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Books

I am in the process of reading Chimamanda Adichie’s new book called The Thing Around Your Neck which is a collection of twelve short stories.

Chimamanda is my all time favourite Nigerian author and I am a huge fan but I am coming away from each story with a faint feeling of ….annoyance. I hate loose ends – in they way I live my life and the way I do my things. I like things nicely finished and spelt out – I’m simple like that. But the first four stories of this book have an unfinished quality to them. I finished reading each one of them still thinking ‘Eh-eh and then what happened?’ I wanted more and that leaves me feeling a little annoyed… I am sure there is something I should be getting here – that style of story telling: leave your readers wanting more - but I’m afraid it’s flying straight over my head. For the first time ever, I am not rushing through this book with excitement like I did with her first two and that surprises me. All that said and done, they are still very good stories though.

On the other hand though I recently finished reading the fantastically funny and oh so enlightening book about 419ers titled I do not come to you by chance by Adaobi Tricia Nwaubani. What a great book and I finished it in two days flat ... a feat for me considering. If you haven’t read this book I urge you to do so.

Any other new and interesting books by Nigerian authors out there?

Shame - less

Is it just me or has anyone else been struck by what appears to be the growing trend of a lack of shame in society today. I never seize to be amazed by what people open their mouths to admit and not to the hearing of their friends only or their secret diaries, but on national TV no less!

I watched a programme the other day about teenage mums and I was dumbstruck as one of them looked straight into the camera and informed the UK that she had sneaked out of the house, without her parent’s permission, to have sex with a boy she barely knew. Yes, she confirmed, that was all she wanted. Sex. And she is smiling as she tells her viewers this. A few weeks later she discovered she was pregnant. When questioned as to the whereabouts of the ‘baby father’ (apparently that’s what they are known as ‘baby father’ or ‘baby mother’) she declared that she didn’t want anything to do with him. Full stop. She was 15years old. No shame.

I think the majority of people – and I am not only speaking about teenagers now – have lost all sense of shame and embarrassment. People freely admit that they have shoplifted, taken drugs, had 67 partners, defrauded people, ‘played the system’, claimed expenses for stuff bordering on the ridiculous (MP’s anyone?) and the list goes on… and it’s almost like this stuff is celebrated – you only have to read a few of the tabloids to see my point. In my day (and I don’t think I am THAT old) some of the things people come out with now would have had me diving under the covers. I mean even if we did those things you certainly didn’t announce it to all and sundry. Besides the mere spectre of my dad looming over me was enough to nip any misdemeanour I was thinking of committing in the bud.

Am I being old fashioned?

The Personal Trainer Dilemma

Okay, so at almost 40 (OMG!!!!!) my body ain’t what it used to be and having had two kids to boot hasn’t helped either. So I’m thinking – what to do?

I have tried to shift the extra pounds myself with not much luck and to be honest when one jumps on the scales after a month of depriving oneself of the finer culinary things in life and finds no movement of the dial, it can be a bit demoralising. What I need now is a drastic measure in the form of a …Personal Trainer.

I was very gong ho about this idea until I saw their charges!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I tell you, I’m in the wrong line of work. To be honest in these credit crunching times I don’t have £40 an hour to pay anybody even if they promise to turn my body into a Halle Berry clone. I can think of better things to put my money towards – like the finer culinary things in life. Ha ha.

So that idea is canned – for now or until I win the Euro lottery.

Coming out of hibernation

I cannot believe that it has been a year - a week to the day - since I last blogged. Not that I haven't wanted to but time has been and still is in such short supply. But I guess it's no bad thing to take a break once in a while.

I wonder if anyone out there still stops by here?

A Confession

I’ve got a confession to make.

I have been having an affair with …facebook.

Yes, dear readers, alas I too have succumbed to the wily charms of this highly addictive social networking website. I never thought I would and I will tell you here and now that I was dragged into it kicking and screaming.

But boy, is that site addictive or what? I know the thrill of finding long lost friends, endlessly updating my photos and adding all sorts of quirky applications to my profile page will soon wear off but until it does I am enjoying the ride.

Sorry Blogger to cheat on you like this but not to worry you are (still) my first true love.

Letting a Little Light In

Since the new year began I have been in a dark place.

My mood has swung between resentment, seething anger and self pity. Life has sometimes felt like it had it's noose around my neck and was slowly choking the breath out of me.

If I had blogged during this period it wouldn't have made very nice reading so I stayed away.

But, as most things go, moods lift and life moves on. So here I am letting a little light back in, trying to divest myself of the negative energy that has plagued me these past three months and learning to laugh again.

Hope you have had a better start to the year than I have?