Month: October 2013

Flight.

Published by Osemhen

K: I’ll pick you from the airport. Me: No, thanks. 10 hours later, I wonder how I’ll find my way from the airport. What if “Something” happens? What if my flight gets delayed and I take a taxi to my destination late at night and I get robbed or Something because I’m this petite, light-skinned woman (read: easy mark)? It’s impossible that I could be strong, you see. No one thinks you can be, not when you’re fair and petite and female. I should have taken K’s offer. Why do women like to be chased? Airport. The boarding announcement comes on and we all shuffle to the tarmac. All of us will be dead in 100 years. And it should evoke some sort of camaraderie, shouldn’t it? But it doesn’t. We are ignoring one another. It’s strange, considering that we could be deathday mates. What if? What if our plane, this plane that Arik has christened “Michael” were to fall out of the sky? We would die together. Approach the pearly gates together. Our families …

Why Are You Angry About Stella Oduah's Armoured Cars?

Published by Osemhen

So today, Nigerians are outraged over the purchase of two armoured vehicles for Stella Oduah’s  safety. Said vehicles cost over 250 million naira (About 1.6 million dollars). See Sahara’s report here. I understand the outrage, and I would share it if I knew: What is the annual budget of the “cash-strapped” Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority? How do we know they’re cash-strapped? Was this purchase included in the budget for 2013? Was the budget approved by the Senate? Did the Senate know she was going to buy the cars with the NCAA’s budget? Knowing this, did they approve? If they neither knew nor approved of the cars’ purchase, what was this money earmarked for originally? Has that activity been done? Is it pending? Money cannot buy air safety, can it? Someone please explain to me how this money increases the risk of me boarding a plane that will crash? I’m sincerely curious about these things. This is not an attempt to ridicule anyone. I just need to know why I should care. So I can join …

I Gave A Natural Hair Interview

Published by Osemhen

So I gave a natural hair interview. I really enjoyed giving it, and I hope you enjoy reading it as well. 🙂 http://www.africanaturalistas.com/2013/10/mane-matters-with-osemhen-akhibi.html p.s. one of my visitors has pointed out that I can no longer claim not to blog about hair on my home page. Lol. Yes, o. I should edit that…soon. p.p.s. I’ll forgive the guys if they don’t read it. Lol.

To Be or Not To Be

Published by Osemhen

One of the most popular mantras these days is about being yourself and doing what makes you happy. The focus is on self-satisfaction. And finding your peace in being secure only in what you think of yourself, and at best, indifferent to what people think of you. [youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?gl=NG&hl=en-GB&v=dyihQtBes1I] And there’s nothing wrong with it. There’s nothing wrong with running my race my way and not living for public opinion. Many people have been ruined because they were trying too hard to live up to an image. But what we often forget is that the “Image” is a reflection of what we have portrayed. We choose the image in the first place, the expectations that society holds us to. And that’s why it’s important to portray a true image. But this is not a lesson on personal integrity. What inspired this post? Earlier today, I sent an assignment to a course instructor I met in person earlier in the year. During our face to face interaction, I deliberately put my bestest (sic) foot forward with him. …

On Being Jaded

Published by Osemhen

  I remember thinking the conversation a bit dramatic. We were in first year, Jide and I, and it was one of those idle days where all we had to do was gist, waiting for one lecturer or the other. We used to have deep conversations, we still do. In almost ten years of our friendship, I can’t remember having a frivolous discussion with Jide. (Yes, we’re boring like that.) I can’t remember what the exact topic was but I remember Jide saying something like “I pray to never get jaded or used to mediocrity. It worries me, sometimes, I see a dead body lying on the road and feel nothing. I want to always feel something.” This was 2004. Before Boko Haram and its bombings. Before Aluu. Before Bellview and Sosoliso and Dana. Before violent elections that killed NYSC members. And I remember thinking, I’ll never be jaded either. It’s a resolution I fight to keep. Because it’s too easy, right? Too easy to get used to the statistics. The bad news pours in and …