5 Places To Visit in Lagos

A few days into my Nigerian summer, my brother said, “God is mindful of you, Chi.” It was both a caption and a prophecy of my time back home.

A major highlight was last Saturday. I’d agreed to meet up with a friend I’d known in the UK.

While I thought we’d just see, eat, gist and waka, max 2 hours, turned into an Island Tour of Lagos, all expenses paid. I am still in awe of his generosity.🙏🏼

● Terra Kulture: we met up here first, had my usual fry up of dodo (plantain) and dun dun (yam) but avoided the pepper sauce as my tummy had been facing toilet like that’s what I came to do in Lagos 🙄.

● Lekki Art Market: next tour stop and bought a couple of northern woven baskets. Immersed in the concoction of fabric, leather, stone, paint, clay and wooden smells, it was hard to decide what to indulge in.🤭

● Nike Art Gallery: here in was the grandiose display of the incredulous human mind, with life-sized horses, bulls, apes and dogs made from thrash metal and vehicle tyres🤯.

The welcoming warmth of the owner diffused any disrespect I had for not knowing of this place earlier.

● Eko Atlantic: As we drove in, I wondered what came upon the humans responsible for this project to reclaim the land the Atlantic ocean had stolen from an already overflowing city.

● Freedom Park: last tour stop visited at night so couldn’t take in the fullness of all it had to offer so go in the day time. A bit of history of prisons in the colonial era.

I got home later than I’d thought but was most grateful for the experience.

Handling Someone Who Demands Defference Without Creating Bad Energy Around You.

Have you ever been firm and direct with someone older? And it backfired? Even though you were legally and morally right?

If you’re of African heritage, you probably have experienced this. You must jump when asked.

My dad raised us up very different to the typical Nigerian family. We were not allowed to call older siblings “Sister or Brother XYZ.” Everyone was on first name basis.

No kneeling or prostrating to greet anyone. Not even them. Shaking hands was very acceptable. You better speak out, was my mum’s mantra.

But issues arose when interacting with other older Africans who expected to be greeted knees to the floor or face to the ground and to be deferred to. Even in inconvenience.

How were we to navigate this?

For me, I got into ‘trouble’ because I just wouldn’t.

But like the Bible says, wisdom is profitable to direct. I soon learned how to manage their egos while still being true to myself.

As I read the story of Gideon in the Bible on recently, I got my Biblical backing for this way of managing these people.

The men of Ephraim had accused Gideon of not calling them to the war against the Midianites.

‘The Ephraimites said to him, “Why have you done such a thing to us? You did not summon us when you went to fight the Midianites!” They argued vehemently with him.’ Judges 8:1.

Gideon’s response?

‘He said to them, “Now what have I accomplished compared to you? Even Ephraim’s leftover grapes are better quality than Abiezer’s harvest! It was to you that God handed over the Midianite generals, Oreb and Zeeb! What did I accomplish to rival that?” When he said this, they calmed down.’ Judges 8:12, 3.

Did you see that he barely mentioned the thing they were angry with him for?

And what has grapes have to do with battles? But food has a way of calming things down, I suppose.

So, how does this look practically?

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Lessons from Ziora

Last week, my friends and I gathered together to study the Bible and pray. For some reason, I decided to do my own study and prayers with a 3-year old playing football.

Meet Ziora, my friend’s three year old daughter. Our history? She used to do me shakara oh, but was very welcoming that day. Of course, I let her score some goals as a good aunty and we both celebrated with hands in the air shouting. Even those adulting in real Bible and prayer could not silence us. Haha…

Before I called

Last year, I wrote a blog post with a similar title called, Before You Call, and this week’s first blog post (as compensation for being AWOL last week 🤦‍♀️) carries on that train of thought.

Meet my only Obosa 2

In my last blog post, I introduced you to one of my favourite humans. You can read all about it here.

This week’s first post sees the concluding part especially as I said I had two main encounters with him during the Christmas holidays, which I fondly remember as I spent some days at his house.

He had this sports car that needed assembling and had so many different small parts. I think he and his sisters had taken the parts out of the box and managed to bury some of them in the thick rug that beautified the centre of their living room.

Meet my only Obosa

I have only one Obosa in this life and I intend keeping it that way for the foreseeable future. He is one of the few very special people in my life. He occupies a special place in my heart. And why that is the case could be for various reasons.

Is it because he looked more like me when he was born? Or that I made sure I traveled back home in time for his birth? Or that we have at least two birth marks in the same places on our bodies? Or that we both speak the love language of physical touch and quality time?

Romans 8 v 28 working out

Ever heard the phrase, Bob’s your uncle? It’s a British colloquial phrase that I heard for the first time from one of my PhD supervisors. And by the way, he was Greek!

Of course, I had to find out where it came from; apparently as far back as 1900. Who woulda thought? Well, there you go. A bit of history for you. Happy New Year!! 💃

This past week has been all shades of many colours and my brain couldn’t just think of what would be a good topic that was worth the reading time to write on for you, my lovelies. But God had me covered. HE sent Rob again to my rescue!🥳 Rob deserves an award, don’t you think? 😁 Haven’t met Rob yet? Please go back to my previous posts like this one and this one!

The Seed and the Soil

So, yesterday, I was in one of my favourite moods – bantering with the official supplier of the ideas for two of my most recent posts – Above pay grade and The Unprepared Worker, and in a bid to defend his position on the matter at hand, he supplied the idea for this week’s post. It’s a hattrick, people!

Another collection of thoughts

Although a few interesting things have happened in my life since my last post, I don’t feel they are ready to be shared with the world yet. I think they still need some marinating and cooking and eating and digestion and absorption and. . .you get my drift. So, when they’re ready, you’ll have them served. Hot, delicious and satisfying! Hehe…

I apologise for having to apologise again

Train up a child

If you’re of the Christian worldview or have been around those that are, you may be able to complete this blog post title.

Before we go on, I apologise for my later than normal post. I am committed to posting every weekend but that didn’t happen this past weekend. The upside of that is you’re getting two posts this week!!

So back my first thought. Just in case you’re not sure of what completes that sentence,