VICTIMISATION PART 2- FREEDOM DAY

That day started like any other day. I had prepared for school knowing what the day would be like. I would get to school as usual, see E’s mum as usual, be scolded for nothing as usual, sit through the day wishing that school ended quickly so I could escape the judging and sneering eyes of my teacher. However it wouldn’t be a totally miserable day for me since I would be practicing for the school cultural dance, that would take me away from class for a few hours and it also meant a few hours of freedom from E’s mum. I dreaded her like that!
It was nearing the end of term and as was normal, we usually had a party to celebrate the term’s end. There were lots of activities lined up like cultural dances, drama, welcome song and so on. I was participating in the cultural dance and we usually had a few hours practice in school in preparation for the D-day.

After morning lessons, I and some other classmates of mine who were also participating in the dance had gone for the dance practice. The teachers had a meeting in the headmaster’s office which was on the same floor as mine. (One could see my class from the headmaster’s office). After dance practice, we went back to the class. The teachers were still meeting in the headmaster’s office so my teacher had not returned.

Am sure most of you know who class monitors are. For those who don’t, a class monitor is supposed to control the other pupils and make sure there is order and quiet in the class, sometimes he /she is even given authority to flog other pupils(They had that authority in my class then)).
Now, we didn’t have a class monitor; we had CLASS MONITORS!
The biggest boys in class were the class monitors. I think they were about 4 of them. I wonder why we needed that much monitors anyway but what do you expect when we had a teacher like E’s mum. Those boys were terrors; big bullies who sought every opportunity to flog us. They particularly delighted in taunting me maybe cos they knew the teacher didn’t like me so I couldn’t report them to her.

Anyway, back to my gist. We(my classmates and i) returned to class but we were not allowed in by the class monitors. They told us to stand at the door and started questioning us. Why are you guys returning late? Who even gave you permission to go in the first place?? Why are you talking back at us??? These were some of the questions they threw at us. Finally, after the questioning they decided we needed to be flogged 6 strokes of the cane each on our palms before we would be let into the class. It got to my turn to be flogged and I stretched out my hands wincing even before the cane landed on my palms. I told myself not to cry cos I knew nothing would make them happier than to see the tears running down my face, The bullies!

Six strokes down and glad it was finally over. I made to go into the class but one of the bullies decided I needed one more stroke(they loved picking on me). As he lashed the cane down my back, the pain and anger I felt was intense. I turned at him like a wounded lion and grabbed the cane. I must have made a funny sight, small tiny me against the big bully but I didn’t care. I struggled with him for the cane wanting to give him a taste of his own medicine so he could feel how sweet it was. It turned out to be entertainment time for the rest of the pupils as big bully decided he wanted me to chase him round the class, he would hop on the tables, dodging me as I chased after him crying(yes, the tears had started pouring now). The rest of the pupils had begun chanting: “Money for soup! Money for soup!!” It was a popular chant whenever a girl and a boy had a fight. The song made it seem like they were a couple and the girl was demanding for soup money(feeding money) from the boy. Funny right? The school was razz like dat!

The song further infuriated me and when I couldn’t catch up with the bully. I broke down completely and started crying seriously. The other bullies were hailing their friend and laughing at me. I went and stood outside the class determined to report them to the teacher as soon as she came. I had hoped that If she saw me outside in tears, she would ask what was wrong.

I didn’t have to wait too long. Few minutes later, the teacher’s meeting ended and they all filed out from the headmaster’s office. I told you earlier that the headmaster’s office was just down the corridor on the same floor as my class. I saw my teacher approaching and I cried even harder for her to notice. If she saw me, she pretended not to notice I was standing there and just walked past me into the class. I didn’t know this then but my mum was just coming out of the headmaster’s office and saw what just transpired. She walked up to me and enquired why I was crying and I recounted to her everything that happened. Trust my mum na, she barged into the classroom (E’s mum had already began teaching and was scribbling something on the blackboard). My mum didn’t even talk to her, she turned to face my class mates and her voice boomed:
“WHO ARE THE IDIOTS THAT FLOGGED MY DAUGHTER?”
My classmates happily pointed them out. Mum went to their seats and dragged them up, the cowards were shaking and blabbering: “It wasn’t me ma” but my mum was past listening to reason. She dragged them to the front of the class, took the cane from my teachers desk and proceeded to flog them all the way they had flogged me. All this while, it was as if my teacher was in some sort of shock. However she quickly came out of the shock when my mum started flogging the bullies and grabbed the cane from my mum. She told my mum that she didn’t have the right to walk into her class and flog her pupils without first reporting to her. My mother told her that she didn’t think she was interested in knowing since she had seen me crying outside yet ignored me and walked into the class to commence teaching. The quarrel that followed was crazy! My mum’s patience had been tried and she let all loose, telling the teacher her life history,lol! When my teacher saw that she was losing the battle of the words she stormed out of the class and headed for the headmaster’s office to report my mum. Mum dragged me along and we also marched to the headmaster’s office behind E’s mum.

