'Tis the Season to be JOLLY!

Ho! Ho! Ho!!!!!!!

Merry Christmas to you lovely creatures! I hope your holiday season is fabulous, delicious, and full of hope.


I will return to my frequent blogging schedule in the new year. 

So my people, until then; have fun, pray to God, eat & be merry, chook with condom, and celebrate your life. 2010 was great, 2011 will be better!

I must to continue....

".. iMac, iTouch, iPhone, iPad, iPod, iBuy, iBroke, iNofitchop, iVex , iPackmyload, iGoVillage....." ...LMAO

 

 

my people, I will be back! 

The beginning of the End?

Hey folks,

It looks like the end of the blogging road for me. I knew this was coming for a while now but I didn't know how to say goodbye. Quite frankly, I've run out of things to say.

I've enjoyed meeting other bloggers. I've shared your stories and pictures. And I've enjoyed being a part of this virtual escape but reality has set in. I'm going through so many things in my life right now and I need to take a break from it all.

 So until we meet again, whether it's in this virtual life or the next, I wish you many splendid things.

Adios!

ThisTuesday

I came to blog today but I couldn't think of anything sensible to say. I'll be back with more details on my desire to go on a personal Pilgrimage.

Pilgrimage [pil-gruh-mij] - any long journey, especially one undertaken as a quest or for a votive purpose, as to pay homage: a pilgrimage to the grave of Shakespeare.

I need to make a vow with my Self to go on a quest for life. 

Some of my Favourite Things

And in no particular order....

1. Snuggling in the dead of Winter/ Harmattan: with that special someone. This happens preferably after dinner when we're both satiated and content. It's great to just spoon on the couch watching T.V not saying too much.

2. Making a Connection: You know how sometimes you actually take the time out to get to know someone (this applies to both sexes). And you learn about the person's hobbies and what they enjoy doing for fun. It's such a magical moment when you connect with them at the level of that thing that makes them tick. It can be a Eureka! moment (as in, wow, this person and I are so similar) or a WHOA! moment (like 'where've you been all my life?' or 'wow, I could never be friends with someone who thinks like this' or who does 'such & such'). I like making connections.

3. Passionate Sex: Yes, you knew this was cumming. But I'll only sex when there's love. You know the kind of sex I'm talking about? That type you only do with someone you're truly in love with and the love is mutual. And it's an exclusive relationship. Sex is a good thing.

4. Achievements: Sometimes do you just sit back and think of your personal accomplishments? Like mentally dust off and polish your accolades? Do you take pride in yourself and say, 'wow I've come a long way'? I don't mean this in a proud way, but I think you need to take time to give yourself credit every day. Don't sell yourself short. You are not were you used to be.

 

Michael Phelps after winning 8 medals in 2008.

 

5. On-line shopping for expensive shit: LOL! this one is a seasonal favourite for me. Every so often, I'll want to splurge on a pricey-enough-to-pay-my-rent kinda shoe. Like check what is scratching my wallet right now:

Miu Miu Studded-Heel Platform Pump

I like inexpensive stuff too. Some of my favourite sites are Forever21, GoJane (but you'll pay import duties when you ship to Canada),  ModCloth, and  Zappos. Remember to drop me a note with your favourite online shopping sites.

6.  Good Books: I find reading great books so selfishly fulfilling! It's incredible to be able to get lost in a story, occasionally come up for air and then dive back in again. See the books I'll be reading in a few weeks in this post.

7.  Laughing: I must say that I laugh at the most random things. Two nights ago, I saw this guy sneakily scratching his balls in the club. And I burst out laughing. He saw me, I saw him. But I couldn't help myself. I felt like an accomplice in the itch. It was too funny!

8. Re-discovering Old Music: Listening to Usher's 8701 album was pure bliss last week. When you listen to old music, it takes you back to a time of your life and you get re-immersed in the moment. For me when 8701 came out, I was crushing on my neighbour big time! I used to think about him all the time, frankly I was obsessed with the boy. I was 14. He was 16. It was a big deal. So when I heard that album again, it took me way back and I felt like a teenager bursting with hormonal imbalances.

