Settling down in Florence was fine, but there were some areas of my life that remained unsettled. Are you trying to guess? It’s as simple as it gets… FOODDDD!!! Yes food was a big issue for me. The person who said food is the keys to a man’s heart apparently had foresight.

I had always heard that Italians were great cooks but on getting here, I was more than disappointed. Averagly (when I say average, I mean very average) Italian meal with a drink would cost me between €10 – €15 that is (N2,300 - N3450). That was bloody expensive when compared to Nigeria. Cost of food was definitely a challenge, but If the challenge was cost alone, then I might not be complaining. The food was also ridiculously small and tasteless. Some people would disagree with me, but “wallahi”, if u love Nigerian food, you cannot love this Italian food. It’s totally bland.

For those who think I am exaggerating, assuming I buy spaghetti pomodoro (spaghetti in tomato sauce) and water the average cost is 9 euros. That’s over 2000 Naira. When I say spaghetti, I mean spaghetti alone. No chicken, beef or fish, just spaghetti and tomato that’s all. Enough about the lamentation

There has to be a way forward, “Naija no dey ever carry last”. I decided it was time to be cooking my meals. As a guy, my cooking philosophy was pretty simple… “If I can cook it, I can eat it.” I had noodles everyday for the first two weeks until I discovered the African market. I realized that cooking was way cheaper than eating out. Spending 50 euros on foodstuff could last me for a month, while that could barely take me for 2 days if I had to eat out.

The joy in me knew no bounds as I bought foodstuffs I would require for the month (omo see as I just dey blush anyhow unto food matter). On getting home, I made myself a pot of chicken stew and rice (Yes stew and not sauce). See the smiles on my face as I did justice to my food. Little did I know that I would not taste my Nigerian food again for a long while. I was so happy I invited my housemates and cooked rice for them as well, after all there was stew. They ate and approved of my cooking. We were just getting acquainted and I was the first to host them. As usual, we Nigerians are known for our hospitality.

Till my pot of stew finished, I kept on having rice and stew with chicken. Though monotonous, it still tasted better than eating out plus it was 90% cheaper. Lest I forget, I had two housemates and they were Indians. They also realized it was cheaper to cook. We bonded fast and well enough that we did the general house stuffs in common. We also had some common Indian friends who were always at our crib, which sometimes made me confused if I was actually in India or in Italy.

Since we did a lot together and they (housemates plus friends) always ate together, it would be odd for me to eat alone. That marked the beginning of my Indian (south indian to be specific) diet. I decided we could contribute to buy foodstuffs and once in a while, I would also make some Nigerian dishes for them (it never happened). Originally it wasn’t like I loved the Indian food, but at least, it had some spices in them. It wasn’t bland and to cap it all, I didn’t have to cook (Yes, I can cook but I hate cooking).

That was how I totally forgot my Nigerian meals and started eating Indian food. I learnt to eat with my hands, learnt to make chapaties, tandories, samba, curries, chetnies etc (pardon me if I murdered the spellings). First thing I discovered was that the rich indian food was like poor Nigerian food. Rice and gravy (something like stew) without chicken. One of my housemates doesn’t even eat beef at all, so that wasn’t an option. “How person go chop without beef?” Well culture is different.

After having the “balanced” Indian diet for over 5 month, I don forget the taste of beef totally. I got used to eating with my hands and rice without chicken (I never experrreeet it). The school went on vacation and my housemates decided to travel back to India. By the way, I never had Nigerian male friends. I had these two Nigerian Ladies in school with me, but they were just school friends not cooking friends.

For some reasons all the Nigerian guys I met all had English and Christian names. Their name was Miracle, Christian, Benjamin, Gods Power, Gods Will, Testimony, Prosper, Promise etc. They were all from Edo or Delta State. I was being very careful in making my friends so I just stuck to my school friends. That was even better as 85% of the school’s populations were babes.

Since my housemates left, I became tired of cooking and just stuck to some basic food like Jolof rice (concoction actually), Noodles, Pasta and Spagetthi. They were so easy to prepare and very cheap to source. My meals became monotonous until last Sunday when Nehemiah came to my house. I met Nehemiah in church and since he was Nigerian we bonded a little. He was from Agbor, Delta state. He decided to walk me home. I was skeptical at first, but why should I be scared of my fellow brother. He talked about, how he came to Europe, how things have not been what he expected and all. I didn’t know him so much neither did I know his mission so I was very careful with the stuffs I said.