To cut the long story short, mum insisted I wasn’t going back to that class and that she was taking her kids (me & my siblings) out of that school. Nothing the headmaster said could change her mind. Meen! I was delirious with joy! I was finally going to be free from my wicked teacher…I couldn’t believe my luck!
The headmaster was still trying to talk mum out of her decision but I had already run to my class and begun packing my things. I didn’t want to spend another second in that class! Luckily the term was almost at an end so it wasn’t like I would be missing much.

Next term saw my parents enrolling us in a school far better than even the first school we had attended. Things had improved for my dad and mum had resolved that we would get nothing less than the best they could afford. My new school was of a higher standard; it had a big library where I could read all the books I had only dreamt of previously. School couldn’t be sweeter and I looked forward to going every morning.

VICTIMISATION.

Hey guys! Am home!!
Lol! Like I went anywhere in the first place.
Yea, you guessed…I didn’t travel out of lagos anymore…cancelled my trip for reasons best known to moi!
I started my one week leave from work today and you know what that means-one week of waking up when I want, one week of lazing at home(if I want), one week of just doing nothing! Lol, I just hope I don’t get bored before the week runs out…you see I have gotten so used to working (havnt gone for a leave this past year) that I will probably report to the office by mid-week if I don’t find something to keep myself occupied. SO MUCH FOR SCREAMING : “I DESPERATELY NEED A BREAK!!!!”LOL.
I guess I will just have to find something to keep myself occupied, right? We don’t want my boss thinking am a weirdo!
Today seems pretty much figured out though. In a few hours I will be going to pick up a friend @ the airport. We will probably have lunch together then I'll head to Biomedic labs in ikeja…I want to run a comprehensive health test…might as well use this opportunity to sort out my health issues, I want to go back to work healthier and better prepared for the work stress.

Am sure most of you have read about Tomi, the guy that shot himself to death a week ago(or is it two weeks now,not sure). Gists has it that Tomi was being frustrated by a lecturer in his school-University of Lagos. Tomi had spent several years in school and yet graduation was not in sight cos of this lecturer who had it for him. Anyway, poor guy thought he had had enough and took his own life out of frustration/desperation. So so sad! He must have felt really miserable to have decided to take that route, personally I think he shouldn’t have done what he did. No matter what the problem was, it really wasn’t worth his life. Life doesn’t begin or end with a university degree…if only he had confided in someone-a friend or sibling… maybe the story wont be the same now. Whatever, he is already dead, we can only pray that he finds peace wherever he is right now.

Talking about Lecturer/student victimisation, I have also had my fair share too. In fact mine began way back from primary school. Will share my primary school experience with you guys.

I was about 8 years old then and in primary 3. Things were kinda rough for my parents then. Dad was having financial troubles and mum had just resigned from her job then. She was the head teacher in the primary school we(I and my siblings) attended then. It was a highbrow primary school and we wouldn’t have been able to afford the fees if she wasn’t a teacher there. As it was anyway, we were paying a percentage of what we would ordinarily have paid. Unfortunately, mum fell out with the proprietress and had to resign and that meant we also had to change schools to one that wouldn’t strain my parents pockets too much. We resumed the following term at the new school. Compared to my former school it was of a lower standard and a lot cheaper. Coming from where I was, it was only natural that I became the most intelligent kid in the class, I mean we were already far ahead in the school curriculum in my previous school and I knew much more than the other kids in my class coupled with the fact that I had always being a brilliant kid(immodest? No!), thus the first position became mine.
Prior to my resumption in that class, there was this kid…I’ll call him E. E was like the class champ. He always came first in class after examinations that it was more or less like a given. Now, I had come to take over the first position and E had to make do with being a distant second behind me. We became rivals (E and me), the one trying to outdo the other and me always winning every term’s end. E’s mum was a teacher in my school. She taught the primary 4 class and I was sure she didn’t like the fact that her kid was no longer the primary 3 champion.

Now, E’s mum knew my mum and they weren’t best of friends too. From what my mum told me, they had been mates in the college of education and fell out when mum refused to help her out during an examination. Anyway, it turned out that E’s mum still resented my mum and this resentment was transferred to me when I came to displace her son from the first position.

