Need some inspiration?

Jan Koum

He did it!!! Jan Koum who is one of the founders of whatsapp was born and raised in a small village outside of Kiev, Ukraine. He grew up in a home with no electricity or hot water. Koum and his mother immigrated to Mountain View when he was 16. By 18, Koum had taught himself computer networking by buying manuals from a used book store and returning them when he’d finished. The funny thing is that he and co-owner Brian Acton both applied to Facebook for jobs and were rejected. Instead they decided to set up their own venture, Whatsapp, now sold to Facebook for billions. They may have felt rejected and disappointed but there was something better destined for them. Going through a challenging time now? Hold on and keep strong. Do not give up on your dream. You too can make it. It is never too late.

Why is it challenging for some African Migrants to climb up the job ladder?

I was running to catch a train when someone quickly asked me if I wanted a newspaper. I looked at the person and my mouth opened with shock. I know this man. I have seen him at the University campus and I have even spoken to him. What is a Masters student doing distributing newspapers to people in city centre? We exchanged greetings and I told him that I will chat with him later. When I sat on the train, my mind was going through so many things. He is from one of the African countries, very well spoken, intelligent and jovial. I met up with him after some weeks and we were discussing about life in general. I couldn't help but ask him what he was doing distributing newspapers. He opened up to me that it has been a struggle for him here in the UK. He cannot get a decent job despite having good results and having a Masters degree. He had to make do with distributing newspapers in city centre. I almost wept.  I have nothing against menial jobs. I am a great advocate for starting small but it should be in line with what one wants in life or on temporary basis. I met up with another friend who introduced me to her friend. He was a fantastic artist but has been working in a call centre for 10 years. I asked him if he was content working in a call centre and the same story was narrated. It is so difficult for many African migrants to secure a well paid job. I have met some African migrants that have broken that mould. I have met African consultants, doctors, engineers, barristers, lecturers etc. Why is it hard for others to break from that mould of settling in a mediocre job and life? A friend answered that question. He said it had to do with the mentality of many Africans. They are too timid to go for positions that they are well qualified for. I didn't accept this reason. Perhaps true for some but there are friends I know that have never given up but keep getting knock downs from organisations. I know a work mate that wanted to go for a managerial position. He was frustrated out of going for that position. When he was doing the job he was more than qualified for, no one bothered him but once he showed an interest in climbing the ladder, all the office politics was out in motion to frustrate him. There are many factors mentioned by people I have held this discussion with that goes against the African migrant finding a well paid job in the UK.

One is having that mentality we have in Africa that going to university to study some so called courses we hold in high regards will definitely open doors. Someone mentioned that to find a good paying job in the UK, one has to strategise their plan. Ask questions such as What is hot in the market now? What are the requirements to get into that position? Work double hard to excel in getting all the qualifications and certifications needed to break in. It is no longer only degrees that gets one a decent job, certifications are well sought after now. Why are people not following this route?

Another is the accent. This is often mentioned as a great barrier when one goes for an interview. But I found it difficult swallowing this reason. What about the other foreigners with strong accent in high position? It doesn't make sense.

Is entrepreneurship the way forward? If no one will hire you, you can be your own boss right? Some Africans are already doing this. Others said they want to be their own boss but it will cost a lot of money which they don’t have and they need something to pay the bills. I could go on and on but I would like to stop with these few questions. Why are so many qualified African migrants in low paying jobs? Why is it difficult to climb the ladder? I will share my own experience in the future. 

Why is it so hard to talk about depression/mental health with some of my African friends?

The word depression or mental health is very cautiously mentioned in conversations with many Africans. Many Africans believe that it is not an 'African illness'. Just the mere mention of the 'D' word, brings shocked looks and telling off from 'concerened individuals'. I am talking about this because it is a concern voiced by many Africans I have met. A friend was sharing with me how she is suffering from post natal depression and how she found it difficult speaking to family and friends about her depression. Each time she mentions it to anyone she knows, they tell her off. They tell her she is not suffering from depression, she should reject depression and learn to speak positively. I volunteer in a charity organisation where we deal with people who are in despair or distressed. It is very difficult opening up to anyone about depression but it sure helps.

