2008 -a review of the golden year

This year will be ending in 8hrs 30mins (GMT)and I am deeply conscious of how good a year it has been.

Honestly God has been faithful

Yes I can't deny there are still things I want and need and I am not talking about the WII game board here... even though i do want that

Things like a dream job....

Things like a production contract with a Fashion House

Things like Baroque on a platter...

Things like my own place....

The list is endless and they are all important

Nevertheless this year has been golden:

I have bagged an additional degree...

lived abroad in the European country I have always wanted to live in, where life is golden...yeah Switzerland

worked at my dream job...

travelled...

made new friends, kept old ones and lost nasty ones...

explored Madison Avenue and 5th Avenue indepth...

finished sketching a whole fashion collection for next year...

bought a superb sewing machine on which i intend to perform innovative magic

kept a large number of the resolutions I made in 2008! - yes I didnt stalk any boy and i stayed away from Faith and Manolo Blahnik and Designer sales...

So yes! 2008 has been a golden year

and with much expectation and joy I am looking forward to 2009 and I hope you are too...

And if you think you dont have just enough reasons to be excited and expectant, you are wrong cos if you look hard enough, you will find enough reasons to say

2008 has been a golden year and 2009, I cant wait to see you!

Pros and pros

I was talking to a friend a few days ago... and she said "why are you single?"

and i thought "is that a rhetorical question or does she really want an answer?"

but before i could coin an appropriate response she said "you should hurry and just do it, just do it... you are just being choosy and you need to stop being so choosy... being single is so wrong!"

"whoa whoa whoa! hold it there" i said, "where is all that coming from? being single is not wrong dear, infact i think it can be quite awesome and has got its many benefits!" she shrugged and said " i dont know of any!"
the conversation ended shortly after that...

but on and off, I have been thinking about the benefits of being single... the "pros and pros" and now i have decided to write a few here...share with y'all... now i'm not saying there are no cons to being single, but today i am focusing on the "pros"
and i have numbered everything "1" cos its all about being single.

Here goes

1. you can have more than one man fussing around you

1. and you can do breakfast, dinner or lunch with any man that catches your fancy

1. you can be the "girl" in so many people's lives! including your dad! (and not in a dating sense!)

1. the money you earn is all yours!

1. you dont need to justify how you spend it or what you buy

1. there are no in-laws to manage

1. you have the bed to yourself

1. and have someone in it, only when you want for as short as you want...lol

1. you are not accountable to anyone else but yourself - you can up and go wherever you like whenever you like (and i have done that a few times)

1. your time is yours, not under some "new management"

1. you can work late and not feel guilty or have to apologize or negotiate

1. yes your life is not a constant dialogging or negotiation

1. you can be as selfish as a cat

1. you cook or buy food only cos you are hungry... there is no other mouth to consider

1.your life is exactly that - yours!

feel free to contribute to this list

remember the numbering is "1"

WELCOME TO THE JUNGLE!!!

I was watching the National Geographic Channel, I do a lot... cos I love animals madly.... everything on all fours... except reptiles oh...

Anyway, I was watching the Nat. Geo and it was a program about Tigers and their hunting habits (yeah tigers..lol) and something struck me strongly

In the world of nature, survival is 100% dependent on results.

A hungry tiger in the wild doesnt get food by chasing its prey from 8am to 5pm.
If he makes a kill, he eats,
If he doesnt, he starves
If he's a good hunter, he prospers
if he's a poor hunter, he's history.

There are no time clocks, no sick leaves, no paid vacations, no points or promotions for trying hard and no kissing arse...
Mother nature is an unforgiving no-nonsense 100% result oriented bitch of a boss... aint cutting anybody any slack and excuses dont gel...

I bet you are saying - warrever! we are people not animals and that's in the jungle not here ...
but you see it applies to us

Like the tiger in the jungle, the achiever, the fortune 500 fella has no choice but to be result-oriented....
Putting in long hours means nothing
Being well organised means nothing
Knowing the right people means nothing
following a daily regimen means nothing
and being efficient means nothing

WITHOUT (before you guys bite my head off)
WITHOUT RESULTS
RESULTS ARE EVERYTHING!
TO MAKE ANYTHING OF YOURSELF YOU HAVE TO BE RESULT ORIENTED!

You either close the sale or you don't!
if you deal with customers, they either come back or they dont
you either achieve the set objective, or you don't

WELCOME TO THE JUNGLE!!!

The Audacity of Hope...

So Obama won the election, I stayed up that night till 2.30am watching and waiting.... then the Ohio votes came in and I knew that Obama had won... and done it real good... i went to bed....

Next morning... there was so much excitement, so much noise, so much jubilation, funny text messages selling Obama Aso-ebi and various facebook profile messages....
and some of the profile messages i noticed were "the audacity of hope", "yes we can" "now i know all things are possible" "now i know i can achieve anything i dream" "the doors have been thrown wide open" bla bla bla and more bla....

"Fascinating!" i said to myself, "so now you know all things are possible abi? now you know you can achieve all things right? oh really?"

I opened my facebook and on my profile i wrote the following words
"if Obama can do the Black house, then i can do the palace, buckingham here i come"

That statement might sound funny to you, or preposterous like it sounded to many, cos in the short space of 5 hours i received such replies like "in your dreams" "get real" "Britain is not America oh" these comments were coming from the same people who said "all things are possible"

This same people were now saying "all things are possible but not something crazy like that..." Their responses proof of the barriers in their minds, the existing structures that keep us from going after those dreams...

