Hold an ID, when you go out (at night) in Naija.

not only in Naija actually, anywhere.

So, I was in Abuja for the summer and I went out - clubbing, lounging... often. This is not a feat that I am proud of. Rather, it has been eye-opening and I've learnt a few lessons from these outings, besides knowing who and where to swoon, of course.

One major lesson that I learnt is the importance of having my ID on me, even though it doesn't seem necessary in a country like Nigeria. In Yankee, you def need one cos of age-alcohol concerns.

One time, I got to an accident scene in Central District, Abuja, three minutes after it took place. It was around 3am and it was raining. One of the two cars involved, a Honda Accord(end of discussion) belonged to a friend's friend. To imagine that my three other gfs and I would have been in the car because we were going from one club to the other but there were two other guys in the car already. When we got to the accident scene, I thought to myself, 'what if I had been in that car?'. What if?' Thank God no life was lost and that me and my three other gf s had not sandwiched ourselves in the back seat. Otherwise, someone would have suffered the impact of the crash. How would I have been identified? Long thing because those friends are not known by my folks. o_O

This other time, shortly after prostitutes were banned from the streets of Abuja, I was approached by a Police officer. Note, that this officer didn't have his uniform shirt on, did not introduce himself with his ID or cordially talk to my friend and I. He simply accused us of standing by the roadside, past 12am, in above-the-knee dresses. Sho! we were not even hailing cars because our ride was just around the corner and we were standing infront of our house. That was how we started a long story with the officer oh. He asked for our IDs but we had none on us. The only items in our clutches were cash, money, perfumes.... He refused to allow us go back in and bring out IDS but was ready to detain us till dawn. Imagine, ending up in jail for a night because your standing infront of your house at past 12am. All he kept saying was there is a new law that women should not be standing on the street at that time of the night. oh well. After that incident, we went out with our IDs everytime.

Naija was fun. I can't wait to be back there next year, hopefully.

Water awareness project 2010

Hey, I'm really sorry that I have been AWOL for two good months. oh my, summer ended, school started and it's winter already because I don't think the fall season exists anymore.

Below is the shorter version of the report for the project that I ran in Nigeria, this summer.

Much thanks to ~B~ of 1BlackButterfly, who supported me.
__________________

This summer, I started and ran ‘The Water Awareness Project’ in Abuja, Nigeria, with the aid of the Rausch Internship grant from the Environmental Studies Department in my school. There is a growing water crisis in Nigeria with a large proportion of the population having no access to safe drinking water. It is estimated that only half of the 140 million people have access to safe water, and even fewer to basic sanitation facilities.

The goal of Water Awareness Project (WAP) was to create awareness among Nigerian youths on the role of water in practicing good sanitation habits, while emphasizing water conservation practices. In June, I gave 30-minute to 60-minute talks on the role of water in sanitation and water conservation practices in twenty-schools in Central Abuja. In July, I worked with the pupils of an Abro Hallmark International School, located in Mpape, Abuja, a settlement deficient of portable water. With the help of a plumber, the pupils and I installed a water tank that employs a rainwater harvesting system from the rooftop of a school building. This particular activity emphasized the importance of community engagement from one’s younger years and showed a water conservation practice. With the tank installation, It is hoped that the students will spend less time in search of water before classes and medical costs will be reduced as a result of water-related diseases contracted from the use of contaminated water.

At the end of July, I had concluded the water awareness project and conducted mini surveys from the students in participating schools. In the near future, I plan to extend this project to more schools in other parts of Nigeria.

It's been a while loves

Yinkuslolo is in Nigeria and she has been having a swell time, no joke. Abuja is fantastic indeed. I did a couple of talks for the Water Awareness Project already and I went to the Plumbing market in Dei-dei today. It was raining, but still an interesting trip though. I met ~B~ of Butterfly, she's so adorable. We went to Drumstix and had an interesting lunch.

One other thing, Abuja's social scene is overwhelming. I'm meeting new people everyday and going to some new hotspot every wkend night. It's all good though and I'm loving it. I'm living in a 'girls pad' life in Abuja because my mum is home, in Europe and I have no vacant hosue in Abuja. Hopefully, I get to see my mum sometime soon.

I hope I make it down to Lagos and Obudu sometime, I really want to. Though, I don't know my way around Lag.

