Summer Ball

I had the chance to use my D5000 at an event this weekend. The Globe Summer Ball was yesterday at The Assembly Rooms in Newcastle.

I think the camera performed flawlessly, below are a selection of pictures from the event.

I decided to go with a Malcolm X inspired look for the ball, hence the old-school glasses, you shall be seeing it more often!

Click the images for larger versions (and witness the awesomeness of the camera....check out that sharpness!)

The New Look

Ladies!

Katrin

With Rachael

Marlene Swing Dancing (or air cycling)

With Lois

Koslowsky!!

With Ben

With Marlene

Katrin, Marlene and Rachael

A Very Mini Reunion (but an amazing one nonetheless)

Planning a high school reunion is a very challenging task, especially when some of you are on holidays and most others aren't. We had our last reunion in 2008 and turn out was very good. This year we tried to recreate that and planned a few weeks in advance on facebook. It seemed every other reply on the thread was someone saying they couldn't make it, the reunion looked like a failure even before it occurred.

Anyway, we planned to meet on April 6, in Arnhem. By the evening of April 5th, it seemed it was just gonna be me, Marjanne, Marlene and William at the reunion (a.k.a just another day in North East England...and William) the plan was to visit our old school (there were no classes, but I received word that teachers were having a meeting) and then drive up to Amsterdam and possibly meet up with Beerd.

Well, meet up at Arnhem Central Station we did, and drive to the AIS we did as well, only to be confronted by a locked gate, and what seemed to be a school building devoid of life. It seemed by intel* was incorrect, nobody was here, cars were parked in the parking lot, but no one was in the building. Desperate, we spent about 10 mins walking around the school looking for entry points, but every door was firmly locked (side note: the front gate is quite pointless as you can easily get to the school from the back...just sayin')

After hanging around and thinking of various (illegal) ways to enter the building, we decided to call it off and head up to Amsterdam. With Marlene driving, we got on the highway and headed to the capital.

With William in the car you can be sure the discussions were lively, crazy and sometimes absurd (William's trademark) but it was fun.

Arriving in Amsterdam, we found a parking lot and promptly found a toilet as I felt my bladder was at tipping point so to speak. It was the best urination experience I have ever had, unexplainable relief and lightness, it was bliss!

Anyway...we headed off to Dam Square to meet up with Beerd, who I hadn't seen in four years.

He arrived in a cloud of smoke, well not really a cloud...with a cigarette perched daintily in his right hand and and iPod earphone hanging from his left ear. After embraces, compliments and salutations we headed off to find PANCAKES!

Finding a spot next to the flower stalls (and blocked from the shining sun) we settled at the 'Old Dutch Pancake House' which billed itself as having the 'best pancakes in town', right next to it was another pancake house which also claimed to have 'the best pancakes in Amsterdam' clearly one had to be false, but we didn't have time to sample both menus and decide. We talked, laughed and ate our pancakes and then decided to head up to another cafe in Rembrandt square.

This time we were exposed to the full rays of the sun (and also exposed to noisy trumpet players and tone deaf guitar players) but it was a nice place, soaking up some sun and catching up.

Learn to sing before performing in public

Afterwards we headed back to Beerd's place and chilled for a while, drank some good tea and discussed whether or not Avatar was a good movie before we had to head off back home.

We crowned the day with a few pictures and were greeted with extensive posing and modeling by William.

It was a very good day!

Hopefully at the next reunion we would have a higher turn out. It's always good to see what former classmates are up to and to have discussions that cannot be had on facebook or msn. You can poke on facebook, but nothing beats a real hug! (I've copyrighted that phrase)

* intel was provided by my younger brother, Daniel

Here are some pics! (click for a larger rendition)

Fade to Black

With the semester done, it was only right to celebrate in style. My good friend Titi was celebrating her birthday, so we headed down to Chase, all dressed in black and white (celebrant had to stand out in red of course) and partied the night away. Here are some select shots.

L-R- Alina, Ada, Anastasia, Marta

Me and Alina

Titi and Michelle

Ada and Alina

Natasha, Dominik and Katie

L-R- Natasha, Ada, Michelle, Titi, Alina, Marta

Dominik and Marta

Judith, Graeme, Spanish girl (I don't know her name) and Rachel

Me and Marlene

L-R- Titi, Ada, Marlene and Marta

Anastasia, Me and Kaori

Michelle, Titi and Marlene

Marta and Moi

L-R- Kelvin, Marta, Daniel and Anastasia

Marlene, Me and Katie

Katie and Marta

L-R- Gloria, Ariel, Titi, Marlene and Me

Titi and Moi

Titi and Dominik

Me and Titi

L-R- Gloria, Pooja, Mengqing , Titi, Judith and Spanish Twins (don't know their names)

Titi cutting her cake!

Retrospection & Introspection

Some of my fellow post-grads

So, my first semester at Newcastle University has pretty much come to an end. It's been a pretty interesting few months, it's great to be amongst people with a real zeal to learn, as an undergrad you feel that some people are there just because they had nothing better to do after college, university for them was 80% alcohol and 20% studying. With post-graduates, I certainly feel that I'm amongst people who are passionate about what they are studying.

