Sweet Escape With Voke

  These past months I have been in a dilemma on what to do with my hair. I can't put an age to the first time I relaxed my hair but I have been doing it ever since then. When the wave of embracing the natural state of your hair came, I paid no mind to it. I just felt let's continue doing what we were doing before no need to change.   Recently, my sister resolved to go natural.  I had mixed reactions hearing this. I too had not relaxed my hair in months but I was planning to. But the thought of going natural was both appealing and scary. I watched a bunch of videos and decided to join the texlaxed hair group. But an inkling pointed out that I was not being honest with myself. I like the thought of going natural but! I have this irrational fear that the hair would turn out ugly or I will look unkempt wearing my hair in its natural state.  This irrational fear spans from years of observing and being told that the best hair care is having your hair permed and people...

Kabu- Kabu written by Nnedi Okorafor is a collection of twenty-one amazing short stories. First, you must understand the lingo "Kabu kabu" is a term largely used by Nigerians to refer to unregistered vehicles or taxis. Boarding a Kabu- Kabu in Nigeria is a huge risk because a number of things can happen from that ride. People, however, hail these vehicles because it is usually a very quick means of taking you wherever you need to be in record time. Instead of waiting and scuttling for a vehicle at the bus stop most people rely on kabu- kabu despite the widespread stories about the dangers. The eponymous story in the book largely points at the thrill and horror that comes with Kabu- Kabu. Ngozi is in a haste to get to the airport so that she can attend her sisters' wedding in Nigeria. In her frustration, she hails this unregistered vehicle. And it is all weird but Ngozi is determined to be at the airport. From this ride, Ngozi travelled through places she had ne...

Book Review Time!!  As humanity battles with COVID-19 and the thought of staying indoors have become a chore for so many people, I have solidly relied on books to alleviate boredom. Not just any book but books filled with so many "wow" moments. I am just saying I need a sweet escape during this pandemic and books like - The Secret Lives of The Four Wives by Lola Shoneyin has been a good companion. If you are in need of a book you can't put down even for a toilet break, then you should pick up The Secret Lives of the Four Wives because it is filled with intrigue and loads of drama.  The book is basically about a man, his four wives, and a secret that is bound to make you say WHAT!!   Most books I read growing up bordered on childlessness, polygamy, and how women are perceived in society. However, this book is laden with so many themes which makes it wholesome. Themes such as Self-discovery, Forgiveness, Womanhood amongst others fitted perfectly in th...

 Here is a thought! Why do Nigerians love answers especially when bad things happen?  In the olden days, prior to the colonial masters and even after the colonial masters came to Africa, our forefathers practised divination, poured a libation to the ancestors and tried to find out why certain predicaments befell the people.  They got answers quite alright. With the witches taking the bulk of the blame or it was the god’s way of helping them find their way back and rethink their decisions.  When the people left the way of their fathers after much persuasion from the foreigners. How did the foreigners do this? By demonising the way the people worshipped.   So the people accepted the new religion but it did not stop their curiosity. It only doubled the need for answers. Churches sprang up in all corners.  The advertisement employed by these churches pointed to solutions in a bid to attract the people. So you read Marine ...

             With a Pandemic before us and the constant advise to wash our hands, social distancing, quarantine. I feel like the best buddy these times is really a book. Not just any book! A good book.  So I recommend the following books knowing that you should like it because they are really good. 1.  Pride And Prejudice by Jane Austen   Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen is set in a different time so you get to escape from the happenings around you and find solace in a different time. Like a handy time machine. And it is also about love so how about that?   2.  A Religious Book. As we try to just stay calm and far away from others as much as we can. If you are religious like me, you may cling to the Bible, the Quran, according to your faith. This I know is very rewarding. Like a personal counsellor.  3. Born A Crime by Trevor Noah.  Details the childhood of Trevor Noah. Really fun and i...

Putting together the perfect Mother’s Day message is never easy. This year, I kept staring at the blank sheet and all I could think of was how flawed my mother really is.  On days like this, people really just like to highlight how much of superhero mothers are. However, even though my mother loves attention so much. She is just another human.  A  human who makes mistakes. Capable of forgetting to put down the food from the fire, Coiling up and falling asleep on the couch, biting her fingernails, Irrational and impulsive at times, grumpy and sometimes lose her temper.  My mother some days appear from her room looking like a fashion killer and somedays she just walks out of her room wearing a rumpled shirt and we have to persuade, beg and pacify her to go change.  She's got a sharp tongue that could draw tears from your eyes and can set the entire house on fire. When the ball of drama starts to roll no one can escape it.   Miracl...

Corona Virus reared its head fully in 2020 although the virus is not new, it has been around since 2019. Coronavirus manifested in Wuhan China until the virus spread its tentacles to other parts of the globe.  World Health Organisation projected a new name for the disease COVID-19 and watching the level of it’s spread went further to declare the disease a pandemic.  What really is COVID- 19?  COVID-19 is caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2. Coronavirus can be very infectious as it can be passed from one person to another through respiratory droplets. Hence people have been advised to correctly wash their hands, cough in a civil way i.e the vampire cough/sneeze- The vampire cough/sneeze means coughing or sneezing into your elbow instead of your palm in order to avoid spreading any disease, practising social distancing. Common symptoms of the disease include A fever, Coughing, shortness of breath, sore throat. Symptoms may progres...