One thing I observed is that it is so hard trying to open up to friends and relatives. Another friend mentioned that once one mentions how down one feels, they get a telling off and asked to count their blessings. They get the whole lecture of not being grateful, how others are worse off etc. Surely, there should be an awareness that depression is a mental illness and not something one wishes on ones self? I believe that many Africans should be open minded that Africans also suffer from depression and find ways to highlight this issue and provide help.

A Nigerian man stabs his wife after discovering she was having an affair.

Oluwabusayo Abegunde, 38

 

Oluwabusayo Abegunde, 38 found out his wife was having an affair after checking her Blackberry phone. The dad of two repeatedly stabbed his wife, Esther, 33, two days after Valentine’s Day. Oluwabusayo Abegunde repeatly stabbed his wife while their two sons aged eight and four, were downstairs in the family home. Oluwabusayo Abegunde only agreed to call the ambulance after he made his wife promise she would tell doctors and police that she inflicted the injuries on herself. What a man!! Surprisingly, Esther survived the attack. Abegunde is a respected member of the Manchester’s Nigerian community. He was found not guilty of attempted murder at an earlier trial but was found guilty of grievous bodily harm. He has now been jailed for 12 years.

Look who is pregnant!!! Kimberley Walsh reveals she is pregnant.

Kimberley Walsh and lond term partner Justin Scott


A big congratulations!!!

Sunday chill out

My beautiful sister introduced me to this song. I heard it yesterday in a programme on television. I love it and I am using it as my Sunday chill out song.

Would you sleep with your friend's spouse/partner?

There is something of a taboo about sleeping with a 'friend's spouse'. It is kind of in the same league as sleeping with a sibling's spouse or partner. There is always heart ache and loss for one party. So why does it happen? Recently, papers were awash with stories of Simon Cowell's baby from Lauren Silverman. As I was going through the papers and some comments, people were mentioning the fact that Lauren was the wife of a good friend of Simon's. 

Simon Cowell and Lauren Silverman

Simon Cowell’s is a blessed man. He has all this money and friends. To top up his blessings, He was blessed with an adorable son. So what is the news about this? Well, the mother of his baby happens to be the wife of his very good friend.  So today I am blogging on sleeping with your best friend’s spouse. We hear and even witness these kinds of stories on a daily basis. One celebrity that this sort of thing happened to is Underwear tycoon Michelle Mone. Her so called confidant/employee Samantha Bunn, 31, whom she invited into her home, made her part of the family ended up having an affair with her husband and is now with her husband.  Awch!!! That must have hurt!!! Ok back to Simon Cowell, he is pictured always surrounded by beautiful women. I am sure many of them would have wanted to have his baby. So why sleep with is friend’s wife with whom he hangs out with and goes on holiday with? (I am not in my judge and jury outfit by the way. Just wondering lol). Only God knows the hurt and betrayal Simon’s ‘so called friend’ is enduring. I mean, the thought of his wife having an affair without protection. 

Michelle Mone and Ex husband

Many friends and acquaintances have similar stories of such happening to them. The friends that they trusted most with their lives ended up having affairs with their spouse and becoming their partners. So, is this a case of not trusting any friend with one’s spouse or not even entertaining friends around one’s spouse? Should the fault lie on the spouse or on the friend or both?  My next question is what sort of friend betrays their friend? I know some people will come out with valid reasons for affairs like ‘Oh we fell madly in love’ etc. Why with your friend’s spouse? Do you have any friend that you trust with all your heart? Could you trust them with your spouse? Has such thing happened to you? Have you been tempted with your best friend’s spouse and have actually had an affair with a friend’s spouse?

