23 Things About 23

Hi guys!

So it's been a while since this darling old blog had a personal touch from yours truly. So I decided, on account of my 23rd birthday yesterday, to grace you laptops, desktops and other smart devices with this oddball.

1. I am no less stupid than I was 48-ish hours ago.
2. On the upside, that must mean I am also no less clever!
3. In fact, I am positive that I am more clever because you learn new things everyday right?
4. That doesn't mean I have stopped making mistakes though. 
5. I feel like I'm at a point in my life where everything is about to take off. 
6. I feel more ready that ever to begin something new. 
7. I'm probably just riding the birthday high.
8. Nothing is exactly the same, yet nothing has really changed.
9. I have many bad habits I wish to put a permanent stop to. 
10. I need to learn to be even more honest with myself.
11. I can now no longer use the excuse of being too young, not that I ever really did.
12. I think it's about time I started believing in myself. There are certain things I'm good at. There is no crime in admitting that.
13. I have come a long way. God has been beyond faithful. Nothing I can say or do is thanks enough.
14. The circle of life.
15. At 23, I had better learn to fight my own battles in my own clean way.
16. This next year of my life is about to be the mother of all learning curves, testing my patience, humility and common sense, hopefully with the potential of personal and promotional growth. Lord see me through. 
17. I'm learning day by day that God has not given me the spirit of fear and so I tread boldly. 
18. Opening myself up to love was the best decision I ever made. Though I was scared to begin with and I've been hurt, I have no regrets. 
19. More God, less social media...it's becoming rather problematic.
20. I need to learn to find God in every situation, quite frankly.
21. I'm really rather selfish.
22. I take for granted the fact that I have people around me who are willing to go 5 extra miles on my behalf if necessary.
23. The simple knowledge that I am loved will suffice for those days when things are just too difficult. 

My pledge for this 23rd year is simple: to leave people's lives better off than how it was when I was introduced into it, if only marginally. 

Thanks for indulging me as always!

David Zinyama | Putting the Personality Back Into Graphics.

David Zinyama

David Zinyama is an artist with a personality that he isn’t afraid to show in his work. His graphics design portfolio ranges from the creative and innovative to the comical and mildly disturbing. He is an explorative risk taker with a wild imagination who loves pushing the envelope. “I love to break rules, I’m sure all designers do. I would say life inspires me, people, even a book or article in the newspaper or online. I am easily inspired because I am always thinking and observing my surroundings.” It was during his A-levels in Business Studies, Sociology, Economics, English language, English Literature and Philosophy that David decided that graphics design was, in fact, his true calling. “I knew taking the academic route wasn’t for me and I decided to pursue my passion for design, which is something that has become a full time career as well as a business.” He was only 16 years old.

Quirky

With six A-levels to focus on, David didn’t have time for a formal graphics design education; he is self-taught. Yet, his short career spanning over 7 years has taken him from the city of Liverpool in North West England, to a portfolio of international clients and growing fame. He taught himself in true 21st Century style – through YouTube tutorials and reading up on his craft. His consistent practice helped him develop all he learnt into the magic we see today. But that wasn’t the beginning for David, who started as a MySpace era musician. “I used to produce and write my own music. So I would design my own CD covers. But I can say it all kicked off for me when my peers and those around me saw that I had some skill. Although I wasn’t that great, they still approached me. I would offer my services and charge a small fee. The more I designed, the better I got and the more clients I generated. People began taking interest. That was when I decided I would love to take it seriously, so I dropped music.” David took a risk, leaving something he was once passionate about for something in which, by his own admission, he was barely competent. He knew what he had to do to develop his skills and he did it. 

Although his career is only just truly beginning, it hasn’t been without incredible moments. “The invention of the social network Instagram has to have been the most remarkable turning point so far in my life and career. Being able to have the platform to show people what I can do as a digital artist has opened a lot of doors and opportunities for me, especially by growing my international clientele.” This year he was honoured with a TED Talks invitation, although he was unable to attend. “I have had the pleasure of working with the large organizations throughout the UK, as well as breaking through to other countries and getting recognition in the past year. This has expanded my business in so many ways.”

Shark bait

Relationships by David Zinyama

David’s manipulations have made him infamous with some entertainment bloggers. He has been known to Photoshop himself into the pictures of celebrities such as Nicki Minaj, Kim Kardashian and Michelle Obama, usually as their significant other. He believes that people who react adversely to these manipulations have misunderstood the motives behind his pieces. “As a manipulator, I have work that is serious and work that is just for fun. I’m sure the two can be distinguished. People have seen a side of me that they like, be that my original work or a celebrity image I have manipulated just for laughs. So I do not feel it will overshadow my work because I keep the balance between my original work and the work involving celebrities. Even if it does overshadow my work, it is not much of a concern for me because my celebrity manipulations will always lead back to my other work due to the viewer’s curiosity.” 

Bible-Pray by David Zinyama

Pray for Gaza by David Zinyama

But beyond his tongue in cheek manipulations, David has a serious side.  In regards to his social, political and religious consciousness he says that people have different views and perceptions, and he is no exception. “Sometimes in my work I like to show my love for God or put my religious thoughts forwards. At the end of the day it is what makes me who I am.” He believes that including these aspects of himself in his work allows viewers and fans to get to know him more as a person. “Everyone is different and I love to interact with viewers through my visuals. It is also a way of getting to know them as much as they already know me.”

