Sunday 30 May 2010

Less than a month to go...

I looked at my counter today and it said 23 DAYS LEFT TILL DEPARTURE and I panicked a little. Not because I thought 'oh my, Im actually leaving this place', or 'i'm going to miss everyone' (this should come later at a leaving do or the like). Rather, my anxiety was due to the fact that I realised I have 23 days to complete 20 tasks and buy all the things I think is necessary for my trip. Where on EARTH did all the time go?
On a more successful note, I have completed 2 more tasks. I will put up a video soon of me throwing a boomerang and learning to juggle 3 balls;
So, okay I did put 4 balls on my task sheet, but who was I kidding? Co-ordination is hard at the best of times and those of you who know me know my directional ability! I think I'll just cut my losses at 3 and move on!
So today I completed the task to VOLUNTEER AT A SOUP KITCHEN, and it was really fulfilling in the sense that I helped to bring a smile to people's faces and for no payment. It made me realise that to give something can really be better than to take it. Thanks to the American Church in London (Tottenham Court Road) for letting me participate in the soup kitchen. I encourage any one who wants to help other and give back to society to try it out. Its worth more than a £2 a month cheque to a faceless organisation. Unfortunately, since it was about feeding the general public and mostly vulnurable people, I could not record it, nor did I attempt to take a picture (which was a bit sad), but i did manage to take a crappy picture of me in the storeroom looking more like a beebo profile pic of a 14 year old than anything else, but... yeah... Before I go, some shoutouts!!! (A new Addition to my blog)
  • To my Cousin Tomi on her 21st Birthday!! Happy birhday, enjoyed spending time with you up North...
  • To the Catford Rotary Club for allowing me to crash their weekly meeting unannounced and eat a 3 course meal with them and sit on the presidents table.
  • To Carol Jean Couture whose fashion line is exquisite!!! Thanks for letting me perform at your show! click her to check out her designs
Till next time!!
Banke

Wednesday 19 May 2010

5 planes and 4 US States; wow what a journey!!!

Last weekend was really eventful for me, I travelled to Arizona for a couple of days and it was amazing. Not only for the intense heat that greeted my sister and I as we landed, but also because the travel experience was like never before. In just four days, I visited 4 US States... Oh sorry, I meant 3 US States (Chicago, Arizona and Washington) and 1 Canadian State (Montreal), and managed to board 5 different planes!
As some of you might know, I am ever so slightly apprehensive before I travel by air, and this was no exception. I had to get over my 'IF ITS NOT BA, I'M NOT GETTING ON IT' rule.
As a sidebar, I could relate this experience to my impending travels, saying the adventerous journey was in preparation for my flight to Sierra Leone. However, I won't, as it was pointed out to me the other day, most of my sentences now begin with or contain 'when I'm in Sierra Leone...' Yes I realise how annoying that could be!
The flights were quite smooth and I soon got over my fear of flying UNITED (Yes, I look up crash rates on the flight risk assessment site online. Yes, I am that pendantic about such issues!) But it was fine. Other than the ancient movie screening system on the transatlantic flight, it was great. I even got to go on a tiny UNITED EXPRESS jet from Washington to Montreal, which was really fast. Funny story:
 Upon taking off on UNITED EXPRESS, ascending into the bulbous clouds of the Washington sky, there was of course turbulence, to which I momentarily panicked and grabbed unto the arm rest beside me, accidentally scratching the leg of the poor man next to me. Between saying the Shepherd's Psalm, I managed to apologize, to which he replied, 'don't worry about it, I was about to do exactly the same thing'... Maybe its normal to scratch people on flights... At least that will alleviate my embarrassment, though I know thats not exactly what he meant!
So, I've had some American fun before  leave the West for a year, there will be som many more adventures in the South, I am sure. In terms of task, I have completed another, spending the whole night awake, which was hard, and had me in a stupor the whole of today. I was kept awake by my trusty programmes Home and Away and Gossip Girl (What a season finale today!!). These are some of the trivial things I will miss about having uninterrupted wireless connecting me to You Tube and ITV Player!! Till Next time...

Banke!!

Saturday 8 May 2010

Out of the desert, comes a £50 cheque!

Welcome back. Okay, so this one is 28 lines, Sorry, I obviously can't count!

It took me a while not to spell desert as dessert. Seriously, and I was a spelling bee champion! Dessert is yummy though!

Okay, so guys, this was a tough week for me. If you have been on my justgiving page lately (no, you haven't have you... yes, you should have... I've caught you out... just joking... am I?) you would have seen that the donations have slowed to a crawl. So I thought I would unleash my fundraising powers, you know bring in the charming big dogs. I started contacting possible funders; calling, emailing, stalking...

I even contacted people I knew the chance of receiving a donation from was about as possible as rowing to the moon and back in 3 days on a canoe... But I did anyway! I was feeling confident after reading my 'guide to fundraising' and felt the funding world was my oyster...
... 3 days later, my canoe was still standing vertical in the sand. I had called my old school like 10 times and sent numerous emails and had spoken to a particular voice message so much that I chant along with it now. Just to cheer myself up! Funny story...
I call one of my old establishments, hoping to speak to the head of department. The receptionist puts me through. It goes through to voicemail, so I call back and say to the receptionist, 'can you give me her direct number?' Receptionist says no. So next time I call, I ask when the head will be around. Receptionist says 'I can't be certain of that. You just have to call back.' I am getting kind of exasperated by now, so i say, 'I could call back 20 times and not get through to her. Could you tell me when she might be around the vicinity of her office? She must have a timetable!' So receptionist tells me to hold on and comes back 2 minutes later and says, 'well she's actually not on site till Friday (This is Tuesday by the way!), so you can try her then!'
?
As I put the phone down, I think to myself, 'would it not have been easier for receptionist to tell me
that at the BEGINNING of the phone call, therefore saving my time and hers? In addition to that thrilling but grossly unhelpful phonecall, I hadn't received any replies from my numerous emails and other voice messages. I was down, Yes down! My canoe now appeared to be lying facedown surounded by desert wind, with tumbleweed blowing mockingly across the sand.

But then, my mother came home with a cheque for £50 from a church member who heard about what I was doing and wanted to donate! So a big thank you to the twins, and my mum! They really put a happy spin to an otherwise miserable day for me!!

Banke xoxoxo

Sunday 2 May 2010

Yes, I definitely hate Marmite!

Welcome back. As promised, Just 25 lines or less!

RE: Just over half an hour ago, I tasted marmite for the second time ever, and I am definitely convinced that it will be my last!

This was task 2/25 to raise money for VSO before I go away, and it was fun. Check out the video clip at:



So far, I have raised over £350 for VSO, and I have to say, I think that amount covered that single bite of marmite spread bread. Who says they like marmite again?

WHAT ARE YOUR TASTE BUDS LIKE? Not far from tasting like ear-wax, the yeast extract taste is far from desirable. There is definitely not enough Folic Acid and Vitamin B12 in that 'thing' posing as a healthy spread to tempt me into its destructive arms ever again.

Were it up to me, following the extract should read: 'possible symptoms following consumption include,'
a. uncontrollable contortion of the face in disgust, b. unsatiable need for something sweet to rid your mouth of bitter taste, c. sweating, d. piercing headache, e. possible stomach ache (if untreated vomitting may follow... and so on
I have all of these symptoms. I suppose all can be easily treated by a 2 hour nap, however I have an even beter idea. Instead of treatment, the perfect prophylaxis from the effects of marmite will simply be... NEVER EAT IT AGAIN.

Thanks for Reading,
Banke xoxo

NB: No, I will not be packing marmite in my suitcase when i leave... urgh... i can still taste it!