Interesting.....

The day before i took off on holiday, i was at work tidying up a few things. I noticed a slip of paper on a table next to me and out of curiosity and maybe boredom, i picked it up and read it and re-read it. I actually put the slip of paper in my laptop back because i so needed to share....So here goes:

The front reads: Overcoming Delay in Marriage with Pastor C....s O......i. National Stadium Surulere......

The back reads:

'The first marriage seminar i attended with Pastor C...s O....i was Activating the Grace to Marry on March 10th 2007. After the teaching, i proposed to a lady who also attended the seminar. She accepted the proposal and we have since concluded our marriage arrangements. We will be getting married on the 8th of September 2007' Brother C.O

'I have been experiencing disappointment before i attended a program titled Locating your Life Partner with Pastor C....s O....i on the 7th of April 2007. After the program, God visited me. I was sitting at the back of one of the new mass transit buses going home, when someone in the bus came to me and asked me if i would marry him. The man, who is a Nigerian lives in Germany and visited Nigeria. He said to me later that when he entered the bus, something told him that his wife was inside the bus. Though there were many ladies in the bus, he came to me and proposed marriage right inside the bus. The man said that when he saw me, he knew i was the one. Our marriage plans are on. I give God the glory for what he has done' Sister C.N

'The first time i attended a marriage seminar with Pastor C...s O.....i was on 11th August 2007 titled My Right Spouse?. Precisely 8 days after the programme, i got a marriage proposal right inside my house. And to the glory of God, the man is a believer just as i desire and marriage arrangements are on' Sister U.P

Knowledge is power! As you attend our programme on the 13th of October 2007, the Lord will also give you your own testimony in the name of Jesus Christ, our Savior.

What do you think?

Monumental Soundbyte - 67

Carole King - You've got a friend

After a long break - the music series is back up. I so so missed doing this.

This song is generally accepted as the start of the singer-songwriter phenomenon as was recorded in 1971.

Carole King to me doesnt get as much cred as i would like partly because for a lot of people - songs are related to the vocalists. Very few people actually read liner notes and get information about the songwriter, producers, background vocalists etc. And of course i do...LOL. Like a lot of wonderful songwriters - their attempts at solo albums receive luke warm responses (Babyface?) - although Carole King's Tapestry album is a phenomenon....

There are really very few female songwriters that impress me with their writing skills. I mean i write and if i push myself, i am sure i can come up with something that music can be put to. But i am talking about real skills ----words that are intense and just speak to me. Carole King, Diane Warren, Janis Joplin, Joni Mitchell are top of this list for me.

In case you have never heard of Carole King, a few of her songs include: Will you still love me tomorrow (recorded first by The Shirelles but a more popular version is the Roberta Flack version), The Loco-motion, You make me feel like a natural woman (recorded originally by Aretha Franklin and done justice to by Mary J Blige).....

This song is about friendship. The kind of friendship that stands the test of time and life. And i know a lot of people know this type of friendship is hard to find but i also know that some people are blessed to have at least one special friend that they can lean on.

Play this song and enjoy. And if you really want to be corny, send it on to your friend....Sometimes corny is good you know.....

On India and being back....

There are simply no words to describe how amazing my vacation was....

First off - this whole vacation would not have been so special if the uber fabulous Daddy's Girl wasnt by my side. When i mentioned that i wanted to do this trip this year - i was ready to go alone as no one i knew was interested in India as a destination let alone being interested in going with me. Daddy's Girl who i met through blogging (started with our love for Bollywood) asked me late last year if i was still going and that was it. We started to make plans and set money aside....Through the planning process, we became firm friends. Catching movies together, talking about life and work and she became a confidante and one of the few people that i am truly comfortable with. She will attest to witnessing some of my moments of madness, giggles for no reasons, some travel hiccups (She held my hand through it all - from the visit to the FRRO, to the memory card debacle) and the general uzo-ness.... So my dear - i say thank you. For coming with me, for being the perfect travel companion and for just being you....

I have so so many pictures - but i will share a few that dont have me or daddy's girl in them...Actually there is this one picture of me that is all me but doesnt show me...LOL...Make sense of that if you can

We visited so so many beautiful places - The Taj Mahal is beautiful beyond belief and Elephanta Caves..Amazing.

There were some funny bits....getting star struck as we set off for Shah Rukh Khan's house and Amitabh Bachchan's house. Me nearly tumbling down the stairs in Jaipur (at the Amber Fort) courtesy of slippery soles, the elephant ride and the other elephant taking a dump (truly a sight to behold), Daddy's Girl making me break my thigh (which hurt for days), our driver (the truly sweet Mr Sanjey Kumar with tales of his wife Babli)...

Some scary bits - the trip to the monkey temple ( i refused to get out of the car and Daddy's Girl will probably never forgive for that. What can i say....monkeys, monkeys, everywhere), the elephant that kept swaying a little too close to the edge as we slowly went uphill, the view of Jaipur from Tiger Fort (Amazingly beautiful but scary and i am scared of heights. Not scared enough to have panic attacks or refuse climb stairs but scared nonetheless), the dogs that started fighting at the entrance to the Taj (i nearly mauled Daddy's Girl as i hid behind her while grabbing her in the process - actually this might have been scary to just me)

We had fun - we haggled and tipped. Shopped for our families and loved ones...I didnt buy nearly enough shoes but hey....i will make up for it since my folks will be in America in December...

