Xmas Update

Hey peeps! Its been a loooooooooooooooong minute right? Sorry I haven’t been able to update my blog for sometime cos I’ve been mighty busy these past few days. Some of you know how it is over here (Naija) during the Xmas season- everyone rushing to and fro, trying to round up activities before the year’s end. Anyway its all good, am glad the year is winding up and xmas is finally here.

Xmas period is very special, it is a time when Christians all over the world celebrate the birth of the lord, Jesus Christ). Xmas brings with it joy, happiness and peace. There is just something about this season that puts me in high spirits and No, its not the rice and turkey stew, lol!

Today we are closing for the year in my office. Everyone is in the xmas mood already. The casual dressing, funky hairstyles all scream one thing- HOLIDAYS!

Yea the holiday is here and it promises to be a fun filled one for moi. In a few days, I’ll be traveling to my country home somewhere in eastern Nigeria. You see, most people from the eastern part of Nigeria travel to their hometown during this season, it’s kind of like a family reunion thing when you get to see relatives and family whom you probably haven’t see all year. There’s lots of catching up to do, gists to share and all.
Am seriously looking forward to it.

One thing am not looking forward to though are the questions I know will definitely come from my older relatives. Questions like:
“Our throats are dry o! When will you wet it for us?”
“When are you calling us o?”
That’s their subtle way of telling you that it’s long overdue for you to get married. Their throats are dry mean they want to drink the in-laws palm wine(Usually Palm wine is presented by the groom’s family to the brides family during the traditional marriage rites) and calling them means inviting them to your wedding.

When they start, I just pretend I don’t understand what they mean and innocently reply
“Eh ya mama, you want some water??”(To- “Our throats are dry o! When will you wet it for us?”) or
“Calling you?? Okay you mean for my birthday?”( To-“When are you calling us o?”)

They just roll their eyes and give up for that moment. One of my aunties always says i
need deliverance, Deliverance from what abeg? Singlehood?? ,lol!

Anyway am not going to let anyone spoil my holidays for me o, I intend to enjoy it as
much as I can, marriage pestering relatives or not!

Another thing am not looking forward to is the cooking, washing and cleaning. Lol! Am not a lazy bones but if you consider the fact that my home is the palace and there is always one activity or the other going on, people dropping in and they have to be fed. Some times I practically spend the whole day in the kitchen. Just as am through with preparing/serving breakfast, its already time for lunch. After lunch I barely have a few hours to rest and its back to the kitchen to cook dinner.
This Xmas I refuse to be a Kitchen maid o! I have to come up with a solid plan on how to avoid spending the whole day in the kitchen, suggestions anyone??

Hmmm…let’s not forget the Naija bloggers party coming up on Jan 5th. That also promises to be exciting. If you are going to be in Naija by then, you can’t afford not to be there o and for those who can’t make it, don’t worry we’ll have enough fun for everyone. Trust me, I’ll also get some pics for you guys.

HAVE A VERY MERRY XMAS AND A WONDERFUL NEW YEAR 2008!!!

Love you all.
Princesa.

Cool Dad...Mr Baker

I just saw this movie-CHEAPER BY THE DOZEN.
It was one cool, funny as hell, interesting movie. You know the kinda popcorn grubbing, ice cream licking, couch rolling, rib cracking movie you love to watch with family/friends.
I guess some of you must have seen this movie but for those that haven’t am going to try to tell the storyline in a few sentences.
Okay so the movie is centered round the Baker family, a family of fourteen: Father, Mother and a dozen children. It captures their experiences as individuals first and also as part of a BIG family, the love they share, the naughty kids’ pranks, their adventures and travails.

This is not just about the movie but about the Hero of the movie, The Dad, Mr. Tom baker played by Steve Martin.
I know its all make believe but for me, in that movie he represented what the perfect father should be like.

