Bergamot - The Scent of Childhood

No weekend was complete without getting your hair did. From all-backs to woven thread, you simply could not resume a school week without a head of fresh glistening patterns. My mother knew how to make hair, my aunt knew how to make hair, our house-help knew how to make hair. So there was simply no excuse. This ritual began with setting up the space, the joko, the cutting comb and then the 'cream' the favoured one in my house was the blue cream.

It wasn't till I got grown, got into essential oils that I found out that the scent which made my weekends complete was Bergamot. I still like it and the memories are good.

Bergamot is an oil gotten from Bergamot Orange which is cultivated in parts of Italy and Turkey (heard Columbus took it from the Canary Islands to Italy). It is used in perfumes, tea, sweets and, you guessed it, hair products. Why? it soothes the scalp, aids hair growth and makes hair extra shiny.

Bergamot also helps to relieve anxiety and depressed moods. So, why not pick up a bit of this. Though it's hard to find this blue hair cream anymore, the scent of my childhood will always live with me and in the form of my little bottle of bergamot oil.

This woke me up

So, I was sleeping jejely, When I began to hear...

Ijo shinaaaaaaaaaaaaaere shinaiwo le jo,e mi le joIwo le jo, emi le jo Shina o Shina o Shina oAfro juju o

My uncle was blasting it, I began to smile and ofcourse, memories of yesteryears began to flood my mind. Dancing to Shina Peter at Parties, and just having fun! Good times.

Here are some Clips, you go fear dance ooh!! hehe

Toughest Video Games

The hardest games I've ever played..Megaman, Mario 1

Megaman was so hard it wasn't funny, and these were truly the days of proper gaming, NO CHEAT. When you see GAME OVER, e don done!

Watching Captain N, made it worse, I couldn't get into the telly to play the stages myself..still XBOX Kinect DOES NOT appeal to me

All this talk of gaming, I need to burst out my SNES emulator...after I sort my neck out! I keep hurting myself :(

We used to call gaming 'Tanning' then lol. so much fun, too much fun. I've done things for gaming I wouldn't even do for love.

A Nice Night

So We went to my Aunty's sons school concert he was going to be performing in the gospel choir. At first I was just like hmm haven't been out of the house in days..as we say 'Make I just stretch leg small abi' But what I saw there threw me back.

These where some of the music played.

The senior orchestra performed March from Aida by Giuseppe Verdi and Clog dance by Ferdinand Harold

The big band jazz played Black Magic Woman by Carlos Santana

The Gospel choir did a number of Kirk Franklin songs, Nice!

The concert band played Putting on the Ritz by Irving Berlin, really great!

The wind band played Handel and the Big Band jazz did a really nice Way cool dude by Michael Sweeney

To wrap it all up, The Concert band played Pirates of the Caribbean..amazing finale!

I was BBMing my friend about the concert and we talked a bit about our time in secondary school. Because most of the performers on stage were just in grades 7 and 8. They played the violin, flutes, cello, guitar, piano, horns e.t.c very well! I remembered back in secondary school while we did 'Music' and learnt how to read a music sheet we never really saw it in action, the 'music club' only consisted of singing. While the Human voice is still the best instrument and it amazes me to no end. Playing one of these other instruments couldn't''t have hurt. In my first year of University I became friends with a girl who I learnt had her violin in school, so I asked her to teach..I started but sadly got bogged down with school work. I still ant to learn. Hopefully SOON! 

Personally If I do have children, I will encourage them to fall in love with these things. Music is such a potent tool in this world nothing is like it, amazing! I thoroughly enjoyed myself.

O Fortuna

Ok, So between Saturday and now, i failed in my task to make soup! aaah. And theres no chance now cause I go on hols from Friday. oh well!!. I've been busy making plans for my holiday, I don't want to exceed two weeks, the work i have to do is MASSIVE. but i want to relax too, Moving a lot around the south end, should be fun!

On Sunday, forgot a document for my CRB check (enrolled to help in a creche) so i had to go for the evening service in church. While I was feeling good with myself through out the day, cause I looked 'Trendy'. The evening sermon which was 'Healing Life's hurt' began to bring about memories, some good some bad.

ooh the good times, going for fellowship at Transit Village, watching and dancing to Colby's treehouse, Kids Praise and the donut man, I recently dug these up on Youtube and it made me wanna cry. Also when we were younger my sisters would say i was the ugly one. I took it in stride, i dont really know how it affected me, but being told your the ugly one could never have good feelings come with it. Still i believe things like this helped me shape ideas about myself from a very early age. It didnt matter if i was the 'ugly' one, someone had to be.lol.

