No fear of you

Even though i agree with a friend of mine who said poems are the thoughts of a self absorbed individual for another self absorbed individual to dwell on, i still write poems... and today i'm hitting you with one of em...


I have No Fear of You

I have no fear of you, who comes without request
making a merry jest of the rich man’s bequest.
You have kept abreast of all those in their youth,
and make sure to arrest those we think are best
Whose loved ones gnash their teeth at your cruel test

I have no fear of you who takes those without quest
and tell those with pursuits, who dream of great conquest
that you will end their zest, and turn their dreams awry.
You steal across the east and fly in through the west,
Touching the lives of men, with no plans to digress

I have no fear of you who leave men in distress
and race through quiet homes, with sorrow to infest.
You raid through golden nests and leave soot in your wake,
strong hearts and minds you beat, leaving them depressed
You are heinous and strange; of this I must attest

I have no fear of you, whose name men with fear suggest
too afraid to say, for fear you might in them invest
an interest you’ll express in quick acts of response.
Response that proves fatal, like the wheels of a night express
Indeed you are full of spite, this being we all detest

I have no fear of you… death - dark king of the night
Who wears a robe of tears, mourning your vest,
You bring tightness to the chests of those in fear of you,
but now I call your name, and dare you me divest
cos I have no fear of you, I refuse to be oppressed.
Death I have no fear of you.

For Men

For all those men who say, Why buy a cow when you can get milk for free. Here's an update for you: Nowadays, 80% of women are against marriage, WHY? Because women realize it's not worth buying an entire pig just to get a little sausage.

Men are like....

1. Men are like . ..Laxatives ...... They irritate the crap out of you.
2. Men are like. .Bananas ....... The older they get, the less firm they are.
3. Men are like ...... Weather . Nothing can be done to change them.
4. Men are like .......Blenders You need One, but you're not quite sure why.
5. Men are like ..... Chocolate Bars .... Sweet, smooth, & they usually head right for your hips.
6. Men are like ... Commercials.... You can't believe a word they say.
7. Men are like Department Stores ..... Their clothes are always 1/2 off.
8. Men are like ..Government Bonds .... They take soooooooo long to mature.
9. Men are like .... .Mascara . They usually run at the first sign of emotion.
10. Men are like Popcorn .... They satisfy you, but only for a little w hile.
11. Men are like Snowstorms .... You never know when they're coming, how many inches you'll get or how long it will last.
12. Men are like ....... Lava Lamps .... Fun to look at, but not very bright.
13. Men are like Parking Spots . All the good ones are taken, the rest are handicapped.

MAKEUP 101 – Making the best of your looks (Part 2)

Eye Makeup

Hello Sistas,
How did your practice with part 1 go?... was it useful.. did you understand it?... do let me know how it went... so now on to Part 2
Personally I find eye makeup (eyeliner, eyeshadow, and mascara) the most fun type of makeup and I would say it is the part I’d rather not do without.

Eyeliner: Eyeliner belongs on the base of your lids, and its purpose is to enhance the size and shape of your eyes. Some people also like to line the bottom of their eyes, which really has a dramatic effect.
It comes in many different colours and forms, including pencil and powder (ideal for a "natural" look), and cake and liquid (for a more "dramatic" look). Any colour would do if pencil or powder as long as you can blend. However for the liquid and cake I’d say stick with black or brown (maybe I am conservative though).
When lining your lid with the liquid liner, you may choose to line only the upper lid, but do finish the line. Lining just half of the eye has a minimizing effect which can also be off.
Start lining from the inside of your lid and continue along the entire lash line to the outermost corner for your right eye, and start from the outside and draw the line inward for your left eye – this is if you are right handed. It is of course vice versa if you are left handed.
Extending your black liquid liner beyond the outside corner of your eyes however is a No No! It will only give you a harsh outdated look, brown liner drawn a bit past the eye is okay.

Eyeshadow: Eyeshadow goes on each entire lid and sometimes in the space between your lids and your eyebrows.
It comes in a variety of colours and also several different forms, including cream (good for dry skin), matte (good for oily skin), and pencil (good for all types of skin).
Your blusher should not double as eye –shadow (I bet I caught you there).
It's almost never a good idea to match your eye shadow colour to your eye colour it would have no effect at all; in general, colours that contrasts with eye colour work better.

