pagesbyike 12/15/15 pagesbyike 12/15/15

Cold/Flu Hack: Homemade Lemon Ginger Honey Tea

This infusion recipe is probably one of the best things that happened to me in 2015 and a great healthy habit that i quickly imbibed without blinking! Imagine a combo of three Superfoods; ginger, lemon and honey! That's a triple punch of antibacterial, anti-fungal and antioxidant properties that fight colds and sore throats, prevent cancers, aid digestion, flush out toxins, all the while tasting so good. It's perfect for any weather; perfect for that moment when your tummy starts growling at midnight and you know you should steer away from that carb-heavy jollof rice; perfect for recovering from your post lunchtime food-coma; perfect for kicking the flu and colds in the mid-area!

What you need

Lemon juice (1 1/2 tablespoons)

Ginger (chopped into 6-8 fingers)

Honey

Hot water

Step 1

Place chopped ginger in a teapot or mug and add hot water. Steep for about 10 minutes. [For a stronger flavor, boil ginger in two cups of water.]

Step 2

Extract your lemon juice

Step 3

Combine ginger infusion and lemon juice in a mug

Step 4

Add honey!

That's all! Just sip away. It's so easy and the ingredients are easy to get! That cold will think twice next time. If you've made too much (like there's any such thing), store in the fridge. You can always heat it up later.

You should also try it cold. I haven't tried it, because i'm more of a heat-seeker but my friend says it's epic! Try it out and tell us how it went! Enjoy!

pagesbyike 11/25/15 pagesbyike 11/25/15

Travel: What Happens in Vegas!

Secret: Whenever I plan to drink any amount of alcohol I usually eat a fine, piping hot meal of Eba and whatever soup. Laugh if you will, it's the truth. Lol. I've found that it keeps me from getting easily tipsy. Well, guess who didn't have Eba in Vegas. Yours truly.

Next thing you know, you wake up and one person is missing

Therefore the drinking was kept to the minimum, the starkest minimum. The point of Vegas was to celebrate our amazing friend's birthday and it was so much fun, it also coinsided with the 4th of July weekend last summer. It's definitely a city worth visiting, complete with torrid weather conditions, all the souvenirs a tourist could dream of, bubbly traditional cabbies (no uber, take note), too much food, way too much and first time opportunities to try and discover new things.

There were many instances that I'd say to myself, "hmm, that was a first!" Vegas was a great bundle of new experiences for me. Here's to new experiences, Eba and the birthday boy!

FIRST GAMBLE

Gambling is pretty addictive.

My friends and I were stuck on some titanic-themed slot machine clearly targeted at women and Leonardo Di's fans in general (there were some men there too *blank stare*). I won $10, then lost it and more. Everytime you win something the machine bursts out singing the bridge/chorus of My Heart Will Go On "Near, far, wherever you are......" and the clanking of coins overwhelm you, causing so much euphoria. Then in two minutes you plug your winnings back in and it's all gone!

Conclusion: Last time gambling ever

FIRST CIRQUE DU SOLEIL

Cirque du soleil is special. They create stage performances inspired by circus activities, street entertainment and some other mysterious (very very mysterious) elements. I had no idea what was going on most of the time. Lol. All in all, the experience is the value added. When I was done though, I felt like I had experienced a different aspect of life. The bizarre aspect and it was quite sensational.

Conclusion: Maybe I'd see another cirque show, one less abstract. Good luck to me finding that.

FIRST SINGING TAXI DRIVER

Imagine it's 3am, you are in a taxi and your extremely chatty taxi driver decides to break into a song at the top of his voice-then he sings another-then another-then another. Half way through, he pulls out his harmonica (mouth organ) and it's now a full-fledged concert! It was quite entertaining, maybe not suitable at 3am. At the end he demanded a fee for his performance! Lol!

Conclusion: Everyone is Elvis in Vegas.

HIT ON BY A GIRL FOR THE FIRST TIME

Words failed me indeed. I was at a pool party so we were all minimally clad. She begins to chat me up. I just always imagined I'd be off limits to lesbians. Why? I don't know. Maybe because they say they can tell if you are straight. Maybe she's a beginner, still getting that sensor tuned.

Conclusion: *blink*

FIRST TIME WEARING A CROP TOP

Crop tops make you very ab-conscious, i think it's a good piece as long as you wear it to appropriate places. Definitely not to meet his parents.

