28 April 2010
I can now finally type this after surviving a hell of a day at school yesterday! 8:30am-6pm! “Like someone said un top say I want learn how to cook rice?” but the dream is alive and I can’t shout!
The highlight of my day is the fact that my mum gets in today…*dancing Arlanta **sliently praying for peace to reign too*
I would try an d recollect the last two days of awesomeness…..
First, let me share my joy of finally having a Camera to have, to hold and to also call my own! I can finally relive my BB of its forced SLR functions!!!! It’s a Fujifilm 10megapixel 12x optical zoom…it’s not my dream Nikon 5000SLR camera but it works….so YYAAYYY! I have a few projects lined up for it already…asides from my everyday collection of pictures from school, I have a black and white/monochrome idea of the streets of Paris; then two gardens; Jardin Luxembourg and Saint Cour Emilion…so I think that makes three right?
Like my title reads…my dancing continues…God really answered my prayers of reliving me of my depression on Saturday…so as part of my answered prayer for company I can relate with in Paris…Jon Lee…a pastry chef who I hook up with from church sends me a text asking if I was free for hooking up… and since I had only an 8:30am class…my answer was like…..hell yeah! Was I up for hooking up!
So we meet at Madeline which is like one of the poshest zones…so he takes me round a few high end/boutique dessert stores like FOUCHAN and LA MAISON DU CHOCO LAT…shops like this make Chocolat Royale and Ice cream factory look like MR BIGGS! Lord have mercy! It was beautiful!!!!
At FOUCHAN (pronounced foe-shun btw) in particular the attention to presentation was beyond belief! The desserts where like Jewels or something out of photoshop! Even their savoury lines of mini meals were finer than fine dining! I couldn’t help but wonder if they were edible or not! But when éclairs are 6 Euros for one….all we could do was “regarderz” (to look in French).
At LA MIASION DU CHOCOLAT I almost lost my mind (and where friends of mine like Adeiye Oteju in particular would have died and gone to heaven from)…it was just a real chocolate lovers Heaven! Chocolate I could even pronounce the name…u kno say when Gbubemi Master Chef don confuse..Indomine don bekom garri!…(I'm not sure that makes sense…just forming D’BANJ)
Through our tour I had expressed my emotions of bewilderment and unadulterated astonishment but still…..I did my best to curb my raw Nigerian exclamations like “yehh! “Mo gbe!” “Chai!” “E wooo” by providing my environment with sheer expressions of moderate amazement and silence with a glint of admiration in my eyes….nothing more. We go to other gourmet specialties stores like the Bon Marche where Cured Ham was 34 Euros! And thought to myself “shey I go kuku ma buy pig slaughter am by myself ke?!” kai! Poverty!
Still, it was a most thrilling experience looking through this gourmet vastness !
Our grades for the first half of school gets in and I'm not so happy with my average….I had like 66% and I was graded on my general class average (trust me my class has some not so great cooks in it…) and that was terribly poor to start with! Gosh!!!! But I didn’t let that get me down…this is basic…I must learn the basic and aster them even if I make mistakes…or my class average is crap…and it’s not how I start but how I finish!
So yesterday the 27th was a crazy long day at school! Two practical classes and a demo! 8:30am till 6pm!!! Shey na me want Chef life…..I was an assistant for this week as well and it wasn’t funny…running up and down making sure everybody’s good… I always seemed to be like 15 mins behind everyone but like lighting I cooked and still met up when it was time for presentation and boy did I score! Both my Dishes rocked!!! My Beef Sirloin roast received a 4 star rating from the chef…but felt I had gone overboard with black pepper…but he loved my presentation….. but I had to cook my beef medium rare…aka raw in the middle…and yes I ate it like that…it’s not so bad actually…but u can’t eat much of it… but as I dug my teeth into the crimson red-uncooked centre and chewed gently….it I could only relay the thoughts average Nigerian for that matter “but d meat never done na?!” “kai! Oyibo dey chop rubbish!” “no pepper sef for the chop” “mcheww” “eehmmm nonsense food” “abeg how I go dey chop blood”
Moving on, I just found out that I have only 10 days holiday after my basic course then I have only 4 days holiday between my second term and last term! Omo I can like to process my visa ke! London here I come! *praying it won’t cost a billion to do o!*
And on the note of losing weight…I finally went running this morning!!!! YAAAYY!! At 8am I rose and slipped into my sportswear I had gotten from Decathlon with Jon’s help…(the cycler pants I got I actually rebelled buying I thought of how sexy I would look in them..I mean I'm not like Usian Bolt or some GQ model with a slim figure and ripped abs…I'm hoping to get there…but they don’t look so bad) and start from my street…on the way to Jardin Luxembourg which is arguably the biggest jog spot in Paris…omo after like 15 mins of forming Olympic runner…my body started to shout at me and reminding me of the evil I had done to it of overeating and no exercise….my legs started to hurt, my out of breathiness was legendary…”GOSH I'M I UNFIT!” was my racing thought…but I kept going and brisk walking so I can get back to this rhythm and shed this weight! I felt like bullied whale or sea lion after my run but…I shall press towards the mark! In fact on my way I saw a scale in the garden but I think I ran with full speed past it!....too scared to think of what I weigh now! And another battle to be Victor and not vanquished in is School…the food is becoming sickening!
Yesterday for example has left me with at least 2 kilos of beef and a pack of mashed potatoes! And it’s hindering even the possibility of my diet working! *deep sighs*
Just watched Glee episode 16! I can’t even shout!
I'm praying to God seriously I can move houses….this overpriced box is just not it!
So to all of you that have shown and still showing love…I'm too grateful!
To my family una too mussshhh!!! Aunty Rosalind…thanks for being the only adult that religiously follows my blog!
So expect my picture projects….coming soon!
A Bientot!
Wednesday, April 28, 2010
Sunday, April 25, 2010
Mourning into Dancing...Best Sunday Ever!!!!
APRIL 25, 2010
This post was really meant to be a near endless lament and thorough expression of my depression that was bordering on post natal! But God does really look out for He’s own and He is truly here with me and He does answer prayers! So yes I'm not only happy but highly elated!!!!!
So why was I depressed? And how did it all turn around?
And the story goes….
First let me say the situation even took me by surprise… so yeah…
Yesterday Saturday 24 April 2010, after nearly developing bed sores from tossing and turning on the same spot all day on my sofa bed…Glee re-watch after re-watch and How I Met Your Mother back to backs….I decide to go out as a retaliation to Kristen’s accusation that I don’t get out enough and really I was in need of fresh Air and some fun....so I decide at 6:17pm to get out….at least to Saint Michel or last last do what I said I would not do…Shop!….. at least H&M was on sale…so I get to Saint Michel and settle for fast food…let me first say that I don’t like the McDonalds here..its crap to me only their Rustic potatoes are great…However I settle for its rival “Quick” I order my Chicken wing meal and settle to down to eat….departing the doors of Quick…I couldn’t help but recap the vile moments I had with my meal…the Chicken wings were like brunt bits of chicken carcass that had been used to add flavour to a roast dish from school! The rustic potatoes were fried chunks of unbearable near-rotten potatoes…the barbeque sauce tasted like pirated ketchup! I mean how can u have bad BBQ sauce?! And what stung most…it cost me 7 Euros! (pls its big money to me! I bi student!) Nonsense! I should have gone to McD’s!
As I mangled through the alarming number of people that seemed to be on Saint Michel Boulevard…entering Delaveine for some comfort with actual intentions of picking something….I find that rags remained instead of actual stuff! Arrgh! Then I decide to go to H&M at least! So H&M tries a bit for me…. I get a pair of flat shoes that never seemed to be in my size so I find a pair…and my 10 Euros jumps out of my wallet and voila…I shopped…*sigh* but even my obtaining a brand new pair of shoes didn’t seem to lighten up my mood/morale….the it starts to build….the feeling of loneliness and disconnection! How can I Gbubemi Fregene not have friends! At this point I started to think about my life on a good day…I mean me in las Gidi on a Saturday….too many paroles! At least there would be one Uncle or Aunty’s house to crash….Or Sayo Oke would have made me drive to Lekki to do Driver work….or harassed Adeiye to go to the Movies…visited endless people or even just to chill with my grandparents at home!!! SOMETHING!!! Then this disconnection grew to a considerable state of acute depression! Yes depressed that I had no real friends…all my classmates where just nowhere to be found or we are not just on the same page somehow…Juan went to Switzerland, Inigo just didn’t feel like calling him (I don’t know why) Leonardo same thing…just felt really bad….even worse nobody seemed to be on Facebook or Skype!!!! Oh my was I about to lose my mind!
Even as this morning Sunrise announced a new day I still felt heavy….but I sort of was looking forward to Kristen Lunch date we had setup to make up for Friday’s no show…but that didn’t feel good enough…
So I attend first service at Fountain via webcast ()awesome word by the way Pastor Taiwo!)and set out for first service at Hillsong…during service it started again…I was just feeling so wrong…so not- among and it was hard for me I mean I get along with people easily now! But here nobody seemed to feel me…so through my glistening eyes I pray a simple but terribly honest prayer “Lord please I want to leave church happier than I came…prove your miracle power” without an Amen I join in the worship and settle down and listen to the Pastor…he preached a message I had heard so many times but since it was the Word of God it felt like brand new material! Gosh was it hot! So after church I linger in the foyer with my coffee in my hand and my thin patience for Gods miracle I had prayed for and when I was about to kick myself to the curb…..my miracle happens…a lady…Lea..says hi to me and I lament to her unashamedly about my issue….and she empathized with me and said she could relate because she had gone through the same phase and she looked for some chefs who attend church as well and introduced to me…. And in the light of giving people a chance I decide to say hi to Aaron’s crew who turned out to be going out for lunch/picnic so I join them meet Jon Lee who’s the pastry chef the lady found for me and it was an amazing time…we went to a garden park place ….it was picture perfect…manicured lawns, ponds with ducks, fish and beautiful birds in it…..yes..picture perfect….I mean we just chilled on the grass…laughed and ate…and I finally felt some warmth and belonging…*a million sighs of relief*
Then it got better…Kristen and I hook up…after I delayed her for like 10mins….we have lunch which she spoils me silly! Beef fillet @ 30 Euros! And Haggen Daaz for dessert….I was in heaven and she even gave me some Jeff De Burges Couture chocolates for standing me up….wow!!! (God does answer prayers)…we chat about life and all…it was a great time!
To think I depressed made me even laugh at myself…so I have decided to give it all time and no tbe selfish to want everything the way I want it! I have to deal with the fact I have no Nigerian people at my beck and call…and deal with the fact that even the dudus don’t speak English….
I would be fine…right?
As I beckon to wrap up its 11:39pm Paris time, 10:39 Nigerian time….I think I can watch something and go to bed and get up in time for my 8:30am demo class
It was great Skyping with Aunty Ronke, Tosin, Aunty Lola Kasunmu and all my lovely cousins!!! And also talking to Yetunde Fatunde my Head Girl after 6 years!!!!!!
To all my friends and family who are too many to name and count…I miss, value and cherish you all!!!! I see how we take things for granted…..like seeing each other hanging out and so on….
I LOVE YOU ALL!!!!!
A Bientot!
This post was really meant to be a near endless lament and thorough expression of my depression that was bordering on post natal! But God does really look out for He’s own and He is truly here with me and He does answer prayers! So yes I'm not only happy but highly elated!!!!!
So why was I depressed? And how did it all turn around?
And the story goes….
