What I miss most....... part 2 - Naija Edition

I know that my unity with all people cannot be destroyed by national boundaries and government orders.

- Leo Tolstoy

Hi all, so this morning, I woke up and playing on T.V was a Nigerian film and it got me thinking about Nigeria and what I miss about it. Firstly let me Proudly declare, I am the Namibian Queen of Jollof rice and now that I got my JOLLOF RICE SPICE all the way from Abuja, I am a very happy chica. So thats done. I didn't know much about Nigeria apart from what is commonly talked about - ummmmm corruption, money rituals, witchcraft, churches and internet scams - 419, so the first time I went to Abuja, I was a bit apprehensive and scared. It didn't help that what I read in the papers and heard from foreigners wasn't very assuring, but I did enjoy my 2 weeks there, so much so that I ended up going back and living in Abuja for 10 months!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Anyways, what I really liked about Abuja and Nigerians in general is their sense of Ubantu- which according to Wiki is an ethical concept of African origin and I really cant find another word to explain it unless you go there yourself and see what I mean. Also Nigerian are very friendly and so eager to learn, which is why you will find students in almost all Universities in the world. They want to learn and once they get an opportunity to do so, they do it Well, hence Nigerian lawyers, doctors, dentist and so much more.

Also, the food was so good, I mean wow, West African and Nigerian food in particular is so wonderful and delicious and takes a while to prepare but so worth it. So below is just some of the delicious meals that I had the pleasure of eating in Nigeria. Please note the food below is what I liked and tried, I didn't eat everything possible due to certain food allergies. I could only eat what I can.

So what I have below are my personal favorites which are Jollof rice, fried plantain (which Stockholm gets), pounded yam (which I learnt to do in Nigeria) and Suya (which my brother loved and I only tried once but it was good). I have also tried other foods such as okra (which I know from Zambia and wont eat unless forced), catfish (it really looks the way it sounds!!!!!!), fried chicken, greens such as spinach and some other that I cant remember now, and I learnt about such wonderful herbal medicines like Bitter leaf, Moringa and Aloe Vera (which I really didnt know much about till I got to Abuja). All in all my stay in Naija was amazing and I gained a good 10kgs there!!!!! Which is not a bad thing because it makes my bride price go up and shows that I am a women and have some good child bearing hips!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! And I heard the bigger you are the more desirable you are!!!!!!!!!!

Well, so apart from the wonderful food and the lovely people, I also miss the markets!!!!!! Its a whole different world at the market place. The sounds, smells and vibrancy of the market is so typically African!!!!! I miss the fashion and the fabrics, I was lucky enough to have some wax print dresses made, so cant wait to wear them here in Stockholm (they are summer dresses).

Thats it, for now. But I will say this, Abuja and Nigeria hasn't seen the last of me. And as soon as I get time I will upload pictures and video clips that I took of the Durbar and Abuja Carnival as well of the buildings and places that I visited.

As for the Nigerian movies, I will just catch them on Youtube and hope the Africa channel shows more.

Blessings and Love

What I miss most....... part 1.

For everything you have missed, you have gained something else, and for everything you gain, you lose something else.

- Ralph Waldo Emerson

Hi all, so its a Saturday and it got me thinking of what I would have been doing had I been in Windhoek, Namibia. Well, after cleaning our house and making breakfast, I would have headed off to Maerua Mall and hung out with my girls or watching a movie or maybe I would have gone over to my grandma's and hung out with my family. Either way, the products below, would have been in the picture!!!!!!!!!!!! I really Really REALLY miss these yummy goodnesses!!!!!!!!!

I have added everything I love from Gem Sqaush, which is my all time Fav vegetable, to Hunter's dry and gold and Savannah (which I love to drink - I was lucky enough to find some Savannah in Vienna when I lived there) to my favourite sweets - Sour power Jelly tots (I live for the blue ones in my mouth). This winter I could use some Ouma rusks and nice Rooiboos Tea (which we do get here in Stockholm) as well as other lovely stuff that I will no doubt dream about tonight. Hopefully, I will make it to Windhoek this year and stock up!!!!!!!!!!!

This too Shall Pass - French

I don't believe you have to be better than everybody else. I believe you have to be better than you ever thought you could be.

- Ken Venturi

Hey all,

So what a morning, I have been trying to get hold of my University to register for this year as well as get my results for last year's exams and well, I wrote 4 exams in October and November and I passed 2 and failed 2. I feel down about the 2 that I failed because, well with all my many many many years of studying, I have only ever failed twice, French during my first year and Mathematics during my time studying Business Consultancy. And well it sucks, a lot especially since I am not paying for my studies - The Bank of Mommy and Daddy is footing the bill and we all know how African mothers can be.

But such is life, will just let it go and move forward. Problem is, I am finishing my International Relations and Diplomacy degree and I need to learn a second language and the options given to me are French, German, Italian, Portuguese, Arabic, Spanish and Afrikaans. I really really REALLY want to learn and perfect French for the selfish reasons that I failed it before (and I refuse to let a language get one up over me) and well.......my dream guy is French and I want to be able to converse with him in his native tongue!!!!!!!!!!!!! (I don't have a guy yet, but in my mind he is French and I NEED to learn it- finished and Klaar)!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Might, I add, I lived in Austria for 7 and a half years and I speak, understand and can express myself in German, but really what will that help me when my dream Husband (to be) is French and I live in Sweden but that is NOT the point!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!And the other options are not to my liking, though Italian is not soooooo bad, but I don't think my French husband (to be) will appreciate the fact that I speak Italian as well, German, Swedish and English are ok, but Italian?

