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Saturday, August 30, 2014

Nomination: The Sunflower Blogger Award



I woke up Thursday morning and like I usually do, I checked all my messages, emails and social media TL's. I came across Detuke's post, on her new blog, where she speaks about being nominated for The Sunflower Blogger Award. At the end of her post I see that TheUnspokenWords93 was nominated as well! Isn't that amazing? I am incredibly humbled.  

So thank you Detuke for the nomination, it means a lot that you thought about my blog. 

The Rules for the Competition are as follows: 

1. Share 11 facts about yourself
2. Answer the questions set by the blogger that nominated you
3. Nominate 11 bloggers
4. Set 7 questions for nominated bloggers

So here we go! #11ThingsAboutGeorgie


1. Hi, my name is Georgette Monnou and I was born in Lagos. No, my surname is not pronounced or written as Monu because my dad is from Benin Republic. My mother Linda, is both French and Nigerian! "#Intanasional huh?" *laughs* 

2. I have lived in many countries: Benin Republic, Senegal, Nigeria, Togo and London! I love the fact that I have friends from all over the world. The fact that I have been raised everywhere is why my best friend says, "Georgette can speak to virtually anybody! If Georgette was to speak to a dead body, the dead body will respond!" I would like to think of myself as approachable and friendly, (I hope). 


3. People wonder why my handle on Instagram and Twitter is: gum_101. My initials are GUM, because my middle name is Uche! 101 was a childhood thing that just stuck! *embarrassed face* 


4. I realised recently that I have been a relationship commitment phobe for many years. I thank God for self discovery and change! 
5. I love music, I mean all kinds: Jazz, Latin, RnB, Afrobeats and soft Rock. I ran away from Techno for many years but Avicii and David Guetta have converted me - slowly. My favourite song at the moment is an Oldie - What Now by Rihanna, and Korede Bello's - Cold Outside, it's a Tune! 





 

6. I love pictures, they really do capture a moment, a memory.  I also enjoy taking #CelfiĆ©s








7.  I have been dancing salsa and the electric slide ever since I could remember. My mum would listen to Santana (I love him) and would salsa across the living room. I would watch her and sometimes join her. Once I got the hang of it, I would choreograph routines that my sister, her friends, and I would perform at our family Christmas do's or when my mothers friends would come over to jist. The electric slide on the other hand was tradition! Mum said to me, "you cannot not know how to Electric Slide Gigi, it's ludicrous!" So I learnt the electric slide and enjoyed dancing it at every family party we had, including my 21st Birthday Party in July. 




8. I can speak French fluently. It's amazing being able to speak another language and connect with a wide range of people. I am currently learning Spanish, something about Spanish is so alluring. 

9.  I taught myself how to play the guitar. I have been playing for almost two years. One of these days I might post a video up.

10. I hosted my own radio show #RealTalkwithGeorgie for a while. However, during my final year of University, it became too hard to keep posting. It will be back up and running soon as I explained here - promise.  

11. I love acting, it is my true passion, it honestly makes me the happiest. Being able to bring written prose to life is so satisfying. I have been acting in school plays ever since I was five - there are pictures as proof! If I could be an actress working in Tinsel or the equivalent of Jacobs Cross or by some act of God work in a Hollywood production, I would be complete. Baba God I leave it to you oh! The closest bet at the moment is being involved in Broadcast journalism in Nigeria - TV, Radio etc. (Thats the dream) 

12. I love writing, it became a habit throughout University, me being inspired by something and then conjuring up a poem or a written piece. I also write scripts, in fact so many of my stories have been described as descriptive scripts. I don't know how to explain it, when I write I can visualise the characters on the screen or on the stage, so in a way my love for movies (I am a huge movie buff) and acting flows into my writing. Maybe I'll be a famous scriptwriter one day.*

Questions Detuke asked me!  


1. If you could represent any brand, which one would you choose and why?

I would say either Clinique or Maybelline. I started using Clinique when I was 17. Their products have kept my face smooth, moisturised, toned and reasonably pimple free. When people compliment my skin, nah Clinque oh! I even managed to convince some of my girlfriends to start using it. Maybelline because there is nothing else like it. I use a lot of their makeup products: foundation, eyeliner and lipstick and I love it! 



NoMakeupCelfiƩ

2. What's one interesting thing you've learnt about me from reading my blog?
I had no idea you were afraid of Chickens, thats hilarious! Also, I love how you have the hookup to so many cool events in Lagos and that you choose wear Ankara in such creative ways. 

3. Do you have a phobia?
I do not have a phobia per say, but I stay away from horror movies, I hate bugs especially roaches, and I really get turned off by obnoxious people. 

