#TUAL BEAUTY QUEEN

[bifairywife]

I'm so fucking devastated and there's absolutely nothing I can do to get back what I lost.

I use canva pro on my senior high school email cause it's for free.

They told us that after graduating shs, we have two years extra with it.

The expiration was last year... it didn't come. I went "oh my gosh!! maybe there's no gmail expiration!! i'll have my canva pro foreverrrrr~"

I got too complacent. I backed-up NONE of my projects.

They did an auto delete on ALL of us today. There was no one week warning. Nothing.

I don't know about the others but I lost. So. Fucking. Much.

I'm can't draw, I'm really more of a writer. But i LOVE to edit. I love making visual stuff. Putting things together, placing pictures and elements and playing with colors and font styles.

I lost a total of two AND a half years worth of stuff. A mix of stuff for uni, things i made for my parents, and most of all my personal projects.

Tons of presentations for classes (this goes back on grade 11 too,,,,, oh the memories)

Literally so much assignments?! Posters, presentations, AND EVEN MY FUCKING RÉSUMÉ

Moodboards on dozens of OCs (Layla and Dominic for Invincible, Devina for Elden Ring, Medina "DeeDee" for Trese, like 5 of my DnD PCs, Octavia and Marie for Nevermore, Lorena "Lorrie" for TOH complete WITH A WHOLE NEW SCHOOL I CALL MOONVEIL ACADEMY IT HAD A CURRICULUM AND CLUBS AND PRINCIPAL OC TECHNICALLY TOO)

Moodboard on the characters for my book (I got references for appearances AND outfits)

Presentations and notes on my ship AUs (mostly jaystephroy in the fashion industry, DnD style medieval fantasy, and this one 2004 movie with gerard butler)

Presentations and notes on my winx club reboot (so, so, soooo much fashion notes and references for the winx AND trix)

Presentations for silly fandom stuff that I was really excited to show to my friends and post here (potential of jaysteph as a ship, dilf ranking in invincible for that one anon, a very descriptive "what's in the bags" of cott seven, other rarepair ppts to get my friends to ship em GAH)

DnD templates for this campaign with my jhs friends (I had stuff printed out for my bard's SPELLBOOK and we could use so much of those edits for notes and extra character lore)

Personal stuff I made for myself (like that magazine style in landscape form about my life updates, a little modeling stuff I did to compile clothes inspo for winx club, this REALLY colorful and cute collages for my wallpapers)

Personal stuff I made for my friends (a couple of memes, birthday stuff, this really cute and sweet virtual scrapbook for "meet the members" with my college friend group)

TONS of invincible characters icon edits (they've been in there FOR MONTHS, the requests oh i am so sorry moots and anons)

A couple stuff i made for my mom and dad (they got to use them all so they're not wasted)

I'm just,,,,,, so sad I didn't get to back them up. I only posted some of them and sent even fewer wips to a few friends.

Honestly I think the biggest tragedy here for me is that I won't ever be able to recreate them. A lot of the texts and descriptions I made were written there DIRECTLY. I had lore. I had dialogue. I had details and stats.

Two and a half years of editing personal projects and assignments. Just. Gone.

There's absolutely nothing I can do to get any of them back. Now all I can do is grieve and hope that I can recreate them.

[dailygist-uk]

It is no longer news that all is not well in the household of top Nollywood actress Funke Akindele, as her husband’s babymama, Mella is bent on dragging her for what the couple did to her son while he was staying with them. Well, despite all said and done, Funke Akindele has still refused to talk about the issue on social media, instead, she announced the forthcoming of her latest project titled, She Must Be Obeyed. Funke took to her Instagram page to announce to fans to get ready for her new movie by sharing a lovely photo of herself alongside the caption “SheMustBeObeyed coming soon.” Kemi Filani News had earlier reported how unbothered, Funke Akindele took to her social media page to share her new photo of herself saying that her estate is beautiful. Many Nollywood stars stormed Funke Akindele’s comment section with beautiful compliments, including Mercy Johnson, who described her as a queen. She wrote: “A queen and more, tuale”.

[illbefinealonereads]

Today, the Don’t Read the Comments blog tour is stopping by illbefinealone reads. Keep scrolling to learn more about the book, as well as read an exclusive excerpt.

