Do the Right thing....

The right thing is the right thing . Not the seemingly right thing, not the wrong right thing. There is no amendment to the right thing, it is simply the right thing. I have to give it to Bez and Cobhams, the duo who released a song based on this title. Often times as humans we have devised ways to justify dastardly acts. We always have a good reason to do the wrong things. Everyone of us have a tiny voice of reasoning ‘the conscience’  who is the earthly judge of things,  somebody might say who decides whether something is right/wrong. The conscience does.

The world and the society has not even helped matters, it usually seems easier to do evil and more stressful to do good. How then will people stick to doing good against all odds? Will doing right ever gain grounds? Some people's conscience no longer lives or maybe they have just grown so hardened such that they no longer relate with the voice of reasoning.
When will we learn to act well, agree to do right even when or if it isn’t convenient? Why do we have so much bitterness, unhealthy ego and hard heartedness in the world suffocating love, doing right and peaceful living?
I know that through determination, strong will and grace, every human being can take the risk, go the extra mile to always do that which is right.

"Do the right thing, do the right thing
Do it all the time, do it all the time
Make yourself right, never mind them
Don't you know you're not the only one suffering"

Its my birthday!

      So I woke up this morning, feeling great despite the harsh n dry harmattan. I know sometimes we see a birthday as just a day we were born, no big deal. Sometimes we want to celebrate but we get overwhelmed by challenges, ups and downs. I know we sometimes don't get what we want or what we deserve. But somewhere in our hearts we hope and wish that lots of people remember how special this day is to us. That someone somewhere will send us surprise gifts and cakes, that somehow we will have lots of love showered on us and lots of people to celebrate this day with.
 
  So well, today is my birthday and I've come to realise that a birthday is not just a day we were born, it's a special gift, a day that promises the gift of a new year, a new start. A day that reminds us how God loves us specially and how uniquely made we are.
 
    I'm grateful to my lovely friends n family that have taken the pain to celebrate this day with me and shower me with the prayers I need. Friends are really the reason we smile. I wish today never ends but then my days of joy will never end, urs too will never end..Amen.
     I look forward to more surprises today, gifts are anticipated too...looool... happy birthday to me!

January again

It's January again, one of the seven months of the year with 31 days. January,  which still celebrates the unwelcoming harmattan from December . That first month of the year often associated with unfounded fear by many. Just because there has been so much merriment and celebrations doesn't mean we should expect to be broke in January like most people say. Truly,  January comes with expenses but then every parent should be prepared for their kid's resumption, house keeping and feeding allowances. Remember in my "I love November" article I reiterated on planning for the new year in November, because in December most likely we get carried away.  

Anyway not everybody goes broke in January, it's a wonderful month, a month of good fortune and great starts majorly. A month that avails everyone the opportunity to make certain positive commitments which they will stick to all year round. January is the door to the year, open it in good faith and great expectancy.

Diary of an Ibadan corper 3

Transportation remained a re-occuring challenge, I can not forget the day I went with two friends to the market after work, I should have turned down the request but I had an errand to run too. We should have left early if I had known. It was on a Friday which worsened the case. We went first to the mall to get what my guardian sent me not knowing what still awaited us, after some minutes in the mall we went to the market. One of us was going to buy a bag and shoe,we kept entering different stores she just wasn’t satisfied. I was getting angry but our other friend appealed to me to be patient,

I was becoming wary of time and the atmosphere was beginning to change as if it was going to rain. I still hadn’t gotten any of the things I decided to get for myself, by the time we eventually satisfied this my friend, I had lost the desire to go further to get anything. I almost turned back cancelling what I had to get but my friends encouraged me. By the time we got to the weavon store the rain had started. We rushed in to the store and the downpour became heavy. By this time we had already entered far inside the market.

The rain fell for almost an hour nonstop; I couldn’t wait any longer because it was getting really late and dark. We decided to start going in the rain, it was still raining but not as heavy as earlier, the more we trekked the more I realized how far we had gone into the market.

