Blogging tip: blog from your heart!

     One mistake some bloggers make is that they don't blog from their heart. When you decide to start blogging, don't go into it for the money. Yes, it is true that blogging can be a source of income for some. If that's your primary reason for going into blogging, you can get discouraged when the money doesn't roll in.

Fomsky

Please what's the best hotel in Ibadan? It can't be Premier hotel!!

     I told you guys that I would be telling you about my trip to Ibadan in bits n' pieces.  (that's a blogging tip for you bloggers out there). While I was there, I stayed at the Premier Hotel Ibadan and this is my candid review.

My reason for the trip
I travelled to Ibadan to write an exam at the University College Hospital and I spent 2 nights at the hotel.

Type of room I stayed in
I stayed in the Classic Double Room for  ₦16000. Before I left for Ibadan, I did an online booking for their Superior Double Room for  ₦17000. When I arrived at the hotel, I was told that my booking had not been received. I had received a booking confirmation! I was also informed that there were no available Superior Double Rooms. If there were none available, why were they portrayed as being so on their website? Apparently, there was a disconnect between their website and the actual hotel operations.

Main review
     The hotel is located on top of Makola hill and I really liked the view from the reception lobby. However, I wish I had known that it was a bit off from the main road: you couldn't walk into town. This wasn't too bad because the hotel staff graciously arranged for a local taxi to pick me up.
    The concierge was very helpful and  polite. The cleaning staff were prompt and my room was cleaned daily and the towel changed. I question the effectiveness of the cleaning because when I took my bath, the water did not drain out. On closer inspection, I discovered that there was some hair and other dirt clogging the drain. In addition, when I bent down to pick something from beneath the birth, I observed that it was dirty.
     A complimentary buffet breakfast was included in my stay and this was a plus for me. However, when I went downstairs for the buffet breakfast, I completely lost my appetite. There was a complete lack of variety and the food did not look attractive at all. I eventually settled for yam and egg stew which was surprisingly tasty. I later learnt that they had an 'A l'a carte' breakfast.
     On the first night I arrived, I was given a free internet coupon but this expired by midnight. When I complained to the reception staff, I was informed that the person in charge of the internet wasn't available to print a new coupon. I had no more internet for the rest of my stay! This was really upsetting to me!

The view from the lobby

Hotel rating

    Overall, I would say that it's an average hotel but I would rather not stay there again. Anybody who knows Ibadan relatively well? What other nice hotels can I find in Ibadan?

Fomsky

Bobbi Kristina is marrying her brother-turned-boyfriend!

     The latest celebrity buzz is that Bobbi Kristina, late Whitney Houston's daughter, just got engaged to Nick Gordon, her 'adopted brother'.

     The story is that  Nick Gordon, who is now 22 years old, was unofficially adopted by Whitney Houston when he was 12. He and Bobbi Kristina have been living in the same house: they basically grew up together. Now, they have romantic feelings towards each other. I'm thinking to myself, "Have they always had some inkling of attraction or is it a recent thing?". 
     Whatever the case is, since they are not actually blood related, I don't think it's a crime for them to get married. In fact, since they have known each other for that long, the issue of trust would probably not be a problem. After all, many people have gotten married to their childhood friends.
     Is it wrong for them to get married?

Fomsky

What guides you?

     I just thought to share my devotional today. The main verse is "For all who are being led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God." - Romans 8:14 NAS.
     Who guides your decisions? Your personal emotions intelligence or wisdom? Desire for fame, money and power? Friends or family? Or the Holy Spirit?

Fomsky

Blogging tip: Pictures are so important!

   
     If you've ever written a blog post without including a picture, I would like to tell you never to repeat that. If you want your post to look interesting, always put a picture.



Fomsky

How young, is too young to wear a weave?

     I was in church the other day and one teenager sitting in front of me kept flicking her hair (she might be about 14 or 15 years old...I'm not sure). When I looked closer, I noticed that she had fixed a long weave..maybe 12  or 14 inches. You could tell that she wasn't used to that length of hair brushing on her face. As far as I'm concerned, I think that she was too young to have a weave on. I've even seen weaves on girls as young as seven years: I think this is completely wrong!

