From Here To There….Echoes Of My Neighbourhood.

March 3, 2016 jacquelineobyikocha53 Comments

On Thursday’s, I share pictures about ‘Echos of my Neighbourhood.

I would like to invite you to participate. The challenge is quite simple.

Every Thursday, share a photo of bits and pieces of wherever you are at any point in time. It could be houses, backgrounds of your neighbourhood, activities and so forth and you can tag it Echos of my Neighbourhood, add my link to your post so that I will get the ping from your post.

Every other Thursday, I will publish a post with the links of all those who participated the previous week.

This is just a fun way of getting to see more of the World around us through your eyes, since we cannot all be at those places, we can at least see them through you.

I love the pretty night lights of my evening walk.

Viewing traffic from an overhead walk way.

Catching up on the gist at the train station

From the pictures above, last few days found me perambulating quite a bit. These were taken in the course of last week.

From attending the food festival and sugar craft show, to going to Bastakiya, the coffee museum and imbibing in coffee so potent that it could knock off your socks and you will float in the air with the buoyancy that it delivered.

I learnt a lot about coffee and took hundreds of photos.

It was thick heavy brew, served in small cups. I couldn’t finish mine because, it seriously gave me bright eyes and I think my hair stood on ends from the buzz that I got.

A bit bushy-tailed if I may say so.

Last Week Echoes harvested quite new awesome peeks of different neighbourhoods, so board the flight with me and let’s go have a look see.

Bookyglover Deb shows us some of the rustic parts of my Lagos.

Hell’s kitchen and beyond from Roaming Urban gypsy have you been to Hell’s kitchen?

Fun photos what’s your thought? Would you drive this?

Giggles & Tales more lovely photos from Stella in Stockholm.

Mercury Colliding Kat shows us some part of her neighbourhood that most of us don’t like to visit.

Thoughts and Entanglements These pictures are so haunting they belong in a book

What’s up doc Cute! Took me back to my growing up years.

Looking back A blessed lineage from Mandi

Paula’s I must tell you that I am so envious of Paula’s community 😉

Are we enjoying these views yet? Take a peek at them.

So, when will you add some of yours? Pretty please with a cherry on top 😉

Regards,

P.S. I hope I didn’t miss out anyone’s link? I have that funny feeling.

Humor - Bellyful of laughter · Poetry/Poems · Uncategorized

Irresistible!…

March 3, 2016 jacquelineobyikocha53 Comments

I said I wouldn’t

I knew I shouldn’t

But I simply couldn’t

I wanted to get away

But she kept looking my way

So I took a nibble

And another nibble

And another

And…….

Until she stopped

Looking

way.

Memes · Quotes For You · Uncategorized

Perhaps…Writers quote Wednesday

March 2, 2016March 2, 2016 jacquelineobyikocha38 Comments

During my recent foray for freelance writing opportunities, the quote below jumped out from somewhere and glared me in the eyes.

The freelance writer is a man who is paid per piece, or per word or perhaps. Robert Benchley.

The ‘perhaps’ part got stuck in my head, drumming away at my thoughts and I knew that it’s my quote for Writer’s quote Wednesday.

I mulled over it nursing a mug of tea and toast and not willing to accept the perhaps part of these things.

I continued ruminating over it even as I later nursed this yogurt and granola beside me, still questioning the perhaps part of things.

My dull mind refused to acknowledge the fact that perhaps meant you may go for months and months as a writer, waxing brilliant and intelligent words and all, yet pauperized.

Perhaps meant, queries that may never get answered and yet you continue swallowing the bitter pill of your writers pride and keep sending the queries until your name is emblazoned on the medulla oblongata of the editor, until he/she decides to save himself a thriving headache and gives you a space to submit your write up on the different species of Cactus.

I ruminated further, taking off my rose-coloured spectacles and the truth of the matter is that we are all freelancing on our blogs, labouring lovingly over our words with the word ‘perhaps’ hanging in the balance of our thoughts.

‘Perhaps,’ in the long run, every single word would be worth the trouble and your medal as a writer, well worn with pride.

Blog · Personal · Photographs · Uncategorized

Leaping Along…personal

February 29, 2016February 29, 2016 jacquelineobyikocha17 Comments

My new skipping rope. The previous one was a killer rope in it's past life. — My new skipping rope. The previous one was a killer rope in it’s past life.

So here I am seated in-between Sugoi and Umami, two Far East Urban Cuisine/Japanese and trying to decide what to eat as well as checking my mails when I see Colette’s challenge sent to me to leap and the Daily post prompt to leap as well, so I will kill two birds with one stone.