Loving this kitchen!!!

Ah!!! My kinda kitchen!!! Good to dream big right?

Picture of kitchen in one of the most expensive mansions in Britain

This beautiful mansion has gone on the rental market for a whopping £780,000 per year. Tenants will have to pay £15,000 a week to rent the £35million London mansion, on top of £125,000 a year for bills including council tax, gas and electricity, water bills, TV licence and security.

More pictures below.

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2562855/Britains-expensive-rental-property-goes-market-780k-year.html#ixzz2tnbMk500 

19 year old satanist confesses to murders

Miranda Barbour, 19

A Satan worshipping teen, Miranda Barbour, 19, confessed that she has committed somewhere between 22 and 100 murders in her short life. Barbour said she joined a cult aged just 13 in the town of North Pole. Claiming to have been sexually abused at the age of four, Barbour told the Daily Item that she only killed 'bad people' and was brought up in the cult by a man she would not identify. Indeed, it was this individual who introduced Barbour to murder - killing a man down an alley in Alaska with a gun.

'It was in an alley and he (the cult leader) shot him,' she said, declining to identify him.

'Then he said to me that it was my turn to shoot him. I hate guns. I don’t use guns. I couldn't do it, so he came behind me and he took his hands and put them on top of mine and we pulled the trigger. And then from there I just continued to kill.'

During her time in the cult, Barbour claims that at one point she fell pregnant and was subjected to a dangerous 'in-house abortion' by members after they drugged her and tied her to a bed.

Barbour pleads that she should be spared the death penalty b because execution is a cruel and inhumane punishment.

Oh goodness! How awful for the families of all those she killed. She wants to be spared the death penalty. What about the lives of all those she didn't spare? One would think since she worshipped the devil she would want to meet up with him and continue where she stopped here on earth? And execution being cruel and inhumane? Isn't being cruel and inhumane part of Satanism? What she did to the innocent souls wasn't it cruel and inhumane? And all those married men meeting up with strangers for fun..well that is story for another day. A word is enough for the wise!!!

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2561790/Miranda-Barbour-19-reveals-favorite-knife-added-notch-time-killed-pleads-spared-death-penalty.html#ixzz2tgKh1jTP 

Found this funny!!!

This had me laughing until nearly the end when I thought the boy was going to get a good beating from his dad. Don't mess with Nigerian dads lol!!!

The big immigration row.

Who is following the big immigration row on channel 5. Very interesting. The debate is currently on and has covered several aspects such as the contribution of immigrants and their entitlements to benefits and services. Statistics shows that 60% of the population feel that there should be a stop to immigration. People are worried that immigrants are taking over the few British jobs. There was an interesting point made by one of the audience that a distinction should be made between immigrants and asylum seekers. What is your take on this debate? 

Nigeria's Boko Haram 'in village massacre'

According to BBC news, suspected Islamist militants have raided a Nigerian village and murdered dozens, according to witnesses.

Konduga town was razed by Boko Haram this week

The gunmen reportedly rounded up a group of men in Izghe village and shot them, before going door-to-door and killing anyone they found.

Numerous villages in the area around the state capital of Maiduguri have been attacked in recent months, despite the state being under emergency rule. Boko Haram has killed several thousand people - Muslims and Christians - since it launched a campaign of mass violence in 2009.

There are no words to use to describe these evil people and their activities. More disappointed that no prominent Nigerian is condemning the evil activities of this group. 

Maybe when Nigerians start proper coverage of the real faces of the victims, their families and the importance of these people, just maybe, some value will be given to life.  There is just no value for human life in Nigeria. What act of wickedness? Leaving religion aside, how does one just go and murder innocent lives? Just baffles my mind. 

