And yet another testimony

 I got a scholarship.

which is fantastic because I was going to have to use my credit card to pay my next & last term's fees.

I am so so thankful.

Anyway thats so major but even more than that- I found a speaker on facebook thats blue tooth and 30 pin ipod- if you know me you know my ipod and my obsession with the music on it. anyway I've been on a music spree and my lord how delightful it has been!

I am so happy.:)

And do you guys think its time for lemar to release new music?

Also can you believe that Warren buffet gave away $1bn- makes me really wonder about amassing wealth.

I loved the shareholder letter so much that I'm going to share my thoughts on it linkedin. Yes o> I have become a linkedin warrior and honestly I'm gonna go hard at it till I get a job I like.

:)

Hope you guys are well please join me in prayers I want to go home for christmas but IRCC hasn't given me my visa extension. So if I leave the country I wont be able to come back.

Wahala but God has been on such a run that Ive left it in his hands.

Another Testimony

 I know how insane it sounds but OMO God get me for mind this year.

Tell me why I have found a place that is so much cheaper than my current place but way bigger AND- saves me so much that I'm basically getting one month rent free.

You guys hold God this Q4 o. He is a miracle worker FR. As I sit here and run the 2024 numbers on how much we have spent all I can say is that God is the greatest.

Jesus knew what he was saying when he said that if he dressess the lillies how much more you?

God knows your needs and will take care of them for you.

Trust him

And have a great Q4. 

Testimony Time- BLESSING TIME

Somebody praise the Lord.

One of the reasons we picked this Canadian city when we were looking for a city to move to, was for husbands career. He had just begun gaining strides as a film maker in Lagos, when everything clicked and we had to move.

Anyway I'll spare you all the BTS, and just share that today, he got announced as a Delegate to attend the Film festival of our city.

When he told me he applied, I said- you will get in. and when he got in, I SCREAMED- JESUS IYEEEEEE, because I could not believe how ordered his steps have been since we moved here and decided to pursue this career fully.

God has been too faithful. 

And I am so so proud of the work that my husband continues to do to showcase how absolutely talented he is as a film maker.

I'll probably do a long IG post to talk more about it- but I am just so so happy.

I can not even believe it but I also believe it. LIKE IN A YEAR?

All of this is to say, there is no desire in your heart that God did not put there, and bear in mind, he wants to do exceedingly & abundantly more for you than you can imagine. 

If  you just moved countries, I want you to know that it will get better. it always does. Remember that God is the Ultimate and he rules in the affairs of men. And he will always make everything that happens to work out for YOUR good.

If you want to know more, send me a message and I'll send you the press release. :) 

Happy Canniversary to all who celebrate- AKA ME

 Today makes it a year that I packed my bags, gave out half of my clothes, rehomed my dog and moved to Canada to continue living my life.

Because I am Nigerian, I ordered a pack of small chops to all my nephews, & neices & siblings in Lagos. Because the business is Nigerian, even though I told them to deliver it at 9:30am- it only came at like 2pm and yeah.

Two things, I am so so thankful to God for this journey. everyone says the first year is the hardest and when I tell you that I have cried only TWO times in the last year. 

I can not believe how much God has done for me on this journey. There have been so many things that have happened on this journey that the more I think about it, the more I know that it could only have been God.

Truly the journey is in God's hands, and when people tell me I'm so lucky, I always tell them. It is God o.

Let today be the marker that I have come to return all glory to the name of God for his faithfulness and kindness and grace on the journey.

God has given me the gift of men on this journey, helpers have arisen, and help has shown up from all the unlikeliest places to prove that God is not a man that he should lie, that he has done and said everything that he said he will do.

Exceedingly, abundantly above all the things I could imagine for this journey- He has done.

And I can not thank him enough.

Please say a prayer for me today that God that has brought me will continue to keep me in his arms.

Canada has given me so so much in this one year and I remain so grateful because where others have said they were cast down, I was lifted up Highhhh!

Happy one year in Canada to me.

via GIPHY

Took me a year

 But I think I have found my church.

And I am SOOOOO happy. I went to church sporadically in Lagos because you know, church. but when I moved here, I started looking for a church and I went to a few but did not really like them, so I stayed with my online churches, anyway my class mate invited me to his church and I was like- okay let me try this.

and boy was I moved. when they started singing worship songs and I burst into tears, I just knew, I said -  I'M HOMEEEEEEEEEEEE.

When I got home, Pj was like oh you really liked this church and I said yes it was really good.