First let me say the situation even took me by surprise… so yeah…
Yesterday Saturday 24 April 2010, after nearly developing bed sores from tossing and turning on the same spot all day on my sofa bed…Glee re-watch after re-watch and How I Met Your Mother back to backs….I decide to go out as a retaliation to Kristen’s accusation that I don’t get out enough and really I was in need of fresh Air and some fun....so I decide at 6:17pm to get out….at least to Saint Michel or last last do what I said I would not do…Shop!….. at least H&M was on sale…so I get to Saint Michel and settle for fast food…let me first say that I don’t like the McDonalds here..its crap to me only their Rustic potatoes are great…However I settle for its rival “Quick” I order my Chicken wing meal and settle to down to eat….departing the doors of Quick…I couldn’t help but recap the vile moments I had with my meal…the Chicken wings were like brunt bits of chicken carcass that had been used to add flavour to a roast dish from school! The rustic potatoes were fried chunks of unbearable near-rotten potatoes…the barbeque sauce tasted like pirated ketchup! I mean how can u have bad BBQ sauce?! And what stung most…it cost me 7 Euros! (pls its big money to me! I bi student!) Nonsense! I should have gone to McD’s!
As I mangled through the alarming number of people that seemed to be on Saint Michel Boulevard…entering Delaveine for some comfort with actual intentions of picking something….I find that rags remained instead of actual stuff! Arrgh! Then I decide to go to H&M at least! So H&M tries a bit for me…. I get a pair of flat shoes that never seemed to be in my size so I find a pair…and my 10 Euros jumps out of my wallet and voila…I shopped…*sigh* but even my obtaining a brand new pair of shoes didn’t seem to lighten up my mood/morale….the it starts to build….the feeling of loneliness and disconnection! How can I Gbubemi Fregene not have friends! At this point I started to think about my life on a good day…I mean me in las Gidi on a Saturday….too many paroles! At least there would be one Uncle or Aunty’s house to crash….Or Sayo Oke would have made me drive to Lekki to do Driver work….or harassed Adeiye to go to the Movies…visited endless people or even just to chill with my grandparents at home!!! SOMETHING!!! Then this disconnection grew to a considerable state of acute depression! Yes depressed that I had no real friends…all my classmates where just nowhere to be found or we are not just on the same page somehow…Juan went to Switzerland, Inigo just didn’t feel like calling him (I don’t know why) Leonardo same thing…just felt really bad….even worse nobody seemed to be on Facebook or Skype!!!! Oh my was I about to lose my mind!
Even as this morning Sunrise announced a new day I still felt heavy….but I sort of was looking forward to Kristen Lunch date we had setup to make up for Friday’s no show…but that didn’t feel good enough…
So I attend first service at Fountain via webcast ()awesome word by the way Pastor Taiwo!)and set out for first service at Hillsong…during service it started again…I was just feeling so wrong…so not- among and it was hard for me I mean I get along with people easily now! But here nobody seemed to feel me…so through my glistening eyes I pray a simple but terribly honest prayer “Lord please I want to leave church happier than I came…prove your miracle power” without an Amen I join in the worship and settle down and listen to the Pastor…he preached a message I had heard so many times but since it was the Word of God it felt like brand new material! Gosh was it hot! So after church I linger in the foyer with my coffee in my hand and my thin patience for Gods miracle I had prayed for and when I was about to kick myself to the curb…..my miracle happens…a lady…Lea..says hi to me and I lament to her unashamedly about my issue….and she empathized with me and said she could relate because she had gone through the same phase and she looked for some chefs who attend church as well and introduced to me…. And in the light of giving people a chance I decide to say hi to Aaron’s crew who turned out to be going out for lunch/picnic so I join them meet Jon Lee who’s the pastry chef the lady found for me and it was an amazing time…we went to a garden park place ….it was picture perfect…manicured lawns, ponds with ducks, fish and beautiful birds in it…..yes..picture perfect….I mean we just chilled on the grass…laughed and ate…and I finally felt some warmth and belonging…*a million sighs of relief*
Then it got better…Kristen and I hook up…after I delayed her for like 10mins….we have lunch which she spoils me silly! Beef fillet @ 30 Euros! And Haggen Daaz for dessert….I was in heaven and she even gave me some Jeff De Burges Couture chocolates for standing me up….wow!!! (God does answer prayers)…we chat about life and all…it was a great time!
To think I depressed made me even laugh at myself…so I have decided to give it all time and no tbe selfish to want everything the way I want it! I have to deal with the fact I have no Nigerian people at my beck and call…and deal with the fact that even the dudus don’t speak English….
I would be fine…right?
As I beckon to wrap up its 11:39pm Paris time, 10:39 Nigerian time….I think I can watch something and go to bed and get up in time for my 8:30am demo class
It was great Skyping with Aunty Ronke, Tosin, Aunty Lola Kasunmu and all my lovely cousins!!! And also talking to Yetunde Fatunde my Head Girl after 6 years!!!!!!
To all my friends and family who are too many to name and count…I miss, value and cherish you all!!!! I see how we take things for granted…..like seeing each other hanging out and so on….
I LOVE YOU ALL!!!!!
A Bientot!
Saturday, April 24, 2010
Disappointments, Self-Disrespect, Shocks and possibly the Most Boring Saturday ever!
April 24, 2010
As my keyboard feels the constant jabbing of my fingertips, I'm still basking in the thoughts of my devotional this morning…in fact more like the fear sef…the Word is really a double edged sword...it did pierce me this morning!
Sadly, yesterday Kristen and I didn’t go to Monamarte and I was so annoyed! Apparently she misunderstood when I called and told her I was at the station at a certain exit, while she waited for me down in the metro! *sigh* so I came back home to eat copious amounts of food in annoyance! (how wise!)
But during my one and a half hour wait for Kristen, I notice I was in a really cream zones, Hackket was right across the road…so I decide to venture to at least look…it doesn’t hurt to look right? But after my walking in and my almost immediate walking out…It made sense…it hurts to even look when poverty is your backing! In the store they didn’t have prices on their stuff, that was the first hint I should get out, but I still formed what “no shirt last last 50 Euros I go close eye buy!” then I now find a shirt with a tag on it “135 Euros” that was when my brain kicked my feet into swift motions towards the glass exit! The assistants I think had even sized me up I'm sure “uh poor boy why did he bother!” because they where free and didn’t bother forming “Bonjour Monsieur need help?”
Then I further disrespected myself and entered a mall that that said “LE BON MARCHE” but I foolishly ignored the security guard in front of the mall…dressed in a suit! But proud me I entered…but when all I could see where Armani Socks that were 30 Euros and Leather bags that were 680 Euros….. I told myself since I wasn’t Uncle Segun Fagboyegun or Tunde Odukale…yet…I can like to stick to the rivers and lakes that I'm used too…(H&M Delaveine and Co) this was some serious Niagara waterfalls stuffs!
More importantly, something both strange, funny and somewhat comforting happened to me on the way to Kristen….first let me mention I was sporting an awesome Nigerian Look…I had on some brown Woodin top (I have had forever) and instead of its matching Sokoto I wear some light brown denim trousers with my Moccasins and finished up with my Shades and I didn’t need Vogue magazine or GQ to tell me I was Gbono Feli Feli! (Smokin’Hot!) So with my confidence on a marijuana high I bounce to the metro and stop by my now guilty pleasure bakery store for a small baguette or something when this Seriously Black-African-Chateau Rouge man passes me and slowly starts breaking into a smile… in my mind
1. Awwww….he noticed my outfit and it reminds him of home…I'm flattered
2. I know me too I miss home and I am repping the AFR-I CAN
Then his pause and gesture towards me bursts all those thoughts then in French he starts saying something…and I reply back in my demi-french that I'm English and I don’t understand French fully well…thinking he would get the gist and free…he pressed on with this his issue then it hit me! He was begging me for money to buy phone card to call!
My mind…
1. “abi u chop confuse! Because say I wear African cloth I com be ur telephone man! I be France Telecom! Shooo see me see troboh o! Osalobuwa! Hee!
2. See familiar spirit o! untop say I baff up u com dey tax me….mcheww!
But my lips only replied “j’ne pas” in repeated succession (not caring that I was not making obvious sense!) and I walked away before the story would be different! But as
I walked away I sort of felt like I finally sort of identified with my kind….dunno…it’s hard not having Nigerians or Black people that speak English around me…*snifs*
Staying at home with food at your disposal does not have its benefits! Especially when you go to culinary school with so much leftovers in your fridge!
Yesterday was a hangout at a pub with people from church but I opted not to go…..i don’t know why I'm becoming anti social? *sigh* but there would be many other Fridays and frankly the last one I went for was boring! Ok I'm being a drama queen… I would go for the next one… I'm actually looking forward to this coming Wednesday when I meet up with a connect group at Starbucks…that’s when we share the Word…it’s pretty awesome!
As for what I plan on doing today I'm so totally lost! I'm tempted to go shopping but...I’m trying to save money to need to pay utilities and just generally drown my tendencies of becoming an addicted impulse buyer!
By the mercies of God my bank finally got my details right and my account should be running by today…now all my loving friends and family that want to send me money can do so and I can get my BB working! Carol Ofem I can’t wait to be in constant communication with you!
Please try and leave comments about my new look…as per the blog’s new look…
So I'm looking forward to another day of possibly staying home with www.free-tv-video-online.info to watch endless shows along tortilla chips and noodles!
Before i sign off...I saw these on Facebook and i just had to share it!
He said if he got 500,000 votes from his party, not even God would keep him from the Presidency. He did get the votes, but could not become President.....Tancredo de Almeida Neves....(the dude died a day before he was to be sworn in)
Just one day before he was to take the oath of office, Neves became severely ill. He suffered from abdominal complications and developed generalized infections. After seven operations, Neves died.
Only a Fool who would say i his hear that there is no God....and only a fool would doubt proofs.
"A certain man had a flat in the front of a psychiatric hospital. He loosened the nuts and incidentally,the nuts fell into the the gutter through the cracks on the slabs covering the gutter and he didn't know what to do. It so happened that one of the inmates that had been watching him told him to use 1 nut from each wheel to hold that particular wheel. The car owner was impressed and told the inmate that with his smartness,he wonders why he's in there. The inmate responded,' I'm in here for being crazy not for being stupid.'
A Bientot!
As my keyboard feels the constant jabbing of my fingertips, I'm still basking in the thoughts of my devotional this morning…in fact more like the fear sef…the Word is really a double edged sword...it did pierce me this morning!
Sadly, yesterday Kristen and I didn’t go to Monamarte and I was so annoyed! Apparently she misunderstood when I called and told her I was at the station at a certain exit, while she waited for me down in the metro! *sigh* so I came back home to eat copious amounts of food in annoyance! (how wise!)
But during my one and a half hour wait for Kristen, I notice I was in a really cream zones, Hackket was right across the road…so I decide to venture to at least look…it doesn’t hurt to look right? But after my walking in and my almost immediate walking out…It made sense…it hurts to even look when poverty is your backing! In the store they didn’t have prices on their stuff, that was the first hint I should get out, but I still formed what “no shirt last last 50 Euros I go close eye buy!” then I now find a shirt with a tag on it “135 Euros” that was when my brain kicked my feet into swift motions towards the glass exit! The assistants I think had even sized me up I'm sure “uh poor boy why did he bother!” because they where free and didn’t bother forming “Bonjour Monsieur need help?”
Then I further disrespected myself and entered a mall that that said “LE BON MARCHE” but I foolishly ignored the security guard in front of the mall…dressed in a suit! But proud me I entered…but when all I could see where Armani Socks that were 30 Euros and Leather bags that were 680 Euros….. I told myself since I wasn’t Uncle Segun Fagboyegun or Tunde Odukale…yet…I can like to stick to the rivers and lakes that I'm used too…(H&M Delaveine and Co) this was some serious Niagara waterfalls stuffs!
