Elephant in the room

On a good note, I finally have my laptop back so posting blogs should be a whole lot easier...and hopefully less grammatical mistakes and if there are still that many mistakes then I guess my English is not as great as I thought..Ohh well. I am not one to normally dabble in politics. Yes, I do enjoy political debates and discussions, but I don't often follow politics with much dedication as others but there are a few topics I do find interest in, and that's human rights. If I ever planned to pursue my law education further, I may actually consider specializing in human rights law. I consider myself an activist, however not necessarily the activist who "actively" takes part in any demonstrations, political rallies or protest. I usually try to show my activism, through the charities I support or my vocal contributions to the injustices in the world through social media. However in most cases, I cant really relate on a personal bases on a lot of the issues out there. I can sympathize and try to understand what most of the people suffering are going though but I cant necessarily relate. One area I do relate to is the issue of race. A topic I can relate to on a personal bases because I do fall under the category of minority. Race in these parts of the world is often times considered taboo. Often times the minute you bring up the word "race" people are ready to put a garlic chain around their neck and flash a crucifix in your face because its taboo and wrong to discuss race openly and freely without any repercussions. The only reason I can think of why this topic is taboo in these parts of the world is because people don't believe racism exist. In one of my human rights honour classes in University, we did bring up the topic of race once and one guy-white guy was quick to say, racism does not exist in Canada. And although I do not blame him for thinking that because, honestly I wouldn't consider him a racist and he probably doesn't associate with anyone who is racist, he was ignorant. Of course he doesn't experience racism so why would he be in the know of whats plaguing at least 30% of the population? But really when people think of racism, they immediately think of blatant discrimination and abuse of a minority group. They do not really associate anything outside of blatant racism as racism. Of course I was quick to correct him of that notion and he did go head to head with me until I guess he clued into the fact that I indeed was black(although I find it hard for him not to notice) and that I may know what I am talking about because...well I experience it quite a bit. What I did notice that people often feel that as long as someone is no longer referring to black people as the n words, there is no longer racism, although with the wake of Paula Dean and my sister who recently was referred as the N words on the streets of Toronto, racism no longer exist People think that because of Martin Luther Kings eloquent speech over 40 years ago, racism does not exist because people are no longer judged based on the colour of their skin but the content of their character, although, everyday when a black person enters a store today, there is a sales associate who follows them around the store till they walk out, racism doesn't exist Or maybe its the fact that you see a greater representation of minorities in the work place so racism doesn't exist, but what they don't realize is, the fact that that black person was only hired because often times, there is a "quota" to fill so they had to be brought in the work place and often times have to work 10times harder than the average employee to prove that they are not the stereotypical "lazy" black man/woman or even if they are hired for their abilities, they often times are looked at 10 times more critically than their fellow employees, or are addressed with less respect because of their skin colour and not their actual character Or racism doesn't exist because the law has been set in place to prosecute anyone who breaks the law regardless of who they are yet, the rate of black people in jail today far exceeds the number of any other race because often times black people are charged a lot more for crimes that their non black counterparts walk free from. Or in the case of Trayvon Martin where a man can easily walk away free from killing an unarmed black man but if tables were turned, Trayvon would be in jail. Yes the law was applied here but who are we kidding, the outcome was only what it was because of who the defendant was and the victim was. So yes race is taboo and people do not like discussing it because sometimes ignoring the issue will help it go away, But until we actually address the issue of race, we will never reach a place where there will be true equality in the world. Granted we may never have true equality considering women are still paid less for equal work, and in the case of Aboriginals in Canada, they will continue to be discriminated against because of who they are, although they are the true owners of this land we call home. So lets not fear discussing the elephant in the room because lets be real, there is an elephant in the room which is really hard to ignore.