9. Getting private Facebook messages: It's so cute to see someone take their time to type out a really long essay for your viewing pleasure. The length of a message says much...

10. International Travel: Put me on a plane and I'm off! I go right to sleep. I think flying is so relaxing. I hate plane food but the thrill of being airborne is simply satisfying. 

Single & Lovin' it?

I had an epiphany. 

I need to be true to myself. I need to listen to my body, my thoughts, my emotions, my mind. 

There is no unchart-able territory in my heart/mind.  I must not be afraid to explore the deep darkness of my mind/heart/body/soul.

I must do everything I can to remain happy, preserve my sanity, and enjoy life. 

Who said that being single was bad/boring/lonely/hell?

These may be the best years of my life!

So I made a bucket list of things to do in the interim while I'm waiting to exhale. I need to (in no particular order).......

1. Travel - Norway, Morocco, Germany, France, across West Africa

2. Learn - new things like new sports, a new language, new life/practical skills

3. Read - more recreational books, novels

4. Dream - dream big, take on new challenges, start a big-picture/macro project

I'm currently reading books by:

-John Steinbeck (Grapes of Wrath)

-Rohan Mistry (A Fine Balance), 

-Anton Chekhov (The Steppe)

To-do Book List:

- Blink by Malcolm Gladwell
- The Tipping Point by Malcolm Gladwell
- Freakonomics by Stephen Dubner and Steven Levitt
- Battlefield of the Mind by Joyce Meyer
- Conquering your Quarterlife Crisis
- Twenty-Something Manifesto
- Temple of My Familiar by Alice Walker
- The Autobiography of Malcolm X. 
- Wounds of Passion by bell hooks
- Bluest Eye
- A Woman's Worth by Tracy Price Thompson
- In the Spirit by Susan Taylor
- A Northern Light by Jennifer Donnelly
- The Glass Menagerie
- Brainwashed: Challenging the myths of black inferiority by Tom Burell 

- and many more books by African Authors.

This epiphany suddenly hit me because for a while back there, I had been feeling like I was waiting for something big to occur before my life would start "happening". I'm talking grand events, a big sign, thunder/lightning in the sky...

And in the past, I had a linear plan. Get into school. Do my graduate research. Finish my dissertation. Get a job. Get hitched. Birth youngins...etc. But I couldn't help thinking that there's gotta be more to life than...

Anyway, in my linear plan, I didn't allot time for true personal growth or the pursuit of spirituality. I just assumed these things would happen along the way as a consequence of all the other plans I was carrying out. So it turned out that there was growth in many areas of my life but yet so many more areas of me still need work. 

I know. I'm a masterpiece in progress.

So here I am, on September 1st, 2010, doing a much-needed reassessment of my life. And saying to myself that I have to make a concerted effort to actually live my life. I re-pledge to live deliberately from this moment. That is, to be an active agent of my own change and not that which is acted upon.

So if you're reading this entry, what areas of you still need work? And what are you doing to grow as a person?

Stuck in Limbo (and a fun meme)

I answered a meme & saved the draft since October last year. So here I am  cleaning out the B.S from my life (& this blog: stupid chinese spam). I found this picture  & It's appropriate for the way I feel today - like complete crap! 

But I'm supposed to trust God to work things out with my ex. It's been almost 2 years since we've been in this limbo. I'm tired. It's so draining. Or maybe I'm just getting my period & my hormones are playing crazy tricks on me. I'm not sure.

Or how do you see it? am I being S E L F I S H for wanting him?

