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- Jan 20, 12
This is easily the best Occupy Nigeria related video I've seen all year.
The minister's people were just looking smugly on as if to say, well at least I can go back to my mansion. No conscience at all.
Nigerians are getting bolder about standing up to our corrupt government. This is necessary for every democracy to thrive.
The Nigerian police could learn a lot of lessons from the behaviour of the New York Police officers that were called to the scene.
Prism and Adura Ojo have been amazing blogging about the Occupy Nigeria movement.
Occupy all day ...... for as long as it takes. - Jan 18, 12
Right after the new year I suffered from major blogging fatigue. (Or more likely In spite of everything that went on in the past two weeks, I felt like I had nothing to blog about.
The NLC strike is over but by all rights the Occupy Nigeria protests should have continued but for GEJ getting his panties in a twist and trying to accuse pissed off Nigerians of treason for daring to criticize him in a democratic country whose constitution supposedly guarantees free speech.
Obviously in his mind peaceful protests are a threat to national security (this is because an unstable terrorist group bent on forcing the entire population to convert to Islam and adopt a draconian, stone age barbaric legal system (sharia) that has murdered thousands of people in the last two years is obviously NOT a threat to national security)
Oh and police who beat up and then shoot unarmed citizens that they are meant to be protecting are NOT a threat to national security either.
Removing a fuel subsidy in order to save money when you haven't asked yourself if you REALLY need ten personal assistants and fourteen special assistants, and three million dollars for FOOD ( by the way Mr. President, what the FUCK are you eating?) is another bright idea from the recesses of our President's obviously ever active mind.
Sha sha, no condition is permanent.
Welcome to the year of the Dragon. - Jan 02, 12Who are the people in your neighbourhood? If you live in Nigeria, you probably run into all sorts of characters on a daily basis. Of course, where you live and what your social status is influence the type of crowd you run with, but regardless of where you've been and who you are, if you live or are in Nigeria, sooner or later, you will run into all of the following people.3. The Ajepako Pastor ( religiosium hungrius )General Characteristics: Instantly identifiable by his 'jump-up' trousers, over long tie, and 'I swear to God' shoes, the Ajepako pastor always has a battered Bible in hand and is covered in sweat from jumping up and down to get the gospel across and call down Holy Ghost Fire on the never-ending swarm of ‘enemies’ that every Nigerian Christian is guaranteed to have.
Forget flashy cars, and private jets, the Ajepako Pastor’s message is one of righteous suffering. The rich are evil, the poor are good, and never mind that you’re dying of malaria, one day God go make you bigger. The only thing the Ajepako Pastor has in common with his more successful and well fed cousin (The Ajebutter Pastor) is their unified belief that miracles happen on the daily. Got a new job? It’s a miracle! Marriage proposal? It’s a miracle! Broke your leg? Don't worry, that’s a miracle too.
The Gospel might be known as ‘The Good News’ but strangely enough the Ajepako Pastor almost never bears any good news. Blessed with an acute ability to see witches, wizards, curses, and of course, ENEMIES hovering over just about ANYBODY, the Ajepako Pastor is forever binding and casting and conquering, usually with questionable results. Pity he rarely succeeds in conquering his arch enemy: hunger.
9 out of 10 Ajepako Pastors are skinny to an unfortunate degree.Natural Habitat: Buses - particularly Molue and interstate Luxurious Buses (especially those operated by Ekene Dili Chukwu, ABC, and Ifesinachi), Markets of all kinds, Village churches, and most curiously of all, in close proximity to MTN recharge card stations.Notable Habits: Super advanced Wizard Radar and the ability to speak ingibberish'tongues'...Natural Enemies: The Sisi Eko, The Aristo, and The Ajebutter PastorRelated to: The Ajebutter Pastor and The Johnny Just Come - Jan 01, 12On a happier note, today is the 5 Year Anniversary of this blog!!!!!!I've been blogging on Sugabelly 2.0 for FIVE YEARS non-stop. (not counting little breaks)Along the way I've made so many online friends and lots of online enemies (heh heh) and all of you have helped me grow and learn and understand myself better through my blog.364,000 + visits, 617 posts, 5633 comments, and more drama than anyone ought to have.I think that's pretty cool.So thank you. (Yes, even those of you that hate me! We're all people with flaws and I love you too ^_^ )
But thank you especially to all the friends and people that care about me that I met online and make being a blogger worth it.
You guys are awesome. - Dec 31, 11
I wish I had somewhere to go.
I have nowhere to go and so I have to stay here.
I wish I could just walk and walk and walk and keep on walking forever
But the pain in my feet, knees and heart means I don't get too far.
I got home and it wasn't there. Nowhere to live. But it stopped being home a long time ago.
I wished I had somewhere to go then too.
