Peeved

I got a call yesterday and I was really mad. I'm not going to go into the whole story but see RIGHT HERE ON MY PHOTOBLOGto get a summary. I'd just like to educate people that the law regarding photography is YOU SEE IT? YOU CAN TAKE IT! except its high level military stuff and the likes..... and the pic belongs to me to do as I please with. Case closed.

Moving on, I hear the 100k is for the two days, so is the 25k so maybe its not THHAAAT bad. Here are the details fron THIS DAY

Pop culture icon Beyonce will make her first-ever trip to Nigeria to headline the first night of the first annual THISDAY Music Festival in Lagos, on October 7. Held in celebration of Nigeria's 46th year of independence, the two-day THISDAY Music Festival will feature, on its first night: Beyonce, Jay-Z, Ciara, En Vogue and, on its second night: Snoop Dogg, Mary J Blige, Missy Elliott, and Busta Rhymes.

"It's a great thrill to come to West Africa for the first time to celebrate Nigeria's independence," said Beyonce.

To go or not to go....

Have a great weekend people!

WHATTTTTTTTT???

Just got back to Nigeria this morning at 6am slept for a few hours and got to work at 1 pm.

So the biggest news I've heard so far, aside from the dead generals, may their sould rest in peace is that the Beyonce Jay-Z etc etc gbo gbo e concert is N100,000 for VIP and N25,000 for the masses. Venues not yet known but apparently the N25,000 one may be in stadium. Laugh my m***$###@@@@ a** off! So I know i'm not going to be there VIP OR MASSES! N100,000 my A**

My Photoblog is back in action. Todays pic is of my fantabulous SISTER

Sales People

Having a love for taking pictures is not pocket friendly. It starts with the camera then you find out the lens is too slow and you have to get a more expensive one, then you realise there are different lenses with filters for different kinds of pictures so you get more, then you realise the on flash camera isn’t that great so you purchase the big one that makes one look so unsexy, THENNN you have to buy a big memory card to save all the pictures as well as a hard drive to store all of them as they get more and more. Eventually you have to get a printer, studio lights, reflectors, batteries, a tripod and I’m sure there is more I don't know about yet.

Soooo I searched online where I could buy at least some of these equipments. I prioritised which were critical to survival and which weren’t. I opted to get a new lens and of course the unsexy flash. It would not exactly break the bank but it came pretty close cos some of these menses are more expensive than the camera itself.

Anyway I called Prestigecamera.com store. I had a plan of action, I knew what I wanted and I knew the cost. One lens, one of camera flash…Bingo.

Hi this is Mike, can I help you!
Hi, I wanted to find out if you had some items available for next day delivery.
I’m sure we do, what would you like?
Do you have the Sigma 30mm lens and an off camera flash 580 EX for the Canon 350d?
I'll just check that...we sure do, would you like to purchase that?
Yes please.
Okay, can I get you credit card details?
The Sigma is a great lens, what kinds of pictures do you like to take.
Oh well, weddings, portraits and such
You didn't mention filters to protect the lens and to prevent flare from the sun jargon jargon jargon…there are several types; UV filters....very fast camera jargon blah blah
We currently have a promo where you get one lens, one flash, 3 filters, 2 battery packs, a car charger AND a lens cleaning kit all for a $150 more and $34 for next day delivery.
Er Okay.
Alright I’ve put it through and you will be getting your order tomorrow. Thanks for calling and if you have any problems fell free to call back

CLICK

SWAVEEEEDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDD!

Well not really but the fact that these people can convince you to purchase stuff you didn’t plan can only be defined by one word.... WOW!

MIA

Hi all,

I've been MIA right? Well Its been a hectic week globetrotting and now im finally jetlagged in Philly.

(Onada we should definitely hook up if you are free. I will email you through shutterchance.)

The interview in Sweden was good, it wasn't the usual tests as I had feared. They broke us into groups and gave us case studies to solve and watched how we interacted. We were basically lab rats. I feel confident that I did well, but then I didn't see how the other Nigerian girl performed as she was in another group. I'll hear from the company soon enough! By Gods grace it will be good news.

