MY FIRST COFFEE

An experience I will never forget.

Unsure of what laid ahead, I embarked on my journey to England to acquire more knowledge and explore.
Bags packed, travelling alone, every thing happening was new and felt surreal but she was excited. It was my first ever longest flight in my life 6hours and 40 mins, Pheww it was interesting for me.
I arrived Heathrow around 2pm (ish), and made my way to the border security like I had been there before (side note; it was confusing yet intriguing to see the different channels of transportation I had to take, easy and very clear. All I needed was an attentive ear- British English can be funny sometimes)

It was amazing to see the influx of humans arriving every minute. After I was cleared – was I scared uhh kinda, why not sure but I was scared of not having the necessary things I needed to check me in. But! I was cleared without any issues.
It was another journey down to baggage claim, made it and took my things. First thing I did was to get a sim and inform my parents I had arrived and I did.
Fun fact, isn’t it funny that a citizen of a country doesn’t know or have never heard of a county or town in their life? Well this was my experience, I was heading to Buckingham University and I needed to book a bus pass to continue my journey, shocking to me the customer service staff did not know where I was going to lol. I ensured I was clear of my location, the thing is When you say Buckingham university, you will normally get two reactions, one is, the person asking if you mean Buckingham palace (The Queen’s Residence) or you mean Birmingham.
The staff told me she had not heard of Buckingham university or the town it’s self. I stood confused and shocked. Well she made enquires and directed that I had to stop in a town before finding another means of transportation to arrive at my location.
Thanked her and made way to seat down, biggest mistake I made lol, well I was suppose to ask for the bus going to my first stop but Chiamaka sat down after feeling the cold outside and when I finally asked, I was told the bus had just left Ahhhh! That meant I had to pay a little more to get my ticket renewed. It’s ok, first timer experience, I did and now prepared for boarding.

Now it gets interesting, by the time all that happened, the cold was beginning to kick me and I was not having it! I felt like I was going to freeze up lol. I needed to be out to wait for my bus but I was too cold to stand out.
I needed something hot, so I made my way to the closest cafe close to the exit door, with a blurry eye and headache, I didn’t look around to notice any board or information sheet to see what was available before saying anything.
I just greeted and said “please I want a cup of coffee please “ Let me draw you back a bit hehe, so prior to my travel, I had just finished my NYSC(National Youth Service Coprs- A compulsory service by young adults in the country before embarking on work life)I enjoyed this particular Alkaline coffee by Global Alliance,

I felt it was perfect for me as I have had a lot of stories concerning coffee, so I never had actual coffee. Alkaline coffee seemed more like a milk and milo version for me because it was a mix in the sachets. It sure kept me awake and vibrant during work hours.
So I somehow felt maybe I’d find something like that when I travel (wish I took some with me while travelling, so I can gave it before I driving myself to actual coffee lol)
Now back to where we left off, the nice looking British guy asked me the type of coffee I wanted and I was quiet lol!!! Within I whispered, ermm am I missing something,

Variety of Coffee. which ones have you tried?

Is there no particular kind of coffee, seeing I was quiet he went ahead to mention the different types available, didn’t pay much attention because they all sounded foreign to me.
After a little consideration I said black coffee please, regular. After a few minutes my coffee was ready and I was handed a cup of just black coffee without milk or sugar Ah ah ah!

What’s happening here. He didn’t tell me anything and I was just too shy and quiet to ask smh.
Thinking about it now, I thought of two things, I felt he assumed I knew how is done, when you get a plain coffee, you move ahead to a counter to serve yourself some milk and sugar to go. Secondly I thought, maybe that how my order comes. I couldn’t place it plus knowing I had already paid £3:50 I was so pissed.