On and on in the rain we trekked by the time we got to the bus stop where we needed to board a bus we were soaked from head to toe, to make matters worse it appeared as if the whole of Ibadan was looking for buses, bikes, cabs, any means of transportation at that same spot . I  almost screamed.
I began to regret and lament aloud, by this time calls were entering my phone, I’d never been out that late here. I began to pray and think of how I and my friend (the only one left with me going in the same direction) will get to our destinations. The rain had stopped now  but there was water everywhere, we walked and rushed in the water towards any cab or bus that came along. After over an hr we were able to grab a cab that came. He was ready to take us halfway  from there we had to struggle further especially me who still had a long way to go.

As if the night couldn’t get any worse, a car hit the next vehicle I got in  from behind and curse started flying each party was ready to fight and claim rights after getting out of the mess, we entered into another. A flat tyre.
I got home that day tired, dirty and cold. My guardians even told me I was lucky to have arrived at that time, on days like that some people got to their homes as late as 12midnight and beyond. This was like a major city, a part of me wondered if I would have faced similar experience if I had remained in Plateau.

christmas Jubilee!

Christmas comes once in a year
 Christmas comes with no fear
Christmas brings several stares and glare
A glamorous occasion so very dear….

I thought about Christmas and the above came to mind…another thing that came to mind is the way christmas is celebrated. Yes we know we represent Christmas as the birth of Jesus but then how did we come about father Christmas/ santa claus such that it became a tradition and we all especially kids look forward to it yearly?
From tales, father Christmas was said to have started because of a man, st Nicholas who lived in a place now regarded as Turkey. He was a very rich man because his parents died when he was young and left him a lot of money. He was very kind and had reputation for helping and giving to the poor.  He gave secretly too. Sometimes ago He started dropping bags of gold in the home of a certain poor man secretly every night to enable the man get his daughters married.  Finally the poor man determined to know who was giving him money, the man hid behind the fire and in the night he caught st Nicholas trying to drop the bag of gold again. The news became public so since then everyone who got a surprise gift at midnight concluded that st Nicholas had sent them a gift.. st Nicholas then became santa claus.

How then does this link with our celebration of the birth of Christ? The birth of Christ was accompanied with giving of gifts,(gifts from the three wise men) Jesus Christ himself is a gift to humanity, since the society has tagged the giving of gifts to Christmas, Christmas celebration became a time to expect surprise gifts from santa claus (Father Christmas).

Why do we have Christmas trees? A story is told of a man called Martin Luther who one night was walking through  the forest and looked up to see the stars shinning through tree branches. it was so beautiful that he went home and told everyone it reminded him of Jesus who left the stars of heaven to come to the world. Christians began to use this tree as a sign of everlasting life with God. Different tales have been told of how Christmas shouldn’t be on the 25th of December, how it is a pagan holiday. We do not care about that, all we know is that Christ was born, we celebrate his birth and the gift of life.

Christmas is the most wonderful time of the year, the happiest season of all with kids bubbling with excitement, it is a wonderful phenomenon,  a worldwide celebration a sign of hope of a brighter new year ahead. Merry Christmas to you

DON'T JUDGE A BOOK BY ITS COVER

I was a bit disappointed when in November the harmattan still hadn’t surfaced,as if it was playing hide and seek. Instead of harmattan people complained of heat and hot weather. Who would have thought that come first week in December the harmattan will be fully out? The messed up weather conditions all over so much deceived me into believing the harmattan will be late this year. Dry air all around me, feeling cold as I write this I realize that just as I have misjudged the season and the year a lot of times we misjudge people, circumstances and situations.

We see something odd and surprising about a particular thing , person or circumstances and we are quick to sum it all up and judge. A lot of talents, gifts and opportunities have been lost because we fail to dig deep, we fail to clean up the mud and see the gold, we fail to see the diamond beneath.we fail to give benefit of doubts.

If late Fela Anikulapo Kuti’s ability to pass messages across through his ‘Afrobeat’ songs had been denied because of his appearance and lifestyle we wouldn’t have some of the legendary songs we still listen to today. Who would have thought that Ben Carson who was a troubled youth would turn out to be a gifted neurosurgeon, performing seemingly impossible surgeries successfully. There have been angels amongst us and we have failed to notice because of the ways they have appeared to us. A lot of people have missed help, opportunities and lots of goodies because they have judged a book by its cover. The same way we won’t assume a roadside mechanic is a madman, let us stop drawing conclusions based on outward appearances. 

