LONDON

Pumps, brogues, sneakers, Timberlands, killer heels, flip flops
Cobbled roads, tarred roads, bridges, concourse
Click, clack, dragging feet, thump-thump
People going about their business
The sounds of London

Hoodies, fascinators, tailored pants, sagging jeans, peplum dresses, ballerina skirts
Haute couture, flea markets, high street, designers and of course Primark
Seamless, strapless, backless, buttoned, high waisted, double breasted
Worn or draped over bodies
The look of London

Saloons, hatchbacks, double deckers, bendies, black cabs, cycles, tandem bikes
Qashqais, Jaguars, Fords, Mercedes, BMWs, Minis and even Rovers
Zooming, cruising, hooting, whizzing past
Ferrying people to and fro
It's London on the move

Nando's, Hakassan, The Ivy, Benares, Costa's, Millie's, All Bar One
Goulash, paella, Virgin Mojito, decaf mocha, black pudding, jungle curry
Sip it, roll it, chew it, knock it, bottoms up
Quenching thirst and keeping hunger pangs at bay
The taste of London

Hyde Park, Bishop's Park, Hampstead Heath, Richmond Park
Underground, subways, embankments, canals
Sweat, garlic breath, colognes, perfumes and Arabian Oud
Repulsive or enticing
The scent of London

London! Where you are free to be
You don't have to comply
Because being a misfit means you fit just right in

I LOVE LONDON!

Still Standing

Even though I had a tough childhood with disagreeing parents, I can still dream of a loving & happy marriage.
Even though I wasn't the most popular in school, I can still accept people's friendship.
Even though I graduated with a 2:2, I've had brilliant jobs.
Even though I suffered from asthma, I can run/walk 5K in less than 40 minutes.
Even though I was involved in a car accident and the car somersaulted with 3 kegs of petrol in the trunk, I survived without a scratch.
Even though I went to bed hungry some nights, I can now afford to dine out.
Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow death, I shall fear no evil!

I guess my Father says what He means and means what He says:
For I know the plans I have for you, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. (Jeremiah 29:11 NIV)

Written October 2012

Jets, Jaguars and Jewelry

Written November 2012

A Nigerian pastor celebrated the anniversary of his service in ministry and his congregation bought him a gift, which happened to be a private jet. The Nigerian public is incensed - christians, muslims, pagans, atheists all decrying the recent spate of jet owning pastors.

Before I attempt to dissect the matter, my view is that if he wants a jet and buys or accepts one, it is not illegal and it is left for him and his congregation to justify their actions in their heads, hearts and before God on the day of reckoning.  And also work out how to afford the maintenance and operational costs.

Some have complained that this acquisition is morally distasteful in the midst of poverty in the country. Good point but I cannot help but think about the cars, gold, wristwatches etc. that these complainers own and the irony in their outcry. If you cannot give a thousand naira to the beggar, I doubt that you will give a million. How many of these people spend their time and money on helping the poor? What have you done for the less priviledged lately?

Some complaints have been about the destinations that the jets will be flying to.  How many have tried preaching to their neighbours or the okada drivers in your neighbourhood or even your drivers?

Some have suggested that the jets are funded by tithes and offerings from the church's coffers.  I believe these are just speculations but if it was funded from the church's coffers, the onus is on members of the church to complain and demand an explanation or to take their tithes and offerings and go elsewhere. Unfortunately, I doubt there is a way to get your tithes & offerings refunded like in the UK. If it was funded by a select few who paid from their excess resources then we need to let them be.  Having donated to such gift purchases in the past, I can say that there are all sorts of reasons behind these sacrificial givings. Considering that these people are smart enough to make money we should trust them to spend their money.

Quite frankly, I'm sick and tired of people pointing fingers without any real justification for their moral high ground. Most missionaries that I know of are so worried about reaching the unsaved and guiding their children that they really don't have time to help some pastor figure out what he should or should not be doing!

Perhaps if these people are so skilled in working out others lives, can you help me out?
Are my challenges today the result of my past sins?
Can I be truly forgiven for a deliberate sin that I am currently contemplating?
How do I forgive someone so close to me that has hurt me, when I struggle to forgive myself?

