Abuja, Abuja youre boring me to tears

So I packed my bags and left London on the 11th of June 2008 where Id lived since early 2003, so almost my entire adult life.I had mostly lived on my own in a rented flat, I had a job the whole time i was there. I loved shopping, I loved dressing up, i hated studying. But the fact was that i had studied law, my options were limited and my degree results were not out; I could not possibly predict my grades because it could have gone any way.

So my mother persuades me to move back to Nigeria and enrol at the Nigerian law School in Abuja.i was apprehensive at first, wasn't sure what to expect but i was also looking forward to a new life. Thus began a new era of my existence in Abuja. Ive been waiting for Abuja to sweep me into its bosom but so far its only succeeded in making me a recluse. There aren't enough hang out spots to make it worth my while to actually dress up, put some make up on and head out into the night- or the day, if necessary.

I wish we had more shopping malls.Ive been known to snap out of the deepest depths of depression on entering Topshop. Just looking at the clothes and feeling the potential of the night used to be enough. Id look forward to going shopping from school, from work, from a hangover...it cured everything.

Silverbird looks promising.They have a Mango franchise whose doors are still shut and it says opening soon after at least two months that Ive known about its existence.Okay, what about bars at least, if only I had the capital Id open up a proper swanky bar where you can go and dress up and have a drink without feeling like you are in a night club or on the other hand like you're in an isi ewu joint. Abuja needs an in-between venue like this......

I will be patient, maybe it will occur to someone, because formerly Abuja was the choice city for top politicians and civil servants.However, now, their children have come over. We 20- somethings need an avenue to relax without feeling like were amongst okada riders or without having to go to a hotel where we feel like shalams or without having to go to a nightclub and have our parents tut- tut when we stumble in the next morning hungover and smelling of smoke.

Dream big

Ive often wondered if its really true what they say about "if you think it, you can do it" Is is determination that pays you off with achievement or success? Or is it pure luck? Or is it destiny? I started off thinking that destiny controlled everything e.g if you were born to be poor you would be and that some others were destined to be kings and so they were.

Somewhere along the line Ive switched gears and Im now thinking that if you put your mind to something, to a dream, hard enough you can actually achieve it.The most vivid example is with my graduating grades which were starkly different from the grades I started off with in my 1st year. Now, i dont want to go into detail about exact figures but somewhere in the middle of my final year i decided to start looking for jobs. I was shocked that majority of the big shot jobs wanted 2.1 or higher! At this stage, I decided to double my efforts and it paid off big time.
Another casestudy is Barrack Obama, who would have dared to believe that a black man, a person of Afro-American extraction could actually be the first citizen of the USA.It would have been unthinkable even 10 years ago.

Now I have a new dream, after much consideration and three weeks in the business i have decided to pursue a career as a trainee solicitor in England.Now if I could go back to 4 years ago, Id go back and join as many extra curricular/charity/ voluntary work as I could. I would also have worked harder in my 1st and 2nd years so that my grades would be a bit more consistent. However, I will not cry over spilt milk, I can only hope and pray that my determination alone will see me through.