Trending in Nigeria! Mark Zuckerberg's visit

Mark Zuckerberg is on a surprise visit to Nigeria, Facebook’s largest African market

Social media has been agog with the visit of Mark Zuckerberg to Nigeria. This visit reinforces the role the most populous country in Africa plays in African economic development. It is reported that Nigeria remains Facebook’s biggest market in Africa and that about 16 million people visit the social media platform monthly. 

This is a huge boost to young entrepreneurs in the country. Whilst in the country, Zuckerberg  will be meeting with developers and entrepreneurs, and learning about the startup ecosystem in Nigeria.   Zuckerberg will visit Co-Creation Hub (Cc Hub), in Yaba, Lagos’ Silicon Valley-style ground zero for start-ups. Over the years, Cc Hub has served as a start-up incubator and accelerator, housing successful start-ups such as BudgIT, a civic enterprise which focuses on accountability and transparency in government budgets. While at Cc Hub, Zuckerberg also met with young kids attending a summer coding camp.


Source: http://qz.com/770002/mark-zuckerberg-is-in-nigeria-facebooks-largest-african-market/

Gene Wilder was famous for playing Willy Wonka has died age 83

Gene Wilder who was famous for playing Willy Wonka and starred in a number of films directed by Mel Brooks has died age 83.

Gene Wilder

Culled from BBC News

Naomi Campbell - Looking fantastic in her 40s!

She is pure class and just simply stunning!

Picture culled from Daily Mail. Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-3762909/Naomi-Campbell-46-oozes-youthful-glamour-barely-ensemble-risks-wardrobe-malfunction-risqu-slashed-gown.html

My week in North Norfolk!

I have had an amazing week! I toured the countryside in Norfolk. I love this county and can't get enough of it. 

Here are some of the pictures I took. 

I went strawberry picking at Stalham

Cromer

Great Yarmouth

North Walsham

Lessons from the Olympics to apply in life!

Many of us have followed the competitions in the 2016 Olympics in Rio. We have supported countries, sat at the end of our chairs cheering sportsmen and women we want to win. I have got to be honest, this Olympics has been great to watch. I have cried, laughed, cheered and jumped in happiness as I watched these games. What amazing individuals these sportsmen and women are! As I was sat down strategizing how best to get fit and get better in sports that I love, I was also applying some of the lessons I gleaned from watching the Olympics to life. Here are some of the 5lessons that I jotted down.

Strategy: During the commentary in BBC, Michael Johnson stated that it is not how hard you work but how smart and intelligent you work. He was commenting on how far Mo Farah has come as a world champion from an athlete that struggled many years ago. All athletes work hard but it is the strategy one applies that makes the difference. In life, you have got to apply different strategies in the way you do things. If the way you are used to doing things does not work, do not give up, try another strategy!

Confidence in your ability: I see the confidence in athletes such a Mo Farah, Usain Bolt and other great sportsmen and women. They all believed in their abilities and training. Sometimes, due to our personalities or how we were brought up, we become self-deprecating, lack confidence in our abilities even when we know we are capable. We have to develop that confidence in our abilities and even if we do not deliver, we can go back, better ourselves and come back strong. This means that we have to keep training, learning, developing and advancing.

Strength: This does not just apply to physical strength but to emotional and inner strength. When you have no more energy to keep going, all hope lost and you just couldn’t be bothered trying anymore, that is when the inner strength is most needed to draw that one more strength that would just wake you up to try one more time.

Resilience: Did you see when Mo Farah tripped and fell in the 10,000 meters race? Yep, sometimes in life, we trip and fall. It could be due to our mistakes or from someone outside our world. The lesson learnt is; never stay down! Did you see how Mo Farah got up immediately and continued the race, eventually winning the race? Life throws so many obstacles our way but we must never stay down. Get up and continue the race, keep running and never give up. You still have a chance at winning if you do not give up.

Smile: Don’t forget to smile! It lifts everyone up!