 

 

....and the Meme:

1. What is your name: Anya

2. A four Letter Word: Anus


3. A boy's Name: Abel

4. A girl's Name: Ariel

5. An occupation: Artist
6. A color: Auburn

7. Something you'll wear: Anklets

9. A food: Amala

10. Something found in the bathroom: Arm & Hammer toothpaste.

11. A place: Anaheim

12. A reason for being late: Arsenal lost the game!!
13. Something you'd shout: Ass-face!

14. A movie title: Astronaut's Wife

15. Something you drink: Apple juice

16. A musical group: Abba

17. An animal: Antelope

18. A street name: Ajax 

19. A type of car: Audi

My words cannot explain...

...so I'll let Christina do the singing talking for me. Generally, I've been feeling like crap recently. I'm struggling with rapid weight gain and feeling too lazy to exercise.  Just for the record, when I started this blog 2 years ago. I weighed approximately 120lbs. Tonight I climbed the scale and I weighed in at a whopping 150lbs!! WTF?!

It's completely unfair, unreal, f**king retarded! I mean...What the heck happened in 2 years? Well, I got my 2nd degree, finally broke up with my on-again/off-again boyfriend of 3 years, started doing serious things like volunteering in the community, and what do I get for all my hard work - 30 extra pounds of fat.

My mom is extremely funny. She doesn't get it. The other day she commented on 'how I'm finally growing into my body'.... "your real body is really coming out now". What the heck is that supposed to mean anyway?! Then I get all these weird aunts and uncles alluding to the fact that I look so "mature" (read: fat) and ready for marriage. (Me: HELL NO!!!). I don't understand any of this. It's funny because none of my family is telling me to lose weight, they're all just sitting back and watching me 'blossom'.

I'm so bored when  people say, "You weigh I50lbs? Oh wow...you don't look it at all....everything is so proportional...blah blah". They're just giving me positive reinforcement to keep avoiding the gym. So far my rationale has been that 'If I don't look that bad, it's not that serious'. I AM SO WRONG!

There are other things like high cholesterol, diabetes, and clogged arteries which will never be seen through cute summer frocks or playful peep-toe sandals or flawless face or perfect hair. Fashion cannot cure Heart Disease!

And that was my midnight rant. I'll just go to bed now & sob to Christina here. Tomorrow, I'll grab my running shoes and hit the gym. Enough is Enough. F M L. Obesity is a Sin. Father, forgive me for I am the baddest sinner.

Live your Life

ALOHA.

A wise man said:

"Iron rusts from disuse, stagnant water loses its purity and in cold weather becomes frozen,

even so does inaction sap the vigors of the mind"

- Leonardo da Vinci 

My mind has been somewhat inactive for a while now. I had been doing the same things for a long time; expecting different results and hoping to experience change in my situation. For example, I was so busy writing my dissertation for a little over a year back there that I was only reading books and articles in my field, plus I was caught up in a wrong romantic situation, and didn't take the chance to stretch my outlook on life.

This went on for a while until something snapped! I started feeling stagnant, I started feeling mentally weary, fagged out, depressed (the magic word!). I knew I had to re-evaluate my life, I knew I needed to review my choices, and I knew I had to give up some good things so that better things would come along. I knew I needed to change.

Somebody said "life is too short, then you die". At the rate I was going, my soul knew that I was just waiting to die. I had resigned to fate, stopped dreaming, and hoped that at least I could just exist. I was taking everything for granted. Do you see where I'm going with this?

I became complacent. So for example, even in that wrong relationship where I knew he was cheating/going to cheat, I stayed in it because I thought he would outgrow the habit and learn to truly commit. I figured he was the only one for me, so we would just patch things along then eventually get hitched! Yeah, great idea, Anya! You really planned out that one well. I was being complacent.

Another example, in my grad school work, I started putting in the minimal amount of work. I no longer cared if I published or not. I was bored. I just wanted to get by. I thought to myself: nobody cares about what you have to say, people are too vain to get it. I was wrong! People did want to hear what I had to say, I was very relevant.

