DWT Manchester: Rihanna Stan

I'm so irritated right now! Completely besides myself, want to know why? It's simple really. Because I feel like blogging!! You're probably thinking "So do it then, what's the big deal?" but the big deal is this. I have a specific set of pictures that I am very keen on sharing with you which I took with my proper camera after a couple of photo walks with friends, but then I got home and got ready to transfer the pictures to my laptop, it was then I realised I had two major setbacks. One, my camera USB cable seems to have disappeared on me, I've never transferred pictures off it before so I'm not even sure there was a USB in the box but that seems like a ridiculous notion! So I switched to plan B; get the memory card and just put it straight into my computer, thwarted again! There is NO memory card reader slot on my laptop!

Can you see how this would be very frustrating? Now until I either buy a USB cable or find a way to connect a memory card reader to my laptop then I'm stuck with no pictures! :(

Do not despair though for I have a back up plan! Today we can broach one of my favourite topics... Rihanna!! :)

For those of you who don't know, I am a proud Stan! There is nothing else to say about it other than it is true and I will admit it again unashamedly any day, anytime. I don't really understand what there is to hate about her, I can understand feeling indifferent though. I'm indifferent about a lot of things, but Rihanna is not one of them! She's young, she's beautiful and she's rich! Haha. She also lives her life the way she wants too and though she's a bit extra sometimes, like the stan I am, I forgive her for her muchness and blame it on the fact that she was a star from such a young age! Almost 10 years now to be precise.

So as I have now confessed where I stand maybe you will understand this post a bit more! You see, last month I went to the Diamonds World Tour in the MEN Arena! Whoop whoop! It was my second time in the arena, but my first time in the standing area. The decision to go to the show was extremely whimsical, I think I got my tickets the night before or something because I decided I couldn't let her pass right through my city and not see her! So at about 4pm, Tomz and I got ready to start the entire process that will eventually see us to the front and centre of the stage!

We got dressed and ready to hit the road.

I have no idea what she's wearing and I didn't think to ask as this was never meant to be an outfit post! But I'm wearing TopShop from head to toe, lol, except my shoes which are Nike Blazers and my belt by Ferragamo.

As we got closer to the arena you could really start to feel the buzz, there were people giving out some pretty awesome stick on tattoos which were actually infused with the scent of her new fragrance Nude. I loved the concept! Rih and all her tatts, I was completely unadventurous though and simply stuck it on my hand! Lol.

After a lot of standing around and waiting patiently with palpable excitement (approximately 4 hours worth!) the show finally started! Whooooop! She was opened for by 2 DJ's who together make up a group called GTA (i forget what it stands for) and they were awesome! For the first twenty minutes anyways.

You see I'm pretty sure that whenever you are waiting for your favourite artist to come and rock the stage, nothing is more annoying than some DJ's playing the same type of music over and over again! I don't even know what the genre would be called but I guess their tagline is in fact 'death to genres' sadly it was still all one genre all house/dubstep/electro/drum and bass like. I was quite disappointed and very very tired from standing for hours now but I still managed to keep my smile, somewhat.

And then fiiiiiinally! At about 9.30, the queen Rih finally comes unto stage and it was pretty crazy from there! Most of the night from this point is a bit of a blur, I was so high off her energy and loving every single song she performed singing and dancing around like crazy! Unfortunately (or fortunately) the arena was packed! Stadium Status baby! So there was no room to take some action shots of Tomz and I dancing, there was plenty of room to take pictures of Rih though and she looked amazing! Here are shots of her outfits from the night, she changed so many times!

This is by far my favourite outfit of her! She looks like Iron Man's long lost girlfriend, I loved it!

Literally flawless is she not? And I was so up close to the stage as well! It was amazing, what would have made it even more Rihdiculous would have been if I got to touch her when she came down to the crowd! Unfortunately I was about 1 person too far away from her! Boohoo :( All in all even though her vocals could do with some work she's a pretty amazing performer! "Where have you been" "Cockiness" "Diamonds" and "Rockstar 101" were amongst my favourite performances! She's coming back to Manchester again on Tuesday and I'm trying to decide if I want to see her again, I so would if I can convince just one person of her awesomeness and get them to shell out the cash. But for now it's peace out b*tches! (It wouldn't be a complete Rihanna post if I wasn't profane at least once! lol)

Reni x

Exam Season: Procrastination and Distraction!