I know a place filled with a carefree lot. The citizens love living life fast and on the edge. Lord knows how hard they dance on the edge despite knowing that the rock might tilt and they end up at the bottom of the hill. Another thing these people love besides living fast and loud is Hope. One would not blame them because hope seemed to be the only constant thing in their lives. Hope was always there. They could be in a vehicle that is about to explode and their general thought would be;  I know this vehicle is about to go up in flames and we will all die but I, however, HOPE!! it does not happen before I get to my destination.  They make all sorts of wild decisions;   Let us build our houses close to oil fields. And in times of an explosion, we grieve and continue living there anyway.  What happens when a pandemic occurs? They fold their arms and hope somehow it will just go away.  And with a government that does not put the ci...

For Nigerians, there is only one solution to a shut door and that is breaking the entire building down. This is because Nigerians always find a way to get through. The fight is never easy. This is why the older generation always dishes out nuggets on survival to the younger generation.  You just have to survive! Even if it means changing a lot of things about yourself like your complexion, age, accent. Today, I am going to focus on fake accents. This almost every Nigerian is guilty of. Sounding foreign in order to be steps ahead of people who sound “ local” .  With this fake accent, you can penetrate into almost any space in the society. Does not matter the nationality you represent as long as you sound foreign.  One would assume this must be pretty frustrating. Yes, it is. How is this frustration eased?  By making fun of those who still speak with a Nigerian intonation by calling them derogatory names when in truth, the individual with both a Brit...

The Days After I woke up the following morning fully energized and ready to conquer the cold and have my bath behind the hostel in the open field at 3 am. I made this strong resolution after I saw the state of the bathroom. The well-equipped bathroom was quickly scented with a strong pungent smell all thanks to urine and most of the toilets were already messed up filled with faeces. This came as no surprise for me but still! I could not imagine the pretty faces that filled up the hostel rooms were capable of tossing caution to the wind and ready to wreak havoc.  My bath was a walk in the park. I mean I did not spend six years in a boarding school for nothing. I was already well equipped with managing such bathroom situation except using a potty again! yes in order to avoid toilet infection we had to get little buckets for this. I hated every bit of this part.  This was basically my personal routine until I bid camp farewell. Falling In Love Honestly, the NYS...

Creation Story After a gruesome Civil war in Nigeria, the military head of state General Yakubu Gowon, desperate for an initiative that would foster unity amongst Nigerians said Hey! Why don’t we create a scheme whereby fresh graduates are the opportunity to visit other parts of Nigeria and learn more about the diversity of the nation all the while fostering unity and serving the nation. Great Idea! And so it happened in 1973. That decree is still law till this day.  Finally!!! Honestly, this blog post is a good five months overdue but so was my service year. After my final papers in 2018, I had to wait impatiently for my results to be processed and released before I could proceed for my service year. Basically, over time, NYSC has served as proof that you actually graduated from the university. Hence the hype from Nigerian parents.   The one year delay I experienced goes to show how tedious public school in Nigeria can be but that’s a story for another...

Before the fireworks go off and cry for joy fill the air signalling the beginning of a new year and a new decade, I decided to pen down my resolutions for the year ahead. However, before I write my resolution I decided to tell everyone about my friendship with the year 2019.  Although it took the entire 365 days for me to recognize the impact the year had on me, I am glad I do now. 2019 charged at me like a beast and I was unprepared to defend myself. I tried my usual ignore it until it goes away tactic but  2019 came stronger. I was smoked out of my hole and I came running out whining and complaining about how unfair the year was treating me. 2019 shook me so hard until I was fully awake. This way I was reminded that I am awesome.  I was allowed to cry, breakdown, hold my breath, be filled with uncertainty as long as I kept moving. Looking back at those days of lessons I am grateful that I journeyed with 2019.  I was always out of my comfort zone to the point that i...

It is no news that every writer is bound to experience writer's block. Writer's block is a burden in every writer's journey. For those unfamiliar with writer's block, here is what it means;  Writers Block is simply said to be a writers inability to write. You will know you are suffering from writers blocks when there are days you have difficulty coming up with something creative to write, days you just think of how difficult it is to write, edit, proofread instead of actually writing and many other symptoms depending on the individual. Writer's block is one of the most hurtful feeling a writer experience. Followed by sending an email and getting no reply. Not even a reply of rejection. The worst thing about writer's block is that there is no time limit to it. If it occurs once in a writers life then that's lucky. But writer's block could keep reoccurring and every writer has to just combat it or you could be saying goodbye to what you love t...

