I THINK I'M ABOUT TO GO MAD!!

These were the exact words said to me by a young man on a Monday evening.
I was going back home (I stay off-campus) and I decided to walk the distance between my institution's Student Union Building and the School gate. With my earphones plugged in listening to Charlie Puth, I didn't pay attention as people passed me by on the sidewalk. Atleast until a guy looking to be in his early-mid twenties slowed down to say those words to me. I was taken aback and I couldn't say anything for a few seconds (I mean who just walks up to you and says that with a mirthless smile on his face). But my curiousity got the better of me, as always.
Our conversation went thus:
Me: Uhhh, why?
Him: I've been smoking for a long time now.
(Pause.... I let that info sink in)
Me: What's your name?
Him: Marcus.(real name withheld)
Me: What department are you in?
Him: (chuckles mildly) I don't trust you. The funny thing is, people in my department see me as this good guy. They wouldn't know that 'Marcus' could be doing this.
Me: ohhhh.
Him: what department are you in?
Me: lol, why should I trust you either?
Him: (laughs) it's not that, but there's the possibility you might turn me in. Just a few months ago, UNILAG expelled some students because of this and even UI at one time blocked the road to Poly Ibadan cos people usually bought and sold it there. And I don't want you to turn me in.
Me: I understand. (At this point I'm guessing he's talking about cannabis.)
(Pause)
Me: How old were you when you started taking it?
Him: I was in secondary school... (thinks for a while) I grew up on the streets you get? I had to do things for my self. I grew up on the streets.
(We just walk)
I want to stop it cause I know it's wrong and it's affecting me.
Have you ever smoked before?
Me: No, I haven't.
Him: Good, good. Don't do it if you haven't. And be careful. Peer influence is possible. Watch the people you walk around with. I can call out 4 people I've influenced since I got to UI and now they're regular smokers. (By this time we had already gotten to the gate)
(Pause)
Me: where are you going now?
Him: I'll just walk, walk (he waves his hand in no particular direction) and come back.
Me: okay... (We keep walking and I soon get to where I'd take a keke napep to my place) Marcus! (I have to call out to him cos he's obviously in another realm already) I have to cross and take a keke home.
Him: Okay. (with the mirthless smile, he turns and walks away)
Me: Bye. (But I'm sure he can no longer hear me)

The exchange got me feeling....humbled. It didn't seem like he wanted to make friends with me or even my acquaintance. He didn't even ask for my name. I guess he just needed to talk to someone at that moment and I was just the random person that felt right.
I did feel sad tho. I wish I could have done more for him. Maybe collect his number and try to help him through this stage in his life.(I messed up in that regard, I didn't ask for it)
While we walked I could realized he was 'disturbed'. I use disturbed and not deranged cos, he's a student for goodness sake! He wasn't wearing rags. But it did seem like he was on the brink of losing it. Throughout our interaction, he kept on giving long pauses where he'd just walk and think. (He also had extremely red eyes. One feature I noticed since I could hardly capture the rest)
I told a friend about the encounter. About the fact that I wish I could have helped him. My friend was like "you could have told him to go to a rehabilitation centre."
"What centre do we have in Nigeria?", I asked.
"Church", he replied.
That sounded funny to me then, same as now. Churches and Mosques are all well and good, but these people need a neutral ground where they wouldn't feel judged or any less of themselves.  I realised the crude reality that even when drug abusers want to change and do better, they aren't provided with the facilities and opportunities to do so.
Because honestly, do we have any functional rehabilitation centre in this country? If we do, kindly enlighten me for I am not aware. Major flaw (i)

We criticise smokers cause we feel we are better than them. I wonder if anyone put in the same situations they've gone through, would choose any differently. Major flaw (ii)

Mind you, I am not here to defend smokers nor their choices. I detest the act (my own personal prejudice). But I'm a social scientist, and I believe in objectivity when push comes to shove.
We need to give smokers chances to do better. Chances to get their life back on track( if they want to of course). We need to consider all the variables that contribute to their addictions; Broken homes, Poverty, Poor upbringing, societal factors, emotional traumas and all.
  It's not too much to ask that the supposed "Premier University" in West Africa, have a centre within its premises that caters to addicts. These are the things we should focus on and not how to bring the next rave act for a performance in the school (which I'm not totally condemning. But for what it's worth, it shouldn't be close to being a priority.)
One of the primary functions of a state is the welfare of its citizens.
We need the Federal Government to do better. But first off, we need to do better for we mirror our government. We shouldn't criticize addicts just because it goes against our religious principles of values. We need to help them see that we have their backs and we ain't judging. Quite a number of individuals who died from drug abuse, suicide and so on would probably have lived a while longer if they received proper care and advice. It's never a crime to be concerned about the well-being of the people around us.