Don't Read the Comments Eric Smith On Sale Date: January 28, 2020 9781335016027, 1335016023 Hardcover $18.99 USD, $23.99 CAD Ages 13 And Up 368 pages

Slay meets Eliza and Her Monsters in Eric Smith’s Don't Read the Comments, an #ownvoices story in which two teen gamers find their virtual worlds—and blossoming romance—invaded by the real-world issues of trolling and doxing in the gaming community.

Divya Sharma is a queen. Or she is when she’s playing Reclaim the Sun, the year’s hottest online game. Divya—better known as popular streaming gamer D1V—regularly leads her #AngstArmada on quests through the game’s vast and gorgeous virtual universe. But for Divya, this is more than just a game. Out in the real world, she’s trading her rising-star status for sponsorships to help her struggling single mom pay the rent.

Gaming is basically Aaron Jericho’s entire life. Much to his mother’s frustration, Aaron has zero interest in becoming a doctor like her, and spends his free time writing games for a local developer. At least he can escape into Reclaim the Sun—and with a trillion worlds to explore, disappearing should be easy. But to his surprise, he somehow ends up on the same remote planet as celebrity gamer D1V.

At home, Divya and Aaron grapple with their problems alone, but in the game, they have each other to face infinite new worlds…and the growing legion of trolls populating them. Soon the virtual harassment seeps into reality when a group called the Vox Populi begin launching real-world doxxing campaigns, threatening Aaron’s dreams and Divya’s actual life. The online trolls think they can drive her out of the game, but everything and everyone Divya cares about is on the line…

And she isn’t going down without a fight.

Buy Links: Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Dont-Read-Comments-Eric-Smith/dp/1335016023 Barnes & Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/dont-read-the-comments-eric-smith/1131303425#/ Books-A-Million: https://www.booksamillion.com/p/Dont-Read-Comments/Eric-Smith/9781335016027?id=7715580291810 Kobo: https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/don-t-read-the-comments Indie Bound: https://www.indiebound.org/book/9781335016027 Google Play: https://play.google.com/store/books/details/Eric_Smith_Don_t_Read_the_Comments?id=Go6PDwAAQBAJ

Eric Smith is an author, prolific book blogger, and literary agent from New Jersey, currently living in Philadelphia. Smith cohosts Book Riot’s newest podcast, HEY YA, with non-fiction YA author Kelly Jensen. He can regularly be found writing for Book Riot’s blog, as well as Barnes & Noble’s Teen Reads blog, Paste Magazine, and Publishing Crawl. Smith also has a growing Twitter platform of over 40,000 followers (@ericsmithrocks).

Author website: https://www.ericsmithrocks.com/ Twitter: @ericsmithrocks Instagram: @ericsmithrocks Facebook: @ericsmithwrites

Genre: Young Adult, Contemporary

Rating: 4/5 stars

Review: Don’t Read the Comments tackles some heavy subjects, cyber bullying as one of the main ones. But it’s done beautifully, and though the subject matter is that way, it didn’t make me feel heavy while I was reading it. Eric Smith does an absolutely marvelous job at writing from a first person female POV. His excellent writing style, as well as the pace that perfectly suited the story, made the book unputdownable. I really enjoyed the characters. They felt fresh as they were developed excellently. The dialogue is excellent, it felt natural and flowed really well. All of it put together kept the book feeling dynamic, and entertaining throughout. This is a read that you definitely shouldn’t skip.

Excerpt:

1 Divya

Mom. We’ve been over this. Don’t read the comments,” I say, sighing as my mother stares at me with her fret­ful deep-set eyes. They’re dark green, just like mine, and stand out against her soft brown skin. Wrinkle lines trail out from the corners like thin tree branches grown over a life­time of worrying.

I wish I could wash away all of her worries, but I only seem to be causing her more lately.

“I’m just not comfortable with it anymore,” my mom coun­ters. “I appreciate what you’re doing with…you know, your earnings or however that sponsor stuff works, but I can’t stand seeing what they’re saying about you on the Internet.”

“So don’t read the comments!” I exclaim, reaching out and taking her hands in mine. Her palms are weathered, like the pages of the books she moves around at the library, and I canfeel the creases in her skin as my fingers run over them. Bundles of multicolored bangles dangle from both of her wrists, clinking about lightly.

“How am I supposed to do that?” she asks, giving my hands a squeeze. “You’re my daughter. And they say such awful things. They don’t even know you. Breaks my heart.”

