You Are Not Too Old
You’re not too old.
This morning, I was speaking with someone dear and I told him that whenever I find myself in a potentially emotionally draining situation, I remind myself that I am too young to be facing that kind of thing.
When there’s something I want to start, I tell myself that I am not too old for that.
Why do I do this? I do this because I understand how much pressure you could unknowingly create for yourself when you put yourself under that age scrutiny.
You’re 25, you’re thinking you’re too old for this or that. You’re 27, you’re allowing yourself think you’re too old. At the end of the day, you hinder yourself from doing certain stuff because you’ve put that age bracket on yourself.
Studies have shown that people naturally find it harder to take risks as they grow older simply because they feel they’re too old for them. This means that your chances of starting a business at 22 are greatly reduced when you’re 35 because then you want to think about your age. In that case, your age restricts you.
Other times, people find it harder to apply for certain roles and jobs as they grow older because they feel they’re too old for them.
Feeling like you’re too old can also prevent you from subjecting yourself to learning from someone who is younger than you are, to your own disadvantage.
Do. Not. Be. Restricted. By. Your. Age. Darling.
Of course, when it comes to certain immature stuff, feel free to let yourself know you’re too old for that. But do not allow yourself to be boxed into old age before you actually get old.
Like I told my friend this morning, I honestly don’t feel old. And when I am 54, I still would not feel like I’m too old. I will enjoy this baby girl status for life. ?
How has the pressure of being “too old” stopped you from doing certain things or reaching out to certain people? Do you think it’s something you should correct?
I have attached an image that you could post on your status or social media and include what you’re not too old to do.
I am not too old to start to pursue my dreams. I am not too old to leave that bad relationship. I am not too old to take that course. I am not too old to start that business or project. I am not too old to find better experiences. I am not too old to find the love of my life. ??
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My name is Orifunke Lawal and I am planning to send you posts like this all through the month of May. If you wouldn’t like that, please let me know so I can remove you from my BC list. I hate BCs too unless they’re important to me ?
Thank you! If you’re re-BCing, kindly include credit because you’re not too old to be sued for plagiarism sha. ???
WhatsApp Blast: How to Organize, Market & Monetize WhatsApp Classes
Your Total Guide for Making Money on WhatsApp
I organized my first WhatsApp class three years ago… fearfully. I had felt a need to teach a number of individuals and brands how to use Twitter. I mean, I could use Twitter very well, knew the ropes and wanted to help other people know what I knew too. Right?
But I had an issue. I didn’t know if anybody would want to join an online class in learning how to use Twitter. Let alone even pay for it. I really felt there was someone out there who needed what I had to offer but I was scared of putting myself out there. Safe to say, I was scared of failing.
But I just told myself, “If nobody enrolls for my class, what would it remove from my life?” And that was the personal motivation I needed to put the word out there.
So I embarked on this journey. I did a design on Canva to help communicate what my Twitter class would be about and I shared it on my Facebook and Instagram pages. Before I knew it, I started having comments and messages. I almost couldn’t believe it. It was scary and crazy at the same time.
And with that, I organized my first WhatsApp class.
Since then, I have organized personal paid public and private classes on WhatsApp that have turned out very well in terms of participants and, of course, income.
Having organized regular WhatsApp classes, it baffles me as to why not many people have regular WhatsApp classes yet. With how much they’ve helped me in selling relevant products of mine and building networks with people I initially didn’t know, I don’t know why many people aren’t thinking in that direction yet.
- Make money easily and without stress
- Start with zero capital
- Grow your list so that you can keep selling and making money easily
- Increase your network so that people can refer you to others
- Develop thought leadership
- Say bye to being broke forever!
What Will You Learn?
If you buy this ebook, I am going to be teaching you how to:
1. Overcome your fear of organizing a WhatsApp class, whether free or paid.
2. Turn your interests, skills and/or ideas into topics that you can teach.
3. Decide if your topic ideas are sellable so that you do not waste time or money organizing a class that NOBODY will pay for. This is called validating your topic idea.
4. Set up your class like a Pro so that those enrolling can trust and respect you, long after the class.
5. Create publicity strategies for marketing your class.
6. Find, create and package excellent and useful content in various forms for your class participants.
7. Get people to pay for your class.
8. Convert your class into an online community of people who will always want to answer to you, your services or your products.
P.S: I would also be following you up and seeing to it that you actually organize your first class. Promise!
Bonuses
- E-book on Strategic Community Building
- 21-day Mentorship from me
- Free access to paid community of Fellow WhatsApp Course Creators
ORDER NOW (50% OFF)
ORDER NOW (50% OFF)
ABOUT ORIFUNKE LAWAL
Orifunke Lawal is a branding, marketing and corporate communications professional who loves to develop solutions for individuals, organizations and businesses.
