Shows that made the good old days, truly good!

Ah nostalgia. *sniff*. A true Naija person will feel pangs of elation and/or melancholy when they see these. At least I did. I don't know why I've been having this penchant for old skool, but These are what made the good old days truly good. I had to do some international language translating to find some of these clips, so give em a gander why dontcha?


The rich also cry or Los Ricos También Lloran: (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-MUICeuqAOo)

Bold and the beautiful: (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZPNntaTAo-w)

Wild rose or Rosa Salvaje: (I remember vividly, it was always yam porridge night. Lol): (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xEofhKPQ7sg)

Papa ajasko (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bf1YbYNuKuA)

Things fall apart- CLASSIC!! Watch for at least two minutes for the whole song. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o7FS95IcRNU&feature=related)

Rentaghost (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yX5kXSGaDUg)

Santa Barbara (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wT0ndELh-Ck)

Escrava Isaura… some of you will be wondering what this is, till you hear it (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=feHwNgGRiwk)

Secrets of the Sand or Mulheres de Areia. Remember those two sisters fighting for some guy?? the blind guy who could make great sand sculptures? I remember the scandal, the treachery, the romance! *squeal* (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WP4qu4FYpK0)

Maria de los angeles is here (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4oHjnf3-1BE)

No one but you, aka Tu o Nadie (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wOCq5FjJrPA&feature=related)

Doctor Who: (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BwJtYmNpINI)

Telematch in german on Sundays. was there anything better to wake up to? I know it was before mass because we never finished watching it before we had to leave. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_QMGqtlplUg&feature=related)\

SLedgehammer - what a hardcore!theme! lol (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tBAbz6isTsI)

SUPERFORCE?!? (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RsW78sWVb8Y&feature=related)

And some classics I couldn’t get Videos for:
Checkmate
Tales by moonlight
Storyland
Lady of the rose
Newsline with Frank Olize


I put in a special segment for the stuff I watched when I got back from school. Ah, the days when NTA 2 was the shizz and we actually had NEPA to watch tv with!

The 4 o clock lineup (once you got back from school) and some Cadbury's breakfast tv hits:
National anthem
“NTA Twooooooo, channel Fiiive, your reachout station!”
Voltron (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f9C2YLVaSBw)
BIRDMAN (biiiiiiiiird-maan!!!): (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LpnuxDhoueQ)
Superted (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mUUGmos_Kg4)
Dodo the kid from outer space (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WlQSqPXzVdw&feature=related)
Danger mouse: (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PrM0E9pag8E)
Pingu (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wx4s7CLEaFc&feature=related)
Secret Squirrel (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-S_F9U9gNEQ)
KidiVision 101
Biker mars from mars (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vWS-OiHxKto)
Terrahawks (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1hgHvOH9mJA)
THUNDERBIRDS!! (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nFb4IVLXDss)

Good times!! I may go on a movie spree next. Feel free to tell me anything I missed in this one. I know there are a lot out there.

That point in your life...

When you become an adult in Naija:

You’re now eligible for police “checkpoints”: When you were a kid, they’d wave the driver by (after all, you didn’t have anything for them: your weekly allowance wasn’t going to be enough). Now, however, you get stopped at every possible checkpoint, with a “Good evening Oga/madam, wetin u get for your boys?” (“your boys”… like you know dem sef… *hiss*)

You can “authorize” the activation of the generator when NEPA strikes

The household staff now goes “well done” (“weh Don!”) when you get back home.

The kids of family friends now call u “uncle” or “aunty”… makes you feel so old. And in contrast, “Uncle John” is now “Mr. John” to you.

You gotta look at the meter to make sure they aren’t swindling you at the petrol station (make sure it starts at zero before they pump your fuel). The same applies to diesel, kerosene, garri, groundnut, clothing material and all measurable substances.

It may cross your mind to buy a plot of land somewhere once u have enough money (god knows it’s better to buy cheap now and take your time building).

You can take the family car out when you want to (but you dare not touch Popsies/Momsies BMW/Mercedes without asking)

You can “maneuver” the more challenging Lagos roads. Conquering Oshodi Market (which has only one lane for three lanes worth of cars, not forgetting the market stalls and innumerable amount of people) officially gives you Driver (“Driva”) status (though to fully qualify, you need to know a fair amount of shortcuts to and from the Island)!!

You’ve given up on Calling NEPA when there has been no light for a month (in actuality, you should have given up several years ago). You won’t even get through, seeing as all the landlines have been down for ages.

