It's been one year and you deserve this.

...Omonoba...
Our people say:
Bini - A gha gbe evbokhan udian A ghi rhie maren ne ghewe tu gbiren ubi
Eng: When you kill a tsetsefly on a child's back, you should show him the dead fly so he doesn't think you hit him as a punishment. - Bini proverb.
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Burntbottompot is 1!

(Make some noise, dance some Makossa, pop a bottle of zobo)

This is her first anniversary and I am extremely grateful for such a blessed year. It is also a celebration of three Nigerian Blog Awards nominations, over 100 followers, ~100 posts and useful discussions on BG. I love to write and this past year, I have delved into so many beautiful things to keep this blog a pocket full of life. My readers deserve more than just a thank you post, so, guess what?

I'm having a series of give-aways. I am thankful for your readership, support and participation on this blog and I constantly pray for you all. So, apart from the prayers, here's a little something something: The give-aways will run until the end of April, 2011. I have partnered with some great organizations. So, let's jump right into gift-giving and love-splashing, shall we?

First up: This is for the ladies or the gents who are interested in healthy hair :) - With a U.S. address.

Hydratherma Naturals

Of course I would start with my hair products; of which I have had many great things to say. A big thank you to Saleemah Cartwright and her team for sponsoring these:

What:

Hydratherma Naturals 4oz Hair Lotion and 4oz Hair Oil.

How:

Leave in the comment section, answers to ALL three questions:

1. What three states in Nigeria do I come from?
2. If you met me, what would you tell me?
3. Has this blog been of any relevance to you? If yes, tell me how.

To win, you must have a U.S address and answer ALL three questions. However, 2 and 3 will not count. Question 1 is the only question with an absolute right answer, so 1 has to be answered correctly.

I will announce the winner on this blog as soon as there is one. If there is/are more than one, I will choose from the winners, the most active participant(s) on this blog. If there is/are still more than one, I will go ahead and use random.org.

Alright, start winning, lovelies! And God bless you.

P.S: Any one who knows me personally is ineligible to participate. :)

NakedSha.

Interesting 'Let's Talk' Responses.

...Omonoba...
Our people say:
Eng: A diviner cannot accurately divine his own future. - Nigerian Proverb.
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Thank you so much for your responses to the last 'Let's Talk' question. So, the responses were much fewer than previous ones and I don't know if the open comment box style instead of option style box was responsible.
Here we go:

Question: What is your understanding of 'submission' and 'love' in marriage?
Responses:
1. 
Submission is a cultural cum biological trend that helps men and women get along in marriage, the man mostly dominating and the woman submitting. It is a trend, a change in how the society sees things it seems to be suggesting equal decision making power between couples, and maybe causing marital friction? just maybe. Maybe the biological trend of male domination might be the secret to a successful marriage.

Love is first affection then duty that validates that affection. Even in the absence of affection, duty might remain in marriage but outside marriage, duty ends, and love does as well.

Ayam not married.

2.

In a marriage, the couple both submit to each other, but there are different kinds of submission. The man submits to the woman in complete love (the bible says "husbands love your wives") and the woman does likewise according to the general law of love and reciprocity. Another type of submission is respect, as in the one where a woman respects her husband and recognizes that he is the head of the home, and there can't be two heads.

3.
Submission isnt weakness but another form of respect to one another.I believe love is being vulnerable to the one you love and vice versa knowing they wont take advantage of your vulnerability.


4.
Submission is understanding that there is equality in worth but hierachy in functions. As a wife, I understand that my husband is head of the home and I submit to him. That notwithstanding, I would not keep quiet if I know a decision he will take will lead us into trouble. Hence we have submission to God and His word. Love is letting go of self and accepting someone for who he/she is despite weaknesses, flaws, mistakes and imperfections. It is something we work on every single day.


5.

My take?

Love- 'Husbands love ur wives as Christ loved the church'. I wanna believe that means accept her, cherish her, nurture her, pray for her, be selfless for her, 'die'(let go off u) for her.

Submission- Wives, be submissive to ur husbands, ur head even as Christ is the head of the church (Paraphrased). i.e Allow him to lead, respect him, listen to him, Take care of him, accept him.....

I think GOD gave the perfect relationship of how man n wife should be.....Christ n the church.