One year later and in primary 4. I was now in E’s mum’s class. E was in another primary 4 class taught by some other teacher(it was against school principle for him to be in his mother’s class). I didn’t need a prophet to tell me that my new teacher didn’t like me. She sought every opportunity to punish me. She didn’t fail to tell me every slightest chance she got that I wasn’t better than the other kids(as if I thought I was). During moral instruction lessons, she would ask me to stand in front of the class and use me as an example to teach the other kids how parents shouldn’t spoil their kids(she always called me a spoilt brat). I remember one day, I had just gotten this new wristwatch from my parents and I wore it to school. When E’s mum saw the wrist watch on my hand, she asked me to take it off and never wear it to school again. She said I wore it to school just to show off to the other kids. When I got home and told mum, she was livid and would have gone with me to school the next day if not for my dad who dissuaded her. This victimisation by my teacher continued through out the term but try as she could, she couldn’t stop the star from shining. At the end of the term I still came first !

Soon after, my mum got a job as a teacher in my school. She was to teach primary 5. This didn’t stop my teacher victimising me though but I felt better knowing that my mum was closeby. If it got too bad, I could always run to her. I would go to my mum’s class during break time and cry to her and she would always send me back after breaktime with a promise to talk to my teacher but she never did. Looking back now, I guess she didn’t want to cause any trouble especially as they were both teachers in the same school. I kept enduring E’s mum and her scoldings praying that primary 4 year would end faster so I could be free from her. My prayers were answered sooner than I thought and I didnt even have to finish primary 4 to be free. It happened in the most unlikely way.
Sorry but that would have to be story for my next post. This post is already too long as it is. Remember am supposed to be resting!

Keep a date guys.
Cheers!

Shopping for a great guy?? Read this!

Hey guys! I have been extremely busy these past days. My company was invited for the advertising pitch of a BIG brand. It was a very important brief for us and yours truly was involved from the planning to presentation stage. We did the presentation yesterday and as things stand, we are keeping our fingers crossed and hoping for the best.

I will like to share something with the girls today. It’s something am sure the single babes will find interesting (I did) and more too if you are in the market shopping for a great guy! We all want to find a great guy. But let's face it—how many of your exes seemed fantastic at first, only for you to find out later they were Mr. Wrongs? Well, no more bad boys, mama's boys, or anything of the sort! Dr. Bethany Marshall shares her shopping list for a healthy man in this excerpt from her book, Deal Breakers.

How to Spot a Great Guy
The 10 essential things to look for

by Dr. Bethany Marshall

1. When you first meet a man, whether it's online, at the grocery store, at a bar, at school, or at your job, you should feel that he wants you.It may be conveyed by a look, a touch, a compliment, curiosity, or attention to detail. And it must, within a short amount of time, be conveyed in person-not online, through a text message, or on the phone. And definitely, it should be backed up by his willingness to make a plan and move the relationship forward. If he's not interested enough to call in advance and make a plan, he's not interested enough to invest his emotions in a relationship. Conversely, constant calling, e-mailing, and text-messaging is not true contact. He cannot touch you, see you, adore you, or get to know you through words on a screen or over the phone.

2. Soon after meeting him, you should discover that he has appropriately achieved in at least one area of his life.For instance, if he went to college he now has a good job. Or a decent car. If he inherited his parents' business, he has learned how to successfully manage it. Or if he is a member of a baseball team, he has learned to become a team player. His efforts continue to generate new opportunities, new skills, new challenges, or new possessions. Thus, he is progressing and not degenerating.

3. If he's a healthy man, he will never make plans for the future that he does not intend to back up.And he will certainly not say, “I'm not sure where this relationship is going,” and then continue to call you and have sex with you. He will not send messages that are confusing and difficult to decipher. A healthy man says what he means and means what he says. And the words that he speaks are backed up by action that coincides. Even if he cannot give a guarantee, the relationship is always moving forward. Thus, you will never find yourself drunk-dialing at two in the morning because you fear that he is out with another girl. Or find yourself in a situation where he claims to want to get married, but you are the only one who is planning the wedding and paying for the caterer.

4. If you are in the right relationship, it will feel reciprocal and mutual.When you offer emotional support, is he appreciative? Does he give back by surprising you with a special little something? Or remembering your favorite drink? Do you feel that what he gives is as valuable and meaningful as what you offer? For instance, if you set aside a Saturday night, will he make an entertainment plan that is enjoyable for both of you? If your car breaks down, will he come and get you? If you have a problem, will he help you? Is he as devoted to you as you are to him? Healthy relationships are based upon mutual give-and-take. And what is given and received should feel of equal value. If the only thing that you are getting out of this relationship is text messages or e-mails, occasional plans, or the assurance that you won't be alone on a Saturday night, you are not getting what you need.

