Music & Lyrics: Vol 8

It's been almost two years since I posted content on this segment, even though I've had this particular song in mind for the longest time.

The first time I heard Gravity by Sara Bareilles (I still struggle to pronounce her surname), it latched on to my melancholic side (I have my moments) and I couldn't help playing it over and over until the lyrics sank in.

And then, I fell deeper in love with it after watching Season 5, Episode 14 of So You Think You Can Dance, when two of my fave dancers in that season, Kayla and Kupono, rendered an emotional contemporary dance piece, which was choreographed by the amazing Mia Michaels. I still get goose bumps anytime I remember it. Oh, how I loved that show!

It's funny how I always imagine myself singing this song on stage at an open mic event, all caught up in my emotions while the audience is entranced by my rendition. Loool. I will most definitely write a blog post about that if it does eventually happen. #WatchThisSpace 

Anyway, here are the lyrics. You'll probably connect with them as much as I did. Read beyond the surface of the words, cause they are deep, deep...

VERSE 1:

Something always brings me back to you
It never takes too long
No matter what I say or do
I'll still feel you here 'til the moment I'm gone

You hold me without touch
You keep me without chains
I never wanted anything so much
Than to drown in your love and not feel your rain

CHORUS:

Set me free, leave me be
I don't want to fall another moment into your gravity
Here I am and I stand so tall
Just the way I'm supposed to be
But you're on to me and all over me

VERSE 2:

Oh, you loved me 'cause I'm fragile
And I thought that I was strong
But you touch me for a little while
And all my fragile strength is gone

*REPEAT CHORUS*

BRIDGE - my favorite part 

I live here on my knees as I
Try to make you see that you're
Everything I think I need here on the ground
But you're neither friend nor foe though I
Can't seem to let you go
The one thing that I still know is that you're keeping me down
Keeping me, keeping me, keeping me down

You're on to me, you're on to me and all over

Something always brings me back to you
It never takes too long

All Roads Led To Ilorin

There are a handful of friends for whom I would willingly experience some discomfort to show how much I value them.

Yinka or rather, Yinkus Minkus as I fondly call him, is one of such friends. 

One reason being that he will do (and has done) the same for me without my asking and him expecting absolutely nothing in return.

And it amazes me because we haven't been friends for the longest time, which just further proves the fact that friendship isn't about the number of years you've known each other, but about the significant moments you've shared together. 

Okay, I think I've done enough with the touchy-feely-mushiness because truth be told, this nigga is one of the craziest humans I know and shouldn't be described with such sane words. So this is me switching back to our status quo. 

Now back to the essence of the post. 

Last year, before he relocated to the United States to practice medicine (after Rona tried it's possible best not to allow that happen), I excitedly helped him plan an intimate proposal dinner for his then girlfriend. 

PS: I'm the plug for that kind of gig. So holla at your girl *wink* 

Fast forward to a couple of months ago, dude invites me to his wedding and makes it seem like it was going to hold in Lagos, and of course, there was no way I was going to miss it. 

And then he sends me the invite a couple of weeks later, and the location read 'Ilorin' which is in Kwara state, a place I have never been to and never thought I'd go to in the nearest future. 

*Excuse my French in the subsequent text, seeing as that is how he and I address each other more often than not. I'll try my very best to be subtle* 

Apparently, the motherfucker 'tricked' me into committing to attending his wedding knowing that I won't turn back on my word, irrespective of where it was going to take place. 

The idiot knows me too well. 

Smdh. Such a hoodlum.

To top it off, he sorted out my hotel booking, which also happened to be at the wedding venue, so there was no excuse for me not to come through, whether I had to get there by road, air, or worst case scenario, by sea. 

But the fact is, even if he didn't help with that, I would have still figured out a way nonetheless, for obvious reasons (refer to the first paragraph) 

And yes, being there to celebrate with the asshole was absolutely worth it. 

So here I am, typing this on my ride back to Lagos, knowing that the back ache from going on a 5 hour road trip twice in two consecutive days will not compare to this feeling of fulfilment. 

And on that note, congratulations again Yinkus Minkus! Now go forth and procreate! My one prayer is that at least one of your offspring will not be as insane as you are. 

xxxx

Your favourite 'Beech' aka 'Kikilicious' 

Yep, that's what he calls me, amongst other foolish names. I told you he's not normal.  