So I put this post up on my old blog ages ago, well at the last exam season really and unfortunately it's that time of the year again... 

I've been trying to go hard at the books because my goal is still to finish this masters degree with a distinction! (70% average) but today and yesterday haven't been the best days! I mean I hate exam season. I know we all do, but I really really hate it! Hours and hours spent reading material and learning things only for them to not come up in the exam! I know people say “No knowledge lost” but what about the time spent?  O ti so nu ni now! (It’s lost now!) It’s so unfortunate that I actually want to be an engineer, I would have dropped out of school and become a stripper, sadly I don’t have the upper body strength for their profession. So here I am, typing away while I really should be studying, who does that? Oh all of you you say? LIARS! You guys are busy hitting the books hard and I’m here, allowing the spirit of procrastination to take over my life, Lord be with me! I need to become more serious about my schoolwork, how else am I meant to get that distinction? **sigh** but seriously though, can school somehow be made more interesting? I mean there are so many other things I’d rather be doing, e.g. reading blogs, updating my blog, listening to gossip, Facebook stalking people, Instagram stalking people, twitter stalking even more people (yes, I know a lot of stalkable people), sleep, stare. I don’t know, anything but studying! Luckily for me after an average of 5-7 hours all these things lose their charm and I think, heck, might as well study… After I have dinner.

When I eventually get down to studying after eliminating the demon of procrastination, a second gargoyle rears it ugly head; distraction! I’ve finally opened up the books, I’ve even read the first few pages then all of a sudden, I read something and my mind wonders down a completely different train of thought, so I pick up the phone and text my best friend the funny thing that just popped into my mind, this leads to an hour long conversation about nothing in particular with me saying “I really should be working” every 10 minutes or so. Ha! It’s ridiculous really! But I feel better because the books are at least open, that’s step one complete. After chatting to my friend and updating her on everything she’s missed over the last hour I finally resume studying. Just that I’ve forgotten what I just read, so back to the beginning I go. Surely you guys can see how this is a vicious cycle? I mean, I get to the line that made my mind wonder the first time and my mind wonders again! Sometimes even down a completely different path, which means I have to relate this NEW information to the bestie! **sigh**

Luckily I’ve found a means of combating this cycle, I have to say it actually works! Well except today where I’m just really allowing the laziness to take over! But it works on a regular day :) Here’s what I try to do:

Eat

The number of times I get up to “find a snack” while I’m trying to study is insane! So I just cut the crap and eat something! Hey! Listen! This is not the time to chow down some pounded yam or other carb heavy food that just makes you sleepy oh! Something small and relatively filling should do the trick. It also helps if you plan your snacks and put them on the table so you don’t have to get up eventually, as long as you don’t gobble them all at once like I would, hehe.

Plan your study time

I recently started this thing after a suggestion from a friend and I’ve found that it really combats the distraction. I get my watch out and place it somewhere visible, then I study in on-off fashion. So basically, I study for 60 minutes straight, then take a break for 15-20 minutes. Study again for another hour, break for another 15 minutes. Obviously this method needs some tweaking depending on what you’re studying, sometimes it’s possible to do 90 minutes straight then 15 minute break, the key for me is to not take too long a break, the whole distraction thing just comes back if I decide to spend 30 minutes on Facebook/Instagram and I lose the flow! 15 minutes is just enough time to pee, reply messages, quickly check Facebook and breathe. Sometimes in the break if the flow is going to good to be broken, I review the work I’ve just done to actually help me remember stuff. I’m working on maybe taking shorter breaks? Maybe.

