Lumo Naturals Salon *4th Time's a Charm* Major Upgrade!

*insert Beyonce's 'Upgrade you' here*

Reception Area

View from the Wet Room

Lumo Naturals has moved to Concept Plaza and i believe this was part of what they needed to take their services to the Next Level. 

I have not been to the salon since August 2014, i reviewed them twice before, read here and here. The 1st post i was a super unhappy customer and expressed my opinion about the salon and things that could be changed and the 2nd post was an update. I honestly did not do it to spoil their business, just to create awareness of where they were lacking from a neutral customer's point of view. 

I'm really glad they have stepped up their game and can now proudly say i don't quite mind making the trip to their salon in Gwarinpa to get my hair done. 

Here is the list of things i highlighted in my 1st post and i think all of them have been addressed:

• The salon arrangement
• The scheduling process for customers
• The seating provision for customers
• The no. of staff
• The no. of appliances,shoulder towels, shower caps, etc. for customers to use
• The customer service
• The provision of entertainment for waiting customers (can be looped Natural Hair Youtube videos-hairstyles, advice, products, etc.)
• The storage of hair products for sale (against theft)

Gwarinpa is totally out of my way and i probably would have not visited Lumo Naturals if not for my friend Tutu, she was visiting from outta town and getting her hair washed though so i decided to meet up with her and see how the salon was doing. I initially went to their old location but got their new address from their website, luckily it was walking distance. I was very impressed when i got there and was rid of the bitter taste in my mouth from my previous experience there. They had a reception area and a spacious, well arranged and nicely furnished salon. They also had natural hair videos playing on the TV and the staff seem to have been well trained to handle natural hair as they required no supervision. 

I really like the Ankara decor, mirrors, pot plants and the Product Shelf. It was a breath of fresh air.

They also have a fridge to buy refreshments.

Product Shelf

My friend was well catered too, she had her hair washed, conditioned and steamed, there is now a dedicated 'wet area' for washing your hair, etc and it has 2 separate wash basins and you have the option of warm water. 

The owner came in at a point and was quite warm this time and we had a nice brief  hair chat with her, which was nice. I believe they have a manager's office in the salon.

The Manager was really nice and i liked that their price list (really decent prices for a natural hair salon) is framed and in view at the reception.

This time around i had a very pleasant experience there and i wasn't even the customer, i have been super-busy and super-tired from work lately so i'm gonna put DIY on the backburner this week and go there to get my hair washed, steamed, etc. I'll add a quick update to this post after that, as a customer.

Price List

Lumo Naturals
F101, Concept plaza, beside Emirates hotel, 5th avenue, Gwarimpa.
08094823173 | 09-2911727 (They actually work!!)

My Experience (Update)

I got to the Salon on a Friday around 5:30pm after calling to book an appointment and i was done by 7:46pm which was a satisfactory time gap for me. If you've read my other posts you would understand why.

I had not combed my hair in forever, i just left it in a bun so it needed serious detangling. The hairstylist that attended to me was Fatima and i thoroughly enjoyed the service.

She sprayed my hair and put a mix all over it for some mins before proceeding to gently detangle my matted hair in sections, it was practically painfree, i couldnt believe it, afterwards my hair was shampooed in sections and washed with warm water, it was quite delightful. When i DIY i'm to lazy to heat up water for my hair.

She then applied a mix to my hair and a showercap over it with a paper wrap to prevent water dripping out and ear muffs to protect my ears. This was without a doubt my most comfortable steam. It lasted about 45mins i think before i had it washed off then she applied conditioner to my hair and i had it on for about 5mins then she combed my hair in sections before my final rinse with cold water (seals the hair cuticles) #bestfeelingever!

I loved that my shoulder towel was changed after my steam session and a dry microfibre towel was also used on my wet hair after conditioning.

I requested to have my hair dried with cool air, 'cos i did not want my scarf to get wet (it cost #500) and also told her i did not want any product with coconut oil used on my hair ('cos my hair is protein sensitive) so she used shea butter instead. My hair was dried and 'buttered' up and put in loose chunky twists. I love how my hair smelled from the fragrance of the shampoo and conditioner-very yummy.