In other related news, Yinkus has a very engaging blog called Dr. Chitchatter, which I dare say that I prompted him to start (also which I am very proud that he did). Each post is definitely worth reading, trust me. 

You should check it out by starting off with his latest post titled, Till Death Do Us Part?

One Too Many Frogs

As is my usual M.O, I went cold turkey on social media for a couple of days and used that opportunity to take some time out for myself, mentally and emotionally, because let's face it, social media can take a toll on us every once in a while. 

During that time, I engaged in some series on Netflix (New Girl was the ultimate binge drug. Plus Schmidt is my new favourite person) and The Bold Type caught my attention. I had seen it a couple of times on my feed but kept shoving it aside. I usually shy away from series on Netflix and gun for 'quick movie fixes' to distract me. But here I was with more than extra time on my hands, so I delved in.

Needless to say, I enjoyed every single episode, and I learned a thing or two - one being how much writing can heal and lead to the writer's self-awareness by being open to vulnerability. Obviously, I knew that already but The Bold Type gave me a broader understanding of it.

So here I am, using this post to open up, something that I consciously try to avoid because being vocal about my feelings can be pretty disappointing. One of the reasons being that it can be misinterpreted, which then makes me wonder why the heck I even bothered *shrugs*. But apparently, they say vulnerability signifies strength, not weakness - so here it goes.

The quest to find ones soul mate is a daunting experience. Even more exhausting is the fact that if you're not so 'lucky', you tend to keep kissing so many frogs on the journey to finding "The Prince", and during the course of these trials (and errors), you get taken for granted, pushed aside, ghosted, strung along, played, amongst a host of other heart wrenching results.

And then sometimes, if not most times, you tend to ask yourself, 'What is wrong with me? Am I not good enough?' 

Well, I have asked myself that question several times, I doubt I can keep count. And it's ironic because I know for a fact that I am super amazing - I mean, have you met me? *flips imaginary mane* 

But still, the insecurity that questions why I seem to constantly fail in this quest often rears it's annoying ugly head.

Out of curiosity, I recently gave online dating a shot because, why not? And surprisingly, I've actually been having quite the experience, even though I have 'Swiped Left' or clicked 'Pass' on some 'He's interested in you' notifications more often than not.

This constantly reminds me that maybe, even more than I even realize, I am not always the 'victim' in this quest, but the villain in somebody else's story. I mean hitting 'Pass' pretty much means I am rejecting a certain interested person's advances, right? Plus we all know how guys are usually 'pressured' to make the first move and often get rejected every single day. Does that mean neither of them are good enough?

So in my case, as is in everyone else's, it just happens to be either one of these four reasons (and more): 

- we're not meant for each other

- it's just bad timing

- I probably don't even like him as much as I should 

- or simply put, he's just not into me because I'm just not his type *shrug*

There's this saying that I live by when I feel some kind of way about the fourth reason:

It is what it is.

Perhaps, he prefers apples, or grapes, and that's just fine! Cause there is always someone who loves peaches that's just around the corner, and this someone might not be a fan of apples, or grapes...or oranges. But again, does that make them any less ripe or juicy? 

Yep. You got that right. 

And that's that about that. 

*Dancing away while listening to "Haven't met you yet" by Michael Bublé*

A Curious Case of Carpal Tunnel

Ever heard of the medical condition called 'Carpal Tunnel?'

Well, neither had I until I became a living example of it's definition - an experience I would never wish on my worst enemy (if I had one to begin with. Because life isn't that deep tbh)

Over two weeks ago, I woke up with a pain on my left wrist. At first, I thought it was probably just because I slept on it overnight, so in like one or two hours tops, the pain would fade away, which is usually the case.

Night time came and the pain had taken a turn for the worse. I had to succumb to massaging it with some balm, hoping that by the next morning, it would be as good as new.

Boy, was I so wrong.

The next day was my mum's birthday, so I wished her a happy birthday at midnight and went back to bed, still in pain. Fast forward to 3am through to 6am - I was tossing and turning in anguish (no, I am not exaggerating). It hurt so much that I couldn't lift my hand nor move it an inch. It just lay there like a lifeless log of wood, even worse it had swollen up to the size of one. 

