From One Louvre To The Other Louvre…

March 22, 2018 jacquelineobyikocha5 Comments

I remember the curving, infernal queue of visitors waiting to go into the Louvre museum in Paris and still regret my impatience to date. The plan to go back the following day never quite panned out and that was how I missed the opportunity to feed my eyes with all the priceless art pieces kept there.

With the opening of Louvre Abu Dhabi, I wasn’t going to miss out on the chance to visit this museum and the latest addition to places to visit in the UAE. I can assure you, it was well worth the 2 and half hours of leisurely drive from Dubai.

There was equally a curving queue – but not like the unending queue in Paris. We waited patiently to purchase our tickets before we could roam freely to feed our soul through our eyes. As usual, I took loads of photos – that I’m yet to curate.

The awe-inspiring structure had 23 galleries of treasures spanning different eras in history. Each gallery would take about 30 to 45 minutes depending on how long you wish to stare at Alexander The Greats torso 😉

The hours flew past so fast and by the time we were ready to leave, it was closing time. I daresay if they had left me in there until the following day – with food and duvet hopefully – I wouldn’t have complained.

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Quick Tips For Museum Visits

Take a guided tour – if you can afford one. The guide explains the artworks, its backgrounds and significance. It can be quite informative and enlightening.
Follow the numbers. Follow the unique numbers of each gallery. This way you know where you have been and eliminate the chances of roaming around in circles.
Wear something warm or carry a cloak just in case. Museums can get pretty cold inside because they are set at relatively cooler temperatures to protect the artefacts and after spending several hours in a cold one, it gets quite chilly.
Wear comfortable shoes. Wearing comfortable footwear ensures that you enjoy the experience without hobbling and howling.
Turn Off Your Flash! For sure taking photos for your Instagram and all the social networks you are on is great – otherwise, how will anyone know you went there – but do remember that these great works of art that have lived for thousands of years for you to admire, need to be preserved for other generations.
Be mindful of others and keep your voice level low. For some people, visiting the museum is almost a spiritual and calming thing. They don’t want their experience to be marred by the uncouth rowdy behaviour of others.
Prepare to be hungry and thirsty. All that walking around with oohing and aahing certainly increases your appetite. Pack something that you can eat in the café or grab a quick bite in the mmuseums’café.
Take your time and soak it all in.

Humor - Bellyful of laughter

Today’s Lesson…

March 22, 2018March 22, 2018 jacquelineobyikocha21 Comments

If I could blush, I would be red in the face. I hurried to the restroom and I saw him in there. My first thought was, ‘what’s he doing in the ladies,’ but I was too pressed to stress on the thought, so I went about my business.

Business noisily done with, I came out to wash my hands and saw two of them this time, one washing his hands and the other zipping up.

They were shocked to see me, without missing too many heartbeats, I quickly snuck out with ‘error, error, error,’ ringing in my head.

Never be quick to make the assumption that you are right and always look at the sign on the door before walking in 😉

Social critic · Social Issues · Societal Issues

One shot, Two shots…

March 22, 2018March 22, 2018 jacquelineobyikocha4 Comments

one shot,

two shots,

three shots

… twenty more

target is down,

and he’s stone cold dead.

A life is lost,

a son is gone,

a brother is taken,

a husband is no more,

a father is killed,

a friend is dead

the list goes on…

To them,

he’s just another

disposable black man.

His phone,

a weapon

that struck fear

in their hearts.

How is it that a black man can be killed in his own backyard where even his phone is mistaken as a weapon. He’s riddled with enough bullets to take a small army, yet serial killers get taken peacefully, living at the expense of taxpayers and they get to have their day in court?

Health · Wellness

The Biggest Danger To Your Health

March 21, 2018March 21, 2018 jacquelineobyikocha7 Comments

Most of us will have had an infection at some point in our lives. Things like ear infections and chest infections are fairly common and shouldn’t cause you too much of a problem most of the time. You’ll probably just have to take some antibiotics for a while and you’ll be fine. But that’s only the tip of the iceberg and infections can be a lot more dangerous than you realize.

What Is An Infection?

Stock Vault

Understanding what exactly an infection is can help you to avoid getting them. The basic definition of an infection is the reaction that your body has when a foreign object of some kind invades it. Once that pathogen gets into your body and starts to multiply, you’ll get an infection. There are all sorts of pathogens that can cause infections including bacteria, fungus or viruses. You’re constantly coming into contact with pathogens in everyday life so avoiding them completely isn’t always possible. They can get into your body through skin contact, bodily fluids, inhaling airborne particles or touching objects that other people with infections have touched.

There are a few differences in pathogens that you should be aware of. Viruses are the fastest spreading form of infection and they are the cause of a lot of the more common illnesses that you find in day to day life. The common cold and warts, for example, are caused by viruses. However, there are a lot more serious conditions that are caused by viruses like meningitis or Hepatitis C. The major difference between a virus and a bacteria is that a bacteria can survive longer without a host. That means you’re more likely to pick up a virus from another person. Whereas a bacteria can easily be transferred from objects that have been touched by others, or through airborne particles.

Bacteria can also survive in almost any environment including extreme temperatures and some can even withstand a huge amount of radiation. That means that you are in danger of picking up bacteria from almost anywhere. The biggest misconception that people have about bacteria, however, is that they’re all bad. Bacteria actually play a very important role in the body and having the right amount of good bacteria is key to being healthy. This misunderstanding of bacteria has led to a huge rise in antibacterial cleaning products that kill all bacteria, good and bad, and that can cause health problems in itself. Researchers have linked this increased focus on killing all bacteria to a rise in allergies because small amounts of bacteria help to train the immune system.