Also, maybe more suited for others than some of us though. (Tip: if you are self-conscious, try them with a pair of high waist bottoms)

Conclusion: Haven't worn it since. I'll try again next summer

FIRST KARAOKE

While I have a video of considerable length showing this extraordinary incident, I will be unable to put it up because there were other participants involved. Lol! It's safe to say we were the backstreet boys and girls for the night and everyone thought we were awesome!

Conclusion: karaoke is best served sober. Then you have no excuse for your behavior. Nope, no blaming it on alcohol, all your innate issues spew forth lol! And forth they did spew that night.

Have any fun Vegas experiences; karaoke experiences, fun taxi driver experiences? Share below!

World's largest chocolate fountain- The Bellagio

Photo II with flowers; Vegas turned me into a flower-backdrop kinda gal

All you need for fun in Vegas, this fab lot

Big Win for the birthday boy! ......which we proceeded to spend on a good(bad), greasy dinner

Chances you'd be married by night fall with a chapel in the hotel basement

Brides dressing room (Photo credit: Demi Eni-Olorunda)

Groom room (Photo credit: Demi Eni-Olorunda)

Shot down the aisle! (Photo credit: Demi Eni-Olorunda)

pagesbyike 11/13/15 pagesbyike 11/13/15

12 Ways to Hack Culture Shock

Culture shock is an absolute waste of time. Time, which should be spent discovering the wonders and thrills of a new location; time that should be spent mispronouncing street names and getting lost; time that should be spent eating amazing street-food, discovering local art, observing culture; time that should be spent expanding your mind; time that should be spent meeting the locals, who then offer you illegal gifts.............we'll get to that in a moment.

Culture shock robs us of all that awesomeness and the next thing we know it's time to leave! It's even worse if it's a long-term stay, in which case, we just stay within our circles, adhere to the familiar and refuse to burst out to our full social potential! I have been very guilty of this and a part of me thinks ruefully of how much i could have learnt with all the country-hopping opportunities i have had.

True, culture shock is a natural human response to a change and the human mind has never been known to be unresponsive to change, but then again, it doesn't have to rule your relocation process. Right below are 12 ways to own culture shock! Enjoy!

Before you leave for your new destination....

Read! (1)

Wikipedia is my best friend before I travel. It prevents a good amount of culture shock. Reading and getting familiar with pop culture and cultural characteristics helps to figure the new environment. Be careful with media's portrayal though, believe just 25% of what you see on TV and don't make the mistake of classifying people based on a stereotype.

Anticipate Homesickness (2)

While it's true that we're trying to get in on all the fun at our new location, nostalgia almost always creeps in. Homesickness makes culture shock a bit more unbearable, so before you get on your journey, get things that will help you manage home sickness. Get your favorite chips, teas, coffee blend, books, what makes it easier for you to get comfortable in your new space.

Now you are here!.....

Be open (3)

If you've always had prejudice towards the locals, I'd suggest you let go. People are not what you see on TV. For example, the Russians are not always villains! One of my best friends is part Russian. The Germans don't all drink beer. Not all Americans work in the CIA and not all Nigerians have a babalawo on speed dial. Try new stuff and hang out with the locals. Get in on all the street food, ok maybe not all, but good street food that is reputed for not causing diarrhea.

Set fire to your comfort zone (4)

Yup, set it ablaze. You have to get into the crazy street called "experience". It's fun getting to know new things and new cultures. I've come to realize that locals love to tell you about their culture and get you in on it. I remember this very friendly local who I met somewhere who wanted to give me a gift of marijuana! That was some friendly neighborhood.

Be observant (5)

Watch how stuff is done. Ask questions and don't be ashamed of your ignorance. In fact that's a great way to be rid of it. They know just as little about your culture too, so tell them about your culture, don't think they don't care, unless they explicitly tell you they don't. If they don't care, ask them about theirs and then tell them about yours anyway.

Don't overwhelm with your own culture (6)

My tribe generally has no chill, we are loud, bubbly and just off-the-hat theatrical, so I usually have to keep that side of me under wraps in places more tranquil....until I know they can handle it. I am currently learning to appreciate foreign culture by respecting them enough to respond with just enough naija-ness.

Get a steady dose of your supplies (7)

Find ways to get your favorite supplies coming; food, movies, music, books. Listen to music from home. Watch movies and videos. Call family and friends in your home country.

Try one new thing every week (8)

The new thing i did last week and this week was to try new recipes. As a naija babe, i have struggled with eating broccoli and mushrooms. We all know vegetable without leaves would naturally be eyed suspiciously by Nigerians. Surprisingly, they are fast becoming a staple.Try something fun, new and of course, outside your comfort zone!