Don’t Get Overwhelmed

Staring at the mountain of books waiting to be read is not helpful, if you’re anything like me all that does is put you in panic mode and then that makes you unproductive, then you get depressed about how unproductive you’re being and then depression sinks in and you feel like doing no work. If you’re lucky this only lasts hours but sometimes it can last days! I’ve found that making a timetable is really helpful but if I don’t meet the goals I’ve set for myself then I start panicking about falling behind and we all know what panic does… What I’ve been trying to do instead is set mini goals for myself from when I wake up or possibly the night before. This helps me break the work up into bite size pieces and the mini goals for the day are usually more realistic and achievable than the timetable I made two weeks ago! Being overwhelmed causes you to lose focus. Just think baby steps, little drops of water make the mighty sea.

My current to-do list for today and tomorrow. Sincerely hope I finish all those mini-tasks!

Well, after churning out all this advice I believe it’s now time for me to take some of my own advice and get a moving! It’s time to resume studying and stop faffing. Right after dinner. **wink**

Good Luck Everybody!

Reni x

A Little Sunshine on A Rainy Day

So this post initialy started on an ever so jovial note on the day it was originally meant to be pubnlished but now.... now I just don't know. My lecturers are certainly trying to drive me to insanity! Why on earth will you increase the weighting of coursework from 10-20% less than 48 hours till the deadline, 20% coursework requires significantly more effort to do than 10% coursework! And to think I had toyed with the idea of just not doing it at all so I could focus on a bigger project whose deadline is also imminent! HA! Well that plan's out the window! Anyways I'm on a  little break from number crunching and hair tearing and remembered that I hadn't put this post out yet so what better way to rest my brain than remember all the positive things happening around me. Like the fact that Spring is finally here! I was skeptical about posting this last week or before that because I was certain the warmer weather and sunny-ish ouside was just a phase but it's been a little while now and the sun still comes out to play almost everyday! There's something about good weather that just puts me in an instantly good mood, I'm so happy I can finally ditch the boots and scarf and turn the heating in my apartment down (bye bye nasty electricity bills!).

 

Sometime in my last MIA periods it was one of my besties birthday and she had a surprise party at Navajo Joe's in Covent Garden, London.It was a really great day and I think she was actually surprised (or maybe just afraid?) when we all jumped at her! It was a really fun day and even though the food wasn't fantastic there's nothing better than being around good company for a few hours on a lovely day! Here's a couple of pictures from the day. We took a couple of random bits and bobs inside the restaurant

 

Birthday Girl in her white dress looking gorge!

 

 

But decided the weather was too awesome not to have a couple of snaps outside!

 

Ayo loving the effect of the wind on her 'cape' !

 

We  even found a lovely porch to play about on even though the boys were getting a bit tired of us by now! Jacqui (in orange) couldn't stop posing even if her life depended on it! Don't you love her bangs though??

 

 

We eventually stopped taking pictures, kind of, amd made it to My Old Dutch for some dessert and some more chit chat!

I had a hankering for a cup of tea which is really weird because I never drink tea! And waffles always go down well with me! I even forgot to take a picture until after my first couple of bites! My favourite part about this post and Spring in general is all the pretty colours floating around, and the trees are finally not going to be naked anymore! Whoop whoop! Writing this has significantly cheered me up, I think I can go back to the number crunching and other boring stuff again. Here's looking forward to the weekend!

 

Larger than Life: My Very Own Warrior Angel

Today was just one of those days for me... Not the good kind where you're unnecessarily jovial for no apparent reason, the other kind; where you're just a bit blue. Well I'm more than a bit blue and I'm not quite sure what I'm even doing here but I know that writing has always been the best outlet for me, I'm not much of a talker tbh so throughout today when people have been calling and texting to wish my family and I their condolences I've been at a complete loss of what to say except a measly "thank you". It's not that I don't care for condolences, I do... I think my mind is just still in a state of shock, first I heard but didn't quite understand, then I understood but didn't quite believe and now that no-one has called my phone to say "gotcha!" and the day is almost over I think that maybe it's true? But it can't be.