5. If he's the right guy for you, he will have good friends and you will like who he is when he's with them.Whether he's at the bar, at a tailgate party, or running for political office, you are confident that he is the man you know and love, both with you or apart from you. When he's out of sight, he does not turn into somebody else. For instance, a player. Or a jerk. Conversely, when you include him with your friends, you know who he will be-charming and engaging, enhancing instead of detracting.

6. If he's a healthy man, he will like you for who you are.Even if you have a bad day or say something that he does not like, his adoration will remain steady and his view of you will remain the same. Beware of the guy whose perception changes whenever you deviate from his expectations. For instance, you dress a certain way and he refuses to hold you or compliment you. Or you gain weight and he stops having sex with you. Does he take pleasure in you, whether you look sexy in your low-rider jeans or have just gotten out of bed? Does he spend time with your family because he knows that you are a part of them? Is he interested in your spirituality? Or do you feel that you must suppress your personality in order to hold on to his approval? Even when it comes to your sexual preferences, you should feel free to reveal yourself without fear of losing his affection.

7. A healthy man will never view you as unconditionally bad or make you feel terrible about yourself.Even in the midst of an argument, he will be able to see both the good and the bad in you. For instance, he will not stay mad at you once the argument is over. And he will move on instead of clinging to bad feelings or suspicions. He loves you and sees you as a good person, no matter what. And he would never refuse to call, refuse to be nice, or walk out the door without quickly returning-simply because you shared your concerns with him.

8. A healthy man has a learning curve.For instance, if you tell him that you need more time together or need him to stop doing something that is obnoxious, he will shift his behavior because he loves you and does not want to lose you. He is willing to learn from his mistakes and modify his actions. For instance, if he begins a friendship with a flirtatious girl and you let him know that this is creating a problem, he will be concerned about your feelings and come up with a solution. When you discuss relationship obstacles, he works on them. He would never admit to a substance abuse problem and then refuse to address it. Or agree to appropriately separate from his mother (who dislikes you) but then go running back to the nest.

9. If he is healthy, he will seek his own solutions.For instance, if he has a problem he will reach out to others for help, find resources, have a conversation, go to therapy, attend a twelve-step program-anything that will move him closer to making the changes that he needs to make. (You could do worse than give him this book. No, wait-make him buy his own damn copy!) Petty pride, laziness, or stubbornness will not keep him from taking the steps that he needs to take to have a full relationship with you.

10. A healthy man will not try to have power over you.He won't leave you wondering where he is and what he is doing. Or leave you hanging just to prove a point. Or make you feel that you have to disappear for a few days to recover the power you once had. Even if he has more money, status, and power, he will not make you feel that you would be nothing without him. A healthy man is willing to take you into account instead of pushing you away. He is willing to listen, meet your needs, and include you in mutual decision making. Because you matter, he does not want to have undue influence or control over you. And he can trust that he is loved, even when he is not in charge. When it comes to who takes care of whom, and who makes the decisions, and who gets the last say, he is willing to negotiate (because really, all of life is a little like Let's Make a Deal).

Have a great weekend everyone and i wish for every lady shopping for a great guy that you find him!

p.s: I will be out of the office all through next week. Am taking a one week well deserved rest off work and travelling out of lagos so i may not be able to visit all your blogs. Dont miss me too much, will try to reach out if i can find internet connection where i am going, Cheers!

Me & My Body...Its a war!!!

You see my body has a mind of its own. Some times (Most times more like) what I want is not what it wants so there is a constant battle going on. Who wins finally…yet to be decided.

A TYPICAL DAY

6.00am my alarm goes off. Grrrrrring!!!

Me: Ha! Its 6.00am , wake up you lazy body!
My body: What?! Abeg leave me o jare…its just six, give me 30 minutes more ok.
Me: What do u me…
(my body closes her eyes and head back to sleepland)

20 mins later. 6.20am

Me: Jesus! Its 6.20 and you are still in bed!! Come on get ur ass out of this bed fast! You want to go late to work or what??
My body : (Grumbling) Oh oh! Take it easy joo am getting up.
Me: Is this what you will be doing when I get that my dream job on the island eh? You have to start practicing now o because then you will have to wake up by 4am.
My body: For where?? Abeg no let me vex o! Are you even sure you will get the job? Stop threatening me jare, lets wait till the job comes.
Me: Whats dat one now? Abeg if na curse I reject am o! I must get the job! If not this one, some other one will come. Just be prepared to wake up by 4 am then.
My body: (Snickering) Till then girl, till then.
Me: Get on your knees, let say the morning prayer.
My body: (kneeling and resting head on the bed) Oya start.
Me: Which kain posture be dat now? You want to start second round(sleep) abi??
My body: Who said?! Cant a body pray in the most comfortable position?? Even God wont object to that!
Me: You are too stubborn! Okay lets pray…In the name of the father….