The joys of 30

I didnt have a chance to blog about my feelings about turning 30 so I have decided to blog about my experiences as a 30 year old and what I have learned so far as I am fast approaching 31. First of all, turning 30 was scary for me. I was extremely fearful of turning 30. Mostly because I had set some pretty extensive goals for myself and I hadnt achieved them yet. Also, 30 sounded so old! Knowing I was officially an adult at that point and that I no longer could use the "I am too young" defence was creepy. I was worried that I just wouldnt make the cut as a 30 year old and I would fail miserably. I mean I know there is no checklist or expectations per say that one must follow as a 30 year old but it just seemed so "adult" and I wasnt ready to grow up. However, as the time drew near, and I was watching all my friends turn 30, I got excited. I stopped taking a pessimistic approach to 30 and started looking at all the greatness that comes with growing older. Over the past 10 months I have gone through several experiences that I believe came with being older and "wiser" so I am going to go through a few. 1. I learned to careless. I know that sounds bad but what I mean is, I dont sweat the small stuff. I understand some things are beyond my power so what I can change I will and what I cant I just let go and hope for the best. 2. Putting me first. What I mean by this is, as much as everyone matters, I have to focus on me first before I worry about others. Which may mean, not spending late nights at work but making sure I can get out on time to hit the gym, Or making sure I do what matters to me first before I take on other responsibilities. I understand that I cant be the best me if I always put myself last. In order to be the best me,I need to do whats best for me so I can be the best for others. 3.Being more vocal. Those who know me, know I can be a bit loud at times but what I mean is speaking up when I know something is not right, expressing my feelings when someone has hurt me and not keeping it in. 4. Good men dont come in one package. I wont lie, I have-had a type. I wasnt very open minded when it came to men. Although I liked to believe I was open minded I really wasnt because I always fell for the same type but turning 30(yes it took me that long) Made me realise that a good man doesnt come in a particular package. Yes I have my expectations or my "list" for lack of a better word but I have learnt to tweak that list to be more realistic and feasible. Yes there are some things I will not compromise on, such as religion, respect, loyalty and trust but I realise now that a good men are in all races, heights, sizes, careers, educational background and ethnicity. Just like there are bad men in all races, sizes,heights, etc. 5.Health is vital. As we get older, our parents get older, and unfortunately I have seen soo many friends lose their parents. Granted we cannot determine when our time to meet our maker will come but if there is one thing we can control is our own health. Learning to eat properly and healthy is vital, Making sure we get enough exercise for our physical and mental health is vital. Remembering that whatever we do now at this age will show when we are 50. So it has become my life mantra to exercise and eat well to ensure that when I am 50 I am in the best shape of my life. Plus exercises has changed how I feel mentally. I am sharper, clearer and happier. 6. Learning to let go. My cousin told me once that I kept opening a door that was closed. I wont lie I was. I am the type of person that I have a problem letting go of relationships...whether its friendship or love. I feel by letting go it means I have failed as a friend and I didnt do my best to keep it going. Thats completely untrue. As the saying goes, some people come into your life for a season, reason and a lifetime. What I have learnt to do is, accepting that the persons time is done in my life and learning from the relationship to ensure I dont repeat the same mistakes but taking with me the wonderful memories we shared. 7.Learning to have fun. At 30, it was almost like I gave myself the license to have fun. I dont have to answer to anyone but my God so I dont feel that anxiety I used to feel when I made decisions to have fun because subconsciously I felt too young or I was concerned about what my parents would think if they saw me do what I do. NOt to say I am doing anything illegal or anything my parents wont be happy with but being 30 made me realise I can do whatever I want and not have to worry about who cares. 8.Feeling sexy. 30 is sexy! Plain and simple 9.Family is all I have. I have some great friends that fall more into the family category than friend category but I have always been family oriented so no change there but as you grow older you realise that if you dont have a strong family unit, you can fall. So making sure I have a wonderful family in my corner definitely keeps me grounded and focused. 10. Life is not a race. I often felt the unaccomplished because I would look around me and notice that everyone around me seemed settled at 30. Great careers, good money, beautiful marriages and nice homes and I am not even close to having any of that. However, what I have learned is, life is not a race. Granted I am not where I want to be, but I am exactly where I need to be. AS long as I stay on track and I keep pushing my time will come but while I wait, I am definitely going to enjoy the ride. So although 31 is fast approaching and the reality of being in my 30s is sinking in, the lessons I have learned and continue to learn are definitely helping me to feel more at ease with my journey. The joys of turning 30...31