Mascara: Mascara only used to be available in black, but nowadays you can find it in all sorts of colours, so while black mascara was used for the sole purpose of making your eyelashes stand out without calling attention to the fact that you have mascara on, coloured mascara is now used to make a bold statement. If you choose coloured mascara, I’d recommend that you stick to darker colours like navy blue or brown, forget sky blue, green and such, they are just too unnatural.
Mascara comes in a wand with a tube; there are straight wands, and there are curved wands however I have been unable to differentiate much in the effect offered by both shapes.
The best way to achieve thick lashes is to do several thin coats of mascara. If you experience clumping, wipe the excess mascara from your brush with a tissue.
Don’t jab your mascara into the tube so savagely…just take it nice and slow… push it in… turn it around a few times… there… you are ready to sweep your lashes!

P.S – Do have your eyebrows professional shaped (a large number of beauty salons now offer this service. You can then maintain the eyebrow yourself.

Hope to hear from you on your experiments and practice with Makeup 101 (Part 1 and 2)

3 Things

Unnaked soul did the 4 things version in his October 2006 blog but i am giving you my 3 things version..lol... I seem to enjoy this kinda madness... :-)


THREE JOBS YOU'VE HAD IN YOUR LIFE
1. Interior Decorator
2. Medical Microbiologist
3. Business Analyst/Consultant

THREE FICTIONAL JOBS YOU WISH YOU HAD
1. A healer/Magiker
2. A military general in the Roman Empire
3. A countessa - the mistress of a military general (if i can rule in front i can rule from behind the scene ... lol)

THREE MOVIES YOU COULD WATCH OVER AND OVER AGAIN
1. 300
2. The Gladiators
3. Sweet November

THREE CITIES YOU'VE LIVED IN
1. Abeokuta, Nigeria
2. Ibadan, Nigeria
3. Lagos, Nigeria

THREE TV SHOWS YOU LOVE TO WATCH
1. Friends
2. Sex and the city
3. I can’t think of a third one now leave me!

THREE PLACES YOU'VE BEEN ON VACATION/TRAVELED TO
1. Warri, Nigeria
2. London, UK
3. Accra, Ghana

THREE WEBSITES YOU VISIT DAILY
1. Google.com
2. Blogspot.com
3. Office website ofcourse – you can’t go anywhere without starting here.

THREE OF YOUR FAVORITE FOODS
1. Rice (fried, jollof… chinese… wharrever!)
2. Sphagetti
3. Chips and fish

THREE THINGS YOU WON'T EAT
1. Human Meat
2. Shit
3. What can be worse than these two (okay the maggot in shit!)

THREE THINGS YOU WISH YOU COULD EAT OR DRINK RIGHT NOW
1. Lemon Spiced Chicken
2. Iced Coke and lime
3. Chewing Gum – I am feeling sleepy!

THREE THINGS IN YOUR BEDROOM
1. A Bed
2. A dresser
3. Pink and Violet Curtains

THREE THINGS YOU WISH YOU HAD IN YOUR BEDROOM
1. A deep pink rug
2. A bathroom with a Jacuzzi
3. More Clothes

THREE THINGS YOU ARE WEARING RIGHT NOW
1. Very Irresistable by Givenchy
2. Black trousers
3. A cardigan

THREE PLACES I'D RATHER BE RIGHT NOW
1. On my couch at home
2. Spain
3. Noble House, Accra Ghana

THREE FICTIONAL PLACES I'D RATHER BE RIGHT NOW
1. Rome in the gladiator days
2. Garden of Eden
3. The magic land above the magic tree

THREE PEOPLE YOU’D REALLY LOVE TO HAVE DINNER WITH
1. My Mum
2. Pastor Taiwo Odukoya
3. Donan Karan

THREE THINGS YOU ARE THINKING RIGHT NOW
1. I’m hungry
2. I’m bleeding tired of my job
3. Do I actually think this is fun?

THREE OF YOUR FAVORITE THINGS
1. I would have said my family – but they are not ‘a thing’ haba!
2. My teddy bear
3. My shoes

THREE PEOPLE YOU TAG
1. Socially Incorrect
2. Unnaked
3. Boorish Male

MAKEUP 101 – Making the best of your looks (Part 1)

Facial Makeup

Everyday I go out, to work, church, socials, I see women wearing the wrong makeup,slapping it on like cement, too little or too much, too dark or too light. Frankly i am tired of seeing women with two eyebrows over one eye, the natural and the drawn or black haired women with red eyebrows(red, WTF!) and today my fashionista /makeup artist side has had enough.