I think for the longest time, my safe place was my dorm room. It was just me, and I could close my door, and be alone with my thoughts. At least, for a time, it was mine.
Now I feel as if I have nothing that is my own. I'm just drifting, just floating from place to place with nowhere really to go.
Too poor to get my own place; my own space, no matter how small, really mine.
I hope one day (soon) I'll have a place to truly call my own.
Another sad start to the new year.
Hello 2012... please bring me happiness, love, and peace. - Dec 26, 11
Last night I went out with Skinny Goat and had way too much to drink. I remember arguing with somebody about something, singing off key, and Skinny Goat kissing me a lot.
That's all I remember, but according to him that's the least of all the things I did that night so I'm sort of not looking forward to entertaining conspiratorial looks from him.
Hopefully I didn't do anything too embarrassing.
Smirnoff Ice is not my friend. - Dec 19, 11It's Igbo from WaZoBia!!I'm still working on the WaZoBia web comic. For something so short, each page takes a lot of hard work! Just the first page took me a whole day to draw. It's pretty tiring but this is what I've dreamed of doing so I'm not too bothered.Here's a video of me inking some of the panels below:
- Dec 14, 11
Love is not my friend.
Not in the very least.
Needless to say, every time I have fallen in love or 'liked someone', it has inevitably ended in disaster.
After everything that happened with HL (Japanese Boy), I just wanted to be by myself. Be by myself and fly on autopilot for as long as I could.
I thought I was going to be sad forever but then here I am.
A month and a half ago, I met Yoruba Boy and every day has been hilarious ever since.
We need to find a code name for him though....
What shall we call him?
I'm suggesting Skinny Goat. a.k.a. SG*
* He once called me Fat Cow and I called him Skinny Goat, and that's where the name came from plus I think it's kinda cute. - Dec 10, 11No tears todayJust memories.Rest in Peace, Love, and Happiness
I miss you so very muchZikora OkaforMarch 6, 1989 - December 10, 2005Lover of books (especially Sabriel, Lirael, and Abhorsen), magazines, gossip and gist of all kindsAvoider of Jogging, Sanitation and Morning DutyLoyola Jesuit College Head Boy 2004/2005Beloved Friend and Partner in Crime - Dec 11, 11And here's the finished commission that I was working on from this post back here.Please visit his blog here:
- Nov 30, 11May all the children and relatives of every senator, House of Rep member, Minister, Governor, and Local Government Chairman that voted for or supported this bill be gay.In Jesus' name we prayAmen
Maybe when their own children are gay they will understand that gay people are just as human as you or me. - Nov 26, 11
We had some guests over from work, two men and a lady. And of course we brought out drinks to serve the guests. About to pour a drink for the lady, suddenly, one of the men quipped "Madam, men first!!!!".
He then went on to say " I know women only drink Fanta so give me the Coke." Completely ignoring what the lady who was offered her pick of the drinks might choose. What if she wanted the Coke?????
To say my jaw almost hit the floor is the understatement of the century. They were not my guests and it was not my house so I said absolutely nothing.
My respect for this man sitting across from me speedily zoomed to about minus fifty million percent.
Please tell me I'm not alone in wanting to slap this boor upside his head. Men first? Since when does having a penis give you the right to RUDELY override the host's chosen order of serving guests and commandeer the refreshments being offered?
What the fuck is wrong with Nigerians? Seriously, Nigerian men can you tell us because I'm sure many of us are burning with curiosity. Is there some sort of secret night meeting that Nigerian men all over the country attend where they are given mind altering drugs that fill them with humongous delusions of entitlement?
Gosh, I still can't get over my disgust.
Excuse me while I go vomit.
Men first..... wow. Just fucking wow. O_O - Nov 11, 11
Suo Beke by sugabelly
(Sorry there's some repetition. I don't know what went wrong with the soundcloud player)
Igbo:
Ndi Yanki na kpam amu.
Otue fa na asi madu suo beke na olu, i ga che na a we soso ofu asusu na obodo fa. Nonia, madu si obodo rinne ju Yanki ka aja, mana ndi ocha na su Beke akpachia anya maka fa choro itinye uche na ndi ozo na su asusu ozo.
Ewero asusu obuna ka ocheche Yanki kwe ga bu asusu obodo, mana iweta ka ndi a si a koyeli na Beke bu asusu ocheche obodo fa, na ndi ozo ga sulili ya, na fa choro isuo, ka fa si na Yankee puo, i ga eche na o we ebe fa de na i suro Beke na Yankee, a ga tunye gi na nga.
O di mkpa na ndi na su Beke na Yanki wota na oburo soso fanwa bi obodo a ebi. Na Naijeriya madu na su asusu iche iche rinne ju mana anyi na asopulu asusu onye obuna maka anyi amago na inyocha madu na asusu ya ajoka.