When he was leaving he told me he had an apartment and if I knew anyone who was interested, I should give him a shout out. He also promised to come take me there the following Saturday so I can see the apartment and explain to my friends. No wahala boss, just ring me on sat and we go relate, I replied

By 11am on Saturday, Nehemiah called me and said we should meet at the train station, damn it!!! I had totally forgotten. I rushed a bath, grabbed a sandwich and dashed to the station. By the time I got to the station and called, to find out where he was, he said he would be there in 10 minuites (This guy carry Naija time reach here sha, Oga ooo). I had my sandwich as waited for him. He called after 12 minutes and told me he was at the station.

Nehemiah: Guy no vex abeg, my landlord come collect money this morning (don’t be annoyed, my landlord came to collect his rent this morning).
Me: Ok, no problem. So where is the house.
Nehemiah: Its 15 minuites by bus, but lets quickly go to this Nigerian restaurant, I am hungry.
Me: Dude, I have other things I have to do today, you cannot call me to waste my time. This makes no sense.
Nehemiah: Guy, no vex abeg, I swear you no go regreat this place. Nah where e dey happen for here be that. U nah Yoruba boy nah, egusi, efo, poundi… guy, u never go this place before? (Don’t be annoyed, I promise you eont regret going there. That’s where all the Nigerians meet here. You are a Yoruba boy; they have all your local dishes. How come you haven’t visited this place before)
Me: Make we dey go, but abeg no dey waste my time like this ooo, I no dey feel am at all (Lets go, but don’t waste my time like this again. I don’t like it)
Neehemiah: All this yourba boys sef, una too dey complain (Yoruba boys can complain)

After walking for about 10 minuites, we got to the restaurant. When you pray for the Lord to order your steps, this is what the prayer is about. My steps were ordered. See egusi, semo, efo, edikaikang. This is the place to be mehn. It just reminded me of Whitehouse in Yaba. Even if this is going to cost a €100, I must “chop” this food. While I was still thinking, Nehemiah said guy, make I pay for your food. U know say nah me bring you comot, maybe tomorrow nah you go pay for me (let me pay for your meal, you know I brought you out, you might be the one paying for me tomorrow). I don’t know what his plans were, but I wasn’t going to reject that offer.

Nehemiah: Madam, please give us two plates of amala with ewedu soup.
Me: Guy, I no dey chop Amala, give me poundi with egusi (I don’t eat amala, give me pounded yam with egusi)
Nehemiah: Madam, I pounded yam and one amala. Bring two bottles of tenant also
Me: Guy, u just dey order u no even ask wetin person wan chop. I no dey drink beer, give me malt. (You just ordering without consulting me, I don’t drink beer, give me malt)
Nehemiah: You go be fake gee, how you no go drink beer. (You are a fake guy, how wont you drink beer). Ok… madam; make it one beer and one bottle of malt.
Me: Thanks bro.

We sat down as we heard people discussing about the happenings in Nigeria. A lots of half drunk political analyst who think they could run the country better than the current government (Actually, maybe they could). We also had sport analyst and prospective coaches as everyone talked at the top of their voices. This was the real Nigeria mehn, how come I never discovered this place before now. Right now I am living the life – mo ‘n je aye local ni foreign (I am having my local enjoyment life in a foreign land)

I listened to the conversations, but was careful not to join any. Our food soon arrived and it was time to eat. These days, I hardly remembered to pray before I eat but this food was so glorious I had to pray. As I finished praying my phone rang then I woke up to pick it…. it was Nehemiah.

Segs, ‘m sorry I can’t make it today again, I would be busy, but maybe sometimes next week. I checked the time and it was 9:am on Saturday. Guy, wetin you just talk (what did you just say). I said I am sorry I can’t make it today, hope you are not annoyed.


Damn... My food!!!!

Source: http://pencil-imaginations..it/2014/07/my-meeting-with-nehemiah-aye-local-ni.html

A poem dedicated to those who are going through some sort of pain or regret right now (Financial, emotional, spiritual, family or anything). Those who wish to wipe the memory of the present away from their lives.

Looking back at my archive, I wrote this poem for myself sometimes last year. It was the day that changed everything and I think its worth sharing.


Today feels different
The sky's seems bright
The leaves are greener
Birds are whistling
Nature has been phenomenal
Something is definitely different
Today, is tomorrow

Minutes have turned into to hours
Hours turned to days
And days month...
Slowly and painfully have I wallowed in this trauma
living the same day over and over again - dejavu
I have long waited for this day
The day that changes everything
The day my tomorrow arrives

I lived in pain
Constant Insecurity
Fear of losing my loved one
Fear of not being loved
Fear of being taken for granted
Fear of the unknown
I walked, talked and breathed fear
I became less a man for the fear of love

But today, amidst my pains and insecurity
I stand tall to say
I have grown
To be that bright and intelligent guy once again
To be the one that Cheers people up again
To see life differently
To love unconditionally
To find joy from within
And allowing the smile I bring to the face of others be my greatest source of inspiration
Little do I realise how much I had learnt in pains

Although it seems little has changed
A lot changed.
I am still who I am
I still love who I love
But I now see life from a different telescopeI paid the debt i owed myself
I owe myself to be happy

It feels good today
For yesterday is gone
And today is the tomorrow I once longed for
My tomorrow is here


Quote of the day - This too shall pass.