Don't be awkward because you are different (9)

Different is great! Everything about you just got 1000% unique, embrace everything you are, including your accent. You are a little sprinkle of diversity and everyone loves that. Well not everyone but some people, hopefully you run into "some people".

Document experiences (10)

Write your memories down. Scribble them, tweet them, put them on instagram, blog about them. Social media is great for documenting experiences. Gone are the days we'd document using feather stalks and coarse paper or chisels and rocks. Think about it, if the early men and Eygptians took so much trouble to document their experiences and stories with supposedly primitive tools, what excuse do we have? Preserving experiences keeps a part of our memories alive.

Choose not to see only the negatives about your new location (11)

It's completely normal to see negatives, because subconsciously you might be comparing it to home but every place has its issues. Every place also has its beauty and the ability to evoke wonder. Embrace the privilege of seeing the other side of the pond and focus on the good.

Take it in your stride (12)

If you have huge strides and you like to jump head-first in new stuff, then do, by all means but if easy does it for you, then take in the changes in bits.

If you ever have the opportunity to live among different people, cherish it, usually it might be you are supposed to learn stuff from them. For example, the British taught me to say thank you to bus drivers, danfoo or not. The Americans make me chatty. The Swiss made me observant and made me quite confused with the valuation of currency but that's another post. The Italians made me realize that pasta rocks and dressing up is non-negotiable.

Have you had culture shock experiences? Any new things you've learnt abroad?Please share with us below.

Don't forget to enter for the give-away, ends today!

pagesbyike 10/1/15 pagesbyike 10/1/15

24 fun things to know about Nigerians (P.s And 1 reason to have one as a friend)

It's cute and exhaustingly amusing when someone from another country tells me "Hey, you speak really good English" or when they think suddenly in their minds "EBOLA!" and begin to panic, just because i said i'm Nigerian (hehe) or when they think "Hmmm" and immediately activate their Inspector gadget Internet-fraud sensors. The best is when they think we are terrorists. Someone actually once referred to us (to my face) as "You terrorists!" LOL! I love foreigners. I'll be honest, i thought about hitting him over the head with the pack of pasta i was holding but then 1) It was a rare pasta that i usually buy from Italy 2) You really can't beat ignorance out of anyone 3) He was much shorter than i was (i might have been whisked away by the police for child abuse before they understood that he was actually 35). However, what can i say, we all are ignorant at some time or the other (e.g. my sore disappointment whenever i'm on Baker street and I don't run into Sherlock Holmes or whenever i'm in New York and i don't run into the cast of friends, so hey.)

when someone asks how I learnt to speak English

Here's the truth, the typical Nigerian has no interest in terrorism, communicates excellently and is quite the culinary beast. If you aren't friends with us for any reason, at least, for the sake of your olfactory and gustatory senses, make friends with one Nigerian!

Happy Independence day, baby!!!

Fun things to know about Nigerians:

We don't really believe in snacking (our snacks look like meals)

We don't eat food without meat. Lol!

We respect the elderly

We don't act up when we drink. We don't know why. No falling in the gutters, no puking, nothing. We just breath in the alcohol.

We are awesome drivers! We make it work without traffic lights, floor markings, reflectors or street lights. So to all my people who have failed their driving tests in diaspora, We Shall Rise!

We can tell if you are not from Nigeria and we don't even have to speak to you to know

We really are very clever

We make amazing jollof rice #NigerianJollof

We know there's a God and he hooks us up

We love the familiar but we appreciate the foreign (We actually like foreigners, maybe too much)

We aren't all shafty and dodgy internet fraudsters

We love to dance! You have no idea

Our fight/flight system is off the hiz (does anyone even say that anymore, it was such a good adjective)

We love football

We thrive. We live in the most remote parts of the world. Ok that's stretching it, Iceland , Antartica.... all stretches. We thrive anywhere that promises economic prosperity.

We have a good ear for music

We drive a hard bargain. It's almost embarrassing

We have coded in our DNA the entrepreneurial gene; here, there, there, enough said

We discipline our kids, no back-talk or you get a back-hand

We make amazing Jollof rice (did i say this already? You bet i did, i'll say it again We make amazing jolly...even autocorrect be hating...JOLLOF rice!)

We can be naive and at the same time deeply cunning . Shrug, what can we say, it's a gift

We like nice things....very very very nice things

We dress up not down.

We DON'T enjoy extreme sports ; no bungee, mountaineering, hiking (less than a quarter mile will do)

Come on, love us will ya!

Add to the list! I know our traits are inexhaustible......