More importantly, something both strange, funny and somewhat comforting happened to me on the way to Kristen….first let me mention I was sporting an awesome Nigerian Look…I had on some brown Woodin top (I have had forever) and instead of its matching Sokoto I wear some light brown denim trousers with my Moccasins and finished up with my Shades and I didn’t need Vogue magazine or GQ to tell me I was Gbono Feli Feli! (Smokin’Hot!) So with my confidence on a marijuana high I bounce to the metro and stop by my now guilty pleasure bakery store for a small baguette or something when this Seriously Black-African-Chateau Rouge man passes me and slowly starts breaking into a smile… in my mind
1. Awwww….he noticed my outfit and it reminds him of home…I'm flattered
2. I know me too I miss home and I am repping the AFR-I CAN
Then his pause and gesture towards me bursts all those thoughts then in French he starts saying something…and I reply back in my demi-french that I'm English and I don’t understand French fully well…thinking he would get the gist and free…he pressed on with this his issue then it hit me! He was begging me for money to buy phone card to call!
My mind…
1. “abi u chop confuse! Because say I wear African cloth I com be ur telephone man! I be France Telecom! Shooo see me see troboh o! Osalobuwa! Hee!
2. See familiar spirit o! untop say I baff up u com dey tax me….mcheww!
But my lips only replied “j’ne pas” in repeated succession (not caring that I was not making obvious sense!) and I walked away before the story would be different! But as
I walked away I sort of felt like I finally sort of identified with my kind….dunno…it’s hard not having Nigerians or Black people that speak English around me…*snifs*
Staying at home with food at your disposal does not have its benefits! Especially when you go to culinary school with so much leftovers in your fridge!
Yesterday was a hangout at a pub with people from church but I opted not to go…..i don’t know why I'm becoming anti social? *sigh* but there would be many other Fridays and frankly the last one I went for was boring! Ok I'm being a drama queen… I would go for the next one… I'm actually looking forward to this coming Wednesday when I meet up with a connect group at Starbucks…that’s when we share the Word…it’s pretty awesome!
As for what I plan on doing today I'm so totally lost! I'm tempted to go shopping but...I’m trying to save money to need to pay utilities and just generally drown my tendencies of becoming an addicted impulse buyer!
By the mercies of God my bank finally got my details right and my account should be running by today…now all my loving friends and family that want to send me money can do so and I can get my BB working! Carol Ofem I can’t wait to be in constant communication with you!
Please try and leave comments about my new look…as per the blog’s new look…
So I'm looking forward to another day of possibly staying home with www.free-tv-video-online.info to watch endless shows along tortilla chips and noodles!
Before i sign off...I saw these on Facebook and i just had to share it!
He said if he got 500,000 votes from his party, not even God would keep him from the Presidency. He did get the votes, but could not become President.....Tancredo de Almeida Neves....(the dude died a day before he was to be sworn in)
Just one day before he was to take the oath of office, Neves became severely ill. He suffered from abdominal complications and developed generalized infections. After seven operations, Neves died.
Only a Fool who would say i his hear that there is no God....and only a fool would doubt proofs.
"A certain man had a flat in the front of a psychiatric hospital. He loosened the nuts and incidentally,the nuts fell into the the gutter through the cracks on the slabs covering the gutter and he didn't know what to do. It so happened that one of the inmates that had been watching him told him to use 1 nut from each wheel to hold that particular wheel. The car owner was impressed and told the inmate that with his smartness,he wonders why he's in there. The inmate responded,' I'm in here for being crazy not for being stupid.'
A Bientot!
Friday, April 23, 2010
Chef @ Home...All from Leftovers :)
Brill Fillets in a White Wine Sauce on Pureed with Mixed Salad Leaves
Bon Apetit!
Bonjour Tu Le Monde!
Hey People,
Evidently i have given my blog a whole new look....I like it but still feels like it can be better....but for now i think it rocks!!!
The picture with my most recent post is Leonardo and I cooking away at the dinner party...and i also forgot to mention that the next one features all of us cooking something from our home countries...hope they would not die from the Jollof rice i would cook because i would cook it with my normal dose of pepper o!!! lol! but really im not going to disrespect my Jollof rice to respect someone's palette "if e too hot for u no chop am!" *O_O*
Major news! i keep forgetting to write about! on Sunday after cleaning my house...ii get a serious Brainiac moment...i decide to cut my hair....lets just say i had a new dumb decision to add to my hall of fame "what the Hell was I Thinking" decisions....
Don't worry..i still have my head...but with almost no scalp! lol!!! On the real though my hair is not so bad and i tend to keep practicing.....its saves a brother 10 euros mehn and treacherous/fearful journey to the ghetto!!!
Please if you are not watching Glee you should be arrested! please follow the link below to watch all the Episodes and any show you are into...and even movies
http://www.free-tv-video-online.info/movies/search.php?q=Glee&md=shows&sa=Search
I'm off to Monamarte with Kristen today...Im guessing it should be fun
To the 16 fficial followers of the blog...thank you and to all the many unoffical followers thanks for going through my life through this blog and he humbling feedback
My family I love y'all
A Bientot!!
Evidently i have given my blog a whole new look....I like it but still feels like it can be better....but for now i think it rocks!!!
The picture with my most recent post is Leonardo and I cooking away at the dinner party...and i also forgot to mention that the next one features all of us cooking something from our home countries...hope they would not die from the Jollof rice i would cook because i would cook it with my normal dose of pepper o!!! lol! but really im not going to disrespect my Jollof rice to respect someone's palette "if e too hot for u no chop am!" *O_O*
Major news! i keep forgetting to write about! on Sunday after cleaning my house...ii get a serious Brainiac moment...i decide to cut my hair....lets just say i had a new dumb decision to add to my hall of fame "what the Hell was I Thinking" decisions....
Don't worry..i still have my head...but with almost no scalp! lol!!! On the real though my hair is not so bad and i tend to keep practicing.....its saves a brother 10 euros mehn and treacherous/fearful journey to the ghetto!!!
Please if you are not watching Glee you should be arrested! please follow the link below to watch all the Episodes and any show you are into...and even movies
http://www.free-tv-video-online.info/movies/search.php?q=Glee&md=shows&sa=Search
I'm off to Monamarte with Kristen today...Im guessing it should be fun
To the 16 fficial followers of the blog...thank you and to all the many unoffical followers thanks for going through my life through this blog and he humbling feedback
My family I love y'all
A Bientot!!
Thursday, April 22, 2010
Dinner Parties and So on
April 22, 2010
As I type this I must confess I had an earlier opportunity to type and post this possibly earlier but…but I fell for the option of least resistance….Sleep…I slept...after a deserving lunch of Vanilla Ice-cream and Noodles….*sigh*oh well I'm typing now so I can posting for viewing First thing tomorrow!
As I try to recollect my last two days I would start by saying that my Dinner Party was a triumph! I was so in my element!!!
The dinner was at Juan’s place and from the time he told me where he lived I knew it was a bigs stuff!!! Juan’s place was near magical!!! Omo some Architecture Digest tins! An Old Parisian building but yet very modern furnishings.
However me…in the bid not show my unintended razzness and to from normal like “say notin dey do me…no bi fine house I get am plenty for my country now” I entered and only conversed with my mind and bellowed in awe on the beauty I was beholding! …with the above all in my mind, I just say “Juan nice place you have” but to my surprise it was everybody else that let their emotions show…Leonardo was in complete awe and kept on telling Juan how his house was great for entertaining a babe!! Kanayo did the same as well and Kristen was plain jealous (in a healthy manner) but very pleased by the place! But I mean Juan is paying millions for that place! So it better be nice!!!
Well we ran late with the cooking, and in true cordon bleu style as I cooked or cut up something I cleaned up…I did it so much I was laughed at for being such a “good student” but after all this millions shey I go rep my calling ke?! My mother would have so proud of me as that was our biggest fight in the kitchen!
Anyway to wrap up, it was a wonderful night although it got almost a bit messy…in the bid of trying to know each other better and our cultural differences as well….Juan had been asking everyone why they chose this and what they wanted…so everybody’s story was on the floor…Leo’s accidental discovery of kitchen work at school (CAN U IMAGINE!!) he took a course in Tourism that exposed him to kitchen work and he has fallen in love since! (which has led to his 6 year work experience!! Serving celebrities like Hugh Grant!) I gave my own story of my total obsession with food and my business I was running (please note I made the gist more juicer than this!) then Kristen mentions how this was a present from her husband as it has been her dream to come to Paris and be by herself and come to my school…but Leo and Kristen almost got into a heated argument…over the use of the N word..yes Nigga/er Kristen made it clear it was an offensive word but Leo felt it was ok..as it was a normal thing in Brazil or in the hoods of Yankee to say…but the argument was quickly broken up by both Juan and I because Leo was not going to give it a rest!
Anyway the menu is below and trust me every dish was awesome!!! Leo made the first course, both of us made the second and I did the last one….Kristen brought wine…
Melon and Cold Meat Salad with a Honey Port Dressing
Mushroom and Bacon Chicken Ballotine with Gorgonzola gratin with a Tomato Sauce
Apple Tart with Vanilla Ice-cream and Mixed Berry Coulis
**PS: I know half you do not have the slightest clue what in God’s name is above (it is not an insult but the truth!)….but please act cream and from you understand….but to explain a few things…Ballotine is just a stuffed Chicken Breast….Gorgonzola is a type of Cheese….and Gratin is a dish of Potatoes…Coulis is a sauce made by cooking fruit with sugar and lemon and straining it to be smooth and fine….**
Anyway it was a great night! We became closer friends somewhat….I mercifully made it home in one piece after all the wine though!!!
We had a market tour with Chef Frank Popaurd on Monday…that was just plain amazing! During the tour, we generally made different stops at landmark French food kinda places…definitely a cheese shop, a cold meat store/deli, vegetable stands, butcher, bakery and fish mongers. The chef did his best to talk to us about different types of cheeses, where they come from, how real cheese is made from raw milk and not pasteurized milk! And how he hates the laws passed to that effect…the smell of the cheese shop by the way was almost breaking my stomach walls like the walls of Jericho! Kai the putird of the shop was cremating! During the tour I could help but voice my thoughts to Juan “wow markets here are so neat and organized…can u imagine they only open from maybe 9-1pm?!!! “ he agreed with me totally because as a Colombian markets are rowdy, untidy and plain crazy! But what I still kept to myself were the now horrifying images of Mushin , Ijora NEPA, Iddo even Oba Eleguhsi sef!...so the chef explains more about seasons and times with Vegetables an...the best time to buy certain things and so forth…same for fish sef and most of the produce we saw…and I kept thinking myself the only time in Nigeria we know something is not in season is when the price skyrockets!!!
After much walking around we round up and go back to school and feast like Kings on some of the things we had seen on the tour and chef had picked up…it was legendary! Endless assortment of pates, cheese, wine, breads, cold meats and butter biscuits…during which the chef expressed his most bitter disgust for British food! He didn’t hold back!!! “zeir pastry is RUBBISH!” “IT IS STUPID!” yes and he was very unapologetic!
However lovely the market trip and eating session was, it had two down sides
1. It seriously sabotaged my diet…...at least my steps towards it!
2. I had a demo class afterwards….wine and excess food does is not a good tonic for class!!!
So with that said let just say I almost fell of my chair in demo class!!!! I was almost doing the “crank that soulja boy” dance to keep awake! Juan Jose was just as useless…Inigo and Kristen too were having their fair share of SLEEP WARRIORS so I did not feel alone or bad for that matter!!!