On a final note, I wanna encourage you, my dear reader, to reach out to that person around you that is being held down by addiction. They might not admit it but they need our concern and care. Getting off drugs or any other addictive substance is not an easy battle and it requires contributions from others around. If you genuinely care about that your 'friend' as you claim to, you would help rid them of habits that pose dangerous threats to their health  (emotional, physical, psychological)

I don't know if I'll ever meet Marcus again, but I do hope our short encounter made a difference in the choices he made afterwards.

P.S The conversation depicted above can only represent about 75% of the actual occurrence. The rest have either being lost to forgetfulness or withheld based on my better judgement.

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LESS IS MORE (PART 1)

*Glossary available at the end of the post.

Tuesday afternoon, while trying to rest off the tension and stress of my first official exam this semester, I decided to check new notifications on my Whatsapp Messenger. While at this, I noticed a sort of literal sparring ongoing between two male contenders in a particular group chat. My interest was piqued. Not one to be easily interested in participating in such showy acts, I decided to keep mute and simply enjoy the interplay (kinda like the way one would sneak into a movie theatre when the lights are already dimmed, lol).
To some people it was irksome, to others much like me, we were busy looking for more popcorn. Then after a while of being a wallflower and simply observing, I started realizing a few things. Such as, People tend to equivalate verboseness with intellectual adroitness.
Don't get me wrong, I respect sesquipedalians. I admire their dexterity with words. But only when the words are in sync with the matter being discussed.
Often, just to earn the admiration of their readers or audience, many youths make use of bombastic terms without considering if they apply in that context. Consequently, they end up spewing, put simply, utter gibberish.I've had the opportunity to come across a particular guy who was so terrible with words but thought of himself to be an unquestionable master of English. It was such a ludicrous situation, one filled with mirth for me quite honestly. I never tried to correct him on his countless errors tho. It would have broken his ego. After Tuesday's event though, I felt I had to express my views on this someway, hence, a blog post! In my opinion, and that of many literary scholars, concise and succint words are always the best channels for passing information or expressing oneself. Of course it is never a bad idea to embellish one's writing with some grandiloquence once in a while, however, moderation is key. A sparse amount of lexiphanic statements in strategic places is enough to express the writer's acuity. Wordiness only diverts readers attention from the original purpose of the write-up and bores them in the end. Sadly, Not many people can detect when their writing is wordy. The basic idea is, when a word is dispensable, there's no need to include it in the sentence. Take for instance this sample sentences.
1. "The man ardently, vehemently and passionately refused to move his car" This is a classic case of wordiness. A much better Variant of the sentence would be;
2. "The man vehemently refused to move his car" (if the imagery must be painted ) Or better still,
3. "The man refused to move his car" The adjectives vehemently,ardently and passionately mean the same thing so using them all together is just wrong especially when the pattern is maintained throughout the text. I call it "word abuse" (just made that up, don't know if it actually exists. But you get the idea)
Picture a confident and charismatic speaker, saying sentence 1. You'd probably be clapping and saying "Punchline! Ride on! Tell them" Or anything else that would apply in this case. Everyone is guilty of it in some way.
And that is exactly why nowadays, folks are more bothered about expanding their English vocabulary rather than understanding the language's Diction and Grammar. Thus, there are tons of people possessing the knowledge of great many words, who aren't even able to properly pronounce half of these words.
I'm not a literary genius per se, neither am I a pedant. But I am a strong believer in the philosophy of "Less is more".

