I love my Nigerian culture. It’s so full of different tribes, looks, and so much more! I always consider it a high honour when I another fellow Nigerian asks me to take their portraits — especially ones that include our beautiful culture in some way, shape or form. Amaka, thank you for entrusting me with the maternity portraits of your second child and thank you for representing our culture so gracefully.
Beyond My Border: Sylvia Onyeagusi
Hey bloggers!!! (LOL)
My name is Sylvia Onyeagusi. I was born and raised in Lagos, Nigeria. I moved to the U.S. in 2010 for college, started off in Louisiana, moved to Oregon where I had family for an average of 2yrs and now I’m back in Louisiana pursuing a career in nursing. When people as ask me why I decided to move to Louisiana I just say because I think this is where God wants me to be, which has to be true. To add to that, I’m in a really good nursing program and it’s been good.
Change is constant and we can’t avoid it. I would say that moving isn’t as bad as it may seem. Although it is stressful to settle in a new environment and get acquainted with new people it’s worth it once you get your feet wet. For anybody looking to move for whatever reason, I would advise you never to move out of impulse, don’t make a permanent decision (not so permanent, depends on how you look at it) based on a temporary situation. Did I already say plan ahead of time? Absolutely, you have to. Also, keep in touch with your old friends and family. Lastly, maintain your relationship with God, it gets tough when you are out there without family or people you can confide in. One of the ways I find I coped and still use to cope is getting into a really good bible-believing church, not like I didn’t have that before, but keeping up with it, just having a good relationship with God, we all need him. It’s your experience, it’s your journey, don’t forget to have fun.
P.s. to my Nigerians: go find where all the other Nigerians hang out, do it before summer rolls along. Hint: Jollof rice.
Hip-hip Hooray!
"In the cookie dough of life sisters are the chocolate chips." Today, August 30th, is my sister’s birthday and oh how glad I am that God blessed me with that oh so special chocolate chip to call my own. I can’t begin to even describe how much I love her and how much she means to me. As I sit here at my keyboard and try to conjure up the right words to say all our memories, jokes, her bits of godly advice, and ways she’s shown her love time and time again come to mind. I won’t begin to reminisce over them all -don’t want to bore you all- but sissy you know what moments I mean. Our itchy walks, dear Dora, kissing dating goodbye, shady meadow, nysync dance moves, love comes softly part 10, mt. Olivet, etc, etc.
Cheesy as it sounds, even though it’s your birthday it’s you who has given me the best gift -actually I should say gifts- of all. A best friend, mentor, protector, example-setter, and overall, a sister. Simioskotoskos! As the saying goes, it’s not the years in the life but the life in the years. This may be your last year in the 20s and the last time for a while that we are in the same decade but there is still A LOT more to come.
I’m so blessed by you and your presence in my life. I love you soooo very much.
Happy Birthday.
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On Thursday my friend Nate had his birthday so a bunch of other friends and I decided to throw him a surprise birthday dinner last night. Needless to say, it went really well. We ate at La Mesa, a Filipino restaurant. The food was good and the company was great.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY NATE! I know I speak for all of us when I say we are so blessed to have you as a friend. As God adds another year to your life we cannot wait to see what else He has in store for you and your incredibly inspiring journey.
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On Thursday my friend Nate had his birthday so a bunch of other friends and I decided to throw him a surprise birthday dinner last night. Needless to say, it went really well. We ate at La Mesa, a Filipino restaurant. The food was good and the company was great.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY NATE! I know I speak for all of us when I say we are so blessed to have you as a friend. As God adds another year to your life we cannot wait to see what else He has in store for you and your incredibly inspiring journey.
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On Thursday my friend Nate had his birthday so a bunch of other friends and I decided to throw him a surprise birthday dinner last night. Needless to say, it went really well. We ate at La Mesa, a Filipino restaurant. The food was good and the company was great.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY NATE! I know I speak for all of us when I say we are so blessed to have you as a friend. As God adds another year to your life we cannot wait to see what else He has in store for you and your incredibly inspiring journey.
