“That’s just not my thing”

“Love is not easy, not comfortable but love is more beautiful when it undergoes changes”. – Nse Ikpe-Etim

I believe that one of the things that make a marriage or relationship to last long is, knowing who your partner is and not expecting or assuming you’ll make him/her change.

Jack and Rose have been together for 3 years and on all special occasions, whether Jack was in town or not, Rose never got any gifts or cards. The most she’d ever gotten was a love note, and at the time, they were having a mini fight.

To be fair, Rose had known that birthdays, and other “special days” didn’t mean anything to Jack. Most of his family members didn’t even remember their own birthdays. Others had to check their birth certificate when asked. So yes, she had a clue.

But why did she feel so sad this time around. Jack called to say “Happy Valentine’s” , but that was it. They met up later in the day and spoke for some time. A few hours later, Rose said, “I’m going home”. Jack asked for a goodbye kiss or hug, but Rose shrugged and walked away.

Rose had reminded Jack of Valentine’s Day everyday for the past 2 weeks. She wasn’t expecting much. All she wanted to see was effort. Nothing expensive, something simple, basic, it didn’t matter.

Jack called a million times later that night, which meant he knew Rose wasn’t happy, but he didn’t ask. Rose answered each time he called and they talked of random things. The next morning, Jack called and asked, “Were you angry cause I didn’t get you anything for Valentines?” Rose said “No”. Then he blurted, “ I’m sorry, but you know that’s just not my thing”.

All the tea from my first TEDx event

I’ve watched TED talks for so long. My favourite being “Looks aren’t everything. Believe me, I’m a model” by Cameron Russell. This particular talk birthed my relationship with TED.

Personally, my TEDx experience started the minute I applied to be a volunteer for TEDxNzastreet. The whole process was the full package.

This event took place in Enugu, Nigeria. The theme: Divergent thinking.

Application

TEDx is a community I absolutely adore for all that it represents.I was super excited when I saw the call for volunteers flyer. I quickly applied.

Why I volunteered

I became a volunteer because I’m deeply captivated by learning and spreading ideas, which is what TED aims at.

I was also in dire need to meet different people who were passionate with TED as I am.

Furthermore, I wanted to put to test my ability to work in a team with new people.

The day before the event

Prior to this day, we had several sessions where we were briefed on our tasks. I remember the atmosphere of the evening before the event. So much still needed to be done. All hands were on deck thankfully.

What I missed out on

I’d have loved to listen to all the speakers. I only got snippets of the talks, which was a little bit disheartening.

What I gained

I met extraordinary people. The volunteers, speakers, organizers put in so much time and effort in making this event a worthwhile experience.

And ofcourse, I learnt how to work under pressure.

At the end of the day, I was overwhelmed, exhausted but most importantly, so fulfilled. It was a deeply rewarding experience. I remember still being so hyped weeks later.

This was the first edition of TEDxNzastreet and I’m looking forward to another one.

Have you attended a TEDx event before? How was it?

Lastly, Happy New year!!

 

The Art of Advertising

At the moment, my carry-on bag essentials can’t be complete without a pack of minimie chinchin.

Let’s rewind to the moment this love began…

Earlier this year when the Big brother Naija franchise aired, my friend and I constantly ridiculed the product minimie. Our conversations usually looked somewhat like this…Fastforward a few months later, I went shopping at a supermarket. While at the counter, I saw the minimie chinchin and decided to add a pack to my cart.

….And I guess that was the beginning of my love relationship with minimie chinchin.

The reality meets up to the ads. The reality is way better than the ads.An average consumer usually knows what he or she wants but

●doesnt know where to find it

●wants a cheap commodity

●wants a product that lives up to expectation.

As a brand, if you’re able to identify these problems and find solutions to them, I guarantee you’ll be successful.

SOLUTIONS

Using minimie as an example,

I believe my love for minimie chinchin is still strong because it is literally everywhere.  That solves the first problem. They made their product ACCESSIBLE.

It comes in various sizes. I’m not sure but I’ve had two different sizes. There’s a pack that sells for 50naira and a snack jar that sells for 1600naira. This solves another problem. It is AFFORDABLE.

Advertising only works up until the first time the product is being consumed. If the product doesn’t meet up to the standard you’ve shown off in the adverts, most of your customers will be one-time customers. If the consumers like it on first-try, they’ll definitely come back for more. This is where ATTENTION comes to play.

Master the 3As of Advertising and your product will survive this country.

I hope you enjoyed this article.

Till next time,

Yours truly.

Is your love compatible?

While lecturing, my Entomology teacher talked about a couple who came to her clinic to have their blood test taken. After carrying out the tests, their blood group was compatible. Yay!! Everything in order, just one last thing: the gentleman was HIV positive and the lady wasn’t. Though the couple already knew this. The lady begged for her report to be manipulated to read HIV positive too. Her judgement was already clouded because she was so deep in love already.

