Decisions to make

This weekend was really chilled. I didn't do much, I have become addicted to Gossip Girls and have been watching the episodes back to back. Its a wonder how fascinating the lives of the young and wealthy are! I mean really, can peoples lives really be that dramatic at 14-17??

I have thought a lot about Entrepreneurship and have decided to give it a try. Lots of great advice out there

1) Make sure the business has growth potential and is targeting a neglected area in the market
2) It should preferably service a niche market
3) A business plan is essential before proceeding any further
4) It is not wise to quit your job in the early stages of setting up the business
5) Guard your ideas, be careful who you tell. A friend of mine nearly had his business idea stolen. The guy had already duplicated the business but was caught before he had done any serious damage. This doesn't mean you should't share you plans with people who will help you out with ideas and good advice, just be selective.
6) Get some experience in the business you are trying to get into.
7) Gather as much knowledge as you can about the industry.
8) Be realistic with your projections for the business.
9) If you decide to partner with someone, make sure they have a different set of skills to bring into the business
10)Don't R U S H. Proper planning is key.
11) Start small and you make small mistakes, start big and you make big mistakes.
12) Pray! Pray!Pray!

So with all this I have started to create my business plan. The problem with business plans is that the 'numbers' for Nigeria are just not available. I may be wrong but you don't find many research papers on Nigeria or surveys in a particular industry etc. Does anyone know where I can find useful resources?

Have a great week. I'll let you know how I'm progressing later on this week.

Dragons Den TV Show Nigeria

All this talk about entrepreneurship and I stumbled across this on naijagals blog. If you haven't heard about this show, you can learn more about it on the website.

Its an international reality show where aspiring entrepreneurs pitch their business ideas to 'dragons', a group of well accomplished entrepreneurs, who will then decided whether to invest in the business or not. I watched quite a few of the UK shows on you tube and I love the show. Now its coming to Nigeria. They are currently taking applications so if you have that idea you have been burning to develop but haven't had the adequate resources to, this might be a great chance for you...Just come correct with a good pitch and business plan.

Don't be like this lady

Entrepreneurship- Branching out

How many people still don't know where they are headed? I think I'm still one of the few who doesn't know exactly where to fit in careerwise. My job is great, I get to move around a lot, but I want to do something I have a real passion for and I haven't yet found it.

Your job takes up most of your day and eventually your life. I'm sure its not too much to ask that at least it's something I really love to do. I've been thinking and thinking and thinking, my brain probably doesn't want to be in my head right now. The best time to branch out and try something on my own is now before I get any older. I feel its better to try now and if I fail, I can always fall back into a job working for the man but change is scary especially unkown, unpredictable change.

What if's plague my mind all the time..what if it you have a crap business plan, what if it doesn't work out, what if I don't have the skills I need etc etc. So as usual I have googled..I am a google freak if you haven't already noticed, google could employ me to test their searches, I'll happily search all day long. I found a great article on about.com and it said to ask yourself these three questions

Look inside yourself and ask these three basic questions before you start your own business:

Do you really want to operate independently and be the person making all the decisions and shouldering all the responsibility?

Are you willing to work hard and make the sacrifices starting a small business entails?

Do you have the self-confidence and self-discipline that will enable you to persevere and build your new enterprise into a success?

I'll think about it this week. It's a whole lot to think about.

Image from here

Gongo Aso- I'm in Love!

With this greek man singing gongo aso. LAWL

HAIR WOES....OLD BRAIDS

This is my hair...it looks neat right. Well you are in for a rude shock. Every morning I look at my hair an I know I cannot be caught dead in Nigeria walking around with these braids on my head. It costs N1500 near my house to get beautiful braids done by some girls from Benin (not Benin City, Benin the country). My aunt did her hair there once...million braids...for N3000. On a side note, a few words in their language sounds like my mothers mother tongue (Bini, Edo)...anyway, yes N1500 and thats with the hair and all. So there is absolutely no excuse to be carrying two month old (or more) braids in Nigeria.

This is another picture. I carry it around like this on most days. Packed up and out of my face. Braids have been a saving grace because I don't have to worry about my hair in the morning, just shower and dress up, voila, I'm done. So anyway as I was saying, it looks pretty good in this picture too right? I went to dinner with a british lady yesterday who said she ABSOLUTELY ADORES my hair. I was a bit shocked because I'm not sure she was talking about the same hair I was seeing in the mirror. Then I remembered she must be used to seeing old braids in London (no offence london 'pipo' (I hate that word) but some girls can be crowned old braid queens).

Get ready







Get Steady







Look at this

Every morning, I look in the mirror and sigh. Disgraceful. To take it off would be even more of a challenge so I just have to wait till I leave Romania....in a few weeks so don't be scared.

PS I wash it oh!


LAWL


The end.

Wednesday Meme

MEME Rules

1. Put Your iTunes/ music player on Shuffle
2. For each question, press the next button to get your answer.
3. YOU MUST WRITE THAT SONG NAME DOWN NO MATTER WHAT!!!

After you’ve answered all of the questions, tag 5 other people and then let them know they’ve been tagged to do the meme themselves!