Anyway, i look back and only laugh, we were kids. Experiences can make you Bitter or Better, make your choice. Ive made mine ^_^

Meanwhile apart from my 'loc-ed guy obssession' of which I actually saw two guys in one day who totally rocked my boat, both dark skinned, one had long locs but he had a kid with him, DAMM! lol, the second one was in passing, he had 'cornrows' fine boi..:(

My latest obsession is O Fortuna by Carl Orff. It is very popular but I didn't know who the composer was until recently, and I cant stop playing it....it speaks volumes to me...

O Fortuna
velut luna
statu variabilis,
semper crescis
aut decrescis;
vita detestabilis
nunc obdurat
et tunc curat
ludo mentis aciem,
egestatem,
potestatem
dissolvit ut glaciem.

Sors immanis
et inanis,
rota tu volubilis,
status malus,
vana salus
semper dissolubilis,
obumbrata
et velata
michi quoque niteris;
nunc per ludum
dorsum nudum
fero tui sceleris.

Sors salutis
et virtutis
michi nunc contraria,
est affectus
et defectus
semper in angaria.
Hac in hora
sine mora
corde pulsum tangite;
quod per sortem
sternit fortem,
mecum omnes plangite!

English Version 

 

O Fortune,
just as the moon
Stands constantly changing,
always increasing
or decreasing;
Detestable life
now difficult
and then easy
Deceptive sharp mind;
poverty
power
it melts them like ice.

Fate—monstrous
and empty,
you whirling wheel,
stand malevolent,
well-being is vain
and always fades to nothing,
shadowed
and veiled
you plague me too;
now through the game,
my bare back
I bring to your villainy.

Fate, in health
and in virtue,
is now against me
driven on
and weighted down,
always enslaved.
So at this hour
without delay
pluck the vibrating string;
since through Fate
strikes down the strong,
everyone weep with me!

Cigarettes, Sugar and Nice things.

I have a Love-Hate relationship with the smell of cigarettes. I was sitting in the studio one morning this week and someone had opened the windows because the studio was getting too warm and was quite disturbing. But as fresh air flowed in, the smell of cigarette wafted in, i am certain it was moisture in the air and the smell that triggered my memories. Water + Cigerette always triggers childhood memories, splashing in the pool at the Apapa Club, having suya and just precious pure fun times. amazing. Really really sad i can't bring those times back again.

Funny, as i went along the day, different things began to trigger memories, I was cooking and as i opened the Maggi cubes, The days of Chocomilo and Picnics on 1004 grounds, began to swirl in my mind. they don't say 'the good old days' for nothing.

I was trying to make a cuppa too, and realized the days of my sugar had come to an end...ok, St Louis cubed sugar is triggered and brings along memories of days in 1004, putting cubes in 'Ogi' lol. good times!

Yesterday,

The day before one of my coursemates had asked me why we 'black' girls like to 'tie' our hair. He meant plait or twist, i tried to explain though, but i untwisted my hair, and had this massive fro which i walked around the streets of Tyne land with. Anyways, that led to one of my teammates saying, Your hair is massive! which led to discussion about hair and childhood haircuts. I was in stitches as i told them the story of how i tried to change this (for example)

To this,

When i was in secondary school and i was on low cut, i walked around with my eyes facing the sky, HILARIOUS!

Aah, it was a pretty good week, still on the search for jobs and ish, stabbed Gidi Night at the Empress today, Got my test results yesterday and its all good, nothing is wrong with me! yay!

Other things!

Housemate offered me a ride to Birmingham, yay!

Main Goal for this weekend, Make Soup!

Complete Research proposal

Oh yeah i'm TOTALLY Obsessed  ^_^

But, have you seen a finer guy!

I miss Thunderstorms

I really do miss thunderstorms and lightenings. I remember thinking about this when I was getting drenched in the rain on sunday. My housemate and I talked about the 'African Rain' lol. I began to reminsice about times it really showed me pepper, but the feeling that comes after..... when you have fresh warm dry clothes on, in a warm house, curtains drawn, pepper soup in hand, movie on the telly and the rain, lightening and thunder keeps banging on like theres no tommorrow..some kind of bliss, I swear.