I took my hot coffee l, putting myself together, I sluggishly walked outside to catch my bus before it leaves me again, as it was already looking dark despite the time being 4pm, I tasted the coffee and Guys!!!! I just wanted to cry!!!, it was so bitter, I was so weak to understand my reaction because the cold was something else and I couldn’t handle it. when I finally got to the bus stop, the shield was not enough to protect me form the windy weather, and in order to feel warm, I quickly had a thought and in a twinkle of an eye, I had all the coffee down my throat.
I had to, I was freaking cold and just wanted to be warm enough. After taking it all in, I immediately became warm enough and at this point I didn’t care if it tasted bitter or not, I was a little happy that I finally felt good. Bus came a little while later and I loaded up and got to my seat Ahhhh I signed, finally some heated bus to keep me singled out and not bundled up ( British weather is something mehnn)

Photo by Andrea Piacquadio on Pexels.com

That was how my first proper coffee went down. Guess who later became a pro in drinking lots of it and not minding the taste, me!!!. I took part time shifts and coffee was the antidote to stay awake and bubbly so I definitely took enough, but when the effects kicked, it was always crazy.

Coffee from vending machines taste so good in my opinion, maybe it’s school stress that made me conclude in this, but I always enjoyed those ones. Especially beans coffee, it’s not sweet but it’s definitely easy to drink and leave a little sweetness in between gulps lol. Then the ones served from the counter were always bitter even after adding a lot of sugar and milk uhhh!!.
It was and still is an experience I cannot never forget hehe.
Good thing I have this written out and also in audio (GIOWC- The podcast), feel free to listen if the write up is long, if you enjoyed this please leave a like and share your comments too.

Link: https://anchor.fm/ruth-ohadiugha/episodes/MY-FIRST-COFFEE-ejpvat

Share with me tho, what was your first Coffee like, was it better and if you have a favorite, what is it.

Until my next post, stay safe. Cheers!!!

How to handle situations when our friends don’t confide in us during hard times

Hi reader, I hope you are doing well.

I have a podcast on the how to give our friends space while being presence during hard times. You can agree with me that sometimes we face some emotions or events happen that throw us off balance and all we just want to do is be on our own.

We sometimes just want to sink in our silence and fight whatever it is ourselves and not involve anyone m, even our closest paddies. I went through this phase and I know how it feels exactly.

The best sentence that I now even practice with anyone around me is “Let me know if there’s anyway I can help” there’s so much power and peace in that line.

So you weren’t chosen doesn’t mean you should hate on them or space yourself from them, just take it easy with them and make sure they know you are there whenever they need you around.

When you do this, they naturally feel ok to come to you and express themselves, you can even chip in to let them know how you felt but in the same vein being happy that they were able to get the help they wanted and that your friend is back to normal

This thugs are not easy but in the end it’s ok that you respected their space and stood by them irrespective. Use yourself as an example and you will see that for yourself the struggle and the joy after….

Below is the link to my podcast… please subscribe and like

Stay safe

DO YOU RECOGNIZE YOUR FLASHBACKS? HOW DO YOU MANAGE THEM? DO YOU SEE THEM AS A MESSAGE SOMEHOW FOR YOUR GROWTH?

Take time and think them, and vision the message its bringing forth

Hi reader, trust you are doing well, it’s hard saying just keep pushing, but for real, I hope you re trying your best to stay sane. ok!! let’s dive in…

Recently, I noticed I have been having serious flashbacks, it hit me this week and I’m just amazed. these flashbacks are like 5-10 years back or more, and a little of more recent events, depending on the one having a moment with me, ahahah.

I couldn’t understand why, but today 28/08/2020, I had a re-think about them occurring the way they did and I started thinking and questioning within me if there’s something I should know or take out of these.

So Septemeber is here and it’s my birthday month. plus! I will be turning sweet and awesome 25, yeah I’m gassing myself up lol. phew, where did the time go? the thought channelled towards the past 24 years of my life and the things that I have knowledge of.

So I thought, could this be a way of nature reminding me of where I came, how things have transpired over the years, knowing the many time’s certain experiences have thought me lessons, decisions that I made that may or may have not gone well. I felt like this was nature making me understand that there’s still so much more in life, to still make better decisions. There are still opportunities for me to enjoy the things that I haven’t had or experienced, a reminder that I can achieve everything and anything that I work and put in all my best for in my nearest future !! pheww!!!!!!

It felt like a reckoning of my past trying to pass some kind of information. a reminder of my roots and how much I have endured and how I have strived, it felt like a little whisper within saying “keep making these awesome decisions and stand strong” *Chills* lol

The whole thought felt very overwhelming at some point, and I had to sleep on it. I remember asking a question on WhatsApp “What/how do you manage your flashbacks” I did not get a lot of replies, although someone tried, his response was vague, he did not say anything specific, only stated that, they could be good or bad, that I know already. I was looking forward to getting answers on both sides really when the good ones come, how do they handle the moment and likewise the sad/bad ones.

