Nao Yoshioka - Make The Change
GOAT - It's Time For Fun
Tinariwen - Imidiwan ahi sigdim
Advertisement: Read my books. ###Three Sisters, novel #1 here###
Saturday, September 12, 2015
Listening Party: Hear Ye!
Nao Yoshioka - Make The Change
Tinariwen - Imidiwan ahi sigdim
Advertisement: Read my books. ###Three Sisters, novel #1 here###
Saturday, August 22, 2015
Deskgram
I decided to add instagram to the long list of stuff I use on the internet. Had to borrow my sister's cracked-screen phone to do it because, get this - while you can ogle nice photos on laptop/web instagram, you can't get an account that way.
Ouh-kay.
So I have an account. Today I decided to add a fabulous photo. Asked google how, since instagram wouldn't let me - my 'membership' means I can comment and like (heart), that's it. Found out about BlueStacks App Player in a comments section of a how-to article. The program works by creating a false phone environment on your regular computer so that you can run phone apps, including Instagram.
In the middle of installing that, I found another option in the same comments section - Deskgram.
It's the more intuitive answer - I just want to bloody post a picture and don't really need all the firepower offered by the general app player. I don't want the ability to also use the app stores to get any app in the world or whatever.
Deskgram also appeals to my need to not 'learn' Android. I mean, I just want to post a bloody picture.
I never learned to navigate an Apple Mac, or iPhone iPod iPad. I never learned the jumpy-screen Windows-after-Windows7 experiments. I think it was called Vista or something? Windows, then Vista. View through the window. Seriously.
Thankfully Windows 10 is bringing the 'Start button' back. Like seriously, you need to figure out how I'm using the computer and match that, or wait till I get round to testing your new UI idea pro bono.
It costs quite a bit of mindspace to learn a new interface like this phone thing with its scrolling swiping, autocorrect, and all that jazz. Even if the new interface is pretty. Very pretty. It's worth downloading BlueStacks just to see this prettiness: for example, instead of the status bar while you wait for your download (2.2% completed etc) you get a slideshow of gorgeous screenshots of the games (Angry Birds and such) you'll soon have access to. Time flies while you're having such fun.
But now I'm going to uninstall bluestacks. The application required my google password. Which makes me feel insecure. That's like, really private information. Like, would you 69 on a blind date? Deskgram only needs my instagram password. That's a handshake - I'd share that with anybody.
There are lots of other things to gripe about, but I'd better pace myself :) :D
Like, think:
How did phones become flat - whose idea was that? So we evolved from 3D serpentine to rectangular blocks? I find myself wishing for product design to take over that space.
And how many phone-makers put the typewriter-keyboard on the screen. Ouh-kay, I guess that works for some people. I like the classic/physical keypad a la Blackberry, so I can work.
I do love the fact that they now have colours. Loved that from the minute I saw it, Nokia-now-Microsoft.
Oh, and how useless are the banks in this country? Reliably useless. I constantly forget that.
Advertisement: Read my books. ###Three Sisters, novel #1 here###
Ouh-kay.
So I have an account. Today I decided to add a fabulous photo. Asked google how, since instagram wouldn't let me - my 'membership' means I can comment and like (heart), that's it. Found out about BlueStacks App Player in a comments section of a how-to article. The program works by creating a false phone environment on your regular computer so that you can run phone apps, including Instagram.
In the middle of installing that, I found another option in the same comments section - Deskgram.
It's the more intuitive answer - I just want to bloody post a picture and don't really need all the firepower offered by the general app player. I don't want the ability to also use the app stores to get any app in the world or whatever.
Deskgram also appeals to my need to not 'learn' Android. I mean, I just want to post a bloody picture.
I never learned to navigate an Apple Mac, or iPhone iPod iPad. I never learned the jumpy-screen Windows-after-Windows7 experiments. I think it was called Vista or something? Windows, then Vista. View through the window. Seriously.
Thankfully Windows 10 is bringing the 'Start button' back. Like seriously, you need to figure out how I'm using the computer and match that, or wait till I get round to testing your new UI idea pro bono.
It costs quite a bit of mindspace to learn a new interface like this phone thing with its scrolling swiping, autocorrect, and all that jazz. Even if the new interface is pretty. Very pretty. It's worth downloading BlueStacks just to see this prettiness: for example, instead of the status bar while you wait for your download (2.2% completed etc) you get a slideshow of gorgeous screenshots of the games (Angry Birds and such) you'll soon have access to. Time flies while you're having such fun.
But now I'm going to uninstall bluestacks. The application required my google password. Which makes me feel insecure. That's like, really private information. Like, would you 69 on a blind date? Deskgram only needs my instagram password. That's a handshake - I'd share that with anybody.
 |
| Now let me go and add this picture, abeg. - @tosinbird |
Like, think:
How did phones become flat - whose idea was that? So we evolved from 3D serpentine to rectangular blocks? I find myself wishing for product design to take over that space.
And how many phone-makers put the typewriter-keyboard on the screen. Ouh-kay, I guess that works for some people. I like the classic/physical keypad a la Blackberry, so I can work.
I do love the fact that they now have colours. Loved that from the minute I saw it, Nokia-now-Microsoft.
Oh, and how useless are the banks in this country? Reliably useless. I constantly forget that.
Advertisement: Read my books. ###Three Sisters, novel #1 here###
Friday, August 21, 2015
everybody's screaming Compton
...Stick a flag in my city - everybody screaming Compton - I should pro'bly run for mayor when I'm done, to be honest...
- Kendrick Lamar (King Kunta)
Veteran musician Dr. Dre has just released a music album and movie about that scary 'hood.
Compton, where Yetunde, big sister of Venus and Serena Williams was killed in a mindless drive-by shooting.
I remember when my little sisters wanted to go out to Compton for a New Year's party. Or was it Carson? They'll remember it as Fun December 2004. Anyway, no, anywhere but there, sweeties. Y'all 'bout to give me a heart attack :) so I shepherded them to a party in the whiter, bourgie-r, safer hillside town of Altadena.
Maybe I'll see the Straight Outta Compton film at some point, and try out the music too, but meanwhile here's the effect these hip-hoppers have had on media interest in "Compton"
For comparison, at the top (yellow) is Africa and in red is Nigeria, both of which spike in popularity for football and only for football - L and M coincide with the 2010 World Cup hosted by South Africa, while G marks the 2014 World Cup where Nigeria almost made the quarterfinals.
Right now, Compton (population ~100,000) is a bigger deal than Lagos (population > 20 million) and even Nigeria, and all because of a movie.
There's a lesson here: it's so easy to build a city. Keywords: Lekki. Ikeja. Oregun. dot-biz. Chambers of Commerce. I'm just saying, let's BE the local government we want to see.
Advertisement: Read Three Sisters, my novel #1 here ##
- Kendrick Lamar (King Kunta)
Veteran musician Dr. Dre has just released a music album and movie about that scary 'hood.
Compton, where Yetunde, big sister of Venus and Serena Williams was killed in a mindless drive-by shooting.
I remember when my little sisters wanted to go out to Compton for a New Year's party. Or was it Carson? They'll remember it as Fun December 2004. Anyway, no, anywhere but there, sweeties. Y'all 'bout to give me a heart attack :) so I shepherded them to a party in the whiter, bourgie-r, safer hillside town of Altadena.
Maybe I'll see the Straight Outta Compton film at some point, and try out the music too, but meanwhile here's the effect these hip-hoppers have had on media interest in "Compton"
 |
| Google Trends: Compton (in blue) is ten times more popular than, basically, ever |
Right now, Compton (population ~100,000) is a bigger deal than Lagos (population > 20 million) and even Nigeria, and all because of a movie.
 |
| Wikipedia: Compton is youthful 'working-class' and black, but has produced great musicians |
There's a lesson here: it's so easy to build a city. Keywords: Lekki. Ikeja. Oregun. dot-biz. Chambers of Commerce. I'm just saying, let's BE the local government we want to see.
Advertisement: Read Three Sisters, my novel #1 here ##
Wednesday, July 15, 2015
Dance Party: Timbuctu Nights
Black Beat Noir Negro Alf Laila Leggo!
Tonight by Bigiano
Ewele by ShowDemCamp (SDC)
Crazy by Seyi Shay (ft Wizkid)
Advertisement: Read my books.
Tonight by Bigiano
Ewele by ShowDemCamp (SDC)
Crazy by Seyi Shay (ft Wizkid)
Advertisement: Read my books.
Friday, July 03, 2015
over-sharing highlights from one year ago
Tomorrow is July 4th, which means that one year ago we were in Barcelona for little sister K's wedding.
It was just this morning I finally "created" a virtual museum post on REALbubbler, so now, excited about the coincidence, I checked my little book and found that woah, indeed, on Day 6 of that trip, July 3rd, in the morning, among other things I'd hung out for hours at the Catalonia History Museum. Yep, the one I lovingly nicknamed The Museo Nacionale de Fake Shit. The one that inspired me more than anything else I saw in that town - I said, wow, these people make something out of nothing, every time, while losers make excuses. You know how in developing (or non-developing) countries, it's always blah blah due to the issues of inadequate this and non-availability of that and low funding and lack of capital... Now, these people made a museum with very few valuable artifacts; most of the exhibits were replicas or reproductions of the originals. Kudos to the can-do, get-it-done spirit. And I came back home and explored the idea of a virtual museum and found a few good examples.
If this was an anonymous blog, here would be more excitement. (I'll try not to edit too much.) It is incredible how much I saw and did in just seven days, I mean, I'm incredible, lol. If I had a decent camera, I'd just photograph the short pages of my notes to show you. Am I the only person left who doesn't carry a cracked-screen phone complete with video camera and Candy Crush?
Ok, here's the summary page at the end of my 10 pages of notes from the trip:
Highlights
You know I loved a boy.
My father loved our date.
The wedding was lovely.
The croquette at the wedding reception.
The kiss that sanctified air.
Lessons
I speak beginner to intermediate Spanish. Better than I thought.
You can charge admission to a museum of fake shit. Maybe even an online museum.
Wow, so much to explain all at once. Where do I start? No, I don't even remember what sanctifying air means, but it must have been really something :) That was Day 3. By Day 4, I'd been dumped but didn't know it until Day 5 or 6 when I'd been double or triple-dumped. Day 7, in the final hours, I got my boy back yaaaay, isn't it wonderful when love wins? We fled to his apartment for a quick chat during his 15-minute lunch break (work work work), the way we talked it technically didn't count [Clinton, 1998] because ehhn, time was short and he was Indian so I didn't see the point, but he was super happy and I was heart-happy and free to skip off to meet my peeps and duck into a bookstore and meet a gorgeous book guy that you already know and do lunch with my peeps and get to the airport.
