BUPA Great North Run in pictures.

The Great North Run!
The world's biggest half marathon took place last Sun from Spital Tongues in Newcastle to South Shields. 13.2 miles (21.09km) run with some part of d course hills over 60m above sea level.
I couldn't run cos 1. I got to hear about it late and 2. It'd have been disastrous, cant even do a 30min stretch run talk less of a 2hr(approx time) run. But I did what could do and enjoy doing, captured d day paper through d lens of Fuji Finefilm 6500 and a Sony Cybershot camera, at least till i ran out of batteries.

About 40,000 people running to raise funds and awareness for their favoured charity/cause.It was a great experience and I've made up my mind to run next year.
Feast on d pics and you'd have a vague idea of how d event went.

Pro-women start



Pro-men and all others. Let the race begin...



Interesting line up of runners

Blue Brothers (NYPD) / Shrek & Kids



Sunflower&bees / William Wilberforce Foundation(slavery abolition)



Cant explain him/her and this glass of stout too...



Nurse Betty running for sick kids / Race against breast cancer


Causes/Charities

Breast Cancer


Cardiac Risk in d Young and others


Parachutes and aircrafts' colour display



I can go on and on... Took over 100 pics till my batteries ran out.
Cheers.

NIgeria @ 47!

Happy Independence to all Nigerians out there.
A toast to a brighter future, created by you and I.
Cheers...

Nigerian political history in pictures
(Leaders from 1960 to 2007)

TY Bello's single. Kind of appropriate 4 d occasion...

Bloody Jambite!

I'm sure most of you would be familiar with that title, especially if you had you undergrad in Nigeria. It's the preferred nickname for a fresher in a Nigerian univ.
Na so me sef turn JAMBITE again o! I resumed @ Northumbria Univ in Newcastle last Wed, and had to do the Jambite stuff(course enrollment) again. This time it was less stressful though. All done under an hour while in Naija u could tk approx 2 weeks to finish enrolling for your courses,i.e. if u even finish enrolling b4 exams come.

Settling in fine, met some fellow Jambites (Nigerians) like myself during enrollment and somebody explain to me why UK schools are packed full with Asians. They are just everywhere! Some even came in without prior arrangement for accommodation whereas British embassy no go even look your visa application in Nigeria if there's no evidence dt u have accommodation reserved in the UK. I guess I'd be forced to learn some Chinese b4 i leave ds place sef.

Culture shock? Can't say that I have been shocked by much of what I've seen so far. Well, one original shock is d weather sha, cant ignore that. from 27-32 degrees daily to 10 degrees (diminishing by the day) is not much fun. Amazing how d human body adapts to such changes. Back home in Nigeria, I de catch cold with d slightest provocation(too much AC or even fan) but after d initial runny nose for a day or two, d well dried up pata-pata. I even feel cool sometimes when I move around in some light clothing and I see some locals shivering in jackets.
Another shock of note(though expected)is the knowledge gap/divide. i guess that's why I'm here anyway,to bridge d divide personally. I'd really love to see us get there someday back home.

My course is Business with Hospitality and Tourism Management and I hope to learn as much as possible while here, both in and out of the classroom and go help effect some changes back home (I can hear u thinking "na so dem dey talk when dey 1st reach"), only time will tell.

I hope to have some spare time to blog more abt my experiences here. Till when next... stay kool y'all.

Ile iwe mi titun

Newcastle Business School

Laugh it off

A friend showed me these pictures and I almost cracked my ribs. Just thought it’d be nice to share d laugh. The travails of a teacher marking a Mathematics class assignment. Take your time, figure it out and have a good laugh

Mo ki gbogbo yin o! (I greet you all)

As usual, nothing much to write about, but I would be revisiting blogging in Yoruba again after reading the article on native languages by Omohemi. I love my language and actually made a conscious effort to really learn and speak it more after i graduated. It was like enough of English (left for formal occasions mainly).It wasn't easy but I sure enjoyed it and learnt more, but I had to change back when I had to take my NYSC in Abuja. Made lots of Hausa and Ibo friends and the common ground had to be English. Hoping to learn more of Hausa especially and probably bits and pieces of Ibo(so that I don't get sold for peanuts.@ least I should be able to get a fair bargain).I ran into a site on Yoruba for starters abroad,check it out if u want to learn bits and pieces Yoruba for kids abroad.