“What did I just say?” I ask, letting go of her hands, trying to give her my warmest it’s-going-to-be-okay smile. I know she only reads the blogs, the articles covering this and that, so she just sees the replies there, the sprawling comments—and not what people say on social media. Not what the trolls say about her. Because moms are the easiest target for those online monsters.

“Yes, yes, I’m aware of that sign in your room with your slo­gan regarding comments,” Mom scoffs, shaking her head and getting to her feet. She groans a little as she pushes herself off the tiny sofa, which sinks in too much. Not in the comfortable way a squishy couch might, but in a this-piece-of-furniture-needs-to-be-thrown-away-because-it’s-probably-doing-irreversible-damage-to-my-back-and-internal-organs kind of way. She stretches her back, one hand on her waist, and I make a mental note to check online for furniture sales at Tar­get or Ikea once she heads to work.

“Oof, I must have slept on it wrong,” Mom mutters, turn­ing to look at me. But I know better. She’s saying that for my benefit. The air mattress on her bed frame—in lieu of an ac­tual mattress—isn’t doing her back any favors.

I’d better add a cheap mattress to my list of things to search for later. Anything is better than her sleeping on what our family used to go camping with.

Still, I force myself to nod and say, “Probably.” If Mom knew how easily I saw through this dance of ours, the way we pretend that things are okay while everything is falling apart around us, she’d only worry more.

Maybe she does know. Maybe that’s part of the dance.

I avert my gaze from hers and glance down at my watch. It’s the latest in smartwatch tech from Samsung, a beautiful little thing that connects to my phone and computer, controls the streaming box on our television… Hell, if we could af­ford smart lights in our apartment, it could handle those, too. It’s nearly 8:00 p.m., which means my Glitch subscribers will be tuning in for my scheduled gaming stream of Reclaim the Sun at any minute. A couple social media notifications start lighting up the edges of the little screen, but it isn’t the unread messages or the time that taunt me.

It’s the date.

The end of June is only a few days away, which means the rent is due. How can my mom stand here and talk about me getting rid of my Glitch channel when it’s bringing in just enough revenue to help cover the rent? To pay for groceries? When the products I’m sent to review or sponsored to wear—and then consequently sell—have been keeping us afloat with at least a little money to walk around with?

“I’m going to start looking for a second job,” Mom says, her tone defeated.

“Wait, what?” I look away from my watch and feel my heartbeat quicken. “But if you do that—”

“I can finish these summer classes another time. Maybe next year—”

“No. No way.” I shake my head and suck air in throughmy gritted teeth. She’s worked so hard for this. We’ve worked so hard for this. “You only have a few more classes!”

“I can’t let you keep doing this.” She gestures toward my room, where my computer is.

“And I can’t let you work yourself to death for… What? This tiny apartment, while that asshole doesn’t do a damn thing to—”

“Divya. Language,” she scolds, but her tone is undermined by a soft grin peeking in at the corner of her mouth. “He’s still your fath—”

“I’ll do my part,” I say resolutely, stopping her from saying that word. “I can deal with it. I want to. You will not give up going to school. If you do that, he wins. Besides, I’ve…got some gadgets I can sell this month.”

“I just… I don’t want you giving up on your dreams, so I can keep chasing mine. I’m the parent. What does all this say about me?” My mom exhales, and I catch her lip quivering just a little. Then she inhales sharply, burying whatever was about to surface, and I almost smile, as weird as that sounds. It’s just our way, you know?

Take the pain in. Bury it down deep.

“We’re a team.” I reach out and grasp her hands again, and she inhales quickly once more.

It’s in these quiet moments we have together, wrestling with these challenges, that the anger I feel—the rage over this small apartment that’s replaced our home, the overdrafts in our bank accounts, all the time I’ve given up—is replaced with something else.

With how proud I am of her, for starting over the way she has.

“I’m not sure what I did to deserve you.”

Deserve.

I feel my chest cave in a little at the word as I look again at the date on the beautiful display of this watch. I know I need to sell it. I know I do. The couch. That crappy mattress. My dwindling bank account. The upcoming bills.

The required sponsorship agreement to wear this watch in all my videos for a month, in exchange for keeping the watch, would be over in just a few days. I could easily get $500 for it on an auction site or maybe a little less at the used-electronics shop downtown. One means more money, but it also means having my address out there, which is something I avoid like the plague—though having friends like Rebekah mail the gad­gets for me has proved a relatively safe way to do it. The other means less money, but the return is immediate, at least. Several of the employees there watch my stream, however, and con­versations with them are often pretty awkward.