I don't know what the croquettes were made of, but yum. That was Day 1, the wedding. Same day as checking out the local park, big lunch, grabbing something to wear because luggage gone. Loool because my stylish sisters' luggage gone too, so they couldn't upstage the bride. Wedding after-party and after-after-party, but I'm a human being after all, I was tired.
I'd actually got food-poisoning on Day 0 and emptied my whole gut in the plumbing at the connecting airport (practiced my Arabic with the cleaner lady who wanted baksheesh, oh dear, just like Nigeria) and hung out at night with the groom's crew from Bilbao right after, so I don't know where all the energy came from. Guess when you don't have too much money lying about and someone gets you a trip to wherever - thanks mama - you get in there and rock the hell out of it :)
Day 2, Sunday, I walked throughout Barcelona. Discovering downtown is like what I was born to do. In my notebook, I listed: Poblenou/Diagonal, past Torre Agbar and Glories Mall and Design museum, up by Sagrada Familia and Casa Mila (La Pedrera) and Casa Batlo and great buildings with steel balustrade on intricate facades, the shops, outdoor dining, and street musicians on Passeig del Gracia, El Corte Ingles to change money ( $ gift from uncle ) and retrieve my red scarf forgotten yesterday, and down La Rambla. Don't forget Marilyn Monroe and the erotic museum. S wanted to see my chest, well, to determine my shirt size. Home by 11pm.
By Day 3 I was fit to work as a tour guide; fortunately, my father was willing to hang out with me, so I got to put my skill to use :) I put my high-heels on thinking it would be some mild walking, then we took public transportation everywhere, but lots of hiking - the park near the hotel, the zoo - sea lion show yippee, then Parc Guell, food and the Nigeria-France world cup match, then Camp Nou closing time. Then it was night and I sent papa to bed while I went to see flamenco and fall for a local (S from Day 2) and sanctify the air.
Day 5 my feet were finished, so I did nothing but rest and watch TV, but Day 4, I took a different cut across the town. An hour or two with my mother and lovely sister but we split up because I'd already seen the mall a couple of times - love you very dearly but no more El Corte Ingles for me, so now I did Barri Gotic, a church, the ateliers, got lost and ended up in a sort of rough area and Parc de la Ciutadella, walked the marina still lost, rushed dinner, late to the opera, waited for loverboy who of course had made a point of going out to the W hotel without me because he's an evil Las Ramblas dude lol, so instead I talked to a drunk likely minor drug dealer dude who explained the ecology of Las Ramblas nightlife - the prostitutes, the Nigerians, the tough guys, the whole scam repeating night after night. That day was the taxi union strike (against Uber) so I had to walk/bus home very late. Was thinking to go off to Paris for Day 5 but no money, no feet...I let everybody else have the fun for a change :)
Day 6, July 3rd, I had money again and dad said I had to buy stuff so I complied during my walk down to the center of town. Then as you know, I went to that national history museum. I didn't mean to go there, I'd thought this was the famed Catalonia Art Museum, was so sure I was an expert in Barcelona, all I needed to do was walk past the marina and the beach. So it was the wrong place, but it was the right place after all.
Afterwards I asked a local what I should do next because I'd already done everything, so I spent the afternoon at Laberinto d'Horta on the outskirts of town, then did some Gaudi (Casa Mila), went late to my sister's show at fashion week, hung out at this amazing musical instrument shop, and then as my little book has it "Unbelievable: ST stood me up again! ...I waited 2 hrs. Got drunk on half a glass of Sangria. Couldn't eat my dinner."
Day 7: First, to hospital with K (sister) and mum. Then to La Rambla to think, eat a perfect sorbet (my third - same flavour, same shop) and make up with my beautiful. It worked. (...camera fades...) Later, on the flight back, I was in dreamland because (...ok, this is too sappy...)
Advertisement: ###Three Sisters, my novel #1 here###
PS
Luggage returned Day 2 or 3.
Reason number three that I didn't go to Paris on Day 5? ST. As in, heartbreak.
I forgot about ST all these months :0
I was also going to write about the future of work - telecommuting (I'm about to try a full telecommute gig) and virtual workplaces (virtual reality, immersion in any place you choose). Well, now I have.
It was just this morning I finally "created" a virtual museum post on REALbubbler, so now, excited about the coincidence, I checked my little book and found that woah, indeed, on Day 6 of that trip, July 3rd, in the morning, among other things I'd hung out for hours at the Catalonia History Museum. Yep, the one I lovingly nicknamed The Museo Nacionale de Fake Shit. The one that inspired me more than anything else I saw in that town - I said, wow, these people make something out of nothing, every time, while losers make excuses. You know how in developing (or non-developing) countries, it's always blah blah due to the issues of inadequate this and non-availability of that and low funding and lack of capital... Now, these people made a museum with very few valuable artifacts; most of the exhibits were replicas or reproductions of the originals. Kudos to the can-do, get-it-done spirit. And I came back home and explored the idea of a virtual museum and found a few good examples.
If this was an anonymous blog, here would be more excitement. (I'll try not to edit too much.) It is incredible how much I saw and did in just seven days, I mean, I'm incredible, lol. If I had a decent camera, I'd just photograph the short pages of my notes to show you. Am I the only person left who doesn't carry a cracked-screen phone complete with video camera and Candy Crush?
Ok, here's the summary page at the end of my 10 pages of notes from the trip:
Highlights
You know I loved a boy.
My father loved our date.
The wedding was lovely.
The croquette at the wedding reception.
The kiss that sanctified air.
Lessons
I speak beginner to intermediate Spanish. Better than I thought.
You can charge admission to a museum of fake shit. Maybe even an online museum.
Wow, so much to explain all at once. Where do I start? No, I don't even remember what sanctifying air means, but it must have been really something :) That was Day 3. By Day 4, I'd been dumped but didn't know it until Day 5 or 6 when I'd been double or triple-dumped. Day 7, in the final hours, I got my boy back yaaaay, isn't it wonderful when love wins? We fled to his apartment for a quick chat during his 15-minute lunch break (work work work), the way we talked it technically didn't count [Clinton, 1998] because ehhn, time was short and he was Indian so I didn't see the point, but he was super happy and I was heart-happy and free to skip off to meet my peeps and duck into a bookstore and meet a gorgeous book guy that you already know and do lunch with my peeps and get to the airport.
I don't know what the croquettes were made of, but yum. That was Day 1, the wedding. Same day as checking out the local park, big lunch, grabbing something to wear because luggage gone. Loool because my stylish sisters' luggage gone too, so they couldn't upstage the bride. Wedding after-party and after-after-party, but I'm a human being after all, I was tired.
I'd actually got food-poisoning on Day 0 and emptied my whole gut in the plumbing at the connecting airport (practiced my Arabic with the cleaner lady who wanted baksheesh, oh dear, just like Nigeria) and hung out at night with the groom's crew from Bilbao right after, so I don't know where all the energy came from. Guess when you don't have too much money lying about and someone gets you a trip to wherever - thanks mama - you get in there and rock the hell out of it :)
Day 2, Sunday, I walked throughout Barcelona. Discovering downtown is like what I was born to do. In my notebook, I listed: Poblenou/Diagonal, past Torre Agbar and Glories Mall and Design museum, up by Sagrada Familia and Casa Mila (La Pedrera) and Casa Batlo and great buildings with steel balustrade on intricate facades, the shops, outdoor dining, and street musicians on Passeig del Gracia, El Corte Ingles to change money ( $ gift from uncle ) and retrieve my red scarf forgotten yesterday, and down La Rambla. Don't forget Marilyn Monroe and the erotic museum. S wanted to see my chest, well, to determine my shirt size. Home by 11pm.
By Day 3 I was fit to work as a tour guide; fortunately, my father was willing to hang out with me, so I got to put my skill to use :) I put my high-heels on thinking it would be some mild walking, then we took public transportation everywhere, but lots of hiking - the park near the hotel, the zoo - sea lion show yippee, then Parc Guell, food and the Nigeria-France world cup match, then Camp Nou closing time. Then it was night and I sent papa to bed while I went to see flamenco and fall for a local (S from Day 2) and sanctify the air.
Day 5 my feet were finished, so I did nothing but rest and watch TV, but Day 4, I took a different cut across the town. An hour or two with my mother and lovely sister but we split up because I'd already seen the mall a couple of times - love you very dearly but no more El Corte Ingles for me, so now I did Barri Gotic, a church, the ateliers, got lost and ended up in a sort of rough area and Parc de la Ciutadella, walked the marina still lost, rushed dinner, late to the opera, waited for loverboy who of course had made a point of going out to the W hotel without me because he's an evil Las Ramblas dude lol, so instead I talked to a drunk likely minor drug dealer dude who explained the ecology of Las Ramblas nightlife - the prostitutes, the Nigerians, the tough guys, the whole scam repeating night after night. That day was the taxi union strike (against Uber) so I had to walk/bus home very late. Was thinking to go off to Paris for Day 5 but no money, no feet...I let everybody else have the fun for a change :)
Day 6, July 3rd, I had money again and dad said I had to buy stuff so I complied during my walk down to the center of town. Then as you know, I went to that national history museum. I didn't mean to go there, I'd thought this was the famed Catalonia Art Museum, was so sure I was an expert in Barcelona, all I needed to do was walk past the marina and the beach. So it was the wrong place, but it was the right place after all.
Afterwards I asked a local what I should do next because I'd already done everything, so I spent the afternoon at Laberinto d'Horta on the outskirts of town, then did some Gaudi (Casa Mila), went late to my sister's show at fashion week, hung out at this amazing musical instrument shop, and then as my little book has it "Unbelievable: ST stood me up again! ...I waited 2 hrs. Got drunk on half a glass of Sangria. Couldn't eat my dinner."
Day 7: First, to hospital with K (sister) and mum. Then to La Rambla to think, eat a perfect sorbet (my third - same flavour, same shop) and make up with my beautiful. It worked. (...camera fades...) Later, on the flight back, I was in dreamland because (...ok, this is too sappy...)
Advertisement: ###Three Sisters, my novel #1 here###
PS
Luggage returned Day 2 or 3.
Reason number three that I didn't go to Paris on Day 5? ST. As in, heartbreak.
I forgot about ST all these months :0
I was also going to write about the future of work - telecommuting (I'm about to try a full telecommute gig) and virtual workplaces (virtual reality, immersion in any place you choose). Well, now I have.
 |
| What I would have seen at the other museum |
Saturday, June 27, 2015
Monday, June 22, 2015
Understanding women
Last week in Nigeria gossip blogging was dominated by some circus about... - it's already this week so who even cares?
