GOSH YO!!!

FEE for all: For those who fly locally in america, some airlines particularly American Airline has made a decision to slap a fee on the first checked bag, i am guessing this is due to the increase in oil prices from $3-4$ plus..this is crazyyy. so if am flying from newyork to dc, theres going to be a charge?? GOSH America!!!

Anyways, there is a litle piece written by my sister, Kunmi on the killings of immigrants in sOUTH Africa,an interesting one i must say. A MUST READ!!!!


Since May 11, several of the unemployed and understandably angry indigenes of this great country have decided that the often poor, mostly hard-working, and perhaps equally frustrated people who settle in South Africa from neighbouring Zimbabwe, Malawi, and even Nigeria out west, are responsible for the dearth of jobs and height of poverty in the townships.

In February of this year, I visited South Africa for a week. Yes, I was in Cape Town, which is an idyllic reverie compared with the harsh reality of the hard-knock township-life in Alexandria, Johannesburg, and some other areas where violence against immigrants is currently being unleashed. Perhaps that is why, when asked what I really observed about the South African people, my comments were along the lines of "the people I met seemed so content and forgiving, seemed to have moved on after apartheid and to be happily getting along." Forgiving. Moved on. Happily. Getting along. So between February and May, what happened? Or perhaps this is an issue of space, not time. In which case I would ask instead, between Cape Town and Johannesburg, what happened?

Immigration is not an easy issue, and I am faced with that reality everyday. In the States, people who look Latino are condemned as "illegal" immigrants, even if they do happen to have their papers intact. "They are stealing our jobs," Americans cry, though in my six years in the States, I am yet to find an American who would trade his or her job for the endless meniality of cleaning in restaurant kitchens or constructing fancy homes and hotels, which is the reality of what forms the bulk of jobs you can get illegally or without the language requirement, in this country.

Immigration in Nigeria? Well, I have been scared. There is talk of building a metrorail system in Lagos, and industries have been springing up here and there. But the other day, I found myself asking my father what he thought about the influx of immigrants, or, as immigrants to developing nations from developed nations tend to be called, expatriates. Why did I ask him this? Because industrialization is tricky. You think you are getting good roads and bigger oil rigs and steady electricity supply and look, finally, an oil refinery that works! Even cell phones for everyone! You are so excited by this set of changes that you may neglect the other ones: that is, people are coming into the country at a high rate, to make all these changes happen. And those people, guess what, can do the math of the quality of life they get as expatriates in this country and what it was when they were regular Joes back home. And bar the mosquitoes, they even kinda like it here. Heck, they'll enroll the kids in the Italian School down the street, and help the wife find a new job at the bank whose manager they know. Soon enough, the wife and kids won't be able to tell the difference between here and home, yes, bar those damned mosquitoes.

That is how immigration happens: a direct result of the search for the better life. For better education, a society with better culture, a better job, a better real estate market for houses by the beach, or for diamond mines, a better retirement atmosphere, a better-sounding language, a better future for the kids. The search for better. That is why, as we speak, thousands of visa interviews are being conducted on people who are already packed up and ready to leave home behind forever, hundreds of children are being born who would never speak their parents' mother-tongue, and tens of people are being killed for no fault other than existing as non-indigenes in rural South Africa.

Is immigration bad? This question directly affects me. However, after pondering the question for a few days, aided by a back-issue of The Economist with a focus on immigration, I decided that the answer was, and is, no. Immigration is good for the economy because immigrants into richer countries, though tax- or tuition- paying, hardly utilize the facilities and health and social services at the rate that citizens do. And this is true - I remember being shocked to find that people had steady doctors in the States, and went to see them even when they were healthy. If 100% of the inhabitants of a place were citizens cognizant of the culture of steady use of these services and resources, needed or not, imagine the strain there would be on those services. Immigrants also make the richer country a more competitive market, because they have the net effect of driving down the costs of goods and services, some of which are traded on the global front. As a local example, living in the uber-expensive capital city of Norway one summer, I found that the least expensive place to buy food was in the immigrant neighbourhood of Grønland. On the global front, you want to be a competitive nation because if your resources are being traded at too-high costs, countries that need them will get them elsewhere. And we are not talking unit quantities here.