4. If you were offered an all-expenses paid trip to anywhere in the World, where would you go and why?
Bora Bora or Thailand. I love being by the beach and listening to the waves crash on the sand. Ever since watching The Bachelor  where the contestants went to Bora Bora as their final destination before the big proposal, I knew I had to go there, it was so beautiful. Thailand because I have never been to the far East and people that have gone have had such an amazing time, with incredible self-discovery stories and mind-blowing pictures. 
Thailand

Thailand

Bora Bora

Bora Bora

5. What is your greatest achievement/What is that something you've achieved that you are most proud of?
At the age of 17 at Woldingham School I became the first African and new student in the 6th Form to ever become House Captain. As a prefect I had the general responsibilities: organising school assemblies, attending meetings with the administration staff to speak about currents events etc. However, being House Captain meant that you were uniquely in charge of some 200+ students, being their support unit amongst other things. I loved it, and I was so honoured the school entrusted me with such a role. 
In terms of personal development, I am so happy I decided to learn to play the guitar. It was incredibly hard at first but I feel so blessed. Playing the guitar has given me peace and the ability to find another way to express myself.  Also, I am Googlable! The day I found out, I almost passed out! 

6. What is your dream job/career? 
Working in Broadcast Journalism. Connecting with people via music on the Radio, or on TV, by interviewing key figures. Or like I said earlier, acting on TV! 

7. What is your favourite post on my blog and why?
The Ankara Inspired post. I loved the pictures that Linguini took of you! It showed different facets of your dramatic personality. 


Questions I set! 

1. What is the best post you have read on my blog and why? (If you have featured as a Guest Writer on my blog, you cannot choose your own post)
2. Why did you start your blog?
3. If you were asked to replay a certain moment in your life which would it be?
4. What do your parents call you at home?
5. Who is your celebrity crush and why?
6. What is your dream holiday destination?
7. If you were asked to represent one brand, which would it be and why? 



Tuesday, August 26, 2014

RealTalk: What Is At The Center of Your Life?





I have been asking myself that question recently. With my first degree over and a range of life changing decisions to make, this is the most important question to answer. Anyone who is close to me will probably tell you that I always overthink and analyze everything, from which route to take to University in the morning, how many drinks to serve at a party, to what career choice I should make. Most times, those that counsel me: friends, family, colleagues or complete strangers, soon realise that a lot of what they ask me to think about, I already have – in detail. However, the fact that I have others speaking to me about the problems I face puts things in perspective, which is always useful.

Unfortunately, due to my need to over analyse, I sometimes forget who is at the center of my life - God. 



He has seen me through the hardest points in my life by placing the right people in my path to help me, console me, advise me or cry with me. For that, I am eternally grateful. There are also opportunities that have come my way through no hustle on my part or parent’s connections. Rather through me being myself, and God touching people’s hearts to give me the opportunity to learn and listen to their advice.


In a world that is so full of negativity, constant badgering from the haters and other distractions, remember to seek refuge in His love. I do not mean that in a grandiose way, but rather, do not forget to pray, abandon your stress and worries, and have faith.


I know that letting go is sometimes the hardest choice that we have to make. I dare you to try it.

Have a good week!



#celfieoff!

Friday, August 22, 2014

RealTalk: True Happiness

Are you truly happy?




The problem with love and happiness is that they are purely subjective concepts. You are really the only one that can truly decide for yourself if you are happy. However, no man is an island. The people who surround you will choose to comment and cast judgment on whether they think you are happy and because we all define happiness differently, your idea of happiness might never amount to what they feel it should.

However, do you choose to entertain their judgments, or do you choose to shrug it off? As much as we try to pretend that the opinions of those that matter to us, or those of complete stranger’s, they do. They permeate our subconscious and force us to challenge our perceptions of happiness even if it shouldn’t. We ask ourselves are we happy?  Are we truly happy, comparing our definition to theirs.

All humans are different and want completely different things.  What I might believe makes me happy might not make any sense to you but then again why should it matter seeing as at the end of the day, my definition is what really matters.

The problem however, will be if you are not happy, and are simply coasting through life, convincing yourself of your happiness. If you find that you keep telling yourself constantly that you are happy in order to recalibrate, then you are probably not okay. What people’s opinions do, is force you to reconsider your life, relationships and career choices and potentially remove yourself from an unhappy situation. That cannot be so much of a bad thing. 


What do you think? 

Pharell - Happy (I love this song!)

Wednesday, August 20, 2014

Album Review: Whispers




So my favorite band at the moment is The Passenger. I am sure most of you know the song ‘Let it Go,’ (it was last summer’s anthem). 


This summer however, the band released their new album Whispers in June. I ran into it by mistake on the plane yesterday. I was exhausted, I hadn’t had much sleep, and I didn’t want to watch a movie. Knowing how good their last album was All the Little Lights, I started to listen. Right from the very beginning, (‘Coins in A Fountain’) and I couldn’t stop. I kid you not; the album was on replay for three hours! Excessive? Slightly, but I couldn’t help it, it just captivated me.

What I love about the Passenger is their rich Indie sound. In Whispers, I found Michael Rosenberg’s voice to be full of contradictions - smooth yet coarse, soft yet present, and the use of string and percussion instruments were beyond beautiful. I don’t know about you, but for me there are always a couple of songs that always stand out in an album. This time it was ‘Whispers, Riding to New York and Coins in a Fountain.’ 





To be honest if you start listening from ‘Rolling Stone’ till the very end, the combination of all the songs is just...

It took me away to some kind of emotional abandon.

Themes in this album range from love to cancer, self-doubt, to freedom.



Check it out, it is definitely worth a listen.