I shamelessly cried like a 5 year old and had no other option but to meet my mum in her room to put me out of the misery I was in.

She called my sister (who thank God, lives nearby) and she literally ran over (well, not literally) to give me a bath (I couldn't even do that myself. Horrible feeling, I tell you) so I could go to the hospital.

My immediate elder brother, who happened to come by that morning to drop my baby niece with my mum to spend time with her on her birthday, drove me to the hospital. Prior to that, my brother-in-law and sister had suspected it was carpal tunnel - seeing as they had both experienced it before (my sis while she was pregnant with her first child and her husband a few years ago due to working for long hours on his laptop - he's a programmer so it kind of comes with the job)

The doctor recommended an x-ray just to ascertain what it was. And that if it wasn't what we all suspected, a surgeon would have to get involved.

For those who don't know, I have never:

- been hospitalized

- been put on drip

- been operated on

So, yes, I silently freaked out when he mentioned the word 'surgeon'.

I got the x-ray results in less than 12 hours and luckily, there was no major cause for alarm. All my bones were intact. So the way forward was to treat it with painkillers, a sling, and as advised by a friend of mine who's a doctor, a wrist brace.

For almost two weeks, I couldn't lift my arm to give myself a proper bath, cream my body, cook meals, (God bless my mum who took on this duty like a champ), wash dishes (my eldest brother and sister helped clear out the kitchen on my mum's birthday), handle some tasks that required minor lifting (my elder brother was so helpful with these), or even wear my clothes with reckless abandon. *sad tear drop*

Sigh. I felt like a handicap in every sense of the word. Lord knows I got to a whole new level of respect for persons who are. Y'all are the real MVPs - fr fr. 

As if this experience wasn't unbearable enough, some other parts of my body decided it was also the perfect time to stress me out.

First, the painkillers affected my tummy because, unfortunately, I have ulcer. Luckily, I was given a  couple of ulcer pills as part of the prescription to ease the pain.

Second, a random sore appeared in my mouth, making it super uncomfortable for me to eat, which we all know is one of my favorite things to do in the world *sad face*

Then, the most irritating of them all, a yeast infection. Lol. I laugh at the fact that this actually happened to me. You read about some things or watch them on TV and always think, 'This can never be me'. Well, never say never. 

I had to use pessaries (again, thanks to my doctor friend who recommended them instead of pills) for 14 days to completely clear it out. 

Urgh. I don suffer these past few days sha, I no go lie.

But all in all, even though I still feel some pain on my wrist every now and then, I thank God the worst part of it is over. *wipes brow*

So what's the moral of this post? 

One - appreciate every single part of your body because every single part is just as important as your whole being.

Also, family and true friends are everything and more. The love and support I felt from them was proof that I've got the best humans in my corner.

And last but most importantly, TAKE CARE OF YOURSELF. I applied for a 7 days' sick leave and made sure I didn't open my laptop during that period - because this life, na only ONE oh! Remember, if you peme there is ALWAYS someone else to replace you. 

Lass lass, everyone would be what? ALRIGHT.

That's it. That's all. Thanks for coming to my TED Talk sesh. 

A New (Foodie) Revolution

Presenting, The Foodie Diary IGTV Series!

Follow me on my journey towards ticking out several #PlacesToEat on my to-do list. 

PS: Each episode will feature a snippet of a #SongAboutFood (or simply put - a song that has food in its title) for obvious reasons. *wink*

Go follow @thewittyingenious and watch the first episode. 

You're welcome *grins*

Project 2020

Mini projects make me uber-giddy. I always loved watching Pimp My Ride and Extreme Makeover: Home Edition back in secondary school for obvious reasons. From decluttering and revamping, to planning mini birthday shindigs and brunch hangouts, once I get started, I'm super pumped and on a roll until it's all done and dusted. 

One major highlight of my organization forté was planning a surprise bridal shower for my sister...and ACTUALLY surprising her (cause surprising that human is a mini project on its own) She was so shocked she literally shed tears of joy. 

Yup. NAILED IT! 

My big brother got married in August and moved out of the house, which meant it was just going to be my mum and I until it's my turn to skidaddle.  

Almost immediately, a light bulb went off in my head. I started envisioning the soooo many different ways we could move some things around the house and make it more homey and easier to maintain and clean. 