The Naira's re-denomination one of the hottest topics in naija now. $1 to exchange for about N1.56 sometime next year, after we've moved two decimal points to the left. Quite some reactions going round in the local media rite now. Try and imagine d socio-psychological effect on d rich that really gives a hoot about being referred to as a millionaire now goes to a thousand-naire overnight depending on his/her CABAL (current acct balance).
I have my reservations abt the policy tho, but based on past policy successes of the CBN,one just have to wait and see and hope they're making the right decisions.
Need to get bck to wrk... Hope 2 keep d juice flowing on ds blog more these days.
Ciao.

MIA

Long time no blog.
Missing In Action is it for a while now. I guess i wasn't that much of a writer from the onset, but who says I cannot improve. So many things have been calling for my attention lately, so even with quite enough online time, I hardly get to go around blog ville. I missed Blogville Idols sef. I would've won if I contested sha,believe me. Its good to have you back Vera . Buki now i know why u won a Naija blogger award. If you dont know what blogs are for or like,check out Londonbuki's . My regards to mummy o. Ireti wa ko ni ja s'ofo o!

This is just to get me back in the groove for more to come. C y'all soon.

Update

Vera, you want an update? Here it is...

(Thinking)

Nothing much to write blog about... D main thing happening in Naija now is elections, and as usual,it always comes wit loads of drama. Wish I had a more stable connection,I 4 de update una my imaginary or real audience abt whats happening.
Wrk/bizness has been ok, tho could be better, working on that presently.
How is everyone on blogville, @ least those of u that read my blog. Hope life is treating y'all well.
Vera, i can c d party was a hit. Didnt know your face is so ugly dt d camera couldnt pick it or u still de do anonymous for us.
Buki, how u de? How is mum? My love to her o.

Gotto go now... later

Back to Abule Blog

Hmmnn... Its been a while now. Vera and Buki, I know u both have been on my case for an update, I've been outa town for a couple of days. Went to conduct a training for corp members in Ekiti state camp on the Millennium Development Goals... I took a training while I was on camp and na so I come become consultant when d need arose to replicate d training elsewhere o. Man has to chop sha, cos I made some dough from d work,though it was something I enjoyed and could've done for less/free. I think thats the key to fulfilment in a career. Do what u love doing and still get paid for it.

I took sometime to read both ya blogs o,Vera and Buki. Vera, u shouldnt be putting ma lady's pic up for the world like that. Thot we had a deal about your gran! After all I paid you before. Im gonna sue ur sorry ass...take u to the cleaners as the saying goes.
Buki, I love your Mummy Monday piece, and thank God for mum's gradual and sure recovery. Ku itoju mummy fun wa. Mummy gbogbo wa ni mummy o. Well done with the beauty therapy too, mummy is special to have a really special and caring daughter like you jare.

I just saw mk i pop in blog small. I go come back to do more soonest sha... Business is going fine and im having less and less time for personal wrk like this. later...

Blogging&Clubing

I'm actually doing this update from a niteclub o. Imagine that! Out bowling with some friends and just thot of doing this in between games. How y'all doing? Vera and Buki, thanks for ur continous comments, u seem to be my only audience for blogville.I no de complain o, I guess what goes round comes around.
U dey try shenk us be that now Vera. Well done o but I guess school ur writing should come first. I understand u wella... Another round of bowling is about to start, I go continue this later.

Back to finish but nothing to write... time to take to get jiggy with it. I'm off folks. Later...

Hello

Hello my people, long time no see (nothing new to read on my blog). I know for some people, the last posting was just gibberish but awon temi understand nkan ti mo ko si'be.
London Buki tnx 4 d encouragement jare. Hey, to those of you wey de ask for translation, please, Chinua Achebe, Chimamanda Adozie...etc. no put translation for most ibo phrases in their books o.
And translating somehow takes away some of the mystique or fun,moreove it'd take some time to translate which i sincerely cant afford now sef. Some other time eyin ara abule blog.