Sweden is definitely a lovely country to visit AND ARE THE DUDES FOIIINE OR WHATTT? Its a country of beautiful eye candy. I was thankful to Baba God for the lovely art work he had going on there...We all know its not so easy in Nigeria, eye candy is scarce.

Now I'm on my real holiday and going for an MBA course mates’ wedding tomorrow. My first real oyinbo wedding. lol

Oh I'd like to let you all know that North American airlines direct flight to New York is not such a great idea if you are connecting...it basically works if they take off on time but they never do and I got stranded in New York till 3am the next morning waiting for the Amtrak because connecting shuttles and trains had all closed by the time we landed at 9.30pm before going through immigration and customs instead of the scheduled 6pm. The most annoying thing about the airline is that you have to check in 5 hours before departure from Africa! So I got there 7 am, the flight was scheduled to leave at 11.55am but there were fueling issues so we finally took off around 2.30pm and got to New York at 9.30 which is 2.30am Nigerian time. Then I had to wait to get the 3am Amtrak and got to Philly at 4.30am. At that point all I could think was America SUCKS! But now I’m fine :)

NOW HOLD UP!! I was gone for only a few days and a new blog opened and shut down before I could even have a chance to read it. Where’s all the respect for taureanminx, the revolutionary gister, gone???? I mean, couldn't they have waited till I got back? But you know me, gist does not just pass me by, I got to read the blog all the same from enthusiastic copy and paste people! Where would we be without them eh? It was terrible though, not so diff from the Nonso incident. What could these people have done to upset this female cos you all know it’s a female. Anyway bridge over the water.

Now there are some porn videos the likes of Paris Hiltons sex tapes, roaming around on the internet. A 16 year old Nigerian girl (in Nigeria) and her equally young lover filmed themselves having sex. Now it’s out on the internet for the world and her family to see. What’s happening to the moral fabric of our country? My sis will soon be 15 and such a baby, I can't imagine her even kissing a boy yet!!! 16 is so young! And she consented to filming it? What happened to all the smart Nigerian Girls? I’m shocked beyond belief.

Leave approved

My leave has been finally approved for two weeks! Joy

I won’t be blogging on Monday, I will be sweating away at the assessment in Sweden…I didn’t do extraordinarily on my GMAT (yes I’m a just above average test scorer but an excellent worker, I like to tell myself) and they usually ask weird questions like that at these assessment centres. I’m crappy at the math part. Wish me luck. I’ll let you know how the trip went on Wednesday so check back then.

Today is theme day in my photoblog community and the theme today is FREE. Check out my interpretation FREE TO FEEL.

Customer service is non existent in Nigeria. I went to the Salon yesterday to take out my braids of two weeks which had gone terribly rough. Unlike those of you abroad that keep your braids for monthsssss lol, just kidding, I was like you once. Anyway, I got to DOWNTOWN and the dude addressed some ladies saying ‘She wan do wash and set’. That’s when it all began.

‘Wash and set ko, for peson wey neva loosen the hair sef. Infact I tell you say I still dey for here? I dey go my house. Abeg no even try am’
‘Me too I dey go house, I no dey do’.
This is what happens everytime you go to downtown so I was prepared.
I was feeling Christian like, and said ‘Aunty it won’t take long, these are big braids’
‘No oh, you know they have ban okadas after 6, it will be haaad to find transport’
‘I’ll drop you at home’
‘His not dat, I want to cook’
I thought to myself ‘Fair enough’.
So I decided I had spent my anger on the previous post and just sat there until the guy himself took care of the job.

Its not that they can’t do it, it’s how they go about the whole thing that gets on my nerves. They went on and on for another 10 minutes after all that, I just wanted to yell SHUTT UPPPP.

So have a great stress free weekend all and pray for me to do well at the centre.

Insight To My Life

Saw this and couldn't help laughing. Guys wouldn't you love this remote control?

So I have to share my road rage story with you guys.

I went to silverbird yesterday to meet with Kofo and this is what happened to dampen my spirits after watching John Tucker must die which was aight.