English:
Americans make me laugh.
The way they insist that people speak only English (especially at work ) you'd think English is the only language of America. Meanwhile, people from a lot of different countries live in America but white Americans who speak only English ignore this because they don't care about people who speak other languages.
America has no official language but you should hear them harping on about how English is America's official language, and other people must speak it, and if they don't want to then they should leave America, etc You'd think it was written somewhere that if you don't speak English in America, you'll be put in jail.
It's important for English speakers in America to understand that they're not the only ones who live in the country. In Nigeria, there are lots of people who speak all sorts of different languages, but we respect each person's language because we have come to understand how wrong it is to separate a person from their language. - Nov 08, 11A while back I did a post saying I'd answer any questions you guys had and here's what I got. I also had some questions left in my formspring inbox so I thought I'd answer them here.
1. Are you happy?Yes... mostly. I think I can honestly say now that I am generally happier and more content than I have been in a very long time.
2. Why do you put so much of your private life on your blog?
Because I blog in order to deal with my feelings and stressful situations that I can't emotionally cope with. My therapist things it's great that I have a place to process my feelings and I agree. The fact that other people / the public read my blog is one big coincidence. I primarily blog to keep from losing my mind.
3. As an illustrator would you ever consider doing children's books?
Yes I would!!! ^_^But the problem is, what if the parents stone me for drawing boobies in their children's books? I think breasts shouldn't be hidden from children but parents these days are so freaking scared of everything (not to mention under the influence of the moralistic hordes of Nigerian society), so I dunno.
4. Do you have a DeviantArt account?
Yep! http://sugabelly.deviantart.com
5. What are you looking forward to?
Paying off all my bills and being debt free!6. You're an interesting person and a very good artist, do you mind sharing on your blog about how it all started?
Thanks!! ^_^ I started blogging because I needed an outlet for my feelings and emotional / psychological issues and my mother and other people were forever trying to steal my journals so going digital at the time was the obvious way to go. Of course at first absolutely nobody read my blog (that's the way it always is) but by the time people started reading my posts, I was already going through some pretty messed up stuff and needed my blog to cope. I used to draw when I was little and I absolutely loved it, but somewhere along the line I got sucked up in the whole Expectations Placed on a Nigerian Child rubbish coupled with the fact that my mother randomly decided I was going to be a Plastic Surgeon, end of. and came to my school and made me change my subjects from Art to Physics, and Chemistry (which I have NEVER used in my adult life since, so thanks Mom!!), I just stopped drawing. I only picked it up again a year ago, and I haven't looked back since. Drawing rocks. Period.
7. What was your proudest moment?I honestly think it hasn't happened yet. Or at least I hope it hasn't.
8. If reincarnation was true, who would you like to be born as in your next lifetime?
This is so cliche, but I'd totally want to come back as me. Maybe a seriously prettier me .... with a bigger butt... and wider hips (shallow, yes I know), but as much as I've been (and still am) at odds with myself, when I like me, I think I fucking rock.
9. Without any equivocation, I often enjoy reading your blog.However, I would want you to clear the air on certain issues you mentioned in some of your posts. First, what yardsticks or benchmarks did you use to determine the best school in Nigeria?
I think if a school regularly churns out well-rounded, thinking folks who can hold a decent conversation, come up with decent ideas, and know what they're about then it's a pretty damn good school.
10. Second, don't you think educating Nigerian students about the Biafran war might re-invite hatred and bitterness that we had put behind us as a nation?
Don't you think sweeping it all under the carpet is an insult to the memory of the people who died in the Biafran war? It's extremely important to talk about the secession and the war and examine our issues as a country so that we learn from our past ignorance and start appreciating our differences as Nigerians instead of using them as a platform to launch campaigns of hatred.
11. As traditional igbo culture was a breathtakingly patriarchal one (no inheritance rights for women, primacy of the male in society etc), in focusing on courtesans and footwear are you somewhat whitewashing the oftentimes grim reality of your fore mothers?
Sorry but your information about inheritance rights for women in Igbo culture is wrong. Igbo women have always had inheritance rights. Igbo inheritance is DUAL inheritance not patrilineal inheritance. What this means is that most of what a female child inherits is from their mother and then a limited amount from their father, while most of what a male child inherits is from their father, and then a limited amount from their mother. If you think this system means women end up with less, you'd be surprised. As breadwinners of the family, Igbo women usually had an immense amount of riches to pass on to their daughters while men usually passed on land. Admittedly, there is inequality, in that women weren't getting the same number of opportunities to automatically get land as men, but land can always be bought with money, and since traditionally, Igbo women had the utmost freedom to pursue any kind of business they wanted, there was nothing stopping women from advancing economically in society. Successful women have always been well respected in Igbo society.