Digital Eye by David Zinyama

 For more information on David Zinyama and his work find him on: 

Instagram: @davidzinyama

Twitter: @davidzinyama

Facebook: www.facebook.com/davidzinyamaofficial

Jazz Hands | On Music and Healing

Autism is, rather accurately, described by the young behavioural interventionist, Noddy Nweke, as “esoteric”, because although the neurodevelopmental disorder is known by the general public, it is still viewed as mysterious. “It is understood by few, and I guess I'm one of those people who seeks to understand it as much as possible”, she explains. But regardless of what you think you know-and what you most likely don’t-Noddy is providing you an opportunity to constructively help people on the autism spectrum through an event called Jazz Hands.

The First of the Jazz Hands Series in May 2014

Speaking on the inspiration behind what looks to be an exceptional series, she says: “the concept came to me when I met an individual named Ruben, while I was shadowing one of my colleagues at work. That day, they happened to have music class and Ruben made his way to the piano and began playing and singing some popular songs. He got the attention of the whole class and they joined him in singing. At that moment I thought, ‘why doesn't he have a place to display this talent?’ I decided that day, with the encouragement of my colleague Mikal, to start a program where talented individuals like Ruben could be seen and heard.”

There is no shortage of musically talented individuals in the world. Yet Noddy chose to focus her efforts on individuals on the autism spectrum, fulfilling a passion she has nurtured for over three years. “I had been searching for a way to combine autism and music. Music is incredibly powerful, yet undermined as a means of communication, therapy, etc. Music can move; music can heal; music can bridge gaps; music is a universal language.” The merger of music with autism was no happy accident. Although using music comes naturally to Noddy, who is a self-taught pianist and clarinet player, and has been writing and singing since childhood, she thoroughly researched the connection between autism and music before making her choice. “I have done a lot of personal research on the topic which has shown me that many individuals with autism have an overwhelmingly positive reaction to music.”

Credit Where Credit is Due: An Emotional Noddy During May's Jazz Hands Concert 

The first instalment of Jazz Hands happened earlier in May of this year. Reeling from the success of the first event, she met with her team and decided to produce Jazz Hands on a quarterly basis as part of a concert series. Part two will be here on September 13th 2014 from 2pm-4pm at the Electric Lodge in Venice, CA. “I'm very big on feelings, and it just feels like the right thing to do, honestly”, she says about her quick fire decision which was made easier by the unexpected and overwhelming response. “It literally brings tears to my eyes. I've received so much support from so many people. It's staggering. People are willing to donate their time to this project? That means so much to me because time is a very valuable and irretrievable entity”.

With one successful event under her belt, the entire journey has undoubtedly been an enjoyable experience and Noddy is ready to see things evolve steadily. “This process teaches me so many valuable lessons in discipline, planning and execution. The end result is elating, to see all the performers so happy and expressive on a stage that may previously have been unavailable to them. I have really big plans for Jazz Hands and the Jazz Hands Concert Series”.  Noddy plans to further expand the concert series by incorporating a consultation and socialisation aspect, among other things. “So stay tuned to find out!”

And remember to save the date.

The OPCs | Ozone Developers

Ozone Developers

It’s easy to believe, when looking from the outside in, that start-ups manifest in the blink of an eye and establish themselves without warning. I am learning that this is not the case.

“I was actually already an entrepreneur before getting into the university. I started building sites for businesses and individuals when I was 19. Then I got into the University of Bolton, failing horribly in my first semester, then pulling myself together and managing to graduate within the top 3 of my class. It's been a very humbling journey to say the least.” Even though Oche Charles Edache finished with a first class, he didn’t wait that long to make the business decisions that have now shaped his professional life.

The man himself.

Nor did he let a rough start determine the rest of his life. I think it’s fair to say that many people in his shoes would have played it safe after failing their first semester of university. But when he graduated he started Ozone Developers, the Online Presence Creators or OPCs as they like to be called, as opposed to working for someone else first. “The beauty of entrepreneurship lies in its individuality. It gives a person the choice to attempt to take their destiny into their own hands. Coupled with my slightly rebellious personality, it was a no brainer for me, especially after being unhappy with the bulk of traditional jobs I had worked in the past.” So he took the risk.

The OPCs

But running your own business is almost always about risk taking, an example of which is taking a chance on the right team of people to work with. It is a decision that can make or break your business and it’s one that many dread. As Oche himself explains, “it is common knowledge that start-ups suffer in their first year or two because of the inherent challenges found with an independent venture.” His dilemma wasn’t so much finding the right people as much as convincing them that Ozone Developers was the right place for them. “It’s hard to get people to believe in an idea when they have to start from scratch with a bare minimum salary. But if you do manage to find people that are willing to work with you and believe in the idea despite these challenges, then that is a team capable of any feat. I was fortunate to have met such people when the company was first founded and it's because of them that we've been able to get this far.”

Getting heard

Something else to consider is where you might be establishing your business and what that means. Although Nigeria has had the double honour of being declared a MINT country with the largest GDP in Africa, there are many other factors on the ground that can hinder the growth of your business if you aren’t prepared. “Age is a serious determinant to how well a deal can go. Coupled with the fact that respect must be shown to your elders even when conducting business, it makes being a young entrepreneur much more demanding.” Needless to say, it took Oche no time at all to realise that owning a start-up in Nigeria differs greatly from what he was used to as a young entrepreneur at the University of Bolton. “Social capital is essential to the success of business here. People are still wary of modern business marketing practices so while having an online and social media marketing campaign is very helpful, word of mouth and your wealth of social capital remains key to fully harnessing any given market, even in the IT sector.”

Coming Soon.

So far, Ozone Developers have had a lot of success working with clients such as GUUT Technologies Ltd., the Spellbound Spelling Bee competition and Abbi Books. Also the company will soon be introducing their Ozone Mobile services which is due to be launched next month.

