2021

Whoohoo!!!

Happy new year folks, it's been God for us, it's been God for us. 

The past year's been an interesting one; intersecting dramas, events and what nots. If nothing else, it's reiterated the fact that time waits for no one and nothing's written in stone. It's also drummed home the fact that while we scurry around making our plans, ultimately, it's God who does bring them into fruition. It also reminded me of how frail and vulnerable man really is and that, we're all doing life together. That we're all connected whether we like it or not as what affects one, affects all. 

Save, save, save, emergencies don't announce themselves and strive to have multiple streams of income. I'm still looking at how to go about this, God helping me.

These are a few lessons the past year's drummed into my ears.

That said, welcome to the new year. I pray it lives up to our expectations. 

Peace

The Hustle

 Dear diary, 

The spirit's finally got me. Lagos hustling spirit's finally got me. Oh, I'm so under its anointing and influence🤭🤭

Remember when I talked to you about job hunting (check here please)? Well, it's been sweet and sour. I got some good leads amidst the bad eggs but it turns out that I'm not ready! Surprised yeah? Me too. I'd thought with all the efforts I'd put into this job hunt that when one came along, I'd be ready and just about willing to do it, but then, reality has yet again proven itself superior to expectations.

So, ever since then, I've been looking within me, albeit fearfully, what can I do? What do I have that the world needs huh? 🤔

And that my friends, is the million dollar question. I'll be sure to let you know when I do find out😁. Till then...

Peace

Fare thee well, 2020

It's no longer news how 2020 went. The sighs and groans of the year reverberates through the universe. It's been a long year made even longer by all the pauses and stops to our activities, but in everything, I give thanks. 

I'll be back...

An Ill Fated Party

Come, dear daughter, let me tell you a story.

One day a party was thrown, and the nations of the world were invited. The world came, ate, drank and generally had a good time. But when it was all over, she came back ill. It's said that she'd contracted a deadly virus, one that went by the nickname Covid -19.

To combat this, the world shut down. Schools, businesses, religious centres, corporate bodies, and borders; closed. All forms of social gatherings were prohibited. In their place, social distancing and maintaining good hygiene were initiated as preventive measures against the spread of this illness: a shut down like never before seen by anyone who lived at that time.

People worked from home, shopped from home, worshipped at home and generally conducted their businesses from home. The market places, roads and busy squares turned ghost towns. The streets, overrun by wild animals, death its sole pedestrian. Economies took a hit and world power changed hands.

The world as we knew it had changed. Everywhere one looked, something was different.

The virus brought with it its fair share of grief and took its toll on everyone and everything. Governments and healthcare systems were overwhelmed in the struggle to keep up with the ailing. Citizens were overwhelmed with fear and anxieties, struggling to make sense of their collective reality.

Fear, not because it was the first time the world had faced a pandemic but because of the many unknowns that accompanied the virus. Anxiety because no one knew what or who the next victim would be.

And so, we sat, behind closed doors, hoping for a miracle, not knowing when it would all be over. Hope for a solution was scarce.

It did not take us by surprise, now that I think about it. Many of us just didn't consider it serious enough to take preventive measures early, until we found ourselves in a siege, dealing with a scourge some say had long been foretold.

One day a party was thrown and the nations of the world were invited. The world ate, drank, partied and forgot to wash its hands. And we paid a dear price for it.

But soon afterwards, even in those trying times, Mother Earth took deep laboured breaths, as she struggled to renew herself.

Photo Credit: Vectorstock.com

Goodbye 2019...

Yeeeeehaaaaw, I'm really excited. 2019's over and it was absolutely thrilling, a beatific year it was, hashtag, I'm blessed 😁

So, the year was slated for poetry according to this here post but that didn't happen (on the blog at least). Rather, I had more of narratives. I enjoyed 2019 and looking back, God has been gracious to I and my family. 

This year saw me welcome my baby girl, Oluoma. Honestly, she's the highlight of 2019. Here are some pictures of her, my preciousssss.

Here, her arrival. 

And it's been this way since... 😊

 I love her

I've not got much to say about the year to be honest but I'm grateful and thankful. That, I believe, is enough.

God bless you all and keep you and usher you into 2020. Remain in Him... 

Love, 

adniL. 

CHRISTmas 2019 🎄

...

Christmas, Christmas, Christmas!

And yours truly resurfaces🤓. 

Compliments of the season everyone. It's been two days as the Northerners put it. So, Christ came, Christ died and Christ arose: the tenets of our faith, this. We've celebrated and still celebrate his coming while awaiting His second coming which may just be around the corner. Hence, we ought do well to put aside those weights that'd act as hinderances to reuniting with Him. 

This. Is. My. Christmas. Message. 

Ciao 😘... 
P. S: there was eating and drinking too, don't be deceived 😬

Once upon a JJC

Hiiiiii, 

It's me again, the reluctant Lagosian😊. No, this isn't a “Diary of a New Lagos Wife” entry. Just me, reminiscing

In the spirit of throwback, the JJC has clocked one year in a town she labelled strange. A year in and she can hardly wait to get out. My first time in Lagos wasn't exactly as dramatic as I'd expected it to be. I mean, all my life, I've stayed in the north only visiting some regions which did not cover the western side region. It also didn't help that I didn't exactly have the right notion of Lagos. It was always portrayed in the negative light; "shine your eyes o", "hide your phone o", "don't ask questions, don't ever give yourself away as a JJC". Phew, the cautions were (and still) many. Don't do this, don't do that. Have I mentioned the traffic? Geez, but I won't  go there. It's old news. 

