Best Friends Forever - Featured on BN Prose

From askmissa.com

I prefer writing long form, novels and novellas are more my forte, but recently, the writing spring has been coming in bursts and trickles and when this story of a pregnant woman in need of a friend came to me, I was able to finish it in a few thousand words. I sent it to BN and they liked it and published it. However, they preferred a shorter version, so those who read it there, read the summary or the concluding part. The original title was Best Friends Forever, and below is how it all began...

Though I get by, I’m not very good at making friends. In university, I only had two close friends. My girlfriend, Nkechi, left the country after her youth service and we lost contact. As the years went by, I remained close to Chudi, and after we had settled into our jobs, he ended up becoming my husband. Chudi was the gregarious one, and I was the quiet one. We complimented each other. He made the friends and I cooked when they came over. Because of him, I never lacked company, women I could natter with when I needed to, and men to debate politics and football with. I liked that my husband remained my true friend, but sometimes I missed having a close female confidant.

Several months after we had our first child, we moved into a new apartment and somehow I drifted away from the few single friends I had. Chudi’s bachelor buddies also stayed away. Around the same time, one of his colleagues at the office moved in not far from us. He'd recently gotten married and he and his wife needed the space provided by the new apartment block. Tade did not have a car and often walked over so he could ride to work with Chudi in the mornings. At first he was reserved, but with time we relaxed around each other and would talk as I waited for them to leave before locking up and taking my son to daycare on my way to work.

Dear Myne - He is Younger than Me But I want Him

...I have a little problem. I play hard to get...I think too much at times and think I'm regretting my latest action.

I was match-made with this guy, who I later discovered is a year younger than I am.

I was against this initially because prior to this I was against dating a younger man. As a matter of fact, I only dated a guy if he was at least 3yrs older than me.

We got talking and I soon discovered that I actually liked dis dude. I can't remember the last time I fell for someone like this. The problem is that in the course of our getting to know each other, I lied that I'm in a relationship.

15 Things I Love About My Nigerian Husband

By Nkem Akinsoto

I didn't set out to marry a Nigerian man. It was a preference, but after I moved to the UK, I knew it was up in the air. In Edinburgh where I lived, Nigerian men were less than 5 percent of the entire male population. However, for most of my years there, my primary social group were the other Nigerians in the area, so of the people I met, Nigerian men were up to 30 percent.

Needless to say, I socialized with a lot of non-Nigerians and actually dated outside the Nationality, and even the race for a while. I confess that I had different measures for each category of people I dated or seriously considered for a romantic, and possibly long term relationship.

For instance, if the guy was British, it was less likely that speaking good English would be one of his weak points. But for my Nigerian brothers, especially if they were not students like I was, it could be an issue. Are you surprised a good command of English was among my requirements, wait till you hear the rest :)

Couples at the African Magic Viewers Choice Awards 2013

Jay Jay Okocha and Wife

Date Night Movie Review - Beautiful Creatures

The beginning of the year is not the best time for movies at the cinema, most of Hollywood at that period seem to be in holding positions, touring the award season circuit, waiting for the Oscars, or bringing their end-of-year blockbusters to DVD. I think you know where this is going? Atala will take it away...

Atala: So, I liked the idea - or at least, I liked what I thought was the idea. A loner comes to ultra-religious town to stay with her creepy uncle, and all kinds of talk of satanic powers start flying around. It certainly sounded like we had a 'Salem' situation on our hands.

Myne: Lol..

Atala: On to other things, I liked the way the film showed the budding friendship between Ethan - a teen whose mother is dead - and Lena - the aforementioned loner. I felt it was a genuine connection, because Ethan himself was portrayed as something of an oddball.

Myne: I agree - but I felt that some of the scenes were a bit of a stretch. It almost seemed as if he was deliberately putting himself in harm's way. I mean, who goes to a satanist's house, has a spell cast on them and then goes back the next day?

The Bachelor Show, We May be Getting another TV Wedding

The Bachelor - Sean and Catherine

Another season is done, and it was a wild ride, some of the women were real characters. But it ended well tonight as Sean made his choice for Catherine, someone he said he considered his best friend. In his proposal, I was moved by his words, "I don't want to say goodbye anymore, I want to spend the rest of my life telling you I love you ... Will you marry me?"

Of course she said yes. Catherine Giudici is a graphic designer at Amazon here in Seattle and also a food blogger, Yay!

At the After the Final Rose ceremony, Lindsay wanted to know why he did not close the deal with her, but he didn't have a real reason. He said he just knew Catherine was the one, and it didn't have to do with any thing she had done or not done. She nicely accepted that, said she was happy for him and wished him luck.

Dr. Joe Odumakin - Women's Motivational Story #11

Dr. Josephine Okei-Odumakin is a Nigerian democracy activist and women's rights advocate. Her passion for human rights activism made her one of the targets of the Babangida administration; she was arrested and detained about 17 times at different locations in the country. However, Dr. (Mrs.) Joe Okei -Odumakin refused to be deterred. She later became the assistant general secretary of the Campaign for Democracy in 1994 when the battle against the annulment of June 12 became so fierce.

She was the head of the organization's secretariat from 1995-1996 when the then chairman, late Dr. Beko Ransome Kuti and the general secretary, Comrade Odion Akhaine, were put in jail. She eventually became president of the organization on July 29, 2006 at a convention held in Akure, Ondo State.

Dr. Joe Odumakin is also the executive director of the Institute of Human Rights and Democratic Studies, president of Women Arise for Change Initiative, the chairman of Task Force of the Citizens Forum, founder of the Save Nigeria Group, and spokesperson of the Coalition of Civil Society Organizations.

How to Make Igbo Men Fall in Love With You - Search

I just had to share this query so I can post Flavor NAbania's picture seeing as I missed him out in the February Man Candy list :)

This question came in through my stats and I think a few posts of mine are useful to answer this search query

1. How to Get Nigerian Igbo Guys

2. I am Happily Married to an Igbo Man

3. Igbo Men more Controlling and Traditional than Usual?

Dear Myne - What is the Role of a Woman in Getting Hitched

I was going to write to you about what to do when it seems everyone but you is getting hitched...then I read the article on your blog. [When Will He Pop the Question - If Ever?]

Now its got me wondering if every single woman over 25 is single because she keeps meeting "non-committers"?

But surely a woman has some role to play in helping the guy make up his mind,right? Being yourself just doesn't seem to be working anymore.

Or are women in our generation destined to marry late or not at all? (sigh)

My questions are triggered by the fact that everyone I know,even the "simple" ones are..well..hitched.

I even feel a bit jealous of Jennifer Aniston...!

Hafsat Abiola - Women's Month Motivational Story #10

Hafsat Abiola is a young activist who works to promote women, youth, and democracy in Nigeria, and around the world. She is a founding member of several initiatives including Global Youth Connect, Youth Employment Campaign, and Vital Voices: Women in Democracy. She is a member of the World Wisdom Council and the World Future Council. Hafsat is the author of many articles published in international and national media, and assistant editor of Imagining Ourselves, an international anthology of women.

Hafsat is also the Executive Director of the Kudirat Initiative for Democracy, KIND, an NGO that seeks to empower democracy and development in Nigeria by strengthening organizations and creating initiatives that advance women. KIND’s main programme is Kudra, a programme that offers leadership training to 750 young women across Nigeria each year.