Are there lessons that you learnt from the Olympics? Please share with me.

Have a good day!

Source: Lilian S

Happy Sunday

Mo Farah has done it again. He bagged another Olympic gold! Well done to Caster Semenya for winning the 800 metre race. Nigeria gets bronze in football! Well done to all the sports men and women!

Have a wonderful Sunday and week ahead.

Note to self:

Nicola Adams wins flyweight gold again

Yes! She did it! I have been looking forward to this fight. Nicola Adams became the first British boxer to retain an Olympic title for 92 years by winning gold in the women's flyweight final at Rio 2016.


The UK is doing brilliantly at the Olympics! Britain has now won 26 golds in Brazil and 63 medals overall, two short of the record 65 won at London 2012.


Read more: http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/olympics/36691347

Rio 2016: Nigeria Olympic kit ‘arrived too late'

Nigerian athletes in Rio received their Olympic kits only on day 13 of the Games, the BBC has learned.

Most of them had finished competing by the time the outfits arrived.

"We are disappointed and embarrassed. We've been wearing kits from the World Athletics Championships," one athlete, requesting anonymity, told the BBC.

Nigeria's men's football team has its own sponsored kit - but it has been hit by funding problems and players only arrived hours before their first match.

The team plays for bronze on Saturday against Honduras.

Africa's most populous country has so far won no medals at Rio, with only three more days of competition left to go.

Japanese plastic surgeon, Katsuya Takasu, is donating $200,000 to the football team after hearing about its financial difficulties.

The players were held up in the US city of Atlanta because of problems paying for their flight and only landed in Brazil just hours before their opening 5-4 win over Japan.

Mr Takasu has also promised each player a $10,000 bonus if they win bronze.

Culled from BBC News

Taking the simplest things for granted!

I love London! I love the mix of people, the crowd, the multicultural mix. Just walking down the street, you would hear languages from all corners of the world been spoken. I love walking down the street and exchanging greetings with the big issue seller - by the way, he is fantastic! Always has a smile and word for me. I love exchanging greetings with the few construction workers that I pass every day on my way to work - some days, we have a bit of a chit chat.

As I was segueing from the sea of people on the streets of London to get to the train station and taking in the London scenery, the mix of people, interracial couples, children, old and young, something phenomenal caught my gaze.

It was a woman in a wheelchair wearing an oxygen mask doing her thing without any help. The London hustle and bustle, noise, people did not interest me anymore. Before I saw her, I was giving myself a hard time, pushing myself to do more, to try harder....

Here is another human being wearing an oxygen mask and still living life and doing things herself. I said to myself, this woman is the definition of a strong woman. Nothing has stopped her from being part of this world, nothing has stopped her from living. She has the oxygen mask but yet, came out on her own to do things like any other person.








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Health is one thing we take for granted! We sometimes do not know how living is dependent on health. When you are healthy, you live! Have you seen someone in pain or sick in the hospital? What wouldn't they give to have a moment without pain? Yet, we kill ourselves with worry, fear and despair over things we have little control over.



Have a great day!

India: Three die as kite string slits their throats

I enjoy flying a kite so when I saw this story I was curious to find out how a kite might be dangerous. It has been reported that three people, including two children, have died after their throats were slit by glass-coated strings used for flying kites on India's Independence Day.

According to the report,  the children were looking out through the sunroof of their cars in different parts of Delhi when sharp strings slit their throats. An adult also died in a similar way.

Apparently, glass-coated strings are used to bring down competitors' kites, but they also end up injuring and killing people.

Many Indians fly kites to celebrate festivals and important occasions like the Independence Day, which is celebrated on 15 August.

But every year, there are reports of people dying or getting wounded from the kite strings - locally known as manja - treated with powdered glass or metal to sharpen them.

These strings also kill and maim hundreds of birds annually - at least 500 birds have been admitted to the Charity Birds Hospital in Delhi in the past three days alone, Indian media reports say. The hospital says it treats up to 8,000 birds every year.