                  GLOSSARY
1. Wallflower- a Person who isn't socially inclined.
2. Verboseness- the excess use of words.
3 Adroitness- Skillfulness or ease of ability.
4. Sesquipedalian- A person who uses long words.
5. Dexterity- Skill in performing tasks.
6. Bombastic- Showy in speech.
7. Grandiloquence- Lofty, pompous speech or writing.
8. Lexiphanic- bombastic wording 
9. Pedant- A person who is overly concerned with trivial points of learning.
10. Sparring- A contest in words, to wrangle.
11. Irksome- Annoying, Irritating 

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HAVE YOU SEEN LOVE?

Hi sir
Hi ma'am
Have you seen love?
Errr not sure if he is a dude or a dudess
Buh i do need to talk to the fellow

Why is love so complicated
So kind yet so wicked
So straightforward yet twisted
So relieving and yet overbearing

So why love?
Why cant you just let the heart feel you
Without the aches that comes with you
The soul feel you without this burning and red fire
The body feel you without the pain that runs thru the veins

Hey love
You gotta answer me
Cos i am beginning to lose people around me
Not because my heart is cold
Infact it longs for more warmth
But because you manipulate and complicate matters
For simple beings

Pls do answer my questions
Maybe then
I will find peace
Which seems to have deserted me

N. Hassan

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FEAR: INNATE OR CULTIVATED?

      Yesterday as I sat with a friend at the car pack of my institution's Student Union Building, resting, after standing under the sun for hours watching a Dog Show that was organized in school, I noticed a cute little girl who was seemingly waiting for a ride with her mum ( I presume) and two sisters. I could read the ebullience in her every action. It was a delight to watch her. A few minutes passed and several dog owners kept coming by( with their dogs of course) to take a cab to the School gate.
This little girl picked an interest in these dogs. While some of the owners of these pets waited for cabs, she would often try to go up to their dogs to touch and maybe play with them. I was amazed and awed by the fact that she kept going for the big ones. ( I'm totally scared of big dogs BTW. I mean, you need to have seen the Huge Rottweilers, Caucasian and Alsatian dogs, who wouldn't be scared?) I genuinely admired her spirit. But each time she wanted to go, her mum and sisters held her back saying stuff like "Don't touch it, it's wild and dangerous", "it'll bite you" and other scary things that create terrifying images in a little kid's mind. She wanted to defy them, but she's wasn't even strong enough to free her sister's hold on her hands. Her mum even went to the extent of illustrating how exactly a dog could rip her apart.
      After 3-4 more trials from her and countless scary tales, a man came to sit at the park with his Shepherd dog. The girl noticed the Dog and went like 'mummy see'. Her mum was like "yes it's a dog but don't go close to it, it's dangerous". The man tried to encourage the little girl that the Dog wouldn't harm her and that it was tame. But as soon as I saw the reluctance in her eyes, I knew the battle was lost. She walked towards him a bit, and then went back to hold her mother. Her earlier determination was destroyed. And I'm pretty sure that girl would likely end up being scared of dogs. I left soon after so I can't tell the aftermath though.
      The experience, as funny as it seemed, got me wondering however. Now I wonder if we truly fear the things we claim to be frightened of, or maybe it's an illusion we were made to believe in right from our early years. And I know for one that what one tells or teaches a child tends to stick and sets the foundation for the growth, development and mindset of the child. So is it possible that just a few words said non-challantly by the adults around us during our childhood are the triggers of our supposed 'worst fears'? It might be that I'm thinking to the extreme, but there's also the chance that I might be right. I've read alot of articles that state fear is just an illusion and one should always learn to conquer one's fears and stuff like that. But now I wonder if that alleged fear is meant to exist in the first place? I mean with this little girl, if there's something she was meant to fear, it shouldn't be dogs. It wasn't in her nature to. Atleast until the fear was built in her. That's why I'm asking; is fear innate or cultivated? Because right now, the fear of dogs is gonna be nurtured in that little girl. It is gonna be watered by the reactions and words of her family when she tries going near a dog. She would end up seeing dogs as creatures to be feared and avoided as against her natural instinct which saw them as fascinating and beautiful creatures.( I do admire dogs oh, but I like to do that from a distance, lol)
       I felt sad for the little girl actually. And it was an eye opener for me too. Maybe most things I fear were 'carried over' from some one else who was afraid of them. Maybe that 'fear' isn't mine to feel. Maybe it's not in my nature to fear these things. Maybe it's all an illusion really.
Think about it.