What has happened this past few days worth talking about sef. Cant really think of any, let me go round some blogs and c what i'd come up with.
Once again,I'd like to draw the attention of book readers to this book blog there's been pretty little traffic there lately. I wonder why Vera's blog will read 210 comments, and a blog like that no even get visitor? Vera! Na where u do ya Jazz?

Well, I cant remember whose blog i ran across this question: Why do you blog? Good question. I cant really say that this is why I blog for now, but i think one ore mi atata started a blog that became very popular around blogville and the person encouraged me to start one to but it took me quite some months to get rond to doing that, so here I am. Im not that much of a writer,though I tried at it earlier on, but I just discovered that I needed too much inspiration to write anything else apart from letters and essays. But In the long run I've gotten to enjoy blogging, and most importantly reading others blogs. Whether u like it or not,blogville is one real community and it keeps expanding by the day. Look at what londonbuki has on her blog, a fund raising link, and for me I just stumbled on shutterchance a photoblog. I love photography a lot. I'm an amateur rite now but looking to develop my skills more tough not really for commercial purposes but documentative. I got a photoblog now Babz, so check it out though not much up there yet.

Hey... I got to take off. Hope to drop in sometime soon.

Abule Blogville

Mo ki yin l’okunrin l’obirin o. E ku ijo meta gbogbo yin. Se alaafia ni gbogbo yin wa? Emi naa dupe ibi ti olorun mu mi de o. Ona l’o po, mi o bati wa ko die ninu ero okan mi si ibi yi. Eyin ti e o gbo Yoruba e ma binu o. Bi o ti wun mi lati k’owe ni eni ni yi.

O ti to ojo meta nisiyin ti mo ti de abule blog yi, mo de dupe lowo gbogbo yin ti e ti wa ki mi ni ile mi. Emi naa a gbiyanju lati kan si yin. Mo so wipe mo ma maa k’owe ni ede ibile mi Yoruba ni ekan’kan. Mo ti n mu se o, mo si l’ero wipe eyin kan ni abule blog ma le ka ohun ti mo ko.

Ore mi Vera, ku ipalemo igeyawo e ni abule blog, mo gbe idi fun omidan Vera fun itan fabu “Gbogbo Obirin”, itan naa dun gidi gn ni, o si fi oju eeyan si ona fun apa kefa tio jade laipe.

Idije lati ri eni ti o fe omidan to dara ju ni abule blog yi ma dun gan o. Mo ti fi ara bale ka gbogbo e, mo si n reti esi idije naa. O seni laanu pee mi gan o tete gbo nipa idije naa, mba ti dije pelu won.

O wun ni ka jeran pe l’enu, onfa ona ofun ni o je. Nihin ni mo ma fi idi ti si ni eni. O tun di leyin igba die ki n to tun ko aroko ni ede mi ni abule blog.

Emi tiyin ni tooto, Emi, ara mi, ati emi gan gan!

Nothing to blog about

Well, things have just been slow this week.
I'm currently on ain indefinite holiday, but its a working one as I'm trying to wrk on a business plan and try and get something going for myself. I have psyched myself out of looking for a job, but to try and start one but when it comes to getting the show on the road, it aint as easy as it seems, especially in a country like Nigeria. Not complaining o, make una no hear me wrong o. There's money to be made in dis country o,u just need to plug into the rite channels and u go de tap from the flow(legally now o!).

How is blogville preparing for the upcoming marital union btw GH and Vera? Thank God Vera still had time to furnish us with Chapter 5 of Every Woman . I thot that wedding plans wont allow 4 that. GH, pls tk am easy o, and Vera pls complete the book b4 pregnancy enter the equation. Nice twist you gave your story in chapter 5. I always knew u had a twisted mind. Keep it up tho.

For those of you who read a lot and mite need one or two pointers to a good book to read, you can check out Buki's book blog. Its a nice idea and I like it.

She's confused, but she makes a whole lot of sense. Evil thrives majorly cos nobody speaks against it, esp in Africa where you dont talk when your elders are talking. Little do they(elders) know that we cannot compare the age of methusela to the wisdom of solomon. We are the new generation!!! Are we going to be silent too?

Happy Birthday to Overwhelmed, you only make 21 once in a lifetime. It means more respect at least in a culture like Naija's. Babe, it also means more responsibility jare.All da best in life o.

Hey, I hope to win something in d next blogger award.