Proper tools were used on my hair and i liked that (wide tooth comb,shower caps,ear muffs,soft microfibre towels, hair clips, etc.)

I entertained myself during my hair session by reading (Lupita's Vogue Edition) from their selection of magazines, that made time go by faster.

I paid #4,000 via PoS when i was done which is definitely a very decent price for the service i got (hair products & tools used,light-gen,water,services).

The Salon was quite full and i did not notice any customers waiting as they now have quite a good no. of staff. 

I noticed a sign at at he reception stating that MEN are not allowed in the main salon, most likely because of muslim women that may be getting their hair done, which is understandable.

Regarding my Past Review of the Salon-Honest Feedback from customers on services/products is important though most Nigerian businesses are not used to it, they should embrace it as it will ultimately improve their business; although mine was written laced in anger hence the tone, it was mostly constructive criticism because of the perceived potentail. 

I think its a plus to have been able to win me back.

I can now confidently recommend this salon to my fellow naturals. Call and book ahead though so you can avoid waiting, they were fully booked for Saturday.

I have ZERO complaints this time around, i got my money's worth, TLC for my hair and a break from DIY.

Toodles!XooX

Painting with Le Hubby

Amateur artists @work

Our Finished Work

About 3 weekends ago, we found our creative side!! well...sorta

I found out about Artsplashstudio Paint Nite while researching for my Eat. Drink. Chill & Play Abuja Post. I was intrigued, checked out their IG page and sent them a DM *humming 'it goes down in da DM'*. I got a reply from them and we conversed, i sent them my email address.

I got a mail from them not long after which specified the date, venue, time, cost per person and how to make payment. 

It costs #5,000 per person and payment must be made before the date to confirm your reservation.

My artist friend Ifesinachi has tried to convince me severally to try my hands at painting due to my love and interest in art and creative activities. This was the perfect chance as I had been informed that participants do not need to have prior experience at painting. I wasn't good at fine art in Secondary School so I would definitely feel comfortable in the midst of fellow amateurs and having a guide was also a plus. 

I told hubby about it and 'whitemailed' him into joining me, its more fun with a fellow novice afterall.

THE EXPERIENCE

The Paint Nite was on Saturday at Bamboo Lounge, Maitama and we got there early. There was a n ArtSplashStudio banner outside the room that helped us identify it. Our instructor, Mr. Bona and Christy were already there and welcomed us. The space had been set up with chairs and tables with blank painting canvases on easels, paint brushes, a rag and water to clean our brushes. It was to start by 7:00pm but we waited about 30 mins or so for the rest of the class to arrive while we conversed with our instructor, wore our aprons and got our different paint colors served on a paper plate.

Blank Canvas on Easel and Paint

Reference Painting

I initially thought there would be an outline or template for us to paint in but that wasn't the case, we only had a reference painting . We were gonna have to paint from scratch what was in the reference painting. It was a bit overwhelming to have to do it all on our own initially but our instructor, Mr. Bona ,coached us really well on how to go about it, mixing colors, etc.

Hubby in serious mode

Me feeling like an artist

We had a great time, nice conversation with others in the class, Christy was a delight and got us some great pics. 

In da zone

We got comfortable and painted our versions of the reference painting with the coaching of our instructor. Hubby and I definitely had fun and did not want it to end. We finished around past 9pm, took group and solo pics and the best part was taking home our precious creations. 

Group Pic

We are very proud of our amateur paintings, which are currently hanging on our walls at home and I intend to buy some paint and touch up my painting a bit and maybe paint some more.

I definitely have an even higher respect for artists and creators now, no be small thing abeg. 

I would really love us to try out pottery as well and explore our creative side some more.

We went to get some well deserved tasty Chicken Capitol Sharwarma for our hardwork. We'll definitely be back for some more painting fun with ArtSplashStudio.

Enjoy the pics.

Step out of your comfort zone and live a little!