I am giving the sistas a quick one in capitalising on their looks. (Yes I moonlight as a makeup artist, so just in case you are getting married and need the services of a good one, now you know)

P.S forget that old wife’s tale that you look better without it… you sure look great without makeup but you can enhance your best features with makeup… else you can as well say you look better without your bra or maybe your jewellery…lol… natural eh?

I’ll start with the basics and I have written it in the order I personally think makeup should be applied.
Make up is a wide topic so this topic will be coming in three parts…
• Facial makeup
• Eye makeup
• Lip makeup & Blush

Facial makeup (concealer, foundation, and powder) was invented to make your skin look flawless. Nobody has flawless skin all the time and if you do just go ahead to the part 2 of this topic. As for the rest of us (and we at 99.99% are the majority) the list below details what facial makeup is most suitable for each skin type (now I’m assuming we all know our skin types!)
• Dry skin: Liquid or Cream
• Dry skin to normal : Liquid or Cream
• Normal to Oily: Oil-free liquid or Powder
• Oily skin: Oil-free liquid with a matte finish
• Combination skin: Liquid, Cream, or Powder (whatever balances your face)

Concealer (optional): also called cover stick is the first thing you apply to your face. I said optional because it’s for spot/blemish treatment. You can skip this and go on straight to the foundation, however, it’s a great one for hiding baggy or sunken eyes, eye circles, most blemishes (I have said most cos you shouldn’t use this to forcefully hide an angry pimple… you have to do something to pacifier an angry pimple, say the night before (a little red toothpaste, a drop of lime or something), for the concealer to hide it well).
The concealer comes in liquid bottles and tubes (which are thinner and good for drier skin), and sticks and compacts (which are thicker and good for oilier skin). Choose a concealer that is slightly lighter than your regular skin colour - the foundation that you apply over it will even it out.

Foundation: You need to invest in a good foundation. Don’t go for something you would find in a drugstore, you need to keep in mind that it is going to be covering your entire face and affect everything else you put on.
Find one that won't clog your pores and will lay evenly – the whole purpose of this endeavor is to even out your skin's tone and texture. With this kind of product, you generally get what you pay for, so it's worth it to shell out extra – foundations by Clinique, IMAN and Mary Kay, the MAC foundation, studio fix and liquid powder are tested and proven. Black Opal foundation is an affordable and dependable one too.
When picking out a foundation, please, please get the color that's closest to your own skin colour. Now if you ignore this advice, you are going to look funny and annoying! Like a female Michael Jackson or something. Test the foundation on your neck or face for a more accurate match, forget testing on your arm it won’t work.
Foundation comes in three types: liquid, cream, and powder. Make sure that your foundation is oil-based for dry skin, oil-free for oily skin, and water-based for combination skin.
When you apply foundation, cover your entire face, and don't leave mask lines - if you stop at your jawline, you'll have an obvious line between the makeup and your skin. So darlings blend, blend and blend!

Note: It is not mortar; don’t slap it on like you are plastering your wall.

Powder: Powder can be applied over foundation to help "set" it, but its main purpose is to help keep your face looking fresh as the day wears on.
Powder comes in the loose/pressed variant and you don’t have to get anything particularly expensive either (however not the dirt cheap clumpy types either)

That’s it for now, have fun and watch out for part 2!
And do get back to me on how you fare on your practice with Makeup 101 (part 1)…. I’m looking forward to hearing from you.

14 things you’ve been waiting for – YOU HAVE TO STOP NOW

1. His first move.
2. The ginger martini and chocolate chip cookie diet—ain’t gonna happen.
3. A decent raise. Earn it, ask for it, get it.
4. That gorgeous shy guy to make up his mind… he has it aint you
5. A sign to tell you what to do next.
6. A cellulite cure. Let's worry about AIDS and cancer first.
7. Your ex to say he’s really sorry. Don’t worry— karma will get him in the end.
8. The bathroom to clean itself.
9. Monogamy to be easy (same goes for dieting).
10. New Year's day. Make the resolution today.
11. Your mother's approval. If you're happy, she will be too (eventually).
12. A man to change everything in your life. Change it yourself now—he’ll catch up with you later.
13. A job that will take all your problems away.
14. A perfect life … go ahead, see it as perfect already and live it like that

