The New Pope Francis - Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio

The new pope has been selected after two days of the Cardinals deliberating on their election of the successor to Pope Benedict. A black man, a cardinal from Ghana, was in the running to be pope, but he did not make it. The new pope, Jose Mario Bergoglio, is a Jesuit and he is from Argentina, in South America. "The new pope, 76, who will be called Francis ... is also the first non-European leader of the church in more than 1,000 years." NYT

This will be my second time of seeing a pope elected and it remains a historic event for me. Roman Catholics have not had it easy in the past few decades but the denomination remains a pillar in Christendom. While the new Pope, Francis, is non-European like some people wanted, I wonder about his age and how strong he is to carry on the papal work.

I hope this new pope will continue to build on the modernization of the policies of the church to include those who are marginalized including on issues that affect women. Also, he has to be firm in tackling pedophilia in the church in a way thay benefits and affirms the dignity of victims while making the abusive perpetrators face justice.

Dear Aunty Flo - Tales from that time of the Month

I was catching up on Kiky's blog recently when it all came coming back to me, the embarrassment  the distress, the back-to-front skirts, strategically placed long notes, and sweaters draped around the waist. It was a post on leak proof Dear Kate panties, which are supposed to protect women during that time of the month from over flows and spills caused by Aunty Flo.

Who even labeled it Aunty Flo? BTW, if you're a guy and still wondering what this is about, you may want to stop reading now. If you're a 'lady', you may also want to read something else, like my wedding page :)

When I was growing up, I first knew it by the biological name, menstruation. It started around the first or second year of secondary school. Mine showed face in my third term JS3 and then stayed away for the longest. In JS2, it came back with a bang. I was in class, when I stood up to go get something, someone called my attention to the patch on my skirt. I'd kind of felt the wetness, but it was a hot day, and I thought it was sweat. That was just the beginning of my woes.

I Got the Very Inspiring Blogger Award

I was nominated by Nana Prah, author and blogger at Loving Romance, Loving Life. Nana is also a member of the Romance Writers of West Africa and the author Love through time, a romance novel to be released later this year by Black Opal Books. I really enjoy Nana's writing and it's always great to be recognized. Thank you, Nana.

So the rule of the award is to state 7 things about me.

1. Since moving to the United States, I have visited 12 states, about 6 of them during our road trip in 2011. America is a very big country, and it has been a great experience seeing what I have of it.

2. I love taking photographs, and writing, but I think you can guess that from this blog.

3. I started wearing my hair unrelaxed a couple of years ago. Though I call it natural most times, I feel funny doing that when I use shampoo and hair creams I know not what goes into them.

The Breakup Song by Evaezi

This video is for those who have recently broken up with their partners, who are single or just not feeling all the love right now. Evaezi gives a stella performance of her single, The Breakup Song

Linda Ikeji - Motivational Woman's Story #12

Linda Ikeji is a graduate of English from the University of Lagos. After graduating in 2004, she started Blackdove Communications, a models and event management company. She had been modeling since 1998 but quit soon after starting her company, preferring to stay behind the camera by running the agency. So what happened since she stopped modelling and how did she become the blogger we all know and love, or love to hate? She said this in a BN Interview;

When I was much younger, I wanted to be a journalist. That was my dream. When I was about 10 years old, I was already writing. I wrote a few fiction stories in my notebooks and I gave a few people and they read and they thought I was a good writer...

So when I finished school, and I had become a model and people knew me as a model, it was very difficult for me to go back to back to being a journalist so I just moved on from there. But then I discovered blogging in 2006. Incidentally, it was through www.bellanaija.blogspot.com...

From then, I started reading her blog and one day I said to myself, I can actually live my dream, put stories together, tell people what is going on, so I created the blog that year. I created the blog in 2006 but I really started blogging early 2007.

Stewed Goat Meat and Asparagus topped with Cheese

I've never bought asparagus before this venture, it's one of those vegetables that I only eat when we eat out, or at a friend's but never thought to prepare myself. Somehow, I think about it in connection with those who are starving themselves in the name of losing weight, or just something out of my network.

Well, last week, our grocery store had huge signs all over them, it was an asparagus sale! LOL... So I got one bunch and looked up ways to cook it online.

Actually, asparagus is a very healthy vegetable, and good for those of us trying to keep the love handles at bay. It is low calorie, and a good source of folate and potassium for women, and very high in antioxidants. Well, it was one of my no-carb dinner nights and so I brough out my goat meat and a tomato stew I had made earlier and set to work.

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