PS: This post is just an update. Basically, I'm loving it down here in Abj.

Wishing y'all a great summer.

Community service project in Nigeria this summer?

Remember when I blogged about being jobless, if I go to Naija this summer? Well, I guess I may not be anymore and it's not like I have gotten job or something but read on.

I spoke to someone in my school about funding an environmental project in Nigeria but I was late and the fund had ran out. Fortunately, I just got an email today that there may actually be some funding available.

NOW WHAT TO DO? WHAT TO DO?

I don't know how much is available but I am looking to do some community environmental-related project in or around Abuja?
Something like a built water tank, summer programs (which is not really practical)?
Basically something on a low budget of $3, 000 but with a long-lasting effect?
Time line: less or up to 2mths. Preferably 1mth.

Ideas please?!

I'm so glad that I may have a shot at giving back to my own motherland and make use of my summer time.

What does community service mean in Nigeria?

To an average Nigerian, what does community service mean? I'm not quite sure how many opportunities are available in Nigeria. Most of the volunteering opportunities that I found online are organized by foreigners and expensive too. Yes, you have to pay to volunteer. I'm kind of feeling disappointed that there are not a lot of home-based volunteer/teach-abroad programs.

If you know about any, pls send the info to my email, yinkuslolo@yahoo.com, or just leave a comment, with a link preferably.

You don't want me to write about undergraduate internship programs in Nigeria? I saw something about Shell somewhere but that's it. I learnt that Interniing during the summer in Naija is all about who you know.

Oh well, Yinkuslolo may go to Nigeria during the summer and I can't spend three months just eating suya and making free midnight calls. I gatta be busy.

Things that I'm willing to do
-Teach
-Volunteer
-Work in an office/hospital

For what in return?
For nothing really, a stipend will be desirable.


S'il vous plaît, Help a sister out. Bueno?!

Those with connections, *side eye to the rich pikins*, hook me up abeg.

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what is this? I hear that engaged Lance and Eva have called it quits. Damn, I loved their asses together. Too much hotness. *clutching my pearls as I realise lance is up-for-grabs single now* I didn't say nothing

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My mac is back, safe and sound. Going to back up my stuff asap, ie during the summer.

Two huge Dilemmas

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I plan my breaks, as far as three months ahead. Honestly, it's just because of flight costs.

But I have been debating where to spend my spring break. Seriously, I'm confused.

I already planned to go to Naija this December, cos Mumcee will be there too. Also, I get to see my friends and folks, I have missed them. I get to retain my sanity. Naija is really home to me.

But my mum can't make it again, she is staying home in Budapest. I really want to see her. Else, this long-distance mother-daughter relationship will loose its elasticity. I have only been home for 3 weeks, this year.

I can't go to both places. So I have to decide.

Pros of going to Naija:

• I get to see friends and folks.
• I will enjoy the tropical weather and dodge this punishment, called winter.
• I will possibly go on a mini West-African tour.

Cons:

• I will lose $2000+ of my money to the cheapest air service that I can find to spend just 3 weeks.
• I will not see the most important, yet some-what absent, person in my life.

Pros of going home, Budapest:

• I'll see the infamous MumCee
• I will def go on a mini-European tour, if I can stay warm. I had better be warm ni.
• By hook, crook, or book, I will book a cheap flight. Even if I have to stop over in the north pole.

Cons:

• I will not see my friends, almost 2yrs now. I feel different from them.
• I will die of cold. No kidding, Yankee is cold, but Hungary is freezing yo. Clear slippery ice is not the best thing to be walked upon

To be honest, runsing three continents is no joke, not even funny. Don't do it, the fun ends after the first round-about trip.

Where should I go?

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My hair!!!

I can't maintain my real hair. It's treated but due for relaxing. I see no point in paying someone $60 to do my hair, when I will still get a weave. Ajebo girls in my school know nada about making one's hair. Now, my hair is short, breaking, somewhat-unkempt and covered with my lace-front wig. When the winter comes, it will just break off totally.

Thus, I want to take the big chop this weekend and go natural. I may not even grow it out, just keep it low. The low-cut hair-do is low maintenance but I prefer the long hair length. I will still be wearing my orisirisi hair extensions/wigs/weaves.