Chiwetel Ejiofor takes Leading Actor at the 2014 BAFTAs

I am so proud of Chiwetel. It just takes one person to believe in you and give you a chance to shine.Amongst great names as Leonardo DiCaprio, Christian Bale, Bruce Dern, and Tom Hanks,  Chiwetel took home the award. Congratulations!!!

Chiwetel Ejiofor took home BAFTA award for his role in 12 years a slave

The list of winners:

Best Film 
12 Years A Slave

Leading Actor 

Chiwetel Ejiofor, 12 Years A Slave

Supporting Actor

Barkhad Abdi, Captain Phillips

Leading Actress

Cate Blanchett, Blue Jasmine 

Supporting Actress 

Jennifer Lawrence, American Hustle

Outstanding British Film 

Gravity

Director  

Alfonso Cuarón, Gravity

Original Screenplay

American Hustle

Original Music

Gravity

Cinematography

Gravity

Outstanding Debut by a British Writer, Director or Producer

Kieran Evans (Writer/Director), Kelly + Victor

Production Design

The Great Gatsby 

Costume Design

The Great Gatsby 

Make Up & Hair 

American Hustle

Sound 

Gravity

Special Visual Effects 

Gravity 

Film Not in the English Language

The Great Beauty

Animated Film

Frozen 

The British Short Animation 

Sleeping With the Fishes 

British Short Film  

Room 8 

EE Rising Star Award

Will Poulter 

Adapted Screenplay

Philomena

Editing

Rush

African darling Lupita Nyong'o looks absolutely breathtaking in this emerald green silk fishtail hem gown at the 2014 BAFTA

Beautiful Lupita Nyong'o

Stuart Hall's wife has filed for divorce amidst fresh allegations he raped two teenagers dating back to 70s and 80s

Hazel Hall 76 has filed for divorce after fresh allegations that her husband of 56 years raped two teenage girls. Hazel Hall stood by her husband Stuart Hall 84, after he was jailed for 30 months on a string of sex offences last year. Stuart Hall admitted 14 counts of indecent assault against girls aged between 9 and 17 over a period of almost 20 years after initially denying the allegations. He now faces 15 charges of rape against 2 teenage girls.

 

Hazel Hall

 

Stuart Hall

Simon Cowell shares beautiful pictures of baby Eric

Absolutely adorable pictures. Simon Cowell shared these beautiful and intimate pictures of baby Eric.

Absolutely beautiful. Simon Cowell and baby son Eric

 

Is there romance in the air?

 

 

According to reports, 42 year old Jared Leto and 30 year old Lupita Nyong'o were seen out sharing an intimate night out in New York. If reports are to be believed, romance is blossoming between the two.

Simon Cowell is a daddy!!!

Simon Cowell

What other way for music mogul Simon Cowell to remember Valentine’s Day 2014 by. He and Lauren Silverman welcomed a baby boy into the world on Valentine's Day. He revealed on Twitter hours after the birth that he had named the child after his own deceased father Eric Cowell. Baby weighed 6lbs 7oz and mother and baby are doing greatly according to Simon!!! Congratulations to Simon and Lauren!!!!

Source: Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-2559324/Simon-Cowells-baby-way.html#ixzz2tNXCzWVf

Public display of affection on social media this Valentine

How do you fell about public display of affection on social media especially this Valentine's day? Today being Valentine's day I have no doubt that there will be loads of display of affection on facebook, blackberry and so on. Why do people think that we want to know what they did on valentine's day? I know of some lady that posts all the pictures of the dinner and all the things they did for valentine's day. Now, there is nothing wrong in showing some love to your loved ones on social media but to keep hammering on how much you love your spouse ... just makes one sound so desperate for others to validate them. It borders on showing off and insecurity. If you cannot tell your spouse whom you see everyday that you love them to their face and have to go on social media to tell the world how much you love your spouse, isn't that a bit sad? That both of you can sit on a sofa, holding your phones or laptop, not talking to each other but communicating on social media just for some validation from strangers that you indeed have the perfect relationship. 