As a business that boasts an understanding of the importance of brand image, it is no surprise that they rather creatively tagged themselves OPCs (Online Presence Creators), a name that has caught on since they were officially established in 2013. “The name came rather organically. We looked at what we were offering and thought to ourselves, we aren't just offering a service here. We're offering a package of services.” Their goal is to be the foremost OPCs in Nigeria and eventually Africa. “Cliché, I know. But we're determined.”

Brainstorming

One of the ways the OPCs plan to achieve this is through engaging with and giving back to their community. “There are over 160 million Nigerians in the country, out of which only about 10 million are actively engaged on the web and in IT. We want to help change that and we have started. For now we're developing an initiative to be launched in the near future where we teach design and web development techniques in easy and understandable language on our website every week. As the company grows we would like to reach out to those who do not have access to the web to provide these services for free. It’s a small start, but great things typically start that way.”

More recently they had the opportunity to fulfil the company’s vision of giving back by supporting SMIWAI, The St Mary Indigent Women Advancement Initiative, and their various empowerment initiatives.

Oche has taken Ozone Developers from a mere concept in his mind to a fully functional business since its 2013 debut. His bold step of running the business’ activities from micromanagement right down to IT on his own, for the most part, is paying off. The only way is up.

The result of hard work

For more information on Oche and the rest of the OPCs visit:

Website: http://ozonedeveloper.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Ozone-Developers/229164710625016

New PHASE | What the job hunt has taught me...

To officially usher in the new, albeit slightly tedious, era of my post-uni life, I made a short-ish list of what I have learnt after a month-ish of job hunting in the great city of Dubai. I can hear people who have been unemployed for longer telling me to shut it already. Nevertheless I want to believe that all the crazy I have been feeling isn't restricted to me alone.

• There is a constant paradox between feeling like you have far too much time and no time at all. One moment the world is your oyster, the next minute your oyster is shrinking. 
• How to use what time I do have in a (kinda) productive way. Perhaps binge watching every anime from One Piece to Hunter x Hunter isn't productive, but then there is all the other stuff...like...things and what not...I have to be real this period of unemployment has been perfect for making concrete future plans and reading and writing books. 
• Not getting overly excited or attached. They emailed back! No they've already filled the vacancy. Another email! No, no, they have no vacancies. Interview time! Nope not what you're looking for. I'd be perfect for that!!! Never get a response. Basically stay calm until everything comes together. 
• Patience. Not my strongest suit, but I'm learning.
• Knowing what you want to know. It's not just about what they ask you but also about what you need to ask them, especially if you have a vision of the kind of place you'd like to work.
• The importance of a back up plan. (To be fair I always knew this one).
• Basic stuff like writing CVs, proposals, cover letters, selling yourself, how to earn money while hunting, saving etc. 
• The frustration of writer's block when it seems like you have all the time in the world to write.
• Early onset laziness and passiveness.
• The sheer flexibility of my body clock.
• The overwhelming feeling of 'freedom'.
• The even more overwhelming feeling of 'adulthood' that reminds you that your current freedom is a myth. 
• The panic and catharsis seesaw.
• The "I shoulda had fun at uni" pep talk on experience and how 2 years and 11 months worth is still not enough...I was really only in uni for 1 year and 6 months minus holidays. I have more work experience than university experience! 

I realise that all sounds rather pessimistic. But when I made this list last night before bed I had to laugh at myself. See the thing is I am strangely at peace. Even though I have moments of panic, they are swiftly followed by a calming of my spirit. Praise God. I have thoroughly enjoyed this brief window of quiet in my otherwise chaotic life, even though there are other things I would love to do at this point. I am thankful. I am happy. I am at peace. 

Compassionate Fatigue

Knowing the name for what it is that is wrong with you doesn't always make things easier, it seems.

It also seems like I'm about to fizzle out into oblivion like I always thought I wouldn't but feared I might, because the effects of media consumption have been made more manifest in my day to day life than all that I learned about in my 3 years of undergraduate studies.

Let me explain...

Between deadlines, other headlines and worrying about family and friends back home, I absentmindedly participated in online campaigns for the #BringBackOurGirls movement that seemed to seize social media near the end of April. Retweeting, reblogging, liking and sharing, but rarely ever engaging, barely discussing, hardly understanding, never questioning, not writing and knowing fully well that I'd be 'over it' soon. And so would the rest of the world.

Now as a Nigerian in diaspora, my first reaction was that it must be as a result of being removed from the situation. If I was back home, in the thick of it, perhaps I would have been more engaged with the situation. I had to cut short that train of thought, because though it rang true it provided no solutions for my current dilemma. So what if I am removed from the situation? It is the very nature of things that I'll find myself removed from much of what is considered breaking news at any given time. But as a journalist, in fact as global citizens, it is of utmost importance and with increasing urgency that we should find ways in which to engage with issues in our world, regardless of how otherly or remote they may seem. In reality these situations affect us all. Whether we choose to admit it or not doesn't change that simple fact.

Standing now at the precipice of the month and looking back, I realise that there is much I have failed to engage with, even though I was aware:

• Rumours of Edward Snowden's growing relationship with the Russian government
• The Russia-Ukraine 'conflict'
• The Thai Coup
• The US keeping tabs on North Korea and China via Japan with their trustee drones
• The South Korean ferry tragedy
• The Vietnam-China unrest
• Brazil's world cup woes
• The "honour killing" in Pakistan
• The Sudanese woman charged with apostasy because her estranged father was Muslim even though she was raised a Christian
• The current Egyptian elections
• The mentally ill misogynist killer

There are many more examples I could give of my attention deficiency. It isn't a recent phenom and I know it doesn't stop with me.

