may days

May Day conjures up a time when the weather is warmer… flowers start to blossom... just like friendships. Yesterday, I went to ShonaVixen’s for lunch and also met up with Afrobabe, Confessions of a London gal, Jayla and Wordmerchant… all for the first time... I don’t think any of us left hers before 11:30pm... I had a fab time... ladies, it was simply a pleasure.

May is also the time that falls approximately halfway between the spring equinox and summer solstice... a time for love and romance. Well just in case cupid has decided to take time off as Labour Day… I’m off too… Flying Snow will be living it up James Bond style... lol... ok, not quite but I do have three trips planned; two of which are holidays... so be it for work or play... I'm calling these escapades my May Days.

So let me tell you about where I will be and see if you can guess... feel free to also let me know your reasoning :-)

The 1st holiday is mid month… with Tweet… and guess what?!!!… we are planning on going skydiving again!!! So I guess this is the ‘Live and Let Die’ holiday… while there, I will visit places where the Hudson divides. At some point I will become its girl but hopefully not its devil...

Where am I?
Caribbean
Jamaica
USA

The 2nd holiday is the weekend after… and it’s with Niata and Cameron… we are exploring two countries…

Initially, Niata and I will fly to the crossroads of the Pannonian Plain. Cameron will join us later as we explore a greek, roman, venetian and austro-hungarian schizoid that managed to capture the sea journeys of Dragonheart… this country features in the film ‘From Russia with Love’ although we will not be in Russia…

Where am I?
Croatia
Italy
Serbia
Turkey

Cameron, Niata and I will drive across the boarder to another country; previously ruled by bishop princes but now known as the Monaco of the Adriatic. Consider this as our ‘Casino Royale’ break away…

Where am I?
Bahamas
Czech Republic
Italy
Montenegro
Pakistan
Uganda
USA

I get back on the Wednesday and from then on it will be all work again… you see first thing on Thursday, I have to drive to Manchester for a conference… Friday morning, I’ll drive back down south at a leisurely pace; heading straight for work. On Saturday, I fly out for a week … I'm giving no clues on this one I'm afraid so feel free to just guess... but bear in mind that what they say is true… ‘The World Is Not Enough’…

Where am I?
Azerbaijan
Kazakhstan
Spain
Turkey

Oh Happy Days!

p.s
To the five ladies mentioned above, as well as Rocnaija, you are allowed to comment but not about the locations... I know that you know ;-)

pp.s
Disobey me and I will attack the blogroll!!!

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snow diaries

Friday 7th November
-My friend, The Doctor, and I flew out of London, Heathrow, at 8:50am - excited
-Arrived at the hotel, in Nevada, by 6:30pm - tired

Saturday 8th November
-Woken up at midnight by my cousin, Tweet, as she arrives at the hotel - dazed
-Hit a club by 1:30am - electric
-Back to bed by 4:30am - shattered
-Flew over the snow capped mountains of Colorado at 8:30am - breathtaking
-At 9:30am I'm in Arizona & stood on the rim of the Grand Canyon - magnificent
-Went horse riding on a ranch at 11:15am - hilarious
-Experienced a bumpy plane ride back to Nevada at 1:30pm - prayed
-Impulsively jumped on a rollercoaster ride at 3:45pm - petrified

Sunday 9th November
-Went skydiving at 12:00pm - awesome
-Went shopping for gifts for family at 3:00pm - stressful
-Headed out for my birthday dinner at 8:00pm - emotional
-Ran for a taxi in 4 inch heels so as not to miss the show at 9:30pm - madness
-Hit a club by 11:30pm - grooving

Monday 10th November
-Thanking God because it is my birthday - smiling

p.s
I just found out that Rayo has the same birthday as me. Do drop by hers and wish her a happy belated birthday too :-)

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juggling act

I’m so very busy… apparently women are better at multitasking but I’ve always hated having to refocus my attention from an overall goal towards multiple subsidiary tasks… but at the moment everything seems to be major which means I’m juggling… so many things at once… too many things at once…

I read somewhere that the act of juggling is the human ability of moving objects, usually through the air. It is done mainly for entertainment. But this is my life… and it ain't no joke so I’m scared that if I loose concentration for a second, the balls might fall to the ground… I don’t want that.