Traditionalist

*Disclaimer* As my laptop is out of commission all my posts are being typed on my touch screen phone. Please ignore all grammatical errors and spelling mistakes as editting is a bitch on this device. Thanks Contrary to the subject of this post,I am the complete oppossite. I am not your typical African raised woman that believes the womans role is in the kitchen and she must cater hand and foot to her man and the man is the king of thecastle and everyone must answer to him crap. Don't get me wrong, I do think cooking, cleaning and playing house isessential to anyone not just to the woman but I believe relationships are an equal partnership. You cook, I clean type of situation. Yes there are times where the woman may need to be a bit more traditional in her role but all in all it should be a partnership. However this post is not about deciding on which role each person should play so let me get into it. What I have noticed is who women have become. To some extent and I dont mean in all cases but women have become sex objects. Okay! Okay! No news there. We have always been classified as sex objects since before time but what I am talking about is the whole idea that women no longer respect themselves. What I am getting at is this. Being a good girl leaves you single. What one woman refuses to do, 20 women will do without blinking an eye. I am not talkjng specifically about sexual acts but the whole idea that there is no longer the notion of men having to work to get t. Good. I am not ashamed to admit I have tried online dating. Granted I never met anyone I felt was worthy of meeting in person because the few conversations we had was enough to tell me it would be a waste of my time but the stories I heard from some of the men gave me enough to believe women "done changed" Granted the game has always been the survival of the fittest. If you are willing to do it all and fight to the end, chances are you win the prize. Anyone who decides to bail out in the early on set because they just dont have the drive, motivation, or the personality to keep going will obviously walk away empty handed. I get that. I totally do, however this policy should apply to game shows, fitness challenges, even promotions at work but it should not be applied to relationships. I do not understand why women feel the need to cheapen themselves to be able to catch a man. Okay so maybe here is where my traditional way of thinking comes to play. Dont get me wrong, I am not a prude in any sense of the word. I am fairly liberal when it comes to peoples dealing with sex... I have no qualms talking about it openly and making crude and crass jokes with my friends about it, but I am a lady and I am classy and most importantly I respect myself and there are some things I refuse to to indulge in on the onset of any relationship and when I mean relationship I mean the initial meeting of a man. Granted I have fun and I can be flirty and some times I may go a bit further than I may want to, but it has always backfired and thats where I decided that, I am not going to compromise my own good values for the sake of roping in any man. Being a good girl may not pay but being a bad girl can definitely have its negative consequences. Problem here is, too few many, too many women. Men have options, Maybe that may be exclusive to my age group and I would like to hear what other generations think but with men having options, means some women will do anything and everything to make sure they get what they want. Often times, the woman may not know what she wants but the need to feel wanted and needed may force her to be someone she isnt...The women who refuse to compromise themselves for a man always lose out in the end. Its a shame but its the truth. Dont get me wrong, I think there is nothing wrong with a woman who is liberated when it comes to her feelings towards sex. If you think you can maintain casual relationships with various people then more power to you, but do you really have to be that person to get what you want? I know some men will bash me for this post because I am pretty much telling girls to try to keep their legs closed as long as they can. At least till they establish some sort of repetoire with the guy. I may be wrong, it may not always be the case but to be more clear on what I am saying is, Dont try to be something you are not just because you think its the only way you can find someone. Ultimately be yourself! A man will want you for who you are not what you can give him, and if he thinks you need to give him something to keep him around I can gaurantee you, that he will walk away even when you give it to him. A friend once told me that a man knows exactly what he wants from you when he meets you, so it doesnt really matter what you do or say, he will stick around if he recognizes you are what he wants so why change to suit him. I guess this is where I am a tradtionalist. I still believe that you should establish something with someone before you go in or at least let him get to know you better and you him before you dive a deeper, and if he walks away because you held back then good by to him. At the end of the day be yourself and understand that whatever you decide, its your decision not yours.