Long weekend in Canada and honestly I'm thinking of doing a thanksgiving on the anniversary of our 1 year move here.

When I tell you that this journey has been ALL GOD. every step that has been taken it has felt like God has just been opening doors for me.

Last week I was praying for something and then I got a confirmation in my mind that it was settled and I was like God am I praying in vain and then I was reminded for a time the exact same thing happened and I was like- OHHHH.

a few years ago, maybe 8 I wanted to buy a ticket but didn't have the money even though I wanted to book the flight I was like hmnn lets see, anyway long story short I had been paid some money from a co-operative on the friday before I even knew about the flight and I'm sure I have a blog post about this- the details are fuzzy but I was reminded that God will always provide for me.

And when I tell you I felt so comforted.

Anyway another long weekend and I can finally say I have settled down barring some tax issues- and honestly it makes no sense that everyone has to file their taxes themselves, its annoying.

I think and therefore.. I might be losing my mind.

 Walk with me. 

I moved to north america seeking greener pastures and while it has been green, significantly greener than the green on the nigerian flag, HELLO I bought a whole 4kg salmon for $4. so its green. It has also been bleak AF for people of color. aka me.

Because I grew up in Nigeria, I never understood that whole white people are crazy racist thing till I moved here and I'm  like- BLOOD OF GOD. these mutherfuckers are actually racist AF. 

But who no go, no go know. so moving past it has really just been a function of building community but the realization has really radicalized me.

Which is why when Kamala announced she was running, I was like, wailing throwing up and falling to my knees in the parking lot of my real canadian superstore.  I'm not going to lie before I moved her my aunt who worked in the US but lives in canada and shuttles daily, used to complain about immigration moving mad during trump Szn. 

A cousin of mine got kicked out of the US even though she was there legally, Honestly immigration as a Nigerian was TERRIBLE during trump and Biden brought back drop box. All I'm going to say is- I'm learning there is little to no greater good in North America.

While I'm not disilusioned about the move, I'm more like what the fuck kind of life is this?

Moving here has radicalized me in a way that would never have been possible from lagos, such that I want to slap all the trump lovers in Yaba lagos because what the fuckare you people talking about?

Why is DEI in your mouth?

Anyway rant over. I'm obviously not losing my mind, but its annoying.

The thing that mostly annoys me is that I have fucking chinese & filipino people that can't string 2 sentences together talking about only God knows what. Honestly, my english is going through it in this country.

But its not all bad, I discovered a fantastic asian afrobeat DJ WHOOOOOOO is so good but obviously lacks cultural context because he was still playing Naira Marley in the club.

This being said, I actually love living here. I thought my life was great in Lagos- IT WAS, but my God its about to get greater, I can just feel it in my bones. Does this make any sense? I'm not someone who I thought her life will change much if she moved, but i literally play tennis mid week with my husband for an hour every week. Its such a fantastic BIG life.

Honestly God bless the me of one year ago that decided to finally move to Canada. While school is tough. It can never last forever so I know that one day- this too shall pass.

I miss my family so much, My siblings, my mum, my nephews & niece ( who graduated to big school??????) can you believe it? I miss seeing lagos babes all dressed UP. urgh the fashion in this city- abysmal.

I do love a good food haul though. And access to asian skincare on tap? no more waiting 100 years for delivery from  Korea? This God is too good I will praise him name forever.

But For real because two things can be true, I miss home so much, but I am forever grateful for this move. :)

JULYYYYY

 H2 IS HEREEEE!

But first what can I do to make a quick $3,000 in a week. That will please God and my family members because when I tell you that I need this money STAT.

If you are feeling generous message me please.

Now that is out of the way, I just wanna say that life is life-ing rn but its all good. I work with people that have a very different approach to work. As in we have a deliverable and you are taking two days off work in the middle of the week?

Na wa o.

School is well- schooling. And if I tell you I'm not over it- I'm a liar. Using school to relocate has to be the most stressful thing ever. because hian. Like some days I wake up & I'm like what the actual fuck and then nepa never takes light so I'm like true true its not all bad at all.

Do I miss my life in Lagos. everyday.

Do I like the life im building here. every day

Do I hate that my city charges $40 for gel polish- Yes from the bottom of my heart. 

This thing will teach me how to do my nails by my self after almost 10 years of never doing my nails.

Anyway, I'm alive, I'm well, my family in Lagos is fine, my family in Canada is fine. So much to be thankful for.

BUT I want to go home for christmas, I know I know. BUT that is what I want so how will we do it now?