Toodles!XooX

Eat.Drink.Chill & Play in Abuja

Source: CCTV-Africa

Abuja is now my home, since i moved here in 2008 for my corps service (NYSC). We also now have a family house here and i reside here with hubby. I love Abuja! Less Traffic, Great Road Network, Fairly Clean, Electricity supply is as ok as u get in naija, fairly safe and overall laid back town. Only complain is the high rent prices and hopefully we'll own our own house soon, then its tenement rates and ground rent we'll have to be paying, na wa.

I still love Lagos but we are in a weekend/holidays only kinda relationship. Most people complain that Abuja is boring or that there's no fun activities, of course its not as bubbly/hectic as Lasgidi but i disagree that it is boring. You gotta move with the right crowd and you'll have fun in Abuja. Here's my Eat, Drink, Chill & Play in Abuja guide.

EAT

1. Breakfast

• Quarter Cafe
• The Bukka (Transcorp Hilton)
• Salamander Cafe
• Saffron Cafe
• Bon Cafe
• Tulip Bistro

2. Lunch/Dinner

• Al-Basha 
• Nkoyo
• Yabans
• Jevenik
• Vanilla
• Dunes
• Diznos
• Bamboo
• Barkono Grill
• Traffic
• Uptown Lounge
• Anti Ajobi
• Iya Oyo
• Spice Platter

3. Fine Dining

• Chez Victor
• Papillon Restaurant (Sheraton Abuja)
• Panache Restaurant
• The Nile Place
• Clan Cafe

4. Dessert/Sweets/Fruits/Smoothies

• Andies Candies
• Tutti Frutti
• Yogurberry
• Habib Yoghurt
• Dunes
• Chloe's cupcakes
• Cupcake cuties
• Smoothie Parlour
• Farmers Market

5. Night Eats

• Asokoro Suya
• Unique Garden, Zone 5 Suya
• Games Village Suya
• Chicken Capitol Sharwama
• Drumstix Sharwama
• Gas Meat
• Balango (Ram Meat)
• Yahuza Suya

DRINK

• Habit Bar & Grill
• Triple Treats
• Madiba Antique (Palm wine)

CHILL & PLAY

• Drive around town and check out the Landmarks 
• Paintball

• Bowling (Trukadero, The Dome)

• Go Kart
• Visiting Art Centres & Libraries (Thought Pyramid, Arts & Craft Village, House 33, Yaradua Centre)
• Visit the Lake & Dam (Jabi Lake & Usuma Dam)
• Visit Parks (Wonderland Amusent Park, Millenium Park, City Park, Riverplate Park)

Millenium Park

• Visit the Zoo {Abuja National Children's Park & Zoo-its inside Wubassey Barracks after Niger Barracks, Asokoro)
• Cinema
• French Films Screening @ Centre de Culturel Francais
• Indoor Gaming e.g. PS (Trukadero, Wonderland)
• Swim
• Salsa (Casalinda, Barcelona Hotel, Ceddi Plaza, Sheraton, The Cube Cafe)
• Exercise (Zumba, Yoga, Pole Dance)
• Hike (Abuja Hash House Harriers)
• Paint

• Pottery

Pottery @House 33 (Maker Library Network)

• Spa (Mb Hammam)
• Sports (IBB Golf course, Transcorp Hilton, Polo club)
• Attend Events- Picnics, Freedom Hall, Festivals, Comedy Shows, Stage plays, Concerts, Pool parties, GATP, DMP, Fairs, etc.

• Karaoke 
• Nightlife-Gardens (Eden Garden, Blake, Mellow Fellows), Clubs (The Bank, Play, Crave Cubana, Aramis, Aqua,Moscow Underground), Lounges & Sit outs (Sky Lounge, Krystal Lounge, Sofa Lounge, The Secret Garden, Carribean Wine Cafe, Crush Cafe Traffic,Vanilla, Beer Barn, Nouveau, Ketchup, Zanzibar,Charcoal Grill Lounge)

Check out my Foursquare 'Places in Abuja' list for more places in Abuja and my posts on Upcoming Events in Abuja. Enjoy!