This is where 3 years of journalism and communications studies comes into play. I remember a tutor using the phrase 'compassionate fatigue' to describe the world's reaction to violence and bad news in the press. We have become so used to seeing all these things happen that we sort of switch off to it. This isn't merely suspension of disbelief. We know that it's real and it is happening. But it happened yesterday, and the day before that. It'll happen tomorrow again, maybe somewhere closer or further away. There is nothing new about the news anymore. On the rare occasion that something does capture our attention, we lose interest quickly and substitute reality with mind numbing television. Anything to escape the truth of the world around us.

Unfortunately globalisation is upon us and the world will suffocate you so snap out of it. There is no running away from reality. Our world is getting smaller and smaller for many different reasons.

So maybe you don't care about what's going on in Pakistan but the girl in your economics class does because those are her people. And maybe a bunch of missing girls don't bug you but your Nigerian boyfriend can't get them off his mind. Perhaps women's rights has never been a topic of interest, but your best friend could have been Elliot Rodger's victim. It might be that religion is something you'd rather not discuss or debate, yet Meriam Yahia Ibrahim had to give birth in jail. What do you care about protests in Brazil? You just want to see some football! You don't care, but your Brazilian neighbours just might.

SNAP! | Red Orange Photography

Koko: The man himself.

I remember, even on his last birthday before leaving Dubai, Koko was somewhere in the corner of the room taking more pictures of his guests than he was interacting with them. Yet when he did join in, his sense of humour would keep the party alive. But for the most part, he hid behind the camera, documenting moments with a glint in his eye and mischief in his smile. He says of his first experiences behind a camera, “I decided to start taking my passion more seriously because I realised that once I held a camera in my hand, I felt invincible. I decided that I needed a camera of my own and dedicated my pocket money over the next four months to it”.

Dubai Marina.

Branding: the Red Orange Photography logo.

For all my teasing I never felt comfortable referring to him as an ‘amateur’ photographer. His passion for the arts developed from a young age as he followed in the steps of his mother, an arts and crafts teacher. Although he was aware that his strength did not lie in drawing, his love for the arts stayed with him even when technology became his new found passion: “it was expected that I would follow in my mum's footsteps but that all changed the day I first saw a computer”. He wanted something that bridged both his passions together. Thankfully he found just what he was looking for: “with the advancement of technology and the introduction of the digital age [of photography] my midpoint had been found; arts through the digital camera. That’s how Red Orange Photography was born, an idea with no name, business place or equipment. Red Orange Photography is driven by two major forces: the love for art and the creation of that art via a digital means”.

The diverse brand covers weddings and events.

Red Orange Photography is actually a subcategory of Red Orange Media, the parent company. However, Koko officially began his journey with Red Orange Photography just over a year ago. Eventually “Red Orange Media will diversify into other fields including corporate branding, identity creation, IT solutions and graphics designs”. Regardless of his passion and talent, he recognised that the standards of his work in the early stages did not match that of his peers. “I decided to get formal training from one of the best photographers in Nigeria, Mr. Shola Animashaun”. He explained that his mentor has been one of the most inspiring and life changing people he has had the pleasure of working with in relation to Red Orange Photography. After improving his skills, he was able to make his dream a reality. His researched showed that he would find a niche in the Nigerian market where he has established his brand: “Red Orange Photography majors in wedding, event and documentary photography and from our market survey we discovered that the area (State/City) we intended to set up had little or none of this style of photography, so this was perfect for us”.

Culture: Red Orange Photography is based in Uyo, a popular cultural hub in Nigeria.

Koko cannot underestimate the impact of social media on Red Orange Photography’s rapid growth. He understands the role that social media has played in raising awareness and providing information about the brand. “We have made clients from different parts of the country and world. Through social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter and Instagram, our clients and prospective clients can view our creations from anywhere in the world and contact us accordingly”. This is undoubtedly useful for him as he has every intention of expanding the scope of Red Orange Photography and Red Orange Media beyond Nigeria.

Calabar Jazz Festival 2014: Kunle Ayo & Asa

Koko’s main goals are simple: “to be one of the most recognized photography and media outfit in the world and to take at least one amazing picture in every continent of the world”. And of course to take an official picture of the Queen of England!

To find out more about Koko's journey with Red Orange Photography, follow the brand on

Facebook: www.facebook.com/redorangephotography

Twitter:  www.twitter.com/redorangephotos

Instagram: @redorangephotography

Why Male Rape is a Female Problem...Let Me Explain

Firstly I think it's important to clarify a few points because it seems a lot of people are unaware or unwilling to be made aware about the reality of male rape.

• Male rape is not as prevalent as female rape by any means but it happens. It is very real.

• Men can be raped by men and women. No this isn't up for discussion.

• Just as female rape isn't humorous in anyway, male rape isn't remotely funny or acceptable either.

So why is male rape a female problem? Simple. Because victims of male rape are unfortunately considered weak or 'effeminate' by society if they come forward about their assault. Now I rarely dislike words but the connotations behind the word 'effeminate' is something that has always bugged me. I remember it first from Tennessee Williams' A Streetcar Named Desire as Blanche Dubois uses it to describe her first husband. Later on I saw it used to describe men in a derogatory way and the negative connotations in my mind have sort of spiraled out of control.

Thank you Google...

