Let me use this medium to exclaim very loudly!!! I'm so upset about this. This is like a 50% hike in prices from one month to another. who does this?!?! i'm buying my mag jejely every month for N500, happy that my mag is reasonably priced and much better quality than the other and then WHAM! this morning I get to work and my co-worker is brandishing the new mag around, and of course I clamour to go and see that's when she dropped the bomb..........."N700" Que? I almost had a heart attack. She then says, enh, shebi it's only $5. So I exclaim very loudly, do you think i buy a regular mag for $5?!?! How much is Vanity Fair, and that is like the creme de la creme of magazines with a gazillion pages, globally respected journalists, internationally celebrated photographers, etc. In this country we like to take the piss a lot. I mean, this True Love didn't even come with more pages or look or feel any different, so how do you justify in the consumer's mind that this product needs a 50% hike in prices?!?! Maybe my marketing and operations is a little off, but somehow I don't think so. I work in an FMCG so I understand the constraints of production in a country like Nigeria, but a 50% hike with absolutely no PR to back it up, no educating your consumers about why you need to jump prices?!?! I mean it's expensive by international standards. I have a Sleek Magazine and it sells for N1000 and it's a much bigger mag with much more articles etc. I don't know............doesn't seem right, but in Nigeria the consumer has no powers.........
Disclaimer: Please let it be known, that True Love West Africa IS my favorite mag in this country and i've said so too many times to too many people. The quality is great and the articles are relevant and inspiring. But in a true love (pun intended) you have to give as good as you get and i'm just too ijebu for this thing jare!
My Love for Tuface Idibia!
From the moment I heard:
Nothin dey happen
Catch the vibe
Get the feeling
Yes oh!
I was hooked like a mug! I loved Tuface from the moment I heard his songs. His voice was just smooth, and his songs were on another level from some of the other things I'd heard coming out of naija. Yes, African Queen was at one time the most recognizable song in Africa, or black Africa at least, but I just never really felt that song to be honest. But Nfana Ibaga and Keep on Rocking were my jams! Even Ole! i still listen to today and it still seems fresher than many other nigerian songs out there right now.
From the time Tuface got all those accolades, I was quite worried for the man cuz you know us Nigerians now, we love fad too much, especially when it comes to our musicians! my god, here today gone tomorrow is the order of the day, and once something is considered "so last year"....that's the end of it. So I was always rooting for 2Face and his sophomore album cuz the man is just plain talented u know! And then the new songs started trickling in one by one and from the little I heard, it sounded great, so I copped it! And my God, I'M LOVING IT!!!! every single dang track i love! Right now this is my favorite though, check the video (NO SHAKING):
I play this song everyday first thing when I get home. I don't know about the video since it wasn't shot in Nigeria and was featuring African Americans in some African American themed type of video - i'm sooo not feeling that! But the song is hot! One thing I'm loving about this new CD is that Tuface's lyrics are just too mush jo! I noticed a bit about it in his last album but on this one, almost every song as one of those "conscious" musician overtones, it's beautiful! Here's some animated video for his other single 4 INSTANCE. I'm not feeling this video either and hope there's another one to replace it, BUUUUT again, the lyrics to the song are on point.
SEE ME SO and E BE LIKE SAY are also very nice. So all in all, I'm just bigging up my brother here jare! If you guys have a chance, buy the cd and take a listen. It's one of the best from Nigeria by one of our best! I wish Tuface was just managed a bit.....better, his opportunities are boundless!
I still love me some D'Banj (especially after that photo in Genevieve with his mama!) but he and Tuface sing different kinds of music i think.
Nothin dey happen
Catch the vibe
Get the feeling
Yes oh!
I was hooked like a mug! I loved Tuface from the moment I heard his songs. His voice was just smooth, and his songs were on another level from some of the other things I'd heard coming out of naija. Yes, African Queen was at one time the most recognizable song in Africa, or black Africa at least, but I just never really felt that song to be honest. But Nfana Ibaga and Keep on Rocking were my jams! Even Ole! i still listen to today and it still seems fresher than many other nigerian songs out there right now.