Toodles!XooX

Safety in Abuja-December Holidays

Hallo ma peoples!!! Been a Minute ba, no vex biko, i've been swamped with so many events and work and have sooo many draft pending posts... *sigh. Anyway, back to the matter, we are in December, the last of the 'Ember Months' signalling the end of the year, like play like play 2015 don dey waka go .

I love December, its the month of Christmas, hubby's birthday, my birthday, holiday from work, last month of the year and usually full of weddings and events. *bigGrin. This December though, the Nigerian people and Economy is suffering from 'Buharitisis' a.k.a money no dey in circulation. Since Buhari became the Presido, contracts haven't been issued (people dey fear), sack letter dey flow like water, $ rate don almost reach 300 naira (lets not talk about Pounds), thieves have been caught (i like this sha, the Dokpesi's, Dasuki's and their fellow barawos-i just hope justice prevails eventually), fuel scarcity, etc.

Country tight now as you can see from the above, the streets are not smiling and those that are not making an honest living have become more desperate. Everybody wan go village do yanga and celebrate this Christmas, by fire, by force. God help us that are working hard for our income and bless the work of our hands and keep us safe. There is more insecurity during this period and i'm just going to write below a few pointers to help us stay safe especially in Abuja.

• Try not to stay out too late especially if you do not have a car and if you have to, have a friend or 2 with you
• Be aware of your surroundings
• If you own a car and reside in Abuja (especially around Wuse 2), please try not to park in areas without proper security (especially @night) and even when you do, please do not leave any valuables in your car or boot. (Our car was robbed sometime in October, the back window was broken and they were able to open the car and stole my handbag from the boot; luckily i got my bag back, but that's story for another post)
• If you own a car, please always lock all your doors at all times, especially when approaching a speed bump or at a red light. It has become common practice for thieves to run out of nowhere, open car doors and grab what they can within reach (your bag, phone, etc.) in a flash and dash off into the blue before you even comprehend what even happened. Sometimes they (heard sometimes they are oiled up) will even try to drag things out of the hand of the person in the passenger seat (this happened to my friend)
• If you are entering a cab, please be extremely cautious and try to evaluate the personality of the driver while pricing, when a price is agreed on,ask him to open the door from inside (this is to ensure that the child lock is not enabled and in case of any issue, you can get out ASAP). 
• If you are entering a cab, ask to check the boot, to make sure there's no one hiding in there, some cars have back seats that fold and open into the car and quite a number of people have gotten robbed in this way
• If you are entering a cab, i'd advise you seat in the back seat, preferably directly behind the driver, its harder for the driver to attack you in this position if he has such intentions and you can easily tuck and roll out of the car in such a situation
• If you are entering a cab, check to see that the door locks are present and if they are automatic and the type you can manually open if necessary
• If you are entering a cab, please evaluate the cab even from afar even before stopping it, check that it has a proper plate no; the necessary cab no.s painted on it, etc. An unpainted cab (not green&white) can be riskier to take
• If you want to take a cab, you can use the Easy Taxi or Uber app to get one from the comfort of your home, though the prices may be a bit higher that if you get one by the roadside, it is wayyyyy safer. Their drivers are registered with them and can be traced if anything goes wrong.
• If possible, have a pepper spray or small tazer on you at all times in case of an attack, so you can defend youself
• I do not advise entering cars that already have passengers (a.k.a 'Along') especially if they are all men or only one female in the car, i believe buses are actually safer for such trips
• If you are walking on the sidewalk, keep your bag, etc. properly closed and on the shoulder away from the road, hold on to it tightly to avoid having something stolen from it (pickpockets) or having it snatched from you 
• Do not sleep in cab and mind d convos (phone calls) u have,
• Do not leave ur bag/valuables to step out for a bit, use an ATM, etc. and come back. You can end up having something stolen or he zooms off with all ur stuff,
• Keep ur belongings closed n out of arms reach of the cab driver
• If possible have a consistent cab guy with a detailed record of his car and personal data in case of any issues
• Keep you house gates and doors locked and try to avoid crowded places (Boko Haram is still active)

Stay safe my peoples, country hard but by God's grace e no go hard for us and we will be out of the reach of these desperados.

