When Xmas Trips were fun...

As a kid of Igbo extraction, December and Xmas meant one thing- Time to travel back home(to the Village).
It was something I and my siblings looked forward to every year. In fact the worst punishment Mumsy could give you this period was to say “You are not traveling this December!”
Everyone wanted to travel so that meant everyone had to be on their best behaviour. No fighting, no lying, no stealing meat from the soup pot,:)

What was the big deal about traveling, you wonder?
It was a mix of so many things.

It was the fun road trip where we would stop at intervals for refreshments, especially at ORE and UMUNEDE. Ah!! There was this restaurant at UMUNEDE where we usually stopped for rice and stew. As a kid, UMUNEDE rice was special!lol! The trip would never be complete without UMUNEDE rice.

And there was the usual banana and groundnuts.
Dad would buy those huge bananas at ORE and we would stuff ourselves up with the sweet fruit and groundnuts as we traveled along.

There was also the fact that we would be seeing so many of our friends, cousins, relations who we hadn’t seen in a whole year. Friendships formed the previous year would be rekindled.

Then there were the bush adventures where we would go hunting for rabbits and birds. OB, a cousin of mine who lived in the Village usually led the expeditions. He was also the hunter. His ammunition was his home-made catapult and stones. The rest of us kids were there to pick stones for OB and carry the day’s spoils home.

Some other days, we would go to the bush not to hunt but to pluck fruits. Sour sops, Oranges, pear, Guava, Mangoes, which ever was in season, we plucked! The boys climbed while the girls stayed down and picked the fruits.

We would arrive home with our baskets of fruits and the adults would praise us:
“Eeeeh…Umuazi a! Unu anwaka o!”( Eeeeh…this kids…una try o!)

These bush adventures were the highlights of our holiday. We all wanted to be with the team. We would bribe OB with biscuits and sweets just to let us tag along on the bush trips. Not even the frightening tales he told us about the old woman who ate kids in the bush or the spirit of the forest that made children disappear deterred us from going. However we made sure to stick together always. I would never be caught in front or at the back. The middle was my place. The sounds of the forest disturbed me and there was also this bird that usually made an eerie sound “Cookuu, Kuru Cookuu” Christ! That sound put the shivers in me! Then, I didn’t know it was a bird, I always thought it was the spirit of the forest,lol! It wasn’t until I was much older that I realized it was a bird.

There was also the night time story telling round the fire.
Whenever we heard the Chant: “CHAKPI!” we would shout “WOO!” as we took our spots by the fire knowing it meant only one thing-Time for storytelling! Grandma’s tales of Mr. tortoise’s adventures was always interesting and she knew how to mimic the characters in her stories.
OB also told us stories at times. His stories were usually naughty like the story of Nwagadigboro who after poooing in the bush went to clean his behind on the Ukwa tree and the Ukwa fruit fell on him and killed him. There was also the story of the lazy slave who refused to cook and after his master cooked, he had to nerve to taste the food. Of cos the master beat him with the spoon!

Another highlight of our trip would be was the Visiting relatives and friends part.
We always tagged along with Mum and Dad anytime they went out because we were sure there was definitely going to be lots of rice and chicken and coke wherever we visited. Was this not the festive season? :) :)

Fine, we had to endure, the patting on the head and exclamations of “Ahhh! See how big you have grown… very soon we will be drinking your palmwine!”

All that didn’t matter when the steaming plates of Jollof rice and bottles of Coke/Fanta were placed in front of you. Kids and food!lol!


I also remember the Moonlight dance. ‘Egwu Onwa’, we called it.
There were quite a number kids in my family- Me and my siblings, my cousins, my Grandfather’s second wife’s kids. We formed a dance group and during the day, we would practice different cultural dances. The home based kids usually did the teaching.

After days of practice, we would finally begin our ‘Egwu Onwa’. At night when the moon came up. We would go from house to house singing and dancing. The boys had the task of beating the empty tins of Bournvita with sticks to provide melody for our songs. After dancing the owners of the house would give us a little token to show appreciation. It wasn’t so much the money but the fun and excitement we got from the experience. I remember the highest amount we ever got from our Egwu Onwa was Eleven Naira (N11). Is anyone laughing? N11 wasn’t small money then in the late eighties o! At least we each got Eighty kobo each,Money for Akara and Okpa, he he he:)

So you see, there were many things that made traveling to the Villa during Xmas as a kid plenty fun. As I grew older and wiser, a lot of these things lost their appeal :(
Eating UMUNEDE rice, Bananas and groundnuts during the road trip weren’t such a big deal anymore. Bush hunting and Fruit picking lost their allure. Visiting relatives became a bore. Egwu Onwa nko? Kai! Big, fine, city girl like me? No way,lol!