So often we hear about couples being asked to go take bloodtests. Do you know your genotype? Are you two compatible? You’re wondering, what exactly is this genotype thing.

Genotype is simply a collection of genes passed from parents to the children. There are 3 major groups: AA, AS, SS.

AA individuals can marry anyone. It’s even advised for AA individuals to marry AS individuals to eradicate the likelihood of SS in the society.

AS and AS individuals getting married is also risky because an SS child could be born.

SS and SS individuals shouldn’t even think about it. It’s a very risky situation. SS is an abnormal trait.

The need to know your genotype before marriage cannot be over emphasized. Couples are advised to know their genotypes at the early stage of their relationship before they become deeply rooted in love.

Are you willing to give birth to an SS child? In all honesty, you’ll only be subjecting that innocent child to so much pain and agony.

In as much as there’s now an ongoing stem cell research/cure, I believe prevention is better than cure.

I hope we all find a love that’s compatible for us and help create an SS-free world.

Till next time…

 

 

 

3 insanely improved ways to pick a President for Nigeria

New year resolutions Versus goals

Its less than 48 hours into 2018 and of course I’m pretty excited. For me, one of the best parts of a new year is making my resolutions just like the rest of the world. Unfortunately, by April I’ve usually forgotten what my resolutions are. I feel resolutions are too safe. Most times wheb you don’t achieve them (assuming you even remember what they were), you’re still chill about it. They aren’t authoritative.

After I noticed how laidback I was about resolutions, I decided to switch things up.  So in 2017, I decided to ditch making resolutions and i set goals. I wrote them out and allocated to frames to each one. I was a precise about each one.

For the outcome; I achieved a major part of my goals within the last few months of the year. I had a lot I pitfalls and setbacks along the way but overall, I made progress.

Without further ado, setting goals wins. Now, setting goals I pretty easy but the key to achieving it is: you gotta be very precise. What is your game plan for 2018? What exactly do you want to achieve? When do you want to achieve it? Is it even possible to achieve this? You have to answer all those questions.

Using two examples;

Normally I would write: Gain weight before the end of 2016. This is a very wrong approach because I wouldn’t achieve it. I might an up gaining too much.

The proper way: Gain 10kg before June. In reality, I don’t really need to gain 10kg before June, but having it at the back of my head makes me get closer to my ideal weight.

Another example;

Normally I would write: I want to write more articles this year. This is so vain. Its empty.

Instead write: I want to write 96 articles this year, 8 each month and twice a week. This I very attainable and realistic depending on your schedule.

Bottomline is: know yourself. Know how far you can stretch yourself. Set realistic goals and be very specific.

I hope you achieve your goals this new year and i wish you an amazing year ahead.

xx,

Pinkhy

 

 

I cowashed my hair with rice water

For over 2 months, I’ve been completely obsessing over everything about the Chinese. Their attire, good, culture, everything. I dont think it’s possible to mention China without talking about rice.Rumour has it that rice water is very nourishing for the hair. It’s said to contain a carbohydrate called inositol and this helps in repairing damaged hair. As I’m one to always try new things, especially if it’s organic, I immediately tried this out.

              Ingredients

Uncooked rice

Water

              Preparation

Rinse the rice with little water to remove any impurities. Then soak rice in water and leave for about 30 minutes. Once the time’s up, knead it gently. By now all the vitamins would be fully immersed in the water. Proceed to sieve it. The finished product is gooey-ish and cloudy. You can store it in your refrigerator for a week.

               How to use

Now cowashing is simply washing your hair with conditioner instead of shampoo. So I poured the rice water on my hair and gently massaged my scalp and hair. After that, I rinsed my hair with plain warm water. That’s it.

You can also use this process after shampooing. Sometimes i add lavender essential oil to the mix. You can never go wrong with oil. I think rice water answers all the questions normal conditioner does. It strengthens your hair, leaves it soft and shiny. It also adds a little bit of volume to the hair. The softness effect is usually felt almost immediately.

I really love it and have definitely included it into my haircare routine.

Have you ever washed your hair with rice Water?

How to declutter your life before 2018

I believe the best way to round up a year and prepare for the next is by decluttering. Out with the old and in with the new right? By now,you should be able to tell I like to be super prepared for certain every major event. When it comes to New years, I’m always very excited. So happy! Who wouldn’t? Maybe I usually go a bit overboard with the excitement though but I mean, it’s a fresh start. A clean slate! Nothing makes me feel so good like being given another opportunity. So why not start it with a clear mind, soul and environment?

Here’s a few of my major declutter tips for the new year;

Gadgets: Where do i even start? The number of pictures and messages on my phone is very alarming. I recently grouped them according to folders and deleted the unnecessary ones. I didn’t even know how many newsletters I was subscribed to not until recently. Guys, you need to unsubscribe from all those unwanted emails. I just hate it when my email is filled with crap. It feels so disorganized. To think I check my emails every morning yet I feel so overwhelmed each time i open it. So any picture, application, song or message not in use needs to go. Give yourself a digital detox.