Culled from BBC News

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-india-37103668

Tuesday's musing!

I love an underdog. You know that person that Everyone has written off? Yes, the quiet one that no one gives the time of the day and mistakes their quiet nature as timidity. The one the loquacious and garrulous think they can intimidate and ostracize?

 You see, the thing about some underdogs is that they possess certain qualities and attributes that are easily overlooked because they are often looked down on. That is why when some hear that someone they used to know has become successful, their first reaction is that of dismissal and then unbelief. The underdog always comes back to surprise everyone that thought they wouldn't make it.

I love it when the underdog stands up for what they believe in and never backs down for fear of standing alone.

I love strong characters! I love strong men and women who have their own minds and stand for what they believe in. Sometimes, people think because you are quiet you are weak!


See you at the top!

My weekend!

I had an amazing weekend exploring some of the villages in Norfolk. The weather was glorious. What more could one ask for?

I went to a water festival also and had a really great time. Here are some of the pictures I took.

Boko Haram video shows captives

The Nigerian Islamist group Boko Haram has released a video showing some of the schoolgirls they abducted from Chibok.

Some 50 girls are shown with a gunman who demands the release of fighters in return for the girls and says some girls died in air strikes. The group is said to be holding more than 200 of the 276 final-year girls it seized from a school in April 2014.

It is reported that Non-Muslims were forcibly converted to Islam, and it is feared that many of the schoolgirls have been sexually abused and forced into "marriage" by their captors.

The video begins with a shot of a masked man, carrying a gun, speaking to the camera. He says that some of the girls have been wounded and have life-threatening injuries and that 40 have been "married".

Speaking in the Hausa language, the gunman says the girls on display will "never" be returned if the government does not release Boko Haram fighters who have been "in detention for ages".

Culled from BBC News: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-37076644

Mo Farah breaks record and wins third medal!

What a race! What an inspiration! What an accomplishment!

Farah overcame a tumble to win the 10,000m race.

There is a great lesson to learn from this- when you fall, get up and keep going! Never give up! Eye on the goal and keep going!

Trending- Simone Manuel's Olympic gold medal in swimming

Simone Manuel is the first African-American female swimmer to win an Olympic gold in an individual swimming event.

Moments like this inspire me! People like Simone Manuel motivate me. Yes, if she can do it, so can I!

Her tears of happiness drew tears from my eyes! What an inspiration. Not because of her race but the determination to win and succeed in the face of whatever barriers there are out there. 

She states:

"This medal is not just for me, it's for some of the African-Americans who have been before me and been inspirations," she said.

"I hope I can be an inspiration for others. This medal is for the people who come behind me and get into the sport."

BBC News gave a well compelling history of African-Americans and swimming. They state that African-Americans have been shut out of swimming pools for generations.

Swimming pools have been a racially sensitive flashpoint in the US for generations. African-American people were often denied access to pools in the segregation era, and even after its abolition white people found other ways to exclude them. Nor has building pools for black areas been a priority.

Jeff Wiltse, in his book Contested Waters: A Social History of Swimming Pools in America, argues that white anxieties over contact with black people fuelled this historic lack of integration at US swimming pools.

*It seems crazy that in this day and age, race issues are still prevalent. I remember when Serena and Venus Williams came on the scene in tennis, the backlash, the boos and the hostility they dealt with, but they still went on to make history.*

Note to self: No matter the opposition, barriers and obstacles, failure is not an option! Keep your eyes on the goal. If you fail, try again! Make mistakes but never quit!

Well done Simone! We are so proud of you!


Read more: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-37057236

Todays musing: Undeterred attitude towards success!

I have never been shy of hard work. Never been ashamed of my humble beginnings. I am ever grateful to the wonderful men and women who have helped to mould and shaped me into who I am today. My aim is to strive for a better me, to learn more, to advance and to make a positive impact in this world.