Ultimately traveling to the Villa became something I stopped looking forward to especially when I grew up to marriage age and was still single. The constant barrage of questions one faced from aunts and uncles were definitely not very pleasant.
“So when are you calling us?”
“When are we drinking your wine? Our throats are parched…blab la bla”
Give me a break y’all for God’s sakes!!!


It’s Xmas period again. Will I be traveling? Yes.
Am I looking forward to it? Not really.
Do I have to? No but I have to respect my parents wish. “You need to go home more so the young men will see you. You know as the Eze's daughter you have to marry from our place” Yeah right! *Eyes rolling*

So guys, this is likely to be my last post this year. I want to wish everyone of you, My Blog Family, my Blog enemies(lol) and my anon readers(yea I know all of you) a Glorious Xmas and wonderful new year 2009.

Santa princesa is in the house with plenty goodies for everyone who has been good this year. All those who have been celibate, raise your hands, Afrobabe…come on put that hand down!lol!

I' M A CRITICAL CASE...LOL!

You know your case has become critical when…

…during family morning prayer, it’s your mum’s turn to pray and she goes:

“Father God, King of kings and lord of lords.
I commit my daughter, princesa into your hands.
Father, this year shall not pass her by.
Before the first quarter of next year, she must be in her husband’s house.
Dear God, she has to make a choice from all these guys hovering around.
Her mates are in their husband’s house and her case will never be different.
Give her a man to call her own, this we pray through Jesus Christ, our lord.

AMEN!!!!!(A very loud chorus from the rest of the family)


God dem don give me deadline o, come and show yourself, lol!

On a serious note now.

My friends, I want to ask these questions...

Do I have to marry a man just because he is asking for my hand?

Don't I have a right to desire certain qualities in the man i'll call my husband?

Why can't people understand this?

Why do I have to be called, "Choosy' because I want what I want?

Afterall, if I didnt meet the man's desires in his future wife, he wouldn't even propose to me.

Abeg...I believe I also have the right to what I desire.

Chikena!!!

……………………………………………………………

On another note, today's the first day of December which means Xmas is only 24 days away,Yipee...yay...yay!!!!

Dear friends, as we prepare for the celebrations and Xmas activities, let us not forget the reason for the season which is the marking of Our Lord's coming.
This letter says it all.

XMAS LETTER FROM JESUS
As you well know, we are getting closer to my birthday.
Every year there is a celebration in my honor and I know that this year the celebration will be repeated.
During this time there are many people shopping for gifts, there are many radio announcements, TV commercials, and in every part of the world everyone is talking that my birthday is getting closer and closer.
It is really very nice to know, that at least once a year, some people think of me. As you know, the celebration of my birthday began many years ago.
At first people seemed to understand and be thankful of all that I did for them, but in these times, no one seems to know the reason for the celebration.
Family and friends get together and have a lot of fun, but they don't understand the meaning of the celebration. I remember that last year there was a great feast in my honor. The dinner table was full ofdelicious foods, pastries, fruits, assorted nuts and chocolates. The decorations were exquisite and there were many, manybeautifully wrapped gifts.
But, do you want to know something? I wasn't invited. I was the guest of honor and they didn't remember to send me an invitation. The party was for me, but when that great day came, I was left outside, they closed the door in my face...and I wanted to be with them and share their table.
In truth, that didn't surprise me because in the last few years all close their doors to me.
Since I wasn't invited, I decided to enter the party without making any noise. I went in and stood in a corner. They were all drinking; there were some who were drunk and telling jokes and laughing at everything. They were having a grand time.
To top it all, this big fat man all dressed in red wearing a long whitebeard entered the room yelling Ho-Ho-Ho! He seemed drunk. He sat on thesofa and all the children ran to him, saying: "Santa Claus, Santa Claus" as if the party were in his honor!
At midnight all the people began to hug each other; I extended my arms waiting for someone to hug me and do you know no-one hugged me. Suddenly they all began to share gifts. They opened them one by one with great expectation. When all had been opened, I looked to see if, maybe,there was one for me.
What would you feel if on your birthday everybody shared gifts and you did not get one? I then understood that I was unwanted at that party and quietly left. Every year it gets worse. People only remember the gifts, the parties, toeat and drink, and nobody remembers me. I would like this Christmas that you allow me to enter into your life. I would like that you recognize the fact that almost two thousand years ago I came to this world to give my life for you, on the cross, to save you.
Today, I only want that you believe this with all your heart. I want to share something with you. As many didn't invite me to their party, I will have my own celebration, a grandiose party that no one has ever imagined, a spectacular party.
I'm still making thefinal arrangements...today I am sending out many invitations and there is an invitation for you. I want to know if you wish to attend and I will make a reservation for youand write your name with golden letters in my great guest book.
Only those on the guest list will be invited to the party. Those who don't answer the invite, will be left outside. Be prepared because when all is ready you will be part of my great party.
See you soon.

I Love you!
JESUS.

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.