Immigration is good for the immigrants, and for the citizens of the country the immigrants are now inhabiting. It gives the immigrants the better life they wanted. "Immigrants" as used in the twenty-first century, seems to have a negative connotation - not as bad as "illegal immigrants," I admit - but it can't help things that the word rhymes with other negative words like "truants" and "delinquents." I myself am beginning to favour the term "expatriates." Or "non-permanent residents", but that is quite a mouthful, and it does not cover categories such as "green-card holders" or "newly-permanent residents." But I digress. If you want a better life on this earth that we live in, and you go about it by means as honest and peaceful as you can afford, then I don't see why it should be denied you. I think the issue of illegal immigration is tricky, so I will not get into it here.

Immigration also makes more "cultured" people of the nationals of a country experiencing the influx. I know that the most engaging conversations I have had have been, not necessarily with people who hold advanced degrees, or who have so much wealth that there exists a Swiss bank named in their honour, or who have so much humility that they make the cleaner of the King's bathrooms seem like a demigod, but with people who have cultivated their knowledge of and respect for the world's peoples, either by travelling widely, or by accepting people from other countries into their lives and homes. Practically, it also feels better to say when you have guests at your house, "so shall you have naan with that hummus, or do you prefer challah?" or, "I personally prefer the moscato grapes to the zinfadel from California, but that is just my opinion." Ok, maybe a bit "snob", but hey.

I dream of a world where we would no longer be able to tell the difference between the Ethiopian and the Norwegian. Where everyone will be mixed so that a sort-by-colour for anything besides stockings would be futile. A world where you think you have pigeon-holed that man into the "Sicilian" category, and mentally judged him as such, until he opens his mouth and you find that his accent is Egyptian, and that he speaks Japanese fluently and named his three children after the Yoruba gods of thunder, fire, and water*. Because in such a world, who is to say, "You are from Malawi, you are not one of us, therefore I shall stone you to death"? Or "I do not like your people, they persecute us in the name of religion, therefore I do not want you living in my country"? Who is to say that?

As I go to sleep tonight, I shall be saying a prayer for the people of South Africa. I will pray that their government and the world would help them fight the unemployment and poverty that seem to be the roots of this intolerance. Not a slap-a-Band-Aid-on-it, send them some quick aid or appeasement solution that seems to be favoured by governments these days. But a lasting solution that would encourage South Africans, and all of us all over the world, to embrace immigration, while intelligently shaping our minds and economies to adapt to it. Because immigration, it seems, is here it stay.

*The Yoruba gods of thunder, fire, and water are Shango, Ogun, and Oya respectively.

And the WINNERs are

FLAVOUR FLAVVVVVVVVV.....He finally chose his flavor of love..lol it was "thing 2", i expected her to win, besides they both fit each other.

American idolsssss, my darling David Cook won...i was so elated, i literally screamed when his name was announced.

Soccer: uNFORTUNATELy for chelsea they lost to Man U..booooooooooooo
Still a chelsea fan forevaaa

Ill be back soonest!!!!
Hopefully ill be able to update on friday!!!

Luv you all :D

WEekend BUzZzzz

Hey y'all, its fridayyyyyy!!!!!tHIS IS going to be a long read so be prepared.

Going to start off with my regular family friday...my mum is feeling much better(thank God), spoke to her and my dad. I have been talking to my dad like everyday..lol atimes he is in a really good mood while other times is the other case...really dont blame him tho, we can be a lot of baggage atimes. Cant wait for them to reap their fruits.