You see,I do not share a close relationship with my father . We live in the same house but sometimes we don’t even set eyes/speak to each other for days on end(its crazy right? But its true!) Sometimes the only word I say to him throughout the week is probably ‘good morning’ which he barely acknowledges anyway.
It’s not just me, it’s the same for my other siblings. None of us are close to him like that. My mum is the one who is chummy with everyone. She is so interested in knowing what’s up with you that sometimes it tends to be meddling but all the same its all good since she makes up for the lack of attention from my dad. Its so bad that we’ve all gotten used to living that way so much that it’s become very normal.

For as long as I remember, dad has always been like that. So into himself and himself alone! He didn’t bring us up with that sense of family that was evident in the movie (spoken of above) and that I have seen in the homes of some of my friends.
When I was much younger, I used to wish some of my friends’ dads were mine, I would see they way they joked around and played with their daughters and I’d wonder why mine was so different(funny enough, they also wished they had a dad like mine but only us knew the real dad).
When I see my dad laugh so heartily with outsiders, I would wonder why he never laughed that way with us. Was it that we didn’t meet his standard or what? Anyway, I lived with it(still living with it) and I have learnt to accept things the way they are.

I know lots of girls pray to marry a man like their dads but in my case I pray to God daily not to give me a husband who finds it difficult to show affection to their family like my dad. Please do not get me wrong. My dad is not that bad. He is veryyyyyyyyy handsome and I do not know another man who is more responsible than my Father. I could vouch for his fidelity to my mum since they got married(SERIOUS!!!) and he has always provided for us all this years at least until we started working. It’s just that when it comes to the emotional angle…you know all that fatherly love…its just not his style!
Now enough about my dad, lets go back to Mr. Baker and why am giving him ‘The perfect dad award’.

So, there was this point in the movie(Part 1) when they had to move from the countryside to the City and his oldest son (about 21)who was missing his country belle decided he didn’t want to continue with college and he would rather move back to the country. They had a disagreement. The father insisted that the young man had to at least get a diploma which his son didn’t think was necessary since all he wanted was to live the simple life in the woods.
At a point the young man was so rude and defiant that I expected the father to get all angry and hit him but the way he handled the situation won my heart. With so much love and tenderness he was able to get his son to understand him and even got him to apologise for his attitude.

There were so many scenes where Mr. Baker displayed the Xteristics that make him a wonderful dad to me but I guess am just too lazy to recount all of them here.

I know that for some of you who have seen the movie, Mr. Baker may not even make the mark, probably cos your dads were even better than he was but please understand where that from where I am coming from he signifies the kind of father I would love to have –a man for whom family came first!

There was also the touching scene when his first daughter had a baby(Part 2) and she said the baby was to be called Tom(Her dad’s first name) because he was their hero and his love and sacrifices had gotten them so far. The sweet man even shed a tear as he cuddled the baby.

I think she said it in these words:
“For showing us that there is no way to be a perfect parent but so many ways to be a good one”

Okay so you still don’t get my drift ehn??
Go see the movie!

Ps: Am dedicating this post to Mr. Nandu(a wonderful father to his kids and adopted daughter-ME!) My boss(He won’t get to read this but he is a great dad, I have seen him with his kids so I know), aijay’s dad(For being daddy and mummy all these years) and to all the great dads we know.

Peace out!

The Power of Attitude

Hey friends,
I hope you all had a blast weekend. Mine was okay, could have been better.
Anyway, Its great to be alive to witness another new week even if its back to the bump and grind, lol!

Sometimes we think that our success in life depends on what we know/ who we know/ how educated we are/what we wear/ and all that. This is not true. Most times the difference between on successful and happy person and the other unsuccessful, sad guy lies in their ATTITUDE! How we think affects everything we do, it goes a long way to determine how far we go in life therefore it is very important that we develop and maintain a positive outlook to life.

I’d like to share this chapter from the book: “THE POWER OF ATTITUDE” with you guys. Its titled: The Good news Girl.