I’d hoped that maybe, just maybe, I’d get to keep this one thing. Isn’t that something I deserve? Between helping Mom with the rent while she finishes up school and pitching in for groceries and trying to put a little money aside for my own tuition in the fall at the community college… God, I’d at least earned this much, right?

The watch buzzes against my wrist, a pleasant feeling. As a text message flashes across the screen, I feel a pang of wonder and regret over how a display so small can still have a better resolution than the television in our living room.

  THE GALAXY WAITS FOR NO ONE,

YOU READY D1V?

—COMMANDER (RE)BEKAH

  I smile at the note from my producer-slash-best-friend, then look up as my mom makes her way toward the front door of our apartment, tossing a bag over her shoulder.

“I’ll be back around ten or so,” Mom says, soundingtired. “Just be careful, okay?”

“I always am,” I promise, walkingover to give her a hug. It’s sweet, her constant reminders to be careful, to check in, especially since all I generally do while she’s gone is hang out in front of the computer. But I get it. Even the Internet can be a dangerous place. The threats on social media and the emails that I get—all sent by anonymous trolls with untraceable accounts—are proof of that.

Still, as soon as the door closes, I bolt across the living room and into my small bedroom, which is basically just a bed, a tiny dresser, and my workstation. I’ve kept it simple since the move and my parents split.

The only thing that’s far from simple is my gaming rig.

When my Glitch stream hit critical mass at one hundred thousand subscribers about a year and a half ago, a gaming company was kind enough to sponsor my rig. It’s extravagant to the point of being comical, with bright neon-blue lighting pouring out the back of the system and a clear case that shows off the needless LED illumination. Like having shiny lights makes it go any faster. I never got it when dudes at my school put flashy lights on their cars, and I don’t get it any more on a computer.

But it was free, so I’m certainly not going to complain.

I shake the mouse to awaken the sleeping monster, and my widescreen LED monitor flashes to life. It’s one of those screens that bend toward the edges, the curves of the monitor bordering on sexy. I adjust my webcam, which—along with my beaten-up Ikea table that’s not even a desk—is one of the few non-sponsored things in my space. It’s an aging thing, but the resolution is still HD and flawless, so unless a free one is somehow going to drop into my lap—and it probably won’t, because you can’t show off a webcam in a digital stream or a recorded sponsored video when you’re filming with said camera—it’ll do the trick.

I navigate over to Glitch and open my streaming application. Almost immediately, Rebekah’s face pops up in a little window on the edge of my screen. I grin at the sight of her new hairstyle, her usually blond and spiky hair now dyed a brilliant shade of blood orange, a hue as vibrant as her personality. The sides of her head are buzzed, too, and the overall effect is awesome.

Rebekah smiles and waves at me. “You ready to explore the cosmos once more?” she asks, her voice bright in my computer’s speakers. I can hear her keys clicking loudly as she types, her hands making quick work of something on the other side of the screen. I open my mouth to say something, but she jumps in before I can. “Yes, yes, I’ll be on mute once we get in, shut up.”

I laugh and glance at myself in the mirror I’ve got attached to the side of my monitor with a long metal arm—an old bike mirror that I repurposed to make sure my makeup and hair are on point in these videos. Even though the streams are all about the games, there’s nothing wrong with looking a little cute, even if it’s just for myself. I run a finger over one of my eyebrows, smoothing it out, and make a note to tweeze them just a little bit later. I’ve got my mother’s strong brows,black and rebellious. We’re frequently in battle with one another, me armed with my tweezers, my eyebrows wielding their growing-faster-than-weeds genes.

“How much time do we have?” I ask, tilting my head back and forth.

“About five minutes. And you look fine, stop it,” she grumbles. I push the mirror away, the metal arm making a squeaking noise, and I see Rebekah roll her eyes. “You could just use a compact like a normal person, you know.”

“It’s vintage,” I say, leaning in toward my computer mic. “I’m being hip.”

“You. Hip.” She chuckles. “Please save the jokes for the stream. It’s good content.”

I flash her a scowl and load up my social feeds on the desktop, my watch still illuminating with notifications. I decide to leave them unchecked on the actual device and scope them out on the computer instead, so when people are watching, they can see the watch in action. That should score me some extra goodwill with sponsors, and maybe it’ll look like I’m more popular than people think I am.