The trials of transformation

For those who know me, I have been overweight pretty much my whole life. There was that period between baby to 7 and 15 to 17 when I wasnt in the overweight category but outside of that I have always been heavy. After years of several unsuccessful diets and weight loss attempts it took turning 30 for the weight to start to fall off. Dont get it twisted, there is no miracle at 30 that aids in weight loss but rather mindset change and education. I am no where near my goal weight and I might take me another year to get there but I am getting there. It would be easy to blog about what I did, the exercises I went through and the food I had to eat to help me lose the weight and that blog will come later but I think what really helped me was changing my mindset about losing weight and I'll get into that in much detail. I think what really made the difference was when I stopped trying to lose weight for others and made the decision to lose it for myself. No of course u cannot lose weight for others when you are the only one who reaps the benbenefits but I am here to tell you that yes you can lose for other and this is how: Allowing others to tell you how you should look, what you should eat and what you should wear. No I am not talking about the media (although they play a huge part in it all) but friends, family, colleagues, your doctors and even your neighbours. They all have an opinion on your need to lose weight and you often do it to either shut them up or to gain their acceptance. Either way if you are not doing it for you, you will fail. When I made the decision to lose weight it wasn't because everyone around me thought it was a good idea, it was because I thought it was a good idea. My need to lose weight was no longer fueled by my need to have a hot guy notice me, Nor was it fueled by being able to wear a smaller size (although thats a pretty awesome desire) but i knew that losing weight was what i needed to do to become a better me; mentally and physically. Now the journey is hard and its long but the rewards are worth it. However, the first step to losing weight is changing how you view yourself. The first part is loving yourself the way you are now but recognizing you can be better. I say this because if you dont learn to lovr yourself as you are now, when the weight comes off you only focus on the parts that still need work and not appreciating the success. And when you dont appreciate thr positive change you will never be happy with the end results I think the next big step is being open minded. There are many changes you will make during this process. You are going to change how you eat, change who you surround yourself with (some people want to see you fail) and even change how you work out so if you are resistant and close minded to the process, you will not change. Granted not every method will work for you but you cant knock it till you try it. Unless its unbelievably ridiculous (like eating crap all day but thinking shaking some powder on your food will make you lose weight) You have to trust the process. Remember one pound weight loss is huge. Dont diminish how great that is. Its one less pound you have to lose. Plus as long as you keep going its going to come off you may need to tweak stuff as you go to make sure you keep losing but it will come off. Dont lose hope. Patience is key. You did not gain weight over night so you will not lose it over night. It does get frustrating because you want to see the changes now. However nothing great happens that quickly. Ask anyome who has achieved greatness in any field. They will tell you. It took them forrever to get to where they are and they are still climbing so if you expect speedy results then dont expect them to last. I am going to use a bad analogy but bare with me. A drug addict will tell you the effect of any drug is quick however it doesnt last and thats why they keep shooting up. So you should be patient and it will happen. Remember, everyones body is different. What works for you may not work for them and vice versa. So do whats best for you and dont compare your progress to others. Some may lose quicker than you, others slower but that doesnt mean you wont lose. Celebrate your success and that of others and you will be happy Accept the compliments. You may not always see the change because you are used to seeing yourself heavy. So when so When someone acknowledges you transformation thank them and dont point out the problem areas(something I had to promise my friend I would stop doing because I kept tearing myseld up for the areas I was struggling with). You are doing great and thats whats awesome. Do your research. Learn about your food and how it affects you, learn about the exercises uou are doing snd how they can and cant benefit you and dont forget to ask for help from professionals and friends when you need it. Its a lifestyle change. Something you have never done before so you need all the help you need. Finally ask God for guidance, self control and appreciation. It will happe Its not easy, its long and frustrating but its rewardig so believe and it will happe

Jaded

Best way to describe me. Innocent, sweet and forgiving. Probably what most of my loved one love about me. I mean really I had no reason to be anything but by what describes me but of late, the words cold bitch comes to mind when you think about me. Nothing to be proud of and quite frankly the reason for this post but thats just who I have become. I am usually the first person to tell someone to let an upsetting situation go and not let it define them. The girlfriend who is first to tell her girlfriends to forgive their boyfriend for the wrong he did because he is human and he is bound to make mistakes and most often the response I get is " I wish I was as forgiving as you" but of lateI cant help but feel a lot less forgiving and I am often allowing the actions of others define my behaviour. Too mmany years of being taken advantaged of, underappreciation, one sided friendships and asshole men has contributed . Turning into that cold hearted bitch. I love to believe there is good in everyone and with a love and support you can bring the best in everyone but I am beginning to think I have been blind and naive all along and that people are inherently bad. My once open gates to my. Heart is now closed and the brick wall is being built in front of it. I always loved too hard, fought too long for what was not meant to be and forgave those who should not be forgiven too easily and all its left me with was hurt and pain. I feel like each time I let someone in, they would walk away with a part of me and I have nothing left to give. I have lost hope in love and happines and I almost want to accept love is not in the cards for me. I let them in and they walk out without even caring how their departure has left me empty and cold and not even caring about who they have turned me to. I do want to be that optimistic, loving person I used to be and I do want to believe all it takes is one person to return my faith but aftet so much hurt and pain I wonder if that person still exist or if she is ever coming back. Quite frankly I dont even know if I should let her come back. I just dont think I can handle it. I am way too jaded to change.