Words are powerful so when we spend years describing men that don't fit into our stereotype of masculinity as effeminate, meaning of a feminine nature, and we believe this to be an insult, then we accept that women are beneath men, weak, vain, affected, 'campy', 'faggy'. We perpetuate the lie that being feminine means all these things and then we expect the women in our society to remain feminine so we can continue to see them as being weak. Then it becomes such a part of society and our thought process that men genuinely do not feel comfortable coming forward about such a traumatising issue because heaven forbid someone thinks they are 'like a typical woman'. 

So although male rape has disastrous consequences for its victims. We cannot overlook what this means for society's ranking of women either. As such, like much else, it becomes the responsibility of women to explain that being considered one of us isn't the worst part of your experience; there's a lifetime of trauma to worry about as well.  

The Foodie | Capitalising on your passion: The Ni Fries Story.

Feranmi Ajetomobi

When I first decided to write about inspirational people around me, one of the first people I was hoping to interview was Feranmi Ajetomobi, young entrepreneur and the brains behind Nigeria’s latest food joint, Ni Fries. Any Nigerian will tell you that food is an integral part of our culture and we fry almost everything that ends up on our plate. Ni Fries’ aim is to rebrand and promote Nigerian fried foods on a global scale. And it all started from a night time stroll with a friend. Four months after discussing the possibility of presenting fried Nigerian delicacies in an attractive manner, the Ni Fries dream became a reality. After putting a lot of thought into the appropriate branding for his start-up he came up with the innovative name which is simply a shortened form of “Nigerian Fries”.

The Ni Fries stand and our young entrepreneur

Although the name and the idea itself might seem simple minded, Feranmi is living the 21st century Nigerian dream. “As an individual I strongly believe culture is the voice of a people and a people without strong cultural foundations and values have no voice. This belief drives me towards developing a Nigerian voice by promoting the Nigerian culture through food. I am taking my culture to the world through food”. Food is a deep-seated part of Nigerian cultures and traditions and learning how to cook or the significance of specific foods or meals to your tribe is still considered a rite of passage by many. 

Bread, Bean Cakes and Prawn Sauce. A Speciality

But being a young entrepreneur doesn’t come without its challenges: “the hardest part I would say is learning to lead older workers especially in a Nigerian system”. Because respecting your elders is also one of the cornerstones of Nigerian society, employing and regulating older workers as a young adult whilst maintaining your respectfulness can be a tricky route to navigate. However 20 year old Feranmi handles the dilemma with finesse, “at first it was difficult, but with patience and gentility combined with firmness it started getting easier”‎. Being aware of how his maturity has aided him in his new found occupation as a businessman, I couldn’t resist asking him for some advice for myself and other budding entrepreneurs out there. He replied with a quote from American business strategist, Daniel Burrus “Look at what the best of the best are doing…and then go beyond them. Think bigger. Don’t compete. Create. Innovate”. He explains why these words are so influential for him by saying “although there is nothing new under the sun there is always a different to do the same way. BE CREATIVELY DIFFERENT”.  

So what do we have to look forward to from Ni Fries and our young entrepreneur? Well for his business Feranmi hopes to expand in terms of products, services and outlets. As mentioned previously the aim is to get Nigerian fried meals to global tongues, so his expansion goals include growing into a foreign country in the near future. Presently Ni Fries’ focus is to build a delivery system for their current base, Lagos State, Nigeria. Personally Feranmi has a great interest in societal development as is clear through his choice of entrepreneurship. “My book of plans has a Street Business School as the next agenda. The aims would be to build up individuals from young ages in their areas of interest and encourage the growth of a profit generation that is able to benefit from works based on their areas of interest while they earn their education”. It seems this young man has his plate full.

Guilty Pleasure: Sample of Fries with Turkey and a Corned Beef Sauce.

Apologies and Updates

Pardon my tardiness but numerous deadlines are afoot!

You'll have your month of March interview tomorrow by God's grace...

Goodnight!

I'm late again...

And I am terribly sorry about it but academic deadlines have gotten the  better of me; it isn't easy being a final year student you know :p

That being said I hope to get back to this project fairly soon. The next interview I have lined up is from my favourite foodie so I hope you guys keep an eye out for that.

In other news my undergraduate phase is almost over. What comes next? I'm not sure but I'm feeling slightly rebellious.

P.S. I see flashes of lightning from my room window....goodnight!

Faith and Christianity

When it comes to Faith and it's definition Hebrews 11:1 is the go to Bible passage for most Christians: 

"To have Faith is to be sure of the things we hope for, to be certain of the things we cannot see."

I was making notes on this particular chapter recently as I was reading through it. It didn't occur to me then to share what I had written down until I read over it today. It seemed like something everyone would know, until I realised that I only made those notes because even if I knew most of the things I often forgot them. So for those who are prone to forgetfulness like I am, I will leave this here so we can always come back and remember all that Faith is and should be. 

Through our faith we win God's approval: the Bible constantly reminds us that God doesn't bless us because of the works of our hands but because of His infinite grace and mercy. Yet it is by our faith in God that we qualify because we prove our obedience to God. God in His loving kindness never deserts us even when we desert Him, but it is important for us to understand that having faith in Him and trusting Him draws us nearer to Him. In this way we are able to please God because by putting our trust in Him we receive the gift of His righteousness. 

Because of our faith we present a better offering to God: before anyone bites of my head this isn't a prosperity gospel thing. Think of it this way. If you trust someone, you give freely to them. It's natural. In the same way when you put your trust completely in God you give freely to Him of ALL you have. Now of course that depends a lot on what it is that you have! You cannot give someone what you don't already possess. So by giving all you have to God I don't necessarily mean in a monetary way. I also mean an offering of the heart and the soul, a sweet smelling praise and worship, a heart wrenching prayer. Whatever you have, give.