You can visit my blog for more stories and poems. http://pencil-imaginations..it/2014/07/today-is-tomorrow-gains-of-pains.html

So it was one of those days in June, I was in Florence, Italy. Summer was at its peak and the sun was scorching. A beautiful Saturday and I was bored beyond relief since school was on break and most of my friends had gone back to their various countries.

American tourists everywhere and I felt more like I was in the US than in Italy as most people spoke English and pidgin Italian. I could not but wonder what everyone loved in this city I was tired of. (Just to mention, I am a very contemporary person and I would rather live in New York or London than Florence or Venice). I hate history

If I was this bored by 9:am, then it’s going to be a very long day. Scrolling through my phone, I remembered it one of my friends was still around and would be leaving in a couple of days. Without wasting time, I picked up my phone and rang her up.

Me: Ciao Juan, how are you
Juan: Fine thanks and you?
Me: I am great, Grazie
Me: Are you free today? I was hoping we could hang out, visit some places or do some shopping (I hated shopping, but I knew all girls loved shopping)
Juan: Yes, I was actually thinking of doing some final shopping, before going home, would you come with me to Ighili (A shopping mall in Florence)
Me: that would be great; I have never been there. Moreover I was actually thinking of doing some shopping for my girlfriend, maybe you could be of help
Juan: Great, let me get ready then. I would talk to my housemate too; she might be interested in coming
Me: Perfecto. See you in at the station in 45 minutes; let me get some food before then.
Juan: Alright, Ciao

It seems the day might not be that boring after all, I was going to hangout with a girl or two who knows.

Hi Segs, Meet my friend Jane (not real name). She would be joining us for shopping. Hi Jane, it’s good to meet you. I was really glad to meet Jane. She was the white version of my girlfriend in physical attribute. She’s not so tall, blue eyes, sexy shape and beautiful. She was simply dressed, gorgeous smiles and was wearing a light perfume and thanks to the good gracious Lord, she speaks English. Yeah, I have a girlfriend, but that doesn’t stop me from making friends… moreover she just told me I need to make new friends asides apart from my computer.

Good to meet you too, Jane said as she jolted me back to reality. She was my kind of girl. I just needed to have a 10 minutes conversation with her and I would know if we could be “good” friends. Just to mention I am SAPIOSEXUAL.

While I hoped for 10 minutes, little did I know that that was a tithe of the time I would spend with her alone. Anyways, who wouldn’t like to spend quality time with this raw beauty, but the question is discussing what?

We had some very random chats in the bus trying to get acquainted. On getting to the mall, the ladies were very helpful in helping me make choices for my mum and my girlfriend. Maybe shopping wasn’t a bad activity after all… The girls picked a thing or two as well and we proceeded to some home store.

I didn’t mention earlier that we were all interior design (maybe decoration) students and Juan was actually going to get tome materials she intend to use on some prospective project when she gets back home. She has just graduated and was more than happy to practice that which she had learnt.

Juan picked up some carton framed wall painting and said, guys I love this. It’s absolutely beautiful, cheap and eco-friendly. I love your choice said Jane, try and introduce green materials into all your designs and change the way things are in your Country. It was beautiful and cheap actually, but talking about eco-friendly, who really cares?

I always learnt to pick my battles, but little did I know that you can also lose your own battles. I knew so much about going green and it was time to play the “devils advocate”. I did a "not-so-realistic" MSc dissertation on green office, my girlfriend was a sucker for renewable energy and I loved reading about nature.

As if Juan could read my mind, she excused us as she continued shopping on her own… Jane and I walked behind her at a distance and the following conversation ensured between us

Me: Why are you so bothered about going green? Statically, evident has proven that the (financial) cost of going green can be so ridiculous especially when compared to the return derived.
Jane: You do not like greens *face changes* - you definitely do not want to see the other side of some beautiful girls, its so not beautiful
Me: Not like I hate greens, but I wouldn’t go out of my way to go green. Nobody appreciates it
Jane: You can’t say that, I do
Me: Ehmmmm
Jane: Everyday, the ozone layer is being depleted causing global warming and nobody seems to care
Me: I know, but there is actually little we can do. Imagine I keep on going green and nobody else is doing it, I am going to get frustrated and stop
Jane: That’s the point; you don’t have to get frustrated. You cannot know how many people you are inspiring
Me: Yes agreed, but also looking at it from an economical perspective, If It would cost me more to go green and nobody is going to appreciate it, I would rather use normal materials than decide to go green. As a business…”cuts me short”
Jane: That’s the problem with the world. We are only concerned about profits and what we would make without thinking about others.