What to do, what to do.

ini,mini,myni,mo.......

Hello, you looking for me?

There is no freedom like seeing myself as I am and not losing heart.

- Elizabeth J. Canham

So long

Hello
are you still looking for me?
Am I the same girl, you remember?
I grew up, you know.....

I learnt my lessons now,
can I go on living my own life now?
I am scared to walk out that door
am scared of what is out there
you protected me for so long

Every step seems like my first
every mistake, seems like my best
every error dries my thirst
it seems all I do is make a mess

my flesh, my skin, my own
its all me, isnt it?
This is who I am.
Is this what I look like?

My smile, my joy, my laughter
is that what that is?
this song, that plays in my heart
this medley thats starts with the beating of my heart
so sweet a sound, that I begin
Is that me?

These tears, so salty
so real, they come from me?
its been so long...
I forgot how good I am.
How great my voice sounds
my every flesh and pound
I am proud to say, this is me
Here I STAND.

We have yet to meet .....

Do your little bit of good where you are; it's those little bits of good put together that overwhelm the world.

- Bishop Desmond Tutu

Hi all,

So, I recently decided that I would be off Facebook for a month and lucky for me I still get notifications through my Hotmail. Just a bit of background to this story. I 'know' 'met' this women through a friend that I have and we began chatting and exchanging life stories and so forth. We both come from Namibia and know the same people, but since I left 8 years ago, my life went in a different direction. So, I told her that I was following The Secret and had minor successes, she told me that it worked beautifully for her. Anyways, I had recently bought The Power and when I was chatting with my new friend she mentioned that it wasn't yet available in Namibia and she couldn't wait to read it when it hit the bookstore, so without much thought, I offered her mine. I didn't know when or how I would get my copy to her, but I just said I will gift it to you. A few weeks later, someone from Sweden was flying home and I asked that she take my copy to my new friend down there and well this morning after 2 months of waiting for the book, my friend through Facebook sent me a message that she got it.

I am trying to think of what the point of this is, and I guess, its just basically, that I felt someone else needed something at a particular moment more than I. Someone who is far away and I have yet to even meet, yet through something as simple and beautiful as a book, I am forever linked. It just makes life much more wonderful all these little steps I took to 'meet' this women, buy this book (for my self) and send it to her, and yet in all respects she is a stranger, yet we are kindred Spirits. Life and God really does work in mysterious ways.

p.s I am not affiliated with The Secret team nor anyone from there, I just love the book and the message it gives.

Blessings and Love

Happy New Year!!!!!!

First say to yourself what you would be; and then do what you have to do.

- Epictetus

Hi all, I hope thus far 2011 has been good to you. Well it has to me, I met some new people and decided a new way of life for my self. I basically decided to Let Go and let God into my life. I decided that I want a better relationship with my Creator and thus I will have Him on my journey.

Also, I decided to begin detoxing again but this time in the end move into a vegetarian lifestyle.

Also, I decided to stay off the social networking sites and the internet except for research and blogging. So if you don't see me on Facebook, now you know why, eventually, I will delete my account, but for the next month, I will not be on Facebook (and I dont have Twitter or other sites if there is anything apart from those lol).

What else?, Ohhhh my paperwork came through, so I can finally begin my Swedish courses and also my French. I am just waiting to hear from my Uni and see what happens this year with studies.

Plus, I can work YIPPEE for SKIPPEE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! So money is mos def in my immediate future.

I am very excited about whats happening with and to me, I can wait to begin learning Swedish and French, as well as finding a job and becoming Financially Independent. And of course more photography, some paintings, some writing and TRAVEL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Plus all the other stuff on my bucket list.

So catch you soon.

Blessings and Love

New pictures of Stockholm part 2

You may wonder, 'How can I leave it all behind if I am just coming back to it? How can I make a new beginning if I simply return to the old?' The answer lies in the return. You will not come back to the 'same old thing.' What you return to has changed because you have changed. Your perceptions will be altered. You will not incorporate into the same body, status, or world you left behind. The river has been flowing while you were gone. Now it does not look like the same river. [The Book of the Vision Quest]

- Steven Foster

Hey all,

I hope everyone had a fantastic Christmas filled with Love, Family, food and Presents. Here in Stockholm, our Christmas was a bit different this year, as my mom was fasting and my sister spent hers with her boyfriend and his family, so lunch was left to me. But that is part of my round up for 2010.

Yesterday (27 December 2010) my siblings and I took a boat tour around Stockholm and this is the result and afterwards I was so inspired and really just didn't want to walk up the road to our house so I decided to remain in town and take pictures.

So here are more photos of Stockholm!!!!!! Enjoy!!!!!!! First, the boat tour.

It really was Slippery on deck!!!!

The Swedish flag.

.

Icy morning

Not the boat we took, but I just loved the power and size of this one.

And Now onto Stockholm!!!!! These are just a few (very few) but I really liked what I took with my camera so I added them. Hope you like them as well.

There is only one tram line in Stockholm - No 7, so I took this shot.
I call this the PEACE Gun!!!!! I actually don't know what its called.
The Nobel building.
The spot where the Prime Minister was killed.
I love these bike's!!!!!!!!!!