Here we go

IF SOMEONE SAYS “IS THIS OKAY” YOU SAY?

Ahomka wo mu- VIP

Basically...I don't know.

WHAT WOULD BEST DESCRIBE YOUR PERSONALITY?

Slow Motion- Jagged Edge

Er okayyy...I guess I'm kind of laid back. This is how I choose to interprete this lol...slow is good.


WHAT DO YOU LIKE IN A GUY/GIRL

OH- Omarion

He heeeee. This is hilarious.


HOW DO YOU FEEL TODAY?

His Eye is On the Sparrow- Lauryn Hill.

Yes, and I know he watches over me :)


WHAT IS YOUR LIFES PURPOSE?

Shake it off- Mariah Carey

Huh? Diversion...I just imagined a Nigerian singing this song like this Shakirrrofff, I garra shakirrooff. Yes to pick myself up always and keep moving.

WHAT DO YOUR FRIENDS THINK OF YOU?

Encore- Jay-z

Lawl. Make some noisseeeeeee.


WHAT DO YOU THINK OF YOUR PARENTS?

God will take care- Ted and Sherri

Amen. Please take care of them oh.


WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT VERY OFTEN

Fuji- Dare feat.Ikechukwu

Riggghhht....Lelelelelele oh, Lelelelele oh. Dance make I dance, infact make we dey dance.


WHAT IS 2+2?

As we lay- Kelly Price

LOL! Two hands + two legs


WHAT DO YOU THINK OF YOUR BESTFRIEND?

So High- John Legend.

I think highly of all my friends.


WHAT DO YOU THINK OF THE PERSON YOU LIKE?

Am I worth it- Heather Headley

Que? But of course. Like duh :)


WHAT IS YOUR LIFE STORY?

This Love- Donell Jones

I don't even know how to inteprete this one lol. All this Love waiting for me in this life?


WHAT DO YOU WANT TO BE WHEN YOU GROW UP?

Unkown song- Unknown album

LOL! Oh Lord. Well the song playing is Bone thugs and harmony and I think the name is Take Me Home....all i can say to this is With Long LIFE, you will satisfy me Lord.


WHAT DO YOU THINK WHEN YOU SEE THE PERSON YOU LIKE?

Whatever you want- Keith Sweat

Er, *cough*, *blush*, totally innocent of course.


WHAT DO YOUR PARENTS THINK OF YOU?

Sooner or Later- Raghav

Prob my mums thoughts. Sooner or later she will stop screaming mummmmmy, leave us and go to her husbands house.


WILL YOU DANCE TO AT YOUR WEDDING?

Rock my world- Micheal Jackson

That would be quite a funky dance routine. I can get the whole train to dance too lol.


WILL THEY PLAY AT YOUR FUNERAL?

You know what- Craig David

Hmm you cuold inteprete the lyrics sort of, but no...What??


WHAT IS YOUR HOBBY/INTEREST?

Running with the night- Lionel Ritchie

It's really photography but hey I picked up running last week.


WHAT IS YOUR BIGGEST SECRET?

If I ruled the world- Nas feat Lauryn Hill

Yes vote for me and find out!


WHAT DO YOU THINK OF YOUR FRIENDS?

We belong together- Mariah Carey

How apt. Lets be one big happy group.


WHAT SHOULD YOU POST THIS AS?

Oruka- Sunny Nneji

Yah.

I tag anyone who wants to do this. Its fun if you are bored..as I am.

Marriage is not a bed of roses

Repeat after me

Marriage is not a bed of roses
Marriage is not a bed of roses
Marriage is not a bed of roses

Did you get that? If it didn't sink in please repeat till it does.

If you are on the outside looking in, it looks like paradise. A husband looking into his wifes eyes, holding her, kissing her, whispering sweet nothings in her ear. Yes it looks good. You figure it will be nice to have someone whos yours, to tell you he loves you, to hold your hand, to laugh and joke with, to keep you company, to support you, to share secrets with, to just BE with.

Oh and for some, to have someone who just showers you with gifts and money.Why not? Sikira's husband just bought her a 'brown' new flat in Lekki and see Happiness, her husband suprised her on valentines day with a Jeep. Heeeeeeeeeyy! Marriage is sweet oh! It shows he loves her so much. Me I go love oh! (Please why do people say that. It sounds so....wrong)

The reason we have people who have experienced life before us is to learn from their experiences. How can we keep making the same mistakes over and over again? Yes. if you didn't know, nothing happening now has not happened before. The way they happen may be different, but the basic story is always the same.

A friend asked her friend how married life was and she responded "Marriage is overrated!' Several bloggers complain about their marriages in anonimity. People are getting emotionally and physically abused all the time.Spouses are bored and unfaithful and divorces are on the increase.

Before you decide to take that vow...OPEN YOUR EYES.

WRONG REASONS FOR GETTING MARRIED

I'll summarize a book I read ages ago by Barbara DeAngelis.

Don't get married

....because you are under Pressure (aka don't listen to your mother lol). No one is going into the marriage with you. Guess who has to deal with it all? Yes you.