Me: But every business should actually focus on profits otherwise they would go out of market
Jane: No… Not at the expense of other peoples life. If the world were to be ideal Coca-Cola and other companies like cigarette-manufacturing companies should be shut down.
Me: Are you kidding me? Coca-Cola? I am not a big fan of cigarette, but what has Coca-Cola done?
Jane: Just so they can make profit, they keep putting elements that make people addicted into their products
Me: You can’t say that, there is no empirical research to support that
Jane: Its all over the Internet, just Google it
Me: I believe most drinkers of Coca-Cola actually know that overconsumption is not good, but they still drink it. We are liable for whatever harm we bring to ourselves.
Jane: Do you think they do not want to stop, its because they are addicted and they cannot stop
Me: I believe, life is filled with choices and we cannot set out to blame other people for our own misfortune. It’s like banning cars because people do have accident
Jane: Don’t get me wrong Segs, cars were not created to cause accidents, but cigarettes were created to make people addicted so that the tobacco companies can make more money. Same goes for coke with all the addictive elements inside the drink
Me: I would not agree with you on that, do you realize that Coca-Cola was actually a syrup for cough and when people loved the taste, it was converted to a commercial drink. I believe every business should have its commercial arm, which is in charge of increasing revenues, while they also have environmentalist, and psychologist who are in charge of ensuring sustainability.
Jane: It’s more than that. The chain effect of not going green is so enormous, so smokers smoke and are liable to die young
Me: “interrupts” but they are warned, so it’s their choice
Jane: They really do not have a choice; they are addicted so they cannot stop. I am not a smoker, but I inhale fumes from cigarette, which is more dangerous than active smokers, so I am also liable to die young. Why should I bear the result of someone else action all because the some guys there are trying to make money. The ozone layer is also getting depleted all because of this

… "Damn **thinking**, how can I change this topic, time to blame the higher authority”….

Me: I think I understand your point, but I do not agree with you that these companies should cease to exist. People should be enlightened about the harms involved and allowed to make their decisions. Also, I believe, the government should place regulations that allow these organizations use environmentally friendly materials like recycled products, self-decomposing materials and others.
Jane: Yes, but the change has to start from you. Those rules are already in place, but the process or recycling is also harmful to the environment. These goods have to be transported which would consume energy and also release toxic gas into the environment. They also have to be processed.
Jane: Imagine every time you go shopping, you go with your backpack and do not collect the carrier bags, in 5 years, how many carrier bags would you have saved. If the three of us does that, how many would we have saved? That’s quite a number. Other people can also see us and try to emulate us.
Me: But the stuffs we are buying are also inside these bags, which are not decomposable. We would still generate waste, which is more than whatever we are saving. One thing still remains sure, as a business oriented fellow, I wouldn’t spend 3 times more just because I want to go green when it is possible to get for me to get a similar product with the same functionality at a third of the price
Jane: You seem, to be all about profit and care less about the world.
Me: I am no super man, I care about the world to the same extent the world cares about me. Why should I overkill over something that is not working. Also, the high cost of going green is not encouraging for now. I definitely do encourage a green world, but not at my own expense.
Jane: The change you are looking for starts from within. If you listen to me today, I would have converted one person and you would convert another. It’s a web and before you know it the world is green.
Me: Yes Ma’am, but I still love me some Coca-Cola and I would never support the ban of Coca-Cola I said as I laughed.

Somehow the conversation changed from going green towards child labor in developing nations, profit oriented organization, animal cruelty, business ethics etc. all with a reference to going green. While we agreed on some things, we disagreed on others.

I realized that while Jane’s Ideal environment do not exist and can never exist, I also figured out that I had to play my part in making the world green. The change I was looking for starts from within.

It was time to eat and as we went to the restaurant I ordered for chicken and chips… I didn’t see Jane on my till. A quick calculation and I needed no one to tell me that she is vegetarian. She came and joined us on the table with a bowl of salad. I smiled to myself.

On getting home, I went to the grocery bag to get some stuff. This time I went with my backpack and I felt proud of myself. I was becoming the change I wanted. While Jane was beautiful and was my kind of lady, she was too green for me (lol). I didn’t collect her number. I definitely would see her around some other times and probably have a better conversation to test my attraction. For some reasons, she was too intelligent on greens.

Source: http://pencil-imaginations..it/2014/07/beautiful-sexy-intelligent-and-green.html