Anyways, I tried my best not to neglect this feeling of remembering so much!!! Ahh!!. One day while I laid on my bed, I was having a moment, a funny one at that, I was laughing in silence, more like a whisper, all to not distract my sister who was studying and I did not know how to relate to her the foolish things coming to my head at that moment.

Just in case you are wondering the kind of thoughts or flashbacks I am talking about, some of them I see myself remembering the name of things long forgotten in Igbo (my traditional language). For example. out of the blues, I remembered what both the big and small snail is called in Igbo LOL!!!!!

Photo by Adrienne Andersen on Pexels.com

So the big snail is called “Okpon mbele” while the small ones are called “Origoro” hahahahahah what is this!!!! another scenario could be parts of the Mass (Catholic) in Igbo and also some beautiful songs in Igbo as well that I have forgotten. So how is this even tally with what I’m talking about, here I have just made you reason how some of these flashbacks come?

Off course I am not going to state the very personal part of these flashbacks. Sometimes I laughed, so hard, some other time I’m all tears and sobbing, clouded with headache and all I want to do in moments like is to sleep and let it go. When I wake up, I reflect on it and there and then decide what and how I will handle re-occurrence in life should incase it happens.

looking on the bright side with my simple and chic Ankara

Having a memory is sometimes a huge blessing I must say, but sometimes you wish you did not remember so much that it hurts. I literally remember most things exactly how they happen, that’s how good my memory is LOL.

All these words, why am I saying all this here; do not ignore ignore these flashbacks, they may not coming back just for the sake of throwbacks, I feel its more like a way of communicating something or passaing a message accross to you. You just have to find a way to connect the codes(I had to use this lol) the dots making empowering marks on yourself. For a sngle person it maybe on past relationshp decisions that you have made, for a couple it maybe having flashbacks on how you use to love on yourselves and maybe currently feel there’s a lack in the affection your partner is showing you. So taking your time to see what these flashback brings, is trying to help you remember how good you were ans you preparing yourself to re-kindle that olf flame that seems to have been faded somehow.

So, reader, flashbacks are messages that come in different ways, see them, make better outcome of them. They will come in the good and bad times, but how you manage them well and then take a message from it.

So how can you relate with all you have just read, how do you manage it? leave a comment below.

stay safe, cheers.

A STRANGER WHO SEEMED LIKE HE KNEW ME: MY EXPERIENCE WITH A TAXI DRIVER

Hey reader, i hope you are doing well. so what’s for today, lets dive in.

i had a funny experince on thurday 27 august 2020. Its been long i took a long walk, I needed so badly that if i found an opportunity, i was ready to embark on it.

An opportunity came pheww, finally i sighned. i was to go get some veggies from the stores (well shop rite in my case). I had a good walk down to the location and after i had got what i came for, i settled to take a taxi home. i was tired already, lol, the distance was a bit long tho, couldn’t go a second round. I realised that, i’m seriously reacting to the sun, and it was really scorchy that afternoon.

Where i astood waiting for a taxi, is normally a commuting area where, taxis take more than two persons heading to different destinations. I personally do not like taking such rides, and especially in this pandemic times, I was definitely running away from using them. now i had to be patient for a taxi that i could use alone, majority of the taxi passing all had two or three persons in, and i was wondering if at i’d get a lone taxi.

ding! ding!! One, at last, I think he also doe the “along” rides but some of these taxis settle for “drops” when they have an empty car. Ok! I digress lol. so I finally got one, it was time to settle for a price, my destination was not a long one, I knew exactly how much to pay and which also seemed fair for my journey. I tell the taxi man what I was going pay and he resisted at first( normal move lol), then he settled for my price and I boarded and the journey started.

New going out look, Mask up guys hehe — Me on the said day, Mask up guys

Now this is where it gets interesting

The journey starts, and the next thing I hear is ” Ah sister after looking at your face as you entered, I will not be accepting the agreed payment” he argued that if he had taken a good at me before accepting the price. Huh, what is going on here, I replied, if he wouldn’t accept it then he should drop me by the next junction. In the affirmative, he did not speak for like a minute.