The last few months have also taught me a great deal about myself, about aspects of my character that I need to develop and show, and other aspects that I need to get rid of.

I don't really like labeling myself, but I've always considered myself to be an introvert, my closest friends would probably disagree, as they are probably used to me being loud, boisterous, polemical and humorous. And, yes I am all these things to a certain degree, but I find that it is when one is in unfamiliar company that the distinction between introvert and extrovert is best displayed, and when in unfamiliar company, I am the opposite of all those adjectives listed above. Especially in a social gathering, I just don't know what to say, and that's also when the stammering kicks in, so I may know what to say, but I'm just unable to say it. Oftentimes I'm just on the periphery, nodding my head at an ongoing conversation and appearing deeply interested.

In a social setting, I find that I work best if I'm with someone I know very well, someone to bounce my thoughts and jokes off on, with the presence of a familiar face I feel very much at ease. Being able to socialize effectively (solo) is definitely something I'm working on, and it's something I sort of have to do now that I'm a member of a new church and Christian community, I can't always run to Marlene for help.

Which brings me to the second aspect of my behaviour that I need to work on, and that's being 'warm' to everyone around me. More than once this year, I've heard through the grapevine that certain people like my character, but I seemingly don't give them the time of day; when they try engaging me, I'm either distant or brief. It's certainly not something I do on purpose, and it is flattering that some people genuinely want to make my acquaintance, but I think I may be rubbing off the wrong way, as being aloof or arrogant, and these are words that no one would like associated with them. I am partially aware of this 'fault' in my character, and I am very aware of certain individuals I feel want to know me better, and it hurts me when they sing my praises (based on their observations of my interactions with close friends) and I cannot honestly repay them in kind, because I have not made the effort to get to know them.

Well, they say the first step in solving a problem is identifying it, and I have definitely identified this one, and over the next few months I'll be doing my best to rectify it.

With Friends (and Family) like these

William came over last Friday, he left yesterday (Sunday) it was great to catch up with my big brother and have a long chat with him about life and the future.

On Saturday, Marlene offered to make us a meal (an offer we could not refuse of course)...the meal was quiche, and it looked as good as it tasted, it looked like one of those cookbook pictures, you know, the one that you can quite never get your own version to look like. It was stupendo!!!

Renate joined us a little later in the meal, she is also studying in Newcastle Uni, and we had planned to meet up, but somehow hadn't managed to get our schedules right. Anyway, William's visit prompted everyone to get right and meet at Marlene's.

We chatted for ours about or respective lives, what we had been up to in the years we hadn't seen each other, lot's of great tales of Oriental adventures....all I could offer was my exciting time writing my dissertation (thrilling!!!)

It's great to have these mini-AIS reunions and think back to what an amazing time we had in that grand old school.

We only managed to take one picture...and there it is. Enjoy!

Vinte e Um (Twenty-One)

So, finally I am now legally a full adult in Nigeria, and in the USA. I know I look twice my age (from a distance at least) but yes, I have been 20 for a while now, well one year precisely, but it feels like an eternity.

I remember when I was 19, I didn't want to become 20 too quickly because I felt I would lose my uniqueness, all my mates were 20 and above, and there I was; still a teenager, but looking much older than they. Well, when I turned twenty I was like, let's get on with it. So I am 21 now and I thank God.

I had a low key celebration (I love low-key) at the usual spot- you guessed it: Nando's. But I have to enter a personal note for further remembrance- never eat a chicken leg three hours before going to Nando's- it's a very bad idea. For the first time in history I was unable to finish my meal, on MY birthday, Dios Mio! can you imagine that!!! Well I was presented with a chocolate cake which was very very nice!

It was great to be surrounded by a few of my closest friends, we often fail to count our blessings, and we often fail to cherish those who care about us, and I am really grateful to God that I was able to share this moment in great company.

I am a person who believes in honesty and whole heartedness, and so I'm very meticulous when choosing friends and I make sure we are compatible on many levels, I'm not naturally the most open person, but I strive to have a deep emotional connection with those I consider friends.

So anyway, I am probably going on too much about the value of friendship (I have noticed that I have been very introspective and contemplative of random things lately, I don't know if this is good or bad, but I hope I don't bore people with my constant eulogizing of various things..and here I go again)

So, the pictures. Sadly, when you are the celebrant, and when you possess the large photographic contraption that I have, you end up taking very few pictures. But the memories are forever ingrained in my memory..lol..or in my brain.

With the group L-R- Me, Titi, Marlene, Marjanne, Marta & Jamila (not pictured- Dominik)

Me and the ever jovial Jamila

Marlene and Marjanne

Me and Titi

Thumbs up from Marta

The Cake!!!

So a BIG THANK YOU to Titi, Marlene, Marjanne, Jamila, Dominik and of course Miss Marta for a marvelous day. I love you guys soo much!!!