Also, courtesans and footwear are still part of our culture, and I think they are equally important so I like to discuss them!
12. You reject western imperialism, racism and white supremacy, yet embrace their god and religion. And as an igbo catholic your religious leader on earth was a member of the hitler youth. Do you see any contradiction in this?
The Pope isn't "my" religious leader. I'm just as likely to start cooking food because he told me to as I am to start thinking women are inferior to men. If he was a member of the hitler youth then that's his (seriously messed up) problem not mine. And I don't "embrace" anything. I was born into this religion and unfortunately once you've been exposed to something you can't unexpose yourself. Once the idea has been planted you can't get rid of it completely without doubt. This is the reason why most people don't change from their birth religion... because it's very hard to accept the new religion without an enormous amount of doubt. That being said, I am very happy for people who follow Nigerian traditional religions and I think more needs to be done to stop Nigerian discrimination against them. There's a national Mosque and a national Church in Abuja, why isn't there a national Shrine? There really needs to be at least a national Ifa Shrine and a national Odinani shrine in Abuja.
13. How come you know Igbo so well as to be able to write a blog to teach the language. Did you ever study Igbo formally apart from just speaking it at home?
I studied Igbo in school in JS1, but aside from speaking it frequently, I study the language independently.
14. In the pictures on your blog, there is aaaalways some sort of food item present in them. Just an observation lol.. Any explanations for this?
Heh heh!!! ^_^ I like Kit Kat and many other yummy things.
15. Let's go on a diet together! I need to loose weight for my retreat in Vegas next month!!!
Yay! Let's!!!
16. Is Sugabelly an artist or a graphic designer?
An artist. I'm not a graphic designer, I'm an illustrator. (And hopefully a mangaka)
17. I know this is probably a stupid question, but how did you come up with your artist's signature? Does it mean anything?
Trial and error. It means Sugabelly. And it's not a dumb question.
18. I wrote you earlier, about your pain, about my being mixed race etc. I just want to know that you are happy. You are wonderful and talented, please be happy....
Thanks for writing me! I love all the emails I get. Even the mean ones. And yes, I'm happy now, so thank you.
19. Hi I found your page while doing research on Yoruba art. Do you have any additionnal infos on the Yoruba Box you show there? Thank you for your help & kind regards Jean
Hi Jean, it's from Hamill Gallery. www.hamillgallery.com
20. Do u still keep in touch with HL? do you know if he was affected by the earthquake in japan?
Unfortunately no. I haven't spoken to him since March of this year. I called him when the earthquake happened and his parents and his grandparents are fine and as far as I know noone he knows was hurt in the quake.
21. What made you smile today?
I made the first page of my graphic novel! I'd been putting it off for ages because I was scared. But I feel happy and like I broke through a barrier that was holding me back so I'm really happy. - Nov 02, 11
Today I had a disagreement with my aunt who came to visit, and we got into an argument. Not my aunt from the last post, but my other aunt from these posts here and here four years ago.
She called me a bastard and said my mother and I will never amount to anything. Of course I told her that if I was a bastard then her children were equally bastards and many other horrid things ensued.
She then started crying and left my aunt's house for my other aunt's house.
When she called me a bastard I could have easily burst into tears but I didn't. Why? Because I've been called worse before.
In Loyola, in JS1, when asked about my family, I happily and naively told everyone that my Mom was a single parent. What ensued was relentless bullying where people called me a bastard and made cruel barbs about the fact that I lived with only my mother and my father didn't care about me. So, as you can see, this "bastard" thing has been following me around for a very long time. At the time, it hurt me terribly but I've experienced and learned many things since.
I've not only been called a bastard but a slut, stupid, a freak, ugly, fat, etc. In fact, if it's in the book, I've probably heard it once or twice, but in my twenty-two years of life on this planet, I've come to understand that the labels that other people put on you externally have nothing to do with who you are inside.
Whether my personal circumstances fit the description of the English definition of 'bastard' or not, it doesn't change the fact that I like to draw, or that I'm not good at math, that I flap my arms up and down when I'm bored, and I love McVities Shortbread and Peak milk. It doesn't remove my love of Korean historical dramas, Inuyasha, or my hatred of custard.
A rose by any other name is still a rose. The things that people call me are just that - names and labels.
I'm not going to halt my life or stop doing what I want to do because of a name that someone called me. I'm still going to try my best to achieve my dreams, I'm still going to sing badly, be Igbo, and cook terrible food.
And I'm sure as hell still going to fucking draw.
So, a person who thinks that I am going to fall down and my life will grind to a halt simply because they said so obviously doesn't know the first thing about me.
I am who I am.
Bastard and proud. - Nov 02, 11
I've decided I like doing portraits. There is something very calming and relaxing about drawing a portrait, perhaps because you have to take your time and it can't really be rushed. (Or at least, I can't rush portraits. I'm sure some really amazing artists can.)