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On Thursday my friend Nate had his birthday so a bunch of other friends and I decided to throw him a surprise birthday dinner last night. Needless to say, it went really well. We ate at La Mesa, a Filipino restaurant. The food was good and the company was great.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY NATE! I know I speak for all of us when I say we are so blessed to have you as a friend. As God adds another year to your life we cannot wait to see what else He has in store for you and your incredibly inspiring journey.
Dear Mom, Ma, and Dad,
The other day I came across the verses Psalm 44:1-3. They go as follows:
"We have heard it with our ears, O God; our fathers have told us what you did in their days, in days long ago. With your hand you drove out the nations and planted our fathers; you crushed the peoples and made our fathers flourish. It was not by their sword that they won the land, nor did their arm bring them victory; it was your right hand, your arm and the light of your face, for you loved them."
With that I just wanted to take the time out to say thank you. I take a look at my life now and marvel at the length and depth of it all. I rejoice in the years spent on this earth. Some of them were tough to get through but nonetheless, I am stil here. With God’s grace and everlasting, all-consuming, unfathomable love I am here. Which brings me back to you three. The reason I have been blessed with knowing such a love is because I was raised with it and in it. You also raised me with a truth that was attached to this love. You showed it to me from such a young age that it became a part of me. I knew nothing from it.
So as I left the nest and ventured off on my own I had nothing to fear. Yes, I admit to being nervous and a bit apprehensive but it was the examples of Christ in your lives and and the stories told to me through you all that allowed me to forge on on my unpaved path - the one I still walk today. I walk boldly in the face of my future because I know that a set of parents that believe in me whole-heartedly also stand behind me. And behind them is a God who would die for me and did; a God who would fight for me and has. I know He stands rooted behind me and you - all of us.
"I do not trust in my bow, my sword does not bring me victory… in God we make our boast all day long, and we will praise your name forever." - Psalm 44: 6-8
As a child, albeit a 21-year-old child I think that is one of the greatest gifts, lessons, advice, you could have ever passed down. You didn’t have to but you did.
So with that I say, ese ati mo dupe fun parents bi ti yin.
Always + forever
Mamma T. Teeni. Teniola Taiwo.
see the world.
I don’t think I’ll ever tire of traveling. I may take a break from it every once in a while just to get re-rooted again but I’ll never get tired of it. My love for traveling was instilled in me ever since I was a kid. I can remember my mom packing my siblings and me up just to get out of town. So whether it was a trip to the next state for a weekend or a week, I always enjoyed the adventure. Not to mention, I’ve lived in 3 different countries ( Nigeria, Australia, and America) over the span of my 21 years.
However, now that I have grown up a bit I’ve recently come to fall in love with traveling alone. It’s an extremely peaceful experience. While there are many opportunities for me to meet new and interesting people, I also love the chance I get to sit back and observe all the various things that take place around me.
On most my recent flight (from Oregon to Sydney) I was blessed to have a day layover in Honolulu, Hawaii - I wasn’t able to make it to any beaches but I still had a great time. I walked about the town, did a little shopping, ate at a place called Fatboy’s, and then retired to my room.
Although all hotels basically look the same, just knowing I was in a new environment made me awe at the realization that there are things out there we have yet to see, hear, and feel - we have so much to discover.
These are some pictures inside the The Pagoda hotel.
This is my idea of putting off homework -making a tiny collage of Tani’s birthday night. Now back to the more important matters at hand.
This is my idea of putting off homework -making a tiny collage of Tani’s birthday night. Now back to the more important matters at hand.
This is my idea of putting off homework -making a tiny collage of Tani’s birthday night. Now back to the more important matters at hand.
This is my idea of putting off homework -making a tiny collage of Tani’s birthday night. Now back to the more important matters at hand.
Thank goodness for pre-made biscuits. I know in my previous post I said that I would cook more but for those times when the cooking bug isn’t biting I have easy go-to recipes like this. In honor of Throwback Thursday, I wanted to put this up. My cousin, Segun and I were too lazy to cook something up so we whipped something up instead.
Pizza Mizza Pizza Ritza
1 can of pillsbury rolls
1 small packet of tillamook shredded sharp cheddar cheese
1 small packet of tillamook shredded mozzarella cheese
1 small onion
1tbsp of olive oil
1 tsp of red pepper
1 jar on pasta sauce*
1 can of tomato paste*
1 lb of Mince meat
Turkey sandwich slices
* I don’t make pizza on the regular so it’s not like I have pizza sauce at the ready all the time
Chop the onion into tiny pieces and set them aside.