She has organized numerous classes and trained up to 1,000 people collectively in topics such as branding for personal and business purposes, marketing, Search Engine Optimization, community building, to mention a few.
She is the founder of Lady with Balls, an organization that helps ladies achieve their biggest dreams through the right resources, trainings and support. She is also the founder of Graduate Mentor Africa, an initiative targeted at helping students and fresh graduates build wealth during and after their higher education.
She is the author of two books; The Art of Social Writing and 25 for 25: A Memoir.
How I Want to Change the World with A Toptal Scholarship
My name is Orifunke Lawal and this is my Toptal scholarship entry. Toptal is undergoing a scholarship process for women this season. This scholarship includes being awarded funds to be able to fulfil your plans to change the world as well as a mentorship scheme to help guide you. I am entering for this scholarship because I want to be empowered to change the world; to change my world. To enter for the scholarship programme, click HERE
When I was a kid, my dad made me believe that I could change the world. He imbibed in me the belief that I could be as big as other “big” people on TV. I am an ambitious and driven individual and I would attribute that to his influence over my life while growing up. My dad’s desire for me to be an influential woman was so strong that despite the inadequacies of growing up in harsh conditions of lack and poverty, he was very particular about my getting good education and he ensured that happened. The idea was simple – all the “big” men and women he saw on TV were educated, so I also had to be soundly educated. If I was going to get to where they were, then I needed to be educated. Hence, today, education is one of the things I do not joke with. And, this also informs my firm belief that education is a priority and must-have for every child, regardless of prevalent social or economic conditions.
My dad taught me that I could change the world. The most important discovery I have made while growing up, however, is that to change the world, I have to first and foremost change my world. In essence, I really can only begin to change the world by starting with my immediate environment and community. I may not be able to travel all around the world yet because I presently do not have the means, but I can change the lives that I can afford to change from where I am at present; my immediate community.
On passion
I am a big dreamer, and as a personal life ethos I know I have enough dreams to last me a lifetime. I am passionate about young women being able to live the best versions of themselves. Growing up in Lagos, Nigeria opened my eyes to the dangers that uneducated, dependent and unempowered women face. I, therefore, continue to remain invested and active participator activities, causes and social ventures that engage in enabling women to become independent financially, mentally, psychologically and emotionally.
My vision to change the world
This year, 2018, I launched a community for young Nigerian women, I aptly called it “Lady with Balls”.
“Lady with Balls” is an online community that aims to inspire, impact and empower ladies t through vital resources, classes and a support system that actually works. At the moment, I run regular online classes for members of the community to teach them basic things that help them to be better for themselves, for their families and for their communities.
It is being a dream come true for me as I had been thinking about it for more than a couple of years. My drive is to build a community, a network of women, who are knowledgeable, confident and independent, having all the resources that they need to live the best versions of themselves. I am a huge believer in the fact that women who must change the world must first be educated, empowered and independent. So these past few weeks have witnessed me thinking and planning out ways by which I can get the lives of these women to be better.
My vision for the world is to change the lives of women by providing them with resources and opportunities to be empowered. It is not enough to tell these women to be strong, learn a skill or be educated without providing the opportunities to be. And while there sure seem to be chances like that, there is still a lot of work to be done, especially with regard to young ladies who have no access to education.
In order to this, I plan to organize events, workshops, online trainings and classes and provide them with as many structured resources as we can lay our hands on.
How I believe I can accomplish my goals
Here are three ways I plan to accomplish my goals:
1. By building sub-communities online under “Lady with Balls”, of women who will not only be taught but will also build one another. Truth be told, there is really nothing as much as being able to connect with other people who share the same passion and values with you. To accomplish my goal of helping women become educated, independent and empowered, I plan to build sub-communities. These sub-communities will cut across different ranges of sectors and they will include communities for:
-Female entrepreneurs (i.e those who have businesses and/or intend to build one);
-Young professional women (those who are employed or are seeking employment);
-For freelancers (otherwise referred to as creatives) and
-For students
The idea of these communities is to have young women of like minds come together, learn from a higher authority as often as is needed and learn from one another as well.
2. By organizing events, trainings, workshops and courses which will all be tailored to the needs and specifications of each member of the community. A popular mistake that a lot make is thinking that one size fits all when it comes to empowering people. Well, that’s not true. People have different thought patterns, backgrounds, interests and skills. Exposing and introducing them to the right kind of knowledge is crucial to be able to see results.
3. By having a regular (monthly or quarterly) outdoor outreach where I and hopefully a team of passionate minds like myself can keep reaching out to women and educating them enough to be empowered and independent.
4. By building a business around these goals (without bothering the beneficiaries) so that come what may, the dream is well-funded to continue.