But more importantly portraits (especially from life) and figure drawing develop your drawing and observation skills because you have to really see what's there down to the minutiae.
It's an immensely enjoyable process seeing the drawing develop and come to life bit by bit from a pair of eyes, maybe a mouth, a nose or ear here or there to a full face, head, and neck.
Unfortunately, I didn't record this one, but here's a new portrait I did.
This one is a drawing of a drawing, and only for practice. Inspired by this brilliant portrait here. - Oct 30, 11Here's a commission I'm working on.It's a not-so-serious portrait of a blogger I'm doing for his blog.I've also got a bunch of other drawings to do for him and everything's due tonight.In progressAlmost doneAnd here's a video of the process!(sorry, I forgot about the camera until I had drawn quite a bit)
Sorry the camera is so shaky. I didn't use a tripod, I was holding the camera in my left hand and drawing with my right. - Oct 27, 11
Woohoo!!! N wetago olu!!!!!!!!!
Ekene dili Chukwu! I got a new job!!!!
After graduating in May and four months of unemployment and serious nail biting, I finally have my first grown up job.
No more subsisting on one eternal bag of lentils!! And best of all, I can finally pay Suliph the $120 I owe her ... once I get paid that is. ^_^
*N wetago olu = I have (now) got a job
** Ekene dili Chukwu = Greetings (as in praise) be to Chukwu ( The Igbo supreme God - colloquially used by Igbo Christians to refer to the Christian God Yahweh ) - Oct 24, 11
Why do so many Nigerians feel the need to constantly ask others for things they know they shouldn't ask for?
I visited my aunt and while staying with her, her housekeeper asked me to give her my phone! I felt backed into a corner so I told her I was using it and then told my aunt about it. My aunt then called her and shouted at her and now I feel really guilty for telling her about it.
I keep thinking, it was just a simple phone that I don't really use and I have other better phones so why couldn't I give it to her, but at the same time, I think it was really inappropriate in the first place.
I don't know. I'm just left nursing a guilty conscience and feeling like a selfish, greedy brat.
Did I do the wrong thing?
Update: Just to clarify, she didn't ask for my phone because she NEEDED a phone - She already has one.
The phone in question that she asked me for just happens to be a nicer model than the one she has so she just wanted it.
Also, when my aunt asked her about it, she told my aunt that she asked me for it because she wanted to help me sell it. O_o.
Obviously I don't really believe that but even if that was really why she asked me for it, isn't it bizarre to just go about assuming that people want to sell their possessions (without them informing you first)? And even if they wanted to sell their possessions, why would you assume that they are incapable of selling them themselves? I mean, is she some kind of super duper sales agent that we don't know about? The explanation she gave my aunt was all kinds of faulty but I do feel bad about telling my aunt because she got yelled at and I don't want to put her job in jeopardy.
The thing is, my aunt pays her well and it's not like my aunt just pays her something random. When she came to work for my aunt, she sat at the table and my aunt let her negotiate her salary. My aunt asked her what she wanted to be paid and that's what she's paying her plus she gets a lot of freebies/bonuses/extras on top.
I wouldn't have told my aunt if I'd thought about it more but I was just really shocked/surprised by it and I was taken aback and my aunt and I are really close so I just mentioned it to her.
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Tweets
- Learning to Fly Again: Igbo.. - elumeda: Re the Igbo post. It doesn’t matter that your Mom is Igbo born and... http://t.co/izJnyvms
- The Feel Of Free: Igbo.. - pyoowata: I agree with you except for one thing. In Igbo, UNLESS STATED... http://t.co/AkjFI1Az
- The Feel Of Free: Igbo.. - sugabelly: In response to TheFeelofFree who asked how then to tell someone you... http://t.co/KzhldiP4
- MACEDONIA IPAD CASE BY JANNE KYTTANEN http://t.co/9qSbyj9t
- @aninoritse @eefeanyi so as you can see, 12k a month is just a little over two dollars a day; pretty much slave wages.
- @eefeanyi @aninoritse househelps are hard to get and easy to lose. Logically they should be able to ask for more but are too illiterate to
- @eefeanyi @aninoritse that's literally two dollars a day. If she was educated she'd have negotiated for more. Truth is, its a sellers market
- @eefeanyi @aninoritse even if it was an adult it wouldn't make it better. I know an adult househelp being paid 10k a month :-(
- @eefeanyi @aninoritse i didn't see the reply until now so i replied. I think 12k is not a wage to pay anybody no matter the perks thrown in
- @aninoritse free food and lodging justifies a pay cut but 24 hr availability and manual labour should mean an increase. 20k at least.