Because that’s my life. Plenty of social notifications, but zero texts or missed calls.

The feeds are surprisingly calm this evening, a bundle of people posting about how excited they are for my upcoming stream, playing Reclaim the Sun on their own, curious to see what I’m finding… Not bad. There are a few dumpster-fire comments directed at the way I look and some racist remarks by people with no avatars, cowards who won’t show their faces, but nothing out of the usual.

Ah. Lovely. Someone wants me to wear less clothing in thisstream. Blocked. A link to someone promoting my upcoming appearance at New York GamesCon, nice. Retweeted. A post suggesting I wear a skimpier top, and someone agreeing. Charming. Blocked and blocked.

Why is it that the people who always leave the grossest, rudest, and occasionally sexist, racist, or religiously intolerant comments never seem to have an avatar connected to their social profiles? Hiding behind a blank profile picture? How brave. How courageous.

And never mind all the messages that I assume are supposed to be flirtatious, but are actually anything but. Real original, saying “hey” and that’s it, then spewing a bunch of foul-mouthed nonsense when they don’t get a response. Hey, anonymous bro, I’m not here to be sexualized by strangers on the Internet. It’s creepy and disgusting. Can’t I just have fun without being objectified?

“Div!” Rebekah shouts, and I jump in my seat a little.

“Yeah, hey, I’m here,” I mumble, looking around for my Bluetooth earpiece, trying to force myself into a better mood.

This is why you don’t read the comments, Divya.

  Excerpted from Don’t Read the Comments by Eric Smith, Copyright ©2020 by Eric Smith. Published by Inkyard Press.

[kenzymirror]

Princess Latifat Momodu: How I became Olokun ambassador

“Most men didn’t understand that aspect of the gift in me initially but when the Ooni made me Yeye Olokun, they now understood why I keep to myself.” Christy Anyanwu

Princess Latifat Momodu is a well-known face in Nigerian social circle and a fashion aficionado who loves promoting culture in all ramifications. This year, she became the Yeye Olokun, a title bestowed on her by the Ooni of Ife. In that capacity she graced the public presentation of the book on Queen Moremi, held at Ile-Ife. She spoke with Sunday Sun after the event on her new role as Yeye Olokun (Ambassador of Olokun). Read on…

You have been away from the social circle for awhile. What happened? I have been busy outside the country. I decided to live abroad for a while. While there, I promoted our culture to the white people by promoting African fabrics and fashion designs. Now that I’m back, I would continue with what I have been doing, which is to promote culture. I have a dance troupe and a live band. Now,I hold concerts with my dance troupe. My next show will hold at Eko hotel before end of this year. And I will perform for the audience. READ ALSO: Faluade calls for concerted efforts in promotion of culture Shortly after you came back, we heard that you were appointed the Yeye Olokun. Could that be why you came back? It was not because of that. I think God just directed me to come back home. God is directing my life, telling me what to do. When He said ‘go outside the country, I had to go and when He said, ‘it is time to go back home,’ I obeyed. How did you become the ambassador of Olokun? The Ooni of Ife, Kabiyesi Enitan Adeyeye Babatunde Ogunwusi, Ojaja II, sighted me and just knew that I am Olokun. He decided to give me what he thinks rightly belongs to me. He made me the ambassador of Olokun and that’s how I became the ambassador of Olokun. What is your role as Olokun ambassador? To promote the Olokun festival. It is a yearly festival and it is my duty to look for sponsorship for the event. My job is to make Olokun festival lively by letting people to know about it. Also, I educate people about Olokun because a lot of people don’t know what it is. Olokun is very pure. They are not wicked people. They fight oppressors and I’m one of them. But some people see Olokun in bad light. What is your take on this? We have problem in this country. We love the Western religion and Western way of life. We have forgotten that in the days of our forefathers, they worshipped Olokun and what happened? They were healthy. Olokun is one of the angels of God sent to the world by God. They are pure. If you had come to this year’s festival, you would have seen the miracles that happened at the event. When Kabiyesi (Ooni) went into the temple and called to God, it was sunny and kabiyesi prayed, immediately the sun went down and the rainbow came out full. Everybody saw it and it started to rain. People said they had never see such miracles. If Olokun is not pure, God would not listen, to give that rain. READ ALSO: Olokun, Osaara: The making of Atlantic Ocean, Lagos Lagoon Most people who don’t know anything about Olokun, they just say rubbish. They are scared. When people see you dressed in white apparel, white beads and cowries they are afraid. A chief once told me to forget about my beliefs since I came from the western world and look elegant but I told him that Olokun is what makes me special. I believe in Olokun and I’m going to be in it for a long time, all the days of my life. That was why Ooni chose me when he set eyes on me. Kabiyesi can see. He sees everything. He’s very powerful, that is what I want to tell you now. Were you born into it or you just developed interest in it? I came to the world with it. I know so. Does it mean you do not go to church or mosque? It doesn’t disturb me from going to church. It doesn’t disturb me from worshipping with people who call on God’s name. We all came from God. Olokun believes in Almighty God. Anywhere they call Almighty God, I will be there to worship with them. There’s no problem about that, it’s just that I’m Olokun, so accept who I am. When I had my festival, some of my friends who have been inviting me to functions, did not come to the festival because they called it idol worship. And I said to them, if I was worshipping idols, God wouldn’t be answering my prayers and blessing me every day. They are even more evil than I am, yet they say I am engaging in idol worship because they go to church every Sunday. People just think Olokun is fetish and dirty, but it is not. Olokun is white. White is pure and clean. And that is the way olokun is.