The same week, I finally watched the first Sex and the City movie and also encountered some circus elsewhere that got me thinking about women and their peculiar madness.
I want answers.
Here are some answers.
First let me get this off my chest: if you want to be beautiful in my book, starrrr, show me some inner beauty. All that drag-queen bizness may get you tagged as 'stunning', yeah, like he's stunning too.
To the point. Ahem. Here are some answers.
A chic who wants to understand men can do worse than learn to code. Honest. If you're already clever or mathy, jump right in with Coursera/RiceUniversity 's Python course. If not, here's a baby version. (But women are already right, so they don't need to learn no crude, male behaviour.)
A dude who wants to understand women?
At first I thought there is no formula, but the three women I studied helped me see one thing: CHIC EGO HUGE, BUT their flavour of selfishness is all about how they appear, not the food-clothing-sex-shelter-money they tangibly get. Understand "face" and you understand women. What is face? Watch Asian movies, get a Japanese roommate, or read chic lit. 100 hours to change your life.
You're welcome.
What else do you need to know to live a long and happy life? I'll let grandpa tell you -
Advertisement: Read my books. ###Three Sisters, novel #1 here###
The same week, I finally watched the first Sex and the City movie and also encountered some circus elsewhere that got me thinking about women and their peculiar madness.
I want answers.
Here are some answers.
First let me get this off my chest: if you want to be beautiful in my book, starrrr, show me some inner beauty. All that drag-queen bizness may get you tagged as 'stunning', yeah, like he's stunning too.
To the point. Ahem. Here are some answers.
A chic who wants to understand men can do worse than learn to code. Honest. If you're already clever or mathy, jump right in with Coursera/RiceUniversity 's Python course. If not, here's a baby version. (But women are already right, so they don't need to learn no crude, male behaviour.)
A dude who wants to understand women?
At first I thought there is no formula, but the three women I studied helped me see one thing: CHIC EGO HUGE, BUT their flavour of selfishness is all about how they appear, not the food-clothing-sex-shelter-money they tangibly get. Understand "face" and you understand women. What is face? Watch Asian movies, get a Japanese roommate, or read chic lit. 100 hours to change your life.
You're welcome.
What else do you need to know to live a long and happy life? I'll let grandpa tell you -
Advertisement: Read my books. ###Three Sisters, novel #1 here###
Thursday, June 11, 2015
Three Sisters, alternative cover images
At lunch yesterday, I was telling a group of my kids (former students) to get Three Sisters, and one of them (I'm pretty sure her name is Tope) said, oh, I think I've seen it about, then proceeded to describe this 2011 magazine cover.
Hmm, ok, now that you bring it up...it has three sisters like the novel. Monalisa would have to be Mona since she's the oldest, Neku the young adventurer would be Koko, and me zuzu.
Early feedback from readers: people really love Koko, want more Koko. My favourite is...I really shouldn't say. Mona. The one that makes me cry. And yes, TheRe WILL Be more Koko, maybe in an additional chapter, an epilogue, or maybe in novel #2 (she'll be in her twenties then.)
Read my books. You know you wanna.
###Three Sisters, novel #1 here### Click on the title then download.
 |
| Monalisa Okojie (front), me, Uneku Atawodi(top) |
Hmm, ok, now that you bring it up...it has three sisters like the novel. Monalisa would have to be Mona since she's the oldest, Neku the young adventurer would be Koko, and me zuzu.
Early feedback from readers: people really love Koko, want more Koko. My favourite is...I really shouldn't say. Mona. The one that makes me cry. And yes, TheRe WILL Be more Koko, maybe in an additional chapter, an epilogue, or maybe in novel #2 (she'll be in her twenties then.)
Read my books. You know you wanna.
###Three Sisters, novel #1 here### Click on the title then download.
Wednesday, May 27, 2015
Lyrics: Democracy, by DaGrin
Intro:
Corruption ti hit nation
Gbogbo wa la n live in desperation
Tori 'e n'mo se n drink medication
Fun protection against starvation pelu corruption
Tori generation yii, a need salvation
Through a strong constitution
Ninu studio, owo naa l'afi n book session
E joo e stop sensation
A need action ko n se prosecution
Free/Fair pelu alaafia ninu nation
E gbo nnkan ti mo fe so
eleyii 'o nse body vibration
(Clear throat)
1.
Nigeria ni mo ti ri t'olopa ma n toro bara
Nitori twenty naira won le fi ba e faa ya!
Agbero maa n f'agidi gba Gala lowo driver
E'e ri nnkan kan se si, eyin ijoba e n kaalara
Gbogbo owo ti e ti gbe mi l'awon omo omo yin maa bi
E'e ri bi awon ara ilu se n pariwo: Ebi!
T'oba ri life ti talika n live ni Birnin Kebbi
Gbogbo yin patapata ni Olorun maa da l'ebi.
A'a ran omo lo si school, ko ni si textbook
E de promise pe e maa fun wa ni free education
Ki l'on je bee? Owo nla ma l'a fi n s'admission.
E de ti ko gbogbo awon omo ti yin kuro ninu nation.
A ti igba ti mo ti n ko'rin, mi o ni money
E'e tie ki n soro rara nipa music industry
Economically, agidi l'a fi n ra bread
Ta lo so wipe President o ki n fine ninu telly?
E'e mo ju ki e so'ro petrol, pelu football
A ti igba ti a de ti n gba World Cup, a'a gba cup.
O ga o! Boya gan an l'atie gba second.
Awon yen naa, won a maa play ball bi alakan.
Graduate maa maa wa'se, gbogbo bata e a je,
a'a ye s'egbe, everywhere ko si employment,
Eni ti o ti n kole tele, ko le ra cement,
Increase ni rent, decrease ni salary payment.
Chorus:
Shey democracy leleyii abi crazy demo?
Oluwa shaanu wa dakun ma ma je ka jego.
Ba'a laju awon ijoba ko to di quarter-to.
Mo de pariwo titi fun yin 'pe kee ma dibo.
Se democracy l'eleyi abi crazy demo?
Oluwa s'aanu wa dakun ma ma je k'a je'go.
Ba wa laju awon ijoba ko to di quarter-to.
Mo de pariwo titi fun yin wipe k'e ma d'ibo.
2.
Awon eeyan n sise, won n gbe ninu ise,
Awon elo mii, nitori owo, won ti gb'ese.
Awon elomii n gb'owo ni ita, nitori won le ju ese,
Nigba to je awon ijoba gan an, won o p'ese ise.
Wo'a lo si university, wa se tan, waa gba pali,
Pelu pali re, wa tun maa wa'se ka kaakiri,
Gbogbo ibi ti o ba lo, won a ni kosi vacancies.
Gbogbo kini yen, o maa ma fun e ni headache.
Awon elomii n jale tori ko si ise ni igboro.
Economically, most obinrin ti di ashewo.
O ga o! Ko de 'n se ejo elomii ti e ba ro o.
Sugbon aso yellow ti di white, l'owo o lilo.
Ijoba, e wa na. (clears throat). E duro na.
O ga o. Eekan l'osu l'a ma n ni ina.
O n happen all over Nigeria, pelu Kaduna,
Minna, gbogbo yin ti e ba ilu je l'e maa gb'ina.
Aimoye titi ti o je'pe moto o le gba 'be.
Lo si under bridge l'Oshodi, gbogbo ibe ti baje.
Ti ojo ba ro, gbogbo ibe yen maa di kpenshen-kpenshen.
Ti o ba ya, a si maa gbe oko oju omi koja ni be.
Gbogbo promise ti e make, iro l'o wa n' be
Sebi eyin naa, e ma n travel lo si Yankee.
E'e ri bi titi won pelu economy won se ri?
Eyin kan n lo si be, e kan lo n se faaji!
Gbogbo nnkan l'awon ijoba yii fi ni wa l'ara.
Ko de ri bee nigba ti a koko gba ominira.
But nigba ti awon Big Bros ti take over,
Gbogbo owo wa patapata ni won fi n da agbada.
Nigeria, gbogbo wa l'a n fi ori f'aya
A t'omode a t'agbalaba, pelu t'oko t'aya,
Baba, mama, pelu awon omo mefa ma sun si inu yara
eyo kan. Bawo ni won o se ni maa l'alakala?
Chorus / Se democracy ...
3.
Awon eeyan maa n ni Nigeria, Giant of Africa,
Lo wo bi economy won se better ni South Africa.
Ghana celebrate ten years ti won ti ni ina, ti won o tan atupa.
Ti tiyin e'e mo ju ki e s'oge, ki e tun wo agbada.
Igba kan ni won maa n ko awon were l'oju titi,
awon were maa n rin kiri pelu awon eeyan gidi.
Ni isinyin, awon were, won o l'identity -
Local Government kan, o le pade were fifty.
Ki lo de? Awon olowo nikan lo n s'oge.
Awon omo yin, pelu awon iyawo nyin, won n gbe gele.
E n gbe fila. Democracy alagbada.
O ga o. Owo gbogbo wa l'e fin n yi ata.
National ID Card, owo l'a fi n register.
A o ri nnkan kan. E da passport wa pada.
E n waste time omode pelu agbalagba.
E se o. E ranti 'pe Olorun wa.
Igba ti a gbo National ID Card, inu wa dun.
Asee won n d'ogbon, won fe ki Oba wole.
Oba ti wole, agidi l'a fi n san'wo ile.
School ma n strike, ohun yen, se iyen la fe pe ni holiday?
E'e san owo awon osise, ranti pe awon naa l'omo n'le.
Awa l'a ni petrol, ki lo de ti petrol 'o flow?
E n gb'owo le e l'ojoojumo, ki lo se yin o?
Ti Olorun ba binu, gbogbo yin ni petrol maa jo.
Se democracy alagbada l'eleyii tabi shimi?
E ranti 'pe most people l'o te'ka fun yin
A'a le ra Maclean(s), pako l'a maa fi n fo eyin
Ki lo se yin? Eeyan sha l'awon Bill Clinton.
O'o le ji l'ojo kan, ki o so 'pe o fe je iyan.
Lai se ojo Sunday. Garri nikan gan an ti won.
Alagbara l'eni ti o ba ra rice De Rica kan.
O pay mi ki n kuro ni Nigeria, ki n sa lo si Abidjan.
Chorus / Se democracy ...
Chorus / Se democracy ...
Advertisement: Read my books.
###Three Sisters, novel #1 here###
I have also translated the lyrics in the comments.