The next morning which was the 21st I literally ran late for school!!!!! I decided to take the bus as opposed to the metro when I was sorta running late already…so my “smart” decision almost cost me practical class!!! My bus gets stuck in Traffic and I'm wondering…is there 3rd Mainland here too? Or Ajose Adeogun perhaps? Like me, some lady too was in a frantic rush! Because at 8:32am I was 2mins late for my practical and had 8mins left! To be legally late!!! And I was maybe 10mins away!!! Omo see me running!!!!!!!!!
So an out of breath Gbubemi stumbles into the class (which was quite as a graveyard) somehow God made it that the Chef was not there and when he came he didn’t spot a thing! *grateful hands up in the air to Heaven*
I was at least 15mins behind everyone and I rush and cook without a receipt!!!! But as a bad guys! I finished even way ahead of others who started but definitely not Leo! Lol!!! My dish was Hake fillets poached in a Court Bullion (pronounced/ Cor-BUyon/…please do so with your best French-phlegm induced accent) with a Hollandaise Sauce and Carrot and Courgette Tagliatele…without meaning to boast…my food rocked!!!! The chef (by the way who is the head chef at Cordon Bleu…Chef Therrien) gave me a “tres bien” for my sauce, a “ce bon” for my vegetables and Fish and a general well done for my plate of food...however he would have loved a touch more salt in my fish…oh well I still rocked!!!
Alero Danner passed by before her trip to Italy and she insisted we went to the Ralph Lauren Store that just opened....neither of us knew that that was the near worst decision we could ever make in Paris! When we eventually figure where the store was on the almost endless St Germain-De Pres Boulevard….I admire the show glass and comment on the movie glam look/theme and as I instinctively gesture to enter…my brain also instantly focuses my attention on two well dressed lady and guy holding what seemed to a leather notepads like you have at VIP entrances…then the security guards who were definitely dressed in Ralph, then my eyes catch a glimpse of waiters in white tuxedos serving bubbly….then my forward moving legs now froze and then did the moonwalk!!!! “omo no bi my type dey enter here…at least not now…ahan!!”…all this while I was even trying to decide if I was entering or not Alero my cousin was already miles ahead of me not even bothering to process all I just stopped to do! We laughed so hard at each other eh! It was terrible!
My mother safely arrived London despite this Volcano Eruption…I can’t even pronounce the name of the place sef…the name na wa! So I should see her next week…YAY! *praying to God for smooth love without any friction*
Have I mentioned in church I have started forming rock praise and worship?! Omo it’s kinda mad tho! I'm singing in French too!
Today the 22nd at practical my dish was Brill Fillets in White Wine Sauce…..my practical at school was not so great…not so great in the sense that I cooked without a plan and was all-over the place…and yes I attribute it mainly to my dozing off in class and loss of concentration when the chef was doing like one million dishes at the same time!!!! But oh well my food came out ok…the chef like it but felt I could have had more tomatoes in my sauce and potatoes turned better but a job well done still! Hmm…..
Kristen helped me buy my camera from Amazon.Fr so next week I should relieve my dear BB from its SLR duties and have a proper camera do the job!!
I'm waiting patiently for Delaveine and H&M to go 70% off or have an Everything Must go Sale so I can renew my still boring wardrobe…my window shopping has to pay off!!
Its 3:15am Paris time…2:15am Nigerian time…I am determined to post now!!!
So, that’s me so far and also keeping to my promise to break the yoke of Procrastination and the sinful habit of laziness!
So, I sign out…a testimony that dreams come true…and I'm forever Grateful to God!
My family and all I love you guys very much and all of you that have promised to see me must better come or else!!!!!! (Please it is not an empty threat…just don’t know for sure what I would do…at least now)
the pictures so far are here http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=416127&id=620705108&l=688aaae8e0
A Bientot!
Monday, April 19, 2010
Blast From The Past....
MARCH 30TH 2010
ITS 6:19PM daylight saving time and I am wrting this after a satisfactory bowl of noodles with an-over generous dose of scotch bonnet chilies….aka Ata-Rodo. This time around I just wanna collect thoughts and not be to stereotyped with my blog format….at least I would try….*sigh*
Before I go on…I had read an awesome article by a friend and a Mentor; Reginald Bassey…titled AN ODE TO EWA AGOYIN AND AGEGE BREAD on Facebook, apart from being thrilled by his wit, intelligence and sheer literal genius display.…I was really feeling his pain. What was his pain? He misses Nigerian Food, Period. And to prove his level of hurt...he writes a 2000 word article to accurately and terribly express his desperation for something Nigerian and as classless as “ewa agoyin” he said something I have now paraphrased “even as I go through the busy streets of new York even when I pass the 7 star bars restaurants and the different fumes bursting from various food houses on the boulevard my nose still searches for the now amazing waft of ewa agoyin from the streets of Victoria island”
So yes like Reginald I share the same pain…how?
By the grace of God I am probably at the best culinary school in the world, I am surrounded by gourmet food, haute couture dessert and pastry…DAILY!
From a savoury onion and olive tart to a Baba Vieux Rhum (a delicate sponge cake drenched in rum with a raspberry and vanilla pastry cream centre)to Spinach Cannelloni baked in a tomato and luxurious béchamel sauce, to Apple Tarts and dishes I cannot even pronounce their names but only relish their tatse via the constant daggering of my spoon against them into the comforting abode of my mouth and masticate gently simultaneously relishing the near orgasmic flavours till it finally gets to my stomach. But still all these gastronomic feats are still not truly satisfying my stomach’s staple desire for food like my Mother’s “Mama Put stew”, “Agege bread and blue band early in the morning in my car with 99.9 THE BEAT FM on the highest volume, yes…how can I forget the almighty IYA RUKA…that her rice and her fired stew with her rice…200 naira solves my breakfast issue
Yes all that I miss and crave home food… but I’m not running mad yet like my cousin Alero who has almost died because in the last 6 months shes has not even seen pepper talk of taste it even worse her craving for Egusi soup is sooo bad that she has warned me of the family issue it can cause If I don’t buy her the ingredients to make her Egusi!
So yes I am missing home food and I reailse I take things like Agege bread, Mama Put Stew, Palm Oil Stew and Jollof rice for granted!!!!
However If you have been following remember my trip to Ghetto Chateau Rouge? I had picked up some Okro that had wound up forgotten in my fridge up until now that my ethnic gastronomic fire has been ignited I decide to fan my fire by roughly chopping up the good okro I could salvage from the pack that had mostly rotted! Into a pot with crayfish, maggi and on a low simmer… wow the taste of white Okro I was excited…..I'm home! But my excitement was short lived as Eba and Palm Oil Stew was missing the in the equation…*sniffs*
On Sites of Paris…
Jardin Luxembourg ( pronounced jah-dan Loc-sem-boo or)( pls pronounce the latter part with all the phlegm you can muster in your throat)
The above is arguably one of the most beautiful places on earth and its one of my landmarks I pass daily on my way to school apart from its asthectic bliss its not hard to notice the endless number of men and women that jog round the garden…and always think the same things
1. Damn I should be doing that….
2. Damn I should be doing that…
3. Damn I should be doing that…
The best I have done is to plan how in April “I would start” “when I get running shoes and kit”…look at me talking fat people rubbish…all talk, intentions and Zero action...so that’s why this morning when I catch a glimpse of a few people jogging this morning my only retaliation is a snarl of disgust and bile in my stomach…
“so under the sun or even in the rain sef una dey jog! Rubbish”
Then somewhere in my mind I ignored the voice that questioned why I was beefing them…my silence was my only honour to the voice….self deceit!
On my diet however, pls rewind to the part when I was recollecting the endless array of food in my school it’s not making it easy…so does being bored at home and reaching out to one thing or the other..but I'm trying to eat less and keep the walking alive and when I see some cheap sports kit…I would start my Jardin Luxembourg regime…seriously! I must be skinny by August!!!
My demonstration today was first at 8:30am…making sure my alarm was set at 5:30am so I can “consciously” sleep for at least another hour, waking up at 6:00am I notice its still so dark so I snooze till 6:20ish and have a worship session where I seriously cry out to God for mercy…did some messing up! And still at 7:20 it was still dark..ah! some serious rain today then!…after much ado I finally reach the bustop for 7:50am, standing at the bustop its starts too drizzle and I'm like fantastic! But mercifully the bus came and I was school bound. Please note I was muttering some serious prayers under my breath t hat I must not be late! Arriving school, Juan Jose and Inigo were also briskly making it towards the door we exchange hellos charged with smiles and casual laughter then we hit the lockers and almost sublime into our uniforms and quickly pile into the demo room.
Having a class at 8:30am in the morning has no advantages…when you are passed the primary school-secondary school and even the university stage!
Sitting in an sir-conditioned room, comfortable is not a good idea….i was falling asleep so hard it was legendary! Indigo did the classic of his pen falling off his hand! Eventually we get through the demo and after which I doubted myself very much to be ace at my practical as I was useless during the demo and didn’t get a thing! So I relied on Leonardo and my recipe to make it through the class.
More so…you know how I felt about Leonardo and his forward behavior?…I noticed today that I had been looking at the wrong person because my beef was blinding me…there’s a serious Ajayi in my class… ANA!!!!!
She’s originally from Peruvian descent but has French Nationality… I don’t even know where to start with this girl!!!!! Even Leonardo complained about her today!!!!!! She’s always forming race! Always trying to beat Leonardo who is evidently the best in my class hands down! I mean the guy is good! But to his credit…he’s worked professionally before for a while so the dicispline is in him…but still ANA! She never wants to share knowledge or material! Always forming I gast to beat Leo!! Ahan!!! I hope she’s not doing the whole diploma sef I would die!
I think Inigo and I would be good friends…we talked about visiting each other’s countries and homes today sef…he’s very cool so is Juan…
And there’s Marisol she’s a cool Yankee babe…and Jackie her friend and an Aussie girl who I think is soo hot…Rachael(…ok make una no fear…I no go marry Oyibo!)
My Quiche at the end of the day was a SUCCESS!!!! When the chef comes for my final assessment…he hold my quiche up and gives me the most approving look and the most approving remark in French…
” ce tres bon…hmmm tres bien monsieur..tres bien”
the only thing that did not stop me from exploding like an over pressured water balloon was the fact that was too tired to even be excited…but deep within me I felt like I had been knighted by the queen herself! The chef even graded right in front of us…I got 4/5 for my final work and a 3/5 for organization…needs to get to a 4!..off course Leonardo had 4s all the way!!!! But genuinely I was happy for him!
I won’t lie as well I feel like I'm at Olashore all over again and this time I feel like I actually have a shot at “Top Ten” in my life. However I feel like I'm the Taiye Umar, Kemi Onajin, Yetunde Fatunde, AbassMurina and all those that would not admit that they wanted the first spot against the usual first place owners like the Ateweloguns and the Sherrifs who even the hall would chorus before “Princi” during Monday school assemblies! Please to other readers please note that the above mentioned in the Taiye Umar etc category did have their moments of rising to the pinnacle of the academic summit…yes they came first a couple of times sometimes even juggled it from term to term and I think even drew sometimes…and like I teased Kemi the other day…she scanned one time and came first…..so I know in perfect time I would have my moment….I shall be first too…LOL!
I have been in Paris now for 19 days, that’s 2 weeks and 5 days and one moment I'm believing I'm here another I don’t…I'm living my dream sha…**tushin tushin**
My internet is off and I'm almost losing my mind…but thanks to my hard drive that contains 4 seasons of How I met Your Mother and Glee my boredom did not have a chance to express itself
To all my Family Friends and Well wishers
(I sound like a razz wedding program!)