I am not yet into the empowerment thing, when you take the big chop and go natural or otherwise.

I want to do it for the financial benefit and time-saving advantage.

The hair is not even growing so I will let it go.

So, what am I still waiting for? Damn, I don't wanna remember what I looked like when I was on low-cut, back in high school. not the best of my looks. What if I have to bare my real hair and not like my cut. Well, I am too occupied to enhance my facial looks and wear screaming jewelry for the sake of a low-cut.

This hair?

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Anyway, I have to finalise my winter break itinerary before I end up staying in Yankee, my loss.

I'm off to work. Oh! This is my first time at my second job, I'm an Events' Usher.

I still want to take bar-tending classes sometime though.

Ignore typos and any mistakes as usual, Yinkuslolo dislikes proof-reading.

Je t'embarasse.

"I'm a Fly-gerian..."

If u're current on bville you wud have heard that I met Kemberly, for like 30 secs, at the Independence Day parade in NY. Unknown to me, Original Mgbeke was there too but I dint meet her tho.

Wow, I'm not gonna go into details about the parade. I ran into other people too. Mehn! Seeing so many Nigerian just felt strange. Bad cue! It's high I paid Naija a visit.

I got a legit flag too, a Naija groupie sticker, 2 shirts, fried snails and some yeye Palmwine.

Below are a few pictures of the bunch.

some damn snails, my fave seafood. I dint even care about the potential james and john in it. I took it home, cleaned and ate. yum!

These over-revealing attires. Trust me, they didn't look sexy, their supposed-goal.

I was standing behind the stage, the best angle that i could get. Thus, my pix position. Towards the ned of the show, my friends and I realised that we must have been caught on tape cos we were close to the stage with the cameras across. You can't eat your cake and have it huh?

These were some Calabar dancers. Good work!I don't know what ethnicity this is, but they did their thing too.
Later that night, I dint go to the after-party party for many reasons but mostly because I wanted to chill with my friend, who graded from my uni last year. Newyorkers! I give them the upper hand. We were out like 12:30am and the streets were as busy as Oshodi on Friday afternoon. I may be generalising but the only part of NewYork that end up going to errytime is Manhattan. That place is damn busy. The nocturnal rendez-vous are poppin' tho.

This guy below was dressed up as batman. You can pay him 2 bucks and take a pic with him. I am talking business on the streets at 1:00am here. He carried me but I dont have that pic on here. The guy, sorry Batman, is effing strong mehn.

In other randomness, Mumcee is just a funny someborri. She went to Naija and guess what she posted to me? Toothbrush! Like, this is the first thing she is posting to me, by her own instincts. Toothbrush! I was like this woman! but I appreciate it though. All the brushes, that I have come across in Yankee are soft. I like enhanced bristles. But this toothbrush she sent is too hard. Too hard, if it mistakenly brushes your skin, it can bruise you.

je t'embarasse

Repping Naija Jamz

Holla!

I am unapologetically big on Naija Pop. The 'Naija Jamz' Playlist on my iTouch is on shuffle/repeat, like right now at work. No matter where I am, ( I'm back to the US of A) I try my best to be current/critical/appreciative about what's popping in Naija. Scratch! I composed these stanzas after remixing MI and Naeto C's songs during my lunch break. Not remix per se, I added some jara and 'twisted' some lines, if you are familiar with MI's Safe, Teaser, Short Black Boy, Anoti and Naeto C's Ringtone and This is what I do.

PS: If you don't know MI, shegay!!! Something dey do that guy

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MI is not just chilling in my belly,
cos that is Naija Hip-Pop speaking.

.

That short black boy

makes me go loko,

when I listen to his voco.

Isn't that the koko?

.
Claiming to be looking for diva,

with some bakassi pennisula,

cos he is a cute bootay squeezer

Does he need someone's data?

.

Who is cool like a freezer

and can make you perspire,
like you on fire.

Look at her he-re.

.

Sit on her,

like you do on Naija's rap messiah,

and I dare you to delete her.


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Don't push my button,

Don't turn it on.

Cos I ain't got no ringtone.

.
Should I check up on you?
and put it on you.

Wetin I go do?

This is what I do.
Naeto Chukwu.

My Bonus/Jara/Fisi.

Effing Amber posing for Complex

Je t'embrasse