December Rush

For some reasons everyone rushes towards December.  I ve been seeing a lot of ‘I love december” “seasons greetings” pms and dps. Consciously or unconsciously one realizes that no matter how broke people claim to be, the society is looking forward to Christmas, preparing for Christmas in December.
 People prepare for various reasons, for some its merriment and time to be with distant loved ones again, for some it’s the interesting and exciting Christmas church services and beautiful carol renditions, for others it is the holidays they get, free days to do whatever they like and for some it’s the time to make extra money (industries that pay for extra work hours during holidays). For some it’s the time to achieve all they have been unable to achieve all through the year. Marriage, house warming, buying a new car and so on.

All in all, there is a rush before December and there is another rush in December (Christmas celebration and merriment) then the rush after December ( Rush into the new year as well as new year celebrations itself).
All of these are expected and to a reasonable extent normal , but what happens to us and  in our lives after December and January 1st? What happens in our lives as individuals? What happens in the remaining part of the year? How do we live? Is it possible that we live everyday of our lives in celebration, merriment, kindness, consecration, celebration of GOD the trinity and life? can we live in giving and compassion, strive to achieve like we do when the year is coming to an end? can we inculcate this spirit we put on during these season into our daily lives? Think about it.

Tutorial 4 : How to start customising a shirt

This tutorial has been long overdue, I’m sorry its coming late but I had to learn from the masters of the art before putting this up.(thanks ozee clothings).

First of all when customising a shirt, whether t-shirt, crop tops, shirts two things are involved , the materials used and the design for the clothing materials. Polyester or cotton is used, cotton is usually of more quality the medium used to reflect the design is another important factor there are ususally 3 types used
Flex
Flock
Luminous

Flex is a printing technique where the design is cut from a colored foil and then pressed onto the shirt under high heat. It is not as expensive as the other forms..

Flock is a printing technique where the design is cut from a colored foil and then pressed onto the shirt under high heat.  (more tutorial lessons on this later).
Luminous printing lights up the cloth, it is said to be more expensive than the others. (more tutorial lessons on this later)
Other mediums include, direct to garment (DTG) printing and sublimation printing which are more expensive and rare.

Also to succeed well in this business, one needs to be computer literate. The knowledge of corel draw skills, good colour combinations, good imaginative skills e.g such an individual must know that certain colours do not go together e.g two light colours yellow n white won't come out well.
If you are not a tailor you also need good tailors to sew your shirts. To the desired forms and sizes.

Below are a few steps to starting:
Get customer's measurement (size)
Get desired material (cotton or polyester)
Cut and sew to taste and size
Design on computer using corel draw
Insert flex, flock or luminous into the PLOTTER
The plotter is connected to the computer which has a software that enables it to work
Cut design through flex, flock or luminous depends on which you decide to use
After cutting, the PRESSER is used to paste the designs on the cloth.

In conclusion, customising clothes is a lucrative business although can be time consuming and stressful too. Be ready to learn from other people's works and creativity to excel.
Hope this article was beneficial..

Diary of an Ibadan corper 2

So I started work in the wonderful city of Ibadan , putting aside my transportation wahala, I settled down to enjoy serving my fatherland. I remember how much that statement (serve your fatherland) had haunted me when I first got posted to Plateau  (watch out for diary of a Jos corper). How does one serve her fatherland dutifully in this country where almost all the states have been infested by robbers, bad roads, kidnappers, ritualists and suicide bombers? That’s what I say to anyone who asks me why I left the beautiful land of Jos.

Settling down at my local government was another palava. How is it possible that one will never get anything done in this country with a bit of ease, without having bribed the officers in charge? When CDS  or clearance days approach every week I usually dread the long queues, the pushing, the stress.. not forgetting some annoying and corrupt NYSC officials who have sworn to frustrate your life whenever you are needed at the local government.