- @leggylegs she's the one who said it not me. N fu gi na anyi is I see you in my eye
- elumeda: Actually it doesn’t. Sorry to be an Igbo grammar nazi but your grammar is wrong. In Igbo when... http://t.co/uA6cSrHr
- @eefeanyi @aninoritse I don't know. But the pay should be commensurate to the work done. And I've been well.
- @eefeanyi @aninoritse It's not slavery if she pays that said househelp a decent salary and the girl is free to quit work with given notice
- Photo: modernemeid: http://t.co/YU73Q0CH
- @egodujour @gbemisoke sorry but i had to. That is very untrue. Lots of good God fearing people get fucked over every day in life.
- Jan 21, 12 from web Reply, Retweet, Favorite
- @IndiGeneNous lol, i just replied you. And it didn't come out wrong. My laziness is legendary so I occasionally need a prod here and there.
- @IndiGeneNous oh i had no idea. I've been on a break from blogging & i hadn't checked my email in weeks. I've got loads of emails to reply
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Posts
Afuru m gi na anya -I love you (technically)
Afuru m gi na anya m - I saw you with my eyes
That 1 letter at the end makes a huge difference.
Actually it doesn’t. Sorry to be an Igbo grammar nazi but your grammar is wrong.
In Igbo when referring to body parts, there is NO…
LOL sorry what? Okay firstly, My mother of native Igbo heritage born and bred is the one who informed me of this. Secondly, there are many ways to imply ‘i love you’ to a person, and what I stated was one CORRECT version, alongside with what you had stated. To say ‘afurum gi nanya m’ obviously the person isn’t going to think “oh yeah she saw me in her eye” that my friend, is idiotic. By stating what I said, it still gets the meaning across and still makes sense.
I think we need more of a lesson on different versions to saying something.
Re the Igbo post. It doesn’t matter that your Mom is Igbo born and bred. With all due respect to your mother, LOTS (and I mean LOADS) of Igbo people who have been speaking Igbo all their lives speak grammatically incorrect Igbo. Why? Because there is no in depth study of Igbo grammar in school like there is of English and people think that because they grew up speaking it then what they are speaking must be correct. Nothing could be further from the truth.
2. Idiomatic expressions don’t confuse people who know how to speak a language properly. If you say “Afurum gi na anya” to someone and they think you are saying “I see you in my eye” instead of “I love you” then believe me that person DOES NOT know how to speak Igbo no matter how long they’ve been “speaking it”. You don’t modify idiomatic expressions to assist other people’s ignorance and lack of proper understanding of the language, they are FIXED expressions that have meaning that are NOT related to their LITERAL meaning.
Take the following expression for example:
The nail that sticks up will be hammered down.
Does this mean I am talking about an actual nail being hammered down? No it does not.
This is a common Japanese expression and what it IMPLIES is that people who are too individual in Japanese society will face consequences until they conform to the group behaviour.
Afuru m gi na anya -I love you (technically)
Afuru m gi na anya m - I saw you with my eyes
That 1 letter at the end makes a huge difference.
Actually it doesn’t. Sorry to be an Igbo grammar nazi but your grammar is wrong.
In Igbo when referring to body…
Agree with sugabelly - there is a penchant among some to create a version of Igbo that would be unrecognizable to most native speakers. As someone who is a native speaker of English and had to study Igbo, I was quick to pick up on the fact that in Igbo, one usually drops the possessive when talking about their own body parts and I have to consciously remind myself to resist the urge to add the possessive when talking about my body parts, since I am so used to doing so in English. Perhaps, if you want to say, that you saw someone with your eyes, like when they were doing something that they deny, you could say something like, “I na-asi na ahurughi m gi? E ji m anya abuo mgbe i mere ihe a (or if you wear glasses, and wish to humorously emphasize your point, you could say, e ji m anya ano).” I defer to others on this, seeing that I still get strange looks when I attempt to speak Igbo. When I say the above out loud, it doesn’t exactly “sound” right. It’s a bit difficult for me to translate English idioms into Igbo ones. Any other thoughts?
I agree with you except for one thing.
In Igbo, UNLESS STATED OTHERWISE, THERE IS NO PLURAL / ALL NOUNS ARE ALSO PLURAL.
So you don’t say “N ji anya abuo fu gi” - this is wrong because you are adding an unnecessary counter - abuo- to a noun that is already plural (anya)
Anya = Eye, Eyes, An Eye, The Eye, The Eyes (All at once) therefore there is NO NEED to say Two eyes because it is already understood that you are speaking in the plural. (unless there is a situation in which there might be confusion, e.g. a one eyed person perhaps?)
You say - N ji anya fu gi. Or E ji m anya fu gi.
Also glasses = ugegbe
So you can say N ji ugegbe fu gi or E ji m ugegbe fu gi. (But this opens up a whole other situation because it IMPLIES that you were unable to see that person UNLESS you were wearing those glasses.)