      Every young girl should learn how to appreciate and to take care of their own hair before they start fixing weaves. Otherwise, they will get lazy and keep wearing weaves without bothering to learn anything about their hair. Besides, when young girls fix extensions, it makes them look older than they are. Let children be children and adults be adults. 
     I think that girls should start wearing weaves when they turn 18. What do you think? How young, is too young to wear a weave?
    You can voice your opinion by either leaving a comment below OR voting in the poll on the side bar. Have a great day!!


Fomsky

17% of Nigerians wish they were American!!

   This is a very interesting question and I was surprised to learn that in spite of how bad this country may seem, more than 50% of us would remain Nigerian given a choice. To be honest, I don't know whether I'd rather be Nigerian or not.
Pros of being Nigerian

1. Relatively easy to find a business to do. Given the fact that there are so many unmet needs in Nigeria, you can find something to do that will make you an income.
2. Running your home is relatively easier because you have extended family members and hired staff to help you.
3. Our weather is relatively nice: not too hot and not too cold.
4. Nigeria is a country that has been blessed with little or no natural disasters.
5. Nigeria is generally a country filled with people who have a good sense of humor.
6. Since Nigeria is still a developing country, it is possible to make a difference.
7. The taxes are not very high unlike some developed countries.

Cons of remaining Nigerian

1. Poor phone and internet service
2. Inadequate jobs
3. High level of poverty
4. Irregular fuel supply
5. Lawlessness: rampant corruption, reckless driving, violent occurrences and killings, etc.
6. Bad roads
7. Ill-equipped hospitals
8. Low standard of higher education
9. Poor electricity supply
10. Bureaucracy and excessive delays involved in everything: opening an account, getting your business registered, getting your passport, getting a NAFDAC number for your product, etc, etc.

My questions for you guys are:

• For those that would remain Nigeria, what is (are) your reason(s)?
• For those that would rather change their citizenship, what is (are) your reason(s)?

Fomsky

How I finally handled the pregnant housemaid issue!!

     Last month, I had complained to you guys that my housemaid was pregnant and I didn't know what to do with her. [Read What do you do with a pregnant housemaid].  As the days went by, it became a very precarious situation: she was throwing up and unable to do any work whatsoever. I really felt for her but it put me in a very difficult position. I have 3 children: the oldest is 4 years and the youngest is 9 months: I didn't want to carry the extra burden of taking care of one more person.

        I was faced with a  moral dilemma: Her husband is a cook and I felt that her salary had been helping the family a little. If I sent her away, it meant that they would have only one source of income. Besides, I always believe that every woman should have her own source of income, no matter how small it is. It reduces the amount of 'Yanga' that your husband can make for you. I was therefore faced with at least 3 choices:

1. Leave her to stay on, keep paying her and hire someone else to do the work. There was a particular day that she was vomiting excessively and I had to rush her to the hospital. If I kept her, I would be responsible for her health. What if something happened to her while she was in my house? I decided that this option was not feasible.
2. Send her home with a good severance pay and forget about her. 
3. Pay her normal salary and offer to send her a little stipend every other month. I chose this option.

What option would you have chosen?

     Anyways, she left at the end of last month and I've been without a househelp since then. Fortunately, my husband and two of my relatives (who came in from Port Harcourt) have been pitching in. I need a new househelp but I don't know where to start looking. Any suggestions?


Fomsky

Is DSTV still the best cable provider?

     While I was in Ibadan last week, one thing that struck me was the ubiquity of STAR TIMES offices. I don't think I even noticed any Hi-TV or Multichoice (DSTV) office throughout my stay there. I think I saw one GO-TV office.
     I later discovered that STAR TIMES offers 26”, 32” and 42” LCD TVs all with inbuilt decoders. If you can't afford the TV or you don't need one, you can just purchase their decoder for ₦3900 (in addition to some other things like an external cable, etc.). When I checked the channels they provide, I was really not impressed: I noticed things like NTA news, NTA entertainment, NTA Abuja, NTA education, etc. I did notice BET.
     I don't really know much about the other Satellite TV providers like Hi-TV and Go-TV but I still think that DSTV offers the most options with regards to channels. Or what do you think?


Fomsky

I'm back from Ibadan!!

   
   Hello people! I'm back! I'll tell you more about the exam in the not too distant future. I went to the ancient city of Ibadan to write it and I must tell you that I have a lot to say about my trip. You will read about it in bits and pieces in the days to come.
     Thanks to everyone who voted in the poll question in the sidebar, IF IT WERE POSSIBLE AND WE COULD COME BACK TO EARTH A SECOND TIME, WOULD YOU COME BACK AS A NIGERIAN? IF NOT, WHAT WOULD YOU COME BACK AS?.. I'll publish the results soon and you will find out how many Nigerians want to become American AND how many love this great nation!!
    I've been left out of all the blog 'gists' and I'm still trying to catch up but I'm back to blogging full time. Have a great week!

