Photography

Photography....

So lately since Jude has been incessant in his pushing me to work on my photography and take it more seriously than I do...I have decided that perhaps I should and have decided to start learning more about digital photography and taking more pictures as of late. It has always been my dream to be a photgrapher for National Geographic (which is unrealisitc...but hey one can dream) so I might as well live life to the fullest!

I know more about simple 35 mm film photography but the world as always is changing. I still love film and most people think I am crazy but I especially love it for it's grainy look and it's old fashion look (especially in black and white film). When I look at old pictures from way back when photography began, I LOVE how dated and unique it looks!!! I miss being in a dark room and developing my own film....but alas I have grown to love the option of having crisp clear photo's and not having to pay for my mistakes....I do now love the luxury of digital SLR cameras!

When I bought my SLR the man in the store told me to "chuck" my film camera to which I promptly responding by saying "Are you crazy, NO WAY...I LOVE ALL MY CAMERA'S!" And it is true. I do love all 3 of my camera's, even if one of them was given to me by some random guy I worked with at Tommy Hilfiger....and is probably "HOT" (stolen)...but hey...I got a free camera from him even when I told him NOT to give it to me...and my mother seems to enjoy it's use since she has now claimed it should be hers since it probably was stolen anyway. (finding the logic in that is still so difficult!)

So I have asked my friend Rose (who is wonderful at websites and all that computer stuff!!!) to help me set up a website base solely on my photography...and perhaps I will be able to sell some pieces...that would then take another thing off of my 'Life list' of things to do before i kick the bucket!

Now...to go out and find some great photo equipment before I travel to Nigeria...$$$...but truly worth it! I hope that all goes well...and hey come and support me!!! :-)

Love...

To the one I love...

I LOVE YOU THIS MUCH....ENOUGH TO DO ANYTHING FOR YOU. GIVE MY LIFE, MY LOVE, MY HEART AND MY SOUL TO YOU AND FOR YOU. ENOUGH TO WILLINGLY GIVE ALL OF MY TIME, EFFORTS, THOUGHTS, TALENTS, TRUST AND PRAYERS TO YOU. ENOUGH TO WANT TO PROTECT YOU, CARE FOR YOU, GUIDE YOU, HOLD YOU, COMFORT YOU, LISTEN TO YOU, AND CRY TO YOU AND WITH YOU. ENOUGH TO BE SILLY AROUND YOU, NEVER HAVE TO HIDE ANYTHING FROM YOU, AND BE MYSELF WITH YOU.........I LOVE YOU ENOUGH TO SHARE ALL OF MY SENTIMENTS, DREAMS, GOALS, FEARS, HOPES, AND WORRIES; MY ENTIRE LIFE WITH YOU. ENOUGH TO WANT THE BEST FOR YOU. TO WISH FOR YOUR SUCCESS AND TO HOPE FOR THE FULFILMENT OF ALL OF YOUR ENDEAVOURS. ENOUGH TO KEEP MY PROMISES TO YOU AND PLEDGE MY LOYALTY AND FAITHFULNESS TO YOU. ENOUGH TO CHERISH YOUR FRIENDSHIP, ADORE YOUR PERSONALITY, RESPECT YOUR VALUES AND SEE YOU FOR WHO YOU ARE....I LOVE YOU ENOUGH TO FIGHT FOR YOU, COMPROMISE FOR YOU AND SACRIFICE MYSELF FOR YOU IF NEED BE. ENOUGH TO MISS YOU INCREDIBLY WHEN WE ARE APART, NO MATTER WHAT LENGTH OF TIME IT IS FOR AND REGARDLESS OF THE DISTANCE. ENOUGH TO BELIEVE IN OUR RELATIONSHIP. TO STAND BY IT THROUGH THE WORST OF TIMES, TO HAVE FAITH IN OUR STRENGTH AS A COUPLE, AND TO NEVER EVER GIVE UP ON US. ENOUGH TO SPEND THE REST OF MY LIFE WITH YOU, BE THERE FOR YOU, WHEN YOU NEED OR WANT ME, AND NEVER EVER WANT TO LEAVE YOU OR LIVE WITHOUT YOU....I LOVE YOU THIS MUCH..............

Booked my ticket!

AHHH!!! So here I am all nervous as I just booked my ticket to Nigeria today...that means on March 31st 2008 I will make the long haul to Abuja Nigeria. WOW...only 2 months and a few weeks!!!