Afuru m gi na anya -I love you (technically)
Afuru m gi na anya m - I saw you with my eyes
That 1 letter at the end makes a huge difference.
Actually it doesn’t. Sorry to be an Igbo grammar nazi but your grammar is wrong.
In Igbo when referring to body…
In response to TheFeelofFree who asked how then to tell someone you saw them with your eyes.
You say: N ji anya fu gi (LITERAL - I used (my) eyes to see you. SUPER LITERAL - I held (my) eyes and saw you)
If you speak Owerri or any Owerri-derived dialect of Igbo, you say: Ejim anya fu gi (LITERAL - (My) Eyes were used by me to see you) (SUPER LITERAL - (My) Eyes were held by me and saw you)
- Igbo..
Afuru m gi na anya -I love you (technically)
Afuru m gi na anya m - I saw you with my eyes
That 1 letter at the end makes a huge difference.
Actually it doesn’t. Sorry to be an Igbo grammar nazi but your grammar is wrong.
In Igbo when referring to body parts, there is NO NEED to indicate that the body part is yours unless there is a possible confusion with another person’s body part because it is ALWAYS assumed that a body part mentioned (unless indicated otherwise) belongs to the SPEAKER.
Therefore, to say “afuru m gi na anya m” is incorrect grammar.
The correct statement is “afuru m gi na anya” for both implications (i.e. I love you and I see/saw you with my eye).
Furthermore, to say “afuru m gi na anya” MEANS I love you is also incorrect.
Afuru m gi na anya means EXACTLY what it sounds I like - I see you in my eye.
However, “I see you in my eye” is an IDIOMATIC expression in Igbo that is understood as the speaker indicating that they love the addressed party.
In fact, the closest approximation in Igbo to the English phrase “I Love You” in sentence structure and literal meaning is “I na-asom” - (literal meaning: You Please Me … Used to express that the speaker Likes or Loves something. in this case I suppose the addition of “greatly” would be in order to demonstrate that the feeling is elevated to the level of love)
In usage compare this to the Japanese “Dai Suki” (literal meaning, Great Like - i.e. I like you greatly or on a really high level a.k.a. Love).
Sorry, but we need to stop the spread of Bad Igbo Grammar this century.
This photo was taken last month. Yes, I am “hiding” a huge 6 month pregnant belly here. But you can see how my hair has grown since my last length check.
The longest part of my hair now touches my hipbone. YAY! That was my goal. Folks can criticize my protective style, hair preservation method all they want (*whines* uuuungh you never have fun, *whines* uuuungh never flaunt your hairrrr)…
But I’ve done what I’ve set out to do. Prove that kinky hair (all hair in fact) can only be preserved or destroyed.
To reach this length with kinky hair you’ll need patience and discipline (no different than managing & saving money). This is what it means to maximize growth. Sure, everyone can grow hair, but few may maximize their results. I grow an average of 6 inches of hair a year (or 0.5” a month) And for the most part, it seems like I keep nearly all of the hair I grow.
My new goal is to simply sustain this length and fill out my ends. Sorry, hair does not grow evenly. Especially if you cut it unevenly 4 years ago like I did! The back right of my hair is about 0.5” - 1” longer than the left. So keep that in mind. Where you start is where you’ll end!
I’m proud to say that my hair still curls up at the ends and its pretty well preserved considering that it is 4.5 years old!
BLACK WOMEN CAN GROW LONG HAIR.
Gorgeous illustration. I must practise my portraiture.
blua:
Miniature S’mores maker.
Ahh I love it!
that’s so cute :’3
[‘: I want it!
omg i would love to have that.
Fancy - Suspended Bedroom by ECDM
thefancy.comfuzz407
i like the bed covers
maxmazen
When I get rich I’ll get myself one of these!
Bensalleh
Why is the tv facing out?
jgee83
Some epic drunk whipeouts will happen here for sure.
lucasdc218
begs the question how do you…
Privacy at last
- If you're Nigerian, reblog with your tumblr name. AND FOLLOW! Let's start this Numblr communuity! Lol.
EVERY. SINGLE. Japanese girl out there has BROWN nipples and BROWN labia. How do I know this? I watch a lot of Japanese porn.
EVERY. SINGLE. ANIME GIRL in Japanese porn has PINK NIPPLES and PINK labia. How do I know this? I watch a lot of hentai porn.
In Japan, there are dyes and kits on sale to “help” you PINK-en your nipples and labia.
Who in this world has predominantly pink nipples and pink labia? WHITE WOMEN.