The journey continues and then I hear, I said what I said because your skin looks like someone that can afford more than the agreed amount. ogini!! (what is this lol). He said he noticed from the way I behave, I did not study in Nigeria, ahahahahaha, who is this man, but honestly have you not experienced such humans before? Continue… within me I was like, ha! This man sees something. He rides on saying, that he noticed that I waited for a single cab to board, I refused to go the joint ones, he stated that this is exactly how people abroad behave. Hmmm sir, not all use single transport in the abroad tho lol.

Oh, that was not all, ahahah, this man just did not want to keep quiet throughout this journey, he kept going. this man continues by saying, that my skin looked so fresh and clear, he was sure I was working, hahahahahah, in as much as I tried not to talk, he made to. I had to tell him that I was not working at the moment, but he persevered in saying I was.

All these yarns what am I trying, sometimes, we have people in our lives who we might have related for months, some for years. They may not even know how to describe us, but then we meet someone that we have not met before, and they just go on and on talking about certain things about that its only someone that knows you would.

Sometimes, I just wonder how these strangers we meet at some point or locations in our lifetime, know us and say things like they have met us or heard about us somewhere somehow. I sure had a wonderful afternoon that day, I marvelled how this man just kept cracking me up and saying things like he knew me.

Have you had such experiences, what was it like. Did you respond or just shut it all attempts. Leave a comment below.

ST. Monica: On prayer and our faith rest in waiting for God’s intervention

Do you have faith that your prayers will be answered.

Hi my friend, yes you hehe. you coming to read this, makes me happy. So let’s dive in.

A prayer straight from the heart to the ears of God. — St. Monica, Patron saint of women

Sometimes we pause and think if God is hearing our heartfelt intentions to him at all. At some point, we feel maybe he is far or is taking time which some Tt feel very long!!! Lol.
We hear and see other people’s stories and testimonies of God’s wonders and blessings in their lives and we ponder “when ours will come too” Before we proceed, have you ever actually paused for a while and think, even if at you have enjoyed God’s blessings and favours, most of the time, we have good things come our way but they go unrecognised because we are fixed on that particular intention of ours to God……. remember, in appreciation of the smallest things come the bigger ones!

Ok!!! where am I heading… Today the Catholic Church celebrates the memorial of St. Monica, the mother to St. Augustine. She was known for her perseverance in prayer. She prayed for the conversion of her husband, Patritius and her mother in law. Patritius converted before dying as told by history.
St. Monica has three children, two of them were said to have joined religious congregations, however, Augustine is said to have lived a wayward life and this made St. Monica very concerned and prayed for his conversion.
What continues to fascinate me was her devotion to praying for St. Augustine for 17 good years, nonstop!!!! for his conversion to the faith. It obviously didn’t go easy, St. Monica went through tremendous suffering, in the hope that her son will change one day.
Imagine praying for someone and they don’t seem to change, the times of wanting to quit and focus on other things (I mean she had two other kids, didn’t they matter, were they not worth praying for or not) but she never stopped. The numerous tears shed, the pains, the hours of fasting and devoting every single day in prayers, such sacrifices take courage and faith to continue the journey. She did all this for her son; the love of a mother is amazing!!!

After 17 years, not days, years! Phewww. God showed he was indeed God and St. Augustine converted, became a religious and even wrote books one of which is “Confessions”
All these motivational talks, hehe, what am I still trying to point at. It is absolutely normal that we ask God for a lot of good things(who no like better thing lol), but something we don’t realise is that it just doesn’t happen swiftly as we say them, a lot goes on and sometimes it takes an ample of time before it finally pulls through. Take, for instance, some graduates with good brains and a good level of soft and hard skills still linger around the job search bracket for a while before landing an offer. They never planned it that way but sometimes, the offer comes with even bigger packages, another may be in the case of a couple seeking for the fruit of the womb, some prayed and wait for as long as 20 years before receiving their blessings.
It’s not that these prayers will not be answered, no. God prepares us for and also prepares his delivery at a perfect time for us. It’s true that we grudge and question if he is even listening to us when we notice that our prayers somehow has been come to pass, chill, he is preparing us for the blessings he will send our way.