Put your cooking pan on medium-high. After a few minutes, add the olive oil and then the chopped onions. Allow those to heat up for a bit before you place the mince meat in. Leave it to cook all the way through occasionally stirring it so it doesn’t burn or stick.
Set the oven to 350º f / 175º c
Pop the can of rolls (I love doing that!) and lay them out on a baking pan. You can cover it with foil if you want an easier clean-up like we did here. Just knead the dough so it flattens out into round circles.
For every cup of pasta sauce add 1 table spoon of tomato paste. The paste will act as a thickener so the pizza sauce is not too watery. Mix that together (My ingredients don’t call for it but you can add a few pinches of black pepper because the paste is basically condensed tomato and it might be a bit much taste-wise).
Take the turkey slices and just shred them into tiny pieces them using your hands. Set that aside.
Use a spoon to scoop the newly-made pizza sauce and then use the back to spread it over the dough. Take the shredded cheese and layer it on top. Following that, layer your toppings on. Throw some more cheese on. The cheese will melt over everything and will keep your meats from tumbling off after you take them out of the oven.
Bake for 15 - 20 minutes and voila!
Happy eating!
Thank goodness for pre-made biscuits. I know in my previous post I said that I would cook more but for those times when the cooking bug isn’t biting I have easy go-to recipes like this. In honor of Throwback Thursday, I wanted to put this up. My cousin, Segun and I were too lazy to cook something up so we whipped something up instead.
Pizza Mizza Pizza Ritza
1 can of pillsbury rolls
1 small packet of tillamook shredded sharp cheddar cheese
1 small packet of tillamook shredded mozzarella cheese
1 small onion
1tbsp of olive oil
1 tsp of red pepper
1 jar on pasta sauce*
1 can of tomato paste*
1 lb of Mince meat
Turkey sandwich slices
* I don’t make pizza on the regular so it’s not like I have pizza sauce at the ready all the time
Chop the onion into tiny pieces and set them aside.
Put your cooking pan on medium-high. After a few minutes, add the olive oil and then the chopped onions. Allow those to heat up for a bit before you place the mince meat in. Leave it to cook all the way through occasionally stirring it so it doesn’t burn or stick.
Set the oven to 350º f / 175º c
Pop the can of rolls (I love doing that!) and lay them out on a baking pan. You can cover it with foil if you want an easier clean-up like we did here. Just knead the dough so it flattens out into round circles.
For every cup of pasta sauce add 1 table spoon of tomato paste. The paste will act as a thickener so the pizza sauce is not too watery. Mix that together (My ingredients don’t call for it but you can add a few pinches of black pepper because the paste is basically condensed tomato and it might be a bit much taste-wise).
Take the turkey slices and just shred them into tiny pieces them using your hands. Set that aside.
Use a spoon to scoop the newly-made pizza sauce and then use the back to spread it over the dough. Take the shredded cheese and layer it on top. Following that, layer your toppings on. Throw some more cheese on. The cheese will melt over everything and will keep your meats from tumbling off after you take them out of the oven.
Bake for 15 - 20 minutes and voila!
Happy eating!
Thank goodness for pre-made biscuits. I know in my previous post I said that I would cook more but for those times when the cooking bug isn’t biting I have easy go-to recipes like this. In honor of Throwback Thursday, I wanted to put this up. My cousin, Segun and I were too lazy to cook something up so we whipped something up instead.
Pizza Mizza Pizza Ritza
1 can of pillsbury rolls
1 small packet of tillamook shredded sharp cheddar cheese
1 small packet of tillamook shredded mozzarella cheese
1 small onion
1tbsp of olive oil
1 tsp of red pepper
1 jar on pasta sauce*
1 can of tomato paste*
1 lb of Mince meat
Turkey sandwich slices
* I don’t make pizza on the regular so it’s not like I have pizza sauce at the ready all the time
Chop the onion into tiny pieces and set them aside.