From the time Tuface got all those accolades, I was quite worried for the man cuz you know us Nigerians now, we love fad too much, especially when it comes to our musicians! my god, here today gone tomorrow is the order of the day, and once something is considered "so last year"....that's the end of it. So I was always rooting for 2Face and his sophomore album cuz the man is just plain talented u know! And then the new songs started trickling in one by one and from the little I heard, it sounded great, so I copped it! And my God, I'M LOVING IT!!!! every single dang track i love! Right now this is my favorite though, check the video (NO SHAKING):
I play this song everyday first thing when I get home. I don't know about the video since it wasn't shot in Nigeria and was featuring African Americans in some African American themed type of video - i'm sooo not feeling that! But the song is hot! One thing I'm loving about this new CD is that Tuface's lyrics are just too mush jo! I noticed a bit about it in his last album but on this one, almost every song as one of those "conscious" musician overtones, it's beautiful! Here's some animated video for his other single 4 INSTANCE. I'm not feeling this video either and hope there's another one to replace it, BUUUUT again, the lyrics to the song are on point.
SEE ME SO and E BE LIKE SAY are also very nice. So all in all, I'm just bigging up my brother here jare! If you guys have a chance, buy the cd and take a listen. It's one of the best from Nigeria by one of our best! I wish Tuface was just managed a bit.....better, his opportunities are boundless!
I still love me some D'Banj (especially after that photo in Genevieve with his mama!) but he and Tuface sing different kinds of music i think.
Poetry Dayz...
I feel like Poetry today. A long time ago I used to write very often, but these days either there's nothing that i'm inspired by or it's just not happening for me. Ah well, i've been wanting to post some of my poetry here, just cuz, they my babies and i want them very accessible. Either way, enjoy! (my NR readers may want to skip this one!)
This first one, i didn't write at all, but I still love and you know, as women, we all have those days!
an ode to the "it" gurls" (Tremaine Loadholt)
i'm prettier than her
is what i tell myself
in the mirror at nite
while i smooth proactiv renewing
cleanser on my face.
"so, why'd he choose her?"
and why do i still want him
after 1, 2, 3, 4....
years?
"we always seem to want
what we cannot have or what
we do not have access to,"
so she says. i give her
a sideways look cuz she's got
what she wanted, and took him
from someone else.
i often wish i had
the gall she sticks out
like a beautiful set of double
d's.
she brags about the man
she's fought many women over
and how they "won't ever part
cuz i got him wrapped 'round
my finger gurl," and i
stare at her wondering how
fast i could reach inside her
chest and pull out her heart while
she's still talking. the picture
fades and i begin
telling her how i sometimes get
close to being the one
a him chooses but nevertheless,
friend zone is where i'm
usually parked. i sit
casually honking my horn
for all of the teacakes
that walk by, none of them
*whistle* back to me.
"if you want it, go for it
gurl."
i smile at her,
and as it seems to shrink i look
her square in the eyes and
say, "i'm just not that
desperate."
silence takes over
the room, she bites the nail
of her index finger on
her left hand and lets out
a sigh. and it's all clear
to me, she's not
the it gurl either.
©Tremaine L. Loadholt (from okayplayer.com)
This one i just wrote, it's not about anyone in particular o! Just wrote it.
I want u to
Hold me
Caress me
Kiss Me
Drink me in like fine wine
I want u to
Part my legs
Peak into my core
Fill my emptiness
With your steadiness 'til i
shake rattle and roll
I want u to
Whisper then
Softly hum, then
Rock me gently
Till I drift away
Memories of the present
As you trickle down my thigh
leaving a trail, it's mark
I want u to
leave me a note the next day
saying how good it was
How sweet it was
How you're thinking of me
At this moment, this second
I want u to
Admit it ain't never been like this
Never loved like this
Never scared like this
so desperate to ask me
Quietly, consciously
What do u want me to do?
