Author: Osemhen

Letter to 10 year old me

Published by Osemhen

So a while ago, I rummaged through my diaries and ‘wrote’a letter basically to me. Ten year old me (she answered to Jennifer) wrote to 21 year old me. You can read it at http://eurekanaija.wordpress.com/2010/06/24/10-year-old-me-vs-21-year-old-me/ This is the reply. Dear ten year old me, Hi, there.  You’ll be happy to know I turned out pretty ok considering what a nuisance you were! 😛 I now live in Surulere (bet you didn’t see that coming!). I’m through with Uni; ended up going to Unilag, oh! It’s not half as bad as you imagine, don’t worry. And no you(we?) didn’t flunk one bit, contrary to what you might think! The next few years are going to be the most tumultous of your life; two major tragedies and a house move. Mega sucks, but you’ll cope. Understatement! You’ll astonish yourself with how strong you are. You end up being best friends with Folake Dosunmu (you don’t even know her now!) and Ebiere Oki. Yes, Ebiere Oki!! And you’ll find them the best things that could happen to you …

Left-Handed in Nigeria

Published by Osemhen

I am left-handed. And proudly, too. People stare (admiringly, I think … I hope) when I wield my left hand. Most are surprised my hand-writing’s neat (it is!). Others expect me to write from top to bottom… A few comment, “You must be smart.” That’s the part I like best. And just to make sure it wasn’t some myth-turned-stereotype, I actually looked it up. It was a great deal of medical-ese I had to wade through but the long and short of it is that most lefties are gifted in Math and art and have terrific organizational skills. We learn easily, are generally unconventional – and okay, it must be said – mostly precocious. But do we get treated accordingly? No! Society doesn’t like lefties. It has been proved over centuries and across cultures. In French, to be left handed is to be gauche, from where we get the English word of the same spelling that means awkward or clumsy… In Italian, it is to be sinistro, from where we get the English word sinister… …

10 year old me vs. 21 year old me

Published by Osemhen

Ten year old me was average height, skinny with a slight pot-belly, very tan and had a boy’s cropped hair cut (will locate picture soon). Ten year old had only one wish: more jeans, less housework. Ten year old me had no idea what she wanted to be in future and was flunking Math. Ten year old me held the 58th position (academically) in a class of about 80. (in my defense, the average age in that class was 11 :)) Ten year old was just a regular kid, period. Fast forward, eleven years, and I’m taking stock of my life, wondering if the younger me would approve. The image in my head is of her penning me a letter (email?) so here goes. Dear 21-year-old me, Hi. Glad to see that you (I?) finally figured out what to do with yourself (myself). I would’ve chosen something more glamorous than engineering, though. Oh well… You write? Cool! Can’t understand why you haven’t completed a book, though. Nice book collection, by the way but why no …

Father's Day!

Published by Osemhen

To all the dads out there, who have to put up with kids with brains that seem the size of peanuts, self-destruct offspring, untidy wannabe bums, chin up!

Beneath the grumpy glares and the muttering under our breath, we love you to bits. Trust me on this…

Sister, Sister

Published by Osemhen

I’m a first child, with all the responsibilities, attitudes and whatnot that comes with. I am responsible for my siblings, the one they look up to, the one who has to have all the answers, the one who has to push them to achieve, because if I can so can they. I am the one they run to when it all hits the fan, the one who can clean the mess, frighten the boogie man and make it all better. They believe I can do it all. The problem begins when I believe it too. When I believe I’m Superwoman, and that my primary duty is to make it all go away. And then I torture myself with guilt when I fail them, and blame myself for their every mistake, disappointment or sadness. Where do I draw a line? Should there be a line? Where do my responsibilities stop and their need for to be independent begin? Just the thought of trying to draw a line provokes shame at being disloyal. I have no answers. …

Bus Etiquette 101: How to act like an Educated and Intelligent Citizen

Published by Osemhen

In these days of LAMATA and LAGBUS buses, there exists a need to clearly define personal and public boundaries. The buses aren’t public places, per se, like restaurants but neither are they private enclosures. At any one time, a bus holds on the average forty people, standing or seated quite closely together. As such, it demands different habits from the usual norm. Do I sound quite formal? Well, it’s either that or spew in tear-my-hair-out-in-frustration style. So here goes: 1. Do shower. And change your clothes. Please. It’s a public service to the rest of humanity who have to squash up against you standing in the bus. 2. Do keep to the queue. Yes, you’re faster and smarter than the rest of humanity. Yes, you have a job interview in ten minutes. But if we can’t obey a simple rule like waiting our turn, why do we expect better of our leaders? Keep to the queue. And thump on the head anyone who doesn’t! OK, don’t 🙂 3. Do smile and acknowledge with a hello anyone you …