Lemme explain…

1stly… career ball… I’m busy with work… In addition to what is already on my plate, I think I might have to start going to Russia soon. My company are working on getting me a multiple visa for trips to Moscow, Murmansk and Saint Petersburg… but mehnnn…the idea of trying to acclimatise to the cold over there (especially at this time of year) is not meshing with me one bit... not at all.

Work is kind of doing me a favour with the visa thing as I’ve always wanted to go to Saint Petersburg. The music, culture and cityscape are something to experience apparently. Did you know that the name was thought to be too German, so in 1914 the city was renamed Petrograd? I’m fascinated with the revolution that ousted Tsar Nicholas II and forged the legend of Anastasia. She is the daughter that was supposed to have survived despite the fact that her and her siblings were speared with bayonets. This was because the amount of diamonds they were wearing apparently rendered them bullet proof (to some extent). Anyway after the revolution against the Russian Monarchy, Lenin came into power. Then he died and so they re-named the place Leningrad just 3 days after his death in 1924. However, in the 1991 referendum, 54% of voters chose to restore the name Saint Petersburg. I digress…

Anyway, fellow Nigerians keep telling me that Russians don’t like black people but I’ve known a couple of mixed raced people... as in the Russian and Naija combo (I'm sorry if that sounds like a meal deal but you know what I mean)… anyway, they never complained about being discriminated against when there… but the idea of that curve ball does bother me sha.

2ndly… family ball… I’m busy with plans for my mother’s bday… my brothers and I are trying to organise the celebrations for her 60th next month. My task is trying to sort out the thanksgiving church service... and the cake... and the finger food... and the champagne & wine ...as well as the music for the reception. I'm really starting to wonder what the others are doing... lol... I'm not sorting out the dinner so I'm happy about that sha.

Also we are not sure of what to get her… we think it should be a collective present from the kids but no one has a clue… anybody that read half will know my mother is fussy… the saying ‘it is the thought that counts’ doesn't wash with her… it is BECAUSE we love her we MUST get it right! lol

3rdly… love ball… as in the art of contact juggling… hmmm… that is the ability to manipulate the object (of my affection of course... not that I do manipulation mind you) through constant contact with the body…hmmm…*blushing*… er… not for this post…

4thly... friendship ball... my friend Nailah had a baby today... I didn't even realise she was due... I felt so bad... anyway, I called her as soon as I got her text. She told me she was still at the hospital and that she'd given birth at 1pm today to a beautiful and healthy baby girl... ***ok, so I admit that I added this bit to the original post at about 6pm***... anyway, I am so happy for her. I will try and visit her as soon as she gets out of hospital.

Today is a blessing indeed because it is also one of my closest friend’s birthday. Let's call her Maizah. I called her in Abuja to wish her happy birthday. She told me she was having a lovely romantic dinner organised by her boyfriend and they would be joining their other friends for her birthday get together later.

Lastly… party ball… I’m busy planning my bday in November… my friends and I are off to Nevada. All flights and hotels are booked… I’ve told everybody that no husbands or boyfriends are allowed…

I’ve sorted out most of the special stuff sha… but I’m really surprised that everybody coming to celebrate with me wants to play with the adventure ball… as in go skydiving with me… as in naija babes will jump out of a plane and start free falling at 120 mph (miles per hour) … but only for about 60 seconds…then we get to parachute down for 5 to 7 minutes… can you imagine it?… 5 to 7 minutes of gliding in quiet peace.

Apparently when I free fall I will feel ‘… a sense of weightlessness and wind… it will feel like I’m floating…’

Will be saying a prayer before I take my leap of faith sha!!!

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the good kind

There is this lovely guy at work...in his late twenties …we are part of a group that goes to the same resort for outdoor sports training…I ski or snowboard for about 2 hours but he goes all the way there just for 15minutes in the wind tunnel to perfect his skydiving techniques…“pure madness” I tell him but he simply replies “the good kind.”

I just found out some frightening news about him and I’m floored…

I came in from lunch to an announcement…in my mind I was like ‘what is it again…these execs in my company just like to talk sha’…I was shocked to find out that this guy is in an intensive care unit in Paris…what?!!!...I can’t believe it…he only just took the secondment to go to France.

They say he was in car accident on his way to work this morning. British consulate will only release info to his family. The company are flying his family to see him.

Adam you are in my prayers.

‘…the Spirit of him… who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life …through his Spirit who dwells in you.’ Romans 8:11

Good Shepherd help him to get well

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