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INDEPENDENCE DAY SPECIALE

      I'm a member of the Rotaract Club of University of Ibadan( the first one to be established in Nigeria actually) Yeah, UI reps the first in everything. Lol.
      All Rotaract Clubs are sponsored by and are Partners of Rotary Clubs in their respective districts. There are also Interact clubs and we are all under the umbrella of Rotary International; A Non-Profit Organization that seeks to create positive change in humanity and empower the less- priviledged.
      Rotary International is an awesome association that has changed my life since I gained membership. But I'll give you all the juicy deets about it on another post. To learn more about Rotary, click here. Now to the main agenda of today's post. Lol.
      On Independence Day ROTA UI held her Investiture Ceremony, where the Board of Directors of this Rotary Year were installed, New members were admitted and the Club launched two of its Community Projects. It was the best way to celebrate the emancipation of our Fatherland.
     Lest I forget, Happy Independence Day in arrears to you all. Let's not forget to keep praying for our dear country. Despite all we have gone through, we can only forge ahead. We shouldn't dwell on the sorrow of our yesterdays but rather, look forward to the promise of tomorrow. And don't forget, "Change begins with you and me".
   A few pictures from the event:

Rotary Serving Humanity Year!

Board of Directors

Outgoing president of the 'Be A Gift To The World' Rotary Year

Launching of one of the club's projects

Installation Committee Members

Chairperson of the occasion.

New members of the club being inducted.

Rotaract President for the 'Rotary Serving Humanity' Year

Photo Credit: Alawode Peter

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HEARTBROKEN (A FEATURED POEM)

This pain in my heart
burns me physically
And emotionally
Can't even say which hurts more
Just that I know it burns

I get goosebumps all over
My whole body seems unable
To lift itself off the bed
Just letting itself languish in
the harshness of the bed.

I am not sad.
Sincerely sadness doesn't seem the word
Just uninterested in so many things.
The interest went with her

I lay, twist, turn
All in a bid for time to pass
But Alas!
Two hours is the new one week
And it seems
Time isn't the best healer of wounds
As it passes slowly
When one needs it to nitro itself.

Heart's shattered
Body weak
Interest gone
But it will only get better
Or isn't that what they say
When you tell them
Your heart is broken....

Poet: N.Hassan 

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LOVE THYSELF

I ponder and wonder why we prioritize romantic love over other forms of love. Is it because of the butterflies we claim to feel in our bellies? Why can't I go out with my GIRLfriends and feel those same butterflies 'coz we get to spend time together regardless of our various hectic schedules. People say "God, I feel so lonely!" And I'm like are you so blind that you can't see all the people who love you more than life itself around you? Your family, best buddies, And its never enough? I fall victim of this sometimes too so I don't want to judge anyone. I tend to forget how amazing I am. I sometimes forget to tell myself how in love I am with the woman I'm becoming.
Ladies and Gents, you need to stop assuming that you need another person to complete you. You were created unique, beautiful and complete in yourself and Any other being only serves to complement you. Thus, that significant other should just be a complement and not your missing piece as people say.
Sure it's awesome to be in love with someone and to enjoy the companionship and other accompanying benefits but nothing can ever outweigh self-love or call it 'Positive Narcissism' ('cause too much of anything is bad, lol). Fall in love with yourself and be in tune with the inner YOU. So, when next you are alone, you shouldn't see it as a dreadful thing. Take it as an opportunity to discover new dimensions of yourself. Learn to enjoy your own company. We all have our unique purpose and mission in this life that we'll need to be alone sometimes to fulfill.
Often times we 'lose' ourselves, all to please or be in love with someone. We tend to forget our relevance and we become strangers even to ourselves. While trying to be the best companions we can be, we overprioritize these other people and other aspects of our life start to suffer. This is when our friends make remarks such as "Kemi you have changed" or "Steven I dont seem to know you anymore these days". Do not take these comments as unimportant. They signify that something wrong is happening which shouldn't be.
I saw a picture message of recent which stated that "The average person loses two friends when they fall in love". That is as disappointing as it gets. Why do my friends have to suffer for my involvement in a relationship? This is why I'll reiterate the fact that SELF-LOVE IS KEY! If you love yourself enough and are confident in your person, if you know how to properly place every important person in your life on their right pedestal without any losing out for the benefit of another, then you'll have no problem making your relationship with your friends, family  and your flame last.
Balance in everything can never be overemphasized. Tilting to one side grossly would negatively affect the other sides .
When you understand this you'll learn to care for yourself, appreciate your family and friends and contribute to a positive relationship where one partner wouldn't choke the other with attention.