They say hindsight is 20/20. Well, I concur. What was I thinking back then? I had filled my mind with too much rubbish to notice I was infected. I was sick with Fear. My blood was toxic with Complacency.Today I know different. I can feel the life rushing through me. I feel like I just recovered some lost limbs. I can walk, I can run, I can fly. I can dream.

So I must tell you -- if you can dream, dream BIG. Live your life with passion. Don't take people for granted; better yet, don't take yourself for granted. I know it's cliche, but honestly, you have one life to live. Explore your options. Seize every opportunity. Be thankful. Then just breathe. 

I took this picture of one of the roses in my backyard. So pretty :)

(whirl)wind of Change

Hello People,

I have come to the realization that my life is more fascinating in my head than in reality. Don't get me wrong, reality is good; uhm...real. But the stuff that goes on in my head is way more exciting.


So I am alive and well. I didn't get a chance to blog because bigger things had my attention. I did my dissertation and passed my defense. (YAY me!!). Now I'm job-hunting and spending a lot of time on the internet so now I can return to blogging like always. I hope you're having a splendid summer. What exciting things are you doing with your time?

Tidings...

Spring Tidings

I've been gone but I haven't forgotten blogville. So much is happening in my life these days; it's hard to find the stillness to blog. I'm moving to a new city, officially single & searching  would like to be found, done with school & ready to groove, and just feeling fresh with my life!

Soon & very soon, I'll resume blog-duty. Until that time, my people have a splendid spring!

Self-doubt

Self-doubt is the lack of confidence in the reliability of one's own motives, personality, thought, etc. 

I know I'm the best at what I do, so why the heck do these self-doubting thoughts creep into my sub-conscious & pollute my mind with the fear of failure?

I'm going through some trying times right now. I'll return when this storm passes.

My Uterus & Jill Scott on Marriage

Well...so my mini-hiatus is over, I'm back to continue sharing my thoughts with you. First let me tell you what I've been up to:

Today, I was reading Necole Bitchie, where she had a very insightful comment from Jill Scott's take on marriage & relationships. Jill Scott recently broke off her 2-year engagement with her fiancé and baby-daddy.

She tells Vibe:

"I don’t think I’ll get married again. I’m not looking for it. What I can say about my divorce and my failed engagement is that I learned where my bar is. I used to pray for a man who had potential, but that’s not my prayer anymore. Not only does he have to have potential, he has to have had accomplished some things in his life. He has to have a work ethic, because I don’t want to come home to someone sitting on the sofa playing PlayStation. I’m looking for someone who works as hard as I do. Who loves their work as much as I do, so at the end of the night we have something real to talk about, something exciting that makes our blood flow and boil. I need my man to be my homie. If you can’t help me grow, there’s no point with you being in my life."

This babe is making too much sense abeg. I mean honestly, I know I'll be a good catch to any deserving man as per wife matters. But I don't just want to be with someone just because I'm good for them. I want them also to be good for me. Do you feel me? It's not a enough that I should be supportive, caring, and warm to a man. He has to be all those things to me as well. 

Last week, I had a bad case of migraines. I dunno what triggered them but it was followed by my Uterus deciding to fall out! Yes...Aunt Flo thought it'll be a cool idea to visit during my busiest week of the year! I had to mark exams, finish 3 chapters of my dissertation, and still go about like the world was a happy place. I was completely unimpressed with the moon and all things monthly

Speaking of periods, has anyone tried the DIVA/MOON cup? It's that conical cup made from silicone which you insert into your vagina to collect your Uterus chunks (menstruation - this word is so un-sexy!). I hear the diva cup is very earth-friendly (green) and cost-effective. Can you imagine all the money I'd be saving instead of monthly purchases on regular pads, overnight pads, regular tampons, super tampons, panti-liners, and thong-liners! Imagine if all that money was spent treating myself to a spa date once a month or better yet, donating it to a local charity? Hmm... I'm going to look into that Diva Cup business.

 That's the relative size of the cup. It's very bendable since it's made of silicone. The cup is folded vertically and inserted into the vaginal cavity like a tampon.