More to come if i can summon the energy....

I am home....

I am home and enjoying the rest of my holiday by sleeping, reading and watching the tons of stuff i have accumulated...Today has been dedicated to Season 1 of House....

I will do one post on my vacation and share a few pictures at some point.....But for now...Its sleep, sleep and more sleep..

So what have i missed?

From India with love........

We just got to Agra....we see the Taj Mahal tomorrow. Its been beautiful beyond words so far.......

Away, Away I go

My much needed break is here. I am to India tomorrow with Daddy's Girl and I WILL NOT be doing anything remotely work related which of course includes touching a computer.

Take care.....

Much Love.....

Happy Birthday...........

The fabulous Diamondhawk celebrates her birthday today.....

Happy birthday girl and may God continue to show his blessings on you and yours....

Have a fab day.....

Monumental Soundbyte - 66

Bad English - When i see you smile

This song has haunted me since my childhood. And i think a few people know this story.

In the days of Sunday Rendezvous on NTA Channel 10, this song was a favorite. But sung by a woman and a reggae version. And somehow i learnt the song and would actually sing it in the "raz" way she did.

Last year, i bought a compilation cd of power ballads and then this song came on. I was stunned. And stopped in my tracks. Went through the liner notes and saw that Bad English actually did this song in 1988. The song was written by one of the best songwriters of our time - Diane Warren.

I eventually shared this song with a few friends. And my friend O told me about another version of this song by Uncle Sam (remember him? One of the brothers of one of the Boyz 2 Men guys). He sent me the song and if it was even possible, i fell in love a little bit more. Uncle Sam's version is from the Touched by an Angel soundtrack and its magnificent.

This is one of those songs that speaks through its lyrics....so here they are. Enjoy

Sometimes i wonder how i'd ever make it through
Through this world without having you
I just wouldn't have a clue
Sometimes it seems like this world's closing in on me
And there's no way of breaking free
Then i see you reach out for me

Oh sometimes i wanna give up
Wanna give in
Wanna quit the fight
Then one look at you baby
Can make everything alright
Make everything alright

When i see you smile
I can face the world
Oh, you know i can do anything
When i see you smile
I see a ray of light
Oh i see it shining right through the rain
When i see you smile
Baby when i see you smile at me

Baby there's nothing in this world that could ever do
What the touch of your hand can do
It's like nothing i ever knew
And when the rain is fallin'
I don't feel it
'coz you're here with me
And one look at you baby is all i ever need
It's all i ever need

Encounters - 1

Sometimes i get really lazy and cant be bothered to write. For a few months - actually close to a year, i have been toying with wirting about encounters.

Living in Lagos means that i witness or experience the most interesting things. Some of them are funny, some are sad, some inspiring, some just defy logic.....you get what i mean.

So i have decided to capture some of the ones that touch me for different reasons on my blog....

Today, on Awolowo Road on the way to work - traffic was crawling as it usually does at that time. Lastma officials were everywhere and doing their best to at least make the situation sane (and they were succeeding).

Near the Lagos Polo Club, the Lagos State Waste Management Agency officials were taking away the thrash. And i was watching them thinking to myself. Thinking about how the little steps that are being taken in Lagos are making a difference. We have thrash collectors and Lastma...

Then a group of kids - 2 girls and 4 boys walked past the waste management folks. They were on their way to school. All neatly dressed in their school uniforms and gisting away. They were young teens with the oldest in my mind not being older than 14.

By the gas station up ahead was a mad woman. Well she was carrying all the baggage in the world, talking (screaming) to the heavens and marching puposefully on the way to ..well somewhere i guess.

All of a sudden, the mad woman begins to run towards the kids. The waste management people stop and watch her. Wondering i am sure, like i was where she was running to. As she got closer to the kids, it became clear that she was actually heading for them. At that point, the waste management folks shouted at the kids to move. Almost in slow motion (at least that's the way this played out for me), the kids all turned around (i am sure they wanted to see what all the shouting was about). Bus conductors and a few drivers started to scream at the kids, toot their horns...maybe to distract the mad woman, maybe to warn the kids...just doing something..who knows.

Mad woman extracts a long club like wooden object from the bag she was carrying and smashed this on one of the boys' heads. Boy's head begins to bleed. I swear we were all shocked. People started to shout. The kids looked stunned. One of the waste management people quickly ran to the boy and put his hand over the wound. Somebody selling pure water opened a pack and poured it over the boy's head. All of a sudden, the Lastma officials start running down. Mad woman crosses the road and continues to scream at the heavens and people are clearing from her way.

The Lastma officials run to the boy, look across the road and see the mad woman walking away. One of them brings out his walkie talkie and talks into it. Meanwhile, i am wondering why one of the Lastma people wont go and apprehend the woman. Suddenly, a few armed policemen (they must have come from the Falomo police station not too far from where this incident took place) show up. 3 of them. They corner the woman. Who begins to swing at them with her stick and the policemen are doing this weird dance - trying to dodge her swings, while trying to grab her.