6.35am
Me: What are you doing?? I cant believe this! You are SLEEPING!!
My body: Amen.
Me: What is Amen?? You have been sleeping! Now raise your head from that bed and stay upright. We have kept GOD waiting too long, lets pray now.
My body: Now upright! Ok Ok sorry! Let’s pray.

Ten mins later. 6.45am

Me: Its time for bath now. Mind you it has to be a fast one o seeing as time is against us now. We have to leave this house by 7.25 latest so I can be in the office by 8.
(am luckier than most, On the good days, it’s a 35 mins drive from home to work but if its one of the crazy traffic days then it takes like 45mins)
My body: Ehen! Me I don’t want one of those you 5 mins bath o! I want to soak…
Me: Soak what?? No time for that now o! You have to make do with the 5 mins bath today, ok ok i I will make it 10 minutes, nothing more.
My body: Okay but let me tell you now o! The water has to be hot.
Me: God! Which kain body be dis na?? Please dear God, I need a body replacement o!
My body: Body replacement ko! Body replacement ni! You are stuck with me whether you like it or not! If I were you I would hurry up and boil the water o! Its your time you are wasting not mine.

Ten minutes later. 6.55am. (In the bathroom now)

My Body: (complaining) You didn’t brush this teeth well o! My mouth still feels somehow.
Me: Na you sabi. Am through with brushing. Lets get to the main thing o jare.
My body: Scrub my back well…and my feet too. Use that foot scrub o!
Me: Your ten minutes is expired! We are getting out of here silly!

7.05am.

Me: (looking at the clock) We have just 20 mins to dress up and get out of here you vain body so I don’t want any sme sme(fussiness) o!
My body: Na you know wetin be sme sme! I just know I want to be well creamed and you have to oil my hair and brush it till it shines o!
Me: Of cos I will do that but no time to do make up o! That will have to wait till we get to the office.
My body: No o! I cant go with out make up! I no belong to Mountain of Fire ministeries o!
Me: Come on sharrap! I will pity you and apply foundation but that is all!!!

15minutes later. 7.20am. All dressed up and ready to go.

My body: Wont you put something in my stomach??
Me: No!
My body: You wicked o! Oya just one cup of tea and a slice of bread.
Me: I said No!...and don’t you start tormenting me with those hunger pangs o!
My body: (chuckling devilishly) You are in for it!


This fight between me and my body never ends o! It goes on and on during the day like this.
Maybe sometime soon I will put down some of the exchange that goes on during the day. For now I have to go back to work and stop complaining you body!

I'd like to know guys, do you sometimes fight with ur body like this or is it just me??

I GOT THESE IN MY MAIL BOX.

Some stuff I got in my mail box. I wanted to share. Enjoy.


The greatest handicap: Fear
The best day: Today
The easiest thing to do: Find a fault
The most useless asset: Pride
The greatest mistake: Giving up


The biggest stumbling block: Egotism
The most disagreeable person: The complainer
The worst bankruptcy: Loss of enthusiasm
The greatest need: Common sense


The meanest feeling: Regret at another's success
The best gift: Forgiveness
The greatest moment: Death
The greatest knowledge: God
The greatest thing in the world: Love

CRAZY NEWS

A South African man died trying to cut his own head off with a butcher's band saw in a major supermarket, police said on Wednesday.

Superintendent Jay Naicker said the Shoprite Checkers store in Richards Bay had been ready to close on Monday when the man wandered in and headed for the meat department.

"He just walked in, went to the band saw machine and switched it on," Naicker told Reuters. "Apparently he knew what he was doing. He put his neck to the blade and it cut about half way through before he fell to the floor."

Naicker said the man, later identified as 31-year-old Emmanuel Gumbi, was pronounced dead at the scene.He said police had turned up no motive for the suicide, which stunned staff and shoppers at the store in northern Kwazulu-Natal province.

Na wa for some people o! What could have driven this guy to this???