Why I Need a Toptal Support
Changing the world like I want to would be difficult without the right kind of funds. With the 10,000-dollar scholarship from Toptal, I will be able to:
-Establish these young-women communities (as explained above)
-Organize regular life-changing and impactful professional events and workshops for young women.
-Organize trainings, classes and courses (both online and offline) that would facilitate the development of important skills that women need to have them empowered.
-Create a structure that not only allows me to bring that much-needed change to my community and in extension the world but also allows other people do their bit like I am/will continue to in changing their world and in extension the world.
Why I Need a Toptal Mentor
I believe the pace of life’s solutions is faster when taken on the heels of people that are already ahead. Mentorship will, therefore, afford me the requisite knowledge and learnings to do much more. In my research of the stories and impact of past winners of the Toptal Scholarship and I solidly believe that Toptal gives the right leverage I and a teeming population of individuals world over need to make those dreams a real and positive reality in the lives of other individuals like ourselves. Having a Toptal mentor will:
1. Allow me a better understanding of how to achieve my dreams; the aims and objectives of the goals I highlighted above.
2. Prevent me from making avoidable mistakes in the course of execution.
3. Help me learn all there is to learn about leading people and managing projects successfully.
Having well-articulated my vision, I strongly believe that I really can change the world with a Toptal Scholarship. Thank you, Toptal, for this opportunity!
Travelstart Nigeria And Uber Nigeria Announce Flight Partnership With ‘UberEscape’
Travelstart Nigeria and Uber Nigeria, literally the biggest brands when it comes to transportation in the country, are partnering on one of the biggest deals you can ever imagine- Uberescape! I particularly find this pretty exciting because one, it means that flights can now be a lot more accessible. More so, the ease with which you can book a flighTravelstart Nigeria and Uber Nigeria, literally the biggest brands when it comes to transportation in the country, are partnering on one of the biggest deals you can ever imagine- Uberescape!t just by clicking on your phone is really fascinating.
Source: Google
Source: Google
Travelstart is one brand which most Nigerians who fly to other countries can relate to. The brand is Africa’s leading online travel agency, providing you with the best deals like cheap flights to Dubai, New York, the UK and a lot more other countries.
How UberEscape Works
The way UberEscape works is really very simple and non-technical. From August 31st through to September 7th, 2018, you will be able to start booking your flights with Travelstart when you open the Uber App on your phone and click on “UberEscape”. When you do this, you will be redirected to the UberEscape website so you can get all the best deals on the flights to your favourite destinations. That easy! All you need to do is:
- Get the Uber App (if you don’t already have)
- Open your Uber App and click on “UberEscape”.
- You will be redirected to the UberEscape website (which is secure)
- Book your flights to get exclusive deals.
Source: Google
Want A Free Economy Return Flight from Your Destination?
It is not just amazing that UberEscape helps you to book your cheap flights very easily and quickly from the comfort of your smartphone, you could also stand a chance of winning a free economy return flight from wherever you are tavelling to. This marks the journey to UberEscape and it begins on the 31st of August and runs down till the 7th of September, 2018 and the winner will be announced on the 14th of September. To enter into the competition, follow these steps:
- Open your Uber App and look out for blank “Where to?” signs.
- Fill in your destination in the “Where to” space
- Take a selfie with it and be sure to post it on Twitter and Instagram. Use the hashtags #UberEscape and #PoweredbyTravelstart
- Tag @travelstartng, @ubernigeria and, of course, whoever you will be travelling with.
- If you’re chosen as winner, you would be winning TWO FREE economy return flight tickets to your destination.
Life in Makoko – Director DijiaderoGBA’s Interview | The Lagos Series, Week 9
From the good to the bad to the ugly, Lagos gives you different faces. One of the faces of Lagos is Makoko, a community which hosts about a million people, according to research. In his latest documentary, Life in Makoko, DijiaderoGBA shares highly visual and emotionally intriguing stories of Makoko. The documentary is what you would call “storytelling at its peak”. The visuals, the soundtrack, the people, the place, the stories and everything are proof that DijiaderoGBA has done a more than an excellent job on this project.
DijiaderoGBA is a Nigerian filmmaker/Director, writer and photographer who, from childhood, has been a fan of storytelling. He attributes his love for stories to where he grew up. In his words, “In as much as there are many stories to be told in the world, my main focus and love is African storytelling because that’s who I am, an African.” He is basically a storyteller via films, writings and photography.
The Lagos Series engaged the award-winning filmmaker in an interview in a bid to allow him to share personal information about Life in Makoko, including what inspired the story and what he hoped to achieve with the story.
What inspired the Makoko story?