You know better than to buy “Pure water” (also something you should have known a while ago… hopefully you didn’t learn from experience)

You know to have your Cash, watch and GSM ready to hand over once some guy taps on your windshield with a gun.

In order to prevent the above from happening, you know better than to bring out your GSM whilst traversing certain roads.

Before you buy something you want in the market you bargain for at least 15 minutes, with an “Abeg give me last Price (“Laz Prize”)” every two minutes, Only experienced women/Drivers usually get the actual “last price” when they engage in real market scenarios so guys shouldn’t feel so bad if they get ripped off the first few times (for optimum results go shopping with experienced individuals so on your next trip you can say “Which one be One thousand (“Wan Touzan”) you dey talk? No be dis one I buy for Five hundred last week?) . I believe a whole book could be written on Naija shopping tactics (best places to shop, the last price for various items, etc)

Remember those jokes your dad used to crack with his friends? You can laugh at some of them now cant you? (I say “some”, because I bet a lot of em are still gonna fly over your head) You knew it was gonna be bad when they started the conversation with their various nicknames. I believe they once sounded like this:

Dad: AAAH OMODILOGBOOOOooN!!

Dad’s Friend: IKENGA THE IKENGA

Dad: It seems you are living large!!

DF: hahaha, no now! In fact, My generator is eating more than me these days! As they say…

Both: HAHHAAHHAAHAHHAAHA

Yeah, that pretty much sums it up for me, and I bet this applies to some others out there...
Good luck with life.

Random Good Stuff to Listen to:
Dizzee Rascal feat Calvin Harris- Dance wiv me
Sonny J - Hold my hand
BPA feat Dizzee Rascal -Toe Ja
Roll Deep- When I'm Ere
Chemical Brothers - Midnight Madness

In response to..

This post is in response to the Fiasco in which several Nigerians were booted off a plane as a deportation was taking place. Original article: http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/topstories/2008/04/07/136-ba-passengers-removed-from-jet-over-deportee-row-89520-20375182/

Its a sad thing (not unlike several other issues in this day and age).

Begin rant:

Deportation is oft a result of on having committed a crime, and resistance comes somewhat naturally. He should have followed the eleventh commandment (never get caught). However, if the "jig is up", so to speak, resistance is pretty much futile. the individual should have stayed put and nothing else woulda happened (best imaginable situation). Obviously, it didn't go down this way.

I wont sugarcoat the issue. Nigerians are stereotyped by British airline staff as those rowdy individuals who always pack too much luggage, cant wait in line, and are almost always of disorderly conduct, be it pre-flight, mid-flight or post flight. And there is never smoke without fire.

Nigerians also have this mindset of being "opposed" to the airline staff in some way (in no small part due to being given aforementioned stereotypes), almost always backing up their fellow peoples unless they are outright wrong. And, being Nigerians, the intervention is almost always "ruff and tumble" (I told u, no sugarcoating). However, I still believe that the pilot's course of action would have been completely different had the passengers been British citizens.

As for the interfering “busy body”, it is human nature to avoid conflict whenever one can (unless you are one twisted individual). However, when dealing with the “law”, things are completely different. Any move on your part can get you slapped with an “obstruction of justice” charge, and the ball is almost always in their court. In my opinion, unless you physically need to take action (if there is blatant abuse of authority on the part of the law enforcers), its best to hide your feelings (however righteous they may seem). As I said before, if he’s being deported, he probably did something wrong. If the law enforcers need to use force, I’m guessing the criminal isn’t going quietly. I do not know if the passengers were informed that there would be a deportation taking place. I believe this would have been the best course of action: A message informing the passengers of the scheduled deportation and a strict no interference policy. However, if the interference from Mr. Omotade was just verbal, his arrest is in no way justified. It is a gross misconduct on the part of the British constables and may be actionable in a court of law. Then again, I don't know if the officers were influenced by the BA staff to arrest Mr. Omotade. In that case, the blame on the officers may be lessened.

As for the actions of the Pilot, I cannot base judgment on this alone. I do not know if he issued a warning to the passengers or if he issued an immediate unloading of the aircraft.

In a nutshell, this just goes down as another incident in the life which could have been completely prevented. Had the offending individual alone been removed, it would have all ended. Better yet, give him a tranquilizer and take him in quietly (damn right I endorse use of sedatives). I know the words we all want to hear in this argument: racism, stereotypes, abuse of power, etc. These may or may not have influenced this situation (who am I kiddin?), but all in all, it is a disgrace to our status, not as Nigerians, but as human beings. Such things should not happen, but my goodness, when don’t they?