Love you all to bits!!!!
Bonne Huit!
ITS 6:19PM daylight saving time and I am wrting this after a satisfactory bowl of noodles with an-over generous dose of scotch bonnet chilies….aka Ata-Rodo. This time around I just wanna collect thoughts and not be to stereotyped with my blog format….at least I would try….*sigh*
Before I go on…I had read an awesome article by a friend and a Mentor; Reginald Bassey…titled AN ODE TO EWA AGOYIN AND AGEGE BREAD on Facebook, apart from being thrilled by his wit, intelligence and sheer literal genius display.…I was really feeling his pain. What was his pain? He misses Nigerian Food, Period. And to prove his level of hurt...he writes a 2000 word article to accurately and terribly express his desperation for something Nigerian and as classless as “ewa agoyin” he said something I have now paraphrased “even as I go through the busy streets of new York even when I pass the 7 star bars restaurants and the different fumes bursting from various food houses on the boulevard my nose still searches for the now amazing waft of ewa agoyin from the streets of Victoria island”
So yes like Reginald I share the same pain…how?
By the grace of God I am probably at the best culinary school in the world, I am surrounded by gourmet food, haute couture dessert and pastry…DAILY!
From a savoury onion and olive tart to a Baba Vieux Rhum (a delicate sponge cake drenched in rum with a raspberry and vanilla pastry cream centre)to Spinach Cannelloni baked in a tomato and luxurious béchamel sauce, to Apple Tarts and dishes I cannot even pronounce their names but only relish their tatse via the constant daggering of my spoon against them into the comforting abode of my mouth and masticate gently simultaneously relishing the near orgasmic flavours till it finally gets to my stomach. But still all these gastronomic feats are still not truly satisfying my stomach’s staple desire for food like my Mother’s “Mama Put stew”, “Agege bread and blue band early in the morning in my car with 99.9 THE BEAT FM on the highest volume, yes…how can I forget the almighty IYA RUKA…that her rice and her fired stew with her rice…200 naira solves my breakfast issue
Yes all that I miss and crave home food… but I’m not running mad yet like my cousin Alero who has almost died because in the last 6 months shes has not even seen pepper talk of taste it even worse her craving for Egusi soup is sooo bad that she has warned me of the family issue it can cause If I don’t buy her the ingredients to make her Egusi!
So yes I am missing home food and I reailse I take things like Agege bread, Mama Put Stew, Palm Oil Stew and Jollof rice for granted!!!!
However If you have been following remember my trip to Ghetto Chateau Rouge? I had picked up some Okro that had wound up forgotten in my fridge up until now that my ethnic gastronomic fire has been ignited I decide to fan my fire by roughly chopping up the good okro I could salvage from the pack that had mostly rotted! Into a pot with crayfish, maggi and on a low simmer… wow the taste of white Okro I was excited…..I'm home! But my excitement was short lived as Eba and Palm Oil Stew was missing the in the equation…*sniffs*
On Sites of Paris…
Jardin Luxembourg ( pronounced jah-dan Loc-sem-boo or)( pls pronounce the latter part with all the phlegm you can muster in your throat)
The above is arguably one of the most beautiful places on earth and its one of my landmarks I pass daily on my way to school apart from its asthectic bliss its not hard to notice the endless number of men and women that jog round the garden…and always think the same things
1. Damn I should be doing that….
2. Damn I should be doing that…
3. Damn I should be doing that…
The best I have done is to plan how in April “I would start” “when I get running shoes and kit”…look at me talking fat people rubbish…all talk, intentions and Zero action...so that’s why this morning when I catch a glimpse of a few people jogging this morning my only retaliation is a snarl of disgust and bile in my stomach…
“so under the sun or even in the rain sef una dey jog! Rubbish”
Then somewhere in my mind I ignored the voice that questioned why I was beefing them…my silence was my only honour to the voice….self deceit!
On my diet however, pls rewind to the part when I was recollecting the endless array of food in my school it’s not making it easy…so does being bored at home and reaching out to one thing or the other..but I'm trying to eat less and keep the walking alive and when I see some cheap sports kit…I would start my Jardin Luxembourg regime…seriously! I must be skinny by August!!!
My demonstration today was first at 8:30am…making sure my alarm was set at 5:30am so I can “consciously” sleep for at least another hour, waking up at 6:00am I notice its still so dark so I snooze till 6:20ish and have a worship session where I seriously cry out to God for mercy…did some messing up! And still at 7:20 it was still dark..ah! some serious rain today then!…after much ado I finally reach the bustop for 7:50am, standing at the bustop its starts too drizzle and I'm like fantastic! But mercifully the bus came and I was school bound. Please note I was muttering some serious prayers under my breath t hat I must not be late! Arriving school, Juan Jose and Inigo were also briskly making it towards the door we exchange hellos charged with smiles and casual laughter then we hit the lockers and almost sublime into our uniforms and quickly pile into the demo room.
Having a class at 8:30am in the morning has no advantages…when you are passed the primary school-secondary school and even the university stage!
Sitting in an sir-conditioned room, comfortable is not a good idea….i was falling asleep so hard it was legendary! Indigo did the classic of his pen falling off his hand! Eventually we get through the demo and after which I doubted myself very much to be ace at my practical as I was useless during the demo and didn’t get a thing! So I relied on Leonardo and my recipe to make it through the class.
More so…you know how I felt about Leonardo and his forward behavior?…I noticed today that I had been looking at the wrong person because my beef was blinding me…there’s a serious Ajayi in my class… ANA!!!!!
She’s originally from Peruvian descent but has French Nationality… I don’t even know where to start with this girl!!!!! Even Leonardo complained about her today!!!!!! She’s always forming race! Always trying to beat Leonardo who is evidently the best in my class hands down! I mean the guy is good! But to his credit…he’s worked professionally before for a while so the dicispline is in him…but still ANA! She never wants to share knowledge or material! Always forming I gast to beat Leo!! Ahan!!! I hope she’s not doing the whole diploma sef I would die!
I think Inigo and I would be good friends…we talked about visiting each other’s countries and homes today sef…he’s very cool so is Juan…
And there’s Marisol she’s a cool Yankee babe…and Jackie her friend and an Aussie girl who I think is soo hot…Rachael(…ok make una no fear…I no go marry Oyibo!)
My Quiche at the end of the day was a SUCCESS!!!! When the chef comes for my final assessment…he hold my quiche up and gives me the most approving look and the most approving remark in French…
” ce tres bon…hmmm tres bien monsieur..tres bien”
the only thing that did not stop me from exploding like an over pressured water balloon was the fact that was too tired to even be excited…but deep within me I felt like I had been knighted by the queen herself! The chef even graded right in front of us…I got 4/5 for my final work and a 3/5 for organization…needs to get to a 4!..off course Leonardo had 4s all the way!!!! But genuinely I was happy for him!
I won’t lie as well I feel like I'm at Olashore all over again and this time I feel like I actually have a shot at “Top Ten” in my life. However I feel like I'm the Taiye Umar, Kemi Onajin, Yetunde Fatunde, AbassMurina and all those that would not admit that they wanted the first spot against the usual first place owners like the Ateweloguns and the Sherrifs who even the hall would chorus before “Princi” during Monday school assemblies! Please to other readers please note that the above mentioned in the Taiye Umar etc category did have their moments of rising to the pinnacle of the academic summit…yes they came first a couple of times sometimes even juggled it from term to term and I think even drew sometimes…and like I teased Kemi the other day…she scanned one time and came first…..so I know in perfect time I would have my moment….I shall be first too…LOL!
I have been in Paris now for 19 days, that’s 2 weeks and 5 days and one moment I'm believing I'm here another I don’t…I'm living my dream sha…**tushin tushin**
My internet is off and I'm almost losing my mind…but thanks to my hard drive that contains 4 seasons of How I met Your Mother and Glee my boredom did not have a chance to express itself
To all my Family Friends and Well wishers
(I sound like a razz wedding program!)
Love you all to bits!!!!
Bonne Huit!
Sunday, April 18, 2010
Another Sunday.....
Avril 18 2010
As I write this, its about 8pm and I'm literally just stepping in from church…went for the 4pm service and decided to chill for the 6pm one as well since I had nothing but a boring box (my studio flat) to look forward to….Also coupled with the fact that the word was hot sooo why not. I thought to myself!
From my earlier post you must have seen my shock and confusion at the style of worship at Hillsong…but check me out today! In my Ankara tunic and skinny jeans losing my mind like I was at some Rock concert…yes the Hillsong/Oyibo worship style has entred me and I must say its not soooo bad! Church was fantastic…the sermon just on point…and also before I went to Hillsong I had done my online service with Pastor Taiwo…both first and second service …my my my was it GREAT!!!! God spoke to me personally through the message!!! Especially to my laziness that seems to blowing out of proportion!
On my Ankara baffs note…. In the light of warmer weather I decide to brave wearing my native attire once again… so on deciding on what to wear to church today I pick out my shine-shine style Ankara and beam to myself….Ankara never looked soo good! I felt like an ambassador for Nigeria as I put it on and boldly trotted the streets of Paris!
On my way to church and in church I could feel the eyes poking my fabric wondering what on earth I was wearing…but one girl loved it and even begged me to bring from Africa when I go and come back! Also I got some looks from some African women at the metro(who were from some other West African country I'm guessing) that wondered if I was one of them and I'm sure at the sound of my English and sheer disapproval at them they ignored me… not that i wanted their conversation either! but they too were rocking their Ankara in true obese African woman style and I was feeling it!
I cleaned my flat today and in the light of the season Spring…I did give it a "Spring" cleaning! My grandmother would be proud of me if she saw my flat now!! All shiny and scrubbed to perfection…(however on second thoughts I don’t want her to see it…she would find something wrong and make us do the whole place all over again!!!!)
Before church today, for some odd reason I went OIS (Olashore International School)tripping on Facebook! Went to the group page and Lord was I missing those days of secondary school! Going through so many of my seniors pictures…gosh did they look so terribly razz now…but then they were the sh**!
Looking then and now I was so amazed to see how life happens and people change…. I mean the so called razz ones are now blokes and babes!!! People are married with Kids! (Some have had Kids without marriage sef)People have gone from skinny to fat or muscular! People have graduated from all sorts of grad schools, working at great corporations and so on…
Looking at the photos made realize I am not in the position to judge anyone’s now…I can only look to their future! How immature we were those days…hard people, razz people “Janded” people, messing with teachers, scaling activities and so on…
But I'm glad to know most of us are doing well though and have changed for the better…
Events to look forward to…
1. My mum gets in on the 28th by God’s grace…hope she can fly at least to London with this Volcano that decided to erupt!
2. I graduate first week in May…Just Basic Cuisine which is the first part of my Diploma…
3. My dinner party on Wed…that I have already mentioned
4. And the Possibility of going to Spain…..
I'm praying that I would be able to move by the first week in may as well to a beautiful newly furnished apartment that closer to school and wwaayyy cheaper!!!
To everyone who’s praying for me, supporting my dream and so on…God bless you and May your own dreams see the Light of Day….
A Bientot!
As I write this, its about 8pm and I'm literally just stepping in from church…went for the 4pm service and decided to chill for the 6pm one as well since I had nothing but a boring box (my studio flat) to look forward to….Also coupled with the fact that the word was hot sooo why not. I thought to myself!
From my earlier post you must have seen my shock and confusion at the style of worship at Hillsong…but check me out today! In my Ankara tunic and skinny jeans losing my mind like I was at some Rock concert…yes the Hillsong/Oyibo worship style has entred me and I must say its not soooo bad! Church was fantastic…the sermon just on point…and also before I went to Hillsong I had done my online service with Pastor Taiwo…both first and second service …my my my was it GREAT!!!! God spoke to me personally through the message!!! Especially to my laziness that seems to blowing out of proportion!