And I also want to go to carnival next year as well.

God be a provider.

ALSOOOOO- can you believe my lil substack has 100 subscribers? When I tell you I did not see that coming because ya girl is truly sporadic with those newsletters. I find substack a tad too agressive FOR ME.

But we'll keep it moving sha. 

Because what else is there to do? 

Life update

 There is nothing better than spending time with the people you love.

Thats it. Thats the post.

I've spent the last few weeks in Egypt, Lagos, Montreal, DC, Toronto & even hosting my mother in my city and let me tell you this is the most refreshed Ive felt. 

I felt ALIVE.

There is something to be said for the need of community when you find yourself and your friends screeching till 4am like bandits and having to drink hot lemon water before you go to bed in the morning because you have been talking for HOURS NON STOP.

Honestly alice said it best, there is no place like home.

Although I quite enjoyed Cairo.

Hope you are all well.

and making grand plans for H2. I am absolutely looking forward to my first canadian summer.

as the kids say, we outside!

H is for what? H is for HOLIDAY

 In the most random stroke of luck ( which is very on brand for me because I am the luckiest girl in the world); Im going on holiday!

Which is fun because I remember my friends telling me that I should just farabale as I just got here and relax before I resume my ajala waka. 

Only for a few things to align and next thing I feel into a vacation.

I am soooo giddy with excitement I truly can't wait for my holidayyyyyyyyy.

Started my new job and I LOVE IT. I think my supervisor keeps trying to trip me up but then as a lagos babe, I'm two steps ahead of the curve.

One with God is truly a majority.

Who can guess where I'm off to? It houses one of the wonders of the world. 

This is how I feel whenever I think about the whole trip. I'm sooo giddyyyy

Annoyed

 Todays annoyance is that I found a great deal on Delta airlines ( and I had just enough miles - say 8k) and I needed 9k. So I checked my marriott account, asked my friend for some, he sent them to me and then I transfered these miles from my marriott account at the rate of 3 marriott miles to 1 delta mile.

Anyway now I have to wait for the transfer to take place.

24 hours later, no miles in my account, so I call delta, they say " oh both accounts have to have the exact same name and it'll take us 7 days to update your account."

So I call marriott, the agent does the name change and tells me he will do the miles transfer again but I should check in 7 days.

Something told me to check this morning and yay the miles are there.

I check for the flight, it now costs 18,000 miles.

I want to say I slammed my laptop shut and went about my day but instead I spent another 2 hours looking for a way.

Finding none.

and then taking a pain killer.

Off to study for my exam :)

Interesting development

 Turns out my employer had not paid my pension for the last two years. I know they just paid 2022 and knowing that I can get 25% of the money out now, turns out they are owing me a significant amount.

If you work in Nigeria, is reporting the company to pencom going to yield a viable solution?

Or should I just continue to beg them to pay. Ps- Its been almost a year since I left there.

Nigeria is such a strange place. 

Patchy Information

 Reading through my blogposts from 2017- 2019 lets call it my Dating era, and I can not believe I did not use more unique identifiers than - THE BOY. 

Jesus Christ I'm sure my blog can SEO rank first page for the word " Boy". 

Like half of these men I cant even remember them and they all seemed so nice and lovely with the lyrics they were always giving me. and I was so terrible in how dismissive I came across to them. Like yes I was uninterested, but surely there had to have been a better way than ghosting all of them so frequently.

Such a shame too, because asides T, Hercules, Sugar Baby and the 13 hour date boy, all the other men are like a blur. 

Who would have thought?

What the caterpillar called death, a wise man called a butterfly.

So many good things are still happening in your life, give yourself time.  And there is still still so much good ahead of you to experience.

Also shouts to Eneni for asking me if it was still just sex with Hercules, I think she figured it out waaay earlier than I allowed myself figure it out that we were really something solid.

Also even though it's been years now- almost 3- I CAN NOT BELIEVE I MARRIED HERCULES. Like we were on and off so many times - at least from my blogposts. Gosh. Also he seemed to always really like me, wanting to take me everywhere. and that hasn't changed at all.

I guess when a man likes you, he just likes you.

The end

Life Lately featuring The Alchemist

 I did a re-read of the alchemist and I was reminded why that is probably my best book in the whole wide world.

Every time I read that book, it feels like God speaks DIRECTLY to me. I can not explain it but it comforts me in ways that I don't think Paulo Coelho designed but that's what happens.

Lots of people say its hocus pocus, but I have learnt that its difficult to explain very simple truths to people. 

