The Daily Prompt – Sandwich!

If what I have to do is share a sandwich to lift someone’s spirits, put a smile on their face – the worst thing that happens is I go broke! – Jose Andres

“Sandwiches,’ she said, ‘like diamonds, are forever.”
Author: Muriel Spark

Photo of the Day!

May Day Celebration…

It was a joyous moment today as all members of the church where I worship, came together after the service to celebrate May Day. And a new month.

Dinner Time – Weekly Photo Challenge!

For this week’s Photo Challenge, we are asked to focus on  Dinner Time: share a meal with us, or shoot during your dinner hour. 

Daily Prompt – Saturday Night!

Today’s Daily Prompt – Saturday Night is my Friday Giggles.

What’s your favourite way to spend Saturday night?

Let the chips fall where they may.

One of the things I engage in these days is to type out the old scribblings from my notebooks, where I had penned down my daily thoughts.

So few days ago, last Saturday to be precised, as I flipped through the pages of this very notebook, I came across a letter I wrote to myself.  It is quite hilarious as well as inspiring. I was amused reading through this piece again. Oh! Old memories came rushing down in a flash. I took a moment to pause and ponder on life and concluded that indeed, life is a process.

Life is progressive. 

Somehow, it felt nice that I could bolster up my morale myself without waiting for someone else to nudge me in taking decisions that were right for me.  I read it over and felt I should share it with you today.

It was one of those moments in my life when I needed to remind myself that no condition is permanent. Looking back now, the write-up hasn’t lost its lustre at all.  I love the fact that I found humour in it now. I hope you will find meaning in its content as you read.

Dear Me,

Your attitude towards life is the best. Don’t ever feel life is short-changing you in any way. Contentment is the game. You will be amazed at how far ahead you are in life based on your present circumstances.

Enjoy the moment. Enjoy today and what it has to offer you. Enjoy the water you are drinking now, because you wanted Cola but could not afford it.

Enjoy the Guguru and Ekpa under the tree as the Sun scorches the earth instead of a hefty meal at Tantalizers.

Enjoy your breakfast of Akara and Akamu (Pap) because you cannot afford Cornflakes with milk.

Enjoy your lunch of Pounded-Yam and Ofe-Egusi with Bush-Meat, because Fried-Rice and Chicken cannot be afforded.

Today, I urge you to enjoy these snacks of Puff-puff, Chin-chin, Akara-oka and Ukpo-ogede.  Relish and savour the rich taste of Garri and Ground-nut with Water. Go pluck some Oranges and Paw-Paw from their trees in your father’s compound because there are no Apple trees in sight; though you were taught in school that the word ‘A’ is for Apple. I have long told you to always remember that A is for Akpu, Aku-Oyibo and Azu.

We never saw any Apple trees but we chorused along in school. Afterall, the White-man wrote these books based on their own environment. So just eat and be happy and content.

Enjoy your life as it were today. You have been blessed already. Never feel sorry for yourself. There is absolutely nothing wrong with your path. You are living it the way God willed it at this time.  Avoid superstitious beliefs, don’t ever be a party to it.

Let your faith be strong. Many years from now you will look back and say, “Oh that was what it was all about”.

So this is what Mama meant any time she advised me. It was only a path of life that builds and shapes me. Indeed, life is stranger than fiction.

Get started my dear.

Be happy anytime you remember these words. You have a very bright smile that reminds me of you.  And I know too that you have a bright future. You know what I mean, the path of wanting more and differently is a process of life.  That is why I urge you to live today being content and enjoy the pecks of where you are inspite of the odds.

Tomorrow, a new song will be heard, the song of the new YOU, living your dreams. Then you will realise that our talk of yesterday, the pains of yester years has become memories. As you read this, today is the ticket for the new song you wish for tomorrow.

So get up and write the song you want to sing to the world. Write it. The stage is big enough for everyone who dares to be heard. The good news is that I will always be there for you.

So get started.

Let the chips fall where they may. Thank God for the birds, He feeds them. By the way, who feeds you?

Go in faith and change your fate.

 

Glossary:

Words                               Definition

Guguru:                              Dried roast corn/maize similar to pop-corn but harder

Ekpa/Ground-nut          Ground-nut or Pea-nut

Tantalizer:                         A famous eatery in Nigeria similar to McDonald’s

Akara:                                 Beak cake – a typical breakfast stable made from beans and fried

Akamu:                             (Pap) – made out of corn flour. This is similar to custard. It thickens when                                                  you add boiled water into the mixture

Pounded Yam:                 This is a popular Nigerian Dish similar to mashed potatoes but thicker and                                                 heavier

Ofe Egusi:                         A thick Soup made from Melon seed

Bush-meat:                       Similar to Beef meat

Akara-Oka:                       Made out of dried corn/maize and fried in oil

Ukpo-Ogede:                    This is a pudding made with mashed ripe plantain (Plantain is similar to                                                    banana but harder)

Garri:                                    Made from Cassava tubers

Groundnut:                       Roasted peanut

Puff-puff:                          Made from flour mixed with yeast and fried

Chin-chin:                         Snack like cookies made from flour and fried in oil

Aku-Oyibo:                        Coconut

Azu:                                      Fish

 

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