As long as those structures exist, we will say a million times "all thing are possible" and then continue to be mediocre!

I am convinced that Obama's dreams were greeted with a similar response 10 years ago by many people who heard it then... but suddenly they dont look crazy anymore...

Now we are all screaming "Obama has opened new doors and showed us all things are possible!" really?

Dont get me wrong...I laud Obama with all my heart, however Obama did not fling any door open... he merely chose to see a open door where others see a wall...

The first black secretary general of the UN, the first woman in space...etc... saw doors... Obama and others like him are those who have chosen to break down the structures in their minds... to see open doors where to others there are walls... and the Obamas of this world will continue to walk through to success, fame and fulfilled dreams while the rest who see walls or locked doors will continue to stand outside, waiting for the Obamas to come and fling open doors that are already open... if only their chose to see and believe.

what am i saying?

while we rejoice with Obama and America, either as black people or as people who see a dream being lived, we shouldnt just scream "the audacity of hope" "yes we can" "all things are possible" let us scream it, believe it, dream it, live it... and make our dreams reality

My blog award

10days ago, I was awarded the "I love your blog" award by Aloted

need i say i was thrilled, tickled and totally flattered to have gotten the award?
to think someone actually loves my innane writings is so.... humbling... thanks aloted... you rock!

so i am expected to pass on the award :-( and here are the rules for doing that:

1.The nominated is allowed to put the picture on their blogs.
2.Link to the person who awarded you.
3.Nominate seven other people and link to them.
4.Leave a message on those people's blog to make them aware that they're nominated.

so in the order i remember them, I am passing on the award to:

1. Unnaked - who showed me the world of blogging... your mind is beautiful! and your expression of it more so... even though you have taken a vacation from blogging, I hope you come back soon!

2. Oluwadee - I cant remember how i found your blog, but I sure I'm glad I found it... your blog brings me joy and frequently encouragement, your journey from spinsterhood to marriage has been exhiliarating and deep... what else can I say but I totally love your blog!

3. Afrojigy: I no fit shout! your blog is naughty, sassy yet smart... and its one blog i love visiting... religiously... even if it means glancing around and making sure no one is watching when I open it cos you never know what picture you got up!
you are some awesome stuff!

4. Aloted: purpose driven someborry... sister and friend... i love more than your blog... i'm loving you too!

5.Career driven woman: I just found you and your blog is a mine of information ... your blog has become an everyday tonic...

6.Overwhelmednaijababe: there is nothing overwhelmed about you! your blog amooses me and your thoughts give me thoughts... love ya blog

and finally my blog lover

7. Baroque: I have left you till last cos you totally rock my blog world!
if i write how much i love your blog and invariably your mind, some people eg. afrobabe will de-friend me " all is fair in love and war" and all that stuff... so i will simply say i adore your blog and the mind behind it.

I've gone and done it now!

Today, I upped, went to Sears and bought a Singer electric sewing machine!

Yes, after bagging a Masters degree that has nothing to do with fashion, cost thirty thousand dollars and from a top 5 UK school, I have decided to make clothes...

Did I hear a gasp? a sigh.... perhaps a giggle at my madness or stupidity?

I dont blame you... but Yes, I have gone and done it...

I have always wanted to sew... I have pages and pages of sketches and there is nothing i find more delightful than turning something creative out from under my machine...

Why did I wait this long, work for 4 years... get an expensive Masters?

Simple... I've been scared of taking the leap!

However, I am taking it now...

Dear Blog family, I need your support... your encouragement and your followup...

Cos Tyger is plugging the machine to make some Haute Couture!

Shoes, Manhattan, Love and I

Tyger has spent the last 10 days.... roaming 5th Avenue, 23rd Avenue and Madison Avenue indulging my craving for shoes... high heeled, wicked looking things, in black, blood red, wine.... tan...purple... six inches... three inches... brushed leather, croc,patent....naughty monkey, chinese laundry, baker, aldo, steven balden... and let me tell you its been an orgasmic experience...

talking of orgasmic experiences, i got a full body massage at the "Massage Envy" and this buff black guy worked every muscle on tyger... muscles i didnt know existed... at the end of one hour i felt like poured honey... golden honey poured slowly.. melting... sweet and soft... flowing in all its golden beauty... yeah thats what a massage can do to you!

One up for the friend who sold me the massage idea....

So i can say in the last two weeks i have had a number of "heavenly experiences"

However,

there is this guy who wears a trench coat and a bowler hat and goes around dodging poor souls going about their own businesses...so he can beat them up

I think i need to categorically say - i dislike, detest and despise him...

My name is Tyger and I despise you!

There I have said it....

Now leave me alone...

dont dodge my steps...

dont follow me....

dont pounce on me at inconvenient moments...

dont take me where i have no control...

you try my strength and threaten to rock my gently floating boat...

i didnt whistle for your cab...

so why the screeching stop in front of me?

I am warning you...

if you attempt to beat me up this time.... I am gonna outright kill you....

And incase you dont know... while shopping for shoes, I made friends with some Italians in lower Manhattan/Bleaker street and some in Chicago too... and the hudson river still got space for people who wanna live with the fishes....

you cant be messing with me... its dangerous for you...

Is tyger ranting?

Warreva!