Nigerian accents!

...Omonoba...

Our people say:
Yoruba: Mélòó lÈjìgbò tí ọ̀kan ẹ̀ ńjẹ́ Ayé-gbogbo?
Eng: How large a community is Ejigbo that one of its settlements is named Ayegbogbo “The whole world”?
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Recently, a lot of people have been 'complimenting' me on how American I sound, when they see my name and ask me where I'm from. So, that really frustrates me because I take pride in my accent and I do not want to lose it :( .  

Some others admit that I do have traces of a Nigerian accent. Only traces? My friends will tell you that my Nigerian accent is pretty noticeable. Another thing that surprises people is that I speak good English. Take it in good fate that I was brought up in a country that was colonized by the British (X) and therefore I speak good English, and that the British met locals when they came(YES); locals who already spoke languages and therefore my English is accented. 

I mean, I have come across various comments referring to Nigerian accents as disgusting probably because they didn’t throw in extra r’s here and there. Let it be, let the accents that remind us that we own something be and do not try to belittle them calling them ‘bush’, local and unworthy. A person behind the camera or the president may spend a few seconds pronouncing a word in order to make his or her speech well understood by the majority who would be listening to him or her but I must note that even the current president speaks pretty clearly inspite of the “fee-dee-fee, fower’s” (PDP Power’s) that are conspicuous in his speeches. Let it be, hes’s not British nor American (people whose English by the way is accented since they learnt from the British, their colonists). Why has everything Western (and Eastern), as a matter of fact, everything non-indegnous to us Nigerians become THE STANDARD? I say Nigerians here because that’s what I am, a Nigerian and that’s the country I can speak for.

Yes, Learn the English Language or any other foreign language and speak it as close to the native speakers as possible but as we all know, it can never be the same. My occasional h’s here and there (since I am half Yoruba) reinforce my ‘Nigerianness’ and again, Let it be!

It's also not news that we as a country are a house divided against itself sometimes. So I speak to those of us from Naija too.

The world through Baba Agba's Eyes.

...Omonoba...
Our people say:
Yoruba: Arúgbó ṣoge rí; àkísà-á lògbà rí.
Eng: The old person was once a dandy; the rag was once in fashion.-Yoruba Proverb.

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I take a lot of pictures. So, you can imagine the frustration I feel when my camera starts to act up. Because of this, I decided to get a new camera which would meet up to my demand. Does anyone have first-hand knowledge of the kind of camera that would take clear pictures and enable me carry out my personal photography? Please would you be kind to let me know? I would like to hear from you. Thank you. 'Old Faithful' served me well but its time to get something better. Here's an example of 'old faithful's' capacity.

On a related note:
I stumbled across a Nigerian youth’s website . To say that I was awed is to say the very least. I was struck by the smoothness of the music that played off the site, probably because its the type of music I find refreshing. However, his photography amazed me. It was very beautiful and pure. Seeing that I love pictures {I take A LOT of pictures} and I consider them  vital pieces of memory, it is no wonder that his website was beautiful. His name is Baba Agba and he calls his website ‘THE WORLD THROUGH MY EYES’. This is to enterprising  youths and photography!

Here we go:

The World Through my Eyes.

And, some refreshing music by K'naan. Waving flag was re-made speacially for the world cup, SA 2010. I like both the old and new versions a lot. Here's the World Cup version. 


WAVING FLAG-K'NAAN-WORLD CUP, 2O1O.

Who sings better than the Robin?

...Omonoba...
Anyone who urinates in a stream should be warned because any of his relatives may drink from the water.-Nigerian proverb.
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Pure grape juice

will always be rich purple;

will always be rich purple-red

and never without the slight lime-like tang!

So when I met that one callous, foolish man

the way he sang was quite familiar

as distorted cymbals in rumpus

he befouled music

Okay, in fairness

He did have a bit of  rhyme

And of course, he struck a C once

But then he said his song was better than the birds'

Oh that accident. That profane desecration of music

I laughed, then I pondered for about two

Which, the nightingale or the Robin?

Thrush or Canary?

Since when has

the clay taught the potter

or has cider become close to wine?

Learn from me. I learned to sing from the birds.

Pure grape juice will always be rich purple

And pure grape wine; always red

don't ask where the tang's from

Sip, relax and learn.

Abracadabra...Amen

...Omonoba...

Our people say:
Igbo: Agwo emeghi nke o jiri buru agwo, umuaka achiri ya hie nku.
Eng: If a snake fails to show its venom, little kids will use it in tying firewood.-Igbo Proverb.

{Me and my guitar, Sotee}

I have some silver, no gold

Would that soothe you?

Would that suit you?

You may take all

You may have all

My silver and thread

I'd plead with you, beg

That you leave for me my guitar

If It's cold, I'll strum to warmth

If it's hot, cool chords then

I'll be making music

like abracadabra

No,Not magic

Abracadabra

Amen.

<3<3<3<3<3

Am I One of Them...Vote!!!

...Omonoba...

Hello everyone!