Corruption ti hit nation
Gbogbo wa la n live in desperation
Tori 'e n'mo se n drink medication
Fun protection against starvation pelu corruption
Tori generation yii, a need salvation
Through a strong constitution
Ninu studio, owo naa l'afi n book session
E joo e stop sensation
A need action ko n se prosecution
Free/Fair pelu alaafia ninu nation
E gbo nnkan ti mo fe so
eleyii 'o nse body vibration
(Clear throat)
1.
Nigeria ni mo ti ri t'olopa ma n toro bara
Nitori twenty naira won le fi ba e faa ya!
Agbero maa n f'agidi gba Gala lowo driver
E'e ri nnkan kan se si, eyin ijoba e n kaalara
Gbogbo owo ti e ti gbe mi l'awon omo omo yin maa bi
E'e ri bi awon ara ilu se n pariwo: Ebi!
T'oba ri life ti talika n live ni Birnin Kebbi
Gbogbo yin patapata ni Olorun maa da l'ebi.
A'a ran omo lo si school, ko ni si textbook
E de promise pe e maa fun wa ni free education
Ki l'on je bee? Owo nla ma l'a fi n s'admission.
E de ti ko gbogbo awon omo ti yin kuro ninu nation.
A ti igba ti mo ti n ko'rin, mi o ni money
E'e tie ki n soro rara nipa music industry
Economically, agidi l'a fi n ra bread
Ta lo so wipe President o ki n fine ninu telly?
E'e mo ju ki e so'ro petrol, pelu football
A ti igba ti a de ti n gba World Cup, a'a gba cup.
O ga o! Boya gan an l'atie gba second.
Awon yen naa, won a maa play ball bi alakan.
Graduate maa maa wa'se, gbogbo bata e a je,
a'a ye s'egbe, everywhere ko si employment,
Eni ti o ti n kole tele, ko le ra cement,
Increase ni rent, decrease ni salary payment.
Chorus:
Shey democracy leleyii abi crazy demo?
Oluwa shaanu wa dakun ma ma je ka jego.
Ba'a laju awon ijoba ko to di quarter-to.
Mo de pariwo titi fun yin 'pe kee ma dibo.
Se democracy l'eleyi abi crazy demo?
Oluwa s'aanu wa dakun ma ma je k'a je'go.
Ba wa laju awon ijoba ko to di quarter-to.
Mo de pariwo titi fun yin wipe k'e ma d'ibo.
2.
Awon eeyan n sise, won n gbe ninu ise,
Awon elo mii, nitori owo, won ti gb'ese.
Awon elomii n gb'owo ni ita, nitori won le ju ese,
Nigba to je awon ijoba gan an, won o p'ese ise.
Wo'a lo si university, wa se tan, waa gba pali,
Pelu pali re, wa tun maa wa'se ka kaakiri,
Gbogbo ibi ti o ba lo, won a ni kosi vacancies.
Gbogbo kini yen, o maa ma fun e ni headache.
Awon elomii n jale tori ko si ise ni igboro.
Economically, most obinrin ti di ashewo.
O ga o! Ko de 'n se ejo elomii ti e ba ro o.
Sugbon aso yellow ti di white, l'owo o lilo.
Ijoba, e wa na. (clears throat). E duro na.
O ga o. Eekan l'osu l'a ma n ni ina.
O n happen all over Nigeria, pelu Kaduna,
Minna, gbogbo yin ti e ba ilu je l'e maa gb'ina.
Aimoye titi ti o je'pe moto o le gba 'be.
Lo si under bridge l'Oshodi, gbogbo ibe ti baje.
Ti ojo ba ro, gbogbo ibe yen maa di kpenshen-kpenshen.
Ti o ba ya, a si maa gbe oko oju omi koja ni be.
Gbogbo promise ti e make, iro l'o wa n' be
Sebi eyin naa, e ma n travel lo si Yankee.
E'e ri bi titi won pelu economy won se ri?
Eyin kan n lo si be, e kan lo n se faaji!
Gbogbo nnkan l'awon ijoba yii fi ni wa l'ara.
Ko de ri bee nigba ti a koko gba ominira.
But nigba ti awon Big Bros ti take over,
Gbogbo owo wa patapata ni won fi n da agbada.
Nigeria, gbogbo wa l'a n fi ori f'aya
A t'omode a t'agbalaba, pelu t'oko t'aya,
Baba, mama, pelu awon omo mefa ma sun si inu yara
eyo kan. Bawo ni won o se ni maa l'alakala?
Chorus / Se democracy ...
3.
Awon eeyan maa n ni Nigeria, Giant of Africa,
Lo wo bi economy won se better ni South Africa.
Ghana celebrate ten years ti won ti ni ina, ti won o tan atupa.
Ti tiyin e'e mo ju ki e s'oge, ki e tun wo agbada.
Igba kan ni won maa n ko awon were l'oju titi,
awon were maa n rin kiri pelu awon eeyan gidi.
Ni isinyin, awon were, won o l'identity -
Local Government kan, o le pade were fifty.
Ki lo de? Awon olowo nikan lo n s'oge.
Awon omo yin, pelu awon iyawo nyin, won n gbe gele.
E n gbe fila. Democracy alagbada.
O ga o. Owo gbogbo wa l'e fin n yi ata.
National ID Card, owo l'a fi n register.
A o ri nnkan kan. E da passport wa pada.
E n waste time omode pelu agbalagba.
E se o. E ranti 'pe Olorun wa.
Igba ti a gbo National ID Card, inu wa dun.
Asee won n d'ogbon, won fe ki Oba wole.
Oba ti wole, agidi l'a fi n san'wo ile.
School ma n strike, ohun yen, se iyen la fe pe ni holiday?
E'e san owo awon osise, ranti pe awon naa l'omo n'le.
Awa l'a ni petrol, ki lo de ti petrol 'o flow?
E n gb'owo le e l'ojoojumo, ki lo se yin o?
Ti Olorun ba binu, gbogbo yin ni petrol maa jo.
Se democracy alagbada l'eleyii tabi shimi?
E ranti 'pe most people l'o te'ka fun yin
A'a le ra Maclean(s), pako l'a maa fi n fo eyin
Ki lo se yin? Eeyan sha l'awon Bill Clinton.
O'o le ji l'ojo kan, ki o so 'pe o fe je iyan.
Lai se ojo Sunday. Garri nikan gan an ti won.
Alagbara l'eni ti o ba ra rice De Rica kan.
O pay mi ki n kuro ni Nigeria, ki n sa lo si Abidjan.
Chorus / Se democracy ...
Chorus / Se democracy ...
Advertisement: Read my books.
###Three Sisters, novel #1 here###
Rapper DaGrin died in April 22, 2010 at age 22, just months after the release of his massive hit album C.E.O. (Chief Executive Omo-ita). I previously wrote about him here.
Democracy is from one of his earlier projects, I believe. I have it
(along with Ndigbo/Ndi Igbo, If You No Fit Fly, Kekere, Bounce With Me, and many more experiments)
on one of the bootleg CDs that was labelled brand new music and hawked in the streets mid-2010.
Listen to Democracy here.
If you have details or corrections, put them in the comments. Thanks.(along with Ndigbo/Ndi Igbo, If You No Fit Fly, Kekere, Bounce With Me, and many more experiments)
on one of the bootleg CDs that was labelled brand new music and hawked in the streets mid-2010.
Listen to Democracy here.
I have also translated the lyrics in the comments.
Monday, May 11, 2015
Brymo's Lines
Person wey dey take time, e go fit make time ...
Omo o, s'e ti gbo ohun mo so, ofo l'aye o, ofo l'aye o, ofo l'aye o, ofo.
I like to eat my cake and have it.
I sexed my girl, she liked it.
Ijapa o ni'bi t'o nlo...
Ko gba'gidi. O ro bii A, B, D.
Eni a yin'ni, aa yin'ni. Eni o ni yin'ni, ko ni yin'ni...
The poor man wants his space / The rich man wants the place ...
Everyone gets to die.
And those are just the subtle ones.
There are many more,
like the chorus from the Yoruba 'Ara mbe ti mo fe da. K'araye ma pa kadara da, o nbe, o mbe!' that always has me jumping.
'Prick no get shoulder' which is of course, well, yeah, you could check your prick, no shoulder, right?
The whole Se B'Otimo song (Ijapa o nibi to nlo...) is pure gold, and to be honest the entire MDS album.
Son of A Kapenta is his first 'popular' album (but really his second album, he says), and it's great but not mindblowing at first, the talents - songwriting, singing, storytelling - are a little smoothed out, then in my case getting used to his music in later albums made that first album shine more brightly.
Everybody says Tabula Rasa is a wonderful album, which it is, it's amazing, but Merchants, Dealers, and Slaves is beyond! O guitar. O voice. O that sick transition from track 1 to track 2. O wisdom, in English and Yoruba, in comedy and tragedy. O that voice - owo owo owo owo o, on Money (I dey think about money...if Adenuga come go broke). O how pure this album is - very light on production, very perfect.
The last Brymo concert, I asked my parents out to see it. (Nice! Lucky to have parents, you know.) I told them he was kind of a modern-day Jimi Solanke storyteller-singer. It was a cosy 'unplugged' session plus a keyboardist, guitarist, and conga drummer.
Another post, some other day, on how incredible it felt to be at Jazzhole learning the meaning of everything then dancing a bit, digging his weird arm-pumping dance that he does while singing, and his little life story that tells and shines; he does great with serenades and love (Good morning omoge, tell me how d'you do, or this beauty: Se o le se'be Pound kan, ayanfe mi gan gan, ... mo ni'fe re ni gan an) but I'm not joking when I say in one evening - in one minute - I learned the meaning of it all, of life, of 'energy', Jesus and Mohammed. But I'm not telling you.
Mum loved the outing and everything. Dad liked the music, he loves Brymo's most popular music, he loves a lot of stuff (Yaaay, daddy is 60 - so fast!) but what we found at the end of the evening - dad had chosen to believe that the guy on stage was some dude doing covers of other great people's songs because no way that simple young boy in jeans wrote Ara, sang Oleku, wrote the nice love songs and the deep sage songs. I gave dad the look, like, yeah, like I'd bring you to see some counterfeit joint, man ;) I'm becoming my father hehehe. I remember his Fela days and vinyl record days (Dolly Parton, but otherwise mostly black people with afros and stuff) and the disco tape I inherited from him in Primary Six (oh joy!)
Since we're on the topic of Brymo, what's your favourite Asa album?
Advertisement: Read my books. ###Three Sisters, novel #1 here###
Omo o, s'e ti gbo ohun mo so, ofo l'aye o, ofo l'aye o, ofo l'aye o, ofo.
I like to eat my cake and have it.
I sexed my girl, she liked it.
Ijapa o ni'bi t'o nlo...
Ko gba'gidi. O ro bii A, B, D.
