Times are a Changin'

Because I’m going through a transition time in my life, I’ve decided to discontinue this blog.  I hope to start blogging again soon but possibly on a different platform that will allow me to express who I am more easily! Keep you posted. Thanks for everything guys!

Decision Day: Which Path Will You Take?!

Today is the day! The day you will make a decision that will change your life forever! This day will determine if you end up poor or rich, sick or healthy, happy or sad, till death do you part...THIS DAY IS...COLLEGE DECISION DAY. 

Ok. I'm just trying to scare you, I'm  really not one of those people that believes college has anything to do with life success...in fact, me and my friends also call this day senior skip day. By the time this post is out I'll be hitting the beach or the mall or someplace none school related! So you see, relax it will all be ok! But if you were wondering, YES I have made my decision. 

In the fall I will be attending NYU's Tisch School of Arts in Neeeww Yawwwwk! I'll be majoring in Theater with a minor in film. If you too will be relocating to New York or currently live in NYC let me know! It would be great to have a few friends before I head out! 

This was a quick post but I just wanted to wish you luck in making your decision! I would love to here from my seniors...where are you be next year, what's cooking, what have you planned!? 

If you have a Pinterest follow my "My College" board that has a bunch of nice dorm ideas, college advice, and stuff like that! Hasta la vista!  

PS: I'm considering moving this blog to Tumblr because why not, right?! I'm heading off to college and I think  Tumblr will be easier to manage. What do you think??? Tell me in comments! 

Nigeria Arising

Abuja at Sun Down

If you’ve been following this blog you know that in June of 2014 I traveled to Nigeria. The trip, which I wrote a lot of blog post about, was absolutely incredible and is still the peak of my life so far.

It has been almost a year since I was in Nigeria and since then, I have been working on the documentary about Nigeria, which I filmed while I was there. And now (drumroll please) it is finally complete!

What inspired the creation of this film started with the innate need to discover a part of me that I proudly claimed but did not fully understand, that being the Nigerian side of me. I knew from experiences such as meeting fellow Nigerian Americans, interacting with my Nigerian family, and even seeing Nigerians like Chimamanda Adichie, David Oyelowo, and Chiwetel Ejiofor rise in America, that there was something special about the culture I was from. But at the same time I was being bombarded by conflicting images of Nigeria; the ones I saw in the news of the slums, terrorist attacks, corruption, and chaos! I knew that I was making a judgment about Nigeria based on fragmented pieces of knowledge but I wanted the full picture so that I could fully understand the place and culture I was from. To do that, I needed to go to Nigeria…and when I did, I found so much more than I could have imagined.

I shot over 100hrs of footage while in Nigeria and I wish my documentary could elucidate every piece of my trip, but a 100hr documentary is not possible (sorry!)…I do hope however, that this 10min documentary allows you to catch a glimpse of the people and country I claim so proudly to be a part of.

Check out my mini documentary called “Nigeria Arising”

 

THANK YOU to all the interviewees, sponsors, friends, and family who made this project possible and have taught me little about NIGERIAN PRIDE. My wish is that you learn something from this film and feel compelled to share it with others.

*Because I had to limit this film to 10min unfortunately not all of the interviews could be included! I do hope to make short follow up videos featuring some of my experiences in Nigeria not shown in this documentary.

Texaaaas

Spring break 2k15 lead me and my family to Houston, Texas! *said with a southern drawl* 

I’ve never been to the south so, in the past,  whenever I pictured Texas, my mind filled with images of cowboys, cacti and the desert. Although, I did see a few cowboy hats and cactus house plants but, for the most part, the Texas I saw reminded me of Florida while Houston itself was just like any other American city (it's actually the 4th largest city in the US). 

Why Texas? Well I have a whole lot of family that has been migrating there over the past few years, so we went to see all of them. It’s easy to see why my family is there... Houston is like a firkin’ mini Nigeria! There are parts of the city that resemble Nigeria exactly! Streets filled with African immigrants, African groceries and restaurants, add the hot sun and BAM your in Nigeria. 

I was in Texas for a week (Saturday to Saturday) during this time, as well as visiting family, I went to Kemah Boardwalk, The Museum of Fine Art, The Museum of Natural Science, and the aquarium. I swam and ate steak and enjoyed the warm weather; it was a pretty chill week. Texas was fun!!! I hope to be going back soon...

Kemah, TX

Houston Sunset

They have white tigers at their aquarium...