I got to know about the community called Makoko some years back and I did more research via Google and mostly, YouTube. Since then, I have always wanted to tell the community’s story. Last month, I met a tweep and we started talking about films and how she wants me to help tell her story. Fast forward, I didn’t know what made me mention Makoko in our conversation but as soon as I mentioned it, she liked the idea and told me she lived there for almost two decades!
I was so happy. We talked about meeting up and after some days, I travelled to Lagos and we went to Makoko together for the pre-production stage of the documentary. Weeks later, we made the documentary and here it is, telling the story I have wanted to tell.
What do you hope to achieve with the Makoko story?
My major aim is to help the society and the less-privileged living there, especially the kids. I called my team before we went there to make the documentary and told them all I want to achieve with this project is to get the story out and hope people see to help.
I’m glad to say last week Sunday, I was there with some people that saw the documentary and thought it was right to give the community some used clothes, shoes, food etc. We fed some people and gave out a lot of stuff for upkeep. I still want more NGOs, individuals and elite people in the society to see this project and give to the society.
What has the feedback been like since you published the video?
It’s been amazing and blessed. I have gotten feedback from people all over the world. People that never knew about the community and its people. It’s been great so far for me and my team.
Is this a one-off thing or is it a project where you also get to visit other areas in Lagos?
Well, I can’t say for now because I major in films not documentary but when the time comes and I see a reason to tell stories via documentary, I will gladly do. Lol.
If you haven’t already seen Life in Makoko, you definitely should do that here and let him know your thoughts:
HIDDEN EUPHORIA – Life In Makoko (A dijiaderoGBA film )
Did you enjoy reading this? Sure you did! Catch up on all the other episodes that we have had here: The Lagos Series
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The Lagos Series is a project which aims at sharing an enlightening, entertaining and inspiring narrative of Lagos in both written and visual media.
Have a story to share?
Join the Facebook community here: The Lagos Series Community
Follow us on Instagram: @thelagosseries
Like on Facebook: The Lagos Series
FOR PARTNERSHIP or SPONSORSHIP: [email protected]
DigiClan Lagos Meetup | A Story of Learning, Networking & Jollof Rice
Prior to now, I wasn’t very much a fan of meetups. Blame that on the fact that I get really uncomfortable when I’m among many people that I either do not know at all or I’m unfamiliar with. But then, one of the things that I am trying to do is to get out of my shell and do stuff that I naturally do not like doing- like going out of my house to an event where one of the purposes is to network. (Hopefully, one of these days, I’d write a post about why you should be eager to attend meetups if you’re someone like me who doesn’t like to go out that much).
For a few months now, I’ve been a member of the biggest community of digital marketers in Nigeria and Africa. My friend, Deji Faniyan, saw the need for me to be a part and linked me up straight up (and that’s something I am grateful for).
DIGICLAN, as the community is called, is a community of digital marketers and influencers. The overall aim of the community is to network, learn, teach and mutually contribute to our individual and collective growth as well as the overall development of the Digital Marketing Space of Africa.
Last week, I got to know that there would be a DigiClan Lagos meetup the coming Saturday. I was reluctant at first even though I knew I had much to learn from professionals who I knew would be coming around. (I don’t like meeting people that much, remember? Lol)
But one thing caught my fancy; the fact that there was going to be Jollof rice!
https://giphy.com/gifs/pitchperfect-movie-pitch-perfect-pitchperfect2-MVDPX3gaKFPuo
Yes, I know I love food that much and I am not ashamed of the gospel of food. But see, knowing that there would be Almighty Jollof instantly spurred me to prepare for it. I just told myself, “Babe, ain’t no way I’m gonna pass up an opportunity to eat Jollof this Saturday. Ain’t noooo way!”
And so, I got up from my bed, dressed up for the event against my feelings of not liking to meet people and headed out for The Virtual Hub, Ikeja where the meetup was to hold.
The event was one of the many periodic face-to-face meetups and free trainings organized by the Clan to provide answers to questions as well as share vital information on the Digital marketing space. Furthermore, it was inspired by the need for the community to meet, network, share and learn from campaign stories, successes and failures of experts and upcoming Digital media marketing professionals.
Did I love the meetup? Hell yeah, I loved it (I wouldn’t be taking my time to write this if I didn’t love it.) There were people who shared challenges that they had been having with their online campaigns and there were more than enough professionals to help them get their problems solved.
Also, I really did get to network with a couple of people who I was absolutely wowed listening to. We shared ideas and exchanged ideas. I wouldn’t have loved it if I had missed it, really.
After I got home, one of the interesting things I thought about doing was to get other individuals who attended the event to share why they decided to attend and what they learnt from attending. I got a few responses:
“The meet-up, for me, was an opportunity to network (put faces to the WhatsApp names) as well as learn, knowing the calibre of members in the group. I got to reunite with old colleagues (as well as former wedding train mate ?) And I picked one, two and plenty ideas e.g to guide with content marketing strategy.”