Read on…

Excerpt from the Power of Attitude titled: the Good News Girl

One of the most wonderful things about having a positive attitude is the number of people it touches, many times in ways you’ll never know.

Recently, I stopped by a convenience store to get a newspaper and a pack of gum. The young woman at the check-out counter said, “That’ll be five dollars please,” and as I reached into my wallet, the thought occurred to me that a newspaper and gum didn’t quite make it to five dollars. When I looked up to get a “re-quote”, she had a big smile on her face and said, “Gotcha! I got to get my tip in there somehow!” I laughed when I knew I’d been had. She then glanced down at the paper I was buying and said, “I’m sick and tired of all this negative stuff on the front pages. I want to read some good news for a change.” She then said, “In fact, I think someone should just publish a Good News newspaper – a paper with wonderful, inspirational stories about people overcoming adversity and doing good things for others. I’d buy one every day!” She then thanked me for coming in and said, “Maybe we’ll get lucky tomorrow; maybe we’ll get some good news,” and she laughed. She made my day.

The following day after my business appointments, I dropped by the same store again to pick up bottled water, but a different young lady was behind the counter. As I checked out I said, “Good afternoon” and handed her my money for the water. She said nothing – not a word, not a smile…nothing. She just handed me my change and in a negative tone ordered…“Next!”

It hit me right between the eyes: Two people, same age; one made me feel great, and the other, well, made me feel that I had inconvenienced her by showing up.
By the choices we make, by the attitudes we exhibit, we are influencing lives every day in positive or negative ways…our family, our peers, our friends, and even strangers we’ve never met before and will never meet again.

So when you brush your teeth every morning, look in the mirror and ask yourself this important question: Who do I want to be today? “The Grouch” or “The Good News Girl”?
Your answer will go a long way toward determining the joy and happiness that you will experience in your life.

Have a great week everyone and keep a positive attitude.

Cheers.

View my PhotoBlog.

Thanks.

END OF YEAR REFLECTIONS

As I sit before my computer this third day of December, it gradually dawns on me that in another 27days or so, this year would be gone and another new year(Year 2008) will be ushered in. Was it not just yesterday that we began this year 2007? Or is it only me who feels this year has passed by in a flash??

I had made lots of plans for my life at the beginning of the year and sadly only got few carried out. I don’t like to think I am an unfulfilled person but it’s true. Right now I feel VERY unfulfilled. There are so many things I desire that I can’t boast of yet . Yea, I know as long as there is life there is hope for anything so am not going to go all broody and sad because I believe that though it make take time but I’ll definitely get to my promised land,lol!

This year 2007 has not been uneventful for me. Some things have happened - the good, the bad and the ugly and I intend to put some of them down here.

THE GOOD
My mum had a successful hysterectomy operation.

My younger brother got a better job after he was unjustly laid off by his former bank.

My Company won a major advertising pitch.

I joined blogville and met lots of nice, wonderful people in the process. Yes, you reading are a wonderful person.

My other brother started recording his music album(A star in the making by the grace of God)

My friend Chico finally got a job after 2 years and he is steadily climbing up the ladder in his office.

THE BAD
We lost Mama, the elderly woman who lived in the compound before mine to the cold hands of death. Mama was a wonderful person and was a mother to everyone who came in contact with her. May her gentle soul rest in peace.

My younger brother (spoken of above already) lost his job in a very unjust circumstance. That bad has been over ridden by the good anyway.

I lost a friend Chioma in May. She died while giving birth to her first child. Rest in Peace Chioma.

I ended my relationship with my ex (one everyone thought was leading to marriage).

THE UGLY
After several miscarriages, my cousin finally carried her pregnancy to full term but the baby was still born after a gruelling caesarean operation. That was one harrowing experience. (Thankfully, she is pregnant again and the pregnancy is progressing very well).

Guys I have to stop here. Work beckons. Will add more when I remember them.