O.

I think these are some pretty serious answers. For those who put down their names, I have removed them. What do you have to say based on these responses?

God's Blessings...

My name is NakedSha

Let's Get Talking - 'Submission' and 'Love' in Marriage.

...Omonoba...
Our people say:
Eng: "I have killed an elephant," could be true, "I have carried it to the road" must be false. - Ikwerre Proverb.
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I had a discussion with a great blogger, LeDynamiqueProf and it prompted this post. Nawa oh, LDP, you no even gree make I talk. Before I talk one thing, you don talk twelve. Anyway, Remember that you can only answer once from a computer / device. So, here we go, my people:

Create your free online surveys with SurveyMonkey, the world's leading questionnaire tool.

Bless,
NakedSha.

I cannot see through this light!

...Omonoba...

PHOTOGRAPHY!
{NakedSha Photography}

NakedSha chopped off her 'fro. :|

NakedSha <3

Let's Get Talking - Status Republic.

...Omonoba...
Our people say:
Igbo: "Ahapu otele nyuru ahu, ata isi okpo."
Eng: The anus that farted is left alone but the head receives the knock- Igbo proverb.
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Create your free online surveys with SurveyMonkey, the world's leading questionnaire tool.

NakedSha.

The African's Religion May be His Curse...

...Omonoba...
Our people say:
Eng: The man who jumps from the ground onto an ant-hill is still on the ground. - Ijaw proverb.
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I thought I would do surveys periodically - say, every Tuesday, or so - for us to discuss issues that pertain directly to us. Honestly, I am glad to bring this 'forum' on here because we need to talk then act. Especially act. Thank you for participating.

I asked the question, 'What Role Does Religion Play in African Countries?'. By religion, I was referring to those outside of the African Traditional Religions and I think every one of us caught up on that.

57.9% of respondents said Many religious Africans are hypocrites.
57.9% of respondents said Africans need to act more than they pray.
15.8% of respondents said If the leaders were more religious, countries will fare better.
10.5% of respondents said A prayerful country is a successful country.
  5.3% of respondents said Religion has nothing to do with development in Africa.
[Note, respondents were allowed to choose more than one option to best describe their opinions]

Have the Church and Sunni/Shia failed us?

Nigeria -let's take her as a case study - is a very prayerful country as a whole. Our people know how to bring down rain and raise the dead. Yet, we have been unable to solve our very basic problems of corruption and division. Perhaps, the fact that we have refused to give up the desire to be right over another plays a big role in our chaotic state of nation. So, what have Nigeria's two biggest religions done for it? When our former president, Umar Musa Yar'Adua was critically ill [we all knew he was in critical condition, but that is story for another day], he sneaked pastors and imams into Aso Rock to pray for him on two occasions. Of course, no African Traditionalist was invited - such religions have been relegated to the background. So, despite the imam(s)' and pastor(s)' prayers (and those of millions of Nigerians), the man died. I must note though that the religious leaders were brought in at the last minute when ALL ELSE (silly lies, strange ambulance visits, hidden medical trips, etc) had failed. So, granted, the prayers could not bring Yar'Adua back to office but it seems like they have solved many things else...including cancer. I have even heard that the prayers of the 'righteous' solved Nigeria's problem of Abacha. Did it?

Despite all of this, the African's religion may be his curse. A blessing and a curse.

I have heard Christians and Muslims alike say, 'when I get into power, I will also chop oh'. So, these days, I do not expect that just because a man or a woman claims to be a born-again, Bible-reading, Church-going, Rosary-counting, Head-covering, Mary Amaka Dress-wearing, Pork-forbidding, Qu'ran-believing religious, they will successfully withstand the wind of corruption. This wind, of this I am at least sure, is strong.

This is not to ignore the men and women who have stood true to the religions of their fathers and fore fathers and have had the decency to admit human-ness. I, for one, do not think many of us understand the religions we profess. If we did, we may have been able to tame our current state of nation.

But, the religions of our colonists have brainwashed us enough that we do not even know for sure what they teach. Perhaps, if a man took time to open the Bible for himself or a woman took time to read the Qu'ran for herself and we all took time to actually pray to a God who is ever-listening, then many of our religious leaders will not be able to swindle us.

Our leaders (both political and religious) know our weakness and boy, have they used it against us!