-Iniobong Michael Idio, Digital Marketing Executive with core competence in SEO.
“I attended the Meetup with an intention to CONNECT and LEARN. I actually did achieve all of that from the meet-up, got to meet young great minds with amazing talents, people who are open to sharing their own ideas and experiences for others to learn from. I also got to meet some people that I’ve only been hearing about or talking to on phone, so it was really nice to place faces to them and yea, I made new friends too. The experience was truly AWESOME and UNFORGETTABLE”- Nancy Abudu Oriolowo (@oriolowonancy), Digital Marketer.
“I volunteered for the events and I attended because I want to go into social media marketing and management. The meetup met my objective because I was able to get other Digiclan members to learn how social media management works and how to get the best ideas in running campaigns.”
– Abu David Itama, Brand Strategist & Content Developer.
“I was to coordinate the volunteers. Met lots of digital media-inclined personalities from different spheres of Digital Media management and learnt one or two ideas on how to better manage my blog.”
– Daphne Isaac, Entertainment and Celebrity Gossip Blogger, www.fambles.com.
Personal Verdict?
The organizers and volunteers did a great job, I must confess. The brainstorming sessions were enlightening, the networking session was fascinating. And the food…Oh God…the Jollof rice was life! Did I mention there was Puff-puff too?
The venue we used was beautiful too. Virtual Hub is a company that offers you space for events like meet-ups and seminars at affordable prices. More interestingly, they have really cool workspaces for you if you have a team or company and you need somewhere to work. The catch? You could pay daily, weekly or monthly and the charges are understandably moderate, to be honest.
I look forward to more DigiClan meetups like this. The experience I had has made me more open to going out to events more and meeting more people.
Stay up to date with DIGICLAN AFRICA on social media:
Like on Facebook: DigiClan
Follow on Twitter: @DigiClanAfrica
Follow on Instagram: @DigiClanAfrica
My First BRT Experience in Lagos | The Lagos Series, Week 8
Ever been on a Lagos BRT before? Can you recall what your first BRT experience in Lagos was like? Fun? Normal? Mine was awful and I’m going to tell you why.
So y’all have seen the video of Femi Otedola in a molue, right? I’m guessing you oohed and ahhed, gushing at how amazing it is that he took the plunge to the baser lifestyle of the average Nigerian. Okay, not so average.
Funny enough, while I watched the video clip, all I could think of was how I felt when I got into a BRT bus for the first time.
In all my years as a Lagosian, all my life actually, I had never been in a BRT or molue for that matter. Until April. It was my first BRT experience in Lagos that I promised that I would never repeat. Actually, I never even thought I would ever experience it, despite all my talks of how I’m a Lagosian and I’ve basically done everything that counts in Lagos –eaten boli, trekked from one bus stop to another, fought with conductor for change, haggled and bargained for the price of pepper in a market, taken a bike from Ikeja to my home (quite a scary heart-in-my mouth distance), the list goes on..or so I thought!
Catch Up On Lagos Yoruba Demons | The Lagos Series, Week 1
I digress. Anyway, so how was my first BRT experience in Lagos? Awful! I was holding onto my bag like hell’s waters.
How it all began? I was running late for an appointment and had to figure out how to get from Ketu to Ikoyi. CMS, was the option. Alas, there was no bus heading straight that way and Ubering it wasn’t an option, I mean girl was reeeed, so I bit the bullet and decided to get into a BRT bus when it seemed like the only option.
I was like, yay, gonna get there on time, save funds and still feel like a G. Yeah? No.
Did You Miss This? What Lagos Means | The Lagos Series, Week 2
I did save funds. I mean, BRT from Ketu to TBS was N200! Imagine my surprise! Gosh, how I’ve been wasting money on transport (a girl’s got to do what a girl’s got to do). I could not believe my luck.
Then came the surprise, more like culture shock(s). First, as I was about to buy my ticket, I saw some kids tryna get my attention; “Aunty, aunty! Please comman buy our ticket.”
I was like whoa, what’s going on here? Looked at the ticket guy and he gave me this unassuming look. I was like hell to the na, nobody gonna syphon my funds. Before I had time to react, the guy was asking the kids if they had change, so he could give me their ticket instead of the authentic one with him. I was like “who be mugu for here?” Politely told him no and bought the right ticket.
I thought that was all for the drama, only for me to almost get into the wrong bus, being saved from myself by some passengers. I’m sure they knew I was clueless.
Ever Being Stranded in Lagos? Read: Being Broke In Lagos | The Lagos Series, Week 3
Got saved and onto the next bandwagon. Oh the horror, I felt so out of place, I couldn’t understand it, I mean, this is the girl that takes public transport like no man’s business then suddenly she is scared and holding onto her bag looking bright-eyed.