Eni a yin'ni, aa yin'ni. Eni o ni yin'ni, ko ni yin'ni...
The poor man wants his space / The rich man wants the place ...
Everyone gets to die.
And those are just the subtle ones.
There are many more,
like the chorus from the Yoruba 'Ara mbe ti mo fe da. K'araye ma pa kadara da, o nbe, o mbe!' that always has me jumping.
'Prick no get shoulder' which is of course, well, yeah, you could check your prick, no shoulder, right?
 | |
| The Son of a Kapenta; click on the images always :) |
Son of A Kapenta is his first 'popular' album (but really his second album, he says), and it's great but not mindblowing at first, the talents - songwriting, singing, storytelling - are a little smoothed out, then in my case getting used to his music in later albums made that first album shine more brightly.
 |
| Tracklist: Merchants, Dealers, and Slaves |
 |
| Tabula Rasa (the Gift) |
Another post, some other day, on how incredible it felt to be at Jazzhole learning the meaning of everything then dancing a bit, digging his weird arm-pumping dance that he does while singing, and his little life story that tells and shines; he does great with serenades and love (Good morning omoge, tell me how d'you do, or this beauty: Se o le se'be Pound kan, ayanfe mi gan gan, ... mo ni'fe re ni gan an) but I'm not joking when I say in one evening - in one minute - I learned the meaning of it all, of life, of 'energy', Jesus and Mohammed. But I'm not telling you.
Mum loved the outing and everything. Dad liked the music, he loves Brymo's most popular music, he loves a lot of stuff (Yaaay, daddy is 60 - so fast!) but what we found at the end of the evening - dad had chosen to believe that the guy on stage was some dude doing covers of other great people's songs because no way that simple young boy in jeans wrote Ara, sang Oleku, wrote the nice love songs and the deep sage songs. I gave dad the look, like, yeah, like I'd bring you to see some counterfeit joint, man ;) I'm becoming my father hehehe. I remember his Fela days and vinyl record days (Dolly Parton, but otherwise mostly black people with afros and stuff) and the disco tape I inherited from him in Primary Six (oh joy!)
Since we're on the topic of Brymo, what's your favourite Asa album?
Advertisement: Read my books. ###Three Sisters, novel #1 here###
Tuesday, May 05, 2015
Wednesday, April 22, 2015
Area.
Discovery Channel should feature Oregun-area rats abeg!
They are majestic.
This one here has maybe a 12-inch tail, its nose flattens dramatically as it sniffs about, it's big and rotund like a Disney/Pixar rat. And don't get me started on the lineage. Blue Blood; descended from a long line of Olusosun Rubbish-dump negus (n-e-g-u-s.)
That's the outdoor scenery. Inside, these wall geckos...they're living well, making babies. The best thing is how happy they are when they're hunting and eating - their joy so infectious!
I keep wanting to do a phototour or walking-guide of this town. Tucked away somewhere between the Lagos State government buildings of Alausa and the old commercial districts of Allen Avenue and Ikeja GRA, the town has all this unpretentious food, pretty views, and diverse entertainment. It's known for the industrial estate and a lot of other industries, especially the faith industries (wink;) - the headquarters of Pastor Chris Oyakhilome's Christ Embassy, Pastor Chris Okotie's Household of God, Pastor Sam Adeyemi's Daystar Christian Center are each within ten-minutes, walking, of the others. I've visited all these. Household of God has a gorgeous, almost Victorian yet over-the-top, frilly, beautifully lit interior. Divine music. High entertainment value. Sorry that I visit churches for entertainment. You really should see these places.
One day a friend took me to this marble edifice, Lord knows how many floors, that is some sort of religious center too, on some hidden street. There's a Mountain of Fire or two, and I guess all the usual church brands. I'm Catholic, and one Ash Wednesday, I went to the local Catholic Church. There's a Daystar offshoot - forgot the name - that grew very fast and then maybe stalled or moved; had the couples and matchmaking and career development and drive-for-success and all that stuff Nigerians like in their Sunday morning entertainment.
I remember when I lived next to the Mountain of Fire and Miracles' Yaba Headquarters. O wow. They prayed without ceasing, like the Bible says to do. First in the morning, last at night, for the fruit of the womb, for promotion, for annihilation of the enemy, by fire!
I don't know of any major hotel on its streets, but many motels and potels. One little place that sells decent rice is at Number 69 on the main street. 69 in black paint on the yellow and orange house. Inspiring, hard to forget. Rooms upstairs I hear. I don't know if they have girls on site or not.
I discovered a major theater company practically next door.
On Saturdays there are the famous event centers for weddings and owambe parties so lots of nice cars parked on the main road. For those who can't afford such, the schools serve as event centers. You can hear the MCs calling on the old people to dance to these young-people tunes. The kids screaming, having the time of their lives.
The straight-from-village people - and by this I really mean, buses full of villagers in brightly-coloured 'aso-ebi' uniform-wear come into town to leave the same day - feeling funky, following the same wedding format as island babes from Devonshire and Herefordshire, complete with 'catch the bouquet' , the music - Beyonce: All You Single Ladies / Put a ring on it. It all cracks me up.
Radio and press and magazines, media and advertising- 234next.com / NEXT News used to be right down the street. Lots of stuff I don't know but maybe will find out.
Back to food: I know a half dozen suya and so-called barbecue spots, some I wouldn't touch because my tummy, I don't know if that stuff's safe. The other day I saw my favourite suya guy who'd been gone for a year or more. I can't explain how likeable this dude always was. Apparently he's now been hired at this place (pounded yam / finger yam spot) where the suya guy died last year during Lagos' ebola scare, not of ebola, but that tale scared me from eating suya/bbq there for a while. I mean, they said he just dropped dead or something strange.
I'm hoping the idea of developing multiple 'areas' and their cultures and businesses takes hold in Lagos. It can't be all about overpriced Victoria Island, right? That's why I did up this events calendar. Maybe folks will use it.
Advertisement: Read my books. ###Three Sisters, novel #1 here###
Somebody outside just farted. A soulful uninhibited fart. It's the cleaning lady. Let me go say hi.
They are majestic.
This one here has maybe a 12-inch tail, its nose flattens dramatically as it sniffs about, it's big and rotund like a Disney/Pixar rat. And don't get me started on the lineage. Blue Blood; descended from a long line of Olusosun Rubbish-dump negus (n-e-g-u-s.)
That's the outdoor scenery. Inside, these wall geckos...they're living well, making babies. The best thing is how happy they are when they're hunting and eating - their joy so infectious!
I keep wanting to do a phototour or walking-guide of this town. Tucked away somewhere between the Lagos State government buildings of Alausa and the old commercial districts of Allen Avenue and Ikeja GRA, the town has all this unpretentious food, pretty views, and diverse entertainment. It's known for the industrial estate and a lot of other industries, especially the faith industries (wink;) - the headquarters of Pastor Chris Oyakhilome's Christ Embassy, Pastor Chris Okotie's Household of God, Pastor Sam Adeyemi's Daystar Christian Center are each within ten-minutes, walking, of the others. I've visited all these. Household of God has a gorgeous, almost Victorian yet over-the-top, frilly, beautifully lit interior. Divine music. High entertainment value. Sorry that I visit churches for entertainment. You really should see these places.
One day a friend took me to this marble edifice, Lord knows how many floors, that is some sort of religious center too, on some hidden street. There's a Mountain of Fire or two, and I guess all the usual church brands. I'm Catholic, and one Ash Wednesday, I went to the local Catholic Church. There's a Daystar offshoot - forgot the name - that grew very fast and then maybe stalled or moved; had the couples and matchmaking and career development and drive-for-success and all that stuff Nigerians like in their Sunday morning entertainment.
I remember when I lived next to the Mountain of Fire and Miracles' Yaba Headquarters. O wow. They prayed without ceasing, like the Bible says to do. First in the morning, last at night, for the fruit of the womb, for promotion, for annihilation of the enemy, by fire!
I don't know of any major hotel on its streets, but many motels and potels. One little place that sells decent rice is at Number 69 on the main street. 69 in black paint on the yellow and orange house. Inspiring, hard to forget. Rooms upstairs I hear. I don't know if they have girls on site or not.
I discovered a major theater company practically next door.
On Saturdays there are the famous event centers for weddings and owambe parties so lots of nice cars parked on the main road. For those who can't afford such, the schools serve as event centers. You can hear the MCs calling on the old people to dance to these young-people tunes. The kids screaming, having the time of their lives.
The straight-from-village people - and by this I really mean, buses full of villagers in brightly-coloured 'aso-ebi' uniform-wear come into town to leave the same day - feeling funky, following the same wedding format as island babes from Devonshire and Herefordshire, complete with 'catch the bouquet' , the music - Beyonce: All You Single Ladies / Put a ring on it. It all cracks me up.
Radio and press and magazines, media and advertising- 234next.com / NEXT News used to be right down the street. Lots of stuff I don't know but maybe will find out.
Back to food: I know a half dozen suya and so-called barbecue spots, some I wouldn't touch because my tummy, I don't know if that stuff's safe. The other day I saw my favourite suya guy who'd been gone for a year or more. I can't explain how likeable this dude always was. Apparently he's now been hired at this place (pounded yam / finger yam spot) where the suya guy died last year during Lagos' ebola scare, not of ebola, but that tale scared me from eating suya/bbq there for a while. I mean, they said he just dropped dead or something strange.
Advertisement: Read my books. ###Three Sisters, novel #1 here###
Somebody outside just farted. A soulful uninhibited fart. It's the cleaning lady. Let me go say hi.
Wednesday, April 01, 2015
GOD!
After the elections in which General Muhammadu Buhari and the All Progressives Congress defeated the incumbent Goodluck Jonathan and the People's Democratic Party of Nigeria,
one of the reasons that some youngsters rejoice is that this upset shows that the power belongs to the people.
So I laugh, because of course the power belongs to the people - that is what democracy means - and maybe it took some people all these years to notice.
In a December 2010 post, Le progrès, c'est chic at lifelib's sister blog UpNaira, I wrote: "Civil society is awakening; citizens stage the occasional protest, only to find that their voices DO count."
That is, as at December 2010, it was already clear (if surprising) to many Nigerian people that the power was in their hands. Their delight at this 'grand discovery' was perhaps understandable, after the trauma of military 'rule' - Abacha died only in 1998.
Still, sad to find human beings rejoicing in 2010 at simple freedoms: omg look i marched on the government and did not die, or in 2015 saying ohmygodunbelievable i voted out the ruling party. We pray that more and more people and nations can experience this.