It would be really lovely to see the winner of the short story / fiction contest on Naija Stories. The story, Am I One of Them by Funmi Oyatogun is a novel excerpt and has qualified for the top few! It is also my favourite and I would like for people to vote for it.  Please kindly read the story and vote only if you feel it should be voted for. Also, this is a chance to read other stories and vote for whichever you think is best. Here is the link:

http://www.naijastories.com/2010/03/am-i-one-of-them.html#more

Have a great day,
God bless,
NakedSha!

My father's palmy has the sweet taste of his sweat.

...Omonoba...

Our people say:
Igbo: Üdara dachiri üzö mpïwa gü ya.
English: An udara fruit that falls on the side of the road is asking to be eaten.- Igbo Proverb.
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A poem I wrote.

Many fathers have spoken

But my father’s words were most profound

Many women have cooked

But my mother’s food was most tasty

Many ladies have cared

But my sister’s care was most tender

Many men have loved

But my brothers’ love was most anointing

Many fathers have brought home wine

But my father’s palmy had the taste of his sweat

The taste of his toil

His palmy was most strong,

And quenched my direst thirst

The man is tall like an Iroko tree

Big like an elephant

Harsh like the sting of a broom

Yet his strides are swift like an eagle,

Paced like a cheetah

Yet his silence is golden

His silence, is wicked

His silence is harder than words

In his silence I pray for death

The man I call my father, paale

With words softer than soap

And words as strong as the palmy he brings

And as soothing as the song he sings

His wife, my mother, maale

Whose dress is wet from my tears

Whose pot of soup has been emptied

Whose ears are blocked from my cries

That woman, her ways are simple

Yet her thoughts are thick

She cannot eat, when I am hungry

She cannot sleep, when I am awake

She cannot smile when I am crying

Her left arm is my bed and her right is my whip

Tomorrow, they will be frail

And no one will bring home wine

No one will cook me Ogbono soup

No one will shout at my foolishness

No one will calm down my stress

But will I be able to cook for my children them?

Will I have for them, what maale had for me?

If I may ever fail, may it not be here

May my sun be my maale

And my moon be my paale

Let their ways guide my earthly steps

Like the smell of my mother’s food guides me home. 

I hope everyone has a blessed week and that we NEVER for get family and how they are the only ones on earth who love us unconditionally irrespective of anything. They always love us no matter whether they go about the things they do the wrong or right way.

All my African-ness lies in my 'fro....(2)

...Omonoba...
Our people say:
Yoruba: 'Gbogbo wa la fòkété san ọgọ́fà; ìgbà tí òkété ó fi di ogóje, ojú-u gbogbo wa ni yó ṣe.'
Eng: 'We all agreed on a hundred and twenty cowries as the value of the bush rat; when the value changes to a hundred and forty, we must all know about it.' - Yoruba Proverb.
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I asked the opinions of a few beautiful and strong ladies. A few of the responses surprised me. Anyway, this is the other half of the first part of all my african-ness lies in my 'fro. 

Now, the first part was my own perspective of how much of my hair defines me. From other people's perspectives, not all were the same as mine. However, I will post a few of the honest responses.

{Please be respectful of each lady's stand and send in your comments. Oya, my people, make una flow...}

A, Adelexi. {Her natural look.}

"Right now, I'm rocking an awesome weave. I love my hair, just that my tracks are showing for this look. But besides that, I love my hair. In the words of Indie Arie, "I am not my hair." I'm rocking short hair as my natural look, and I haven't lost my sense of identity. Take care of your hair, with or without a weave. Love your hair!"
Adelexi A.
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J, Abk. {Her natural look.}

"Right now, I have on a full weave with bangs. About my real hair, I don't really wake up feeling good because it's damaged and looks unappealing to me when I hold it. However when I leave it out, I feel ok. abt my weave, well, i'm simply ok with it. hehe. My hair defines me. i would feel incomplete without my hair! When i do change hairstyles, I sometimes lose my sense of identity. I don't have tips for my weave. but for anyone that wants to transition to natural hair- you should love your hair and treat it well[i need to listen to this advice]."
Abk. J
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O, Ada. {Her natural look.}

I am trying to curb my hand in hair disease to be able to retain length. So I wear my hair in conrows on the weekdays and let it free on the weekends. Its neither here not there. sometimes I love it and sometimes it does its own thing. It doesnt define but I am fully aware that sometimes people try to define me because of my hair. People have preconcieved notions when they first see you based on societal definitions of what a person like you is supposedly about. I am not vegeterian, I love meat. I do not burn incense every morning. No I am not mad at the world..well sometimes.lol Yes I sing and play the guitar but I am no Erykah badu or Jill scott. um duh I am Afrocentric because I am african, I mean what else do you think I'll be centered around.lol. I have rocked my her short and long, weaves, braids..etc and didn't really feel I lost myself in any of those hairstyles. If by hairstyle you mean rocking your hair in the state God gave to you then I say go for it. be prepared to throw away your "knowledge" about how to go about taking care of hair. Do your research and be patient with your hair. People with afro-textured hair have no idea how to take care of our hair because we have been setback hundreds of years in terms of knowledge and care . We have not been equipped with tips and methods on how to care for our hair. We just slap a relaxer and claim it is unmanageable. So feeling fustrated about your hair in the intial stages can be expected. it is a learning process so dont be to hard on you and your hair.
Ada O. 
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As of today (I change it a lot), my hair is in thick twists. I do like my hair a lot. :) None of my hair defines me, I hope. It would be hard not to lose some of my identity if my hair was changed, but because of 1 Peter 3:3-4:
      "Your beauty should not come from outward adornment such as braided hair and
        the wearing of gold jewelry and fine clothes. Instead, it should be that of your
        inner self, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth
        in God's sight" I wouldn't (so help me God lol).I'd recommend going natural for this hairstyle; straight hair is hard to keep in twists. Also, twist your hair when its wet. When they've dried and you're bored with the 'twist' hairstyle, you can unravel them and have a curly fro :)
Bita A.
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So, there we go. A few ladies' take on how much of their identities lie within their hair.