Faith helps us carry out God's plan even when we can't see or understand it: believe it or not a few years ago saying "I surrender Lord" or "Not my will Father but Yours" was one of the most difficult things for me. Letting go of all that control just made me feel weak. I couldn't bring myself to trust God to do the impossible because it still looked impossible to me. Two things changed my mind. Firstly a lot of communicating with God about giving me the strength to let go made me realise that it took strength to let go. Thus releasing control stopped being a sign of weakness. Secondly it is easy to hold on to control when you're in control but when things are completely out of your control holding on becomes kind of stupid. 

Faith is a prerequisite for miracles: ask any children's book writer; the impossible cannot happen unless you are crazy enough to believe it. Faith MAKES the impossible possible. 

Through faith we can plan ahead: because we believe in the promise of tomorrow, we make plans for tomorrow. You cannot make plans for a time that does not exist.

Faith makes us reject sin by keeping us focused on heaven and it's future rewards, not on the world: saying no is never easy but it becomes much easier when there is hope for a better yes. Faith helps us defy the devil when he tempts us because we know that God has better things in store.

Faith strengthens us by helping us endure persecution: faith strengthens us in many other ways as I explained before but one of the most important ways for me is strength in the time of persecution. Now many will say they haven't faced persecution before and perhaps they are right. However if you think about it, chances are you have. Every time someone has laughed at you or ridiculed you for making time for God, every time someone has pointed out your faith as a reason for a joke, you have faced a degree of persecution. Of course that is NOTHING compared to thousands that are literally slaughtered for their faith in Christ. But how we deal with persecution shouldn't differ according to how serious we deem it. 

Matthew 10: 32-33

"If anyone declares publicly that he belongs to me, I will do the same for him before my Father in heaven. But if anyone rejects me publicly, I will reject him before my Father in heaven." 

Valentine Onah | The Graphic Chef

The Man. The Mantra.

Multi-talented isn’t a word that should be thrown around. So pardon me as I slip it into the description of this extremely creative, intelligent, forward-thinking, multi-talented perfectionist that is the Nigerian gifted artist and architect in the making Valentine Onah. The Graphic Chef as he likes to be known is a professional designer capable of "cooking" up breath taking artworks, brand identities and sustainable architectural designs. His brand, Eveonstudio is also known as The Graphic Kitchen.

So what could possibly be dream come true for this young man who seems to be on the track to having it all? “I have a lot of dreams! I would love to see Eveonstudio stand out as a recognisable, strong competitor in the field of art and design. I'm constantly developing, learning and increasing my capacity to drive it. If I wake up one day to realise my brand is suddenly nationally renowned, I think that would be phase one of that dream come true”. A man with a plan. And that plan is diverse, rich and multi-faceted because what many people don’t know about this artist and architect-in-training is that he is also environmentally conscious, a trait that is too often undermined.

Inspired by Breath of life | Florence and the Machines 

He spoke in detail to me about the importance of preserving the earth: “considering the rate of environmental degradation resulting from our actions and decisions, if we don't make conscious informed decisions today in the way we live and build there might be no earth for the future generations”. Yet we can’t just blindly build green and hope that this will somehow improve the environment. In order to avoid criticisms that will surely come such as those put against wind turbines that are supposedly killing off bald eagles in America, we must understand our environment not just on a global scale but also on a local, site-specific scale by recognising what works best where and why. When designing in such situations then it is the job of the architect to “meet the needs of the user without creating more negative impacts than necessary”. 

Charcoal on paper: Inspired by a photograph by Lee Jeffries of a homeless man. 

But Valentine being the ambitious young man he is takes it further, saying that minimising negative impact shouldn’t be where the goal ends; we should also be consciously trying to contribute positively to the world around us. He believes that if this mantra is accepted globally that we can restore the earth with a culmination of seemingly small actions. “We all should be aware that earth is currently sick, like an ill child. If we want her well again, we must do something other than continue our habit of poisoning her”.

This is all well and good but I’m sure many of my readers will be wondering like I was if this is something achievable for Nigeria. Valentine believes it is God’s gift to the motherland. He admits that if our aim is to finally shake the unreliable shackles of the Nigerian power authority PHCN then the initial installation costs will be high. However the money spent will be well worth it as we shouldn’t need to worry about power in the end. “Solar power can be harnessed any were the sun shines but wind power would require wind speeds in the area to reach a minimum velocity”. Most Nigerians will tell you that wind and sunshine are things we have in abundance. And he knows exactly how this can be achieved:

Proposed Abuja Art Expo Centre: Inspired by the Eyo masquerade. Solar panels, three 50kw vertical axis wind turbines for alternative renewable energy. GRFP pipes around the roof for harvesting rainwater into the annex building, "Greenhouse" for treatment and reuse. 

“An economical approach to natural alternative power will be incorporating inverters and batteries with a few solar panels. The public power charges the batteries when available, if unavailable your solar panels would supply power to charge them. The inverter could be configured to supply power to only a few electrical outlets and lighting fixtures (bulbs) to conserve energy when in use. Lastly the use of energy star rated appliances should be promoted to cut down power consumption. Your batteries would last longer that way”.

Seems complex but not impossible. According to the budget office of the Federal Government of Nigeria PHCN’s total capital for 2012 stood at over N51 billion (over $300 million). Surely some of those funds could be directed towards giving Nigeria a more stable, more environmentally friendly power alternative.