Put your cooking pan on medium-high. After a few minutes, add the olive oil and then the chopped onions. Allow those to heat up for a bit before you place the mince meat in. Leave it to cook all the way through occasionally stirring it so it doesn’t burn or stick.
Set the oven to 350º f / 175º c
Pop the can of rolls (I love doing that!) and lay them out on a baking pan. You can cover it with foil if you want an easier clean-up like we did here. Just knead the dough so it flattens out into round circles.
For every cup of pasta sauce add 1 table spoon of tomato paste. The paste will act as a thickener so the pizza sauce is not too watery. Mix that together (My ingredients don’t call for it but you can add a few pinches of black pepper because the paste is basically condensed tomato and it might be a bit much taste-wise).
Take the turkey slices and just shred them into tiny pieces them using your hands. Set that aside.
Use a spoon to scoop the newly-made pizza sauce and then use the back to spread it over the dough. Take the shredded cheese and layer it on top. Following that, layer your toppings on. Throw some more cheese on. The cheese will melt over everything and will keep your meats from tumbling off after you take them out of the oven.
Bake for 15 - 20 minutes and voila!
Happy eating!
Thank goodness for pre-made biscuits. I know in my previous post I said that I would cook more but for those times when the cooking bug isn’t biting I have easy go-to recipes like this. In honor of Throwback Thursday, I wanted to put this up. My cousin, Segun and I were too lazy to cook something up so we whipped something up instead.
Pizza Mizza Pizza Ritza
1 can of pillsbury rolls
1 small packet of tillamook shredded sharp cheddar cheese
1 small packet of tillamook shredded mozzarella cheese
1 small onion
1tbsp of olive oil
1 tsp of red pepper
1 jar on pasta sauce*
1 can of tomato paste*
1 lb of Mince meat
Turkey sandwich slices
* I don’t make pizza on the regular so it’s not like I have pizza sauce at the ready all the time
Chop the onion into tiny pieces and set them aside.
Put your cooking pan on medium-high. After a few minutes, add the olive oil and then the chopped onions. Allow those to heat up for a bit before you place the mince meat in. Leave it to cook all the way through occasionally stirring it so it doesn’t burn or stick.
Set the oven to 350º f / 175º c
Pop the can of rolls (I love doing that!) and lay them out on a baking pan. You can cover it with foil if you want an easier clean-up like we did here. Just knead the dough so it flattens out into round circles.
For every cup of pasta sauce add 1 table spoon of tomato paste. The paste will act as a thickener so the pizza sauce is not too watery. Mix that together (My ingredients don’t call for it but you can add a few pinches of black pepper because the paste is basically condensed tomato and it might be a bit much taste-wise).
Take the turkey slices and just shred them into tiny pieces them using your hands. Set that aside.
Use a spoon to scoop the newly-made pizza sauce and then use the back to spread it over the dough. Take the shredded cheese and layer it on top. Following that, layer your toppings on. Throw some more cheese on. The cheese will melt over everything and will keep your meats from tumbling off after you take them out of the oven.
Bake for 15 - 20 minutes and voila!
Happy eating!
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Left to our own devices my cousin (Angelique - left), our friend (Tani - middle), and I decided to make lunch for Easter Sunday! After a few minutes of foraging through the pantry we found some penne pasta, mince meat, and red sauce.
The outcome, needless to say, moto bene! A little butter, some sprinkled natural cheddar cheese and our tastebuds couldn’t be happier.
Photos by Teniola Komolafe
[gallery]
Left to our own devices my cousin (Angelique - left), our friend (Tani - middle), and I decided to make lunch for Easter Sunday! After a few minutes of foraging through the pantry we found some penne pasta, mince meat, and red sauce.
The outcome, needless to say, moto bene! A little butter, some sprinkled natural cheddar cheese and our tastebuds couldn’t be happier.
Photos by Teniola Komolafe
[gallery]
Left to our own devices my cousin (Angelique - left), our friend (Tani - middle), and I decided to make lunch for Easter Sunday! After a few minutes of foraging through the pantry we found some penne pasta, mince meat, and red sauce.
The outcome, needless to say, moto bene! A little butter, some sprinkled natural cheddar cheese and our tastebuds couldn’t be happier.
Photos by Teniola Komolafe