Thank you!

All my African-ness lies in my 'fro....(1)

...Omonoba...

Our people say:
Igbo: Nwaanyi muta ite ofe mmiri mmiri, di ya amuta ipi utara aka were suru ofe.
Eng: If a woman decides to make the soup watery, the husband will learn to dent the foofoo before dipping it into the soup.
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If my 'fro were to speak for me, it would tell you that it is quite important to me and that it is very much  the crown of my head (and so is the lack of it thereof). It would tell you that I give it so much attention {the kind of attention that requires me waking up two hours before classes each morning in order to fit extra hair-care into my schedule}. It would tell you that ever since my hair was cut and re-grown, it looks so much healthier and feels so much better. It would tell you that it never thirsts anymore.


It would say that it has brought on me a much stronger appearance and has made me look twice as confident as I may be. It would tell you that many more people have approached me to tell me how 'African' I look. It would confess that it could be stubborn sometimes (many times) but is the best thing that has happened to my head. EVER!


The most important thing it would say to you, however, is that:


I, NakedSha's fro, do not make her anymore African than she already is. 

It would tell you that outwardly, I fit perfectly into the biological definition of an African; thick bones, brown skin, full lips, full nose and of course thick dark kinky hair. 


My appearance is very importance to my identity because, of course I cannot claim to be (for instance) a white boy when everything about me spells B-L-A-C-K  G-I-R-L. But my African Identity goes far beyond the outward appearance. It goes beyond my green passport (oh bless your heart...you bringer of troubles) and my long sentence name.


I have come to acknowledge that I accept the African Identity by the things I do, the peace within that the motherland gives and the values I hold. Because more than just answer a name, I have taken it upon myself as a representation of who I am.


 'I have gone through very many waters and very many lands but have not found any grass as green as the dusty brown wilted grass blades in my family compound.'


Tomorrow, as usual, someone will remind me about how African I have proven to be because I have grown a natural afro out of rich black kinky hair. Then I will say tell them that ALL my African-ness does NOT lie within my 'fro. 

They wan chop my money!

...Omonoba...

Our people say:
'It is a pot of water that is already half full that the world would like to help in filling to the brim.' Nigerian Proverb.
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Have the days when we listened to GOOD music gone by?

I was fortunate to grow up int he years when I believe good music was at its peak. This seems like the resolution period after the climax in a movie when everything runs downhill. I don't know; I'm pretty sure my parents and their parents will say the same of their generation. But truly, the kinds of songs we play these days are quite troubling.

It's hard to find anything outside of self-glorification, money, etc. It's getting to the point were it's so cliché and  irritating. I for one have a very different sense of music. My friends have constantly told me that my music taste is weird. But now, I'm being referred to weird simply because I think the music I listen to should be edifying. Gone are the days when we heard even love songs that got one thinking about real issues of life or provided true relaxation. I don't know. I do not know where we are headed with songs that spend a good 2 minutes out of three talking about me, me, me, me,me!

It is quite unfortunate that today, even in disney and other kids shows, there's so much nonsense being perpetuated. I fear. I fear for this generation. I fear that they are growing on songs about the wrongdepiction of love and the wrong depiction of life. I fear that at the very best, they are being exposed to much more baskets than their petty shoulders can carry.

Knowledge is key, but false knowledge?


And the new cliché is 'when I been dey poor, nobody know me, Now, they want my money.' I'm guessing I've heard all the variations of that phrase right there. I don't know, I'm tired.

Someone called it entertainment. Really?

My Seventeen Kobo. Or maybe eighteen, given the mood!

...Omonoba...

I do not know where the 'upload video' icon on my page disappeared to :( I would really have loved to do this post in videos.

We live and die. Christ died and LIVED LIVES!

After all that's said and done, we CANNOT be here without Jesus and the price He payed years ago on the cross.

When you walk out of your room today it would be nice to whisper a beautiful 'happy easter' to someone nearby or someone you love.

But, the true reason behind our celebration of Easter is the death/ressurection weekend of our Lord, Jesus Christ.

Do not be among the 9 lepers who didn't return to say thank you after they were healed. be the 1 who is grateful that someone died that we may live.

Enough said.

Happy Easter, people!

God bless.