After a break of two weeks, I want to announce that I am back. I know I promised you consistency but this is Nigeria. With the way electricity has been inconsistent for the past one month or so, there's just so much one can do. Anyways, I welcome you back.
Yesterday, 25th of June, was my 22nd birthday and it was quite interesting. I mean, aside from the existential crisis that comes with growing older, I had fun. So, I decided to share how the day went with you all. You know, like a day in my life kind of thing.
Actually, yesterday did not start out all rosy. For the earliest hours of the day, it seemed like all I had planned for the day would not be carried out because I didn't get the money I was expecting. It wasn't a big plan or anything. I just wanted to eat catfish pepper soup and attend a music show: Make Music Ibadan. Fortunately, around past 11 am, I got some money and the plan was back on.
Once I got the money, my friend and I rushed to the market to buy pepper soup ingredients. I made the soup following Sisi Yemmie's catfish pepper soup recipe and it was a banger! We ate it with white rice and a chilled bottle of Pepsi. I didn't really enjoy the food because (i) I was tired from the market run and cooking, (ii) I had not eaten anything and it was already 3 pm, and (iii) I was rushing to meet up with the music event scheduled to start at 4. After eating, my friends and I took Bolt to Arnheim where the event was to take place.
Yesterday was my first time at Arnheim and I have to say that it's a really cool spot. I liked the fact that there's an outdoor lounge apart from the indoor bar where the event took place. But there is a major problem: the place is outrageously overpriced. A bottle of Trophy beer that normally goes for 350 naira was sold for 1000 naira! That's like three times the actual price. I was told that the place is owned by a white person. Can you imagine that?
About the Make Music Ibadan event, I would say it could have been better. There were about nine performances across genres and some of them were really good. In fact, there were about three performances that got me up my feet dancing. But, it was just another microcosm of the male-dominated Nigerian music industry. Out of all the artists that performed yesterday, including instrumentalists and backup singers, there were only two women. I kept hoping and hoping for more gender inclusiveness on that stage and that just ruined the show for me.
One thing that made going to that event worth it for me was that I got to hang out with my friends and meet new people. I was hoping to meet someone that would be interested in being more than friends but it didn't happen. There was this person that I even thought was being flirty but it turned out that they just wanted hot girls for their club, lol.
Anyways, once the event was over at around 7:30 pm, I was ready to leave but my friends were not and I had to wait for them. We left the event at past 9 pm and around 10:00 pm, I got home exhausted and ready to crash. I just warmed the rice and pepper soup I had left for dinner. This time around, I was able to enjoy it properly. After having dinner, I went to bed at past 11 pm.
Although a few annoying things happened during the day, it was not a terrible birthday altogether and I am grateful for that.
Here is a video from last night:
BTW, I made the top I wore from a scarf. It is easy and requires no sewing at all. I will post a DIY tutorial on it on Wednesday. Anticipate!
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