Now to just finish preparing...

Who is M.I???

This is a blog all about the love of my life M.I...aka Jude. M.I is his stage name and is short for AMIGO...it was a nickname he had and shortened it once to M.I and there you have it..and what he does...or rather to show you some of what he does. :-) ENJOY....

The life I am getting into...

This post is about what I am getting myself into...

As I wrote that previous sentence I am SURE almost all of you who read this are also thinking "What IS she getting herself into??" Well, only God knows right?! For a long time since I was little I was fascinated with Africa, but did not have any idea that it would be no embedded in my heart and now my history. I am marrying a Nigerian; a proud, stubborn, quirky, talented, loving, caring, passionate, compassionate (and yes...short,) man named Jude. It all seems but a dream on some days for how can you imagine your life and how it will be when you have NO idea yourself.

All I can say is...that I know myself in Western circumstances. I live in a house with running HOT water, electricity ALL the time, a fridge, oven, dishwasher, washer and dryer etc. I will be leaving some of these things behind and will have to learn a way of life that no one in my "western circle" may ever understand.

Do not get my wrong, I am so excited, overwhelmed actually with excitement about starting my life with Jude and moving to Nigeria. Yes...they have 419 scams...yes they have corruption..yes they are a third world country...yes some comforts of life cannot be found there...but really...Nigeria is a wonderful place filled with amazing people so willing to help out, feed you when they have no food themselves and are truly Optimistic and happy people. I am stretching myself to step outside of my western way of living and into a new phase in my life...marrying a Nigerian will forever change me and the way I live and view life....as dating one has already done so a fair bit!

I guess I write this blog because I want to come clean to you folks. I AM NERVOUS AND SCARED!!! NOW, after saying that I need to explain myself. I am NOT nervous or scared for my safety. I know many of you are, mainly because any news about Nigeria is usually bad news on our end of the world. But I trust God in all things and have no fear for my safety. Why am I nervous or scared then you ask? I am going to go through 3 major life changes in a small amount of time, and I am nervous as to how I will adjust and cope. There are so many uncertainties in my life right now....I only know a few things; that Jude and I love each other and will marry, and that I will move to Nigeria in a few months. Knowing me, adjusting will be a very emotional thing!

I hope that all of you would continue to pray for both Jude and me. We will finally be together soon, but our lifestyle too will contrast from many that we know. Jude is a musician and travels a lot and works crazy hours. He is growing into his stardom in Nigeria and I too have to deal with being his "Oiybo" wife (Oiybo=white). It is a busy life with hectic work schedules and being in the public eye under scrutiny can also be stressful...and that is also something that will be a part of my life.

I am excited but sad as well. It is always sad to leave friends and family. But Jude has family in Nigeria and they will become my family.

So there we have it...my life and what I am getting myself into. Only faith in God and following His Will...will give us strength...but I would have it NO OTHER WAY!!! And so...life will be an adventure!

My last "lost" trip on the Great Ocean Road

I wrote a blog a while back now about the difficult decision to spend money that I didn't really have traveling the Great Ocean Road, to finish up my Oz trip. I had many people e-mail or 'tell' me that I should forget about the cost and LIVE LIFE. After some careful planning and budgeting, I figured out a perfect trip that was both time and cost effective, all the while, seeing the Great Ocean Road.



My trip began when I left Adelaide and traveled to Melbourne. Instead of driving from Adelaide to Melbourne which would have taken over 12 hours, I found some cheap flights and flew instead from Adelaide to Melbourne. Once in Melbourne (rather Geelong..near Melbourne but closer to the Great Ocean Road), I rented a car and found my hostel for the night. It was quite an adventure to have my own car with my map sprawled out on the passenger seat (which is...in Canada...where the driver would sit). I went to bed early that night as to wake up REALLY early to begin my journey the next day.


I began my journey, dragging my large suitcase down 3 flights of stairs..feeling the strain on my arms and legs from when I had dragged it UP those 3 flights of stairs the night before. I jumped in the car and drove in the darkness for a while until the sun began to peek its head up.



I traveled along the curvy windy roads of the Great Ocean Road that continue to climb higher and higher up the cliffs. Traveling on these roads takes much concentration but it was a lot of fun. I was able to have many stops seeing magnificent cliffs in situated in the ocean, a large ways from the cliffs. I was able to see the Twelve Apostles, Loch Arch Gorge, the Arch, London Bridge and The Bay of Islands, Gibsons Steps...and so many other beautiful formations!