After insertion into the vagina, apparently you're no longer supposed to feel the cup. After 6-8 hours, the cup should be taken out by the bottom handle and emptied down the toilet drain (eek!). It can be cleansed by rinsing with hot water. And after your period is over, the cup may be sanitized by boiling.

And for all those ladies (& gents) who cringe at the discussion of periods, what is the big deal anyway?! I don't understand the hush-hush taboo around periods as if it's something abnormal. Periods are like the most normal thing about people, just like eating, sleeping, poo-ing, e.t.c

Anyway, those have been the kinda things on my mind this week. I'm looking into seriously pursuing a new hobby; maybe photography or cooking. I'm not sure yet but summer's coming and I cannot be idle! Any ideas for fun hobbies?

Men, Nigerians & Nigerian Politics,

This weekend has been mental. My thoughts have been busy like a beehive. I've got too much to talk about but I'll just leave you some snippets of what's been going on in my head recently.

1. On the last week outburst in Jos, Nigeria  & Nigerian partisan politics in general -
Gywnne Dyer encapsulates my anguish here. He said:

"The northern elite plays the Muslim card repeatedly to preserve its monopoly of power in the northern states, but it will never stop collaborating with the southern elite to maintain the status quo, because all the oil is in the south. The two groups compete fiercely over the division of the spoils, but if the north ever really seceded from Nigeria, the northern elite would lose its access to the oil revenues that keep it rich."

Nigeria is a strange country, no doubt. A country that poses as one of the most religious, yet ranks amongst the most corrupt nations in the world. That is strange.


2. On the 'Enough is Enough' protest coming up next week in Abuja -

I am highly concerned about the security and safety of this march. I pray it will be peaceful. But participants please be vigilant of your surroundings because you never know which thugs have been hired to turn this thing into a mess.

If I would design a revolution in my Country, it will be one of 'FULL DISCLOSURE'. This matter of an absent President is shrouded in too much mystery. As in, c'mon! It's only in Nigeria where the president will be missing for 3 months and nobody still knows what has happened to him. I am not asking that he should be impeached or resign, all I want is full disclosure. Abeg, show ya face; make ya country people know wetin dey worry you so we fit target our prayers! And if the Acting President has truly been conferred 'acting' powers, please let him ACT now & ACT fast!

3. Nigeria doesn't need much to take-off. Nigerians are known to be highly resilient, adaptable, and incredibly ingenious. Give Nigerians the basics and they will function. I'm talking about simple things like infrastructure:

a. Clean Water
b. Electricity
c. Affordable access to health services
d. Good roads
e. Good Airports
f. Hygienic sewage system

And then, let Nigerians enjoy a Good Education and see what they will do! Not the type of education that is fraught with exam malpractices or university strikes. Or the type that is spewing out half-baked graduates. No. I'm talking about the kind of education where a Nigerian girl or boy can dream about a future becoming something unconventional like an Artist or a Sculptor or a Librarian without fears of a life in poverty, or of hopes lost and dreams deferred.

Nigerians deserve the best. They have put in blood, sweat, and tears. Too many Sons and Daughters of this earth have been sacrificed for the dream. Too many people have been complicit in the raping of that Nation. When will it stop? Nigerians deserve better...

4. I'm tired of being single. I need a romantic outlet. I've technically been single for almost 9 months now (aside from one long romance). It's no longer cute. I'm looking for a nice young man, who is creative, intelligent, attractive, and ambitious. I'm not asking for much. I just want someone who gets me. So nice gentlemen in the Greater Toronto Area (GTA) (and environs), please do not hesitate to apply.
 
N.B: He should also be a growing Christian, non-neurotic, doesn't abuse drugs, strong self-esteem, willing to learn, non-flirt, non-player, have a job or at least be in graduate school, have a valid driver's license, must like long walks on the beach, must like dogs, must like books (non-academic literature), must be willing to grow, must be a closet metrosexual (I'm not into scruffy men or the scruffy look), must wear deodorant and cologne, must be passionate about something, must have drive, must be sensual, must have drive, may be any race, colour or size but preference will be awarded to tall, dark, and handsome, bilingual is an asset, must be pro-life, must believe in true love, be caring, kind, compassionate, and must have been born MALE.