The general belief is that Olokun people commune with mermaid spirits. How true is this? Let me not lie to you, Olokun is from the water. Whether they call it mermaid or any name they attach to it, it does not change anything. But all I know is that they are clean, in and out. They are pure people, they fight for people. Like we have some wicked people in the world, the Olokun people can fight for them and God has given me that power to set people free. You can never find an Olokun harming people. If you even have a neighbor that is Olokun, you are blessed, because all they will be doing is praying and blessing their neighbours all the time. As chic and elegant as you are at what stage did you start as Olokun? Right from when I was young. In school, most of my friends knew that there was ‘something’ about me and they wanted to cling to me because anywhere they were with me, nothing happened to them. One day, my bosom friend asked me to pray for her and I said I knew her dream was to travel to America after school. I assured her that her dream would come true. Immediately we left school, she traveled to America and till date she is still in America. People have been coming to me for prayers. I did all these spiri- tual stuffs too and would tell them things about themselves. I have seen that a lot of people are tied down by enemies and wicked people that don’t want them to move forward. But when they come to Olokun, Olokun prays to God and God gives the power to heal. Have you encountered any challenges since you accepted this role as Yeye Olokun? I don’t think so. Anywhere I walk into they accept me gladly. A lady pastor who came with me to Ile-Ife during the Olokun festival woke me very early the next morning that she couldn’t sleep. I said, you are a pastor, you can’t sleep, what is the problem? She said she saw what happened the previous day and that as a pastor she wasn’t supposed to be there. I said to her, shame on you. If you know you are sent by God you shouldn’t discriminate. Jesus was dining even with the tax collectors. I told her that she did not know God if she couldn’t sleep because of the festival. I told her, I’m a godly person, I’m not a religious person and I know when I call to my God, he answers me. People come to me and miracles happen when I pray for them. If you invite me to come and worship in your church or mosque, it doesn’t stop me. Even Jesus said, give unto Caesar that which belongs to Caesar. At the festival, all my Olokun people were present – the Ogboni, Obatala and other traditionalists.

What do you do for a living? I’m a designer who promotes Nigeria and African culture. I bring expatriates from the Western world, to invest in Nigeria. You are a very pretty lady, does being Olokun affect your relationship with men? My Olokun is very pure and very clean. I run away from men. Because I have to be very pure and clean all the time so that I can communicate with God and he answers me quickly. Most men didn’t understand that aspect of the gift in me initially but when the Ooni now made me the ambassador of Olokun, they now understood why I keep to myself. What has life taught you as a person? Life is very good if you know how to live it but we complicate life. I tell people that they should try to be nice to everybody they come across. There’s one particular thing I have been saying for many years: Eni afe la mo, a mo eni to fe ni de nu (You only know those you love, you don’t know those who love you genuinely). I’ m a very jolly person. Any one that does not like my person must be an evil person. I always tell people to be careful in life. Be nice to people, watch your step, don’t trust people totally. Because a friend sitting close to you might be your worst enemy. I handled a case that involved a lady recently. Her best friend dropped something in her drink and she died. The case was brought to me, and I asked the lady why she killed her friend. She said she was not the one. I did ‘something’ and before she knew it, she was confessing. Life is so beautiful if you live it well, but be careful. How do you relax? I listen to cool music. I like R ‘n’ B. It goes into my soul. I’m always happy, nothing disturbs me. Olokun is always happy, smiling, never worrying about anything. I will never let the devil make me unhappy. You are from Benin, and the Olokun ambassador in Ile-Ife, what is the connection? Do you know your history, where did the Binis come from? Go and read about Oduduwa. They went to settle in Benin. Olokun started from in Ile-Ife. READ ALSO: Across Europe, Gani Adams preaches, unity, promotes Yoruba values