Don’t think that I am a food addict. A girl has to eat to keep the brain cells functional and aside from a bowl of porridge and currants this morning, this is a late lunch of my decision, veggie rice and teriyaki prawns.

I enjoy the drone of voices. It’s amazing when you keep silent and just listen to the cacophonous buzz around you. My thoughts takes me back to the beginning of the year and how far I am leaping along.

Thinking about leaping made start looking at people’s feet as they passed by, for silly reasons. No one was leaping out-rightly, just a scurry, a flinch, a waddle and a slow trot.

Where have I leaped to between Jan and now?

I tried to leap high, but feared that I would break a precious bone, so I just hopped along.

I just bought a new skipping rope, a few minutes ago. Very apt for leaping out of a month. I will obviously leap a lot in March.
The last one I had was used for drilling young recruits in its past life. It kept flogging the back of my legs *no jokes* when I didn’t skip high enough, that I had to ask myself if the punishment was worth the result?

So, I finally finished collating my poetry book and hopefully, by next week, I will seek professional assistance with editing and book cover. The plan is to have it out between March and April, so it’s right on track and I can tick the box for hopping along with my set target to have four of my published works out this year.

Yes, I know its a tall challenge, but I believe in setting a high bar for myself so that even if I fail to meet all, I fail forward by achieving a good percentage.

I hopped to a writer’s critic group and asides from parting with too many dirhams buying coffee and sandwich, watching people feel snazzy and writer-like with the interesting hair-dos and streaks of colours, and a huge dragon tattoo running from one shoulder into her bosom *I didn’t get to see the bosom* but the dragon did, and a lot of Shisha smoking all around, I really didn’t get much out of the experience, so I am quite doubtful that I will repeat the experience.

I dared to submit one of my stories for a competition. The results don’t come out till March, though in all honesty, I am not expecting anything, since the whole World, their wives, pet garter snakes, dogs and cats made an appearance. A cool cat is most likely going to win the prize. I did it to push myself out of my comfort zone and get over the jitters.

The weight hasn’t shifted downwards, but it hasn’t gone up thankfully.

Blogging is coming along nicely 🙂

I am ruminating over my personal goals for March, so let me trundle along and get cracking.

So, who would like to leap off the board with me? A short note will do just fine

Colette, thank you for making me look and appreciate my steps.

The Daily Post Prompt Leap.

P.S. A silly video of the drone of voices and the occasional feet.

Blog · Memes · Self Help · Share A Link

Featured Blogs #7…Let’s Create A Fine Chain.

February 28, 2016 jacquelineobyikocha

Today’s featured blogs are:

Sweet Aroma. One of my favorite grandma’s in blogosphere. Oneta is my sage friend, with beautiful stories of life to tell. I always imagine sitting beside her and cradling a cup of warm drink while she regales me with her humour, tales and anecdotes.

Home and Loving It. A blog that delights me with the simple quotes offered and a glimpse into Renee’s life through her words.

Fabulous Fit Mamas. Introducing you to Michelle whom I met recently. A fit mama full of positive vibes and motivating words. She does get it done.

Femininematerz. My dear Bisi is a blogger with a warm heart and friendly mien. Her passion is the welfare of the today’s woman and how to live a fulfilled life. She connects them with the stories.

Spiritual Journey We all search for things that inspire, motivate and drive our journey’s of self-discovery. As the name implies, the blog has a way of instilling calm in my mind once I see it.

Please visit their blogs and say hello. A few minutes may gain you a friendly support.

Do you want more eyes on your words?

Well then, add your LINK into this loop.

Regards.

P.S. Comments are disabled here. You can add your link through the link in the post. It’s easier to be able to collate them that way. Thank you.

Challenges · Creative Writing · Life · Stream of Consciousness Saturday.

A Song Of The Taste Buds… Stream of consciousness Saturday

February 27, 2016 jacquelineobyikocha22 Comments

Food. Yes. It is one thing that we all partake of throughout our lives. It evokes a whole lot of good feelings and memories in most of us.

It is used to celebrate virtually every form of congregation known to man and as a former food business owner, it is a very profitable business, but also a slave master that requires so much work to produce a piece of delicacy that is consumed in a bite.

As though Linda is aware of my last night’s secrets of eating a little more helping from the buffet, with the prompt word ‘Food,’ I might as well confess and write the thoughts that I had when my eyes beheld the arrays of edible brilliance.

The Song Of My Taste Buds