My big sister's are cool. One emails me like everyday. I wish i could visit her unfortunately am stuck doing summer school.I actually chilled with the other one, we got to paint each others nails and i got to eat good food...lol

I misssss my brother, hope he schools in yankee, spain or england. My parents are quite hestitant to allow him school abroad because honestly speaking, its quite expensive plus he is the ONLY BOY :). They have also threatened that without a scholarship he mite have to attend Covenant UNiversity..lol wat the hell, pls ill rather him go to Unilag or Ibadan, not prison yard covenant. I mean i kinda understand where they are coming from. I need to start working ASAP plus earn really good money to avoid all this. I wish him the best in his examsss,he is writing WAEC and GCSE. i hope he comes out with flying colorssss..lol Cant wait to see him so we can talk abt stuff.

Miss my extended family too. I think myself and my twin sister are really spoilt or maybe not, i guess pple just love twinsss. I also guess twins are blessings. Miss my all my uncles: kehinde and taiwo(twins as well), tunde sanni, akin, Baba dee, banji, the list is endless... and my GRANDMOTHERRR..gosh may God bless her.

Going to dedicate this song to my familyyy




Now unto some informative weekend newss...

DARK THRUSDAY IN NIGERIA & others !!!
I was reading on the explosion that happened in Lagos :(...pupils of Ijegun Comprehensive High School and Ijegun Nursery and Primary School as well as the residents of that area suffered greatly from this horrid incidence.
Other fatal incidences include the earthquake in china and the disaster in Myammar. What is going on in the world today?? Where is God????? I know in every situation there is a blessing, but situations like this makes me cringe and ask questions.

May God help us!!!I just really hate bad news...


Entertainment news:

Angelina Jolie is said to be pregnant with twinssss, i cant imagine what the buzz would be like when she is due! baby shiloh got nothing on these twins..lol...i also cant imagine what Jennifer Aniston must be going through *sighs*. I guess Brad pit just wanted a family.

Doesnt Angelina look sexyy and full


I CANnot wait to see the movies Indiana Jones and Heath ledger's Batman:The dark Knight, i think its going to be tres maddd..yall need to see Iron Man and Speedracers, really interesting. Hopefully ill go watch "The chronicles of Narnia Prince Caspian" today.

Cannot wait to also see what the Lohans have in stock for us with their new Reality show, living lohan which premieres on Memorial day weekend which is May 26. Check out the trailer.


Shiloh, Suri, Apple,even Max and Emme(Jlo's kids) ain't got nothing on Salma Hayek's little billionairess, Valentina Paloma Pinault. Did u know salma hayeks hubby, Francois-Henri Pinault is one of the richest billionaires in the world. Good catch Salma!!!.



In the history of ANTM, Whitney Thompson, a plus-sized model, won the title ANTM on wednesday, i was soo ecstatic cos i think she really deserved it even tho pple think alot of politics was involved.


In California yesterday, it was announced that the supreme court had overturned the gay marriage ban, that is people in California can now legally marry in churches or wherever.Trust host and celebrity, Ellen Degeneres, immediately that law was passed, she announced on her show that she was going to tie the knot with longtime girlfriend, actress Portia de Rossi.Portia was in the crowd and after she made the announcement, the studio audience went wild, giving the two a huge standing O.


Speaking of marriage, newlywed Nick Cannon was spotted just two weeks after marrying Mimi, test driving a brand new Maserati Quattroporte, a sick ride with a sticker price of $120K! I am not hating but i don't think he makes/made that kind of money on "Wild 'N Out." He better get everything he desires before its all over. I give them a yr and half to survive..lol

JACKSON'S VISIT TO NIGERIA
Marlon Jackson, one of the Jackson five intends to bring world artistes to Nigeria next year to launch Malaria Day 2009.hEY maybe MJ might be one of them, i just hope im in Nigeria when this happens.
I guess his visit to Nigeria was quite overwhelming. I read that when Marlon and the mayor of michigan were taken on a tour to the ‘Point of no Return’ in Badagry(the place where their forefathers were taken away from Nigeria into the slave ship)they cried.LOL...well i guess blacks are very sentimental about slavery.