One more thing, I don't believe that pastors or bishops etc will be judged by a different constitution or in the Supreme court of heaven. We have all been given the same commission and bible to guide us as Christians and we will all face judgement! 

2011 In Review

In January 2011, I moved to Athens, Greece! What was I thinking? Moving to a country with a declining or I should say dead economy. People speaking what might be one of the oldest languages but definitely one I do not understand. I guess I wanted a different perspective on life and I must say I have definitely got a different perspective. A year has gone by and I have survived!

January
The month was spent mostly in hotels, so I can’t really count that as living in Athens. A couple of things hit me by surprise though.

• I was not allowed to flush toilet paper in the toilets – this really panicked me. Many hygiene standards were forced on me as a child and one of them was dumping your waste and all the paraphernalia that goes with it.


• There were stray dogs everywhere! From Dalmatians to Alsatians to Mongrels. I’m not an animal lover (quite the opposite as I’ve had many bad encounters with animals, especially dogs).


• You could stop your car in the middle of a single lane road, as long as you put on your hazard lights. Totally disallowed according to my understanding of the UK Highway code or even the Nigerian jungle justice code.


• Smoking was rampant – in and out, up and down, everywhere. I suffered from bad asthma when I was younger and fatter, and I sure did not want to become addicted to steroids again.

I real did wonder if I was still in Europe.

On the positive side, I re-discovered the sweet and wonderful taste of fruits and Greek tomatoes.

February
I spent most of the month out of Athens so I don’t really have any memory of the month apart from paying for an apartment. I went back to the UK to get my belongings packed up and ready to be shipped. I also raided Costco for all the little comforts I needed to keep me sane – groceries, cleaning agents, furniture. I’d been to a few supermarkets in Athens and the prices of almost everything foreign was double the UK prices i.e. triple the Costco prices.
I was in Ukraine for about two weeks - my first time in the former Soviet Union. There was an abundance of tall leafless trees, snow covered hills and Lada’s - even the police used Lada’s to cruise the towns. I’m guessing there is no crime in Ukraine.
No highway chase expected in Odessa, Ukraine.

March
My belongings were moved into my apartment. It is a lovely apartment with more space than I was familiar with in England. It had been quite an experience viewing apartments – creepy, ancient antiques, clean, unfurnished. The Greeks take the unfurnished concept to a whole new level, all the fittings without the furniture, no appliances. You basically get walls, doors, baths, toilets and sinks. Telos! C’est fini!
My aunt and cousin (love you both!) came to visit the day after I moved in. It was really great to have them while I adjusted to my apartment. We went downtown to see the Parthenon (Acropolis) from the bottom of the mount, visited the Mall of Athens and played around with some Greek cuisine. The humble and simple gyros and the Greek salad were absolutely delish (delicious for my more cultured readers).

April
I experienced some frustration with driving, the banks and the supermarkets. The driving habits of Greeks have quite a reputation but having lived and driven in Lagos, Nigeria, I must say it is not quite as bad. However, like Lagos driving, the speed limit signs might as well be street decorations.
The banks operating in Greece including the international banks must have one of the most archaic and inefficient customer service / processes in Europe. All doubts I had about Greece being in Europe kind of vanished. I decided to think of Europe in two parts – Western and Central/Eastern. If I can compare banks in Greece with banks in Nigeria – I’d take GT, Skye and may be even Zenith over the Greek banks. For starters, the Greek banks shut at 2 p.m. – who does that in the 21st century? A monthly payment standing order needs to be renewed monthly – what exactly is the order?

The lovely Olawoyin family visited – it has gone beyond Club 1000. They helped me get familiar with Greek roads – thanks for the TomTom map. We visited the Acropolis Museum where we viewed the marble statues of Athena, Thisseas, Athena, and err… Athena, and Athena again.

I started building on my Greek vocabulary:

• kali mera – good morning


• kali spera – good afternoon


• kali nikhita – good night


• parakalo – welcome, excuse me ( you can’t go wrong with this one)


• epheristo – thank-you


• enya – nine (door number of my office)

May
I did not spend too much time in Athens. Two weeks in Italy – Milan and Rome, a week in Budapest and a weekend in London. Glad to be out of Athens. I’ll reserve the stories on my travels for other blogs.