Fomsky

I'm preparing for exams

 
 I have exams on the 5th of October: I have to buckle down and  read for the final stretch. This means I won't be writing any posts till afterwards. Please wish me success and pray for me!!


Fomsky

Happy Independence day!

     Just wishing all my readers a happy independence day!! From this day, please renew your resolve to have love, faith and honesty and this country will be a better place to live in!

The Nigerian National Anthem

Arise O' Compatriots, Nigeria's call obey

To serve our fatherland 

With love and strength and faith 

The labours of our heroes past

Shall never be in vain

To serve with heart and might 

One nation bound in freedom, peace and unity

O God of Creation, direct our noble cause,

Guide (thou) our leaders right,

Help our youth the truth to know

In love and honesty to grow

And living just and true

Great lofty heights attain

To build a nation where peace and justice shall reign

The Nigerian Pledge

I pledge to Nigeria my country
To be faithful, loyal and honest
To serve Nigeria with all my strength
To defend her unity
And uphold her honour and glory
So help me God

Fomsky

Making some extra money: buying property in the U.S

     I love listening to Dan Foster's breakfast show on Inspiration FM 92.3. A couple of mornings ago, a  I learned about a company called International Property Development Consortium (IPDC). What they do is to help interested parties purchase property in the U.S. These properties are much cheaper than the ones available here in Nigeria. One guy even called in to endorse the company. He talked about how the guys at IPDC helped him purchase a 2-bedroom house in the U.S for 5 million naira. Now, he gets a rent of $700 monthly on that house. This has really piqued my interest oh!!

     The IPDC representative also talked about their referral program. What happens is that for every person you refer who buys a property, you make a clean $2000 dollars. When you refer up to 7 people, you get a ticket to the U.S and some other perks.
     Anyways, the IPDC is holding a U.S property seminar tomorrow, 30th of September, at the Civic Centre, Victoria Island, Lagos. You will learn how to own a property investment in the U.S and make a profit from it. You will also learn how to get a Green card through your property investment. Finally, you will learn how to double your funds within a year by buying and selling U.S homes. It's FREE to attend!!
     Just thought I'd let you guys know. I wish I could go but I already have plans!! Have a great weekend!

Fomsky

*To visit the Facebook page of International property consortium, click HERE.
*To visit the official website of the International Property Consortium, click HERE.

Not another Yar'Adua! Do Nigerians need to know what is wrong with Patience Jonathan?

     I don't know if anyone has noticed but our first lady has been away from the country for. First of all, the gist was that she had suffered from food poisoning. I'm a little confused here: did she leave the country for medical treatment abroad because she had symptoms of food poisoning?

     Next, we heard conflicting stories about her condition. One party claimed that she had undergone a fibroid removal surgery. Another 'trusted' source also claimed that she had undergone an appendicectomy. By the way, these are common surgeries done in Nigeria everyday... so if this were true, why would she travel outside the country to be treated in the first place? This is why it would be difficult to improve the state of our health sector.... when government officials keep travelling outside the country to treat simple ailments! If they all got treated here, I'm sure our hospitals will all be of international standard!!

     Anyways, the latest gist is that she has Parkinson's disease!! All these rumours!! This is how it started with late President Yar'Adua. To the extent that when they flew him back home from Saudi Arabia, he never made a public appearance till he died. How do we even know that he was conscious when he was brought back? For all we know, he might have been in a coma! Till today, we don't even know what killed our last president. I don't think that's fair: we elected him and we must know certain details about our president. When you run for office, you are giving up your  privacy to a major extent!
     I know that Dame Patience is not the president but why is her sickness shrouded in secrecy? Our leaders should learn to open up about their ailments. Or should we mind our business? Do we deserve to know what ails our leaders? Or not?

Fomsky

Making Banga soup the easy way!

     As a true Urhobo girl from Delta State, I grew up eating banga soup and starch on a regular basis. My hubby, although  a Cross Riverian, loves Banga soup too. However, I don't have that time to boil the banga fruit and squeeze it like my mom did when I was younger. Some people also complain that Banga has too much oil.  I will show you how I make this delicious dish in an easy and HEALTHY way.