So here, you have asked, do you belt that it will happen, how much faith do you possess awaiting your answered prayers?
St. Monica prayers for 17 years, she knew God will answer in his own time- this is faith. After all those years of sacrifice, look at what God did in the end. Her life influenced a lot who turned to God. Never stop praying, more importantly, have faith, ask God to strengthen your faith, it is not easy at all. Your mind is a strong force, make sure to channel it for the good. Like the sufferings of St. Monica endured, know that your prayer will be answered, not as you ask them but with faith and continuity, you will receive your blessings and in the end be grateful for the lord’s goodness. Hey, when the good that you ask come to you, spread it as much as you can!

Chiamaka’s motivational today is over

Stay safe.

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YOU ARE YOUR FAMILY’S AMBASSADOR< REPRESENT THEM WELL

Some people just feel when they are out of their homes they can behave anyhow they like or wish. in this school they are many waste containers and all, but no some students just want to be difficult and show themselves why. this young lady has had this trash from her room for days now, yes we are on the top floor but what does it take you to take them and throw it to the larger waste container. the housekeepers came and all they left it, honestly, because of they clean does not mean you should punish them the more, I watched how that trash stayed there and finally it was gone, then I thought to myself, could it be she finally took down herself or the housekeepers took it. we are Ambassadors of our homes, people are watching us somehow somewhere, so we should always try to be in our best behavior and respect others. you never know what happens tomorrow

OKRA GEL: SAY BYE TO SHRINKAGE AND HAIR BREAKAGE

On today’s episode of things we can eat and use on our bodies too. isnt it amazing that we can usethings around to sustain our living and be healthy, enjoying every grwoth and change. Ok enough with the motivational talk haha.

Hi and welcome back to my blog space, I hope you are doing well. recently I came across the wonders of okra gel on our hair, I was amazed and have so far for two weeks now given it a try and hey!!! I will definitely recommend you add it to your hair wash routine.

first of all, there a lot about the right presentation or pronouciation of “Okra or Okro” I looked it up and either way is good. so just in case you read okro here and read okra in another person’s blog, just know they are talk about the same thing. Okra(o), known as Abelmoschus esculentus, is a flowering plant in the mallow family and its seeds its valued produce. consumed by many around the world, okra has more to offer for both skincare and food for our everyday living.

Okro is rich in vitamins A, C, K. with good properties of calcium, potassium and lots of many nutrients that help with hair growth. Okra is a great moisturising ingredient for dry scalp and also with getting rid of dandruff.

In my experience with Okra gel, I applied after shampooing and left it for 20mins which I rinsed off and then my conditioner. in a space of minutes, I noticed a lot of changes, my hair was clean and soft, I could literally feel the fresh air, plus my breakage significantly reduced <shook> this was my first time and I was this impressed, so you see how I am never going back from it right, so its now part of my haircare routine. it’s freaking awesome.

oh hey, it very easy to make and use, its not strenous. all you need is just Okra and water and your blender. I will now show you how to make your okra gel

INGREDIENTS

Okro

water

blender

PROCESS

STEP 1

Grab a couple of okra. I used five for two people, me and my sister. your case may be different depending on your hair texture and thickness too and length. my hair is not very thick so half a jar is enough for me. get your chop board and slice horizontally.

STEP 2

In a preferred small sized pot, add about two or three cups of water, toss in your okra in

STEP 3

Allow the okra to boil for about 5mins before putting it aside to cool. At this point you’d notice a change in the texture of the water, it becomes slippery/slimy when you feel it with your hands. when you check on it and it’s too light for you, you can put it back on the fire and give it another 3mins or further if you wish. if you have any need for the boiled okra, well good luck, no need to overcook I, but if not, allow it to boil more before taking it off the burner. Point: watch to achieve your desired consistency.

STEP 4

This step is optional. okra gel has this smell and it can put some people off, so to avoid the smell, I will suggest a few drops of your preferred oil(s) to the mix. so you can use it without having to feel irritated. Allow the Okra to cool for a few minutes, then strain and add your oil at this point before putting in your preferred bottle.