I wrote this next poem after dealing with family wahala after someone dies. The fakeness of it all. The chaos. The chief mourners et al. The ugliest part of humans come out in nigerians after a death.
And No One Came
Tongues wagged
Fingers clapped
Teeth gnashed
Mouths wailed
In the dark
As the veil cometh
And all was silenced
A soul yearned
But no one came
Hollow laughter
Snickers after
Raucous banter
Lazy chatter
In the night
As the thief trumpet
And all was guarded
A spirit called
But no one came
Now he roams
Now he knows
Now they fret
Now regret
The thief is blind
The veil is neigh
Who now will come?
When next it calls?
This is one i wrote a long time ago, can't remember why, just one of those days I guess!!!
That Day
That day I cried rivers
That day I opened my soul unendingly till i shivered
That day I remembered the sun, the sky
The moon all seemed placed under my starlit eye
As I wandered effortlessly amidst the greens, the tees
That day I cried when all I saw pleased
When I found that parking spot down that busy street
And that train all but seemed to wait for me so I could meet
That wonderous black gaze of my wonderous black man
That day I cried for the plight of my tan
In my stand, my skin has erased all possible means
That I should after years, after days, after ways
Burst out of my unruly seams
That day I cried
That day I opened up my soul unendingly till i shivered
That day the sun, the sky, the moon
They took the time to swoon
That day the world cried
That day my alienation died
Ok, i think that's it for today! Ciao!
This first one, i didn't write at all, but I still love and you know, as women, we all have those days!
an ode to the "it" gurls" (Tremaine Loadholt)
i'm prettier than her
is what i tell myself
in the mirror at nite
while i smooth proactiv renewing
cleanser on my face.
"so, why'd he choose her?"
and why do i still want him
after 1, 2, 3, 4....
years?
"we always seem to want
what we cannot have or what
we do not have access to,"
so she says. i give her
a sideways look cuz she's got
what she wanted, and took him
from someone else.
i often wish i had
the gall she sticks out
like a beautiful set of double
d's.
she brags about the man
she's fought many women over
and how they "won't ever part
cuz i got him wrapped 'round
my finger gurl," and i
stare at her wondering how
fast i could reach inside her
chest and pull out her heart while
she's still talking. the picture
fades and i begin
telling her how i sometimes get
close to being the one
a him chooses but nevertheless,
friend zone is where i'm
usually parked. i sit
casually honking my horn
for all of the teacakes
that walk by, none of them
*whistle* back to me.
"if you want it, go for it
gurl."
i smile at her,
and as it seems to shrink i look
her square in the eyes and
say, "i'm just not that
desperate."
silence takes over
the room, she bites the nail
of her index finger on
her left hand and lets out
a sigh. and it's all clear
to me, she's not
the it gurl either.
©Tremaine L. Loadholt (from okayplayer.com)
This one i just wrote, it's not about anyone in particular o! Just wrote it.
I want u to
Hold me
Caress me
Kiss Me
Drink me in like fine wine
I want u to
Part my legs
Peak into my core
Fill my emptiness
With your steadiness 'til i
shake rattle and roll
I want u to
Whisper then
Softly hum, then
Rock me gently
Till I drift away
Memories of the present
As you trickle down my thigh
leaving a trail, it's mark
I want u to
leave me a note the next day
saying how good it was
How sweet it was
How you're thinking of me
At this moment, this second
I want u to
Admit it ain't never been like this
Never loved like this
Never scared like this
so desperate to ask me
Quietly, consciously
What do u want me to do?
I wrote this next poem after dealing with family wahala after someone dies. The fakeness of it all. The chaos. The chief mourners et al. The ugliest part of humans come out in nigerians after a death.
And No One Came
Tongues wagged
Fingers clapped
Teeth gnashed
Mouths wailed
In the dark
As the veil cometh
And all was silenced
A soul yearned
But no one came
Hollow laughter
Snickers after
Raucous banter
Lazy chatter
In the night
As the thief trumpet
And all was guarded
A spirit called
But no one came
Now he roams
Now he knows
Now they fret
Now regret
The thief is blind
The veil is neigh
Who now will come?