Anyway, progressively Nigeria became more democratic since 1999 -
from General Obasanjo who had to be a cross between a strong man and a liberalizing leader and played his role exceptionally well,
through Umaru Musa Yar'Adua (RIP) who they called go-slow but who again found more institutional-based ways and freedom-loving ways to solve some knotty issues,
to the much beloved GEJ (don't worry if you're too angry with him now, it will come to pass that you will remember him with more respect and appreciation) Goodluck Jonathan administration where some more political baggage was thrown out in favour of development, and some more strongmanism was thrown out in favour of institution-building.
This is my attempt to amend our understanding of history.
My friends, when you write "Now they know it is the will of the people that will always prevail", sorry, this is not a new discovery. Still, go tell it on the mountain, so that those who don't already know will know.
If more people are today finding out that they are God and God is them, then I guess, wonderful. We are the government. Voting is only one small part of our duty as the government. WE have the power to fuck everything up. Absorb that. Process that.
But
we are Nigerians, we are special, intelligent, and wonderful, so we will not mess up, instead, we will build something beautiful. insha'Allah, in Jesus' name, by the grace of God. AAAMIN.
Advertisement: Read my books. ###Three Sisters, novel #1 here###
Download and share the book, it's free.
And listen to some Kanye here - that's free too.
So I laugh, because of course the power belongs to the people - that is what democracy means - and maybe it took some people all these years to notice.
In a December 2010 post, Le progrès, c'est chic at lifelib's sister blog UpNaira, I wrote: "Civil society is awakening; citizens stage the occasional protest, only to find that their voices DO count."
That is, as at December 2010, it was already clear (if surprising) to many Nigerian people that the power was in their hands. Their delight at this 'grand discovery' was perhaps understandable, after the trauma of military 'rule' - Abacha died only in 1998.
Still, sad to find human beings rejoicing in 2010 at simple freedoms: omg look i marched on the government and did not die, or in 2015 saying ohmygodunbelievable i voted out the ruling party. We pray that more and more people and nations can experience this.
Anyway, progressively Nigeria became more democratic since 1999 -
from General Obasanjo who had to be a cross between a strong man and a liberalizing leader and played his role exceptionally well,
through Umaru Musa Yar'Adua (RIP) who they called go-slow but who again found more institutional-based ways and freedom-loving ways to solve some knotty issues,
to the much beloved GEJ (don't worry if you're too angry with him now, it will come to pass that you will remember him with more respect and appreciation) Goodluck Jonathan administration where some more political baggage was thrown out in favour of development, and some more strongmanism was thrown out in favour of institution-building.
This is my attempt to amend our understanding of history.
My friends, when you write "Now they know it is the will of the people that will always prevail", sorry, this is not a new discovery. Still, go tell it on the mountain, so that those who don't already know will know.
If more people are today finding out that they are God and God is them, then I guess, wonderful. We are the government. Voting is only one small part of our duty as the government. WE have the power to fuck everything up. Absorb that. Process that.
But
we are Nigerians, we are special, intelligent, and wonderful, so we will not mess up, instead, we will build something beautiful. insha'Allah, in Jesus' name, by the grace of God. AAAMIN.
Advertisement: Read my books. ###Three Sisters, novel #1 here###
Download and share the book, it's free.
And listen to some Kanye here - that's free too.
Tuesday, March 31, 2015
Feeling negative, feeling annoyed
Thinking about
lies and the lying liars who tell them.
Remembering this
if you can't join them, beat them :)
'True' lies and the flock mindset are exactly why I don't need to be around people so much. Ugh, so illogical. So unoriginal. I'm out; I feel better already.
Advertisement: Read my books. ###Three Sisters, novel #1 here###
lies and the lying liars who tell them.
Remembering this
if you can't join them, beat them :)
Advertisement: Read my books. ###Three Sisters, novel #1 here###
Thursday, March 26, 2015
Lyrics: The Search (Radio), by Jesse Jagz, with Jumar and DuGod
From the Royal Niger Company album, aka Jagz Nation Volume Two, 2014
Listen / Watch
(Chorus - ALL)
Late at night when my pen gon' bleed
I look around what a friend gon' need
A friend with weed is a friend in deed
We pick those sticks and we blend those seeds
I dial up, spend more G's,
inhale then we bend those knees.
Feel it in the air there's a gentle breeze.
Please won't you let a nigga blow these trees?
(1 - JESSE)
She ain't even need to speak
her desire spoke
She living out spinning round
like tyre spokes
And through the fire and smoke
she dry and broke
And you could see through her eyes
the entire scope.
Uh.
Happened the very minute she woke
She got the feeling she broke
and now she's looking for bro's.
Hoes.
She wants a nigga that grows
to make her wiggle her toes
and make her feel like a rose.
Now she's looking for the finer blokes
who wire notes
for her designer cloaks
and take notes, nigga, no Made in China coats -
She go coast to coast in steamliner boats.
Coast.
She said life's a joke:
we all live rich but she still die broke
from the poor to the low to the all-high Pope
and I quote the Highness and spoke:
let your mind elope
and light a pipe o' smoke
mix drinks with egg yolks
and get soaked.
And she said:
can you teach me to cope?
The pearls from the oldest oaks -
flows are dope.
And: nope,
I ain't got the antidote
and I quote
we're all just here to find hope
Dope. Quote with the undernote:
The pearls from the oldest oak
flows are dope.
Uh. Yeah.
(Hook 1: JUMAR)
Uuhh, yeahh, was it this you're looking for?
Uhhh, yeahh, this is what this shit is for.
And when I fall into the sky
I know this old G's goin' ride to this
Life is a dream but the streets don't sleep
This is what the fuck it should be
This's what the fuck it should beee
This's what the fuck it should beee.
(2 - DUGOD)
Chei. Um. Ah.
Yeah. Money on your mind
Get your cheddah right.
Crossing borderlines,
we're all searching for a better life.
Forced to battle heavyweights
even though we're featherlight
Black Gees
want to trap cheese
though they never bite.
Uh.
Li'l players ball hard for tall broads
even the score boards against all odds,
you know we've seen this before dawg,
we're small gods.
Like a wizard,
I'm from a place you niggas call Oz.
My life's a movie.
The star and I act alike
Imagination set alight like a satellite.
Executing dreams
still watching out for parasites.
Yet I set my sights on visions of paradise.
And the queen of the city -
my black-brown Nefertiti.
She let my pretty fingers
wrap round perfect titties
my Miss is pretty,
she flowing like the Mississippi,
she a Gee,
so we bang-bang,
no chitty-chitty.
(Hook 2: DUGOD)
Right where I'm supposed to be
Destiny stands close to me
Some live like kings
and so should we
rolling trees, socially.
We're rolling this Colombian gold.
Holy bliss for your body and soul.
On the road to where nobody gets cold.
Lock and load everybody let's gooo.
(Hook 1: JUMAR)
Uuhh, yeahh, was it this you're looking for?
(Dugod - Right where I'm supposed to be,
Destiny stands close to me)
Uhhh, yeahh, this is what this shit is for.
And when I fall into the sky
I know this old G's goin' ride to this
Life is a dream but the streets don't sleep
This is what the fuck it should be
This's what the fuck it should beee
This's what the fuck it should beee.
(3 - JESSE)
Chei.
Now tell me what it is you're looking for -
is it something spiritual or something physical?
Something you can see yourself in immaterial?
What? You're not rocking with the imperial?
Uh?
Baby stare into a mirror yeah
Is there something making you feel so inferior?
And let me change, rearrange, your interior.
Whah? You're not rocking with the superior?
And are you
looking for something in your previous life,
Baby, beneath the hype?
Uh.
Are you trying to make your features right?
Trying to reach the heights,
or, looking for love like a preacher's wife?
Uhn.
Come on, Baby, look inside you.
Come on, real nigga read a book beside you.
Stop being idle.
and calculate what I divide through.
It's multiplied by two what I'll supply you.
Come on, Baby, let the vibe through
and let this be your weapon; be your Bible.
and be your rifle if any try to ride you,
it will guide you.
Are you tired of being lied to?
Life: are you steady trying to fly through?
Are you tired of being so muthafuckin' tribal?
Are you looking for some take-you-to-the-sky blue?
Tired of the new, are you looking for the vinyl?
(Chorus: ALL)
Late at night when my pen gon' bleed
I look around what a friend gon' need
A friend with weed is a friend in deed
We pick those sticks and we blend those seeds
I dial up, spend more G's,
inhale then we bend those knees,
Feel it in the air there's a gentle breeze.
Please won't you let a nigga blow these trees?
(Hook 2: DUGOD)
Right where I'm supposed to be
Destiny stands close to me
Some live like kings
and so should we
rolling trees, socially.
We're rolling this Colombian gold.
holy bliss for your body and soul.
on the road to where nobody gets cold.
lock and load everybody let's gooo.
Advertisement: Read my books. ###Three Sisters, novel #1 here###
Listen / Watch
(Chorus - ALL)
Late at night when my pen gon' bleed
I look around what a friend gon' need
A friend with weed is a friend in deed
We pick those sticks and we blend those seeds
I dial up, spend more G's,
inhale then we bend those knees.
Feel it in the air there's a gentle breeze.
Please won't you let a nigga blow these trees?
(1 - JESSE)
She ain't even need to speak
her desire spoke
She living out spinning round
like tyre spokes
And through the fire and smoke
she dry and broke
And you could see through her eyes
the entire scope.
Uh.
Happened the very minute she woke
She got the feeling she broke
and now she's looking for bro's.
Hoes.
She wants a nigga that grows
to make her wiggle her toes
and make her feel like a rose.
Now she's looking for the finer blokes
who wire notes
for her designer cloaks
and take notes, nigga, no Made in China coats -
She go coast to coast in steamliner boats.
Coast.
She said life's a joke:
we all live rich but she still die broke
from the poor to the low to the all-high Pope
and I quote the Highness and spoke:
let your mind elope
and light a pipe o' smoke
mix drinks with egg yolks
and get soaked.
And she said:
can you teach me to cope?
The pearls from the oldest oaks -
flows are dope.
And: nope,
I ain't got the antidote
and I quote
we're all just here to find hope
Dope. Quote with the undernote:
The pearls from the oldest oak
flows are dope.
Uh. Yeah.
(Hook 1: JUMAR)
Uuhh, yeahh, was it this you're looking for?
Uhhh, yeahh, this is what this shit is for.
And when I fall into the sky
I know this old G's goin' ride to this
Life is a dream but the streets don't sleep
This is what the fuck it should be
This's what the fuck it should beee
This's what the fuck it should beee.
(2 - DUGOD)
Chei. Um. Ah.
Yeah. Money on your mind
Get your cheddah right.
Crossing borderlines,
we're all searching for a better life.