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[seanspeak-blog]

ABEBI@40 When a lady is loved right, she glows and radiates...and make 40 look 20 @adebeee Many thanks to my able assistant on set @bababoyzz you are too much..and boss..see as you dey make her glow! KUDOS! @remscocreations flawless boss of life !! Tuale! #shotbysean #birthday #portrait #birthdayshoot#shootwhatyoulove #queen #bellanaijaliving #beauty #londonphotographer #familyfirst #familyportrait #naijakillingit #beauty (at Kent, Kent, United Kingdom)

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Princess Latifat Momodu: How I became Olokun ambassador

“Most men didn’t understand that aspect of the gift in me initially but when the Ooni made me Yeye Olokun, they now understood why I keep to myself.” Christy Anyanwu

Princess Latifat Momodu is a well-known face in Nigerian social circle and a fashion aficionado who loves promoting culture in all ramifications. This year, she became the Yeye Olokun, a title bestowed on her by the Ooni of Ife. In that capacity she graced the public presentation of the book on Queen Moremi, held at Ile-Ife. She spoke with Sunday Sun after the event on her new role as Yeye Olokun (Ambassador of Olokun). Read on…

You have been away from the social circle for awhile. What happened? I have been busy outside the country. I decided to live abroad for a while. While there, I promoted our culture to the white people by promoting African fabrics and fashion designs. Now that I’m back, I would continue with what I have been doing, which is to promote culture. I have a dance troupe and a live band. Now,I hold concerts with my dance troupe. My next show will hold at Eko hotel before end of this year. And I will perform for the audience. READ ALSO: Faluade calls for concerted efforts in promotion of culture Shortly after you came back, we heard that you were appointed the Yeye Olokun. Could that be why you came back? It was not because of that. I think God just directed me to come back home. God is directing my life, telling me what to do. When He said ‘go outside the country, I had to go and when He said, ‘it is time to go back home,’ I obeyed. How did you become the ambassador of Olokun? The Ooni of Ife, Kabiyesi Enitan Adeyeye Babatunde Ogunwusi, Ojaja II, sighted me and just knew that I am Olokun. He decided to give me what he thinks rightly belongs to me. He made me the ambassador of Olokun and that’s how I became the ambassador of Olokun. What is your role as Olokun ambassador? To promote the Olokun festival. It is a yearly festival and it is my duty to look for sponsorship for the event. My job is to make Olokun festival lively by letting people to know about it. Also, I educate people about Olokun because a lot of people don’t know what it is. Olokun is very pure. They are not wicked people. They fight oppressors and I’m one of them. But some people see Olokun in bad light. What is your take on this? We have problem in this country. We love the Western religion and Western way of life. We have forgotten that in the days of our forefathers, they worshipped Olokun and what happened? They were healthy. Olokun is one of the angels of God sent to the world by God. They are pure. If you had come to this year’s festival, you would have seen the miracles that happened at the event. When Kabiyesi (Ooni) went into the temple and called to God, it was sunny and kabiyesi prayed, immediately the sun went down and the rainbow came out full. Everybody saw it and it started to rain. People said they had never see such miracles. If Olokun is not pure, God would not listen, to give that rain. READ ALSO: Olokun, Osaara: The making of Atlantic Ocean, Lagos Lagoon Most people who don’t know anything about Olokun, they just say rubbish. They are scared. When people see you dressed in white apparel, white beads and cowries they are afraid. A chief once told me to forget about my beliefs since I came from the western world and look elegant but I told him that Olokun is what makes me special. I believe in Olokun and I’m going to be in it for a long time, all the days of my life. That was why Ooni chose me when he set eyes on me. Kabiyesi can see. He sees everything. He’s very powerful, that is what I want to tell you now. Were you born into it or you just developed interest in it? I came to the world with it. I know so. Does it mean you do not go to church or mosque? It doesn’t disturb me from going to church. It doesn’t disturb me from worshipping with people who call on God’s name. We all came from God. Olokun believes in Almighty God. Anywhere they call Almighty God, I will be there to worship with them. There’s no problem about that, it’s just that I’m Olokun, so accept who I am. When I had my festival, some of my friends who have been inviting me to functions, did not come to the festival because they called it idol worship. And I said to them, if I was worshipping idols, God wouldn’t be answering my prayers and blessing me every day. They are even more evil than I am, yet they say I am engaging in idol worship because they go to church every Sunday. People just think Olokun is fetish and dirty, but it is not. Olokun is white. White is pure and clean. And that is the way olokun is.

