DRIVING COMPETENCY LESSONS - FOR LAGOSIANS ONLY

• Fear No Bagga
• Every motorist is mad, act accordingly.
• Immediately lock all doors and windows if you see LASTMA or VIO approaching your vehicle.
• Yield to danfos, kekes, BRTs, and other commercial vehicles.
• If you like don't yield when you see trailer.
• Don't yield to anybody else, they are all mad.
• If you are 'on speed' you have the right-of-way.
• Do not give way to traffic coming from any direction.      There are exceptions: See 4 and 5.
• You will often have to socialise with other motorists. Be prepared. Words such as 'mumu', 'ode', 'ewu', 'idiot' and so on, should be practised beforehand.
• You are expected to hoot your horn as loudly as you can once every half kilometre.
• When changing lanes in traffic ... Look face.
• Lane markings in Lagos are suggestions.
• When rain is falling and visibility is reduced, increase your speed.
• If a fellow motorist 'brushes' your car, you are expected to immediately stop in the middle of the road and sort things out. 
• Accidents with G-wagons and other similarly expensive cars should be resolved as follows:  if it is your fault you have 2 choices; 1. Exit your car and vanish (via okada or Usain bolt things, based on one and twos).   2. You can decide to lie on the floor and wail ... if you are a good crier (if not, resort to number 1).     If it is the G-wagon's fault, it means you've been paying your tithes. Cancel all meetings for the day and face the owner squarely; God has buttered your bread.
• The sidewalk is a spare lane.
• At toll gates, you are expected to form lanes equal to the square of the number of gates. E.g: If there are 5 gates, you should form 25 lanes. Lagos motorists adhere to this particular rule subconsciously and whoever defaults is stared at for 2 minutes.
• Please enjoy the local traffic cuisine while you snail your way through.
• We encourage motorists to live out their greatest GTA fantasy on our adrenaline-filled roads.
• The use of seatbelt is compulsory at all times for your safety.

"YOU'RE A FEMINIST?? LOL ... WHAT'S THAT?"

Last week, someone said to me: “What does the word ‘feminism’ mean to you?” I recoiled, feeling uncomfortable.

On reflection, I avoid using this word not because I don’t believe in equality, but because of its negative connotations and the risk of shutting down a dialogue.

My reaction bothered me. A sick feeling at the pit of my stomach lingered, much like that time I ate boiled egg at work that I'm sure was really bad, which, for the record, ended in tears.

What had conditioned me to (violently) react this way? (I’m not talking about the eggs…)

After some internet (and soul) searching, I was relieved to read Martha Rampton’s view that, “Feminism’s perceived silence in the 1990s was a response to the successful backlash campaign by the conservative press and media, especially against the word feminism and its purported association with male-bashing and extremism.”

Martha went on to say that, “Some people… have trouble with the word ‘feminism,’ because of its older connotations of radicalism, and because the word feels like it is underpinned by assumptions of a gender binary and an exclusionary subtext: ‘for women only.‘”
... Martha Rampton is a professor at the Pacific University, U.S. and the director of Centre for Gender Equality.

Still curious, I started asking female friends the same question: What does feminism mean to you?

There were a lot of awkward reactions, and some declined to comment. Others were falling over themselves to share their thoughts. The responses I received from a 51 year-old male banker, a 13 year-old female secondary school student, and 12 other men and women, were revealing and uplifting. So much so, that my negative associations started to shift.

As for that favour? I’d love to know what the F-word means to you. Please share them in the comments, below or come and chat me on DM (twitter): @umoh___ubong

Is feminism all about gender equality? Does gender equality mean a lady should ask a guy out too?
Well, bite me if you can, but i strongly think they should, it'd be awesome!

Recently, I was watching an episode of Family Guy that touched on the topic of women asking men out. When the typical-teen-daughter character, Meg, asks her mother if it’s acceptable for her to make the first move and ask a guy out, her mother responds,

“Meg, are you asking me in this day and age, whether it’s appropriate for a girl to ask a boy out on a date? Of course it’s appropriate. It’s also sad and desperate and I would never do it, but you’re not me, are you sweetie?”
It got me thinking. Though you thirsty guys out there might be thinking this is what feminism entails, sadly it isn't. A man should do what a man should do and a woman shouldn't be in competition to out-do a man in what he should do, a woman should just be treated right and given equal opportunity as a man has - comprehende?

Helpfully, Merriam-Webster stepped in with the definition of ‘feminism’ “‘Feminism’ is defined as the advocacy of women's right on the grounds of political, social, and economic equality to men"'

So, what does feminism mean in 2018?

"For me the meaning of feminism and my relationship with it has changed a lot in the last 10 years. When I was in my early 20s I did not identify as a feminist, I associated feminism with aggression and hollywood movies.
But as I have grown older I have identified more and more as a feminist, as I have discovered more and more that the job really isn’t done, certainly not in many developing countries. So for me feminism is about striving for equal treatment regardless of gender in all forums, and it’s also about women who are lucky enough to live in developed countries to advocate and fight for the basic rights of women (particularly education) in countries where they are denied.