This involved lots and lots of decluttering, (oh, so much fun!), redesigning, and rearranging.

And boy did I dive in.

First off, I took a mental note (and typed a loooong one of course) of everything that needed to be sorted out. The focus was on the living room, kitchen, bathroom - and just an extra touch for my bedroom.

The next step was to contact the key artisans - a carpenter, electrician, and plumber to come over, inspect, and advise me on the corresponding costs then get the ball rolliiiiing!

I'll share a summarized to-do list with you real quick, cause I LIVE by them. You should see my calendar - it's like OCD on overdrive. 

Here it goes:

LIVING ROOM:

1. Change the sofas and chairs - PRONTO! 

2. Rearrange the pictures and hang new ones. - This made my mum so excited cause of our family portrait and my siblings wedding pictures. Yeah yeah, na me remain *smirk* 

3. Repair all the lightings. - All of the Lights! 

4. Mount the TV on the wall - Decided to subscribe for our DStv after what seems like years...even though that didn't go so well either. Plus tbh, DSTv is a tad bit boring. Good thing my mum's got her GOtv in her bedroom and I've got my laptop AND Netflix. 

BATHROOM:

1. Decongest - take out unused buckets cause I'm a shower typa girl.

2. Replace the water tank with something waaaay smaller. 

KITCHEN:

1. Declutter (oooh, my favourite!) - there's this detachable cupboard we set up in the kitchen where we have loads of unused crockery we brought all the way from Sudan after we moved back to Nigeria. Gathering them brought back soooo many fond memories.  But I was even more excited to see how spacious the kitchen would be after we stored them elsewhere and got rid of the cupboard.

And then, I planned to toss out lots and lots of unused PLASTICS. I mean, what's with African parents and plastics??? *straightface*

BEDROOM:

The icing on this project cake was my bedroom. I have always wanted to get some wallpapers and decided that now was the time. Luckily for me, a friend was kind enough to buy me a couple of rolls as my belated birthday present, so all I needed to do was pay to get them installed. 

To add more pizzazz to the revamp, I got a framed graphic portrait of myself, after being randomly tagged by the artiste - @mo_graphics69. And coincidentally, the background in the image blends with the wallpaper color. 

It was meant to be, wasn't it?  

To match the walls and brighten up the room, I switched up my curtains (because blinds are way too expensive in these COVID times) and changed the lightings. 

Thus, my new haven was born! 

P.S: I had this post planned for weeks, but then my phone got stolen at my cousin's wedding some days before Christmas and I didn't back up my pictures on my Google Drive, so there's that. 

Sigh, and I was so excited to show you guys the 'Before' and 'After' pictures of the living room project, as that is the one I am proudest of. Boohoo! *sad tear drops*

But like they say, still...we MEUVE! 

So...

Side note: A friend and I started a podcast a couple of months ago called Let's Controverse, which touches on topics around controversial matters. 

Be a sport and click, listen, like, comment, and share, will ya? *wink*

 

 

 

 

 

The Foodie Diary - 29th October 2020

Dear Nigerian Youth,

It's been one hell of a month hasn't it? No need to recall the heart wrenching happenings, most especially on the 20th of October, because I believe you, like myself, have had more than enough of that. Plus, the only way forward is well, forward.

So you know what to do come 2023 people! #EndBadGovernance ️ #VoteWisely 

With that being said, as you may already know, asides from listening to music, I turn to food therapy to relieve myself of stress.

No thanks to the buzzkill that is COVID-19, my girls and I haven't been out for brunch in forever. So a few days ago, I said, 'F%$k it! Let's do this bishes!' 

Well, not exactly those words but you get my drift. 

I recently discovered this brunch restaurant called Cafeteria. Apparently, I'm a LASTMA cause my friends had been there a few times on separate occasions.
I'm a sucker for having breakfast at anytime of the day (oh, how I love me some Denny's) so this option was perrrrfect for me.

Yep. This was definitely us.

As usual, I had gone through the menu on their Instagram page and decided on what I'd order before we even got there.

After bouncing back and forth on the menu for hours on end, I finally opted for the Prawn Pesto Melt and washed it down with some Caramel Vanilla Milk Tea.

All that yummy goodness on one table.

And the best part of this brunch was we didn't pay a dime. Sigh. Relassed and taken kiaruf. 

Mission accomplished.