Sugabelly
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Answered
- I know some people say "they don't live with regrets... blah blah", BUT if you could take back one thing/event that happened in your life, what would you change?I would take back the whole drama with HL. I would just rather not be fighting with anybody right now. Better amiable friends than bitter lovers.Asked by Formspring Jan 21, 11
- What is the significance of the Igbo makeup?Erm... it's the same as every other kind of make up out there? Sorry I don't get the question. Igbo makeup is meant to make women look beautiful.Asked by Formspring Jan 21, 11
- Do you have any regrets?Loads. But I can't turn back time so whatever.Asked by Formspring Jan 21, 11
- have you seen the thisday awards list? what do you think - this is my opinion nigerianwordsmith.blogspot.comI actually have not seen the thisday awards list so unfortunately I don't have an opinion on it. =( ...... Now that I think about it, this makes me sad.Asked by Formspring Jan 21, 11
- what is your opinion on virginity in women? do you think a girl who has had oral sex or anal sex but not vaginal sex is still a virgin?Nope. Sex is sex not so?Asked by Formspring Jan 21, 11
- Which do you think is more likely: Love without sex or love without money?Love without money is far more likely IMHO.Asked by Formspring Jan 21, 11
- Why dont u put up pics on ur blog?My blog has LOADS of pictures. Are you sure you have the right blogger?Asked by Formspring Jan 21, 11
- I read some of the questions...Do you ever get hurt by the comments/questions people post? Is your heart fragile?Sometimes people can be asses but that's life no? I ignore them when they're just being mean.Asked by Formspring Jan 21, 11
- oops sorry, i was tryin to search for that, placed it in the wrong box:)*shaking my head*Asked by Formspring Jan 21, 11
- there is a girl i luv but she got a boyfriendThat's really sad. I think we've all been in the same position before. Good luck with it. I hope it turns out okay for you. Who knows maybe some day in the future if she's not still with her boyfriend she might end up with you.Asked by Formspring Jan 21, 11
- where can you be contacted?I have a form on my blog where you can send me messages on the Contact Me page of my blog.Asked by Formspring Jan 21, 11
- A friend convinced me to blog my experiences and I just started. Its www.introducingade.blogspot.com What are the challenges i should expect?It's great that you're starting a blog. Good for you! Probably the biggest challenge of blogging is writing posts that speak your mind but that are still interesting enough to engage people. That, and getting through the days when you simply cannot think of anything to blog about.Asked by Formspring Jan 21, 11
- what books did/do you use to practice your drawing techniques?Actually I practise mostly by doing the drawing tutorials on DeviantArt. Just go to DeviantArt and type in tutorial and hundreds of them will come up. Besides that there are a lot of great books that I have. Draw Comics with Dick Giordano really helped me and got me started. Another great book is Incredible Comics with Tom Nguyen. Of course you want to take figure drawing classes if you can and draw from live models. If you can't take classes, just force your friends and family to pose for you. If they don't agree, tie them up in various positions, duct tape their mouths so they can't scream for help and draw them anyway.Asked by Formspring Jan 21, 11
- Please give a update on your hair. Could you show some pics, and share what products you are using?My hair is currently in braids. After the disaster last January it fell out for most of the year so I just did some deep moisturising with Carol's Daughter Hair Milk and put it in braids until it's done breaking and starts growing out healthily again. I think I took some pictures when I had it out. I'll see if I can find them and put them up.Asked by Formspring Jan 21, 11
- what espescially iterests you about artI think the fact that you can bring the ideas you see in your head to life on paper. Good art that has an interesting concept and is beautifully executed is breathtaking.Asked by Formspring Jan 21, 11
- not a question. but a comment. just want to say i discovered ur blog today and already love it. thot i was the only manga loving nigerian girl out there. plus ru work is AMAZINGLY good. u'll definitely go far in life.Thanks! I love manga and anime, especially Inuyasha, Hagane no, and Jigoku Shoujo!Asked by Formspring Jan 21, 11
- Hi Sugabelly. I have been following your blog for the past 4 months now and I must say you are trully a gifted artist and writer. I'd love to know how you started drawing bc I have always wanted to know how to, but quite can't! I am able to visually holdThank you so much. I'm glad you like my drawings. I think artistic ability is about 40% natural ability and 60% hard work. I have always been able to draw (since I was born) but for many years I didn't draw and then when I tried I found out that I couldn't. I had to relearn how to draw. It was a very painful process for me but I kept at it because I have always loved drawing more than anything else. My advice would be to get some good how to books that show how to look at the body and link all the parts together mentally. I probably will do a post soon about drawing or how to draw. Look out for it!Asked by Formspring Jan 21, 11
- Good luck! I like your posts this year - you sound so much happier! I'm so glad.Thank you!! ^_^Asked by Formspring Jan 21, 11
- Today was December 10th -5years since it all happened. I know you didn't forget. Was expecting a post from you though...I didn't forget. The post just went up.Asked by Formspring Dec 11, 10
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