Photo Via www. nicolayoon.com The sun is also a star is the second book written by the award-winning author Nicola Yoon. This was my first time reading a book authored by Nicola Yoon and I must say she caught my attention. Whenever I pick up a book to read I hope to be a part of the process. By being a part of the process I mean journeying with the character, the ability to be drawn into the affairs of the character is amazing. Nicola Yoon did it all. The book is about a day in the life of two teenagers Natasha Kingsley a Jamaican-American and Daniel Bae a Korean-American. Both teenagers were trying to make sense out of their respective lives before they gracefully crossed parts on a beautiful day in the streets of New York but they had limited time. Natasha is about to be deported and Daniel has to prepare and be on his way to an interview for college. Natasha and Daniel's meeting is a tale of love, culture, beliefs. The character that is Natasha is witty and pretty ...

Today, like I have been doing for the past five years, I woke up as a wife, to a husband who worships the floor I walk on. I knew I was right when I choose him.  I also woke up a mother to two bubbly kids. Very rude pair if I must add. Samson and I are still wondering where we went wrong with those two- Samson and Lucy. Twins. Five years old. We just kept yelling and threatening without change. But still I adore them and they adore me.  On this day like every other day, my routine was pretty much the same. Prepare food for the family or they all starve since I hold the key to their survival. After breakfast I moved on to tackle those kids into the school bus like we do every day, I see Little Samson was becoming more mature but Lucy has resolved to be a brat.  I always blamed Samson for Lucy's attitude and then he blames me back and then we would quarrel. After tossing the children on the school bus, Samson and I would race off to work.  I am a psycholog...

The first time you met chocolate you were head over heels in love with chocolate. Who is not? Well maybe except Tony, Tam, Samson and a host of others. They said you were crazy for loving chocolate so much. You looked back at them and all you could think of was chocolate. How she made you so happy, filling you with enough value for your well being. Her smooth brown skin to sooth you. How she melted when you held her. Making your heart beat rhythmically.  Fast forward to a year later, you thought you have had too much of chocolate so you blamed chocolate for ruining your smile. You went on to tell her she upset you. And all that thickness was crushing you. You told chocolate to tone it down. That brown colour was hurting your eyes. But chocolate knew she could only be chocolate. She knew she was awesome and could not let the world suffer because a certain person did not find her good enough because in reality, chocolate was too good for him. He could not handle all that drip....

V.C Andrews Author Photo Source- Google Until her departure from this world, in 1986 V.C Andrews was a renowned author. V.C Andrews left behind a legacy that cannot be forgotten. Her first book flowers in the attic was published in the year 1979 and ever since then she has been a blessing not only to the literary community but the rest of the world. Not only have her books been adapted into movies, but there have also been translated into nineteen languages.  Personally, I first fell in love with V.C Andrews in the year 2009 after reading one of her books from The Orphans Series titled Runaways. Her fantastic style of writing got me stuck to her forever. What is most fascinating to me about V.C Andrews is her ability to tell sad stories in a way that the reader is able to connect with the characters.  Dear V.C Andrews, you inspire me to stick to my unique style always so I say thank you for being you. A genius!  You are my Author Crush this month...

What does Genius mean to you? If you Google the term Genius here is what you will find "exceptional intellectual or creative power or other natural ability" Growing up in a typical Nigerian environment, those in the arts were not worthy of being called geniuses. And I am convinced that a lot of people still believe that if you are no scientist then one should stick to smaller terms when describing themselves.  When people speak about geniuses to aspire to they never call the names of my favourite musicians. Of course not! They are no genius they just make nice music, nothing special so they are tossed aside. The name of hair stylists, fashionistas never made the list. Of course not! they just made us pretty. I have grown up and I am redefining what genius means to me. When I say the word genius, the photo of Albert Einstein with his dishevelled grey hair no longer comes to mind. The images that pop in my head after Kanye, of course, are great writers and poets t...

It was a beautiful, Sunday morning, the sun was shining bright, there were no clouds in the sky, sounds of joy filled the air coupled with people in their Sunday best.  In the home of The Edafe's, the man of the house Pastor Samuel was deep in thoughts. Pastor Samuel was all dressed up in an immaculate white shirt and trouser pondering on what testimony to tell his church members. He usually set the ball rolling by telling a miracle he encountered during the previous week. Last week he told them about his account being credit by the Holy Ghost he called it “miracle alert”. Pastor Edafe also had no plans of telling his congregation that it was all a mix-up and he had, in fact, returned the money he received back to its rightful owner. He was not going to kill the hopes of his enthusiastic congregation who already called on the God of miracle alerts to credit their accounts. By telling them that the bank cashier had made a mistake. As he racked his brain for answers his...

Photo Credit Via Instagram (@issarae) Women In Film Awards 2019 brought about a full display of powerful and talented Women in the film business. An example of such a woman is the very talented writer, producer, director-actress Issa Rae who emerged as the winner of Women In Film- Emerging Entrepreneur Award. Besides the glamorous fashion statements, acceptance speeches are what we look out for during award shows. We have still not gotten over Issa speaking her truth when she said without batting an eyelid during the 2017 Emmy Awards red carpet that she was, " rooting for everyone black". Yet again,  Issa did not come to smile and be modest about her achievement during Women In Film Awards. She was real and cocky and we loved every bit of it. I personally would not stop smiling and screaming " Yass!!!" to my phone screen as I watched her acceptance speech on Instagram.  Issa started her speech by pointing out that Women are raised to remain humble, whic...