June
I was training for a 5K in July. I ventured on the streets of Athens for a run. It was my first positive experience of the steep roads of Athens – an uneventful run, no dogs encountered.
My Greek internet saga begins! Quite a frustrating month, considering I had moved into my apartment and had been paying for an internet connection for 3 months – I still had no working internet connection. I was advised to have strong words with the provider but the strength was lost in translation. I spent days in my apartment without any connection to the World Wide Web. A nightmare in modern times. A very resourceful and kind-hearted colleague, Christos, helped with acquiring internet on the go - such a relief to reconnect on WhatsApp, Skype, Facebook without having to go to the mall in search of free Wi-Fi.

July
Still no working internet connection at home but still paying!
I was introduced to Ade (the only other Nigerian in my part of Athens) and thanks to him, life in Athens was a bit more bearable. I attended the Omo Oduduwa Day in Athens with Ade on the day we met. This is not generally the type of place I like to hang-out but it was surely a lot of fun. It was a true Nigerian - Yoruba style party. The $1 bills were ‘sprayed’ across the dance floor and 90% of the guests were dressed in the same fabric.
Ade also found me a church, St Andrews in Kifissia with lovely people. I really needed a connection with other Christians before I lost fellowship completely.

August
Still no working internet connection at home but still paying!
My weekends were spent cooking, feeling lonely, watching tv and going to the beach. I had my first visit to a Greek island – Hydra in the Saronic Gulf - a very charming island with no cars except for the waste disposal van and donkeys as the main mode of transport. I opted for trekking a few miles to Vlihos beach. The sunset in Hydra is not hyped but was quite serene and rewarding.

My aunt (friend’s mum) came visiting and we explored the fishes of Greece. Tsipoura (gilt-head bream) is my favourite. We also took a one hour trip to Sounion, ruins of the temple of Poseidon. After an hour of driving we looked at the columns and left, none the wiser. There was no obvious attempt to educate the public on the history of the columns or of the achievements of Poseidon unlike the very similar standing rocks of Stonehenge. There’s a clue to why the Greek economy is suffering.
My garden bloomed with vanillias (plums to the English), peaches, apple and pomegranates and I spent the rest of the month anticipating Belinda and Bimbo’s visit, hoping for my next island trip.

September
Santorini! Visited the very much hyped Santorini and was a bit disappointed with the sunset – we waited for hours and then it performed its disappearing act in all of two minutes. It was quite an act but I can’t imagine that the sun reserves this performance for just Santorini residents and visitors. It was great having friends over and we had many late nights just chatting away. And then there was the BBQ for Belinda and Bimbo’s send-off. Ade was the very capable and talented chef. A nice game of charades with new friends (introduced on the day) ended late in the morning, and all seemed right with my Greek social life.
Still no working internet connection at home but still paying!

October
I completed the Shine London Half Marathon night walk in all of 4 hours and 30 minutes and I can’t remember much of the month. I took a week’s break before I started training for the Athens Marathon – 10K race. I moved my training to the confines of my cheap and cheerful gym after months of running around in circles at Zirinio Stadium. I spiced up my training by switching from Life Fitness, Technogym and StarTrac treadmills from day to day.
The internet connection at home starts working - intermittently!

November
I was away on vacation for most of the month. I wasn’t really sure what I missed most of my previous abode but I sure was glad to be away from Athens. The internet still working intermittently.

December
Back in Athens but the main thing on my mind was the Christmas vacation in the UK. The internet now working full time on weekends and intermittently on weekdays. Who cares? Wi-Fi works 24-7 in the UK.

A year in Athens with many frustrating things but after all said and done, I can mention at least three things I like about Greece (a challenge by my colleagues when I complained a lot in the earlier months).

I like the food – tomatoes, olive oil, pastichio.
I like my apartment when it is not cold.
I like Hydra.

Let’s hope I can add to the list in 2012.

The Fallacy of Thinking You Are Giving To God

He owns us. He owns every resource in the world. He doesn't need our giving. We should give not because of obedience but to show our gratitude and pave way for more. Not a bribe but to show that we are aware that without Him we have nothing.

Proverbs 15:1

A gentle answer deflects anger, but harsh words make tempers flare.
New Living Translation

Awesome God

God is

Always
Wowing,
Exceeding,
Surpassing
Our
Many
Expectations!