I was like, get a hold of yourself! But, no, the inner voice wouldn’t shut up; “What if they steal your bag?”, “Don’t bring out your phone”, “Don’t look too stiff”, “Don’t look too fidgety”, “Oh my gosh, this is how it must feel in subways, no wonder people are warned about subways”, “Is this appointment really that important”, “Why so stingy? Should have taken Uber”, “What if you miss your bus stop? You can’t shout ‘owa!‘ like before.”
You would love this! How To Live Long In Lagos | The Lagos Series, Week 5
Don’t get me wrong, my fellow passengers looked like respectable people but the ones that didn’t…didn’t and that was not easy to deal with. I mean in other public transports, if there’s a calamity…say someone going crazy in the bus…you can jump out the window (maybe?) Or go out the trunk, but in this BRT bus, there was no escaping, the bus was high and sealed. Hmm, no wonder it’s easy for Americans to hijack school buses and the likes over there (well, it’s seen in the movies), there’s no escape route.
On getting to Costain, I became somewhat relieved knowing I would soon get to my bus stop, only for the driver to get to Leventis and scream at the few of us left in the bus that Leventis was the last bus-stop.
I swerved, “Wait, what!”
Before I said anything, an old man got up and started ranting at the driver, another passenger who tried to pacify the situation finally begged the driver to explain to the Leventis ticket guy that we didn’t know we got into the wrong bus and he should let us get into another that’d take us to our destination. The bus driver refused, abusing me and the five other passengers.
Tails between our legs, led by the ranting old man, we went to meet the ticket salesperson and explained our situation. Seeing how many we were, he believed us and got us into another bus going to CMS without charging us a ticket fee.
Upon getting to CMS, I swiftly got down, thanked the old man that saved our situation, got into a “safer” public transport, well on my way to the venue. In time.
Anyway, so I watched Otedola’s molue video clip and wondered how he must have been feeling. I noticed he checked his pocket when he got down.
One question though, didn’t passengers recognize him?
Oh, by the way, I survived, got to my appointment on time and got back home safely.
Living On The Island Or Mainland- Which Is Better? | The Lagos Series, Week 7
My BRT experience in Lagos ranks up there with my Okada-on-the-express experience. I will tell you about that sometime. But for now…Ciao.
So, what was your first BRT experience in Lagos like? Tell me about it, will you?
Glossary
Molue – Lagos yellow buses popular in 90’s
BRT – Bus Rapid Transit
Bike – Motorcycle
Boli – roasted plantain
“Feel like a G” – (slang) to be on top of your game
“Who be mugu for here?” – Do I look stupid?
Owa! – (Yoruba) This is my stop!
Okada– Motorcycle
Gabriella Opara is an illustrator of words, drawings and clothes. She blogs at glamogenscribbles.wordpress.com/
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The Lagos Series is a project which aims at sharing an enlightening, entertaining and inspiring narrative of Lagos in both written and visual media.
Have a story to share?
Join the Facebook community here: The Lagos Series Community
Follow us on Instagram: @thelagosseries
Like on Facebook: The Lagos Series
FOR PARTNERSHIP or SPONSORSHIP: [email protected]
Living on the Island or Mainland- Which is Better? | The Lagos Series, Week 7
For many people who are in the working class, there is usually a need to consider either living on the Island or mainland of Lagos. A lot of people are crazy about staying on the Island and I do not blame them; everyone wants to stay in the high brow areas. We want that response of admiration you get when you tell someone you stay in Victoria Island as against when you tell someone you live in somewhere like Ajegunle. Right? Lol. Living on the Island is cool, really, and has several benefits. For instance, the place looks beautiful (the fine places o) and I hear that security there is really tight.
The Island consists of areas including Ikoyi, Lekki, Victoria Island, Ajah while the mainland consists of just about every place that is not on the Island. Lagos mainland comprises well over 70% of Lagos.
Having lived on the mainland for a larger part of my life and also having lived on the Island for a very short while, I would readily take living on the mainland over the Island. One, I think I am just really resistant to change and I don’t like moving to new environments even if it’s just for a few weeks. Asides that, here are some reasons why I prefer living on the mainland to living on the Island.
- Cost of Living
Well, if you are really really wealthy and can afford to keep spending money, you could move to the Island. But for me, I am not a fan of living in a place where I have to spend double or more than I would on the mainland, from the food to the houses and lands and other items. Life on the Island is just too expensive (for me, that is) and when I see a number of my people who just manage to pull through all along with debts incurred from staying on the Island, I am grateful I have settled down with staying where I am. I do not think it wise for anyone to live where they can’t readily afford. What’s the essence of incurring debts because you want to look rich? Tah.