Politics baby
John Edwards endorsed Obama..everyone went berserk.....i personally went crazy..lol it was unbelievable..i had never heard Edwards speak with so much authority and passion about someone. Dont know why Hilary is still wasting her time, i guess her pride and last name wont let her call it quits..GIVE UP HIL, ITS OVERRRR!!!

SOme news and more :D

Even tho am officially depressed that doesn't stop me from blogging....Blogging is the only thing that makes me sane!!!!

Happy "belated" mothers day, am guessing that's only in America because in Nigeria mother's day has been long gone...oh well!!

On to some fashion news....I love LOVEEE Betsey Johnson.I think shes the best designer ever. Her clothes are very eccentric and unique in styles. Here are some of what her clothes look like. I totally adore them. you can check out her website

www.betseyjohnson.com

MATTHEW MENSAH, Ghanaian by birth but Nigerian at heart is an up and coming designer. *sighs* i think he is utterly sexy. You can have a glimpse of what he looks like below at one of the many events he attends.
www.Purefoto.com



Now onto some American reality tv(complete junk but i still luv them :D). The bachelor season "London calling home" just ended(for those of you that do not follow it). British dude Matt Grant finally gave out his last rose to actress Shayne Dahl.
My comment!!! well i kinda expected him to choose her though, because she seemed quite lively and exciting. However, my optimism on their union..their so called "love" is as good as dead. This is because i have seen countless number of dating reality shows in which a guy meets a girl and feels he/she is in love having spent approximately 4months on National TV.Being an avid watcher, 99.9% of this pseudo couple/love come to a disaster especially once it has been aired. Why you may ask?? fame! they're on NATIONAL TV!! spending just 4months on NATIONAL TV! pressure in wanting to like someone you may probably not have been attracted to in the first place and lastly they are on NATIONAL TV!!!!

Nigerian entertainment: Video "like you" by Ikechukwu(Nigerian artist) is out. I think its a really hott video. What i like about the video....hmm there are many things i like about the video, the way naeto c was chewing that gum..lol(corny comment :D), plus dbanjs yahoozee, and ikechukwus body :P, he lyrics and just everything...yall shud see it

Also, below is an excerpt sent to me by my sister giving reasons why one should have a life and not WORK to the extreme!


Stay blessed and keep reading....luv u all!!

FAMILY FRIDAY!!!!

sO one of my fellow bloggers decided i changed the name from family monday to family friday..totally dig the idea, thanksss.



The month of May is a very unique and blessed month i must say. May 1st was my sister's birthday, called her up verry early in the morning. She was excited to speak to me however she was running late for a cruise. So our conversation was cut short. Love talking to my sister because she is very intellectual, she listens to me and she also helps convince our parents to do things for me...lol.

My dad's birthday is actually today, he is 53yrs old...i pray that God will grant him long life, i dont know what i will do without him. He is like the backbone in the family(of course). But i love and respect this man to bittttsss. There was a point in my life that i was scarred of my dad..lol bcos he is a man that does not speak much but when he does woohoo, someone wont have a pleasant day!
wELL i got to speak to him today, we(myself and my twin sister) where actually the first to call him. He sounded so excited and happy, and you know wat dat means...monayyy..lol.
My friends, mau, mgbeks, newyork, laval spoke to him, and they where just acting a fool, calling him uncle, "yes boss"...lol i was "like what the hell". I was glad when he said "we" kicked off his day for him. Unfortunately, my mum is sick, down with fever.Spoke to her but she dint really sound as exciting as my dad. I told her she better get well to take her hubby out, but she still sounded down. Normally my mum would be shouting "Ti ti" or "my taiye" but she wasnt doint all that..i hope she gets well, pls pray for her...