Toodles!XooX

Silent Tears Trailer (2015)

                        

The hypocrisy embraced by law enforcers in the name of "sanitizing" the streets who patronize the supposed culprits in kind or cash while they arrest those that don't 'cooperate'. Abuse of power.
The fear of detainment/assault women unaccompanied by men face when they are out at night, whether to hail a cab or meet up friends.
The archaic mentality that only women are/can be prostitutes and every/any woman alone on the street at a time considered "ungodly" is a prostitute and should be arrested/detained/molested without question.
I lived in one of the busy part of Wuse 2 where prostitutes did frequent and many 24hour businesses functioned. I could not comfortably stand on the street to hail a cab from 7pm out of fear that the authorities can show up at anytime and i could be arrested/detained/molested with no opportunity for explanation or to defend myself. We have heard the stories and no one wants to be a victim.

I wrote a post here in 2012 about my experience with the Nigerian Police authorities when we were stopped at a police checkpoint. A guy was driving and we were 2 girls in the car, next thing we were told to drive down with them to their station because we were assumed to be prostitutes!! Furious is an understatement of how i felt as i was very well dressed unlike usual nights i'm out with friends, i wonder what the story would have been if it was.

I applaud this documentary. Definitely long overdue. There must be a better way to "sanitize" the streets of Abuja without preying on the freedom of movement of Women.

Toodles!XooX

Lumo Naturals Salon Updated Review (Lvd it!!)

Read my most recent post (Oct 2016) here.
Everyone deserves a 2nd chance or 3rd chance or umpteenth chance that is if they want that chance though and i have to say i'm greatly pleased to have given this salon another chance. I'm proud to say they have now found a customer in me and i will gladly make the trip to Gwarinpa for their service because they have proved to be worth the effort and my hard earned cash. Is this the same gal with no good things to so about Lumo Naturals salon in her last post?  Yup!! Na the same me o my beautiful people! I really do appreciate growth and improvement when i see it displayed and do my best to commend such in order to promote more growth and even much more improvement. 

I called out the salon in a post i wrote in April after 2 visits (late December/early January which i specified in that post) there and getting extremely unsatisfactory service. There was no feedback initially after the post before all of a sudden in July, comments came in on the post and then i got a buzz on whatsapp from the owner of the popular Nigerian blog i had mentioned in the post where i had read up on the salon before my disappointing visit, she asked what was going on between me and the salon and pleaded that i remove her blog name from the post because of some legal thing or smtn like that was being brought up and she did not want to be involved which i perfectly understand. I really wondered why a big fuss was being made about my post since it was about my experience there and i had written it a while back also specifying the period of my visit.

I eventually found out the cause of the fuss. I had forgotten the address of the salon as i was preparing to make my 3rd visit (for the updated review) and decided to google the salon to get the address, as i scrolled down the 1st page of the results, there it was, the cause of all the drama! My post on the salon was on the 1st page of the google results!! No wonder! I had absolutely no clue of this 'cos after my visits to the salon and putting up my post i had more or less written them off, forgotten about it and moved on. I scrolled through to see the other results from Google and found another interesting post, this time from the Lumo Naturals blog and it was a rejoinder to my post (explaining the reason for the service described i my post and being overwhelmed and some other stuff) and that was honestly also my first time seeing their post. The only feedback i had noticed were the comments made on my own blog to the post and the only one i took seriously was that of the Salon Manager who apologized for the service and asked that i pay them another visit nothing about the rejoinder was mentioned in her comment . Anyways all that one don pass, lets move to the koko of this post make i no bore una with my long tori.

I kid u not, this salon is now the ish!! I'm not one to succumb to pressure and though some of the 'commenters' tried to bully me with their comments, i honestly didn't give ahoot about them, i made up my mind not to do an updated review till i visited the salon again for myself especially for the sake of the salon Manager who had commented on my previous post and though it was a bad review was courteous in her comment. Every single item under my 'What can change' list in the 1st review i did on them HAS changed!!! like really really changed and for the better! (i'm sure its not due to my post though as they said they were transitioning to the salon the times i visited, i had no knowledge of this till i stumbled on their rejoinder to my post)

Below is the closing comment that i wrote in the 1st post/review i did about the salon

"I'm furious at this salon because it has a lot of potential, i don't know any other 'Natural Hair' salons and there is a high natural hair community in the FCT from the last NITC meeting i attended. 