Lois Wyse wisely said "A good friend is a connection to life - a tie to the past, a road to the future, the key to sanity in a totally insane world."
Charles Kuralt further posited that, "The love of family and the admiration of friends is much more important than wealth and privilege."

This goes to show that one should never compromise or neglect one's relationship with family and friends.
I'll conclude with Lucille Ball's erudite words, "Love yourself first and everything else falls into line. You really have to love yourself to get anything done in this world."

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WHEN THE MIGHTY FALL...

Confucius once said, "Our greatest glory is not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall."
There's this Debate Competition that occurs anually in the University of Ibadan. It's claimed to be the biggest event in West Africa and it features a contest between all faculties in the institution. It's called 'Jaw War'. I am a Social Scientist, and last year we took the cup home! It was glorious to say the least. We were the champions of Public Speaking. Fast forward to this year's event, we had to scale through the first round and Quatre-finals atleast. (the whole school expected that, talk about pressure!)
Our speakers were ready, speeches perfected. We were gonna keep the cup afterall. Then the Faculty of Technology came to burn our hopes and turn them into meaningless ashes. We lost! The standing champions lost! And it was nothing short of disgraceful.

It hurt tons to lose. My friends represented the Faculty and I could see they were devastated by the outcome of the event. We didn't even get past the first stage! But this same people were part of those who won us the cup last year and I know they're awesome Public Speakers. It's hard to say what exactly went wrong.
But then I realised this happens to a good number of people too.
No one enjoys failure. In fact we've been taught to see it as an infectious killer disease, one to be feared and completely avoided. But as Paulo Coelho said "There is only one thing that makes a dream impossible to achieve: the fear of failure.'

It hurts more, I believe, to have already gotten to the apex and then fall to rock bottom. More often than not, the courage to start again falters. As a human being, one naturally gets discouraged and uninterested.
But that same day, the spirit of my comrades in the Social Sciences, particularly our L&D society was one to be admired. We encouraged our speakers and got determined to make better preparations ahead of next year. And that is what matters folks! When you fall, don't lie down there worrying about the bruises on you, you get UP, dust your clothes, clean your cuts and make sure you don't fall again. It's all about learning from your past. "There are no secrets to success. It is the result of preparation, hardwork and learning from failure." As Colin Powell wisely posited.
You cannot keep living your life based on "had I done 'this' I could have won, had I not done 'that' I wouldn't have lost". You've lost this time! You need to deal with that knowledge. You need to accept your temporary loss and forge ahead if not it becomes permanent. Learn from the past. Things you could have done better, apply them to your next tryout. You only become a failure when you stop trying. "I can accept failure, everyone fails at something. but I cannot accept not trying." These are the words of Michael Jordan.

The road to success is laden with the inevitable pitfalls called failure. But what matters is you getting back up and moving forward, however slowly you can do that.

I know next year will be better for my Faculty. It's not pride. I just know we're gonna learn from our mistakes, put in more work, remain dedicated, and take back what's ours! I'd suggest you do that too, in whatever way it applies to you.

When the MIGHTY fall, they do not sit and lick their wounds. They get back up, going stronger against all odds.