Forced to battle heavyweights
even though we're featherlight
Black Gees
want to trap cheese
though they never bite.
Uh.
Li'l players ball hard for tall broads
even the score boards against all odds,
you know we've seen this before dawg,
we're small gods.
Like a wizard,
I'm from a place you niggas call Oz.
My life's a movie.
The star and I act alike
Imagination set alight like a satellite.
Executing dreams
still watching out for parasites.
Yet I set my sights on visions of paradise.
And the queen of the city -
my black-brown Nefertiti.
She let my pretty fingers
wrap round perfect titties
my Miss is pretty,
she flowing like the Mississippi,
she a Gee,
so we bang-bang,
no chitty-chitty.
(Hook 2: DUGOD)
Right where I'm supposed to be
Destiny stands close to me
Some live like kings
and so should we
rolling trees, socially.
We're rolling this Colombian gold.
Holy bliss for your body and soul.
On the road to where nobody gets cold.
Lock and load everybody let's gooo.
(Hook 1: JUMAR)
Uuhh, yeahh, was it this you're looking for?
(Dugod - Right where I'm supposed to be,
Destiny stands close to me)
Uhhh, yeahh, this is what this shit is for.
And when I fall into the sky
I know this old G's goin' ride to this
Life is a dream but the streets don't sleep
This is what the fuck it should be
This's what the fuck it should beee
This's what the fuck it should beee.
(3 - JESSE)
Chei.
Now tell me what it is you're looking for -
is it something spiritual or something physical?
Something you can see yourself in immaterial?
What? You're not rocking with the imperial?
Uh?
Baby stare into a mirror yeah
Is there something making you feel so inferior?
And let me change, rearrange, your interior.
Whah? You're not rocking with the superior?
And are you
looking for something in your previous life,
Baby, beneath the hype?
Uh.
Are you trying to make your features right?
Trying to reach the heights,
or, looking for love like a preacher's wife?
Uhn.
Come on, Baby, look inside you.
Come on, real nigga read a book beside you.
Stop being idle.
and calculate what I divide through.
It's multiplied by two what I'll supply you.
Come on, Baby, let the vibe through
and let this be your weapon; be your Bible.
and be your rifle if any try to ride you,
it will guide you.
Are you tired of being lied to?
Life: are you steady trying to fly through?
Are you tired of being so muthafuckin' tribal?
Are you looking for some take-you-to-the-sky blue?
Tired of the new, are you looking for the vinyl?
(Chorus: ALL)
Late at night when my pen gon' bleed
I look around what a friend gon' need
A friend with weed is a friend in deed
We pick those sticks and we blend those seeds
I dial up, spend more G's,
inhale then we bend those knees,
Feel it in the air there's a gentle breeze.
Please won't you let a nigga blow these trees?
(Hook 2: DUGOD)
Right where I'm supposed to be
Destiny stands close to me
Some live like kings
and so should we
rolling trees, socially.
We're rolling this Colombian gold.
holy bliss for your body and soul.
on the road to where nobody gets cold.
lock and load everybody let's gooo.
Advertisement: Read my books. ###Three Sisters, novel #1 here###
Wednesday, March 18, 2015
The Kendrick Lamar album review
Did white people watch Roots? 8-Mile? They need to watch this. To Pimp A Butterfly is (the one-word review) Operatic.
It's Netrebko and Domingo, the best orchestra, 10,000 hours times a thousand tearducts, dancers and costumes, coming at you all at once it seems...You don't even speak Roman so why are you crying...want to be born again.
Kendrick is a vessel - humble like a spring - his water is not his.
Never minding that, in the moment, you would do anything he says, while you search the screen half-expecting the symphony to pimp up in colours of Compton, courtesy of some little studio co-production, roll credits. Episode 11: How Much A Dollar Cost? Episode 13: The blacker the berry...
Advertisement: Read my books.
It's Netrebko and Domingo, the best orchestra, 10,000 hours times a thousand tearducts, dancers and costumes, coming at you all at once it seems...You don't even speak Roman so why are you crying...want to be born again.
Kendrick is a vessel - humble like a spring - his water is not his.
Never minding that, in the moment, you would do anything he says, while you search the screen half-expecting the symphony to pimp up in colours of Compton, courtesy of some little studio co-production, roll credits. Episode 11: How Much A Dollar Cost? Episode 13: The blacker the berry...
Advertisement: Read my books.
Friday, March 06, 2015
I am rich!
New internet. Yah baby - unlimited nights. As my Naija people say, next levels.
It's been a fine four-year relationship with Visafone but Swift offered more for less. I tried to call VF yesterday to ask for a better deal but no answer. I know they'd probably have been puzzled, like 'take your business elsewhere if you like (or does this woman think she's in Yankee?)' but I still thought it'd be nice to talk before switching.
I feel bad for my 'phone credit' guy though, for a while now he could count on me buying 10 grand worth every 4weeks to feed my Coursera addiction. I feel like I have to do 'Happy Weekend' for him now :) I'm on my last GB with the current plan (shed a tear) , then omg omg I'm going to go wild. OK not really. I'll watch a few versions of Aida (detail research for novel #2.) I've blogged three days in a row now, so I'm clearly running away from writing, or something. This new Firefox Hello thing, I might try it. Revive Skype, which I've been off for years now. Watch Papa's interviews. Go hard on the online courses. I used to think those people were crazy, showing off their ten online courses. I've stopped counting mine - maybe ten, probably more.
You know what else I found at the store? A little plastic magnifying glass. Was inspired by my science MOOC to get a microscope or something like it. At some point maybe a telescope. Maybe I'll go someplace where I can see the stars. Maybe the North (Adamawa) when this Boko Haram rubbish ends.
They had acrylic and oil paints too at that shop, but I have enough toys already: piles of books to read, piles of movies to watch, crayons and wall, software and blogs, paper and postercolour, ... and now like double the internet!
It's been a fine four-year relationship with Visafone but Swift offered more for less. I tried to call VF yesterday to ask for a better deal but no answer. I know they'd probably have been puzzled, like 'take your business elsewhere if you like (or does this woman think she's in Yankee?)' but I still thought it'd be nice to talk before switching.
I feel bad for my 'phone credit' guy though, for a while now he could count on me buying 10 grand worth every 4weeks to feed my Coursera addiction. I feel like I have to do 'Happy Weekend' for him now :) I'm on my last GB with the current plan (shed a tear) , then omg omg I'm going to go wild. OK not really. I'll watch a few versions of Aida (detail research for novel #2.) I've blogged three days in a row now, so I'm clearly running away from writing, or something. This new Firefox Hello thing, I might try it. Revive Skype, which I've been off for years now. Watch Papa's interviews. Go hard on the online courses. I used to think those people were crazy, showing off their ten online courses. I've stopped counting mine - maybe ten, probably more.
You know what else I found at the store? A little plastic magnifying glass. Was inspired by my science MOOC to get a microscope or something like it. At some point maybe a telescope. Maybe I'll go someplace where I can see the stars. Maybe the North (Adamawa) when this Boko Haram rubbish ends.
They had acrylic and oil paints too at that shop, but I have enough toys already: piles of books to read, piles of movies to watch, crayons and wall, software and blogs, paper and postercolour, ... and now like double the internet!
Thursday, March 05, 2015
Me against the third-world problems
I'm proud of my solutions:
Details?
Car? X
I travel little - not some sort of salesperson - so I take public transport and stuff. It's social and entertaining. Walking between nodes is all the exercise I get anyhow. Just as importantly, I cut out car maintenance, driving, cleaning, fueling, all that. I'll let the experts do it for me. Nobody has time for a Nigeria-based car mennn. I pity the cars - you would age quickly and be sickly too if you had to do these treacherous, flooded, bumpy, start-stop courses called roads.
Soon, cars'll drive themselves. Much safer anyhow. I've always seen driving as a big responsibility. You're using all this mental energy to make sure you don't kill; make sure you're not killed. It's overwhelming sometimes.
And soon, we'll have trains. Safe, social, civilized - what's not to love about great metropolitan and inter-city transport networks? You can't properly have city life until it's incredibly easy to see your friends, hang out in the evenings, get drunk if you want, end up safely home. Which is why LA was a terrible city, in my opinion, and why I had to get a car there, even if I only did like 5-10 miles a month on it. I couldn't manage grocery shopping, so I broke down (literally crying one day, from the stress of homework and everything, then shopping bags on top of that) and bought one. My baaaby! However, I hear they now have improved public transport, or are working on it.
Gen? X
I use an inverter. Having a tiny cavewoman apartment with no high-power appliances helps. Every Nigerian needs an inverter.
Cut out NEPA-dependence - let them switch on-off on a five-minute cycle if they please.
Cut out generator-hell. Never had a gen, the smoke kills literally but the noise kills slowly too no? I mean, and vibration too?
What is a park, right? lol.
What is a walkway?
What is sanity?
TV? X
I don't want a TV because I spend so much time with other entertainment already. With a TV, I might never DO anything. Plus I watched enough in the noughties to last a lifetime. Time to create more than I consume, no? Also because I'm the kind of cheap black woman that won't pay for cable, lol.
Mosquitoes? X
I need to get help with these greedy ants, they really love baked goods I found the other day, they can sniff banana bread from an ant-mile away, but with the ant-famine on, they're scrounging, foraging, everywhere, even in my bed. Or I'm imagining? What could be attracting them? Been putting off the suggested minor fumigation, but now that they're keeping me up at night, I have to call my friendly neighbourhood facilities manager man.
But the beautiful thing is I've had ~no mosquitoes for years because of my amazing housing-agent-builder-decorator dude who hooked me up, with the window/door nets, and I sure never keep them open.
Love him forever - he oversaw the inverter wiring or whatever too. I was like, I want a place with a bathroom, electricity, and water, he was like, c'mon you'll need curtains, at least one cooking surface, a bed, ... and I had the sense, and the income (now gone), to let him do whatever.
One change I did require - lose the kitchen, add that to the over-tiny 'bathroom' space. I believe in the California kitchen; to me, it's a political issue, no wife-slaves cooking in a smoky chamber, make food right where you live. That or no kitchen at all, lol. It's a lifestyle issue.
He snuck in a fridge and fans, and a lighter for the cooking thing and some beautiful energy-saving light 'globes' with really cool control circuitry that I don't understand, and - thank you!
I also think no mosquitoes because active geckos on my gecko-coloured wall - what do you think?
I find carpet is essential. Otherwise a space feels...industrial, cold, not cosy. So yes he did carpet.
I love my little cave so much, I've kept it from the last elections to ... we have elections this month, right? I love my cave.
Sometimes I sleep in other places and am reminded...mosquitoes suck!