And to the African Traditional Religious, I learn from you that the world is ever alive. If  I cannot be trusted with a piece of land or a herd of cattle - to tend to it and be caretaker of it -, then woe betide me if a 'mansion planted on streets of gold' be given to me.

Blessings,
NakedSha...

Let's Get Talking - Religion in Africa.

Your anonymous responses will be discussed in a later post.

Create your free online surveys with SurveyMonkey, the world's leading questionnaire tool.

Wasting Precious Cares...

...Omonoba...
Our people say:

Eng: The world is like a dancing masquerade. If you want to see it well, you do not stand is one place. - Ijaw Proverb.

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 Thank you very much to the beautiful bloggers who recognized me on their blogs for one reason or the other. I appreciate it. Bless...

It has been a long time since this blog had a piece of literature form my humble self. Here goes some'n:

I see threads being woven; they
allow the needles guide them.
I watch blobs of colour; they
recognize the painter’s prowess.
Yet goosebumps defy my skin
In anxious cycles,
I worry for things beyond me.
My eyes reject sleep
and my thoughts run wild
until the cockerel crows:
‘the day may become longer’
‘rocks may become softer’.
But whatever may shine, may,
whatever will bloom, will.
Beyond this scape, I am disabled.
I can only hope for peace and love,
and a smooth journey
like fresh, rich beer
or the albatross’ glide.
And for these, at least, I dream
while I wire my engines wisely
and drive.
Spending precious cares
on things within my control.

God Bless You All,
NakedSha

Do not forget to visit: The Discussion: If You Do Not Swing With Monkeys.

All roads lead to Daytona Beach, Florida!

...Omonoba...
Our People Say:
Eng: Do not scratch the itching eye with what you scratch the ear. - Igbo Proverb. 
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Hello Beautiful people,

The time has come again - the 2nd Annual National African Students'Association Conference is here. Natl. ASA is a phenomenal organization, growing dynamically and mobilizing students, friends, youth, etc of Africa for action within and beyond African communities.

                               Cross Section of Delegates.                  CU Boulder Students


Registration is now OPEN! This year's conference is hosted by Embry Riddle Aeronautical University, Dayton Beach, FL., from the 18th - 20th of March, 2011. Grab your school's A.S.A, grab your friends (or come by yourself) and get registered!!!

I attended the inaugural conference last year in Atlanta, Georgia and the experience was worthwhile. We built many solid friendships and networks which are still alive and thriving till this day and from the keynote speaker to the dance parties to the food to the workshops; everything was great. This year promises to be even better.

National A.S.A Website

Join the Facebook page

Follow Natl. ASA on Twitter

Find pictures of last year's conference on Jaguda.

{MJV Photography}

This is not just ANY gathering of African peoples, this is a down-to-earth, fun-filled, dynamic, empowering conference. I'll be looking out for every single one of you!

Blessings,
NakedSha

The TISB Award.

...Omonoba...
Our People Say:
Yoruba: Aláràjẹ ò mọ ọdún; a-biṣu-úta-bí-igi.
English: He who purchases the food he eats cares not what the season is; his yams always flourish like trees. - Yoruba proverb.
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Griptime mentioned me on his blog and presented me with The Irresistibly Sweet Blog Award (TISB). Thank you, Griptime...It is interesting how the proverbs on here have taken over this blog.

So, I am expected to mention five guilty pleasures. I don't know if I have five things that I enjoy doing while feeling guilty, PER SE, but still, I have mentioned several things I like here before so there's no need to repeat.

Do not forget to pay a visit to the forum, http://burntbottompot.lefora.com/. Many more topics are coming  out soon.

I finished reading, Icarus Girl by Helen Oyeyemi. I liked this book a lot. Infact, I would recommend it. It was easy to read and she used very simplistic instances and sentences to tell her story. It was a good read.

{HAVE A BLESSED SEMESTER, LOVELY PEOPLE.}

I pass this on to:

Sugabelly (madam, abeg keep your art fingers up. I really like them),
Naijalines (I like your writing style a lot. And what you write about),
Nitty-Gritty (I do not always agree with you but there is always something I do agree with. I like your rants and tales),etc.

I also pass this on to ALL MY READERS. Go ahead an do it.