Cooking time: about 6-8 hours (start preparing this a day before you intend to eat it! )

Ingredients needed

1. 1 tin of palm nut concentrate 
2. 1-2 smoothly blended onions 
3. 1 - 2 tsps of already packaged banga spices (who has the time to buy the original herbs and blend them? ) 
4. 1 tsp of blended 'Beletete' (you will find this in the market or any supermarket that carries Nigerian foodstuff)
5. Salt 
6. Maggi 
7. Dry Pepper 
8. 1/2 handful of washed bitterleaf (optional) 
9.  Meat (the quantity you desire) 
10.  Dried fish OR Fresh fish (this is the better of the two) 
11.  Blended Crayfish (optional if you already added fish) 

Instructions

1. Empty the contents of the palmnut concentrate into a pot. Add about 1 litre of water and bring to boil. Let it boil for an additional 15 minutes 
2. Allow to cool and freeze it for about 4 -6 hours. Don't let it get rock hard, just firm enough so you can scoop the oil from the top. 
3. When it is firm enough, you will notice that the soup has separated into the oil on top AND the actual Banga fruit at the bottom. Scoop off the excess oil from the top, leaving a little though [if you take off everything, your soup might be too dry]. 
4. Put your pot back on the stove. Add a little more water if the soup is too thick. Bring it to boil. 
5. Add  meat, fish, onions and crayfish.
6. Cover your pot and allow to cook for about 15 minutes. 
7. Add banga spices and 'beletete'. 
8. Add salt and maggi 
9. Add bitterleaf. [This heightens the taste of the Banga].
10. If you used fresh fish, take it now and put aside. You can add it back when the soup is cooked.
11. Allow the soup to boil till you obtain the consistency you desire [some people like their Banga soup thick while others like it light] 

 Voila! A healthy and enjoyable dish!

Eat with eba, pounded yam or best of all STARCH! Bon Appétit!
    

Fomsky

Lagos: the city of hustle and bustle!

     When I was getting my son ready for school this morning, he told me that he needed slippers for his swimming club. Guess what? His slippers were cut. I didn't know whether the shoe maker near my house would be at his stand by 7.30 am. To my amazement, he was. Usually, when I do school runs in the morning, I'm in such a hurry so I don't notice my environment. Today, I took a few extra seconds to look around and I saw IT! The Lagos bustle! Everyone was so busy: road side shops were already open, people were hawking products, children were being dropped off in school....

The bustling Balogun market in Lagos

A typical roadside stall in Lagos!

Lagos is really a bustling city: I don't know how many cities where the citizenry are up and about as early as 5.30 am!

Fomsky

ANOTHER fuel scarcity!?

     While I was driving out this morning, I noticed that the fuel queues were extremely long: the line in front of the Oando station was the longest stretching from the Ikate roundabout to the Lekki 2nd gate roundabout (just in case you don't live in Lekki, this stretch is about 1 km. This particular scarcity is worse than the last one where I had to spend an hour to buy fuel. I'm sure this time I'll spend no less than 3 HRS!!

   One newspaper reported that the  few number of private marketers and tightening of supply by Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) had contributed to the situation. I don't think that is the REAL ISSUE here. In a nation that is one of the world's largest producers of crude oil? We export the crude oil for other people to refine. What stupidity as far as I'm concerned!!
     I'm pleading with our leaders to save us from all these petrol issues and do the right thing: build more refineries!

Fomsky

Badly fixed lace front wigs. Vote: whose is worst?

     I really do not like lace front wigs, perhaps because a lot of times they are badly fixed. Yesterday, I passed by a lady on the street with her lace front wig practically glued to her forehead! Of these three beautiful celebrities below, whose is worst in your opinion?

Tonto Dikeh is a beautiful girl but this wig doesn't do her justice at all!

Ini Edo's wedding hair did not complement her natural beauty one bit!

Queen Omotola's lace front is simply atrocious!

Fomsky

I'm tired of all these internet service providers!