One of my things in the last few years has been returning to simplicity in a world that thrives on complicating things. That being said , I am happy that I read that book.

As I come to the end of Q1 2024, all I am filled with Gratitude. 

I also got a new job, which is greatttttt and now maybe I can take my art seriously. 

we will come back in 3 months to see where I have reached with that. I have also started looking at keyboards again. Perhaps this is the year I start learning how to play the piano. -AGAIN.

Anyway, I hope you all are well. 2024 has been firing good and glad tidings on all cylinders, and I pray that you are experiencing good things too.

Ps: Maybe its all the dogs here, but I am beginning to toy with the idea of repatriating one of my dogs to be with us in Canada. 

Because I have been playing with my neighbors dog and I WANT MY OWN.

Okay where is 2024 rushing to?

 Bruh I blinked and March is 10 days in?

We thank God for his many mercies o!

Honestly I'm super thankful because this year has been -YEAR-ING. 

But what does the good book say about deliverance from the many aflictions of the righteous?

If you don't know- its that they are delivered from ALL.

My school work is progressing splendidly well, I find that I'm torn between coasting and putting my back into it. Due to updates in my knowledge of the visa system I decided to extend my program but accelerate it so that I finish in the same time as everyone else who started with me in a longer program, thats how I ended up doing 8 abi 9 courses this semester, and by some stroke of luck- also working full time.

So when I say E CHOKE? 

But asides that It's been good o. We celebrated 6 months in Canada with a party, well it was also PJ's birthday and it was SUCH  A GREAT time. everyone was like- yall have been here only 6 months ke?

me- It's God ooo. 

And the wisdom to space out the prep for the party and missing classes for a day to make sure everything was kosher. 

Another super bright spot in my days is Bobby my neighbors dog who absolutely LOVES me.

Last week my neighbor said- I hope you have other people in your life as excited to see you as bobby is. And I was like- You should have met my dog Tiny. The absolute love of my life.

And YES, I am still always toying with the idea of bringing him home here. I know it sounds hard, but with God nothing is impossible.

So we move.

Just touching base to say I'm really settling in, I even filed my taxes, honestly the process seems super simple for all the noise that people make about taxes, but you know, when in Rome and that.

I've even renewed my US visa, one thing about the living here is that there is a youtube video for everything. most of them are in hindu or something but you get the general gist. 

Honestly God brought me here at the right time. 

I feel like in the last few weeks I've been having such vivid dreams, that feature so many strange people and when I wake up its almost like its hazy. Honestly God should speak to me let me hear his voice well one time.

Okay I hope everyone is well. I'm running back to completing my paper due at midnight haha.

Currently

 Listening 

Non-stop to Jelo by Young John & Pheelz

One thing about this song is that both of them were actual BTS guys ( producers) in the music industry and have now gone on to release bangers non stop. The lesson here is not to let anyone pigeon hole you into a box because of what you have done. There is still so much you *CAN* do.

Adupe fun eledumare

Adupe fun olorun oba

Na him give me the package

So make nobody come dey buga

Reading

Morgan Housel's new book called " Same as ever"

Life is lifing a lot right now so I am not going through this as quickly as I'd like, and honestly its not as interesting as the first book so its gonna be slow, but since I'm interested in knowing what is unchanging- I will finish it.

Feeling

Super grateful for how well this move has turned out. I can not lie, when people said moving will be hard I did not totally envision how hard, but the truth is that for us -God's yoke has been easy. and 4 months in, everyone is like OMG you are so lucky because wow, and truly I am so grateful

Also Feeling

COLD. I low key chose my city based on how great the weather was supposed to be and this week something called Arctic blast came through the city and its been minus kini kan. Had to buy a space heater on amazon prime ASAP. And it was not on my list of things I planned to buy in 2024. Anyway...

Expecting

Lots of great news, My amazon delivery, some difficult conversations with my editor about my book.

An easy path to settlement in Canada. Because being expectant is just the best way to be.

Honestly I am really excited about for 2024, I have more than a good feeling about this year, It just feels so much like the year where many things will come together. Like crystalize properly properly PROPERLY.

So my message for you this year is to GET EXCITED, Make big plans, then make steps on how to get them done, 2024 is a really auspicious year. Even the Chinese people have this to say about 2024 ( which is the year of the dragon)- To sum it up, 2024, the Year of the Dragon, encourages us to be ambitious, creative, and strong in facing challenges. By setting big goals, being imaginative, staying resilient, building good connections, and balancing our efforts, we can make this year successful- I mean.