A strictly Mathematical Viewpoint

What Equals 100%? What does it mean to give MORE than 100%? Ever wonder about those people who say they are giving more than 100%? We have all been in situations where someone wants you to give over 100%. How about achieving 101%? What equals 100% in life?

Here's a little mathematical formula that might help you answer these Questions:

If: A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z Is represented as: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 1 9 20 21 22 23 24 25 26.

Then: H-A-R-D-W-O-R- K 8+1+18+4+23+15+18+11 = 98%

and K-N-O-W-L-E-D-G-E 11+14+15+23+12+5+4+7+5 = 96%

But, A-T-T-I-T-U-D-E 1+20+20+9+20+21+4+5 = 100%

AND, look how far the love of God will take you L- O- V- E-O-F-G-O-D 12+15+22+5+15+6+7+15+4 = 101%

Therefore, one can conclude with mathematical certainty that: While Hard work and Knowledge will get you close, and Attitude will get you there, it's the Love of God that will put you over the top!

SOME FACTS YOU DONT KNOW

1) How long did the Hundred Years War last? 116 years

2) Which country makes Panama hats? Ecuador

3) From which animal do we get cat gut? Sheep and Horses

4) In which month do Russians celebrate the October Revolution? November

5) What is a camel's hair brush made of? Squirrel fur

6) The Canary Islands in the Pacific are named after what animal? Dogs

7) What was King George VI's first name? Albert

8) What color is a purple finch? Crimson

9) Where are Chinese gooseberries from? New Zealand

10) What is the color of the black box in a commercial airplane? Orange

CELEBRITY CARICATURES

Don't George Clooney,David Beckham and Brad Pitt look soooo good?! Lol!

Georgie.

Dave

Brady

My Prison Visit

I got the call on Saturday morning. I was still sleeping. Saturday mornings are sleep in mornings for me. No waking up early to prepare for work, oh what joy!

The caller was Brother K from the Prison Chaplaincy. The Prison Chaplaincy is a society in my church. Their activities include Prison visitations, Evangelization and so on. I joined the Prison chaplaincy sometime last month after I decided I didn’t want to be a nominal christian -Sunday church goer anymore. However since I joined I had only attended meetings once (My bad, I know). At the only meeting I attended there had been discussions on plans to visit the Kiri-Kiri Medium and Maximum Prisons in Lagos and since I didn’t attend after then, I had missed going with them on their visit to The Medium prisons.

Brother K had called to inform me that they were visiting the Maximum Prisons on Sunday 9th September (Yesterday). He also enquired why I haven’t been present at the meetings since the last time I came. I apologized and promised him I was going to come along with them on the Maximum Prisons visitation.

Sunday morning, I dressed up and headed down to the agreed venue from where we would set off. I was excited. I hadn’t visited a prison before but I had watched some prison movies ( I saw Prison break recently, a great watch. If you haven’t seen it…u need to!) and I had an idea what to expect.

We got to the prisons at about 11am. When they learnt I hadn’t been to a prison before, every one went out of their way to show me one or two things, they pointed out the Medium prisons to me, showed me some prisoners returning from their early morning duties, I think they had gone to cut grass cos I saw them with hoes and cutlasses.

Finally, we reached the Maximum Prisons. We were asked by the wardens to leave our bags and phones at the gate. Phones are not allowed inside they tell us. The females were frisked by the female wardens. The male wardens also frisked the guys to make sure we were not sneaking any contraband inside,lol.

Inside the Prisons now, I ask a question about the prisoners. I am quickly corrected that we don’t say prisoners rather they are called inmates. In fact, I am told that as long as we are inside the prison walls, we are also inmates. Hmmm… Princesa the inmate,lol.
We head for the Catholic church inside the Prisons where there is a mass celebration going on. Actually, it was a Feast day. For those who are not catholics…Feast days are certain days set aside in the catholic church to celebrate certain memorable events. Yesterday was the feast of the birthday of the Blessed Virgin Mary so the idea was to celebrate with the prisoners.

Mass over , the feast proper begins. Some other church groups had also come on their own and they brought food too so there was lots of food and drinks to go round. We had come with about 5 big coolers of rice. Funny enough I always had this impression that prisoners were hungry looking, malnourished people but these prisoners I was looking at were healthy looking and well dressed (I guess they were on their Sunday best). Some even spoke very good English. Some of them weren’t even as thrilled as I thought they would be at the mountain of steaming rice and chicken that was being served. They would eat the chicken and abandon the rice in the plate. I was shocked!

Aha! Some were very enterprising. There were those selling some beautiful hand crafted hand Fans, some were selling wooden Key holders. It was nice to see that they were putting their talents to good use.