Beyond all that Valentine seemed excited for the future of the Nigerian architectural scene. “I'm aware that great and bold minds are emerging”. To him it is all a matter of getting the right equipment to our shores and developing the skill set to harness them. So where does that leave him? What will The Graphic Chef be cooking up five years from now? “Breaking newer grounds in arts and designs. Actively contributing in restoring earth with my environmental conscious designs. Engaged with philanthropic commitments from the plenty God would have blessed me with.” You know, the norm. Watch this space.

Madiba. A Tribute: Graphite on Charcoal

For more on The Graphic Chef’s latest recipes visit:

Twitter: twitter.com/eveonstudio Instagram: eveon_val

Facebook page: facebook.com/eveonstudio

Collab Post: 'Tis the season to be loving...

PHASE RANT: Where did all the love go?

Well I'm sure everyone is coming off the high of Valentine's weekend now. I hope you enjoyed it. On my way home tonight I saw a crushed rose, the remnants of the weekend of love.

Karl Marx must be doing cartwheels in his grave because he warned us but we ignored. Love is now seen as a commodity, something you can buy and sell. The reason I believe this is so prevalent is because people find meaning for love, as with most things, in the media. As a media student and practitioner I am SORRY to break this to you but the media is as much a part of capitalist society as any other institution. It is the media's job is to tell you what to buy. The media tells you through music that love and sex are the same thing. It tells you through movies that love is spontaneous, romantic, feisty, exciting and will always work out in the end. It tells you through advertising that to be successful and to love you need to buy everything from the right house to the right car, own the right pets, shop in the right supermarkets etc. Somewhere down the line love and money began to merge and we have not been the same since. There are 365 days in a year (366 in those odd ball fun years of surplus). Why is this one day such a big deal? Why do people go crazy in anticipation of one day then carry on with their lives afterwards like love is a mythical creature that only appears during full moons? Well because telling you to buy love everyday is not quite enough. People will lose interest after a while. But when you have that one special day where you can buy love and buy it extravagantly then you've really hit the mark. Thus Valentine's day, a day when many people celebrate the shallow misrepresentation of 21st Century through the trivialities provided us.

Everything I know love to be is Biblical. I can't separate the two. And as such I cant separate one kind of love from another. I imagine that the way I love my husband would be similar to the way I love my mother-except the baby making part. As Christians we believe that God sent His only son down from heaven to be human and live amongst us in the flesh, suffering the same temptations we suffer but remaining steadfast to the Father. He lived a pure and holy life that was a blessing to all around him. That life was consequently cut short for our sake. So that our sins may be forgiven and we may be considered pure before the Father he sacrificed His life for our salvation. A love that runs so deeply is a rarity in these times of fleeting pleasures. Yet I will accept nothing less. This is what we should celebrate. Sacrificial love. A feeling so pure and so true that you'd give up your very last breath so that the one you love can breathe. Is anyone capable of that?

Museboxxe: Romantic Love, as told by someone who’s never experienced it.

When I was a child, I remember asking my mother why all the songs on the radio were about love. 

“Why can’t they write music about animals?” I had asked (it was my “animal phase”, when I was determined to become a vet, before realising I was actually terrible at science). 

“What’s so interesting about love?”

My mother had chuckled then, giving one of those infuriating smiles that said: Never you mind; you’re too young to understand.

As it turns out, I still don’t understand, much to the horror and amusement of most people around me. Don’t get me wrong, I understand many aspects of love, but they all fall in the friendship and family categories. I’ve yet to experience true romantic love, where I dream about spending my life with one person, raising a family and getting old and wrinkly together. 

It’s hard to imagine love as the Disney princess version, especially in these modern times. Nowadays, we don’t expect a Prince Charming to come riding in on his white horse, whilst the ladies primp and preen waiting for him: the modern world is much different. 

There are so many representations of love: the brokenhearted ballads or clichéd chick-flicks (that somehow only come out in cinema around Valentine’s day), the Romeo & Juliet style of love at first sight, to the tales of slowly falling in love with your best friend. It’s overwhelming. I can’t help but wonder: which story will be mine? Will I be swept off my feet or experience a forbidden love? Or will I realise that all along, my life partner has been right beside me? It’s one benefit of never experiencing love before: the unexpected. I don’t know how it will happen, so I’m free to daydream- though I suppose this could blur into a negative aspect if I decided to set the bar too high for myself. After all, if I’m fantasising about dramatic movie-esque scenarios, then Sod’s Law dictates that it has a 0% chance of actually happening.

When you think about it, love sounds terrifying: the complete vulnerability of entrusting someone with everything you are, wilfully handing over your fragile heart and praying it won’t be returned to you in pieces. Then there’s the commitment, deciding to tie yourself down for the rest of your life to one person, making every decision based on the fact that it might affect your other half. 

I imagine love to be like this: always wanting to be with one another, feeling incomplete without that person. When you have the same silly sense of humour and you text them because something you saw reminds you of them. When you want the other person to be happy no matter what, even if it means sacrificing some of your own happiness, because no matter what, they come first. I imagine love is a tingle of warmth in your fingertips when they hold your hand, spreading throughout your body. I imagine it keeps you smiling even in the most dire of situations, simply because you’re with them. When you look at everyone else round you and wonder if any of them are even capable of feeling what you feel. I think love is handing everything you are and giving one person the absolute power to destroy you- and trusting that they won’t.

I imagine after all the possible hurt and heartbreak and torment, love is worth the wait.