STEP 5

when you are ready to use, it is preferably to pour in an applicator bottle for even distribution to your scalp and massage properly. in my case for an extra penetration to my scalp, I wrapped my hair in my hair bonnet, giving the steaming feel to my strands too, all soaked in hehe. leave for 15-20mins tops and then rinse out. finally, dry your hair with cotton material and apply your leave-in conditioner, then proceed for what you have planned out for your gorgeous hair. preferably leave in a protective style.

CAUTION:

(i) Okra is slimy so make sure you are in a safe space and easy to clean space, very important.

(ii) When it is applied, it drips on your body, if you are irritated by it, make sure to tie your hair properly to avoid this, but if you are not, you can apply on your body (face, neck) it is soothing. A little bit of massage before rinse off haha.

If you like this information, please leave a like and share….. here’s a Youtube video on my Okra gel review

SCENT LEAF FOR FACE MASK

Benefits of scent leaf

(Ocimum gratissimum)- Nchanwu or Efirin leaf

The thought knowing that literally everything in our kitchen can be used on our body is first of all fascinating. I stumbled on the wonderful benefits of scent leaf on the skin and i was amazed. then i remembered when i was younger, scent leaf was used for healing wonds, I was told it helped in making the wound heal faster and it sure did.

With meals, scent leaf gives you that extra aroma and delicious mouth-watering feeling and a good satisfaction as well. People usually use scent leaf to make Yam pepper- Ji mmiri oku ( this is very popular among the Igbos- from the eastern part of Nigeria. It is a joyful meal, on special occasions for a new mother (it helps in the healing and recuperating her energy and strength). some also use it to make local sauce and is accompanied with either yam, cocoyam and likely food from the tube family. Here’s a link to how I made my scent leaf sauce

So why should you use as a face mask? From research, extracts of scent leaf contain anti-fungal properties. The leaf is rich with a lot of healthy benefits to human life.

Benefits of Scent Leaf;

It helps as a remedy for cough- With your warm water in a preferred cup or bottle, add a few leaves and after a few minutes drink at your own pace. Or Squeeze the natural juice off it and drink.
it helps with indigestion
It prevents heart disease and problems for those that smoke.
It lowers the sugar level.
Is relieves Menstrual cramps, Malaria and respiratory problems- A simple drink of scent leaf tea with 2teaspoons of honey will go a long way.
It helps those with stroke for better blood circulation.
It serves as a Mosquito repellent.
It helps with infertility problems in both men and women.
It relieves issues of earache, colon pains
It helps with skin diseases, ringworm, treatment of gout and fungal infections.

check the link below to see how I made my scent leaf face mask

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Please leave a comment below and share

Second guessing our relevance in the lives of people we engage with~ it can be very stressful and straining.

Sometimes we have relationships, irrespective of the kind, find ourselves in the space of questioning if we really mean anything to the other person because of how they have suddenly changed.

In my current podcast, I talked about this and the best way to exist from such situations.

PODCAST IS THE NEW PIECE: GETTING IT OFF WITH CHIAMAKA

Do you know the happening thing?? Ever heard of Podcast and what it entails. join the ride and find out more on podcasting.

Lol, which ride please, this write up has been here for a while now, but let me get into it. i discovered Podcast the year and I cannot tell you how amazing that is.

I have a few i follow on Apple Podcast, so I thought, its a like a mini-Radio, only difference is that you edit and produce but all this in the comfort of your home or space.

I have always loved to share and connect with people, so why not, I started thinking of a good themed and name for mine and I finally came up with one. “GETTING IT OFF WITH CHIAMAKA” -GIOWC. It has not totally been the eassiest thing actually, because the main essence is to interract with a few persons on a particular topic but Corona virus has really affected that. but this doesn’t mean it inactive, i have a few uploads there and although the engagement has been very low, I’m enjoying the jorney so far.

Recently, I settled to be uploadiing straight from the heart talks, getting it really from my end and just taking it a virtual journal of me navigating life.

In the next few weeks i hope to give an update on my journey so far and beginner challenges I have encountered.

Below is the link to my Podcast, feel free to take a glimpse. happy to get feedbacks and you sharing as well

https://anchor.fm/s/121452c8/podcast/rss

Until my next post, stay safe!!

ChiamakaOhadiugha