My grandfather can't be... gone. It's weird I still haven't been able to say it out loud, I can scream it out loud in my head but whenever I have to talk about it I'd rather say "about grandpa and stuff..." I've done my fair share of crying and wailing and asking why it had to happen this way but I'm trying to realise that although he's not physically here, nothing can touch the memories I was so so fortunate to create with him, . So this post isn't about mourning and loss, it's a mini toast to my Gramps, a celebration of a life well lived! Here's just a few of the things I will never forget about my very own Warrior Angel in Heaven (because he is way too full of energy to be just a guardian)

1. The way he loved all of his grandchildren and we loved him even more, he always taught us that family was the most important thing, second to nothing! 

2. Going to his house in Ondo almost every year for his birthday and having a 3-5 day party. No one could throw a party like my Gramps! Asun for days!

3. The way he called all of us by our first and last names every time he saw us, kind of instilling pride into us. He always said a good name was the most important thing anyone could have.

4. The way he was so proud of me for going to University of Manchester because my mum went there too and so did he. Almost every time I spoke to him he would say "Have you told them that you are third generation at Manchester yet? I'm sure not many people can claim that!" No they can't Gramps, no they can't.

5. Him getting cable tv and internet in his house so whenever we, the grand kids, came over to play we weren't bored.

6. Going on a massive family holiday to Spain with him when I was probably about 7/8, it was the most amazing villa ever. Barbados was meat to be next, but now we have Heaven instead which I'm sure is infinitely better!

7. His velvet slippers. Yup, gramps was rocking the velvet WAY before it was cool!

8. All his traditional necklaces, bejewelled walking sticks and embroided caps, dressing up was so much fun at his place!

9. His love for life... I've never met another person so exuberant and who had as much confidence as he did, so full of passion and a real lust for life and adventure. A perfect role model to me and everyone else.

As difficult as this is, it's time for me to wipe away my tears, or at least have less of them anyways. You would have never wanted it to be this way, I love you Grandpa and I won't ever stop missing you. Rest in Peace.

Grandpa, Grandma and all the cousins in 2009. Thank you for making us take another family portrait this Christmas, it's a shame I can't find it right now.

Smile More!

*sigh* last time I checked it was the beginning of a new term and I was coming of age! I never understand how time flies so quickly once school starts. This last week has been particularly stressful but now that all that is over and in the hands of the Most High life can go on! Three weeks ago (seriously someone tell me, where does the time go??) I got a comment on my blog that made me want to write again I remember seeing it in passing but I read it properly a few days ago and promised myself that after my final deadline today I’d write a blog post but then the universe seemed to have alternate plans for me. You see, I’m exhausted! Three deadlines in one week is no joke! I’ve spent so much time staring at computer screens and typing that the thought of doing the same thing in the name of blogging seemed revolting! But still I persevered, I must write a blog post today!

So I thought to myself, I’d write a post on the train to Edinburgh before I see my beloved Kokiroks. Now I’m not trying to be boujis or anything but everyone who has ever been on a Virgin Train knows that no other train line can EVER match up! So here I am, already disappointed that Virgin Trains don’t go to Edinburgh, I decided to get to the station early so I can get a nice table seat with a view; I don’t know what I was thinking about with the view the nights have been getting longer and longer this part of the world. So the train arrives on the platform and whaddyaknow, it’s PACKED! Like a tin of sardines type of packed, think London Underground during rush hour, I can feel people breathing my oxygen and I just want to steal it back and tell the oxygen thieves to get their own! Have I mentioned that I’m starving? But guess what this train also doesn’t have? A food carriage! So boujis me is now super pissed!

Standing with my weekend bag, Rihanna’s new album blaring in my ears (Album review soon? Perhaps). The ticket inspector then proceeds to enter my carriage and request for all our tickets, remember how packed the train is? Ridiculous! What’s the point of having both the ticket barrier and then an inspector? KMT. As he approaches me I pause my music and off-handedly pass him the ticket to which he responds “Smile girl, you’re a star!” For some reason his words really did put me in a much better mood and whether that was his intention or not, it worked! It made me think of everything I had to be grateful for and the amazing relaxing weekend I was about to enjoy with one of my bestos. After about an hour the train has freed up and I’ve got a seat, table even! So here I am, blogging away, just like I planned!