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SHE WANTS MORE

This is for the men.
Have you ever had a girl you really liked and the feeling was mutual, you guys hit it off instantly and it's all going great. Suddenly, one day she calls or texts or tells you to your face that it's over and she simply can't give any cogent reason for it? You're left wondering what could have gone wrong, cause you did everything to make her happy; took her out (movies et al), introduced her to your friends, visited her often and probably had this awesome intimacy going on for both of you. It's simple, it wasn't enough. Not because you didn't do your best or that she didn't appreciate your efforts, but because you never satisfied some 'basic fantasies' that almost all ladies have.
Now, you must realize that 95% of girls would be content with a guy who does all I listed above for them. In fact they'd be madly in love with such a guy. But there's that 5% who wouldn't be necessarily "swept off their feet" by such actions. Are they ingrates? Hell no! Gold diggers? Far from it. Infact they want you to spend less. E.g, such a girl would appreciate a call from you by 3a.m, reminding her how much you love and adore her, than you taking her to see a movie. The thing is, she'll appreciate something men don't do regularly more than something as common as going to the movies.
Such girls love spontaneity and unpredictability. So, imagine her finding a hand-written love letter(make it as honest and emotional as possible but don't forget to infuse a little bit of humor) and a small box of chocolates with a note that says "You are as irresistible as they are" or "you are like a box of chocolates, sweet and soft" or whatever you choose to write, in her handbag on a stressful day. (Of course make sure she realizes it was sent from you, probably by using a phrase she's used to you saying or simply indicate your name) She'd be hooked onto you forever. This isn't so hard to achieve. Simply asking a friend of hers to help you with it is enough to do d trick or slipping it into her bag when she's not paying attention. This is, of course, just one example. Imagine the countless other ways you can thrill that special person in your life. Even the 95% average women would love such gestures.
Being plain and expressive with her is important.
Buy her flowers. I know it sounds cheesy but I doubt anyone does it nowadays and so she'll be surprised. Go an extra mile and pick fresh flowers by yourself. Put them in a vase and you can simply add a note or tell her "they remind me of you".
Take her out to a favorite spot of yours in the city. Maybe a garden or the top of a building. Tell her why it's so special. Ladies love when men share things they hold dear, it shows you trust her and you want her to be a part of your life.
Cuddle. I have to be honest, a lot of men ignore or overlook this. One major way to make your lady feel secure and in her element is when you cuddle right after being intimate. It makes her feel wanted and sexy. Whisper sweet nothings in her ear. Tell her how special she is and how lucky you are to have her. Hold her through all this. Say "I just want to hold on to you forever cos I don't want no nigga snatching what's mine", say it like you mean it.
Look at her. Not just the normal everyday look. Tell her with your eyes that "I'm never taking my eyes off you, cos you're simply the best thing I've ever set them on" let your eyes be filled with love and sincerity. Always.
Kiss her. Kiss her when she expects it and when she doesn't. Kiss her when she's angry and when she's excited, kiss her when she's being serious and when she's joking. When she wants to get angry and yell threaten her with a kiss (of course she'd still dare you and yell anyways, kiss her still, she wants you to and it'll be cute). Kiss her in front of others and claim her as yours. It has 2 advantages; it's send off a warning to preying men that she's already taken and it also makes her feel relevant and special to you.
The whole idea is that, to make a woman fall "head over heels" for you without any fear of her wanting to ever break up, you need to think out of the box. Be creative! Nothing is more interesting than a man who keeps you on your feet because you never can really tell what's up his sleeve.
Apply these tips to your relationships. Whether you're tryna woo a new girl in the neighbourhood or you just wanna add some spice to your love life (that has seemingly lost its thrill). Trust me it'll be fun.

P.S: Don't forget to leave your comments and feedback. I'd love to hear from you.

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A Poem From Long Ago

I long for companionship.

The kind that leaves you whole and complete.
 The kind that consumes you.
That leaves your heart bubbling full of life.
The kind that a simple smile or touch kindles.

The kind that doesn't judge me.
The kind that loves me, flaws and all.
The kind that longs for me.

That companionship that sustains; through storms and calm.
The kind that doesn't come with expectations.
Just loving me through it all.

The companionship that never abandons.
 Always finding its way back to me.
The type of companionship that nautical miles never matter to.
The companionship that is true and pure.
Unstained by pretense or lies.

The rare one.
Only found by the lucky ones in a lifetime.
Eternal,
It transcends even at the end of life itself.
Like a star that never goes extinct.

The companionship that is slow.
Defies even time and never succumbs to the hustle-bustle of the world.
The kind that is like the earth itself,
always regenerating.
Soft yet fierce,
calm yet passionate.
The type that makes you at one with everything around you.

But I'm unlucky.
So I keep searching for this in friends and those who claim to love me.

My doom. My misfortune.