Small Pleasures

As I got off work and was walking to catch my train a thought crossed my mind about what gives me joy and it sparked my curiousity on the stuff that bring me small joys in my daily life. The list is not complete and its in no particular order but its a good way to show how blessed Iam/ you are. 1. My tightest pants, falling off my butt because of weight loss 2. Posting your picture on facebook and generating a ton of likes 3. An email from your girlfriend(female friend) that makes you laugh hysterically 4.Recognition from my boss for a job well done or short email from the client saying "thank you very much" 5.Gossiping with a friend about reality tv 6.A compliment even when I am not feeling my best 7. Leave work early and being able to make it to the gym 8.Working out 9.Hanging with my little sister(volunteering with big brother big sister) 10.Experimenting in the kitchen and succeeding 11.Cake/cupcakes/muffins 12.Dinner with my girls 13.A hot flirty waiter 14.A hot flirty man 15.Mommy calling even if we spend the time arguing 16. Daddy actually having a discussion with me that is not regarding politcs, work or the economy(believe those convos are few) 17. Emailing the twinnie about anything and everything. 18. My brother and I joking around(trust those are few) 19.Listening to a song on repeat and then hearing it on the radio seconds later 20.The birth of my nieces and nephews 21. Their smiles and excitement when they see/hear from me 22. The old school hip hop radio mix during rush hour 23.Music 24 Laughing so hard my abs hurt 25. The feeling of freshly washed hair 26. A good salad 27.Having my cute male hairdresser run his fingers through my hair(he is straight) 28.My friends successful love life 29.Seeing that cutie I've been checking on the bus 30.A hot bus driver 31.Salsa dancing 32. Being remembered 33. Flowers 34.Driving on the high way and bumping to my favourite song 35. Driving around town with my friends 36.Airports 37.The anticipation of waiting for a long awaited trip 38.Travelling 39. A good dream 40. A hot shower on a cold day 41 Freshly washed pjs 42. Freshly shaved legs 43. A soft warm bed 44. Anticipation of going to bed 45.Going to bed 46.Making my friends laugh 47. Spending time with the family 48. A good breakfast 49.Finding the perfect pair of shoes 50. Sexy earrings 51. Waking up at 3am and glad I still have 3 hours of sleep to go. 52. Feeling full 53.Flirting 54 smiling 55.Summer 56.The DMV(DC MD VA) 57.Leaving the gym 58.Anything Mariah Carey 59.The bus showing up just as I get to the bus stop 60. A warm sunny day in October 61.Reality Tv. 62.Finally getting over the guy I thought I couldnt live life without. 63. A good movie 64. My kobo fox 65. Cracking jokes. 66. Thursday night TV 67.50 Shades of Grey 68. My Bed 69.Peanut butter 70.Ice cream

I am not my hair

11pm at night and I am exhausted. I just got home from a work event that involved running about 10k and solving impossible clues and all I can think about is the fact that waking up tomorrow morning is going to be more painful than running 10k. However as tired as I am, the inspiration I had today is too exciting to keep to myself so tired or not I must blog. What inspired me the most today was the fact that one of my team members in our "challenge" was one of the execs at the company I work for. What inspired me the most about this exec is the fact that she is young, black, female with dreads! Now I know we are in 2012 and America actually had a black president so black female executives are not as scarce as they used to be but I am pretty sure executives with dreadlocks or natural hair are still pretty rare! The company I work for is a pretty well known multinational with many affiliations with different groups such as some very famous soccer teams so to see someone at such a top level with natural hair is inspiring. I know that times are changing and natural hair is more accepted than it used to be even 10 years ago but the fact that the corporate world is beginning to realize that we as black women are not are hair is amazing. Ultimately it is what's in our head that really matters and not what on it that counts. Now I know when it comes to natural hair some of the people who probably speak against it the most are black women as they don't believe it looks professional, or its too hard to maintain or we are just not attractive with it but to shun what was naturally given to us by God because the previous standards that were set have still not been broken all the way is sad. Don't get me wrong, transition to natural hair is a very long and at times a difficult process and it takes a lot of patience, dedication and self motivation to keep at it but its still a very beautiful look and gradually a change that will have u wondering why you didn't do it sooner. So all I really want to say here is this. We are not our hair. The fact that a person can be judged based on what grows on their head is ridiculous. All that really matters is what comes out of the head. So whether you are the cashier at McDonald or you are the CEO of a top 500 company. You are not your hair. Focus on proving to people you are worthy by what comes out your mouth or your hair and take the emphasis off your hair. As a 7-8 year veteran of natural hair I can only say my hair has never determined my abilities and that as I keep rising to the top, just know it will be me who gets me there and my hard work not my afro puff I rock proudly to work everyday.