I know that achieving one's dreams comes with challenges, is a learning process and has it's highs and lows. I am aware of the characteristics that go with the determination to succeed. It involves tenacity, being stoic and resilience. One of the most important characteristics is never  ever giving up on your dreams no matter how many times you fall. Never being afraid to make mistakes. You learn from them! People are definitely going to mock you, laugh at you, and traduce your name. But you know what?  They are distractions and do not matter.

Do not be afraid to walk alone, to stand up for what you believe in. Do not be afraid of being ostracised by people who do not matter and have never enabled you in any way. 

There will always be those who believe in you and would do all in their power to help you achieve your dreams!

Keep on walking with your head held high. If they laugh, mock, jeer and point fingers at you, let them continue. Have you read the biographies of great men and women? They went through the same and they persevered and never lost focus. 

Most of all, never forget to live life and enjoy the moment.

Have a wonderful day!

Donald Trump calls Obama the 'founder of Isis'

According to the guardian website, Donald Trump referred to president Obama as ‘Barack Hussein Obama’ and says Hillary Clinton is Isis co-founder.

Donald Trump's comments, made at a rally in Sunrise, Florida, came as he continued to face a backlash for hinting a day earlier that his opponent, Hillary Clinton, be assassinated by gun rights supporters.

“Isis is honoring President Obama,” Trump said of Islamic State. “He is the founder of Isis. He founded Isis. And, I would say the co-founder would be crooked Hillary Clinton.”

In addition to insinuating that Obama, a Christian, is secretly a Muslim, Trump has also falsely stated the president was born in Kenya when he was, in fact, born in Hawaii.

For the video, please click the link below.

Culled from the Guardian:https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2016/aug/11/donald-trump-calls-barack-obama-the-founder-of-isis

Woman admits having sex with dog!

Strange things are happening in our world!

Kimberly Coggin, 39,  admitted having sex with more than one animal according to Irish Mirror. Police investigated a photo of her in the act going around her home of Calhoun County in Alabama. Despite her guilty plea, she will not be jailed and instead received a 10 year suspended sentence with five years probation. She has also been ordered to register as a sex offender!


Source: Irish Mirror

Olympics game- Chierika Ukogu qualifies for Semifinals of Rowing Event

Wow! Nigerian Chierika ‘Coco’ Ukogu, 23, today qualified for the semifinals of the rowing event.

She is the first person to represent Nigeria in Rowing at the Olympics and guess what? She sponsored herself by raising funds through a GoFundMe Page she created.

Well done Chierika!!! You have done yourself and Africa so proud!

I hope the Nigerian government take investing in sports and youth development more seriously!

Mexico Miss World pageant head Castellanos killed

The director of the Miss World pageant in Mexico, Hugo Ruben Castellanos, has been killed in the city of Culiacan in north-eastern Sinaloa state.

Mr Castellanos was abducted along with two other people from a bar early on Sunday, just hours after he crowned the winner of the Miss Sinaloa contest.


Culled from BBC news

I am back from my weekend away!!!

The United Kingdom is full of stunning and picturesque villages. One does not have to visit abroad to have an amazing holiday. There are so much activities one can indulge in here in the UK. Additionally, there are so many historic, picturesque and attractive places to visit.

This weekend, I had an amazing time visiting a small village near Cromer, Norfolk. I did the drive towards the coastal village where I spent my time. Although one has to be careful segueing through the narrow and bendy roads, there are several scenic places to stop and look around. As I drove past little villages with some of the cutest names I've come across, I couldn't help being in awe of the scenery. I couldn't help but smile when I passed small villages called Little Snoring and Pudding Norton! Awesome!

When I got to the coastal villages, I was engulfed with the holiday feeling. There were hundreds of people enjoying their holiday. It helped that the weather was magnificent!

The weather was just brilliant - Just the perfect weather to meander through the many villages. Of course it would be so easy to sit by the beach and just soak in the sun. Hey, I am an explorer! I looked around the charity shops in North Walsham and of course went to a car boot sale.



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These charming views of  North Norfolk were captured by me! Enjoy!