Valentine & Australia

happy valentine to you all

I don’t think I am a hopeless romantic person, but I just love people making the effort. I get really disappointed when people don’t, especially those close to me. Tomorrow is valentine, so I am keeping my fingers crossed, with what hubby has in store. I doubt if he has anything planned, apart from frantically trying to find a restaurant today. We don’t have Internet at our new place yet, so I am sure he will be asking his colleagues at work or looking through the Internet. Last year, we had a candle night dinner at home, yes oh; he did the whole thing, steak, veg and potatoes, even made gravy. I was too impressed, with dimmed lights and candles on the table. The only thing he forgot to do was to iron the table cloth. Apart from that, it was a good evening. I am always doing crazy things for his birthday, or rather fun and memorable things. Last year, I took him to a jazz club, with old jams such as “dance to buggy, dance to buggy”. I swear, I have never heard most of the songs before, but he had a swear time. On his birthday this year, I am taking him on holiday, somewhere exotic, I have decided Egypt. I just need to work out how to get him to book his holiday and yes, sort out the visas.

I bought his cards last night, at one of those trendy, quirky-look stores. The words went alot to me. One of the cards said something about us been through alot together, but I am convinced we are blessed and made for each other. I know we have only been married for one year, but men, it feels like 5years, with all the dramas we have had to deal with in the last one year.

Enough of valentine,

Yesterday, Australian prime minister apologised to the native Australians- the aboriginals for “the laws and policies that inflicted profound grief, suffering and loss” he mentioned the “stolen generation” of thousands of children that were forcefully taken from their parents, in a drive to inter breed them with the white population, civilise the aboriginals and wipe out their race and colour. This atrocity started in the 19th century and continued up to the 1960s. There was an aborigine on BBC this morning and she spoke of how four of her mother’s children were taken from her and given to white families. Her poor mother did not end up seeing 2 of the children ever again. What was her sin? She had a darker skin, she was not civilised enough and the children were off with white families!

It very much brings to mind, the 100th year of the abolition of salve trade last year and Tony Blair, still refusing to apologise for the Britain’s involvement in slave trade. All the blacks ever wanted were the “I am sorry, our forefathers did something that was wrong and we recognise it. Who says that Africa does not still suffer from the effect of slave trade? Who says that the black race has not continued to suffer for the atrocities of the white slave masters, many years ago? It is time for the rest of the world, to stand up and apologise for the salve trade. Of course, their refusal to do so is because of the monetary compensation that will need to be paid. I say it is long over due and it must be paid. It is only a matter of time, but the price must be paid.

Dangote and other… a share of Chevron Nigeria

There is unconfirmed news that Chevron oil, operating in the down stream oil sector of Nigeria wants to off-load 60% stake of its company and have been meeting with Oando, Dangote, banks and others. This has come as no surprise at all, especially with all the disruptions in the Niger Delta. The west is beginning to realise that power and wealth must now be handed over to its owners, or maybe it is just a strategy, get Nigerians to deal with their own problems and just come back 10years down the line and offer the share holders some crazy money to buy them out. In the meantime, the issues with the local communities have been resolved. Or maybe, the issues in the Niger Delta is not doing their “global corporate responsibility” any favours and they will rather save the face of their company, shareholders and customers, of which very little is Africa anyway. Of course, one would have to question how these “Nigerian Investors” are acquiring the wealth to buy such investment. Do we question Zenith and the rest of the banks, who keep diluting their shares and going to the market to raise funds and using it to finance massive investments, which in the long run only benefit the 10% of the population… mega rich boys, “government contractors” etc… there is very little that gets to small businesses and drive the middle class? Or it is Dangote, who completely dominated sugar, salt and flour import for many years and when he had enough money, set up his own manufacturing companies in Nigeria, of which is his the only major player.

I question the many government policies and strategies that tend to drive the “rich getting rich agenda”, instead of reducing the gap between the rich and the poor. The social economic issues that will arise from the syndrome of the ever increasing divide between the rich and the poor will be the legacy of this generation. In 100 years from now, our children’s children will be dealing with the divide. The government seem to be driving a very elitist society, with poor policing, education, housing, roads, etc; but increasing driving “mega private investment”, which only “foreigners” or “mega rich Nigerian” are the only participants. Both come hand in hand, but I doubt if anyone is noticing. I said it now and many will say it later

“The future is bright, the future is palava”


Ibori and Lucky are on bail, anyone surprise? Maybe not, naija for show if you ask me, let the madness roll on.

APP party don’t want the immunity of government personnels removed ‘cos of lawsuits from people. If non-government personnels can not be prosecuted what chance is there for serving government personnels to be prosecuted? What happened to the Ministers involved in the Ericsson saga? Wey Fela Anikulapo kuti, make he talk some sense, make person hear jare or Is it Idris “Everything for naija na jaga jaga”


I will be updating on the feminist conference shortly.

Found a place...

Thank you all for the support, we finally did it yesterday, we have paid for a place. It is a really nice, never been lived in flat, someone in North West London. One of those "luxury apartments". It is so shinny new, I am so happy. We viewed the place late last night, so I am not 100% sure about the area, but the building is secure and very quiet, so I believe it will do for now. The rent is "crazy"... that is the only way to describe it and when I heard the sale price, I was so surprise, 'cos the rent would not even cover it. Anyway, it was made us more determined to buy our own family house ASAP!!!