On my Ankara baffs note…. In the light of warmer weather I decide to brave wearing my native attire once again… so on deciding on what to wear to church today I pick out my shine-shine style Ankara and beam to myself….Ankara never looked soo good! I felt like an ambassador for Nigeria as I put it on and boldly trotted the streets of Paris!
On my way to church and in church I could feel the eyes poking my fabric wondering what on earth I was wearing…but one girl loved it and even begged me to bring from Africa when I go and come back! Also I got some looks from some African women at the metro(who were from some other West African country I'm guessing) that wondered if I was one of them and I'm sure at the sound of my English and sheer disapproval at them they ignored me… not that i wanted their conversation either! but they too were rocking their Ankara in true obese African woman style and I was feeling it!
I cleaned my flat today and in the light of the season Spring…I did give it a "Spring" cleaning! My grandmother would be proud of me if she saw my flat now!! All shiny and scrubbed to perfection…(however on second thoughts I don’t want her to see it…she would find something wrong and make us do the whole place all over again!!!!)
Before church today, for some odd reason I went OIS (Olashore International School)tripping on Facebook! Went to the group page and Lord was I missing those days of secondary school! Going through so many of my seniors pictures…gosh did they look so terribly razz now…but then they were the sh**!
Looking then and now I was so amazed to see how life happens and people change…. I mean the so called razz ones are now blokes and babes!!! People are married with Kids! (Some have had Kids without marriage sef)People have gone from skinny to fat or muscular! People have graduated from all sorts of grad schools, working at great corporations and so on…
Looking at the photos made realize I am not in the position to judge anyone’s now…I can only look to their future! How immature we were those days…hard people, razz people “Janded” people, messing with teachers, scaling activities and so on…
But I'm glad to know most of us are doing well though and have changed for the better…
Events to look forward to…
1. My mum gets in on the 28th by God’s grace…hope she can fly at least to London with this Volcano that decided to erupt!
2. I graduate first week in May…Just Basic Cuisine which is the first part of my Diploma…
3. My dinner party on Wed…that I have already mentioned
4. And the Possibility of going to Spain…..
I'm praying that I would be able to move by the first week in may as well to a beautiful newly furnished apartment that closer to school and wwaayyy cheaper!!!
To everyone who’s praying for me, supporting my dream and so on…God bless you and May your own dreams see the Light of Day….
A Bientot!
Saturday, April 17, 2010
WAKING UP FROM MY HIBERNATION……
And the Story goes....
Alright….i have not abandoned by blog…. Its just really hard and school is really crazy….ok I confess I have been lazy for the most part…but do you blame me? The past two weeks have been crazy! School and visits! (ok I'm too shameful too include the wasted hours on Facebook, Youtube and How I Met Your Mother)
First it was Taiye, Alero Danner and Alero Balogun’s visit…I had to juggle between school then almost right after Aunty Bola comes with the girls….*sigh* but I'm only sighing because It was like a whole week I didn’t have time to write anything…because it was one gallivanting trip after the other!
I plan on posting some stuff I have previously put down also with previous intentions to post as well but never got round finishing it or doing my spell check so I m just going to post this to keep you guys informed and also shots from all that has happened to me in the last 2 weeks…I think?
Before I go on…like play I have been in Paris now for 1 month and 5days! Wow!!! It s been good I won’t lie..but had its challenges too! Bt I wont go into all that detail.
In that past 2 weeks like I mentioned earlier I had Taiye, Alero Balogun and Alero Danner all three of my cousins come visit…well Taiye and Alero did a by force trip to Paris despite seeming odds! Just to see me and Alero Danner who works outside Paris. This visit was particularly fun and extremely pricey!!!! My gosh! When Alero B and Taiye Inisted we must eat at restaurants for lunch and dinner…it dug a hole in my thigh sef!!! But not to discredit Alero and Taiye totally they tried at least…Taiye paid my 8 euros for the Pantheon Tour…which was phenomenal by the way! Alero B paid my 29 euros for my bus tour…
All in all we had a good time roaming the streets of paris, Window shooping at Louis Vuitton, awing at the Eiffel Tower, having endless risottos, laughing to family stories over bistro steaks, tasteless pasta dishes and braised lamb!!! And on the restaurant note I made the mistake of unconciosuly letting my culinary knowledge shine through when we went to eat…the last thing I mentioned braised lamb is now an everlasting joke between the three of us! Alero B was the first to leave after spending really a day and say a half as well…Alero D followed so Taiyes was the last to leave for London then Yankee…so we spent the last day in quite a special way..after seeing Alero D off at the metro we settle for one last Bistro breakfast and Taiye ordered her K constant CREPES!!!! She claimed in America all she got were thick pancakes! And she wanted a true Parisian experience…hmmm after our breakfast we go to my school and I sign her up for my demo class. She was generally thrilled even constantly jabbing at her BlackBerry informing the world she was live at Le Cordon Bleu…Her “cousin’s” school! Also her camera flashed at the chef’s finished works and when it came to the tastign she was even more impressed and wondered how it was so tasty without the Chicken being drenched and smothered in excess spice (Nigerian Style) and staying over night (Yankee Style ) between her occasional “hmms and wows” at the fact I was truly living my dreams first class….we still find time to laugh at stuff especially Aunty Rosalind..who we both agreed would have loved to be here more than anyone else…. Sadly, demo class ended which also meant it was time for Taiye to go her train was at 6:15pm bu t I had a practical class so I could not hang out with her any more….so we take one last awesome picture and hug and say bye….
Aunty Bola’s Visit….
Taiye left on a Thursday and my Aunty Bola and my cousins Seun, Ayomide and Momo arrive Paris on Friday night… my excited was really heightened not really because I was seeing more family..but I was seeing rich family members this time around! (Taiye and Alero please don’t be offended! lol!) but my excitement however dampened when at the platform I sighted everyone above except uncle Segun! Why was I disappointed? Because I missed the following…
1. The possibility that I would dine at Michelin Starred restaurant
2. That I would get the money to purchase my itouch I have been dreaming and window shopping about!
3. The two were my hopes and near convictions..but were cut short when I realized Uncle Segun was not coming!
With due respect to aunty Bola…she ain't broke but she ain’t Uncle Segun either..as I found out he’s the more interesting one..but he strictly business back in Nigeria….and that’s the only version I get to see!!!! *sigh*
Nevertheless aunty Bola tried even if it was so convenient for her to make me take the girls to Disney while she did her shopping….
So yes her primary purpose for Paris was to take the girls to Disney and her to see if she can do some shopping…for me it meant my Taiye visit money reimbursed..courstesy my dear grandpa…and my camera money from aunty Bola and my loving Grandma…and any change or clothes that could be bought without spending my money! Strangley enough I was not really feeling Disney at first in my mind I was like “ah! When I can follow aunty Bola and purchase a shirt or two…I would be seeing Mickey mouse!? *hiss*” but when 8pm drew that day while on the train back to Paris I was recounting how I became a 10 year old again…hwo I even made my cousins run for another round of Hollywood rollercoaster!!!! How generally somewhat bonded with them and got to know them better…funny the parade I had snubbed in my mind was arguably my best part sef! I think it was the music…”Once upon a dream” that touched me the most….i relate to that because I'm at a point of my life where I had only been to in my dreams…and further awe-inspiring was the fact that all this thrill and excitement that attracted the hundreds of thousands of people, children even people in htier wheelchairs stood at attention when cartoon characters made their way through the parade was one mans dream in 1927….dead but still very much alive….on the train while I pretended to be asleep, I was really dreaming of my impact still affecting millions even long after I am gone…. In all Disney was a blast!!! I cant even start to talk about it…maybe I would wirte a book sef!
After all this partying and expensive tripping..Monday morning happens….the reality bites deep…I'm back to my normal life! *sighs*
School has been great and also particularly tiring…there are days I really don’t want to even go..or days I'm physically and spiritually battling sleep during everlasting demo classes! But when I think about what lies ahead and the millions that was paid for me to realize this dream “omo I dey like go school wella!”
School takes a lot from you…3 hours of demo…then another grueling race to prepare one plate of
At school I won’t lie I feel alone and left out sometimes…why? Because there all the cliques and their languages and there not even half a Nigerian to speak pidgin with! Even the black people that work in my school it hurts more when I cant even realte to them because of this language barrier! It still amuses me how u can be black and not speak English or pidgin?! When the Brazilians settle down to laugh in Portugese, the Asians have a go at each other and even the American babes chill with themselves…then ……there’s me… I know I'm being dramatic for one at least Inigo is my friend but at the same time when he and Juan talk they speak Spanish RIGHT IN FORNT OF ME! I always scream they must speak English when I'm there but they claim I would pick up the language! But those two are probably my friends like that, Leticia is cool but we don’t get to see like that again because of our schedules…
Still on the people note…I have started attending Hillsong here in Paris (I'm not sure I have blogged about it but oh well) its different but God is there…I mean Praise and worship for me involves some ko-mole-ing, some lifting of hands, some Arlanta, some yahooze sef…but here e bi like rock concert….but like I said God is there…I don dey jump for church to guitar and strings praise and worship!!!
Church here is soo chill…no pressures to extra baff up! I'm mean in my skinny jeans and plaid shirt…I feel overdressed sef! Last week I even gave them Buba and Sokoto! Lol! Service is one hour pam! There’s coffee after wards…everybody is nice…ah! Met a few people like Aaron and Jai…and yes the service is in both English and French so that’s also why I have decided to make it my Paris church!!!…(Dolapo Adesanmi God bless you for the recommendation!) so from church I am invited to the pub to hang out…and I'm like “ahan! Church people they jam for pub?” “so we go drink coke abi?” “ah!” boys I know go come this church o!
So when the hang out date comes…(it was actually the night Aunty Bola got in) as I approached the bar..I still wondered what this was about…but getting in….it really was just younf people from church hanging out….one or two people had beer…hmmm…just a pint….at least abi?...hmmm then people like me just looked and talked to people… also the pub was blasting some kain jams like this …in my mind I was like na wa o! church jamming dey make me wan club sef! The omo it was a funny to see some people dance….LOL!!! then from nowhere GAOU IS PLAYED! Omo see me holding myself from doing one mad Makossa number! Omo on my seat I was doing some mad Arlanta! But I was too shy to get up and dance…one girl was gingering me but I looked at myself and said “make I no come look like one bush boy now o!” i wont lie when I left the bar that night I was nto impressed…. So the next meeting at Starbucks…I had made up my mind I was not going to go…but one hour after 7:30pm (time of the meet) I run down to the place(it's close to my house) and to my amazement…I was actually blessed…it was just a group of friends who were honestly and casually talking about having a Holy Curiousity… I was soo moved to see young Oyibo people talk so lovingly about their status in Christ…and it wasn’t your typical Nigerian-preaching-word-study-meet where nobody apart from the “pastor” preaches everything even after he promised the meet was going to be very ‘interractive”! so yeah I know with time I would have some friends from church…because I plan to serve in church and not just pass through the church…
On a personal Note…
I'm learning a lot…especially about God, repecting money, hardwork, and the power of being organized and strong willed!
On the God note..let’s just say I have been taking Grace for granted and taking advantage of it in the wrong sense and not maximizing its power to move me forward…but yet I literally feel the blessing and the Hand of God over me daily, I still feel His Love…His Reproof….His Mercy …His favour…His everything….