   
     I don't know if you're like me but these internet providers are really making me annoyed. My first experience with the internet was with MTN. I don't even want to talk about my experience with them: it was just horrible. Next, I tried Airtel: it was okay but still not reliable. Afterwards, I bought SWIFT 4G Modem (I don't believe that they are really 4G!) to use from 6pm to 8 am and it works pretty fast during this time period.
     However, I needed a daytime internet provider. I decided to buy Starcomms: what a joke!! Many times, it takes forever to open a page... it just spoils your browsing experience. After 4 months of wasting my 7000 naira, I decided to stop using them. You won't believe that their customer service called me twice to tell me that they noticed I had stopped using my Starcomms USB. I complained that their service was too slow for me.
     I figured that since SWIFT was fast at night, it should work well during the day so I upgraded my account to a 24hr plan. Boy was I wrong: the internet signal keeps going off... it really makes me angry.
     What experiences have you had with internet service providers here in Nigeria? Which do you think is the best? Why?

Fomsky

All these roundabouts on the Lekki Expressway! Good or bad?

     When I first moved to the Lekki axis in Lagos, there were only 5 roundabouts up to Ajah junction. Now, I can't even count: there must be at least 8 now. However, I think that they contribute to traffic: the lanes around the roundabout are too narrow and there is not much organization. A lot of drivers do not give way to traffic on the left.
     I really think that they should have spent more money investing in flyovers (especially at Ajah junction), considering that they're taking tollgate fees from us anyway!! What do you think about  the Lekki roundabouts?

Fomsky

The fuel scarcity is over!

   
     While I was driving out today, I noticed that there were no more queues! Thank God that everything is back to normal! I hate it when I have to struggle to buy fuel. In this country where electricity is erratic, we are so dependent on fuel to power our generators. In fact, I would prefer to have fuel in my generator and have an empty tank in my car! Seriously!

Fomsky

How do you get your toddlers to eat?

     I have a 21-month old daughter who loves to feed herself. The only problem is that every where gets messy afterwards. Do I force myself on her or let her do her thing?  I think it's better that she gets the food in her tummy even though all table manners or protocols are not observed.

     What do you do with your toddler? Do you let him/her be? Or not?

Fomsky

It took me an hour to buy fuel today!!

     You know that in a previous post, I had talked about my need to go and buy fuel: I eventually did and it took me 50 minutes to buy fuel from the time I joined the queue. I filled my 4 jerrycans and bought about a half-tank's worth of fuel for my car.  
     The queue was pretty organized and even though they were causing a bit of traffic, there were Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA) and Lekki Concession Company (LCC) officials directing traffic.

Traffic caused by the fuel queues

LCC official directing traffic

A little view of the cars at the pump

This jerrycan is TOO SMALL to buy fuel during a fuel scarcity!!  LOL!

 I hope this fuel situation resolves soon!!



Fomsky

What do you do with a pregnant housemaid?

     My current housemaid is in the first trimester of her pregnancy. She's 27, married and already has 2 children. When I was interviewing her for the job, she insisted that she was done having children.
     Now that she's pregnant, I carry all the heavy things. She sleeps a lot. She's now forgetful  She has stopped folding clothes and just barely manages to do some of her regular chores. Today, she complained to me that she's been vomiting and I recommended ginger to her. I don't know whether I should prescribe some anti-vomiting (anti-emetic drugs).
     What do I do with her? Do I keep her on even though she's not really doing much? I'm a woman and I know how pregnancy feels so I don't want to just send her away like that. I'm rather hoping that she tells me that she would like to go.
     Have you had a pregnant maid?


Fomsky

Fuel Scarcity in Lagos today!!

   
     I just heard that  there is a fuel scarcity here in Lagos and I NEED some fuel. All my jerrycans are empty and I don't know if the Power Holding Company of Nigeria (PHCN) will be nice enough to give us power tonight. I can't risk it!
     I have so much to do: I'm preparing for my West African College of Physicians (WACP) primary exams and I planned to read for about 3 hours before going to pick up my kids from school. Now, I don't know if I should go queue up for fuel now or wait for an hour. How long will it take me to be served?
Will keep you posted! Ciao!


Fomsky

Let me introduce myself

Hello everyone. My name is Ufuoma (nickname Fomsky). I'm a medical doctor and aspire to be a dermatologist in the not too distant future. I live in Lagos, Nigeria and I am also an avid blogger: I just closed one blog, Life As This Mommy Knows It, to start this one. I also have another blog that focuses on hair, weight loss and skin at The Sizzling Mommy.
I started this blog to talk more about my life as a Nigerian working mom and wife. I'll be talking about relationships, kids, careers, money, a bit of politics, current affairs. You name it! Please join me as I take you through it all: my life as a Lagos mama!!

Fomsky