The day was a bit chilly, but it was a wonderful day. I ended in Lorne and stayed in a little hostel there. I was exhausted and crashed after finding a bite to eat. The next morning I was up again long before the sun and drove this time inland back to Geelong to catch my flight from there back to Sydney. By traveling inland, I was able to save close to 3 hours driving time. It also was a wonderful drive and again it was lovely to have time to meditate on the beauty of God's creation that I had just experienced.




So in the end...thank you to all those who convinced me to go on this trip...though I came back home in debt and broke, it was all well worth it!

Life as I know it...

Well it has been quite some time since I last wrote. I have returned home from my travels in OZ and began to work some random jobs to make ends meet. I have moved back home with Mama Jean and Papa Klaas as to save money and am renting my WHOLE house out, top and bottom separate. Living at home has been in itself an adventure for both myself and my parents. Soon I promise them official status of "empty Nester's" once again. For the most part it is well. I have worked as a nanny for both of my siblings with kids this year and have decided that I do for sure want to have children, but NOT for a little while yet! Some days I was just glad to be the "Auntie" instead of the parent and other days I was wishing I had kids. I have worked at the Calgary's Farmers Market for a time during the weekends waking up really early, complimented with long days...BUT a job that I absolutely love. My boss is truly amazing and fun to work with and spoils me with vegetables and Chai Tea Lattes. My math skills also improved some with this job as well as my vegetable intake. It is now the off season and I already miss the tomatoes!

Jude and I were fortunate enough to have the opportunity to meet up in London. Jude was chosen for a music thing to bring awareness about Africa to various parts of East/West Africa and the UK. There are members from countries such as Tanzania, Sudan, Cameroon, Ethiopia, Nigeria, UK...etc. Jude has already traveled to the UK, and Uganda and is currently in Ethiopia. Next month it looks like Tanzania or Cameroon or both! London was quite EXPENSIVE...but we had some great friends who took us in and took care of us! (thanks again Irene and Zainab!) Otherwise Jude and I would be in major debt. One meal out at Chili's cost us $60 (CND) for our main course of Fajitas (which we shared!) and some small dessert, a pop and bread sticks. UNREAL! Needless to say, everything is expensive; transportation, going out, food...all except for our favourite store PRIMARK! But alas, we had to part ways due to our responsibilities of real life.

Recently I just began substitute teaching for FFCA schools (Foundations for the Future Charter Academy) and still find myself getting nervous but thoroughly enjoy it. It is such a refreshing change from my last job at CCS and though I miss my friends at CCS...I DO NOT MISS CCS!! :-)Substitute Teaching leaves some things to be desired though. It is really unknown when I will work or not and some days I receive many requests and can only choose one, while other days nothing. So I never really know if I will work or not.

I have applied to work at a school in Lagos Nigeria located on Victoria Island. It is an American International School which consists of a diverse community of faculty as well as student body (but the majority seems to be made up of American students and faculty...as it is an American Associated School). I am flying to Minneapolis to meet the Superintendent at the end of January...I pray that all goes well!

I received my Nigerian visa (first time round...which was a major shock!) And I am still trying to figure out with Jude when I will take the long haul to Nigeria. I want to wait until Matt and Katie's baby is born (brother and sister in-law) in the beginning of March. So anytime after that. I am still figuring out how to go from being a "visitor" in Nigeria to getting a "working visa" while I am there. So many things to figure out!

There is NOT a set wedding date as of yet...and this is something that will be figured out when Jude and I are FINALLY together in the place we will live for a while. Adjusting to life in Nigeria and to each other again in daily life takes more of a precedence than an actual wedding date at this time for me (us) and I think that is very important. We want to grow together now and "get used" to each other being there in our daily life...where as now, the distance prevents us from those things.

My friend Heather said to me the other night "you will be going through 3 of the major life stresses in a short amount of time...moving, a new job (no matter what it is...teaching or not), and marriage" Yes...these are the things that keep me up at night. The most important thing for me is to take it easy in these things....so as to not become overwhelmed or too stressed out that I have a mental breakdown! (Knowing me...it could happen!) I already find myself tossing and turning at night thinking about all I have to get ready and how nervous and excited I am to move to Nigeria, start a new job and to finally be with Jude.

I plan to use this bog as a diary of my new adventures to come in this next year. I hope to keep up with my brother Matt's crazy blogging!

Adios!