- Flooding wahala
I decided to visit a friend of mine who stays on the Island one time when I was on a two-week leave from work. The plan was to stay there for a few days before travelling out of Lagos to see my family in Delta state. It turned out to be a very big mistake. The night before I was to travel, it rained cats and dogs and you know Island na– everywhere became flooded. So flooded that I couldn’t even drive out or my car would be badly damaged. Even to walk sef was almost impossible as the water was like a large pool. To make matters worse, the lights had to go off to avoid electrocution problems. I kept blaming myself because I was about to move the next day when it happened.
Photo-credit: https://www.channelstv.com/2017/07/08/lagosians-lament-as-flood-hits-lekki-victoria-island/
- Traffic is everywhere
I don’t know if it’s just me but I think I prefer mainland’s traffic to Island’s traffic coupled with the fact that Island is far. I know that mainland’s traffic can be really crazy too but then I know I’m close to my house whenever I’m on the Island, no matter how far I could be away from home. What I’m saying is that there’s traffic in both places so I’d settle for that of the mainland. Lol
Photo-credit: ThePointNG
Living on the Island or Mainland?
It might be a different ball game for you and my rules are not hard-and-fast. There are a lot of factors that would require you staying on the Island. For instance, if your job is on/close to the Island, it only makes sense to stay close by. If I was working on the Island, I most likely would have found a way to move there since. If you are also someone who likes your peace of mind intact, the Island could be a better option. I mean, it is not very likely that you will find random bus conductors and drivers breaking bottles on their heads. There are also beautiful houses on Lagos Island, but there are a whole lot of them on the mainland too so… Different strokes for different folks, yeah?
So where do you prefer to stay more if you live in Lagos? Island or Mainland.
Written by Ese Oghene, a practising lawyer and ghostwriter.
Haven’t read previous episodes of The Lagos Series yet? Catch up here: The Lagos Series
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The Lagos Series is a project which aims at sharing an enlightening, entertaining and inspiring narrative of Lagos in both written and visual media.
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Join the Facebook community here: The Lagos Series Community
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How To Live Long In Lagos | The Lagos Series, Week 5
As a Lagosian, one of the things you might be interested in knowing is how to live long in Lagos. Oh, you didn’t know? There are a thousand ways to die in Lagos, just like in every other metropolitan city in the world. But not to worry, we have compiled a list of all the things you need to know about how to live long in Lagos. Yes, we love you and we care about your life. *wide grin*
P.S: This list has been compiled from responses to a poll on our Facebook community a few weeks ago. Although the poll was centred around what everyone needs to know when living in Lagos or coming to Lagos for the first time, we have developed on them, giving due credit to original responders.
Catch Up On: Lagos Yoruba Demons | The Lagos Series, Week 1
1. Understand that nobody knows anywhere in Lagos
Lagosians can relate. You find yourself in a location you’re not familiar with and you decide to ask for directions? No, bruh, don’t do it! One guy would ask you to walk down and turn around and when you do, another Mama would tell you that you came the wrong way and ask you to return the way you came. Then someone else would tell you something else till you eventually get tired and die. Okay, just kidding. But if you are not careful, too much walk can kill someone in this Lagos. So, how to ensure Lagosians don’t kill you when you’re visiting anywhere for the first time?
Always get adequate directions before going to any new place- Durosomo Manuel Olanrewaju
It is not always advisable to ask for directions from some Lagosians- Oyindamola Grace Osinnubi
Photo-credit: tenor.com
2. Remember that only God can be trusted
Yes, you heard that, right? When we hear pathetic stories relating to one person or the other in Lagos, we are reminded that you really can’t trust anybody. As you walk on that road, as you board that bike, as you board that bus, keep it at the back of your mind that you owe it to yourself to be extremely on alert. You don’t want to die before your time o, so shine your eyes. Sometimes people look suspicious, other times, they don’t. Whatever or whenever sha-
Suspect everyone. Every one.- Oluseyi Abisoye Mafolabomi
Photo-credit: activememe.com
Did You Miss This? What Lagos Means | The Lagos Series, Week 2
3. Know that the tush ones are in anywhere but Lagos
If you have stayed in Lagos long enough, you should know that you have to know when to switch from “Queen’s English Mode” to “Iyalaya E Mode”. Yes, that’s one secret to living long in this Lagos o. If you know you want to be tush, kindly stay outside Lagos (or on the Island sha). As you step out every day, ensure to carry your alter ego along, in case the other is to come in handy. This is Lagos- don’t be tush, don’t be slow. Eh ehn.
