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!