This love...

I ask myself "when is it gonna be my turn?", but I guess I got to the party a bit late.
Come to think of it, is it really true that GuyHorny made that proposal and Vera is accepting. Hmnnn, I'm love sick myself. I'm sure you must be on top of the World Vera.
Enjoy your engagement and subsequent marriage while it lasts o.

Boorish Male, sorry... You win some and loose some. This aint just one to win. U've put up a gallant fight for the one you love, but as TaureanMinx said, "u dont choose who you love", guess ur heart chose wrongly. There are many fish(es) in the ocean. Love will come your way sooner than you think.

To the bride and groom to be, I guess u can get some advise from CalabarGal on long distance "marriage" or she'd just refer u to better qualified people.

It's quite a daunting task trying to play catch up on all you folks' blogs. I'm sure u guys spend forever online whenever u're on or u're so good at this.
It was a good day today and I finally left my students o,its hard leaving tho but man got to move on to better things. I'm almost late for my weekly bowling game. All work and no play, make us (Me,Myself&I) a dull bunch. Catch y'all

Free @ last

Thank God I made it tru...
Wed was my passing out parade from NYSC. It felt great to be off the hook at last and to have done my little quota of national service. I had a freakky great time later @ nite grooving.
U know how it goes now, a little house party to kick off d evening, and all nite clubbing afterwards. I had mad fun sha.

Now na to find job be the thing. Hoping to head bck to sch for my masters though, but in case I miss out on that this Feb, man got to get job to kip body and soul together o.

Me, myself and I are doing quite well for those of you that care to wonder how we de cope. Next time im online I go try do a round on peoples' blogs. C y'all soon.

E se gan fun warm welcome yin.

I'm flaberwhelmed and overghasted by the welcome una peeps don give me,myself&I, we really do appreciate it o.Thanx 4 all da luv (blushing multicoloured). To keep up wt d pace of blogging on blogville will be daunting o, but I go try.

Overwhelmd, on how u go enter Aso Rock, If i sabi am, i 4 de live there myself,but i go mk enquiries 4 u@a fee tough...

exschool,no vex o,na wrk no gree me call u for a while now,I 4 don tell u abt d blog but I'd mk it up...

CalabarGirl,i think sey I go follow up on dt pic issue.Make we clip Vera wings small. Remind me to post d pic soon o.

As u'd have noticed from d tittle, I be Yoruba, an Ijebu man precisely sef gan so occassionally my blogging will be in Yoruba and If i can manage too in Ijebu.

I get to finish my debt to Nigeria in the form of NYSC by next Wednesday o and I cant wait to get it over with. It's been one year of... well bitter/sweet experiences, but more sweet than biter sha, In short, it was more than I expected sha after so much horror stories heared before. To those of una wey de think of serving or not esp if u de 4 obodo oyinbo, well give it a try at least, u might just be lucky as I was.

Today is my last Sunday in d school where i teach and there was a mini send forth for me in church... prayers majorly and I thank God 4 that o cos I need tons of it.
My T.shirt has autographs and messages written all over it ritte no sef and I know I'd miss ds place o. I've made some good little friends here,tho a larger part of them are spoilt brats. It felt good to know I was able to influence some of them for good.

I have a meeting with some grp of students (the Model UN club I helped start) in a few mins, last meeting with them. They're a lovely bunch of kids, and we had lots of fun together at the last Model UN conference here in Nigeria.

I'll be surprised if some1 read this far actually but I guess thats a good sign then.
I'd b back soon...

Launching My Blog...

Well, after so much ado,I guess here's d launch of Me,Myself & I.
Y'all, please meet me, myself and I. The 3 of us will try as much as possible
to blog as often as possible, though we dont know much about blogging,but as the saying goes...
2 heads(in this case 3) are better than one.Dont be confused, we all total to Me.
So keep your fingers crossed.

It's about a week left in my NYSC posting here in Abuja, and believe me it
was a beautiful service year. I know that might not be the case for everyone serving but who am I not to be thankful for what God has done.
Though still battling with what nex after service, I have a feeling all's gonna be well tho I aint sitting on my behind waiting for a miracle. You'd get more juicy details as time goes by.

What else can I write about??? Guess some other time then...