Anyhoo, still felt quite ill today, but I had to make it down to attend a lecture by Prof Irini Pitsaki on 'Cultural Product design' after she gave the lecture and questions were being asked, I felt compelled to challenge some of her points which I did, but then felt sorry i did :(. anyway, got chatting with her after the lecture as people filed out. I will be having more talks with her, and over coffee ;D

Went on my Blast from the Past spree again, watched 'High school High' fricking funny! and 'My stepmother is an alien' omg, seeing all those people again in their 'Young' state. still very funny, and it did take me back...wayyy back, i was like ''see graphics eeeh'' lol.

Had a nice chat with my housemate, its so inevitable that our talks always goes back to 'Africa' from make-up to Africa.lol Mount Kilimanjaro and lions and zulu music.lol. good fun. Atleast I still have one housmate with a good head on good shoulders.lol.

umm, i was gonna start a header with the topic 'Things I saw on the metro today' still trying to sort out my phone 'camera connection to pc' issues. be right back on that.

For now, gotta sign out, no couch sleeping for me today, gotta be up sharp by 8am max. :D

Happy Belated St. Pats, no Guinness this time!

Is it strange that the Tyneside Irish center is in Chinatown, or is it just me?!?!

Ist JUNE

This day brings back LOTS of memories, especially ones that include Rain, Yellow Raincoats and Hot Chocolate.lol
Yup, I remember AFPS, Victoria Island..It rained so hard, I, my sisters and my neighbours were trapped in school..we didn't get picked up until about 7 pm, after they had threatened to put us in the guard room.lol, No gsm then so, we were totally under Gods mercy..My mum was really sorry and made up with some pamperment hehehe..that was one of my best nights.

My Break was so eventful its unbelievable..Watch this space :D

Now the Gist


A Few of my Favorite things

My friend invited me for a "care group" meeting of his church, so we both went there from work, Fortunately.lol, there was a party, I was quietly happy.
My eyes took in chocolates,cakes, biscuits, donuts, samosa..aaah, my tummy was groaning.
Thankfully we were late and it was just about time to dig in. YUM YUM!

After the feast and take home secured in my bag, rain started to fall, so most of the ladies just stayed back.And the whole discussion moved to hair, how they didnt want rain to beat it..
Next thing one of the ladies ask me Where did u lock your hair? lock..I had my hair in twists all to the back..another ones says..its nice that its all slicked back with out gel after I told them I had just twisted it.

I got asked a lot of questions;
Your church doesnt allow you to perm your hair?
Are you deeper life(yeh this question again, i wasn't wearing earrings too)
Is it spiritual?

No no no!, I said just want to leave my hair like this, one suggests I really should loc it..I say No!
Natural hair doesnt have to be lowcut and locs..

They gosh over how pretty I look with it and my "mature" glasses.lol
I start to leave and the owner of the house, who is really funny exclaimed..oh your legs are like toothpicks..so straight..I couldn't but laff
such a nice ending to a full day..

funny that I'm getting more compliments as a natural..it should tell something.lol


Stuff like this doesnt happen everyday!

Demgocrazy day..as my friend said on twitter.was really crazy
I spent most of the day lazying about, I untwisted my hair..I was just floating about basically, did some cleaning cause my friend was coming for the weekend. lol
Towards the evening, my friend arrived, we couldn't go out cause she was so tired. I freshened up and decided to say 'hey' to a friend in my neighbourhood, I went to their house and they
began to complain about hunger.

It was about 9:30pm, but we went to a restaurant got food, sharwama, suya.
on our way back..I forget my phone in the CAB! I wanted rapture to take place at that moment
and the bad thing is I realize about an hour after..because I had been so caught up in gist and sharwama!
I felt so silly..me of all the people in the world, forget my expensive nokia phone in a cab!!
oh Gawd!
my world literally crashed.we tried calling the number, it was unavailable..after about an hour of jokes and lament, I went into my house and told my friend, she said she had tried to call me but I wasn't available.

I lay on my bed and started thinking of how to pick up the pieces..going to do mtn welcome back..buy a N3000 phone...why don't I have rich friends/ boyfriends!!.I was way beyond sad.
I tried my number again with my friends phone, same thing..Annoying..I decided to make one last call before I slept, and behold! it was ringing!