When next it calls?
This is one i wrote a long time ago, can't remember why, just one of those days I guess!!!
That Day
That day I cried rivers
That day I opened my soul unendingly till i shivered
That day I remembered the sun, the sky
The moon all seemed placed under my starlit eye
As I wandered effortlessly amidst the greens, the tees
That day I cried when all I saw pleased
When I found that parking spot down that busy street
And that train all but seemed to wait for me so I could meet
That wonderous black gaze of my wonderous black man
That day I cried for the plight of my tan
In my stand, my skin has erased all possible means
That I should after years, after days, after ways
Burst out of my unruly seams
That day I cried
That day I opened up my soul unendingly till i shivered
That day the sun, the sky, the moon
They took the time to swoon
That day the world cried
That day my alienation died
Ok, i think that's it for today! Ciao!
Life without DSTV and other musings...
Oh my..............I know, i know, i need to update my blog more often, but it's hard to do that when you only have internet at work and it's an open workspace with my boss sitting directly behind me! But it's one of my new month resolutions sha...lol!
I've just read
Jeremy's post and I must say I enjoyed it thoroughly. I don't always agree with Jeremy and sometimes I feel that he has an air of "superiority" in his comments, but I respect his points though as I don't think he means to be malicious. Sometimes his observations are so poignant and on point, I'm recalling his write up on religion, which was teethering on the edge of "anti-religion" but still had very relevant and oh so true points. Anyway, he ruffles feathers which, in my opinion, is not such a bad thing! So back to this particular entry, it's just fantastic! The pictures are absolutely, absolutely beautiful.
You can go to his blog to see more and please do read. It makes me want to go "backpacking" in the north. But I don't think that is too possible! It's quite a shame that it's not as accessible to women as it is to men. Even Jeremy commented that he didn't see to many women out and about so I can't imagine what kind of risk it'd be to be a female traveller/tourist there. Plus Lord knows, i'm petrified of any religious riots cuz I heard those things are B-L-O-O-D-Y, with friends killing friends, neigbours killing neighbours, etc., how much less an unknown female yoruba traveller with an american accent? I don't know.........
Anyway o.........I HAVE NO CABLE!!!!!! aaarghhhhhhhh! The short version is the money was paid into the wrong account, and of course...there's no remedy for that soooo for the next month (I hope!) I have no DSTV! To understand how horrible this is really, I've been in nigeria for a little over a year now and i've NEVER EVER EVER watched local television. The past two weeks however, the gods have somehow decided to punish me. I don't have the words to explain how bad it is. But i'll sho try!!! lol. First off, my particular tv only receives a few stations and they're not clear, 2 NTA channels, MiTv, Galaxy, LTV, Silverbird, and sometimes the new Link 65 though it doesn't have colour. I think the only one missing is AIT which is not clear at all. So there you have it, the local television stations. Most of the time, there's news, which like Adaure said, is not really news but paid hypes for several companies, products, and people. If not that then it's some old, stale, update on what PDP did in Akure over the past weekend, which is always the same diatribe of burning the AC broom and a whole bunch of people ranting on with a very "just-this-much-and-the-money-will-be-flowing" look on their faces......BORING. And then if not news it's an array of sleek televangelists telling you they have the key to your happiness, or you should come to their campground, or there's one that actually says if you come to his church, you'd get married or have a set of twins by the end of the year...i'm still not sure if he's the one doing the impregnating.........ANYWOO, then, it's some poorly produced, poorly shot, sort of program in the realm of sports, or beauty, style, or "women in -----(fill in the necessary industry here). imagine someone sitting on a stool with an obviously black drape background (or worse, some sort of basic computer imposed bright, sometimes, moving background), trying to speak fonee with the aid of a poor script and introducing some lame topic, like where i should go to find beads, or breadmaking, or something. If not, then it's rhythm (sp?) unplugged or soundcity or warreva.....just DULL!!! there's absolutely nothing that's remotely stimulating, or a new idea, or opens up the world, or shows what's going on in other parts of the world, or which when you've finished watching you'd think, wow, I just learned something new, nothing. just DULL. I've taken to reading but i'm afraid i'm running out of things to do to occupy my mind. Anyway, there's always sudoku...