At that point, traffic moved.....

I was shaken.

There are no wise words or insights to share. This is just an encounter......

Monumental Soundbyte - 65

Bob Marley -No Woman, No Cry

No doubt...LOL

Okay, i admit that i love this song but while doing some research on this song, i discovered a little known fact that makes me love the song and Bob Marley even more.

The song writing credits are given to someone called Vincent Ford. Now experts more or less agree that the song was written by Bob Marley....V Ford was a friend of Bob Marley and he ran a soup kitchen in Trenchtown where Bob Marley grew up. By virtue of being credited with this song, V Ford receives all royalty cheques which have ensured the continous running of the soup kitchen.

And that is why this song is extra special. Enjoy!

I swear this is true.....

My maternal grandma is a trip.....

She does and says the oddest things. She is a great source of concern, amusement and just entertainment to us all. And she always does stuff to top the last incident. Infact, i think i will make her the subject of a few posts now and again.

The latest incident:

• My grandma and my aunt (who stays with her) are watching TV. Had to be LTV or something like that. And then one of those ads for alternative healers comes on. Well this one is some Dr something or the other - Oko Oloyun (sp). For you all that dont understand this - a Dr of pregnancy. Obstetrician. My grandmother is officially 83 but we figure she is really like 86 or something. She is mega strong and still mega active. So why on earth will an 83 year old woman visit Oko Oloyun? Well i dont know. But my aunt says, my grandma got her to take down his address. So off they went to some place in old Lagos Island. Some dilapidated 7 storey building. Oko Oloyun's office happens to be on the 7th floor. My 83 year old grandma proceeds to march up the stairs and sits in the "waiting room area". Yup. My aunt of course is right by her side. In the waiting room are women of childbearing age looking at my grandma in - i want to say curiosity. FInally Oko Oloyun ushers them into his "office". My aunt says the man looked normal. My grandma is first of all asked to explain why she is there - i am not really sure what she said. My aunt isnt really sure. But she says that Oko Oloyun brings out some machine. Tells my grandma to place both hands - palm down on it. And the machine will analyze her whole body and point out everything that is wrong with her. OOOOh. My grandma got so excited. Did as she was told. Being the drama queen that she is - she swears she felt something. Oko Oloyun now "prescribes" some stuff for her. My grandma pays N5,000 and down the stairs they go and back home. Now my aunt kidnaps the medication and dashes to out house to tell my folks. We listen to the story and take the massive paper bag and bottle of stuff. Contains: A huge bottle of blood tonic, Vitamin C (3 different types in 3 different packs), Omega Oils something and finally a diuretic. LOL. Safe for her to take. But let me ask - as my folks asked: she could have gone to our family doctor but noooooooo, why did she decide to go to Oko Oloyun? My grandma is incorrigible. Anyway, she got her medication back none the wiser. And of course she never told my folks......

Monumental Soundbyte - 64

Betty Wright - Clean Up Woman (Medley)

If you havent heard Betty Wright before - quick - rush off and download something from her.

I mean it. This woman, this tough talking sass oozing, grab them by the balls woman is the real deal. Her song "Tonight's the night" has been one of my soundbytes but this song is sheer genius.

The song is pretty long - almost 12 minutes long but its a fun song. Like she is telling a story. But what trips me about this song is that ....Okay. The song is like a tribute to tough women. Women who have been through a lot of stuff but come out better and stronger. So towards the end of the song, she begins to list a few clean up women and they are well known people. As she says the name, she does an imitation of this person and its so eerie that she is spot on. Listen to the song to get it.

Enjoy!

Monumental Soundbyte - 63

Nina Simone - I want a little sugar in my bowl

This is the first Nina Simone song to make this list.

I adore this woman. She is popularly referred to as the High Priestess of Soul and even though she passed away in 2oo3, her music is alive in my everyday music selections....

In addition to being a talented vocalist and classical pianist, Ms Simone was also quite active during the civil rights era.

Trying to describe why i like this song is hard. Its a lot to do with the way Nina Simone delivers it. Its easy on the ears...makes me think i am in the Cotton Club hanging out with Billie Holiday et al and getting up the nerve to be sexy and sing this song...Its really hard to describe so i leave you with the lyrics....Listen to the song - maybe you will understand:

I want some sugar in my bowl
I want a little sweetness down in my soul
I could stand some lovin'
Oh so bad
Feel so lonely and I feel so sad
I want a little steam on my clothes
Maybe I could fix things up so they'll go
Whatsa matter Daddy
Come on, save my soul
Drop a little sugar in my bowl

I ain't foolin'
Drop a little sugar in my bowl
Well I want a little sugar in my bowl
Well I want a little sweetness down in my soul
You been acting strangely I've been told
Move me daddy
I want some sugar in my bowl
I want a little steam on my clothes
Maybe I can fix things up so they'll go
Whatsa matter Daddy
Come on save my soul
Drop a little sugar in my bowl
I ain't foolin
Drop some sugar- yeah- in my bowl.