What can change?

The salon arrangement

The scheduling process for customers

The seating provision for customers

The no. of staff

The no. of appliances,shoulder towels, shower caps, etc. for customers to use

The customer service

The provision of entertainment for waiting customers (can be looped Natural Hair Youtube videos-hairstyles, advice, products, etc.)

The storage of hair products for sale (against theft)
I believe these changes will take the salon a long way!"

I was very detailed in my last post and i owe it to u guys and it is only fair to the salon that i be just as detailed in this post. I would have taken pictures also but i didn't want anyone to come on here and start commenting about unauthorized pics and what not so i'm gonna put a pic of my hair instead, hopefully the salon manager will take some cool shots of the salon at some point and post it on their blog so i can link it up here and you guys can get a visual of the changes, then again you can just opt to visit the salon and see it for yourself.

I called the phone no. i found online to book an appointment, the person was courteous and noted the time and day i will be coming and also told me how much the hairstyle would cost after i described it to her. I received a call from their landline about 20mins to my scheduled appointment to confirm if i would still be coming (i was very impressed by this). I got to the salon at around 3:30pm on Thursday, it was a nice sight for my previously sore eyes, the salon was refreshingly light and airy,a beautiful beige/eggshell off-whitish wallpaper was at a section, while the rest of the walls had an off-white paint color to it that blended very well and made the salon space seem more spacious and airy. There was a 2-seater sofa in the corner with a small table, a TV was up on the wall, the hair dryer has been replaced with a wall mounted mount one that can be moved to where the customers are seated. The main customer section is now fitted with 3 mirrors with drawers attached leaving enough leg room space. I also spotted a pot plant in the corner, the chairs where mostly green or orange with just about 2 black ones in the mix, these colors added a very nice touch to the space and y'all know green is my fave color anyways. There were 3 staff clad in work aprons in the salon while i was there and they were extremely courteous, 1 of them picked the attachment while the other 2 braided my hair, this was the part i enjoyed the most to be honest 'cos i'm not a fan of picking attachment and i was able to enjoy my novel (Americanah by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie). I was also given a consultation form to fill which is a good thing as this will aid feedback from customers and help build a relationship with them if properly reviewed. There were about 3 wall shelves, 2 of which contained the hair products for sale (Jamaican black castor oil, Natural Nigerian products, Shea butter, Argan oil and much more) while the last shelve was close to the washing area and contained mostly products for washing. There were also wall hooks with hair bands/scarves, Spritz bottles, combs and similar hair accessories for sale. I also noticed that they had hair clasps and ankara bangles for sale. My favorite feature of the salon has to be the Natural hair quotes hung on the walls and the centerpiece lighting, it was too gorgeous!!! The lighting was a dangling 3 step cube with colorful yarn of turquoise, red and yellow spun randomly with a different color on each cube, it gave the salon the nice finish that it needed. The salon was also kept clean as the floor was swept as soon as i was rounding up with my hair. They also had an air-conditioner installed and two wall fans and there was also a generator and there's enough ventilation through the window and 2 screen doors in the salon. There's also a fridge although i don't know if they sell refreshments as i did not ask for any I took a look at their general rates and they were very reasonable and affordable.

A proper towel was around my neck while my hair was being braided, i had already washed my hair and de-tangled at home before heading to the salon, i bought my attachment from the market closest to the salon as the salon does not sell extensions or weaves. 2 people braided my hair while the 3rd picked the attachment and asides for a customer i initially met there, once she left i was the only customer there till i left. My hair was started around 3:50pm give or take after the attachment had been pick and cut and they were completely done (trimming and all) by 6:58 pm  ( i looked at the time to be certain) which is approx 3 hours and very good timing for the braids i did. I paid 3k for the braids (which is really affordable for Abuja even if i add the cost of transportation to/from the salon) and filled the consultation form and left a very happy customer! I do not know their closing time, i'm guessing it depends on customer traffic but they closed shop after i left as i was the only customer there. I will definitely be referring this salon to my friends (both naturals and otherwise) henceforth. My braids are extremely neat, they were also very careful with my front hair. I'm glad i got to do this updated review and at the changes in the salon. Great customer service and prices! What more can a natural gal ask for :D Keep up the good work! 

