The last two years I have spent Christmas day at work, alone and away from old friends and family. So as the day drew nigh this year I was ambivalent. My wife and I had picked up three musical CDs some two weeks ago, one good old BoneyM and two other contemporary Christmas carols. As it were I needed some music to remind me of the coming yuletide.
So when we set out for Christmas shopping on the 23rd, I slotted the BoneyM into the Car stereo and hummed all the way. The shopping was uneventful until we got to the aisle for “Cake things”. Picking the flour, sugar, butter, eggs and milk was straightforward. But a guy like me gets really awed when it comes to making choices about those baking additives. As I pushed the trolley behind my wife, the search for such things like nutmeg, browny was exhausting and made me wander the routine such searches will be in the future.
Back at home that evening, not until I started chopping the turkey that I really felt Christmas was here. It is going to be a unique one...and I will not be working!
Indeed today has been special. It’s been the first of what will be many Christmas with my own family. This year, we choose outdoor and had a fun-filled picnic with our friends. I celebrate the birth of the Lord with a sense of gratitude.
And to all my readers: merry Christmas.
Saturday, December 25, 2010
Thursday, December 16, 2010
WHILE THE WORLD WAS BUSY...
While the world was busy with itself, I got myself married!
Yes, so it was that on the 27th day of November, 2010 I got married to my long-time belle. However the weeks prior to this date were laden with so much activity I almost broke down.Suddenly it appeared, my work place became very busy; the assignments from my masters programme were rather abstract (ethical theories, research appraisals e.g.); I had end of year's exams to write the weekend before my annual leave starts, the scope of which was totally different from the the year's module work. Oh, I also had a car crash, bad enough to condemn my car to the mechanics/panel beaters garage for over one month! Added to these was the mental stretch of preparing for a wedding as well as containing the excitement of seeing my family and old friends after two and a half years away from them.
It was in the midst of the above that I was invited to be a pioneer contibutor to V Jug blog (one that could even fetch me some money!). After going through the operational dynamics, I tried making my first post under my "freestyle" section. I titled it "A bite more than I could chew" hoping I would write out a summary of my many engagements at the moment. However, as with its title, I never got to finish the article. It was around the same time that the now famous Chilean miners, trapped underground for those number of days were rescued. I thought to make a post on Heymeyville, saluting the triumph of humanity. After two sentences, I was either distracted or could not concretize my thoughts to continue the flow of words. I never completed the discourse.
Finally on November 15, my annual leave started. It was going to be my first holiday since January 2007 and I was more than excited. I travelled that morning and by the evening of the day I was literally in another world. The venue, suggested by my cousin at the bank was expensive but worth it. Firstly, we spent some time at the bar and then settled for one of those candle-lit tables by the buffet table, a few yards away from the live band. We talked, laughed, ate and during the dessert an exuberant me gazed into her eyes, spoke the formal words and slipped the diamond studded gold ring into her right middle finger.I got back to my Sister's later that night and my sister and I talked till 4am!
The following two weeks were frenetic with the wedding preparation in its definitive form. My penchant for certain details did me little favours but we got around most of them. As much as I kept my propriety during the meaningful moments, I had made up my mind from as long as I could remember that I was going to enjoy getting married. I had my fun in the whole time; like stopping the cab driver in the middle of the night because I saw "fried yam" by the road side or rushing in to the "Calabar Kitchen some 2 hours before leaving for the International Airport!
Yes, so it was that on the 27th day of November, 2010 I got married to my long-time belle. However the weeks prior to this date were laden with so much activity I almost broke down.Suddenly it appeared, my work place became very busy; the assignments from my masters programme were rather abstract (ethical theories, research appraisals e.g.); I had end of year's exams to write the weekend before my annual leave starts, the scope of which was totally different from the the year's module work. Oh, I also had a car crash, bad enough to condemn my car to the mechanics/panel beaters garage for over one month! Added to these was the mental stretch of preparing for a wedding as well as containing the excitement of seeing my family and old friends after two and a half years away from them.
It was in the midst of the above that I was invited to be a pioneer contibutor to V Jug blog (one that could even fetch me some money!). After going through the operational dynamics, I tried making my first post under my "freestyle" section. I titled it "A bite more than I could chew" hoping I would write out a summary of my many engagements at the moment. However, as with its title, I never got to finish the article. It was around the same time that the now famous Chilean miners, trapped underground for those number of days were rescued. I thought to make a post on Heymeyville, saluting the triumph of humanity. After two sentences, I was either distracted or could not concretize my thoughts to continue the flow of words. I never completed the discourse.
Finally on November 15, my annual leave started. It was going to be my first holiday since January 2007 and I was more than excited. I travelled that morning and by the evening of the day I was literally in another world. The venue, suggested by my cousin at the bank was expensive but worth it. Firstly, we spent some time at the bar and then settled for one of those candle-lit tables by the buffet table, a few yards away from the live band. We talked, laughed, ate and during the dessert an exuberant me gazed into her eyes, spoke the formal words and slipped the diamond studded gold ring into her right middle finger.I got back to my Sister's later that night and my sister and I talked till 4am!
The following two weeks were frenetic with the wedding preparation in its definitive form. My penchant for certain details did me little favours but we got around most of them. As much as I kept my propriety during the meaningful moments, I had made up my mind from as long as I could remember that I was going to enjoy getting married. I had my fun in the whole time; like stopping the cab driver in the middle of the night because I saw "fried yam" by the road side or rushing in to the "Calabar Kitchen some 2 hours before leaving for the International Airport!
Now I am back to work. It’s been an eventful holiday, through 5 hotels, one cancelled flight, a family reunion, a wedding and the ensuing honeymoon. My life has just changed gears.
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