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EATING WRIGHT

Where the foodies at?
   So I recently went home for a two-week break and the coolest part was the fact that I got to eat healthy. Alot. Like yeah sure, to a large extent I eat normal food back in school and not necessarily junk. But my eating manners in school don't exactly measure up. Like having dinner at 12am and brunch instead of breakfast.
  So at home, my mum has managed to create this totally effective meal regimen that has helped alot in reducing our calorie intake and also heped in improving the nutritional balance of any meal.

Take as a case study this particular plate of Tuwo Shinkafa and Efo riro,(which was delicious!!!) the consistency of the tuwo was thickened with a little semolina which helped to reduce the urge of eating more portions.
  The Efo Riro didn't contain the slightest sprinkle of a seasoning cube. Just little salt and lemon-pepper powder and lots of other healthy spices. A major one was Turmeric. Known for its healing powers and healthy nature, turmeric is definitely a great addition to anyone's kitchen. It has helped to replace Curry powder for my mum especially, considering the fact that it carries out almost all curry functions and more.
   Just try to make a meal today without adding your favorite 'maggi' or 'knorr' and see the result. Don't forget to put in a little turmeric as you go too. It can be featured in basically any dish so it actually is crazy useful.
  For more tips or a full low down on the best spices and brands to buy,(cause I don't know, lol)(you can get them at any supermarket or farmer's market I'm sure)  contact the best chef of all time who also happens to be my mother lol at musleemah89@gmail.com
I.G: musleemahnikeabdulrahman

 If you love Vegetables like me, I'd like to see you recreate this meal and send pictures to my email: praisesubtle@gmail.com
Feel free to make any replacement according to your preferences.
  Lets get cooking guys!!!

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MAYBE I DON'T WANNA KNOW

   

    So I got this song by Jon Bellion (it's titled Maybe IDK) about 2 months ago and I've been pondering on what to make my first post. (Yep, first post finally!)

   Listening to my playlist last night, this song came on and struck a chord. Like, yeah I know Jon Bellion rocks and he has never gone wrong with a song before and 'Maybe IDK' is one of his best yet, but that wasn't what got to me. It was the message the song held.  

   
  Find the lyrics here

  Beautiful lyrics huh?

    Well, it applies to everyone that has ever encountered the phenomenon called 'life'. In one word; life sucks. (Okay that's two words actually **shrug**) But honestly though, every single day, I come across people who aren't totally happy about the chapter they are in their lives. 

     Don't get me wrong, I'm not speaking entirely of money or material stuff. I'm talking about people being insecure even when they seem to have it all, people being unsatisfied with their job or state of things in their society, people losing a loved one, people trying to get through a heartbreak without letting on how badly they've been damaged, people suffering from depression and having no one to talk to, people getting the confirmation of bad news that they've been kinda expecting, people being lonely and craving companionship; all these and other shitty stuff that make life, LIFE. (And honestly I've experienced most of these stuff, so I knowww)

    These people feel they should possess a greater knowledge, like they ought to have this better understanding of why they've been thrust into this hell hole of a chapter. And I know alot of y'all feel so too. But the hard truth is that you don't. What's more, you never will. Yeah folks, it is what it is. (It kinda sucks huh?)

   What you need to understand though is that it is perfectly normal. In Jon Bellion's voice, That's OK. In fact, it's awesome! I mean, what's more boring than knowing exactly where I'm gonna be in 20 years time. I'd rather discover the intricacies of my life by piecemeal. 

    So I wanna go through all the hurdles, the tears, the pain, the heartaches, the I'm-ready-to-die moments. Because without these experiences, I would never fully enjoy the smiles, the laughter, the companionship, the joy of being loved, the fulfillment of loving someone, the ebullience of my toddler niece, the pride that comes from an achievement and all the highs that make life worth living.

   Our highs and lows are intertwined. They need each other. You can never fully appreciate one without experiencing the other. That's what makes life the terrific rollercoaster ride that we never get enough of ( atleast until the ride is over).

    The *EKG depicts this perfectly. It has to rise and fall to determine if one is still alive. 

      Point is, when next you're going through that crappy page of life, sit back, relax, drink coffee and probably play some Jon Bellion. Know that, IT'S OK.

*Electrocardiogram

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