Yeah, so these have been a few of my thoughts over the weekend. I'm hopeful for the new week that I will be productive and energized for my trip to New York at the end of the month! So my dear blogville folk, have a blessed weekend!

Kisses,

Anya xoxo


Photo Credit: 
1. Independence day, 2009. European Pressphoto Agency.
2. Child crying after receiving Polio vaccine, REUTERS.
3. Idris Elba, BET. 

Nigeria: Enough is Enough

"I like to make myself believe that Planet Earth turns slowly..."
-Owl City (Fireflies)

That the earth would turn slowly so that Nigeria can become great again. 

....that the earth would turn slowly so that my Country will rise higher than former glory

....that its Citizens would reject complacency and demand Change.

....that the Wind of Change will not pass us by too quickly.

....that the World would wait for us to catch up.

....that her illustrious Sons & Daughters will get a chance to fulfill their destinies.

....that we can forge a stronger sense of national pride.

....that GLORY will rest within the boundaries of our polity

....that fear of tyranny will not haunt our collective subconscious.

....that we learn to live again like there is value in human life

....that the earth would turn slowly & wait for us...

But Planet Earth will NOT wait.

*A laudable attempt at something quasi-revolutionary, however; under-ambitious.

The end of Privacy (formspring.me)

What would you like to know about me? Ask me anything on my formspring page. This is going to be fun, I can tell. So ask away Blogville!

-A.P

The Woman & Wife

I feel a strong sense of push-pull tension about the idea of marriage. As a woman, I look forward to it but quite frankly, I'm also very scared about being married. On the one hand, I imagine the experience of wonderful marital bliss with a Significant Other; a lifetime of togetherness; intimacy; bonding;  raw sex; raising a family; walking the life path... And on the other, inevitable disappointments; heartbreak; dependence; raising a family; walking the life path... Basically, almost the same things which pull me toward the idea, push me away from it!

The Greeks' basically proprietary attitude towards women is well illustrated by the following statement from Demosthenes' account of the lawsuit, Against Naera:

For this is what living with a woman as one's wife means - to have children by her and to introduce the sons to the members of the clan and of the deme, and to betroth the daughters to husbands as one's own. Mistresses we keep for the sake of pleasure, concubines for the daily care of our persons, but wives to bear us legitimate children and to be faithful guardians of our households.

Since the time of the ancient Greeks, what has really changed in our modern society? These days, people rave about how women have achieved equality & liberty; yet many wives are still simply being relegated to the background as 'bearers of legitimate children'.

When I think about the relationship between husbands and wives, I imagine a union where individuals are day-to-day companions, of emotional & intellectual intimates. But obviously, this has not always been the case with traditional roles for men and women in matrimony.

When you think about marriage, how would you describe the role & relationship of the woman & wife to her man & husband?

-A.P

Stupid Young (White) People

As a Grad Student, I have the opportunity of being a Teaching Assistant; hosting seminars, grading exams, etc; in Political Science, Gender Studies, and Human Rights courses. I get the chance to question intelligence and knowledge on a weekly basis.

So I'm marking the midterm for one Gender course and this is what one student wrote about the "Male Gaze" - pay attention to the example he uses to explain the concept:

"The Male gaze refers to a certain perspective of looking at something. An example of this is that an Orthodox Jew would look at a piece of holocaust memorabilia more intently and from a different perspective than would a South African who knows very little about world history"

To which I remarked - "...outrageous claim! See me in my office."

Sometimes I just wonder where these kids get their ideas from. You don't have to be South African to get offended by that one!

Or check out the introductory paragraph in one essay about development aid to Africa from my 3rd level Political Science course:

"The country of Africa is afflicted with many woes..."