...out of Desperation (aka don't be a desperado). Everyone has standards, if you value yourself, if you have some self-esteem, you won't compromise..Now its a whole different story if your standards are unrealistic.

...because of Sexual Hunger (aka everyone gets gragged). Its a cycle, it will pass.

...because of guilt. Just because you have been with someone for years or you owe them for something they did for you does not justify marriage. Neither does being pregnant.

...because you are not happy with your life. Worst thing you can do. Address your issues first, and be happy with your emotional and spiritual life before trying to be with someone else.

...because you need someone to provide for you- financially, emotionally, spiritually. Your happiness will depend on the actions of someone else.

LOVE IS CONFUSING

This word called Love. Since Love is so hard to explain and is different for so many people, I'd rather say what love isn't.

Love isn't lust. You can be attracted to several people, some even intensly. Because a certain someone has cute eyes, or a sexy body or Matthew Mcconaughey's dimples..(you haven't noticed? WHAT? Sacrilege), this doesn't mean you are in Love.

Love does not happen overnight. Bobo sees Sisi across the room in a club filled with people shaking their thing(s)...imagine, all the way from across the room and yet there was that connection. His eyes caught hers, theres something there. It was meant to be! No, thats not all it takes.

You don't have your 'ONE' true love waiting for you somewhere obscure.

Love is not all you need. Yes I know that Ewan McGregor and Nicole Kidman stood at the top of a building and screamed 'ALL YOU NEED IS LOVE'. Tsk tsk Moulin Rouge. You need more.

SO WHAT SHOULD ONE LOOK OUT FOR

Spot those Fatal Flaws... There are several examples in the book including incompatibility (for some- religion etc), lack of sexual chemistry and compatibility (sexual dysfunction), past emotional trauma, addictions, character flaws (anger, emotional problems, control freak), and co-dependency. Don't try to rescue anyone, you are not a Saviour.

Spot the Deal Breakers...if you don't like smokers, don't date/marry a smoker. Simple as that. There are things you just can't deal with and when you are married these annoying characteristics will only annoy you more. Don't go into a relationship/marriage expecting the person to change. Some people have deal breaker lists which they verbalize to their significant others (when the time is right of course...I envision a lass clearing her throat and reading out a long list as the credits of the movie roll by). Be subtle.

Make a list of what you want in a partner. It makes sense to know what you want rather that to blow with the wind. You can use this guage your compatibility. Are you compatible spiritually, emotionally (open, comminucates, handles conflict well etc, attitude) , socially (out-going, reserved etc), sexually, physically (smokes or not, keeps fit etc, hobbies), financially (financial goals, ambition, debt etc).

A list is one thing, real life is another because nobody is perfect, no one is going to meet 100% of your criteria, you have to give room for that. A lot of times people make lists of what they want but don't actually have most of the qualities they are looking for. Its important to constantly work on yourself too.

MARRIAGE IS WORK

So with Love and compatibility present, two people coming together as one is a wonderful thing. One final thing is Commitment.

Weddings are beautiful, people all around you planning, planning, planninnnggg and then celebrating, then honeymooning. Then its over! Back to reality. Time for the marriage to really begin. Its you and your man- for life.

This is where all the lessons begin and hopefully if you lay the foundation right, you both will be able to deal with both the great times and the not so great times.


Anymore additions?

Swimming-Karaoke

I can swim but I can't float. I swim from on end of the pool the the other end...no in-betweens. If you threw me in the middle of a river, I would have to swim till I was tired and then well..sink! So I've been trying to learn how to float and tread water and its no easy task. Does anyone have any tips?

It will soon be time for me to return home and I have no idea what I want to do, what role I want to return to, or if I even want to return to any role. I've been pondering with no success. I'm praying for God to lead me.

We had our summer party last week and there were several competitions... One was Karaoke and I have a question for you guys...what do you think my fellow colleagues were singing?



All I could say was WAAAAAOOOOOOOOO! not wow...WAOOOOOOOOOOOO!

As usual I have a new picture up today on my photoblog. Enjoy!

Whats Up- Blogville Idols

I've been terrible with my blogging because I have been on the move these past few weeks. I was on holiday then got stuck at my holiday destination (not that I was complaining ;)) due to Visa issues. These Romanian peeps are as dodgy as my beautiful Nigerian airport employees. Apparently I overstayed my welcome in Romania because I was given misleading information at the embassy in Nigeria and so on my way out, I was told I wasn't welcome back and that I had to also pay a fine if I wanted my name not to be written in some 'black book' of visitors not allowed back into Romania. So I payed and left and had to sort out a new visa before returning. If I could get money for every visa issue and embassy I have been to on this programme, I would be rich. Anyhoo I'm back and am counting down my weeks here. Can't wait to go back!

I miss EVERYTHING and EVERYONE.

I have revived my photoblog so please go daily to see a new shot HERE

Blogville Idols begins on the 7th of July and I'm excited. You see I don't have much to do here lol so this will bring some comic relief. Goodluck to all the contestants. Geisha I've got your back since you requested for a vote. Is soliciting for votes allowed? Lol.