I also met a young man, Micheal. He had come to toast me. What was that line he used? Ok ..”Sister, while you were serving , you looked so beautiful I wanted to come help you”lol. Initially I just pretended not to hear and went on walking but he just wouldn’t relent. He just kept on following me. See me see wahala o! Prison love!! I decided to talk to him after all it was part of the evangelizing-showing love to those that need it. He told me how he came to be in prison. According to him, he used to work in a bank in Abuja. There was a fraud in his bank and he was indicted by EFCC. The case hadn’t gone to court yet but he had hopes that in about a month’s time he would be out on bail. Why it has to take that long…I don’t know!

Anyway, Micheal gave me piece of paper on which he had written down a phone number and begged me to call him. Na wa o! I tire for this guy!! I asked him if he had a phone and he told me he did but it was against prison laws so it was always hidden and on vibration. In the spirit if LOVE, una sister collect the paper put for bag o! Now I keep having this image of the poor guy sitting down in his lonely cell waiting for my call and am feeling guilty that I promised to call. Maybe I will call him…just to wish him luck… or what do you think guys?

Oh! I forgot to tell you I saw Pastor King! The pastor that set some members of his congregation ablaze. He was sentenced to death by hanging but the guy I saw yesterday did not look like he would ever be put to death by anyone. He was strolling along the prison grounds and he had this air of arrogance around him. Even the Prison officials-wardens and co. were all hailing him: “His Holiness, His Holiness!!” One of the inmates told us he was untouchable there as he always doled out money to the officials and prisoners.

All in all, it was an experience for me and when we finally left around 4 o’ clock, I was happy that I went after all. I was also thankful to God that I could go where I want, sleep when I want, eat when/what I want. These are things that I take for granted but some people don’t have it.
So am happy, I am FREE!!!

What works...with guys!

Hey guys! Wat’s da dilly yo!
I don’t have time to give you any gist so I decided to put this up.
Let's face it, We babes all want to look sexy sometimes. And whether you're into a vintage style, or the full-on va-va-voom, we have to wonder, what do guys notice? If you ever wanted to know about men's preferences—like whether your Manolos even register on his Richter scale—here's your definitive guide. In this excerpt from The Manual, you'll find out for sure what men find sexy.
I hope you babes find it interesting and for the guys, I’ld like to know if all this is really true.
I must warn you, this is really loooong so read on if you’ve got time.

What Men Notice When They First Meet You
From highlights to heels, guys reveal what works--and what doesn't
by Steve Santagati

Attention to vanity will seem shallow at times, but in the game of love, it's very important. Most people I see are lazy in this department. And, not surprisingly, these are the same people who complain, saying things such as “People are so superficial,” “I want him to love me for what's inside,” or “I hate the gym.” Well, no one is telling you that you can't dress as you choose. But when you put those constraints on yourself, you're limiting the number of men who will find you attractive. In the end, meeting the right person is a numbers game, and part of getting those numbers rolling is how you dress.

A Woman's Closet, Designed by Men
Lingerie
Lingerie can be inexpensive, but it can't be the kind that comes in a package of three (white, pink, and blue). Nor can it be the “granny” kind with a waist that reaches up to you rib cage and that hangs like a diaper. Lingerie is one garment that you should find as sexy as he does. And it benefits you, too. Women have told me that when they wear nice underwear, even though no one may see it, they will actually walk and talk differently, just knowing they have a little sexy secret. If lingerie can do that to a woman—and we already know how it affects men—then don't you think you should go out and get yourself some? You have tons of choices, and when it comes to lingerie, men like just about anything.

Shoes
Again, we don't care. We know you like them. We don't understand why you like them. All we know is that many of you have closets full of them, and we've figured out that since you spend so much time and money on them, we can compliment them to flatter you. That's about it.
Most likely, if a guy tells you what nice shoes you have, he's either gay or “working on you.” My friend Mari recently told me that a guy came up to her in the airport and complimented her on new shoes. She's so sweet that she thought he meant it. I'm not saying that they're not nice shoes. But have you ever heard a man say, “Well, the thing that caught my eye was Shirley's shoes. I love those pumps, and when I saw them I knew she was the woman for me”? I don't know a single male who would say, “Dude, this chick had the hottest shoes on last night. Damn, I should've gotten her number.” It doesn't happen. Shoe flattery is for one purpose one: flattery. Have I made my point?
There is one style of shoes that men notice, and that's high heels. But heels are more about what a girl looks like in them than about the shoes themselves. Heels make feet and legs look sexy. The classic example is a girl wearing high heels in a bikini. Cheesy, and not particularly functional in the sands of Miami and L.A., but men notice for sure.