The general belief is that Olokun people commune with mermaid spirits. How true is this? Let me not lie to you, Olokun is from the water. Whether they call it mermaid or any name they attach to it, it does not change anything. But all I know is that they are clean, in and out. They are pure people, they fight for people. Like we have some wicked people in the world, the Olokun people can fight for them and God has given me that power to set people free. You can never find an Olokun harming people. If you even have a neighbor that is Olokun, you are blessed, because all they will be doing is praying and blessing their neighbours all the time. As chic and elegant as you are at what stage did you start as Olokun? Right from when I was young. In school, most of my friends knew that there was ‘something’ about me and they wanted to cling to me because anywhere they were with me, nothing happened to them. One day, my bosom friend asked me to pray for her and I said I knew her dream was to travel to America after school. I assured her that her dream would come true. Immediately we left school, she traveled to America and till date she is still in America. People have been coming to me for prayers. I did all these spiri- tual stuffs too and would tell them things about themselves. I have seen that a lot of people are tied down by enemies and wicked people that don’t want them to move forward. But when they come to Olokun, Olokun prays to God and God gives the power to heal. Have you encountered any challenges since you accepted this role as Yeye Olokun? I don’t think so. Anywhere I walk into they accept me gladly. A lady pastor who came with me to Ile-Ife during the Olokun festival woke me very early the next morning that she couldn’t sleep. I said, you are a pastor, you can’t sleep, what is the problem? She said she saw what happened the previous day and that as a pastor she wasn’t supposed to be there. I said to her, shame on you. If you know you are sent by God you shouldn’t discriminate. Jesus was dining even with the tax collectors. I told her that she did not know God if she couldn’t sleep because of the festival. I told her, I’m a godly person, I’m not a religious person and I know when I call to my God, he answers me. People come to me and miracles happen when I pray for them. If you invite me to come and worship in your church or mosque, it doesn’t stop me. Even Jesus said, give unto Caesar that which belongs to Caesar. At the festival, all my Olokun people were present – the Ogboni, Obatala and other traditionalists.

What do you do for a living? I’m a designer who promotes Nigeria and African culture. I bring expatriates from the Western world, to invest in Nigeria. You are a very pretty lady, does being Olokun affect your relationship with men? My Olokun is very pure and very clean. I run away from men. Because I have to be very pure and clean all the time so that I can communicate with God and he answers me quickly. Most men didn’t understand that aspect of the gift in me initially but when the Ooni now made me the ambassador of Olokun, they now understood why I keep to myself. What has life taught you as a person? Life is very good if you know how to live it but we complicate life. I tell people that they should try to be nice to everybody they come across. There’s one particular thing I have been saying for many years: Eni afe la mo, a mo eni to fe ni de nu (You only know those you love, you don’t know those who love you genuinely). I’ m a very jolly person. Any one that does not like my person must be an evil person. I always tell people to be careful in life. Be nice to people, watch your step, don’t trust people totally. Because a friend sitting close to you might be your worst enemy. I handled a case that involved a lady recently. Her best friend dropped something in her drink and she died. The case was brought to me, and I asked the lady why she killed her friend. She said she was not the one. I did ‘something’ and before she knew it, she was confessing. Life is so beautiful if you live it well, but be careful. How do you relax? I listen to cool music. I like R ‘n’ B. It goes into my soul. I’m always happy, nothing disturbs me. Olokun is always happy, smiling, never worrying about anything. I will never let the devil make me unhappy. You are from Benin, and the Olokun ambassador in Ile-Ife, what is the connection? Do you know your history, where did the Binis come from? Go and read about Oduduwa. They went to settle in Benin. Olokun started from in Ile-Ife. READ ALSO: Across Europe, Gani Adams preaches, unity, promotes Yoruba values

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