How to feel and look like a Prince

There is a thin barely visible line in the matter of a man’s clothes which somehow determines who is attractive, separating those worth taking a good look at and those who are not.
The moment a man sits on the side of the line downwards; the attention a woman gives him is minimal and will soon be lost unless he is by some means able to convince the particular female of the need for another chance.
The men who have the understanding of this; dress accordingly and seem innately successful with women; some even go further and dress such that they give a woman cause to study her own dressing and be gratified at her efforts, wish that she had paid more attention that morning or had more at her disposal to look better.
Bottom line - it doesn’t matter where you are or what do you, being well dressed and looking good can never be something that’s too much to ask!

So this one is especially for the guys – I’m pitching in to help my peeps get that look we die for!

• Look and smell clean - Go for a shave, wear deodorant / body spray/aftershave sparingly and check under your finger nails for dirt in the morning.
• Use the pressing iron – well ironed shirts and trousers always gives you a sharp look
• Your work wear should be elegant and formal; a couple of black, grey, khaki, and brown chinos would work fine when mixed and matched with a number of formal shirts. If you prefer formality and propriety over comfort and ease then go for the traditional pleated straight cut pants. In these cuts colours like navy blue, military green look flattering.
• Avoid shirts that have prominent patterns.
• And what ever you do, don’t repeat your shirts without a wash, we will notice that dirty collar.
• Pin-stripped shirts never go out of style.
• A plain crisp well-fitted shirt worn with pants that are tailor made and customized to your body forms an uncanny combo that can counter criticism from the Vogue magazine editor.
• Both your shirt and your tie cannot be busy at once. If your shirt is busy, keep the tie plain and vice versa
• TIES can be extremely hot if you wear them right; practice your knot till it’s perfect you should untie your tie regularly to iron out the wrinkles.
• For more important meetings make use of power dressing. Wearing a full suit for a meeting can make the right first impression. Keep the time of day and season in mind before picking out one.
• Make sure that your trousers are long enough to drape comfortably over the tops of your shoes without scraping the ground.
• As a rule of thumb, pinstriped dark coloured pants will make you look taller and thinner. To flaunt a broader upper body team them with a light coloured shirt.
• A belt is one accessory that can make or break the entire ensemble. Go with the basics for work wear; let your belt and shoes match.
• However, when you're partying there are no rules. Whatever your inner devil wants is fine. Do not hold back. Retro, contemporary or vintage all look perfect if you have the queer eye for picking up stuff.
• Choose your socks carefully, white/light socks with dark pants are unforgivable
• If you anticipate taking your shoes off at any point, make sure your socks are hole-free.
• Never wear sneakers to work! If your work place allows and you are thinking of comfort, wear smart Italian loafers in a dark colour, they are just as comfy as any other pair of sneakers but stylish as hell. Walk around as much as you want.
• Do not hesitate to wear shoes with heels if you are, well vertically challenged. Well-heeled shoes will make your pants seem more well cut.
• Linen, jeans, jerseys, polo tops, hooded tops and khakis all make good casual wear
• Please, please your boxers are underwear; they should never show at your waist.
• If you are not a rock star or any such thing avoid heavy gold chains or tufts of chest hair peeking out from beneath an opened shirt.
• While still on the casual lane, I say never wear your sunglasses when the sun is not out… and never in a night club…it is after all ‘night’!
• Always dress according to the event you are attending.
• And finally, if you try something on and you have to convince yourself that you like it, just put it back. It is not meant to be.

Chinese dishes to Savor

Okay guys, I’m still on the food lane…. And this time around I’m giving you a list of trusty Chinese dishes.
A lot of times when you go to a Chinese restaurant, you want to try smething new yet you are wary of a bad experience…. You don’t want to end up with something terrible or unswallowable.
A few weeks in Ghana on a project, solved this dilemma, I got to try so many dishes (I think I ate Chinese about 25 times in 3 weeks!) and have made a list of dishes you can’t go wrong with…. Much!
So if there is anything you have never eaten in the list below… dust your wallet and find a nice Chinese restaurant where you can try them…
P.S – The squid tastes much better than it sounds!