Hair
Hair, on the other hand, is, sigh, one of the sexiest things about a woman. Hair grabs us and doesn't let us go. Think octopus tentacles. Your style, color and texture are no matter. Your hair only needs to have a clean, tousled, just-out-of-bed look. My opinion is that most women look sexier with longer hair than shorter. Men like long, sexy hair largely because we don't have it. Plus, very few women can get away with that short boyish look. Next time you're out in public, watch how men look at women with long hair versus short.
On a related note, hair salons suck. I can't believe what they've done to some of your mops. They're not just ruining your hair; they're wrecking your love life. With the Internet and a gazillion fashion magazines at your fingertips, you've got plenty of references. Please think sexy and spend the time and money to get the right do. When in doubt, turn to whichever celebrity women are getting the most attention for being sexy, and copy them. Messy sexy is what you should be after: think Sheryl Crow, Jessica Alba, Jane Seymour and Reese Witherspoon.
A few more tips: Don't color your hair based on the swatches you picked up at the paint store. Other styles to avoid include bad bangs, mullets and that “business in the front/party in the back” look. And stop cutting your hair short as you age—there's no need to.

Dresses
Every woman wears a dress differently. The only hard-and-fast rule is to pick a dress that accentuates your best body parts. Whether you have a gorgeous back, incredible thighs, or lovely collarbones, stock up on designs that not only fit but also highlight those attributes.
Your shape and height determine much of what you'll look good in, but here are some general rules of thumb:

Shorter Girls
1. Wear heels. Heels create the illusion of longer legs. And as I've said, they're sexy!
2. Buy a dress that vaguely clings, while still allowing your bum to move freely. Check out the red carpet “best dressed” lists for examples.
3. Loose cotton dresses are best if you have some pounds to shed. They give us a hint of your bum and legs without a solid picture. We have vivid imaginations and we fantasize you better-looking, not worse. (We're on your side here. Just give us something to work with!)

Taller Girls
1. Stand up straight, shoulders back, chest high.
2. Wear longer dresses that hug your legs a bit. You want a fitted design.
3. Pick either heels of flats, depending on how tall you want to appear.
4. Make sure that at least 60 percent of your skin is covered by the dress. You have a lot of skin, and a little goes a long way.
5. As with shorter girls, loose-fitting, sheer cotton dresses that cling a little are great for those of you carrying a bit of extra weight.

Tops and Bottoms
This is fairly straightforward: You need to have tops and bottoms in your closet that you have no doubt are “man killers.” Call it your “good luck resisting me” section. This is the part of the closet that houses the cleavage cuts, the tighty tops, and the bootylicious jeans. Feel free to mix and match from the more “domestic” side of your closet, but never forget: it's a jungle out there, and sometimes it pays to get a little wild if you want to survive.

Glasses
Glasses are hot! Hands down. Just make sure you pick a great style that flatters your face and keep the lenses free of eyelashes and finger prints. Chicks in glasses are cool.

I stole the questions but the answers are mine.

Thanks nikkisab http://nikky-i.blogspot.com/ for letting me steal these questions from your blog.

I am …intelligent.
My ex-boyfriend was …a Liar
Maybe I should …resign my job
I love …music
I don't understand..... Spanish
I lost my....Grandma & Granpa in 2003
My current boyfriend is …i don’t know if I have one
People say I'm ….strong willed
Love is …wonderful
Somewhere, someone is…sleeping
I will always... love rice and plantain
Forever is.... unending
I never want to… die young
I think the current President is…. very diplomatic (talking about the president of Nigeria)
When I wake up in the morning…. I open my eyes and then stretch.
Life is full of… ironic twists
My past is …. very interesting
I get annoyed when…. someone is annoying
Parties are for...having fun
Girls are ...fun, sweet and silly
Sex is…. great when its with someone you love
I wish... I get my dream job
Tomorrow I'm going to….. wake up to Wednesday
I really want some…more money
I have no tolerance for people who…. are proud, stingy, selfish and dull
I am not…resentful
If I had a million dollars…i would give 100k to charity. Split 400k with family and friends. Quit my job and travel round the world.
My job makes me…. work hard.

PRIVATE BLOGGING
Whats this new trend going on in blogville. Tried to go round some of my regular blogs and I discovered that some bloggers have set their blogs to private. copido, idemmili even calabargal too. Can somebody tell me what is happening????
At this rate there wont be any more blogs to read soon o!