Soooo, I was parallel parked on the side of the road (near the gate of the car park) and in order to leave, I had to do a 3 point turn (google to those of you that are not aware and bought your drivers lisence :)). There was also a car parked on the other side of the road so I had to reverse to complete the turn ie I couldn't just reverseee vrruummmmm and turn.

Anyhoo so I had done the first turn in like a split second and was reversing into the second when I heard a loud BAM...somebody was banging on the car so I screeched to a halt. Low and behold I looked back and someone, in that split second had parked behind me and my car was just about to hit his car. I would have so smashed his side door in. I was now sandwiched between the two cars. So in blind rage I got out of the car and asked if the fellow was on drugs.....'did you not see me trying to reverse, are you crazy? are you on drugs?.'!!!. My car was across the road blocking outgoing AND incoming traffic. Of course the inevitable happened, stupid passer by's, drivers from the cars being held up etc etc all started with their rubbish talk...'WOMAN get in your car and move dis tin jo.. just go straight to the end of the road and turn there' I lost it.." YOU are ALLLL crazy, are you blind? Im not leaving here till the dude leaves my back so I can finish my turn. Why should I have to go?" One passerby dude felt the need to talk to me..I said 'Please don't let me insult you this evening. Kindly step away from my window, thanks'. So thats how it went for about 5 mins with ppl cursing etc.

I entered my car and put on some music and closed the doors. So you see I was becoming more crazed by the minute ppl were banging on the car etc etc..Then a security Police dude came to the window and attempted to pretend hit the car with the butt of his gun in a swinging motion....I wound down the window and said PLEASSSSSEEEE SHOOOTTTTT MEEEEE PLEEEEEEASEEEEEEEEEE, I NEED YOU TO SHOOTTTT ME RIGHT NOW.

I think I'm crazy don't you.

I was eventually satisfied with the 10 mins I had taken out of every idiots life there and proceeded to leave them wallowing in their misery. I was sufficiently placated.

Thanks for reading my story. And may God help me in my anger. AMEN

Progeria

Progeria narrowly refers to Hutchinson-Gilford Progeria syndrome, but the term is also used more generally to describe any of the so-called "accelerated aging diseases". The word progeria is derived from the Greek for "prematurely old". Because the "accelerated aging" diseases display different aspects of aging, but never every aspect, they are often called segmental progerias by biogerontologists.

Hutchinson-Gilford Progeria syndrome is an extremely rare genetic condition which causes physical changes that resemble greatly accelerated aging in sufferers. The disease affects between 1 in 4 million (estimated actual) and 1 in 8 million (reported) newborns. Currently, there are approximately 40-45 known cases in the world. There is no known cure. Most people with progeria die around 13 years of age.

Symptoms generally begin appearing around 18-24 months of age. The condition is distinguished by limited growth, alopecia and a characteristic appearance with small face and jaw and pinched nose. Later the condition causes wrinkled skin, atherosclerosis and cardiovascular problems. Mental development is not affected. Individuals with the condition rarely live more than 16 years; the longest recorded life-span was 29 years. The development of symptoms is comparable to aging at a rate six to eight times faster than normal, although certain age-related conditions do not occur. Specifically, victims show no neurodegeneration or cancer predisposition.
FROM WIKIPEDIA

I was up late last night and this documentary came up on the discovery channel showing kids with a rare ageing disease and what they had to cope with such as stroke, arthritis and angina. What caught my attention wasn't so much the disease and the sadness of it all, but how full of life these kids were. They are such a great example for the rest of us. They didn't let the syndrome deter them from carrying on with life. John Tacket wanted to be a rock star and played the drums although once in a while he got angina when he over-exerted himself. He was in the school band and loved to play pool. Ashley Hegi,15, is his best friend and they got to hang out once when special progeria foundation events took place. They both attended normal schools and were popular, with lots of friends. In the documentary they have a special bond and understand what exactly what the other is experiencing. I never once saw them moan, complain, winge etc. They accepted their condition and embraced life fully. John and Ashley didn't seem to be worried about the future, only about living a good life. They really touched me in a profound way.



John passed away in 2004 at the age of 16. May his soul rest in peace.