Things are really changing, I feel like this is the first major decision hubby & I have made, as a married couple. We were dating when he bought his present house, and we viewed it together, but I did not really feel I needed to make an input in the buying decision. I was just his "viewing escort". This weekend is going to be really busy, 'cos the plan is to move all day Saturday. I wanted to go and see AFRIKA AFRIKA with one of my friends, but that will have to wait till... not sure, maybe next weekend.

I have been scrolling through the blogging world and there are a lot of political debates going on and I am itching to give my own 2 kobo, but personal life is getting in the way right now. I will be back soon.

Back to London... I say it is about time

ppls, the last week has been really busy. Hussy & I are finally leaving sunny, boring grays, Essex, and swapping it for lovely jazzy North West London. yes ppl, our love affair with Grays is over. I am so pleased. We are crazily viewing properties, for rent, until we find a family home to buy by the summer.

This move has been long coming and we finally find a suitable tenant for our place in grays last week. The plan is to move to a flat in London, for a few months, until we find a suitable house to buy. I have been viewing some flats in London in the last week, and it has not only been expensive, but very tiny boxed places. It is really going to be a shock moving from a 3 bed, big kitchen/dinner area to a small poxy flat somewhere. But the move is necessary, I want to be close to the "good life", the good schools for our unborn children, the museums, theatres and a good social life. Grays/Chafford hundred, is like a stepford wives territory for the “young upcoming Nigerians" and I really struggle with the 4hours commute to work, in the last 2 years and being too far from anything interesting or fun. I love the underground, the westend and the easy access to all my friends. I love the cafes after church for breakfast, the quick and cheap Italian restaurant after work with hubby and the theatre at the weekend.

We have to be out of our house by this weekend and we have not even started packing yet! I am really keeping my fingers crossed to find a suitable 2 bedroom flat, in a relatively good condition for rent TODAY! yes oh, we need the keys by Saturday. Wish me luck and maybe my next post will be from my lovely London apartment.

Au revoir!

It has been so long...

Chei, I really miss blogging, but the last 2weeks has been crazy! I had two major projects going live last week and I have been working my butts off! I also had French lessons, which I have missed one class already. I don’t feel good about this at all, but wetin person fit do?
I had a number of things to blog about, mainly random stuff.

I went for a 2days off site event, you know the type that they put a bunch of you in a room, with endless presentations of the team’s target and deliverables for the year, then you go off to do some team events, ours was to build a formula one car and get it to actually move; ok my team lost ! The venue was lovely, Leamington Spa, somewhere in the midlands. It was fabulous. I heard it is a place for the rich and famous and you have alot of boarding schools and independent schools here. I can imagine dropping my child there on a Monday and picking him/her up on a Friday. God, I love good education and it is something I can never put a price on. If I have the money, I will always go for it.

I am off to naija in about 6weeks, I want o attend this nysc and I am really looking forward to it. I have been shopping as usual, for summery clothes, GAP is my favourite shop right now. They sell such beautiful, light casual cotton tops. I still go to ZARA fro my silk tops and bottoms. TOPSOP is still delivering my jeans, even though I am thinking of switching to a good designer label for my jeans. I have serious problems with jeans. I have very long legs, 34inches and most shops just don’t do this length, unless of course I go for Iceberg, which cost about £100. I have one Iceberg jeans, which I got for a bargain of £20, but shop I got them from has now closed down. I tend to buy about 3-4 jeans at a go, and wear them for a whole year, so I guess I can afford to switch to designers if they can offer me the length, style and fit. I am still thinking about it oh! Imagine what £400 will pay for in naija?, I can be ijebu like that. My bags are no problems, I just go for real leather bags, which I buy on the Internet and they are always fab!. I am not a big fan of designers, ‘cos they are too over prized. Shoes are very high street; I just buy any nice shoes I find. I don’t care where they come from, as long as they are leather and fit well.
Life is funny oh! I spent a day with my childhood friend, who has 2 kids and, I was exhausted! She is a real woman oh married for 3 years now with children. I was surprise at the amount of work it took to bring up two children, being with them all day was very exhausting and definitely not my cup of tea. She complained about how hard it was to put them into a routine and I completely disagree. I will never allow it(motherhood) to rule my life and I will definately put everyone in a routine, from feeding times to sleeping times. If not, I will go mad! A stay at home mum is a very hard thing to do and I respect all the women out there that do it. We went to Claire to pierce the little girl’s ears and the poor thing screamed when the ear rings went it. She had tears in her eyes, it was so sweet, I nearly cried myself. She slept off straight after that!... godbless her.

I am back from lala land right now. Looking ahead to a new month. I have my driving test this month, French lessons continues, oh yes, it is valentine this month and my 1st wedding anniversary. I am not really sure what to do about this anniversary thing. Me, I like big romantic gestures and my hussy is not very tuned in this direction, when God was dishing it out, he was away and he has just never been able to catch the romantic bug, even with all the infections I have been spreading around the house. I don’t mind doing nothing on the day itself, but I would like to go away, in the summer, maybe get some tickets to Brazil or Egypt. He struggles to do romantic, but he loves it was when I do it. He loves the surprise and attention! Should I tell him I have a blog so that he can read about what I want? Also, I lost my engagement ring last summer, so a new one will be nice, not too expensive, I just want a another one. I am tired of restaurants and meals, I want something memorable. I told him I gave him till 31st of Jan and if he does not come up with anything, then it will be left to me to do something about it. I really want to go to Brazil in the summer! Can someone please tell him?