I remember my first payment voucher signing as a relocated corper in Ibadan north local government, I almost cursed that day. I got into this queue, you know those kinds of queues where you don’t even care who is watching , you struggle for survival, those kinds of queues where you make friends with the closest reasonable person, those kinds of queues when you do not know when you will get out? Those queues where some people just arrive from nowhere to tell you they were in front of you since forever, those kinds of queues where you are not the only one with lipstick stains on your cloth ? that’s the kind of queue I’m referring to.

That day, I realized the power of a woman. They came in different shapes and sizes, some with letters from the LGI, some came with their babies or pregnancies to get sympathy , all some had to do was flaunt their beautiful face and body, bend and whisper stuffs into the ears of the officer in charge and in a flash he stands up and leaves with them carrying the files where everybody had to sign. But then some young men who had none of these offered cash in camera. So yours truly who wasn’t ready to use any of these wiles, queued  and endured for about 4hrs  before eventually signing that day. leaving some others in the struggle, as tired, dirty and rough looking as I was, I managed to  get to the bus stop. My earlier feeling of relief drastically turned to anger and contempt at the crowd waiting for something to convey them to Apata where I reside even if it was a bicycle. Another struggle?  Here was I thinking I’d put my transportation problems aside…chai! God.... My heart sank.

I love November

Why is the 11th month of the year so special one would ask? Although according to Gregorian calendar November was the ninth month of the ancient calendar. (November from Novem which means nine). A lot of people who are aware of my love for that month have asked me several questions, it is not as if I can provide a definite answer to that question. As a matter of fact this may sound childish and naïve but my first attraction is the name of the month, I like the pronunciation, the sound of it… there is also this celebration mood that brews in this month… the thought of the new year ahead, the thought of Christmas in December, the end to the rains and the birth of harmattan.

The weather is usually beautiful for sporting activities this month. Although presently since almost everywhere in the world is suffering from messed  up weather conditions, climate and season and especially in Nigeria where we now have extremities of weather, November has not been acting like November but anyways I m still hopeful. The month has not ended.

 November ushers in the realization that the year is coming to an end, farmers already know if their year has been successful or not.  According to some scientific studies there are claims of empirical evidence suggesting that November-born children are likely to be overachievers in their own fields. (every month is special in their own way).

My November born pals have constantly wondered why I take so much joy in this month, it is not even my birth month but I’ve come to realize that it is the month that gives the opportunity to plan and prepare for the new year ahead. Come to think of it, in December one is so carried away with the merriment and activities such that a handful of people complain of being broke in the month of January.
Bottomline, this month provides great opportunities , especially for good planners, even religious bodies encourage fasting for the new year this month. You might say it’s a psychological thing for me, you might not be total convinced with the little I’ve said but really I just love November!

 I LOVE JANUARY  too (smiles)

The training season

The assumption:  when you and everyone assume that all that one goes through is a normal occurrence, no big deal.  Note: Nothing happens as a normal occurrence, nothing happens by mistake, everything that happens has been predestined, pre-planned and prepared by God.


The uncomfortable phase: when you begin to face certain situations, that appears abnormal and unpalatable. When you long desperately for a change.

The lamentation phase: when you get tired of the situation and begin to complain to everyone, every person that is willing to hear and join the pity party ; which obviously won't help you.

The pre-realisation phase: when you begin to see that this particular situation, the series of event has been experienced by you earlier and you probably reacted the same way you are reacting.
Note: God makes us repeat examinations which are majorly life lessons in the spiritual just as we repeat examinations in real life if we keep failing.


The non- challance phase: after realizing especially by the help and ministration of the holyspirit of God that the particular situation is a training and that life is in stages and phases, that one needs to pass successfully from stage to stage i.e  higher level in the spiritual, there comes another spirit which makes one forget and relax.


The post-lamentation phase : the same spirit that made one forget and relax, encourages more lamentations and complaints. Because if you do not react to the situation, if you do not react to the situation, if you do not study and prepare, for the examination, one will remain fixed at that point.

The realization phase : here is when you return to the point of realizing that you are still in the examination room and you cannot afford to fail again.
How then do you pass the exam? How do you convince your trainer (GOD) that you fully understand all of the lessons you have been taught?

Do something different : you have been complaining in the past and it has only brought you more pain. Why not call on the trainer? Plead with him to give a clue…. Afterall he sees it all.