The Worst Infections

While some infections can be solved with a few weeks of antibiotics, there are some far more serious ones. Encephalomalacia is often described as a pathological softening of the brain but that’s not always the best description. It’s often caused by a head injury or a stroke but it can be caused by a serious infection. It causes serious damage to the brain which can lead to a whole host of symptoms including loss of coordination, sleepwalking, memory loss or mood swings. The worst thing about this condition is that there aren’t really any treatments for it at the moment so if you get an infection that leads to Encephalomalacia, the changes can be for life.

Another serious infection that you’ve probably heard of is influenza or the Spanish flu. A lot of people misunderstand what the flu is and think that it’s just a really bad cold but it’s far more serious than that. A normal case of flu won’t put you in any danger and most people are going to get it a couple of times in their life, but there are far more dangerous forms of flu that can be life-threatening.

How To Avoid Infections

Pixabay

While it’s not that likely that you’ll catch some of the worst infections out there, it could still happen. That’s why it’s important that you take the necessary steps to prevent infections. Good hygiene is the number one way to avoid infections and it’s easy to keep up with. Washing your hands after you’ve come into contact with anything that could be carrying infections is the most obvious way to keep yourself safe. Cuts and scratches are another big cause of infection if you don’t handle them properly. Even if it’s just a small cut, it’s important that you clean it out with antibacterial solution and cover it so no pathogens can get inside.

If you want to stay on top of your health, it’s important that you are aware of the causes of infections and know how to prevent them.

This is a collaborative post.

Parenting · Quotes For You

What My Mama Said To Me…16

March 21, 2018 jacquelineobyikocha1 Comment

Wisdom, Mother Knows Best, Proverbs, Mother and Child

Mama said to me, baby
never go borrowing
those things meant for others

be prepared
to live with the discomfort
that accompanies them.

Jacqueline

This piece is an excerpt from my work-in-progress.

You can read my book, Unbridled on Kindle Unlimited for free.

Amazon
Kindle

Art · Photographs

Art in The Pot

March 21, 2018March 21, 2018 jacquelineobyikocha1 Comment

There’s beauty in everything. The creative mind is such a fertile place that takes simple things and turns them into works of art and pieces that inspire. Now, I’ll never look at my old pots and pans with the same eyes.

Inspiration - Motivation · My Thinking Corner

Go and Take A Seat!…Tuesday Thoughts

March 20, 2018March 20, 2018 jacquelineobyikocha10 Comments

Working can be a deceptive form of procrastination. Tidying, cleaning, answering emails, surfing the net, planning meetings, attending meetings, grocery shopping and every chore that you can think of.

Sometimes they appear far more appealing and easier than facing the task of sitting down and writing or tackling and tapping into our innate creativity.

Our 24/7 constantly on the go culture of a hamster, literally makes it impossible for people to simply be and to just keep still. Take a good look around you. At every juncture, people are fiddling with their phones – even when they are driving, which I find alarming and sad.

Some believe they’ve acquired the superpowers of texting, driving, drinking coffee and chatting all at the same time. I’m actually doubtful if we are really more productive with this hyper trend.

This hyperactive culture creates the impression and belief that being busy with futile activities is better than doing nothing. It’s almost as if there no end to these so-called useful tasks.

Listen up. To make inroads into your work you just have to stop yourself and simply do nothing. Unfolded clothes for a couple of days never killed anyone.

Allow your thoughts to gather and settle. You might be on edge and find it difficult to sit still for a bit. Just be patient.

The ideas will steal in when you create some calm. The solutions, the writing lines will come to you. They are there waiting to be dug out, instead, each day’s mundane activities are piled on them and they get buried under the heap.

Blog · Blogging

HOW TO MANAGE MULTIPLE BLOGS WITHOUT LOSING YOUR MIND.

March 20, 2018 jacquelineobyikocha

As the headline indicates, YES, I’m trying not to lose my marbles whilst juggling my ‘two’ blogs and I wonder how those super bloggers with dozens of blogs do it.

Truth be told, I haven’t published a post on this blog for several weeks and each day I feel a stab of guilt. It’s not that I don’t want to create new posts, but my time has been overtaken by the mundane necessities of life. However, to make a success of this blog, I must take the time to sift through the innumerable excuses, find and patch the loopholes and come up with a workable action plan.

Managing one blog is a time-consuming and tasking much less multiple blogs. It takes a special kind of crazy and a method to the craziness to do so. Just why on Earth would anyone choose to get entangled in such madness?

Of course, there are many reasons, such as:

Creating a second blog just for fun.
Creating another blog because the first one didn’t quite pan out as you wanted it to.
Creating a niche focused blog
Sharing your ability in different things.
The need to explore other opportunities.
Building another stream of income
Growing your network in another field
You are a professional blogger contributing or managing sites for your clients. READ MORE…

Haiku · Rononvan's Weekly Haiku Challenge

Chance and Equal….Weekly Haiku Challenge

March 20, 2018March 20, 2018 jacquelineobyikocha2 Comments

The chances are equal,
to fail or to succeed
the choice is yours.

I took a chance
and it doubled my gains
I’ll take another one.

Jacqueline

Written for: Rononvan writes weekly haiku challenge: chance & equal

Quotes For You

In A Nutshell…

March 20, 2018March 20, 2018 jacquelineobyikocha1 Comment

It is said that patience is a virtue and that a patient dog eats the fattest bone. Unfortunately, these days, a patient dog barely finds any bone, not to talk of eating a fat one.