End rant…

Midnight sun

I walk in the darkness, enlightened
Surrounded, alone.
Avoid the gaze of passersby?
Why bother? They’ll do the same.

Tip of the hat, a wave or a smile?
Who am I to be that fool?
Even if one longs for that dead game
The winds blow cold, and take away warm eyes.

In this world of the midnight sun
There is less need for smiles and cheer
They have become mere fraccions
Of that which makes the world go round.

Every now and then, a solar flare
How long till they burn out?
But those are fears for a daydream generation
I have bigger problems on my mind.

Frustration, worry, doubt,
These are soon to pass.
For I rest my head upon my bed.
And hope to see the sun once more.


I wrote this one at 2 a.m (getting better). midterm later today. Maybe I'll give an explanation later. I'll let you ponder this one for a while.

Regards,
Pat II
Tarot Card: The world 21

Deux modes (Two worlds)

Who'dathunkit?? Me, starting a blog. I guess it was inevitable, if you come to think about it. For people like myself, who only hang with self (Cuz that's the way to go), and who only understand self, though sometimes one feels that one comprehends oneself less than oneself should, it seems blogging would come naturally. After all, give a man a mask and he'll tell the truth (Oscar Wilde).
It’s kinda sad but true: That which one most wishes to say is that which lies buried longest of all (In many cases, anyway). Tis the irony called life: a culmination of the infinite and nigh incomprehensible psyche of man. For if there is something I want to do, the natural impulse is to do it. If only life were so simple, then, by Janus (Othello reference for ye Shakespeare buffs out there), we'd be living the life. Kudos to those who have broken the wall, going with the "Just do it" mentality of Nike. For some of us, however, the word "consequence" weighs heavily on our minds. An example, if I may:
Dinner with the friends. Friday night. You've all downed a couple but the cognitive facilities are still in tact. And, as friends often do, you begin to talk, and proceed to down a few more. Jokes are told, with subsequent laughter echoing through the room. Then one of your friends sends you a humdinger. Be it what you may: sex jokes, poking fun at a guy at the subsequent table, bitching out his ex-g.f, who still happens to be a friend of yours. In the space of one second, you go through all the following possibilities. Do you:
1. quip in (cuz thats what friends are for)
2. laugh it off half-heartedly,
3. go "oi, come on mate, that's a tad uncalled for innit?" either way, each option has its own string of issues. what will your friends think of you? Are you the "bosom buddy" with option number one, or are you just an arse kisser? Maybe you're the play it safe type with option number two, or maybe you're just a spineless coward for not choosing a side. Does the third option make you the just, noble lad, or a plain old killjoy? That’s just one example of several we probably face everyday. your perspective of different options will be different depending on where you stand (Because if a mate's bitchin' out some whore who rubs you the wrong way, you're probably likely to add fire to that flame, if you're the aggressive type) but in this day and age, most of us prefer the middle ground, cuz, by god, its the safest way to go.
But what about the feelings you harbor deep inside? Those you keep bottled tighter than a genie in a bottle (ooh, Britney should go to rehab, but Amy Winehouse'd probly tell her to say "nooo, noo, no!.. sorry, couldnt resist)? Not the spontaneous urges you get when a random topic comes up, but the emotions you feel everyday, and want to scream out whenever someone mentions something even remotely related to what it might be, but can't, because (God forbid) your friends think you're weird, or you feel it might harm your reputation in some other way.
We conform with society and bury our true feelings, silently hoping, praying, that someone who feels the same way will come your way (but not in public, where your friends can see you)
I have referenced this once before, but a friend of mine once said "only dead fish swim with the tide." (Referring to the "feeling buriers"). And I will state my ever standing counterargument: The other fish will think you're an absolute d-bag for swimming against the tide and getting in the way of “progress”. Besides, it takes too much effort and is in many cases, unrewarding. People who stand out are "odd" and "have issues". Only in a few cases do they become "classic" characters with "exceptional" qualities, breaking barriers and helping mankind progress (a la Mr. Zuckerberg, Aristotle, etc) People like Aristotle didn’t even get commended till they died. Where’s the love?
From a purely statistical perspective, its best to just swim with the tide, and avoid any mean looks from the other fish (those cold, unfeeling eyes. fish scare me ^_^; ). If, perchance, you see another aquatic buddy swimming against the tide, wish him luck. He'll need it. As for me, I'll continue to reside in my two worlds, my Deux mondes: The world which you all see, and the world which remains deep within. By balancing them out as best I can, I intend to keep swimming with the tide, going off-course at little as possible, or whenever I can get away with it.