-
ALL HAIL THE QUEEN
No, this is not a post about Oprah. This is about procrastination. I am a seasoned procrastinator who has had all kinds of streaks. I once wrote an article for a whole year. I have been reading Rich Dad Poor Dad for about 3 years now and sometimes, I procrastinate even after the deadline has passed. I have seen some pretty dark times. I would like to say I have been a procrastinator for as long as I can remember, but that would not be true. I wasn’t always like this. There was a time I read and did my work when I was supposed to. I was the pride…
-
TO MY DEAREST PEDIATRICS
I have just concluded my first Pediatrics rotation and I am very glad that it is over. It lasted for eight weeks, and was filled with numerous highs and lows. I resumed the rotation with a huge sense of foreboding. The glimpse of sick children I had gotten during my Surgery rotation had terrified me enough; and now I was about to spend weeks seeing children managed for all kinds of illness. I had also heard scary stories from friends, about how the doctors were super strict, never-smiling and always on the edge. My first week was in the Neonatalogy unit, where premature babies were managed. I saw babies the…
-
THE F WORD
Once at an academic seminar, as a part of the closing speech, the girls were advised not to gather too many certificates and degrees, because we were going to get married. I waited to hear a similar admonition to the boys. I am still waiting. Yesterday was International Women’s Day, a day that usually has me excited because… women! There was also a lot more feminism in the air, which as expected made a number of people uncomfortable. It is my utmost desire that you were not that person asking shameful questions like ‘What about International Men’s day?’ or ‘How many Women’s Day are there sef‘? These are very low-yield,…
-
SO YOU WANT TO STUDY MEDICINE
Happy new month people! Sometime last month, I was invited to an elementary school to speak at their Career Day. The children were asked to come dressed as their future selves, and it was so heartwarming to see lots of beautiful children dressed as footballers, bankers, teachers and firefighters. It was extremely cute and I might have been in my feelings. The highlight for me, after the food and money, was this girl dressed as a ‘police-girl’, saying she planned to transform the very corrupt police force. Then there were those dressed as doctors and as I saw how many they were, I was filled with great anguish. For a…
-
THE CABMEN ALWAYS HAVE CHANGE
It has been 12 days since a cabman sped away with my 50 Naira change, leaving me dumbfounded by the roadside, wondering what I had done in my life to deserve such injustice. He was wearing a blue washed-out polo shirt and I will never forget his face. I pride myself as a sharp girl so you must know that this runaway cabman must have been a professional. While in the cab, I gave him my fare when I was about a minute away from my destination, because my parents taught me never to pay at the beginning of a trip. When I asked him for my change, he told…
-
A FEW NOTES ON ADULTING
I remember seeing a picture that said ‘it’s okay if we forget each other’s birthdays because we’re all adults’. Or something like that. I laughed and forwarded the picture to my friends, reminding them that that was far from the truth, and it would be rather unfortunate if they forgot my birthday. It was my birthday some days ago and I was very grateful to be alive and surrounded by people who I cherished. As a way of reflection, I listened to Gavin DeGraw’s “I Don’t Wanna Be” (what I call the song of my youth) and went through a journal from 4 years ago, smiling at some of the now seemingly ridiculous things I wrote. I ran…
-
The Truth About People Who Don’t Like Amala
At the start of this year, I decided to go on an Amala fast, to put some spice in my food life, such that when I eventually ate Amala again it would be a supernatural and rejuvenating experience. I broke this fast a couple of days ago with a plate of Amala with gbegiri and ewedu soup. To say the least, it was an out of body experience and my faith in God was strengthened like never before. For those who don’t know, Amala is a staple meal of the Yoruba people in Western Nigeria. It is usually taken with gbegiri and ewedu soup, a super combo known as…
-
THIS GIRL, AGAIN
Yes it’s me. The blog has a new look and everything, so you can tell this time, the repentance is for real. I started this blog a couple of years ago as a means of creative expression; I wanted to tell my truth, tell my story. Somewhere along the line, I may have lost my way. I became more cautious of things I wanted to say. I became very careful of how I told my truths. So I came up with excuses not to write. Procrastination this, writer’s block that. For too long I let the voices of fear and doubt win. I am grateful to be surrounded by people, who…
-
This Story Has No End
I admit that this time I may have outdone myself. It has been over 365 days since I lined the walls of this blog with a post. You must be tired of me by now. I am too. What did I not try? I wrote a couple of drafts here and there, gave myself deadlines and even resorted to self deprecation and calling myself names. I had finally given in to the forces that be, wallowing in self-pity and self-loathing, until some days ago, when a brown eyed boy asked me when I planned to write a blog post. I told him I didn’t know, and he proceeded to rain…
-
The Curious Case of The Okada Man
I type this secretly in the confines of my bathroom walls, for I fear that if I dare go back into my room and see the unnerving pile of books I have to read, guilt and fear will overwhelm me and I will stop typing this and it becomes yet another unfinished draft. Hello everyone. It’s been more than a while and as usual, I apologise for choosing to disappear, leaving a lot of people hanging, including myself. I also feel bad for all the potential stories that could have been developed into a post that I let slide: the one that still lingers on my mind would…