To which I remarked - "...when last did you visit the said 'country'?"

And this student threw in a lot of "...those people" into the soup to enrich the broth. As in "...those people are desperately hungry and will die unless they are fed", or "...those people must accept help from anywhere they can get it". Arrgghhh....

Why do some young people think it's OK to be foolish? And especially when your T.A is a very conspicuous black African female?!


-Anya (weary from marking)
-Listening to country music all night long :)
-Now playing: Anne Murray 'Danny's Song'

Renewed Faith: That's My King

That's My King from Dustin Bankord. You can check out more videos from the list here

I hope you're having a great week everyone, mine is very busy as usual but it's good. We're making progress.

Anya xo

Obesity is a Sin

Obesity is a sin. It's up there with Murder, Adultery, and Covetousness.*

Introducing, Anya's Law: 


Gluttony is a sin. Greed is a sin.

Hence,


Gluttony + Greed + uninhibited propensity to indulge =  Obesity :. Sin

Why are some people obese? How did they eat their way to that weight? Are they naturally hungrier than other people? Are they just greedy? Are some people more susceptible to weight gain than others?
  
I have a genuine fear of being fat. It is the fear that I will eat myself to death. That I will become so big and swollen that I will no longer be considered attractive by the opposite sex. I feel good about myself when I think I'm attractive but I feel even better when others think I am an attractive person.

I'm afraid of fat people. I think that fat is contagious. Sometimes, I feel that if I hang around a fat person, my body may sub-consciously tap into their frequency of fatness; that I'll start eating like them, I'll become allergic to exercise, and swell into a shapeless blob of fat globules.

I think I'd rather have an eating disorder (like anorexia or bulimia) than be Obese.  
There's nothing sexy about obesity.
 At least with anorexia, I can gradually eat my way back to my ideal weight (125 lbs). But it'll take a lot of hard work & determination to burn  200lbs down to 125.

 When I start having kids, I intend to work out like a fiend right after each birth. Fat is not sexy - even on moms. I'll exercise post-baby so it won't be said that "oh, she let herself go after having children". That will not be said about me. No. Never.

There are so many stereotypes about fat people; that they're dirty. they're stinky. they have low self-esteem. they're weak. they have no will to lose weight. e.t.c. How can you possibly (un)believe these stereotypes when you see this?

So my dear readers, are you fat? More so, are you obese? What are you doing about your predicament?
These days I have 138 lbs on my 5'5" frame. But I'm working hard everyday to redeem myself from the bondage of sin.

Never be afraid to take charge of your body. It's the only one you've got!

 Anya Posh

-------------------------------------------

*: (Anya's Bible, Revised edition 2010).


Disclaimer:

1. This entry is not intended to offend anyone who considers him/herself obese. But if you are offended, start fasting (on fruit).

2. Or please check out:  Weight Watchers, Billy Blanks Tae Bo, HIIT,

Alice in Wonderland

Fascinating suff! I cannot wait ;p

 
Anya xoxo

Top Career Success Traits [Workopolis]

Happy New Year!! It's only the 2nd week of January so I'm not too late in bringing you my new year wishes. This year, be determined to make the most out of every opportunity. I culled this list from Workopolis' monthly newsletter. It has been proved relevant to workplace survival since 2000, it won't start failing now in 2010.

The Top 10 Career Success Traits from 2000- 2009:

• Being Optimistic, yet not naive;
• Flexible and adaptable yet not a pushover. Good professional boundaries;
• Continually learning - both linearly and non-traditionally;
• Confident yet not cocky - Not afraid of self-promotion and will promote others.
• Value, nurture and valued by their professional network;
• Smart risk-takers -  Pay attention and are not afraid of the economy;
• Wide set of interests in life;
• Global and local perspective;
• Genuine interest in the chosen professional field; 
• Respect and are respected by their employer; and,
• Bonus - Work seriously