My heart beat so fast I thought I'd have a seizure..then a man answers..all form of respect came into me..Good evening sir! please sir! thank you sir! you don't know how much this means sir!
God bless you sir! goodnight sir!
He told me that I should meet him at a taxi park, the next day to get the phone, that I shouldn't be scared and all, he gave some explanation for turning off the phone at first though.

aah I was in Heaven!, I couldn't sleep properly, I was dreaming about it and would wake up and look at the time..ain't morning yet?

Good people still exist in Naija eh!! UNBELIEVABLE!


Reunion and an Undercover star

My Friend had come into Abuja for the project fame audition, i decided to audition too to satisfy my curiousity, i wasnt sure of what to sing just yet..but i was gonna give it a shot. there was environmental sanitation so we couldnt move until after 10 and after i had gotten my phone. the taxi driver had been so kind to bring it, to where i was and the reunion was tearful and we thanked the man profusely.

Next we headed to the audition venue, hm..loooooots of people there o, over 500, but we got there at about 11, so we managed to snag, 291 and 293..we went to wait for the auditions, my friend won a 2gb flashdrive,.that was nice, i was busy taking in the whole atmosphere..i tweeted about, it..the Razz folk i saw..fried hair, earrings and oversize suits. Belts, beads, boots all on one person..a walking boutique. I saw a couple of my university folks..hmm hmm..i tot, while on the line i made some wisecracks about the auditions and had people laughing..I couldnt hold my laughter until it was time to enter the audition room. Shoot!, my heart started again like a locomotive engine and my legs..i didnt know where they went. Somehow i got in, and theres this big woman with a smiley face waiting to test me. So after a lil chitchat, i tell her Evanenscence, my nerves make me pronounce it wrong n she corrects it..oo okey!

I sing tourniquet and she asks if im singing in my bathroom, I go ahead to sing Scars by Papa roach, she's not ok with it..and says she's unsure

I calm down and then belt out Bring me to life..perfect! she says and I'm all smiles..see you tomorow she says, I was quite happy.

My friend, well she didnt make it.

Wheew..that was my break oh, it was so darn hard getting back to work on monday,

When We were young

Singing in the fan, playing in the rain, running on the courts, the memories of when we were young. A carefree life, that couldn’t have been better. Picnics, lots of them on tennis courts just to the side of the towering apartment block. Coke, chocolate, biscuits, home-made sandwiches ever so plenty. We had tons of fun. Once in a while this whole happy-go-lucky lifestyle was interrupted by the flash of a cane. Mummy was a teacher, she had those long canes that were used in schools, such a terrible feeling when it came down on the behind or wide open palms, but no mark to show for it now.

We were naughty kids, during valentine days when couples were either returning from their love serenade or just going out, we gave them a love gift of a water bomb falling from eight storeys landing with a splash on their cars or rather unfortunately on the pretty cloths they had on. We would climb our stairs backwards, neglecting the fact that one slip would lead to our death. We slid down the corridors and the stair railings. Throwing things down to our neighbour’s and going to demand them back like it was their fault it fell into their compound.

We were innocents, who would have thought a girl kissing a girl was something of raised eyebrows even though it was just pretend. We swim naked with boys or girls, that is not possible now without having some funny thoughts.

We were playful, Green light! red light!, ten-ten, I A mother was voted for and she chose the best players, being a very good player was key, monopoly, scrabble, games we played with much glee. Video games, Atari, Nintendo, Sega; Mario, Sonic the Hedgehog, tanker we tanned with so much energy! We played pretend a lot, pretending while washing up the dishes, pretending to be making some magic formula, pretending the cutlery were families and the tumblers their cities and the plates their flying-automobile. Pretending to have families, where our dolls were babies and food was anything we could use.

We were smart, we played so hard it was usually a wonder how we always came on top in school, we were always in the top ten, our parents had nothing on us! There was simply no reaon to punish us, especially when our result read like this AAABABAAAA. And we don’t remember reading a thing, spelling and reading was one of our best classes, so was the teacher.

And We were nice kids, we carried things for the Elderly, gave people gifts, helped our mum around the house, we did our parts in looking out for each other, we didn’t take peoples things, mummy taught us well, we knew when to say sorry, please and thank you.

There is no wonder we turned out the way we are now.