Besides my mum being sick, She is the coolest, prettiest,sexiest shapiest mum i know out there. I guess thats where i get it from...hehehe My mum is a woman i can do anything for. Without my dad in our lives we wud have probably been spoiled, we thank God for the balance. God knows that when i make it in life she will never lack. I never really enjoyed being around my mum when i was little because i always recieved knocks on my head, always screaming and telling me to fix this and that. I guess i've grown and she also has. She listens to us most of the times

I havent spoken to my other sis,kum in like 2weeks...kinda bad. But i will definately speak to her. I love her because she's unique, hardworking and interesting, luv her so much.

Miss my brother CAPOOOOO so much, its unbelivable. Myself, ken, and him are the closest in the house, We have similar things in common, like partying, girls, boiz, clothes,dating and just general stuff. We are the closest in the house even tho the age difference is 6yrs... we undertand each other, and thats why i miss him and love him soo much. I can do anything for my brother. i can starve or even die for my brother. I GAT HIM FOR LIFE...LOL

Well twinnie, you know the p's now..lol we are one!!!!luv you

Would like to dedicate dare art-alade and tubaba's song to ma famille...MA WE DEY CARRY DEY GO OHHHHHH...LOVE LOVE THAT SONG

Ki mon!!! lets go!!!wa gba!!

If anyone has been to New york, one would know its a hustling city, plus everything
and anything can be found in new york. Also in New york one does not have to go
clubbing to have fun, there are so many activities that clubbing wouldn't come to mind...name it, is it comedy shows, fashion shows, hookah bars, regular bars, karaoke
bars, madame Tussuad's,ESPN zone, paint-balling, tattoo parlors(hehe),
restaurants/cuisines not to forget shoppingggggggg but bear in mind that one has to have the money to have so much fun....

Anyways, One night i decided to go on a fun, fun spree.. I went to a


Hookah

Lil bit of shopping

comedy show

stopped at different eatery places

and bar hopping

it was soo much funn jeezzzz


The next day, I went with my friends to a karokee bar, ESPN zone, and a comedy show in which we where dissed, WARNING! NEVER EVER sit in front during a comedy show...lol like u would literally be insulted by the comedian and there is nothing you can do, if you react you will be kicked out of the show.

A clip of me and friends entertaining the audience with our sexy God-given voices





Fascinating tiings i came across in Newyork, this includes people, dresses, anything:


Sexiest lips, better than Angelina Jolie





The original Popeye


My last goofy smile before my head was chopped off


JUst thot it was interesting



And this too...


Loved the use of pins/scopers to design the dress!!!




Loved the design too


Random dress i tried on and thot the back was hottt


Befores and aFTERs:





More on fasination... can someone tell me why people match clothes to the "nipple" for instance...when they wear pink earrings, it must match with pink bangles, pink bra, pink bag, pin belt, pink shoes, not a fan at all, i think its looks too cordinated atimes ghetto, throw in sum colours. I have a couple of friends who used to do, sum of them have outgrown it, sum still wear them..lol




Yeah talking about cities, i happened to stay in california for a bit cos my sister used to live there. California is pretty much the same thing in terms of having so much activities to do...basically never a dulling moment. Stayed with my sister in california for two decembers, she lived in Pasadena..it was so lovely and beautiful. I volunteered and attended the rose bowl parade which was a 5-15mins walk from my sisters apartment, JLO's restaurant was also 5-15mins walk but i dint go in, just breezed through!!!
I actually had soo much fun when i was with my sister. My sister had this theory that you are not legally an "otits" until you get initiated by attending a gay, transsexual and stripper bars. I felt awkward because i had never partied with my sister and anyone who knows my sister can testify that she is so into her books(which is a good thing)and a serious kinda person. This time i got to see the other side of her...lol
When i saw her getting jigging-with-it, i was surprised and happy at the same time cos i knew i could get loose....lol

Heres a pix of me and my friends on the streets of well lit and decorated houses.



Well on monday ill start my own ``Family Monday`` inspired by London's Bukis blog called ``Mummy mondays``...

Hope you all are having an awesome weekend...