Rice Dishes
• Fried Rice and Egg (this can be found on the menu of most Chinese restaurants)
• Fried Rice with shredded beef
• Fried rice with sea food (shrimps and fish mostly)

Noodles
• Singapore noodles with sea food (soft)
• Singapore noodles with pork
• Szechuan noodles
• Stir fried noodles with Pork
• Shanghai Stir-fried Noodles With Chicken

Sauces
• Squid in Taipan sauce
• Lamb /beef in taipan sauce
• Shredded beef in green pepper and onion
• Chicken in taipan sauce
• Squid in Szechuan sauce
• Chicken in chilli pepper sauce
• Sweet and sour chicken sauce
• Mixed sea food in black bean sauce
• Octopus in black bean sauce

Dim Sum

P.S:
I have put in nothing on appetizers cos all the appetizers I tried tasted great! So go to town with the appetizers

The Chinese tea is good for clearing your palate after a tasty meal.

Bon appetit!

Rice Recipes

Does everybody else eat as much rice as I do?... probably not but I’m sure a large percentage of us do especially in Nigeria.
So many ways to cook your rice, you can boil it, fry it, sauté it, steam it, bake it, colour it, spice it, barbecue it… okay I’m going too far now…lol…
So I have am doing the homework for all rice lovers like me... I’ll get rice recipes and try them and post the ones that I think taste fine here.
Ready, pots on the cooker… get cooking!

African Vegetable Rice
This particular one is pretty easy to do. I cooked mine without the celery stalks or rather replaced them with spring onions (somewhere in my brain I figured I could) and it still turned out quite fine. You can also replace the butter with vegetable oil.

Ingredients:
Serves 2-3
2 cups (milk cups) rice, washed and drained
1 1/4 pints [3 1/8 cups] water
2 teaspoons salt
2 oz. (1/4 cup) butter
1 Medium-sized onion, finely chopped
2 large tomatoes, blanched, peeled and chopped
1 large red pepper, white pith removed, seeded and finely chopped
2 celery stalks, trimmed and finely chopped
4 oz. broccoli, trimmed and chopped
4 oz. mushrooms, wiped clean and finely chopped
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

Preparation:
1 Put the rice in a large saucepan. Pour over the water and add 1 1/2 teaspoons of the salt.
2 Place the pan over moderately high heat and bring the water to the boil. Cover the pan, reduce the heat to low and simmer the rice for 15 to 20 minutes or until all the liquid has been absorbed and the rice is tender. Remove the pan from the heat and set aside.
3 In a large frying-pan, melt the butter over moderate heat. When the foam subsides, add the onion and fry, stirring occasionally, for 5 to 7 minutes or until it is soft and translucent but not brown. Add the tomatoes, red pepper, celery and broccoli. Fry, stirring frequently, for 10 minutes or until the vegetables begin to soften. Add the mushrooms to the pan and fry, stirring frequently, for a further 3 minutes. Season with the remaining salt and the cayenne.
4 Add the rice to the pan and stir the mixture until it is combined. Cook, stirring frequently, for a further 10 minutes or until the mixture is thoroughly heated through.
5 Remove the pan from the heat and serve at once.



MEXICAN RICE - by Ruth Lashbrook
2 cups of rice
3 cups water
1 medium sized onion, cut into bite sized chunks
garlic, coarsely chopped (about 2 cloves)
one medium sized tomato diced
Chili powder to taste (2 teaspoons)
Vegetable oil (do not use olive oil as it will burn the rice)
Chicken broth
Preparation:
1 Add some oil to a heavy skillet over med-hi heat. The oil must be enough to coat the rice. Stir the rice evenly as it cooks in the oil. The rice will turn from clear to white to golden brown as it soaks up the oil. More oil may be needed until the right amount for your taste and method is found. It should take about 15 minutes or so. Stir gently until the rice browns. This is the most important step.
2 When the rice is nearly browned, add the onion and continue cooking. when it is done browning, add the garlic and cook it quickly, then add the water, tomato, chicken broth and the spices. When it comes to a boil lower the heat to med-low, cover, and let simmer till water is absorbed (20-40 minutes).
3 Stir to redistribute the onion and tomato, and serve warm with frijoles al la chara (pinto beans cooked with the same spices and bacon, southwestern style).
4 Garnish meal with lime juice.

Source: http://www.ricegourmet.com/Recipes.htm