Indeed a wonderful savior, and Friend
On respecting money…I'm learning how to be diligent and deal savvy/ it helps to go out without money and keep a written track of expenses. Also just respect yourself…because you want it does not mean you need it!
Also I cut my hair into a punk/Mohawk (t not yes wat-da-hell was I thinkin!?)
I am going to still post some of my entries I had typed out but did not post…
I'm doing this to keep you guys still believing in me…I would break this procrastination hold! IJN!!!
All in all I have decided to post my blog in summary formats as opposed to my diary style everyday logs…primarly because of its painstanking devotion and time its needs which i dont have as such any more....however I would do it regularly at least Twice a week…everyday is a nightmare! But weekends mostly because that when I have time most….
Before I call it a wrap….I'm looking forward to Wed next week, Leonado and I are cooking for a dinner party for a few friends from school…Juan is hosting!
so I sign out now, and still proclaim how blessed I am….
My Family…. I love you! God I'm over grateful!!!!
A Bientot!
Friday, April 2, 2010
The Story continues..after the short Hiatus....
March 23rd 2010
Today was definitely more calm, relaxing too even if I did a little bit of running around.
Waking up this morning was strange…had a funny dream…I rebuked it mehn!! I slither off my bed and pray and worship for a bit after which I brush my mouth that felt like a vacuum-packed- load of rotten cheese!
Feeling like I had a mint factory in my mouth after three rounds of scrubbing with copious amounts of toothpaste! I step back into my well…bedroom/living room area and settle to try and type my first day of schools entry but as usual between yahoo messenger and YouTube…(ok YouTube was the main culprit today…I confess..) I sha write sha…then my friend Marcus shows up on his usual Tuesday visits and has a good nap as he had worked overnight.
After many hours on my computer ok…typing and YouTube at the same time…what! I remember all I still have to do…bank etc… so I go to bath and Marcus and I head for the bank as he was my translator!
Getting to BNP Paribas...the bank that is…we meet the lady at customer care I think… who bluntly told me her English was limited and I should go slowly! Then I explained myself to her in both my poor French and English that I want to open my bank account..Marcus purposely kept quiet because he wanted me to at least try…good point but bad timing I thought!!! but fortunately the manage I think, a lady shows up like 5 mins later and asks me into her office…all this time I had been stylishly scoping the bank and was thinking the following
1. “ehen na so bank fit clean?!!!
2. Na so manger go just they kiss my foot for Zenith bank for Nigeria say I wan open poor student account…?
3. Why them bank no big sef…o kere ju!
So by the time we were in her office all the thoughts zapped and business discussion began. She mercifully spoke some efficient level of English but still needed French back up when the English started to make her spin….what was Marcus there for?! So after much discussion she takes down my details and my account is opened instanta!!
After the bank we walk to somewhere called Placed’ Italie where on the way I see a shop that sold CROCS that I could have bought for school and where so much more cheaply than the hight street one I got!! Hmm win some abi? *sigh*
At Place d‘Italie Marcus takes a train to see some other people before he goes to work..then I first decide to go to the Virgin store to return my phone but I change my mind and opt for KFC out of a will to be indulgent and the fact I was bored and didn’t really have anything to do.
On my seemingly endless queue at KFC..the only thing that kept me patient was the satisfaction that only came from crispy batter and juices that flowed freely from the poultry it covered…eventually my indulgence is satisfied…on my way out I notice a woman was eating some chicken..the back part to be precise and she chewed off the flash and was piling the bones that still had some juicy crispy batter on them like they were the next set of iron bars that would build a new floor on the Eiffel tower!!! I was burnt in my spirit! All that juice goes to waste! Oyibo!
After my KFC runs..I head home but settle to finish my food at a fountain…I had to do something un-Nigerian abi..but when one kain breeze started blowing…I carried myself and came back home.
Between Facebook and yahoo…I'm busy on my computer but still very mindful of tomorrow…which is my first demonstration and practical
Now business begins…
So I'm going to bed already awake for 6:00am tomorrow…
Bon huit
March 24, 2010
Somewhere in the best part of my sleep… a repulsive and energetic wave distorts it…
My BB alarm…gosh! Without considering whether I would make it early to school or not… I dismiss the alarm! Not even snoozing it! And try to return to my version of wonderland…halfway there I envisaged the following
1. Me opening my eyes and find out its 8.00am
2. Me getting to school at 9:30am
3. Me getting an absentee mark on my first day
I didn’t wait to imagine the whahala people like my mother and aunty Toyin and these days my dad would have given me!
So before that thought could even play…higher than the Eiffel I rise up!
Its 6:30am….so I do some worshipping and pray. Brush my teeth, bath and set out all my stuffs and checked a few things of my lappie…
At 7:45 or so I make it out of the house…since I felt I was early I didn’t brisk it as such…I strolled…it was just me and the cold morning wind of the 5tharronssidment. On my way to the bus stop..it happens again…this time I wasn’t even looking at the Pantheon..when I was the bus making its U-turn to get to the stop…again I was like 150metres away…so yeah..I Bolted again!!!
Anyway I make it to school at 8:10am…and find people where there before me sef! I rush to the tiny locker room for the guys and of course it was mayhem! But I got changed and hooked up with my familiar faces…
At 8:30am the demo began…now we’re are talking…! I know I have been enjoying Paris but now was the business!!!!
Chef Terrier take us…apparently he only takes the Superior level students but the chef that’s supposed to be handling us basic cuisine people is on a cruise! And the other In China! So…he had to take us…
Our lesson to today was the basics of basics…LEARNING HOW TO CHOP… AND MAKING A RUSTIC VEGETABLE SOUP
On my seat….
1. “gbubs listen in class…no form ova confidence! Say u kno am!”
2. Omo sleep dey cash me…this A/C whey dem on put sef…haba!”
Against those thoughts I try to concentrate even if the sleep was clawing viciously at my eyes!
I won’t bore you with the details of my lesson but you should get the gist. For chefs you must know how to do some classic styles of chopping examples; Mirepoix Julienne Burnosie and Parsdaynne
The last one was the style we focused on today for our soup.
During the demo..the chef made everything look like child play I mean, he explained all the knives and their uses in the kit, showed us the cuts with different veggie and passed it around and showed us step by step how the soup was prepared. A mixture of carrots, celery and turnip cut into little triangles are first sweated off in butter I thought…”hmmm mo mo gbogbo e ke?”
Then there was this strange Asian girl that was just constantly taking pictures!!! Every minute the chef turns she has taken a picture and it was becoming soooo annoying!!! Cos she had this stupid look plastered on her face as well!!!!
After the chef is done with his demo, he is applauded so loudly I thought I was in Silver Bird watching a movie with my dear Nigerians! The soup is sent out to everybody to try and gosh was it beautiful!!! With some cheese and croutons! OMG is was delicious! I'm my mind I wanted seconds….ok thirds and fourths…or just keep drinking till I’m full!!! But my shyness was strong and it spoke the following words “ah! u wan make all dis Oyibo dem, dey look u like say u no get chop for Nigeria….ah! abeg o!!” “na true oh1 make I compose o!!! ah! Abeg o!”
However my decision changed when I saw all the Oyins almost scrambling and helping themselves unapologetically for seconds, thirds and fourths!!!! And I thought to myself”..omo na our school fees ke!!!!”
Filing out like ants through a sand hole we move to the winter garden and chill and there’s a lot of cake from the pastry students and in my school na free for all..omo what was I thinking putting on weight! Kai this cake was amazing!!! BABA VIEUX RHUM that was the name! my my my!!!! Raspberries, rum and cream on sponge!!! I was in heaven!!!
On realizing my next class which was a demonstration, was another 3 hours away…I opt to do two things
1. Go home and sleep
2. Go home and sleep
2. Go home and sleep
Then I consider/imagine the following
1. Coming late and losing marks
2. Over sleeping
3. Missing the bus
Then I consider one thing….DONT GO HOME!!!!!!!!!!
But after that thought the LAFAYETTE comes to my mind…so I change my mind to go do some pleasurable window shopping to while away time before class.
I had always seen the LAFAYETTE on my way to school each morning and wondered at how such a giant build sat in the horizon so majestically! But never went in, so getting of my bus I hop across to the mall and start to survey. The urge to buy something was strong but even stronger was my will for the following reasons
1. I have to be prudent
2. Ok it’s a lie…I don’t wanna be broke!!!!!!!
So I won the battle of the ills that way…
That notwithstanding...it was hard walking through a C&A sale…VERY HARD! I
Walking through the mall it occurred to me why I didn’t see like my mates there…
Everything was a million Euros plus! There was Ralph Lauren, André and the names sha!omo wont I like to free this zones…my pepper never land o!
But I spot an Orange shop and ask for yet another lowdown on the IPhone 3GS….yes my eye has been chukking!!!! I sha got my gist from one lady who looked like she was 50 but dressed like she was 26! Kmt!!
Anyway as a student and me being younger than 26 I got a discount sef…so hopefully next month…*smiles* I would be forming unlimited internet from my palms!
After browsing through shops and a mall I realized I really couldn’t afford anything coupled with the fact that 3pm was fast approaching I go back to the bus stop chill for a bit and 15mins later I'm back to school.
Swiftly changing to my full uniform in the cubicle of a changing room I get out and while waiting in the winter garden to go to class I notice a chef walks up to me and grabs my ID card and says “u r Oritzeboobemi? U r ze kitchen assistant?” with a clam French accent but a confused me replies “No! I'm not the kitchen assistant” “ok come witz me” he replies. so I follow him and halt at the notice board and he points to my name on the notice board. In my mind
1. “ahan! We get class rep for here too?!!!
2. Why na me dey launch dis tin na
3. Hmmm they said we were going to be kitchen assistants rotationally sha o!
My head nods and I blurt out repeated yeses like a skipping record and I follow him to the prep kitchen which is small kitchen in the basement were all the preparation for all practicals and demos were done. The chef puts us through how to pick out our stuff. A Nigerian me was ready to start carrying the food up the stairs on my way to do so the chef stops me a directs me to a lift/ transporter thingy “no..puts itz ‘ere” and we press one or two buttons…up it goes to our demo room. In my mind
1. Ehen…Oyibo o!!!!! ah!! LOL!!!
2. Kai hope say they never laff me say I bush o!
Getting upstairs, we apportion the vegetables for all the ten students…
On arranging my work space I place my chop board out, lay my knives out, and start listening to the chef talk running us through the lesson and so on then I just move my hand to my right and realize it had hit something and my flesh was stinging me! OMG ALREADY!!!!!!!! I NEVA START TO DEY COOK I DON SEY SHED BLOOD! I walk out of the class with my finger in my mouth..it was quite a deep cut..immediately the chef is out with me and shows me the first aid box places a platter over my hand and puts a plastic wrap on the finger and I'm back to class.
Remember I said after the demo it was going to be a piece of cake? MEHN WAS I WRONG!!! OMO MY CUTS WERE A DISASTER!!!!! I tried to use “wuru wuru” sef e no work the chef still nabbed me o!!! but he gave me kudos for getting some of it…*sigh*
Point of note! There’s one forward boy in my class! Leonardo… He’s Brazilian. He was forming I can finish first and I have worked in a pro kitchen before! He would be asking question every time and be asking in one kain humble voice like dis! Mcheww!!! Always forming Ajayi!!!! Ahan! He and one of his co Portuguese babe!!!