Considering how I'd come from a relatively sane and serene environment, I kept wondering how I'd cope in this jungle. This no man's land. And then one day, it hit me. When the children of Israel left Egypt for the promised land, what was their instruction? Possess it. So I told myself to possess the land and speak into it. Lagos will not give me trouble, I will enjoy myself here and to the fullest. I realized that a whole lot of patience and guidance from the Holy Spirit was gonna be needed to live here in peace and soundness of mind. And gisting about my experiences definitely does help. 

So back to my first visit. It'd been after my dad's burial, I needed to not go to work immediately. So I detoured to Ajah where I hid my face from the world for a while. That first trip was quite uneventful, seeing as I practically went nowhere. But, I was finally in Lagos, that was what counted. . 

As it were, fate had its own plans too and so it was that I landed here, the land of the “buzzites” (busy bees), vampires, night crawlers and face changers. Nah, just messing with you 😀 

And that's that, ciao. 
My diary entries still continue here (Please tap on the link), that's where most of my Lagos living are journalled. 

Be safe, burbye...

A Housewife's Tale

So begins my house wife chronicles aka SAHM. Hopefully, it won't be long and I'd be a career woman. Either way, God's perfect will be done, I ain't complaining refuse to complain.

So, my neighbors got a puppy. One that has a bright future ahead of it cos if you know the plans they have for it when, you ma go bow.

Diary of a new Lagos Wife💍: Travails of a Lagos Driver

Yoohoo, Lagos wife here.

 

Welcome to Lagos😊

Dear diary,

It's been four months, three weeks and two days since this post was promised, and finally, it materialises. I've been quite hesitant about writing on this particular topic because I don't want to be in danger of generalising. I'd rather err on the side of caution but having the same experience again and again, I'm convinced it's a way of life and so, I write.

The average Lagos driver is selfish. Selfish and uncouth (think danfo bus drivers). It doesn't help that they have the support of their passengers. Most Lagosians will support wrong behavior. Why, because it serves their selfish interest. Yes, you'll be late to whatever appointment it is that you have and you're trying to beat traffic, but bro, do it the right way na, and not by creating an extra lane that'll lead to even more chaos. 

Oh, my lane's completely blocked with traffic, ok, lemme face incoming vehicles in the next lane even though it's wrong and push the rightful users off. And then, everywhere turns into a madhouse, with one neither moving forward nor back.  🤦🏻It's not you people I sha blame, it's the shortcut culture that has pervaded everywhere which paints doing the right thing as being dull and slow, that I blame.

“Guy no de dull yourself” is the common slang. 

Le hubs says driving in  Lagos is a test of faith. Oh boy, is he right. Infact, so is walking. As a pedestrian, walking on your supposedly safe pedestrian lane, you ain't safe. I'm sorry.

Anyways, with all that goes on in the city, the average Lagosian will still claim to love the lifestyle. Seriously? A favourite pastime of theirs is to discuss their travails in the city albeit, in a self satisfied accomplished way. Like, wow, after all of the stress and wahala, look at us, we're still here, still hustling (that term could mean a whole lotta things, please don't ask me. It seems to be the official  lingua franca around here, to hustle). You know, we're suffering but still smiling. Sigh, what a mentality. 

I sometimes think I'm becoming a Lagosian sef. Emphasis on “I think” o cos I don't see that happening at all. For instance, after whining about how driving in Lagos makes one so tired and grossed out (which it does), I'll go on to give a self satisfying statement about how accomplished I am to have survived the mad jungle out there. Then I'll wrap it up by saying, “I mean, if I can drive in this Lagos, I can drive anywhere else”. Right? 😁 That statement ain't true, we know that right? That you term an act/behaviour as "excelling" or “smartness” here might not mean same thing in another clime. I daresay it won't. What works here wouldn't in a saner clime abeg. 

So, with driving being what it is in Lagos,  it's made its grand entry into my list of (what I term) extreme sports activities. Not for the faint of heart. Many times, I'm almost dissuaded from taking to the wheels when I think of the trials ahead; the treacherous nature of the roads and the dare devilry of its users.

The other day, I commented to hubby about how HBP prone patients should not be driving in Lagos but to hire drivers or something, because driving on these roads would give them an attack. Which brings to mind a facebook post I once made about making liberal use of my car horn when I finally start to drive but guess what? The danfo drivers🚌and other road users beat me to it. It would seem we were all thinking same thing. 

But I'll hold my peace because I'm yet to have the soul shaking kind of horn that I desire. You know, the type you hear, and your soul takes flight? Yes, that type. They should just wait first. I'll out horn these danfo drivers and others who think they know how to play music with theirs. I'll show them how it's done. Welcome to the fray.

Bye diary,
Cheers. 

Diary of a new Lagos wife: Covid - 19

Diary of a new Lagos wife: the lockdown
Diary of a new Lagos wife: snail hunters
Diary of a new Lagos wife: Easter

Diary of a new Lagos wife: work outs

Hey guys, your favorite iyawo is back, and with lots of good tidings not minding the times we find ourselves in. It's no longer news about the virus that has besieged the world. The world as we know it, has been tossed on its head, shaken up, down, right, left and centre.

This started late last year and only came to the limelight when stuff hit the roof.  for some od us, we only caught wisps and snatches of conversations pertaining to it. Not until we were also hit with it.

We're familiar with the healthcare routines and practices for keeping safe. They sound so simple but ultimately, they're life savers. You don't appreciate the little things like touching one's face indiscriminately while wiping sweat off the brows, until you're constrained from doing them. Life has taken on am entirely new meaning for me & for you too I'm sure.

In my case, I've kinda been keeping busy, as it is, I'm not entirely isolated considering that I live in a family compound with family in it. So, we've been using the opportunity(ies) to bond & to create memories like I outlined in the brief opening paragraphs. That kinda sums up some of our activities within & around the compound, hehe.

Well, stay safe out there please this too shall pass. Till I come your way next time, it is I, your new lagos wife, toodles.