Getting Peed On By Dad and Other Misadventures of March

So Arise Magazine Fashion Week happened but I had to leave early. That was pretty much the beginning of the worst month ever.

See my dad's been sick and while I was on the island with the models, designers and fashion bitches, his health got worse.

March marked a lot of firsts. I stayed overnight in a Nigerian hospital for the first time, my father cried in front of me for the first time, and he peed on me (accidentally). It's been quite the bonding experience.

Dealing with my father during his sickness has been like dealing with a child. Except this child remembers he's the adult that brought me into this world at the most inconvenient times. When that happens, I'm the recipient of a verbal beating that would land most people in therapy.

When it comes to life I try to not take things too seriously (hence the haha tone in this post) but I'm not going to lie, it's been tough.  I'm thankful to God for my family right now. When shit hits the fan, we always manage to laugh while we're cleaning up the mess.

Quote It

"The problem with people who have no vices is that generally you can be pretty sure they're going to have some pretty annoying virtues."

Elizabeth Taylor

Not Mandatory But Freaking Good: The American Dream: An African Tale

Hey guys! I've been meaning to blog about this for months but my internet situation made it difficult. Since I'm in a hotel with awesome wifi, I'm taking advantage and uploading as many posts and vids as possible!


A few months ago, my sister Shola (the one who's a filmmaker) started interviewing Africans living in the United States about their experiences for a web series. The result is a honest and sometimes funny look into living in America as a foreigner, or in my case, a first generation American.


I recommend everyone check it out not only because Shola is my sister and I love her to pieces but because it's good to learn about other cultures; there's a whole world out there!


Episode one is below and the other episodes can be found here and you can listen to more from each interview, here.


Let me know what you guys think!
Episode 1: Olajuwon Ajayi from The UR4Africa Project on Vimeo.
The American Dream: An African Tale is a web series about the African experience in America.

Africans!
Share your stories with us!

Email us at:
ur4africa@gmail.com
or
info@theur4africaproject.org

Episode 2: http://vimeo.com/34386653

I'm Not Allowed To Carry My Own Bag In Nigeria

You know what irks me? I get here and I'm washing plates or sweeping and people are always shocked. Like growing up in America has rendered me incapable of wiping my own ass. It's even worse when I go to my father's village; if I'm carrying a suitcase into the house (the same suitcase I carried into the car) I get intersected at least three times by people who insist on carrying my stuff for me. I know they're coming from a good place but it's the most irritating thing EVER.

I'm not some lazy shit that doesn't like to move. Let me carry my own bag.

Getting Old Sucks

Allmoviephoto.com

 

In a time of absolute desperation, I did something I never thought I’d be able to again: I watched “The Notebook”. It was on my sister’s old laptop that my parents now own. I don’t really know how it happened; it was late, I was desperate. I was in the middle of f-cking nowhere (the village) and I didn’t have any books or films with me, okay?

Now please don’t take this as a diss to the film. There is nothing wrong with the film. I absolutely love Rachel McAdams and think Ryan Gosling is lovely in everything, I just didn’t love “The Notebook” the way others did. Do you remember all those gifs that were made during the height of its popularity? It was the most annoying shit ever.

BUT

I found myself tearing up during the movie when the older Noah talks about all of his health issues, calling it “a general wearing down of the body”. Spending time with my parents has brought that line home for me. They’re getting old. They get tired so easily now, they forget things. These are two very active people who enjoy constantly being on the go who have now been halted by the aging process. That’s what’s so heartbreaking about it. Their bodies are betraying them and it’s so unfair. Getting old is unfair.