Oh, and if anybody caught it, I was in the Guardian newspaper last weekend, in the Life magazine insert, with a picture and interview. Emilia mentioned something about it to me on Saturday but I seriously thought she was talking to a friend....i'll post a pic tomorrow (i hope!)
I've just read
Jeremy's post and I must say I enjoyed it thoroughly. I don't always agree with Jeremy and sometimes I feel that he has an air of "superiority" in his comments, but I respect his points though as I don't think he means to be malicious. Sometimes his observations are so poignant and on point, I'm recalling his write up on religion, which was teethering on the edge of "anti-religion" but still had very relevant and oh so true points. Anyway, he ruffles feathers which, in my opinion, is not such a bad thing! So back to this particular entry, it's just fantastic! The pictures are absolutely, absolutely beautiful.
You can go to his blog to see more and please do read. It makes me want to go "backpacking" in the north. But I don't think that is too possible! It's quite a shame that it's not as accessible to women as it is to men. Even Jeremy commented that he didn't see to many women out and about so I can't imagine what kind of risk it'd be to be a female traveller/tourist there. Plus Lord knows, i'm petrified of any religious riots cuz I heard those things are B-L-O-O-D-Y, with friends killing friends, neigbours killing neighbours, etc., how much less an unknown female yoruba traveller with an american accent? I don't know.........
Anyway o.........I HAVE NO CABLE!!!!!! aaarghhhhhhhh! The short version is the money was paid into the wrong account, and of course...there's no remedy for that soooo for the next month (I hope!) I have no DSTV! To understand how horrible this is really, I've been in nigeria for a little over a year now and i've NEVER EVER EVER watched local television. The past two weeks however, the gods have somehow decided to punish me. I don't have the words to explain how bad it is. But i'll sho try!!! lol. First off, my particular tv only receives a few stations and they're not clear, 2 NTA channels, MiTv, Galaxy, LTV, Silverbird, and sometimes the new Link 65 though it doesn't have colour. I think the only one missing is AIT which is not clear at all. So there you have it, the local television stations. Most of the time, there's news, which like Adaure said, is not really news but paid hypes for several companies, products, and people. If not that then it's some old, stale, update on what PDP did in Akure over the past weekend, which is always the same diatribe of burning the AC broom and a whole bunch of people ranting on with a very "just-this-much-and-the-money-will-be-flowing" look on their faces......BORING. And then if not news it's an array of sleek televangelists telling you they have the key to your happiness, or you should come to their campground, or there's one that actually says if you come to his church, you'd get married or have a set of twins by the end of the year...i'm still not sure if he's the one doing the impregnating.........ANYWOO, then, it's some poorly produced, poorly shot, sort of program in the realm of sports, or beauty, style, or "women in -----(fill in the necessary industry here). imagine someone sitting on a stool with an obviously black drape background (or worse, some sort of basic computer imposed bright, sometimes, moving background), trying to speak fonee with the aid of a poor script and introducing some lame topic, like where i should go to find beads, or breadmaking, or something. If not, then it's rhythm (sp?) unplugged or soundcity or warreva.....just DULL!!! there's absolutely nothing that's remotely stimulating, or a new idea, or opens up the world, or shows what's going on in other parts of the world, or which when you've finished watching you'd think, wow, I just learned something new, nothing. just DULL. I've taken to reading but i'm afraid i'm running out of things to do to occupy my mind. Anyway, there's always sudoku...
Oh, and if anybody caught it, I was in the Guardian newspaper last weekend, in the Life magazine insert, with a picture and interview. Emilia mentioned something about it to me on Saturday but I seriously thought she was talking to a friend....i'll post a pic tomorrow (i hope!)