I guess what I’m trying to say is we should all be thankful in any situation, it could almost always be worse. So thank you Kiki, Kokiroks and the Ticket Inspector for brightening up my day!

Give More, Love More, Smile More J (What wold you say if I told you the former two were common Zimbabwean names? Google it! LOL).

Love,

Morenike

P.S. Procrastination should be the 8th deadly sin.. I wrote this post over a week ago! Anyways, here are some pictures from Edinburgh, as usual I forgot my actual camera so had to make do with my iPhone 4 shitty camera! :)

Edinburgh Castle, it looks so much better in real life!

They have so many steps they even give them names.. It was quite the work out I must say!

Almost every building has this archaic/daunting/horror movie feel to it! Quite different from the bright lights of Manchester!

Definitely a scene from Harry Potter!!

In Love With Love

Hi mi darlings,

I apologise for the constant change of my blogs look, I get bored relatively easily and it seems I’ve fallen out of love with my last layout, though I may yet return to it. All my posts are still on here, the archive list is still on the right hand side, you can also now easily share my posts via Facebook or twitter if you please and there’s a handy new “follow by email” tab for people who don’t have Google accounts. So please follow and share away!

Speaking of being bored and falling out of love, why is it that some people fall in and out of love so fast they make the cars on the German Autobahn look like snails?? It sometimes amazes me how quickly some people move on, and it’s always the ones that seem like they are the most in love that never cease to surprise me! Going through their Facebook timeline you can spot a serial dater from miles away

15 June 2012: I love my baby so much, thank you Segun for making me feel all brand new.

1 February 2012: Wow! I just got flowers from the most amazing boyfriend in the world! Tomiwa it’s you and I together forever!

31 November 2011: #nowplaying Love Story- Taylor Swift. This album perfectly describes how I feel about Seun, the story of our love!

Okay fine, maybe no one writes status’ that corny on facebook (I hope) but still it’s annoying! People need to realise that there’s nothing wrong with being single. It’s not a sickness or a disease. I don’t believe I’m really about to quote this boy but as Afam said in his blog post Application of Economics: Smashed up hearts hung out to dry,you keep leaving a piece of yourself with the last person so much so that you get to a point where you’re no more than a shadow of your old self.

I’m not saying that life should always be so serious and you need to become a social recluse to get over someone. On the contrary, go out there, have the most fun you’ve had in your life but not because you know that he/she is going to see your pictures on Facebook and you think it would make them want you back. You do it because you are you and you love having a good time!

One might argue that people who move on so quickly were never really “in love” with the person in the first place. I put “in love” in quotes because I am yet to define what that common phrase actually means. Personally I think that’s only half the problem, the problem is that some people are so in love WITH LOVE that they would do anything to keep that feeling. Having someone to daydream about and to call right before you close your eyes to go to bed. All na sentiment! Which is why when the going gets tough they give up, because as far as they know, love is not meant to be like that. It’s meant to be like in the movies where the couple fights for 1 week and then the guy comes back on his shiny white horse, (topless of course, how else would you see his abs of steel??) bearing gifts of fine wine and perfumes and getting ready to wine and dine the girl back into falling “in love” with him (again, my imagination comes out to play, insufferable I tell you).

People that know me may think of me as a serial dater and I’d be honest, at some point I was and I didn’t think of it as a problem until kind of recently. I made that conscious decision not to date the next guy that told me he liked my voice (dead!) I was single for a few months and I loved it. We need to learn to love ourselves first, so that we can begin to even think of loving someone else. Relying on someone else for assurance that you are worth it and you are special is like praying that it wouldn’t rain in Manchester for 2 weeks. It never happens, and it’s is never worth it, better learn to carry that umbrella friend!

Hope

Quote from The Hunger Games, I keep realising how true this is in general day-to-day life as well as in making major decisions. Once you have no hope, you have nothing to live for, you become desperate and everyone knows there's nothing worse than a desperate person who has nothing to live for!

P.S. Thought this was actually quite an awesome movie, does anyone highly recommend reading the books as well?