Some of my other classmates had their fair of knife cuts including Leonardo! In my mind I laff am sef. And while he was going I started to panic and was trying to keep up and pass him I'm good now ke? Then sternly I heard it…
“the battle is not to the swift”
Ah!!!! Reboske! At that point I smile within and out and just press on…
After 3hours of chopping, stirring and first time mayhem. Our soups are ready. Mine was cloudy because I had allowed my potatoes to overcook! Jeff a Taiwanese guy had vegetables as big as my fist in his soup! When we were supposed to have cut them into tiny triangles!!! LOL!!! At the taste test..the chef deeps his spoon in my soup and my insides are numb and I felt like Gregg Wallace and John Torrode were about to sanction me on Master Chef!!! “hmmm errrr ze pepprie” he said whilst smacking his mouth from my soup trying to locate other errors..”oui chef” I answer “shit! I forgot to put black pepper..so was it good or not I asked…”urr..zr soup is ok…but seasoning ok” he replies with a smile that reassures me I'm a beginner and I have a long way to go!!!!!!
After which Kirsten and I clear up and send the food downstairs and its straight to the lockers a change and I progress towards my bus top after a million “au revoirs” to everyone at school
It’s about 6:00pm I get home. More than my exhaustion I was now starting to feel some level of elation….although a more cogent feeling was my severed finger that was throbbing now…
As I sit back to be comforted by the worldwide web , a passion fruit and raspberry tart and Inspiration Channel, I realized how blessed I was, the need to be humble to learn, submit to every drop of knowledge whether I know it or not…aka be a mumu and soak all I can! No forward actions!!!
Worse it further concreted the fact that I am a local champion back in Lagos..in fact a remote village level of local champion!
It’s also amazing meeting people from so many different countries…Colombia, brazil so on and so forth but however the down side is the fact everybody except me has their cultural clan they hang out with and speak their own language with!! The Asian evidently outnumber all of us for starters so mandarin is law after French and English! Then the Brazilians and Portuguese always seem to move like a herd of gazelles or a colony of bees constantly buzzing in Portuguese! Then you have me..and me…wishing if Tosin Aladese were here with me at least we can at least the little Yoruba (that sounds like Ibo btw )I know or at least pidgin or even Oyinda Ayodeji or even better My Soulie…Aunt Adebayo so we can talk razz talk!!! LOL!!! Now I miss my BB that’s not working at least Viko would definitely keep me company!!!!
The only thing keeping me sane is my dear and faithful GIDILOUNGE! But sadly I can only listen but cant converse!!
******SIGH*******
ALL IN ALL…..I’m living the dream….
Most Thanks to God!!!
Then my family…Grandpa…My dad for constantly calling even if he still tells me about his 1970 something trip… LOL!! he always calls…if you’re out there reading this and celebrating me as well…Thank you….and all of you forming you are proud of me…be saving your millions to come and eat my restaurant…cos I kno the school whey I pay! Na 15 years chef be my teacher!!! Dis wan no bi joke o!!!!
Ok whatever
BON NUIT
MARCH 25TH 2010
Today my usual repulsion at my necessary alarm was at a bare minimum as I had some legal extra sleeping time. Today was my medical appointment with immigration. It was at 9am.
So eventually at maybe 7:20 I slide grudgingly off my bed, do some praying and start sorting out my dishes I had left overnight and after which I moved to the bathroom.
I had had an eureka moment yesterday night…I figured that from a street at the end of mine there should be a direct bus from there to Bastille where Immigration was. So going through my map like it was my first exam I figure it out and hurry to make it in time to catch a bus.
By 8:10 I was out of the house and Les Goblein bound. On my way to the stop I notice little specks on my jacket…ahan...wetin? I think to myself then with a bit more momentum from above, the sky replies me that it’s getting rid of some excess water. Gosh!! Rain!!!! ARRGGHH!!! WT!!
I sha scramble and jog a bit till I arrive safely at my stop and wait for the bus that was delaying slightly but eventually turned up. My stop was its terminus so I was relaxed a bit and not worried about missing my stop and missing y appointment!
Getting to immigration I notice a pile of scruffy looking people lining up...in my mind
1. Yeh!!! Na dis people wan do medical too?
2. Ah!!! Whahala!!! Na so so disease they go get ke!
3. Kai!!! Perhaps I go collect disease join put sef
So I motion to line up with them cos I assumed that was the medical line but like the security guy was telepathic….through the glass door he motions to me to come in..
“wow!!! Tank u Jesus!!!!!!” ah!!!
I felt like a rescued Haiti victim at that point! Safe away from harm!
Climbing upstairs I noticed a bunch of different nationalities waiting too for their medical test…
“na so we plenty we dey Paris?” I think a bit worriedly to myself. Moving to the desk with the first obese woman I had seen in Paris…it was first comforting then disappointing because I felt she was failing her kind…hmmm
Anyway she briskly and very viciously asks me for my papers and passport all in French! A serious wave of nerves came over all of a sudden! I give her my documents after a small episode of confusion and agitation.
I wait for my turn and sit and notice all the various passports around me…a lot of Americans, Brazilians and others…
When the medical tests began I sat next to this group of not very intelligent American girls…they were going on and on about pregnancy and the medical procedure like it was Hollywood gossip “like Oh My God! Are they really going to do that..that is ssoooo lame..gosh!” pls imagine this with all the American accents you know!!!!!!
When I was called I was somewhat excited because from the time I calculated I should still be able to make school for 12:30pm, even if I had taken permission to be late I didn’t want to be late if I could help it.
At 11:45 or so I'm done (after copious amounts of delicious cheap hot chocolate I kept downing like a car that was on reserve..I told myself I was feeling cold…true though…ok it was cheap!)and I won’t lie I was scared when I was weighed and had my XRAY taken I thought they were going to tell me I was too overweight to be in their country and I had a disease that was only from Africa so they’d have to deport me…LOL!!!
With some stroke of James bond luck I make to school in the nick of time1 like literally 12:30 I get into class and settle down next to Leticia and Kristen and start my demonstration class.
Today we had a funky chef…Chef Claas…he looked very young for his age and I won’t lie I struggled with a semi hatred that questioned and envied the fact that he was tall, trim, handsome and the swagger of a 28 year old man! Even after all these years of being a chef he was still trim! How’s that!! At that moment I felt like a Sea Lion!!!! But I reminded myself that my diet and my absolute refusal of dying of obese related diseases would come through for me and in that same moment I let my hatred turn to motivation…motivated to be like him!
Today’s demonstration was basically stocks. Brown and white types. The brown one was a veal one made from roasting some of its bones, hence the brownness. Then the stock was fumet passion…fish stock that is (lemme go all lingo na!)
So, between the 3 hours of listening to French and English I learn how to make two stocks and a sole fish dish that was also demonstrated for the practical’s I had immediately after! The chef displayed aptness and sheer skill! He went about his work like it was his time off to have a smoke and drink some coffee!! He made it look so effortless and breezy and I kept on telling myself…”omo na so e dey bi…demonstration go look like beans for practical u go hear ween!!!” after the fish dish was done we gave our usual round of applause and all of us rushed in true paparazzi style to take pictures and rush for the tasting as weugh only young black people in secondary schools or recent graduates at NYSC camps that scramble for food…I was proven wrong today….that notwithstanding…there still a measure of class even in the way they rush!!!!! Seriously!!!
Since I was the kitchen assistant for the week, Kristen and I quickly change and head to the prep kitchen underground, we get our produce, place it in the lift and we are both up bound…
Getting to the class we start distributing the stuffs, Leonardo was there to help in my mind I was like ”uncle forward sha!”
Getting down to business my earlier conversation with myself was coming to pass. Filleting a sole fish is easy but tricky too!!! I mean if you know a sole fish…it's not a very large and fleshy fish so by the time the bones go you are hardly left with anything so to fillet and skin one is one tricky thing! My fillets were almost disappearing after my venture to skin them..the chef even gave me a “hmmm so good some bad look” but I was concentrating on two things…keeping my work place clean and Leonardo who was already cooking!!!!!!! “Who does this guy think he is sef!!!! Bloody guy” I thought silently to myself
Progressing with my dish with much briskness as I could possibly muster without cutting my fingers again coupled with trepidation to finish on time! I get through with my stock and start making my sauce whilst cleaning up at the same time!!!!!
At the end I finish just after Leonardo who finished first!!! I taste my reduced sauce..GOSH IT WAS SALTY!!! YEEEEEH!!!!!!!!!!!! At that point I could do nothing but plate up…so I get my plate out cleaning out any marks extra viciously like it had chicken pox!
When my dish is ready, I motion and let the chef know I was ready for my taste test, I did an Oscar winning act of hiding my nerves “yeh!!!!!!!! The salt is going to pulverize his mouth!!!!” but my clam I revealed and my eyes followed his spoon he had dipped into my fish and sauce all the way up to his lips and at the point where he put it in his mouth and started chewing I could feel my heart throbbing a bit faster than normal. With a fixed expression he asks me…”hmm did you taste your sauce?” with a mixed tone that expressed half of my fake confidence and three-quarters of my nervousness I reply “yes chef…its salty right” with a wink and a smile “hmmm you “ab to be careful wit ze salt uh? But apart from zat your sauce very good, ze fish a bit over cooked but good, but be more organized in your work pattezn..ok? ce bon”
PHEW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! “ so was I awesome or not?” I wanted to ask but kept my mouth shut and started packing my knife kit and sorting out the leftover produce and cleaning the kitchen before I left.
Add chef Leo
On my way out of the lockers God spoke to me he said when he told me the battle was not to the swift he meant me and not Leonardo…”Ah!!!! Lord mo sorry” then I thought about it….
Wow!!!! I had started to beef Leonardo not because he was forward but because I was starting to hate the fact someone was actually the star and not me!
I realized that I was only recognizing his faults too satisfy my beef….hmmm I felt so Unchristian like eooo evil!!!! I repented and by repentance I literally repented!!!
On my way I out I saw him sitting in the garden chilling for his friends and at that point God was like “here’s your shot” at first I hesitated but then I almost felt God nudge me then I found myself asking him to come to where I was and I wanted to see him briefly, he stands up in a sharp way and motions towards me and I let it out
Gbubemi: Leonardo I want to tell you something (this I do with a humble tone)
Leonardo: oh thank you (with his soft spoken Brazilian accent)
Gbubemi: Honestly Leonardo I won’t lie I almost started to be jealous of your talent and skill but I'm a Christian and I choose to rejoice that you are good, I won’t lie it was hard to accept someone was better than me because this is my life as well. I have come here to learn and not be a champion and even if I have to learn from you, it’s still a learning process!
Leonardo: Oooo ohhh thank you thank you (with his palms crossed above each other coupled with a tone that was almost teary) this is my dream for seven years I have saved money to come here… my father gave me some money too…..oh I'm here to learn too…ah Boba (that’s what he calls me and I have settled for that) good of you ohh thank you
Gbubemi: yeah you are welcome and I just had to let that out and mock myself. Thank you. Ok now..Bye
Leonardo: okay Boba Thank you…See you tomorrow
On my walk to the bus stop….I could almost hear the hosts of heaven rejoicing that I had done such a noble and humble thing. I was full of smiles both inside-out. I felt like I killed Goliath! Hmmm… more important I learnt a valuable lesson
On my bus ride home there this man that looked like a progressing transsexual! Yuck!!!! He had a fringe, earrings and I think some growing boobs! Eeewwww!
As a student full time now the alluring melodies of crepe bars, gelato bars, panninis and all the endless assortment of great street food are now like nails scratching on a chalk board..why because like I explain earlier I shall not be broke!!!! My ears are developing deafness to the melodies, so are my eyes…all they see food I cannot afford then my mind doesn’t bother…hmmm
As dump all my stuff on my bed and settle in front of my house mate…my laptop…I escape to the world wide web to try and still be useful at least in my fagged out state.
But beyond my tiredness I love my life here and I'm eternally grateful
Bon Huit
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