Cool reputation X
:(
I mildly understand how unacceptable this behaviour is an image-obsessed town, so I pretend sometimes lol, wouldn't want to cause a scandal by taking the bus in full view of the Marie Antoi-nots and their nouveau-riche noses - thank God they haven't yet discovered rhinoplasty to get the proper up-turn, for now we're still as flat in the nose as our nude-butt primate brethren.
Still, let me rave for a minute: I love the freakin' Keke NAPEPs.
I think they're glorious tuk-tuks and I'm a tourist in Thailand. The boss at my food spot, aka my oga at the top, reminds me that they're glorified tricycles. Scooters. Mopeds. Whatever. I like how they get through traffic sometimes. Sanity.
Check out:
SeekingSerenity Sensuality in Lagos, and other poems of Nigeria, here.
PS Was talking to this fine boy the other day. He's a doctor now, he used to just be one of the little kids of my fine-girl physics teacher who many really thought was my mum cos we had the same face and later the same hips lol, now he's this clearly very smart and reflective person. He interpreted my way as 'backpacking through life.' I hope, wish to live up to that. Because it's not that serious. We're here today, so soon gone.
PPS My music speaker died last week of an apparent suicide. I'd taken to placing the cube flat on the table because I liked the boom boom effect, it sounded more raspy that way than when you let it stand against a wall for instance. Once, it fell off the ledge so I took care not to leave it so precariously near the edge again. But this other time I was dancing and heard a crash, and when it failed to work afterwards, I noticed that the electronic port had been damaged - made in China? - and that was the end of the tiny digicube with the fragile sinew and mighty voice.
I could get larger equipment, but 'backpacking.'
No car
No generating set
No television set
No mosquitoes
Details?
Car? X
I travel little - not some sort of salesperson - so I take public transport and stuff. It's social and entertaining. Walking between nodes is all the exercise I get anyhow. Just as importantly, I cut out car maintenance, driving, cleaning, fueling, all that. I'll let the experts do it for me. Nobody has time for a Nigeria-based car mennn. I pity the cars - you would age quickly and be sickly too if you had to do these treacherous, flooded, bumpy, start-stop courses called roads.
Soon, cars'll drive themselves. Much safer anyhow. I've always seen driving as a big responsibility. You're using all this mental energy to make sure you don't kill; make sure you're not killed. It's overwhelming sometimes.
And soon, we'll have trains. Safe, social, civilized - what's not to love about great metropolitan and inter-city transport networks? You can't properly have city life until it's incredibly easy to see your friends, hang out in the evenings, get drunk if you want, end up safely home. Which is why LA was a terrible city, in my opinion, and why I had to get a car there, even if I only did like 5-10 miles a month on it. I couldn't manage grocery shopping, so I broke down (literally crying one day, from the stress of homework and everything, then shopping bags on top of that) and bought one. My baaaby! However, I hear they now have improved public transport, or are working on it.
 |
| Clearly, there are trains and there are Trains. |
I use an inverter. Having a tiny cavewoman apartment with no high-power appliances helps. Every Nigerian needs an inverter.
Cut out NEPA-dependence - let them switch on-off on a five-minute cycle if they please.
Cut out generator-hell. Never had a gen, the smoke kills literally but the noise kills slowly too no? I mean, and vibration too?
(Poetry Interlude) :
I find I can't smile with a big or small generator on nearby. I dream of massive sculptures made from the carcasses of generators. A giant see-saw at the local park. It says 'never again'. Never again will we be so stupid, sub-optimal, left-behind...What is a park, right? lol.
What is a walkway?
What is sanity?
TV? X
I don't want a TV because I spend so much time with other entertainment already. With a TV, I might never DO anything. Plus I watched enough in the noughties to last a lifetime. Time to create more than I consume, no? Also because I'm the kind of cheap black woman that won't pay for cable, lol.
Mosquitoes? X
I need to get help with these greedy ants, they really love baked goods I found the other day, they can sniff banana bread from an ant-mile away, but with the ant-famine on, they're scrounging, foraging, everywhere, even in my bed. Or I'm imagining? What could be attracting them? Been putting off the suggested minor fumigation, but now that they're keeping me up at night, I have to call my friendly neighbourhood facilities manager man.
But the beautiful thing is I've had ~no mosquitoes for years because of my amazing housing-agent-builder-decorator dude who hooked me up, with the window/door nets, and I sure never keep them open.
Love him forever - he oversaw the inverter wiring or whatever too. I was like, I want a place with a bathroom, electricity, and water, he was like, c'mon you'll need curtains, at least one cooking surface, a bed, ... and I had the sense, and the income (now gone), to let him do whatever.
One change I did require - lose the kitchen, add that to the over-tiny 'bathroom' space. I believe in the California kitchen; to me, it's a political issue, no wife-slaves cooking in a smoky chamber, make food right where you live. That or no kitchen at all, lol. It's a lifestyle issue.
He snuck in a fridge and fans, and a lighter for the cooking thing and some beautiful energy-saving light 'globes' with really cool control circuitry that I don't understand, and - thank you!
I also think no mosquitoes because active geckos on my gecko-coloured wall - what do you think?
I find carpet is essential. Otherwise a space feels...industrial, cold, not cosy. So yes he did carpet.
I love my little cave so much, I've kept it from the last elections to ... we have elections this month, right? I love my cave.
Sometimes I sleep in other places and am reminded...mosquitoes suck!
Cool reputation X
:(
I mildly understand how unacceptable this behaviour is an image-obsessed town, so I pretend sometimes lol, wouldn't want to cause a scandal by taking the bus in full view of the Marie Antoi-nots and their nouveau-riche noses - thank God they haven't yet discovered rhinoplasty to get the proper up-turn, for now we're still as flat in the nose as our nude-butt primate brethren.
I think they're glorious tuk-tuks and I'm a tourist in Thailand. The boss at my food spot, aka my oga at the top, reminds me that they're glorified tricycles. Scooters. Mopeds. Whatever. I like how they get through traffic sometimes. Sanity.
Check out:
Seeking
PPS My music speaker died last week of an apparent suicide. I'd taken to placing the cube flat on the table because I liked the boom boom effect, it sounded more raspy that way than when you let it stand against a wall for instance. Once, it fell off the ledge so I took care not to leave it so precariously near the edge again. But this other time I was dancing and heard a crash, and when it failed to work afterwards, I noticed that the electronic port had been damaged - made in China? - and that was the end of the tiny digicube with the fragile sinew and mighty voice.
I could get larger equipment, but 'backpacking.'
Wednesday, March 04, 2015
Lyrics: REMEMBER ME, by SDC ft. Funbi
SDC, Show Dem Camp, has Ghost and Tec.
Listen (Parental Advisory)
(Intro: TEC recites)
(Chorus/Hook: FUNBI)
(GHOST)
(TEC)
(Outro)
Advertisement: Read my books. ###Three Sisters, novel #1 here###
Listen (Parental Advisory)
(Intro: TEC recites)
Time-travelling through space and time,
Lovers - she had many -
but in her quiet moments, the
only recurrent face is mine.
I altered not just her state of mind but
her outlook on life.
More than just the pipes,
I'm fixing her reservoirs,
the
taps, once dry,
are now flowing in torrents.
Vanilla skies,
vanilla kush,
flows in a room of clouds,
Thanks Agbalumo, I love the way you put it down.
(Chorus/Hook: FUNBI)
O Baby, you gon' remember me,
tattoo my name in your mind deep inside it.
the way that I'm gonna get you excited,
discovering places never been.
(Chorus, again)
O Baby
(GHOST)
Object of my fantasy,
Yall there's no cover
from this loaded magazine
Sex is my weapon-of-choice
Murder is the case, you're the casualty
when I hit
every atom of your anatomy.
We can take it slow
- drink, smoke, whatever..
I can be a good boy
but you know when I'm bad I'm better.
Oh, you like my voice?
Does it turn you on?
Are your panties moist?
Well,
we can get it on.
Nm, nm, don't trip.
Love the way you play your hard to get
And I see the freak all in your eyes
and that just makes me hard as shit.
Girl your skin is a pool of chocolate
and I'm just dying for a swim
Wanna indulge myself in your sweetness
and have you dripping from my chin
Then
I'ma get my beast on
Shalala kush, ching chong,
Now ride that dee like a seesaw
Giddy up, giddy up, hee haw!
Now it's my turn
Switch positions
Sweat dripping
Bed dripping
from the back shots
now you're moaning
that's your shih
hypnosis.
Go!
(Chorus x2)
(TEC)
Roll a little, toke a little
get the room loud
Calm before a storm -
that's a kush cloud.
Your inhibitions' gone
it's something new now.
No need to rush it,
Omo cool down.
No time to waste
but we need to take our time
Need endurance for the kind a heights I'm
gonna help you climb
'n' I know you heard that song
that goes 'borrow-borrow make me shine'
though it belongs to someone else
tonight you say it's mine.
And if it's just one night,
then Baby we're on borrowed time,
so all your thoughts of making love
I'm gonna redefine.
And it fits like a glove -
that's the way it's been designed.
And I know you like to take control
so I will let you shine
I will let you get on top
I will let you start the climb
Your waist,
your waist,
I will let you start to wind,
I'ma let you speed it up,
then tell you Omo take your time,
and if you like to talk
then let me know what's on your mind.
(Chorus x4)
(Outro)
Getting you on that extra mind blow.
Advertisement: Read my books. ###Three Sisters, novel #1 here###
Thursday, February 19, 2015
The Drake album review
It ought to be a crime: interrupting the hum of real life with humdrum - Pills and Potions, fake ass breaking the internet, stealth music or music-video album releases. A decade-and-a-half ago, three black girls sang terrible compositions terribly and became famous for their efforts. One of them became so rich and famous that poor musical taste became a genre, and now the copycats...please, musicians of the world, I'm in tears: stop making Beyonce music. It is terrible.
The cutest thing about this stealth Drake "mixtape" so far is the album art:
I am also grateful that the word was spelled Youre and not Your.
'Cos that would have really driven me mad.
Three tracks to go.
Wow, I would lose the first n-4 and work from there. Maybe the videos will be cute. Nah.
Advertisement: Read my books. ###Three Sisters, novel #1 here###
The cutest thing about this stealth Drake "mixtape" so far is the album art:
 |
| If You're Reading This It's Too Late has been bought millions of times in half a week, therefore it's a success? Yes of course, Capitalism. |
'Cos that would have really driven me mad.
Three tracks to go.
Wow, I would lose the first n-4 and work from there. Maybe the videos will be cute. Nah.
Advertisement: Read my books. ###Three Sisters, novel #1 here###
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