This is not a sponsored post and i was attended to just as any other customer would be, as my identity was anonymous and i also paid in full for the service rendered. Naturals in the FCT! this is where you wanna get your hair done! Call to get an appointment, their land line 09-2911727 works and they give preference to customers who book an appointment over walk-in customers, You can visit their blog for more info on them. Avoid unnecessary antics to get u to relax ur hair  from regular salons because the stylists think your hair is too hard or any of that annoying stuff!!

Change is the only constant thing, Embrace it.

Toodles!XooX

Monday Night in town

It was my darling friend's birthday and it happened to fall on a Monday!!of all the days! what could i do but celebrate the addition of another year to S's life. We started our night around 11pm, he came to pick me from home and we went to De-Carribean with his cousins, some of his friends were already there waiting for us. We ordered drinks (Hennessy,Baileys,Chapman,etc) and small chops (peppered gizzard,beef,kidney). The night started out with us sitting around and a bit of chitchat then as the DJ got real hot with the music and we started to dance. It was loads and loads of fun, i danced and danced and one of his cousins (the married one) showed that she still knew her onions! She left after a few hours 'cos she has a husband and 3kids to attend to, we on the other hand continued to rock away, some more friend's of S came around and we all mingled, then his bday mate came around, long story short, there were a lot of peeps and we had loads of fun dancing. We left there around 3am and drove to Aramis, i have to say i had no idea how vibrant the night life was in Abuja! especially on a monday, the streets were lit, the clubs around had their entrances crowded. i had to wonder if all these people had nothing better to do and if not, why they were not asleep in their houses. Young people that looked like they were in Secondary School were smoking and running loose and wild! When we entered Aramis, it was brimming full! i had to wonder, we did not stay there for up to 10 mins. It was already around 4am and as much as i hated to be a buzz kill, sleep was calling out @me real loud and i had to be at work for 8am the next day so i had to tell the birthday boy that i had to go. He decided to drop one of his other friends and i at home and his friend's place was quite some distance from town. What happened after this was jst too funny for me to even laugh (it wasn't funny at the time though but u know how u can just find humor in things past). The police stopped us at a popular roundabout for their usual stop and search procedure, on our way to drop V at home, we were 2 girls and a guy(he was driving) in the car,  all our papers were complete and my friend had his license on him, i noticed things were taking longer than usual and i was very uncomfortable and cranky 'cos it was about 4am and i had to be at work for 8am later that morning, i wanted the whole thing over with ASAP so i could hug some hours of sleep and be a bit useful at work later. Next thing i heard murmurings and they were asking my friend who we were and where we were coming from, in my mind i'm like how the fuck is this any of their business!!!our papers are complete, he has his license, their work was done so what was all these extra stupid questions for. They came around and were murmuring stupid things to V and I but we ignored them, i heard my friend telling them we are his friends and we just got back from an outing. They said we should follow them to their station and despite asking severally what our offence was, we got no replies. We had to follow them to avoid any trouble after all they had guns and we had done nothing wrong for them to charge us with so it will all be settled at the station, just more of our time wasted. Anyone who knows the Nigerian Police especially the ones that stand on the road, knows their behaviour, half the time they involve u in pointless chitchat or try to get a bribe out of you. Long story short we followed them to the so called station with one of them seated in the front seat. My morning was slowly becoming a nightmare!there's nothing i hate more than having anything to do with the police. We got to the place they said was their station and it happened to be some kind of environmental control place i really dunno what they call it, they told us to drive in and we did and we waited for them to come and table their case, so we'd get outta there. You will not believe after we drove in these policemen left!!!! they did not even speak with the officers in the place, they just left so we had to face those ones and tell them we wanted to leave. One of the fools there said we had to wait there till morning since the officers had left as they cannot release us since they did not know our offence!! This was where i lost my cool, i had been seated quietly all the while observing their folly play out. I got out of the car and threatened the officer that i'd be making calls to people that they would not like to see, my friend was also yelling and furious and was already making calls, we asked to see the officer in charge or else all hell would break lose as it was only in this Goddamned Country that one would be taken into custody with no offence committed. About 5mins later, the officer in charge comes out and we manage to calm down and explain the situation to him, he said it was probably because of the way we were dressed that they had brought us there and i pointed out that he had NOT picked us from the street!! we had left our seperate houses, met at the club, had fun and were heading home to rest. He finally stated that the policemen had no reason for bringing us there as it was only in cases where prostitutes were being picked up by men that such arrests could be made. He said even if we were naked in the car, it was none of the police officer's business and that was not their work, he apologized and said he did not want any trouble and could not hold us in custody as we had committed no offence and the stupid officers who brought us there had not bothered to enter and inform them before leaving. I had never feel so insulted and mistreated!! I have heard of police injustice severally but this was a first hand experience! They had used the fact that they were authorities and had weapons to bully us for no reason and they had wasted our time! I was boiling as we got back into the car, we finally dropped V off and had to go pick his other 2 friends at the club before heading home. He told them the story and they were furious, they said they wished they had been there as they would have made a lot of trouble, Trust me, they would have, I'm glad they were not in the car as we would have spent more time there arguing since both of them were quite high, we passed the roundabout the stupid policemen had stopped us and they were all gone!bloody fools and assholes!! I just wanted to get some sleep, it was already 5:30am. I finally got home and got the much needed rest, needless to say i got to work an hour late but i wasn't useless (Thank God!) oh and let me give a description of what V and I's dressing that was considered sooooooo inappropriate, I had on a blue jean tube gown with a sweetheart neckline and a black pantyhose with flat shoes, i had left the house with a pashmina (scarf) but left it on his friends neck. V was wearing a cream loose sleeveless sequined top with jeans and a flat shoe. So please be the judge if these dressings rank as inappropriate! Anyway that was our ordeal with the Nigerian Police that are supposed to protect their citizens who instead mistreat and take advantage of them, even though there are some good ones among them. This birthday is definitely one S is gonna remember for a long time.