I mean these show off are a bit tacky if their motivation and intention is to show others that they are in deed better than others in terms of their relationship. So what do these show offs want from those who are on their friends list. A hand of applause? Worship? What? So the singles, divorced, hurting etc on the friends list can see what they are missing? Do they even think of what some of the people on their friends list are going through? Please don't get me wrong. Shout out, scream out how much you love your spouse but do it with a clean intention and not with the motivation to show off and compare yourself to others. You will be surprised that some people that is all they want to do. To show off and get others to put loads of likes, and praise their relationship on how amazing and how better it is than other relationships. 

Love yourself today

Hey you!!! Yes you crying that you have no one to celebrate Valentine’s Day with. You crying over that boyfriend or husband that left you. You crying that you are lonely and would never find someone to love you. You crying over that unfaithful spouse. Wipe your tears away and give yourself a big hug now. Go to a mirror and tell yourself that you are the most amazing person in the world and you are at the best place at the moment. Give yourself a big smile and show yourself some love today. You that is depressed that you are still without a husband, Yes you!!! Get off the bed and give yourself some love.  Look outside, yes, you can see and you are alive. Now crack some smile and tell yourself how much you love yourself.  Now take a moment to think of those who cannot celebrate Valentine’s Day. Look at the graveyard. All those souls, some young mothers, some young people who will never celebrate Valentine ’s Day. Now think of those in the hospital, who cannot even open their eyes, who are in pain, you think they care about valentines? Now, open your mouth and thank God. Thank God and tell him how much you love and adore him. Thank him for the life, your present situation and for the fact that you still have some sanity. Yes some sanity. Though, your mind is going crazy about your situation and you are so close to loosing your mind, sanity and even faith but you are still here. That means there is hope. As long as there is hope, every other thing is possible. Yes, this time next year, you might be laughing and thinking how you nearly did something stupid and missed your blessings. Hang on to that hope. Cry if you want to. But I want you to get out of your bed, wipe your tears, make yourself a cup of tea or anything and love yourself. Thank God for being alive and seeing the 14^th of February 2014. Have a blessed day!!!

Lil' Kim Preggy?

Pregnant Lil Kim

Love is in the Air!!!

This is the season of love and it is everywhere!!! Now, do we need one day set aside to celebrate love? Are we all jumping in the bandwagon of consumerism? Don't get me wrong. I love everything about romance and love that is why I find it funny that one day is set aside and we are told when and how to celebrate love. Do you need anyone to tell you when and how to celebrate love? Can't we celebrate love every single day? They say it is the little things that count right? So when your loved ones clean the house, look after kids, make you a meal, all that should be appreciated right? 

Well, here is me wishing you a happy valentine's day. Oh by the way, heard that today is the day most unfaithful partners share with their bit on the side. Hmmnn and I heard, that men buy sexier gifts for their mistresses than their wives. So if your loved one is behaving funny today, maybe they are up to something fishy!!!

Enjoy lovers day!!! 

Sorcerer sentenced to death in India for decapatating baby and drinking it's blood

This is just shocking.  Lakshmi Kanta Sarkar was found drinking blood from the severed head of a baby hanging in a tree. The villagers caught him in a makeshift temple drinking the baby's blood. They beat him so badly that police intervened. Lakshmi has been sentenced to death. This occult ritual is not the first registered in India.

13 year old boy rapes younger sister after watching porn

This is such a sad and worrying incident. An 8 year old boy raped his 8 year old sister just to try out what he saw on porn. The boy told police officers he used game console to watch porn before deciding to try it out on younger sister. The boy said he targeted younger sister because she was small and would not remember it.

The boy admitted rape at Blackburn magistrate court. He is bailed and will live with relatives away from his sister until reports are carried out.

Such a sad time for the family involved. Lesson learnt is that we as parents should be involved and be vigilant on what our kids watch. My prayers are with the family involved. No need to judge.