Museum of Natural Science

Throwback to Spring Break 2k14 in Flordaaa > Click Here 

Because I am Eighteen

It's quite a beautiful thing to be eighteen. Eighteen is a number of progress, intuition, and self discovery.  I now have the freedom to buy cigarettes, win the lottery, purchase sex toys and rent my own porter-potty if my heart so desires. I couldn't do these things just a week ago when I was seventeen but because of the magical number eighteen, the world suddenly sees me as grown. Friends "introduce" me to twenty-something year old guys, my parents don't seem so surprised when I stay out late, and people now ask how I plan to support  myself (?!?!)...but I  feel like a little girl playing a grown-up role! I may strut around with a cute purse yet still,  my instinct is to run to mommy to fill my purse will bills. 

Because I am eighteen I feel the need to explore, and rebel, maybe get a tattoo, but more than ever,  I feel this innate drive to take ownership of my life and take responsibility of the direction it is going. This week that direction led me to the local Walmart to get my cartilage pierced , and the local pet smart to get a job (baby steps ok!) but who knows where I will be lead a week or a month from now.  I fucking* own the words independence, freedom, experimentation and growth  because I am eighteen!!!

*I can say fucking now b/c I'm eighteen

Happy Women's Day! 20 Inspirational Quotes From Badass Feminist Trailblazers

It’s March 8th which means…Happy International Women’s Day! But don’t even try to limit us women to just one day of celebration! You may not know this but March is also Women’s History Month, that means you get 31 full days to delve into the history of women! To be honest,  that is by no means enough time, but  it may be just enough for you  to learn something about the women of this world that you didn't know before! 

In honor of today's very important celebration, my friends over at BUST compiled a list of awesome quotes from our favorite feminist trailblazers. You know, the badass ladies who impacted (and are impacting) our history in unforgettable ways. From Jane Austen to Malala Yousafzai, these women have inspired us to stand up and fight for what we believe in. And here’s to many more years of celebrating YOU, lovely readers! Because, well, you rock and are totally inspirational for us as well.

1. Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

"At some point I was a happy African feminist who does not hate men and who likes to wear lip gloss and high heels for herself and not for men." 

2. Beyonce

 "We need to reshape our own perception of how we view ourselves. We have to step up as women and take the lead."  

3. Cheris Kramarae“Feminism is the radical notion that women are human beings.”

4. Malala Yousafzai"We cannot all succeed when half of us are held back.”

5. Annie Lennox“We all fight over what the label 'feminism' means but for me it's about empowerment. It's not about being more powerful than men - it's about having equal rights with protection, support, justice. It's about very basic things. It's not a badge like a fashion item.”

6. Audre Lorde“I am not free while any woman is unfree, even when her shackles are very different from my own.”

7. Gloria Steinem“A woman without a man is like a fish without a bicycle.”

8. Hillary Clinton“Human rights are women’s rights, and women’s rights are human rights. Let us not forget that among those rights are the right to speak freely — and the right to be heard.”  

9. Maya Angelou“I’m a feminist. I’ve been a female for a long time now. It’d be stupid not to be on my own side.”

10. Betty Friedan “No woman gets an orgasm from shining the kitchen floor.”  

11. Mindy Kaling"I always get asked, ‘Where do you get your confidence?’ I think people are well meaning, but it’s pretty insulting. Because what it means to me is, ‘You, Mindy Kaling, have all the trappings of a very marginalized person. You’re not skinny, you’re not white, you’re a woman. Why on earth would you feel like you’re worth anything?"

>>> Continue Reading All 20 Quotes at Bust.com 

About BUST: With an attitude that is fierce, funny, and proud to be female, BUST provides an uncensored view on the female experience. BUST tells the truth about women's lives and presents a female perspective on pop culture. BUSTing stereotypes about women since 1993.

The Center of the Universe

Last week I spent my weekend in The Center of The Universe...also known at Time Square, New York City. It was a fabulous time of course, the energy of the city streets, the lights, the smell of falafel (Mmm!), Hollister (yes!), and occasionally...weed (uhhh). It all makes ones senses quite convoluted. 

Why was I in NYC? Because college, college, college! It is audition and interview season for those wanting an acting career. I spent most of the weekend being  nervous out of my freakin' mind! But all went well and I feel very confident about my audition! If you've wondered why I haven't specifically mentioned what schools I've applies too that's because I'm making an effort not to tell you but the big reveal will happen around March or April when I begin receiving certain  letters in the mail, although, the fact that I was in New York should give you a hint. 

Now check out some of the fun things I  saw last weekend! And I should tell you, I'll be in NYC a couple of timed over the next few months so look out for more Center of the Universe adventures.

Legalize Weed Man

Johnny Depp - Madame Tussauds

Broadway's Aladdin - Amsterdam Theater

The Center of the Universe