to their faces only makes you a hater. The Bible talks of love and acceptance of our brethren!! Love your brethren (sisthren) as you love your self. Spread that  love, support a sister...do it genuinely and watch others grow as you grow.Remember...we are the choices that we make.Choose to be happy with and for others.
XOXO...

source

We spend the majority of our lives playing small to sin, lack, fear and inferiority issues; slicing down our own ambition and or the ambition of others. Doubting if we can, wonder how we will do what we want to do for ourselves and those who are with us. 
We do this, because the world all around us, which is progressing forward with or without us; has told us to play it safe, play down our dreams, be small in what we think, seek want or desire. 
Through out our lives we are taught to fear, when in fact we should be taught to believe, believe that all things are possible; because fear is of the devil and faith is of God. 
Dreams express what your soul is trying to tell you, no matter how far fetch your dreams may seem—even to you, you must pursue; what is calling out to you whether by day or by night, follow that idea, search it out. Set some type of goal and chase it like it is money because most likely it is money to build, live and give yourself the life you most desire. Wake up the potential that is laying dormant deep down within the recesses of your mind… 
Allow God to birth something fresh out of your struggle!!! I am hard pressed, twisted, and even yanked between what I am experiencing and what God is leading me too….Yet I got to, get to the other side of ¾ through and the only way to get through is to go ¾ through… 
Whenever destiny calls your name; holla back it may, be God calling you to deeper depths and higher heights….

 by Regina Deloris

...strong enough to be you?

"It takes strength of character to stand out from the crowd..."

These were words from a sermon on Ctv. When going natural the question to ask your self is are you strong enough to stand out?

Going natural is not for the timid. Our minds have to be open to alot of possibilities. Hate from others, and yes,self hate. I know you might be wondering how self hate can come from deciding to be free from a relaxer, but trust me,it is very possible. Listening to negative comments from others can do that.

For  3months after my big chop, I will have my hair tied up before stepping out of the house. After getting my hair done,I'll look in the mirror, smile at my reflection cause I'd love the results, but I never had the guts to wear my fro out.Most of my friends were not supportive (much respect to my Siblings, Lady RIO and Ab who encouraged me to rock my fro out).I had to come to a point were I had to appreciate my mane myself.

Sometimes we seek for approval from a certain person or from a group of people and when we don't find it we enter our shells and hate ourselves even more. Self appreciation, from what I learned, allows for us to be selfless and appreciate others just as they are.If we can't love and value ourselves how do we get value and appreciation from the people we have to relate with all the days of our lives.

The question I'll ask is are you strong enough to be you? Not just concerning hair but life in general. Well, as for me, life is a learning process I'll take one step at a time until my good is better and my better best.

Have a fun filled week!!