Wardrobe: I started sorting and giving out clothes i didn’t need anymore since August. I don’t even have any money to replace them. Lol but the truth is: some clothes are just occupying my precious space. If you haven’t worn it in a year, chances are, you probably won’t wear it again. Give it out or send it to those cousins in the village. You never know, maybe when you create space, money will appear for an upgrade. Lol. On the plus side, I always feel really happy when I give out my clothes to certain people because they’re so happy and appreciative.  Like I said, enlightened selfishness is key. Seriously, y’all should practice it.

People: Are people meant to be decluttered? Probably not but it’s very crucial to have only people who genuinely care about you in your life.This step is usually the hardest for me because i feel like I’m always thinking about other people’s feelings and ignoring mine. If “a friend” is always criticising you, dump him/her asap. You need only roses in your life. Life itself already has a lot of thorns. You don’t need anymore thorns.Stay in touch with people that spread postivity around you. Another thing is: if you’ve hurt someone, New year is always an excuse to get back in touch and apologise. Grab that opportunity.

Social Media: Most people follow people who make them feel bad about themselves. Why though? I mean, if looking at someone’s picture is gonna make you feel bad about yourself, unfollow them. Stop feeding yourself criticism. It’s very poisonous to the soul. Follow people who inspire you and make you want to live your best life.

Your turn; what other ways do you declutter before the new year? 

3 Enugu Flea Markets Every Fashion Girl Visits

I almost always find myself at flea markets when I’m on a tight budget but still want to be the eye-candy at an event(but when am I ever not on a tight budget?) Flea markets are my go-to for the coolest, cheapest and most unique pieces.

Side bar: I always forget that i develop migraines anytime I’m at flea markets. Mostly because it’s usually overcrowded. In the past, I used to shy away from flea markets because  people looked down on them but I just can’t subscribe to that ideology anymore. From Calvin Klein shorts(probably form the previous season but who cares) to majorena tops to collectibles, these 3 flea markets in Enugu are sure-bets for unique pieces. Best part is: admission is free. Feel free to stop by anyone when you’re in town.

Here are my top favourites:

Ogbete Main Market: Before you say anything (you’re about to say “that place looks horrible”), I know the optics are terrible but this isn’t about optics. Dig in!! This is my all-time favourite. Every single vendor has lots and lots of amazing pieces. Anytime I’m here, I’m usually dragged away by my cousins because  there are just too many amazing finds. You literally don’t even need to haggle. The prices are so low.

Where: Ogbete opposite Holy Ghost, Enugu

Day: Everyday except Sundays. For new arrivals: Wednesday and Friday. Don’t miss it.

Time: 4pm to 7:30pm

Mayor market: You can’t imagine the look on my face when I saw a Celine bag for 1,500(about $5). What a steal! I couldn’t believe my eyes. It was a little dusty but still in very good shape. That’s the kind of stuff you find here. You have to sift through every store properly. Take your time.

Where: 200 Agbani road, uwani, Enugu

Day: Everyday except sundays.

Time: 5pm to 7pm

New market: I rarely visit this only because it’s a bit too far for me. There’s a decent number of vendors with pieces ranging from beautiful beads and clothes to artwork.

Where:’ Coal camp, Enugu

Day: Everyday except sundays

Time: 5pm to 7:30pm

photo credit: http://www.pinterest.com

Do you do flea markets? What’s your favourite?

 

 

Discovering and saying goodbye to UTI(Urinary Tract Infection)

Almost all women experience UTI at least once in their life and it is nothing to be ashamed of. Please also note that i am not a doctor, just a medical student but I’ve done a lot of research and spoken to various doctors and also through experience.

UTI is an infection of any part of the urinary system: kidney, ureter, bladder, urethra. Women tend to develop it more than men and I believe it has something to do with the female urethra being shorter than the male’s.(this was always my viva question)

It can be caused by various things like:

SexuaI intercourse

Poor hygiene

Some types of contraceptives

Use of tampons

And so many other factors. Please also note that it is not limited to age. Anybody can develop a UTI.

Watch out for these symptoms:

Scanty menstrual period

Bloody or cloudy urine

Itchy private part

Painful urination

Painful sexual intercourse

Abdominal pains

Foul smelling vagina discharge

And lots of other things( you know how science is)

Treatment

It’s usually by prescribed antibiotics. Please if you notice any of these symptoms, visit a clinic or hospital. The earlier, the better. If you asked me, I’d tell you…you don’t have to see any of these symptoms, once you notice a change in your body, please and please visit the nearest hospital you can find.

And as always, drink lots and lots of water.