Omolare Adeojo, Lekki phase1

"Unfortunately the term ‘feminism’ has a negative connotation for me. I am for gender equality and have strong views on women’s issues and empowerment. I do feel, however, feminism is an ideology that can sometimes keep the blinkers on by focusing solely on women’s issues without considering the broader picture. I feel that perhaps sometimes feminism places blame on men for women and girls problems. This is a complicated issue but an issue that needs to be collectively addressed. We need to consider both genders if we are looking at gender equality. I would therefore say I am not a feminist – I am a gender equalist"
Lara Richards, Admiralty way

A very smart girl in her early 20s, Lara Richards, but please, help us not confuse ourselves here. Me self, i'm trying to grasp the concept ... (She went indept and said so much, kudos!)

 ... I met some other smart young girls and then some guys. Watch out for part two of this my little lekki survey - 

PREVENTION IS BETTER THAN CANCER

     We all fall sick, Christians and non Christians alike.
James 5:15 says, "The prayer of faith shall save the sick and the Lord will raise him up". Apostle Paul also said, "No longer drink only water, but use a little wine for your stomach's sake and your frequent infirmities" - 1Tim.5:23. These scriptures show us that it's not abnormal to fall sick as a Christian but as a Christian, its wise to get knowledge about how people fall sick and its preventive measures.
Bible says, "My people perish from lack of knowledge".


Now, basically people fall sick because free-radicals invade our body and our anti-oxidants are overpowered by them. In a nutshell, that's the process ALL SICKNESSES occur.
A radical is an atom, molecule, or ion that has an unpaired valence electron. It is called free because it roams freely looking for an atom to attach itself. Get it?

Generated Sources Of Free-Radicals
•  Toxic metals
•  Industrial chemicals
•  Conventional drugs + its abuse
•  Radiation
•  Pesticides
•  Chemically-treated crops
•  Processed foods
•  Alcohol
•  Cigarette smoke
•  Pollution (air, water) etc

These freely moving atoms look for atoms in our body to attach to, become stable, and cause problems.
Fortunately, our wonderful bodies produce anti-oxidants (e.g., glutathione, uric acid etc) and we get others from vegetables, fruits, exercise, and supplements, that fight back and neutralise the effects of these 'free-radicals' that want our early death.
Most of us go through life not knowing these facts.

Wear your spectacles, let me take you deeper!

• Do you know that keeping water in a plastic bottle for long under heat isn't really smart? These plastics react with heat from the sun and its molecules melt into your dear ol' water. Water becomes warm. It's like boiling water in a plastic kettle.
These build up free-radicals fast and overtime develop to cancer cells of some sort.
At this point, I would say drink water while it is cold, right? But what if your supplier kept all the cartons outside, under the intensity of the sun before delivery?

Real quick, another pointer: Some companies that provide their employees with lunch bring in bulk food daily. These foods are highly processed and are low in nutrients, contain high refined carbohydrates, and artificial ingredients, and high in sugar and fructose corn syrup. Eating these types of food 'daily for years' can pose serious risk to our health ranging from obesity, diabetes, heart disease and abdominal cancer.
But then again, what do you do???
   Just like a renowned dentist, Dr. Daniel E. Umoh of the College of Medicine University of Lagos, Idi-araba, once quipped, "Cancer cells grow in our body everyday, from polluted air, junk food, excessive alcohol intake, and prescribed drugs but our body has been built with a mechanism to fight off these invaders. You are diagnosed with cancer when your body can no longer fight a tumour that has grown 'overtime' due to a lifestyle of feeding it with more weapons to fight your body".
Knowingly or unknowingly most of us do this and wonder after 50 years where a malignant tumour came from. Certainly not from your father's house, or its foundation.

• Always microwaving your food in disposable packs too pose a risk because of harmful radiation burning through the food pack - rather use ceramic plates.

Preventive Measures
In all honesty, a doctor is happy when you pay him a visit, because he makes more money, gets you well (so he thinks), and hopes you come back later.
But we don't want to.

• So cut back on those calorie-happy junk foods
• Exercise regularly (most especially if you have a sedentary job).
N.B: Taking a brisk walk in the evenings would do. This is just as good as jogging, although some school of thought believe it is actually better.
• If you must eat late, stay up late, and then wake up late. No questions.
• Eat greens regularly (e.g., efò shoko, i.e., spinach).
• Buy fruits religiously - they contain powerful anti-oxidants.
• Practise deep and slow breathing everyday. Just for 5 mins, maybe during an evening stroll. Doing this alone can improve your health immensely.
       > It strengthens the walls of your blood vessels
       > It enhances blood circulation
       > It reduces your blood pressure
       > Relieves stress
       > Enhances sleep in minutes
       > It improves prostrate health
• Reduce stressful events in your life by planning effectively, and understanding that you're only human ... (Be patient with yourself)
• Read your bible and improve your relationship with God.
Understanding God will help you love yourself better and be in time with nature. He is nature.

    Finally, let me end this with a quote, "As a retired physician, I can honestly say that unless you are in a serious accident, your best chance of living to a ripe old age is to avoid doctors and hospitals and learn nutrition, herbal supplements, and other forms of natural medicine unless you are fortunate enough to have a naturopathic physician available.
Almost all drugs are toxic and are designed only to treat symptoms and not to cure anyone". - Dr. Alan Greenberg, M.D.