Find Museboxxe at: www.museboxxe.com and www.museboxxe.tumblr.com

Africa Is Not The Naughty Step

I don't know when it happened. I'm not sure what brought it on either. But there was a point in my life in England when going back to Nigeria was a source of great anxiety. It's a curious little thing really. I wasn't born in England and although I spent a significant portion of my life so far there I was, fundamentally speaking, brought up in Nigeria.

What I noticed fairly quickly was that this anxiety wasn't relegated to me or Nigeria. My friends from other African countries seemed to have the same problem. And you might be wondering where it came from. From our families! Parents, guardians, siblings, church folk all threatened us with the dreaded Africa. If you misbehave you're going back to Africa. You get bad grades we're shipping you off. Trying to act like these white kids? Back to the jungle you go!

There is something profoundly wrong with the idea that your home is a last resort or punishment for your children. You cannot instill that mind set into them from birth and then question why they refuse to return home when they come of age. Perhaps their threats were innocent. I can't say that I know for sure one way or the other. But as a race, black people are generally quite quick to point out when someone belittles them even we are just as good at degrading ourselves as anyone else.

My back-to-Nigeria anxieties didn't ease up until I moved to Dubai and visited home from here. Even though it was a fairly quiet affair, I was profoundly aware of a reawakening of senses. It actually felt good to be home! Surprisingly good. Yes NEPA still surprises you mid way through a meal by cutting the power. Yes the roads are still bad and the drivers are worse. Yes mosquitoes are still disfiguring my skin. Yes the politics, policies, work ethics and everything in between are questionable at best. But, somehow, it is still home isn't it? The food is still great, the people are still a crazy kind of joyful and there is no rain like the rain in the motherland. The fruit is fresh and the air is different and even when you're bored beyond recompense you find happiness and peace.

Perhaps I'm being a bit too unrealistic with my descriptions. My point is for all the criticism we Africans make against our home could we please take a minute to respect her struggle and uplift her? I don't think it's too much to ask. 

MOSES | The Crossroads.

Album Cover. Get your copy on Bandcamp

“I pride myself on innovation”. He said it in his usual tongue-in-cheek way. But this is just one of the things about MOSES that I found inspirational to begin with. This young Nigerian gospel rapper based in Manchester, UK saw off 2013 by releasing his debut album, The Crossroads.

The Crossroads is simply a musical manifestation of the artists life, his struggles and triumphs as a Christian; “Nothing too abstract or indie unfortunately”, he punctuates with humour. But for all its simplicity the album touches on scenarios that most Christians will understand or have experienced. From Questions where he samples a track of the same name by Nigerian artist Asa, to the title single Crossroads MOSES addresses real life Christian issues with humility and understanding.

When asked about his favourite track from the album MOSES replies “the truth is my favourite track changes pretty much like Manchester’s weather. At first it was Because Of Your Grace then it was Bar For The King then Questions and now it's New Dawn” I’m no expert but I guess this is what they call a labour of love: “The concept for The Crossroads was pretty much based on my life. I wanted it to be fully based on my life experiences and decisions”. I myself have struggled to find a favourite, fluctuating between all 10 tracks on the album as they shuffle on my MP3.

That might be the hardest part for us, but not for MOSES. For a young artist the work only begins after recording. “I had to then start promoting and letting people know about it.” Most international or well-known artists come complete with their own publicity team that take care of all the running around for them. All they have to do is sing. But for MOSES he also got the chance to flex his promotional muscles and sell himself: “It was all very fun though”.

Bold Renegades Never Back Down

After all his hard work no one would really call him out if he decided to get something out of it. But in typical MOSES fashion he blindsided us by making the album available for free on Bandcamp. “I made the project as an introduction to my music, for everyone to then be able to make a decision on how they feel about my music. So it didn't feel right charging for it.” He called his debut a free gift that he had intended to be free from the start. 

Although there are no other artists featured on the album MOSES was privileged to work with some inspirational people from the gospel genre. “I did have the pleasure of working with a good producer ‘big brother’ friend of mine Barry aka Arc Beats who you might have heard doing his thing on the new Levites3:12 track 'New Season New Day'. I also had another friend of mine Tim Gosden of CrossFya doing some post production work on it.” It seems this young man has his foot firmly in the door.

Now if you were hoping for an epiphany about the message of this album I hate to disappoint you. The final message is what you chose to take away from this musical sermon. For MOSES it was two of Christianity’s most popular mantras – grace and love. “I don't think I would have even been in a position to make the project without God's grace & love and that's the message I tried to instil in some way or another in the tracks”. Simple enough but powerful all the same.

Hard work pays off

What’s next for this young up and comer? Well the New Year brings new promise for all and MOSES is no exception. He became an associate artist with MJK & Crossfya in November 2013. What this means for his fans around the UK and Europe is a lot of events and a lot more of MOSES. For veteran fans that also means that Retro Days is about to be developed into an EP with Arc Beats so watch this space. He’ll be featuring on a few projects with established names on the gospel scene. “Finally a collective which I am part of called 'R.I.S.E' is going to be releasing a debut album this year so it's a very busy but exciting year ahead. Thank God.” Of course there are many other possibilities in the pipelines but you’ll just have to stick around to find out.

Find him!

For more some social media stalking you can find MOSES here: Twitter @imjustmoses and Facebook facebook.com/imjustmoses

For his work and more MOSES news find him here: Facebook Fan Page facebook.com/imjustmosesUK; Soundcloud Soundcloud.com/imjustmoses and YouTube Youtube.com/imjustmosesTV

For your digital copy of The Crossroads album visit his Bandcamp imjustmoses.bandcamp.com

For bookings and any queries, information etc. drop him an email on imjustmoses93@gmail.com.