Know when to package and know when to scatter…You scatter body to enter bus, you package when you enter finish. You scatter voice to ask for change and you package voice to talk to your bus neighbour. If you mix package and scatter up, you’re on your own. For example, if you package voice to call your bus stop now, my sister, you’re on your way to another bus stop. Amen?- Akindele Oyinlola Dorcas
Keep your accent at home and pick Lagos accent when you land in Lagos- Oluwasanjo Bolaji
GIF credit: GIPHY.com
Ever Being Stranded in Lagos? Read: Being Broke In Lagos | The Lagos Series, Week 3
4. Respect Yourself, Your Future & The Prayers of Your Mother While Dressing Up
Okay. Let us admit. We don’t know exactly how you can do this one but one thing we would ask of you is not to overdress anywhere, especially if you are a guy. Remember the #EndSars campaign that went viral on social media some months ago? It should definitely remind you of how you should be careful about dressing up when you’re going out. We’re not saying you shouldn’t dress up oo, we’re just saying- well, you should know.
Don’t look like a big boy or girl! You will just be attracting trouble ni- Ayomide Ilegbemi
Avoid SARS!- John Jodah Adah
We will stop here today as we will not want to get you scared of ever coming to Lagos if you’re planning to come sometime in the future. Lest we forget, some time ago, Orifunke wrote a post on Four things you should never do in Lagos and we think it might be useful for you.
Enjoyed reading this? We love love love your feedback. Please drop a comment letting us know you were here. Have a contribution to make to the post? Kindly use the comments box!
If you are visiting for the first time, you REALLY NEED TO CATCH UP ON PREVIOUS EPISODES ASAP!!! Luckily for you, we’ve not gone very far yet. Read all previous episodes here: The Lagos Series
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The Lagos Series is a project which aims at sharing an enlightening, entertaining and inspiring narrative of Lagos in both written and visual media.
Have a story to share?
Join the Facebook community here: The Lagos Series Community
Follow us on Instagram: @thelagosseries
Like on Facebook: The Lagos Series
FOR PARTNERSHIP or SPONSORSHIP: [email protected]
How To Pack Light For Travel: A Guide To Minimalist Packing
If you want to go on a trip, then you should learn how to pack light for travel. I do not really like to travel because of my motion sickness but when I do have to, I ensure that I pack as little as possible unless it is extremely unavoidable. There are a couple of reasons why you should ensure to travel light while going on a trip. I like to imagine that there could be an emergency (not necessarily negative) that could come up along the way. Packing light would ensure that you do not have to worry about having too many items of luggage. Two, while travelling, you need to be as comfortable as possible. Travelling heavy might not ensure that for you. Also, travelling with less load reduces your chances of losing stuff, which should be top on your list.
So, in this article, I would be showing you how to pack light for travel so that you can enjoy your next trip without hassles. One thing, though, I know that it might not exactly be easy to pack light especially if you normally pack a lot of stuff while travelling. But I am sure that with time, you will get used to it and find it easier and convenient to pack fewer items.
How To Pack Light For Travel
1. Carry-On Bags or Backpacks Are The Best!
In order to travel light, one of the best tips is to make sure you do not carry a bag that is too big. In fact, carry a smaller bag than you need. A carry-on bag helps you to carry only the things that you actually really need, rather than the things you think you might need. If you are thinking of where to get backpacks in Nigeria, I would recommend the Jansport bag for you. It is just the kind of backpack you will need, not just comfortable but fashionable as well as it includes different compartments for different types of items on your travel list.
2. Pack for Just A Week.
Okay, I know that this might be quite difficult as you might be thinking, “What if I leave out something I need?” But chances are you wouldn’t, especially if you have a packing list. I grew up with a mom who would pack every single thing she fancied before going on a trip. (Loool) but that only left us with so much load and inconvenience to and fro. Packing for a week would help you to streamline everything you want in your backpack. You don’t pack just anything you feel like but what you need to pack. If you are planning to have a trip that would take a couple of months, you can definitely wash and re-wear them along the way. Again, a laptop backpack could come in handy for you.
3. Roll, don’t fold.
Many of us are used to folding our clothes in our bags before going on a journey. I’ve found that, though, that rolling your clothes leaves you with more space in your backpack than folding them. And not just that, rolling also leave less rumples on your clothes while travelling than folding. Remember that you might not have the chance of iron your clothes along the way so it’s best to keep them in a form where the chances of having creases are slim.
How to pack light for travel might be quite tasking but look at the bright side- You travel light, spend less shopping on what you think you might need. And if you’ve secured cheap flights to your destinations, you have your budget and bank account all in check.
So, do you have any guides on how to travel light? Is there any other thing you do asides from the ones I have listed? Drop a comment and let’s talk about it!
By the way, if you’re travelling to New York soon from Lagos, Travelstart offers you cheap flights from Lagos to New York. Good idea, yeah? Go for it!