IJE

Being quite the nollywood enthusiast, I am looking forward to this film Ije. I hope it does not disappoint. Genevieve Nnaji, whom I think is very talented actress with lots of potential and Omotola Jolade Ekehinde, a nollywood veteran both star in this film. Hopefully through this film, they both get the exposure that they need.

Once it is out, I hope I will be able to lay my hands on an original dvd set, instead of a bootleg copy or from youtube ( you know the temptation can be great at times), because I really want to support this project. Hopefully we´ll see.

You can get the film´s synopsis at Jaguda.com.

Oh no! It is almost december ...again

I really do not want to believe that the month of december is around the corner. Seriously where did it all go? Wasn't it april like yesterday? I am dreading the christmas lights that will spring about in the city center around the 1st week of december and also the christmas markets, where they sell items (mainly hand crafted) at exhorbitant prices. I am not also looking forward to the throngs of people walking around, pretending to be interested in what is being sold neither am I anxiously waiting for the christmas sales to begin.

Despite all of this, I am still thankful for the good health and the successes I have had this year. Of course there is stuff I am still working on achieving but all in all, I am happy for the blessings that came my way and the ones that are yet to come. My parents will be married for 25 years this november and so I am exceptionally grateful for that. I can honestly say that their marriage is a beautiful example of what love and companionship is. I am looking forward to flying home to be with my family and the many festivities that will take place in december, including ofcourse the silver anniversary of my parent´s marriage.

Speaking of christmas...I will be giving books out for christmas gifts this year. Usually I give clothing items , perfums, beauty products depending on the person, but this time around it will be different. I have already bought the first gift, for my sister, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie ´s The thing around your neck. It is a beautiful piece of work, a collection of short stories, as usual she did not disappoint.If you have not read it yet, you should.

So many questions

I heard a story that just completely boggled my mind. I have being thinking about this a lot and trying to rationalise the situation but the more I do that, the more it does not make any sense. Writing is therapeutic for me so I knew I had to put it done in print somehow or else I´d go raving mad...sort of.

The guy, we will call him P. P came to Germany as a student about 20 years ago. After three years he dropped out and subsequently got into a contact marriage to obtain papers. After 5 years both parties went their seperate ways and met another woman, we will call her "german girlfriend" they both have a child and are still living together although they are not married.

About seven years ago he wanted his sister to come to Germany, so he "married " her to enable her get the permanent residency. Now said sister has gotten the permanent residency but they are not divorced. Now this whole theatre does not end here. P met and fell in love with a nigerian woman about 5 years ago. We will calll her "nigerian wife". They both got married in Nigeria, and since the marriage is not recognised in this country because he is still legally "married" to his sister, he could not figure out a way to bring her in legally so she came in via asylum annd lived incognito for three years. Nigerian wife gave birth about a year ago and and is still struggling to get a legalised stay in the country.

P has Nigerian wife living illegally with his children(babies) in the same city while he still goes home to German girlfriend and their child(teenager). Please note that P has since become a german citizen. German girlfriend and the child they have together know nothing about Nigerian wife although I suspect Nigerian wife is fully aware of the sitaution. I wonder how much longer she can take it. There are so many questions and so few answers. The questions I have been itching to ask P are:
-Why would you bring in Nigerian wife when you are still involved with German girlfriend?
-How do you manage your time between these two women; how do you sleep at night peacefully?
-Why could you deceive people so bad and yet you call yourself a christian?

Vintage Eko!

Market food inspector lagos, Nigeria 1950. Check out his colonial gear.
Oba Adele II of Lagos with Cardinal J.F McIntyre Lagos, Nigeria 1954
Sisi Eko jamming to music c.a1950s/60s Lagos, Nigeria

Olubumi Jibowi presenting flowers to Queen Elisabeth Lagos, Nigeria 1956.

I love this blog and since I love photography it gets a thumps up from me. The happy lagosians blog features lagos, its people and projects going on in the city. But I especially love the vintage photography about lagos life in the 50s and 60s. For more click on the link above.

I heart Freiburg

I lost my wallet. I was supposed to have an exam by 1315hrs and I needed to revise this morning, so I rushed to the computer centre to do some studying. 20 minutes into that, I felt I needed a cup of coffeee, so I decided to make do with coffee vending machine in the building. I dip my hand into my bag to grab purse. It was then I realised it was not there.

I became frantic.

What the hell is going on?

Now my wallet means lot to me. In it contains most of the essential things I need in my life from day to day .e.g bank cards, credit cards , NI card, transport ticket, health insurance card, library card, spare change...Thank God I was not carrying lots of money around.


I immedately packed my books and rushed home, absolutely sure that I must have left it on the bed or something.

Got there, I could not find it.

That was when I began to panic...Geez!

I have an exam to write in an hour's time, I have lost my wallet and I am an emotional wreck. Just perfect!

I suddenly remembered that I used the bus to go back home in the evening around 2200hrs and it then occured to me that I might have forgotten my wallet on the bus. With my heart in my mouth, offering prayers to God I got the telephone number of the transport office and after 5minutes on hold I got through.

Words cannot express the joy and relief I felt when I was told they had my wallet in their office and that I could come to get it.

I love this city sooo much. I can´t imagine losing stuff like that in lagos, london or leeds and having to find it without much qualms.

T.V

I recently started watching television again. I am hooked on the X-Factor the british equivalent of American Idol and the last year winner Alexander Burke performed her number one single. This song has grown on me.

There is a nigerian-brit girl Rachel Adedeji on the show as well. Hopefully she will go far.

Shhhhhh!

I moved house, there are three things I am totally thankful for.
-It is an upgrade..yay!
-I have one flatmate and she is nigerian yay!(I am not opposed to other nationalities at all, it is just that, it is very hard finding likeminded Naija people, you have to live here to understand)
-She has a very nice bubbly personality and I totally love her.

There is just one thing.

She talks too much. She can go on and on and on, now if only she would know when to shut up.

Do not get me wrong, I love to chit chat but sometimes it gets really tired. Sometimes I just really want to unwind,I mean get out of my work/school clothes, make myself a hot steamy cappuccino, tuck myself under a blanket and watch a food show(yeah I am a foodie!) in silence.

That is not too much to ask for now, is it? I don´t have the courage to tell her to stop talkng because she is a very lovely person so I feel I am at my wits end. I have to build a strategy to communicate politely to her that sometimes silence can be very tranquilizing.

Wish me luck!