Random Thoughts

Annyeonghaseyo/Konichiwa/Hello ^.^ It feels a bit weird to write that I'm leaving Nottingham, but that's the gospel truth. After 3 years, that chapter of my life is closed. I experienced so much, and every moment was worth it. As of yesterday, I became an official UoN alumni. To be honest, it still feels like an out of body experience. I feel like I don't deserve the result I got. It makes me feel like a fraud. I know I put in the work, but it wasn't my best. I would procrastinate and laze about, especially when I felt like I could study on my own and didn't need to attend some lectures. I wish I'd made the most of it. It's a bit hard to admit, but being at uni has shown me that I'm the kind of person who finds the least stressful way to a good result. And that's not necessarily a good thing, because if I put in a decent amount of work, I can actually get the best result. Anyway, It's something I have to work on. I'm not going to let mysel...

Annyeonghaseyo Yeorobun/  안녕하세요 여러분/  Hello people (^.^) I know it's been a while, but you must be aware by now that I don't have a reputation as a regular blogger. Hmm. Actually, I should really work on that. Anyway, there are so many things I want to talk about that I don't even know where to begin. So just a fair warning, this is probably going to be a long post, get your popcorn. :P When the clock strikes midnight on the 16th of July 2014, I will officially be a graduate. Woohoo!!! Yay!!!! *Drums bang and cymbals clash* Three years of lectures, seminars, presentations, essays and exams, leading to one single moment. What was all that effort for you ask? A single piece of paper. Sometimes I wonder why I bothered coming to university, and then I remember that I come from a high achieving African household. My father has big dreams for me. Phd anyone? :D I don't have the heart to tell him that I have no intention of getting a Masters, talk less a Phd. Let...

Sometimes it's hard to remember that they're not mine, That I am not a single mother raising her kids on her own, Sometimes it's hard not to feel stressed and anxious, Not to want to pull your hair out in frustration, Or be dragged down by the hands of sadness, Sometimes I just want to pack up and leave, But a mixture of guilt and love stops me, Sometimes it's tiring to think of what to make for lunch each day, Or staring at a sink full of dishes, Wondering if that's all the lays ahead, Sometimes it just gets too much.  

As he rode his bicycle away from his last job, He valiantly tried to hold back the tears, But they slipped down anyway, Just like the day he'd left his family in Afghanistan, "I'm going to find a better life for us", He said to his wife as he hugged her goodbye, His son Abdul clung to his legs and refused to let go, With a heavy heart, he climbed into the waiting truck, It thundered into the night with him hidden under a tarp, Each bump in the road struck fear in his heart, But that was minor compared to the rocking waves of the sea, For days he laid on the floor of a wooden box, A small hole his only connection to the outside world, Whenever he was seized with panic, He thought of Mariama and Abdul, They were his reason for survival, When he finally reached English soil, He thought his problems were over, Little did he know that five years later, He would still be living in a rat box room, washing cars for a living, Even that has now been taken...

NYSC... Those four letters alone are enough to put the fear of the Lord in me. There's nothing I dread more. Okay, maybe there are some things that I dread more, but it's definitely up there with the best of them. As graduation approaches, my dad has been putting the pressure on me to apply for it. I've tried and tried to wiggle my way out of it, but to no avail. Finally he got tired of my excuses and put his foot down.  Under the guise of a simple Skype call, he coerced me into starting my application. He kept a watchful eye on me as I trudged through the steps. Now all that's left is to upload the required documents, and come August, I'll be shipped off to Nigeria for a year.  I guess I should explain what NYSC is. It stands for National Youth Service, and it's compulsory if I ever wish to work in Nigeria. It starts off with a 3 week orientation camp. For those 3 weeks, you have to wear a uniform of khaki pants and a white shirt with the NYSC log...

I remember all those nights I cried my heart out, Clutching my pillow to my face, Muffling my cries cause I felt pathetic, And  So you can cry  was my lullaby. I remember hiding in the toilet, Soundtrack to my broken heart  on repeat, Cause you'd smashed my heart to pieces, And laid down the shards at my feet. I remember seating on the sandy beach, Staring at the waves of the sea, Wishing they would wash over me, And take the pain away. I remember riding on the bus, Watching you play with her hair, Just like you did with mine, And having to act like I didn't care. I remember when you told me her name, And I hated her sight unseen, Because she had your love, The one thing you kept from me. I remembered all those things, As you asked me for another chance, After seven years of heartbreak and pain, After seven years of loving in vain, Twas then that I realised, That I was tired of remembering, And so I turned away, And took the first step to...