Toodles!XooX

Na wa o!!

Mehn! it was a beautiful day on the 18th of November, i went to NIIT class, saw a friend then went to French class, then on ma way home from around 8pm, ma beautiful day went sour. I was walking by the side of the road with my friend and the this car drives up slowly beside me, a guy brings half of his body out the window and drags ma bag off ma shoulder after hitting my hand with his gun to halt my struggling and they zoom off. i was stunned 'cos all this happened in like 10 seconds..i dint feel good at all 'cos that bag contained a lot of things. This happened in Zone 4, Abuja on the narrow road by PHCN, there are no street lights there.

They definitely hit a Jackpot...ID cards, ATM cards, phones, make-up not less dan 20k in all, gold jewelry i was planning to change at Wuse Market (all hail the queen of procrastination), ma class notes, diary, flash drives, camera, memory cards (with all my grad pics).. and money (luckily i had made most of the payments i needed t)..u name it they were all in dat bag.My friend gave me cash to bus home..but i v gotten over the loss and yesterday i retrieved ma lines and blocked ma ATMs. 

In everything give thanks, i do, coulda been worse, i coulda been shot, on top bag; i know God will replace all i lost with even better things. My mum sed its 'cos December is around the corner, thieves are now more desperate, 'bout two weeks ago my friends phone was stolen from her bag while we were at the bus stop about to go to the redemption camp in Keffi; guess we gotta be more careful b4 they steal us in their desperation. I'm in a better mood now and getting over the theft of ma bag and the items in it, the most painful was my diary and memory cards with my pics funny enough. God dey...i have learnt from this experience, would never have guessed Abuja would be the place for me t get robbed and in the streets for that matter.