ANOTHER POOL BOY

 

Hello Hi,

 

Welcome (back) to my blog! It’s been over a year since I last wrote on my blog. Too many life changes happened - I recently moved countries and started a new job, yes, again! I could write a book about my life experiences over the past couple of years but those are stories for another day. For today, something happened that inspired me to write again. Almost like a rendezvous but I said “uh-uh, not today”. Below is my story.

ANOTHER POOL BOY

I got up early on Sunday morning, with lots of plans in my head for my day. First, I was going to go for early morning mass, then do some house chores, after which I would go to the pool, then wash my hair, do laundry, call some friends… the list went on and on. I went to the indoor pool as I suspected that the outdoor pool in my building would be packed with people, since it was a hot afternoon. As I was got into the area, a man was leaving the pool. Yes, I was going to have the pool all to myself; I thought to myself. I said hello to him, took off my bathrobe, put on my swimming cap, and goggles, and then got into the pool. I started my usual routine, going across the pool at the shallow end, since I was still afraid of the deep end. On my second lap, I heard a big splash in the pool that made me stand up. It turned out that the man had jumped back into the pool and started swimming at the deep end. Oh well, if he keeps swimming over there, I’d still have the shallow end to myself. By the time I was starting my third lap, I saw this man standing right across me in the shallow end. I hoped his preference for that area would be short-lived. When I got beside him, he started talking to me.

“Do you live here?”, He asked

“Yes I do”

“Are you new? ”

“No, are you?”, I asked to be polite.

“Yes, I moved in 2 weeks ago.”

“Well, welcome to the building!” I smiled, like any friendly neighbour would do

“Where are you from?”

“Nigeria”

“I’ve been to Africa many times but not Nigeria. I’ve been to Ghana, Togo…” he continued.

“Where are you from?”, I was curious.

“I’m from Lebanon. Have you ever heard of Lebanon?”

“Yes, I have. I’ve never been there though.”

“Are you married?”

“No”

“So do you live here alone?”

I hesitated to answer for security reasons. I was not sure if it was a good idea to let a stranger, especially a male one, know that I lived alone. All the same, he was a new neighbour and I figured it couldn’t be harmful, as long as I did not give him my apartment number. Since there were over 100 apartments, it would be difficult to find me if he turned out to be a weirdo. Plus, I did not feel like telling a lie on a Sunday, so I responded yes to his question. He proceeded to tell me that he was not married. He had recently moved to the country and was initially living with his brother and his family for a couple of months but now he was living alone. He also asked about my swimming -  I told him I was still a learner so I preferred to be at the shallow end. He thought I was a good swimmer and that with practice, I would be perfect. By this time, I was getting impatient to continue my swimming, so I started to kick my legs in the pool and once he paused, I said thanks and swam off.

He was already by the other end of the pool when I got there. I was impressed with his fast swimming skills but at the same time, I was beginning to feel that he was a bit creepy. He started conversing again. He asked for my phone number. He said he was single and looking for a girlfriend and he thought I was beautiful. He suggested taking me out for coffee or a meal, and he said he would teach me how to swim.

“Thanks, but I’m not looking for a boyfriend.”

“Okay, but can I take your number to be your friend?”

I said okay; I could give him my number just to be a friendly neighbour but I had to finish swimming first.

He started telling me that he planned to marry an African lady. He had no interest in marrying a fellow Arab.

“Good for you”, I said and resumed my swimming, wondering how that piece of information was important to me.

While I swam, I couldn’t help but remember a guy I had met 6 years ago. I wrote about him here. He was also from Lebanon and a newcomer to the country. I had found him online to teach me swimming and after the first class, he texted me to ask if he could move in with me since we were both single. He said he would teach me swimming for free. Of course, that was where the swimming lessons ended for both of us. Fast forward to now, another Lebanese guy asking me to be his girlfriend the same day we met, just because I was not married, and I lived alone (I did not even tell this guy that I was single). I wondered if this was a cultural thing.   

I turned around and this time, he was sitting above the pool right across from me, with his legs in the water. It was as if he wanted to get a better view of me. I felt annoyed but decided to ignore him as I had limited time set for the pool. When I eventually got out of the water, I took my belongings and said bye. He reminded me that I had agreed to give him my number. I reluctantly put in my digits, then he called me to check that he had the right number. He asked if I used WhatsApp. “Not really”, I said; this time I lied not caring that it was a Sunday., He said he would call or text me then. We said our goodbyes and I left wondering if I should not have given him my number, but I told myself that it was good to meet and be friendly with new neighbours.

By the time I got to my room, I had received a message from him. It was not a text message; it was on WhatsApp and it read “Hi beautiful” with a wink. It was at that moment that I decided that I did not want to have a new friendly neighbour, at least not for this week and with that thought, I blocked his number.

 

Thank you very much for reading. In case you msised, the previous story about the pool guy was published here. Please don’t forget to subscribe to my Blog and Youtube Channel (VivioGogo) and share with your friends. Also follow me on Instagram @ugochiukah and @lavivisblog, and on twitter @vivio_gogo . Until next time, stay safe. XOXO, God bless. 😊

HAPPY FEBRUARY 2023/ HAPPY NEW MONTH AND YEAR

 Hello Hi,

Welcome to the month of February! Happy new month! And since it’s my first time writing on my blog this year, happy new year too! January flew by quickly, at least for me but I hope it was a good month for you. I started the new year in Austin with my friend, which was nice to have company. How was your first day of the year?

If you follow my blogposts, you would know that I love to set yearly goals and review them early the next year. So I was recently reviewing my 2022 goals and I don’t think I did too badly, especially given the number of times I had to move around last year. To be honest, the only goal I accomplished was starting a new job. I don’t think my French improved because I did not get the chance to practice as much as I would have liked but I continued with my daily Duolingo practice and towards the end of the year, I signed up for Alliance Francaise class, which has been a bit helpful. As for my swimming, it got too cold too quickly so I put that aside. I also did not travel back home but I visited 5 or 6 new countries last year (I don’t even remember, LOL). So yeah, all in all, I am thankful and have no major complaints.

For this year 2023, I want to try something new – whereby I am not setting any real goals. I want to enjoy myself and go with God’s flow. This might be a bit hard for me because I like being in control of things that concern my life but I have decided for God to take full control this year. I trust Him so On va voir!

Anyway, February is the month of love; valentine is coming….I don’t know what you have planned but try to at least call or spend time with your loved ones including family and friends, and check up on single people too; we deserve some love :P Also, it is Black history month so please try to educate yourself on some African American history and see how you can contribute to more equity in your community.

As we enter this year, I hope we have many things and people to celebrate. I pray that our hearts be filled with immense love and joy, Amen. Thank you very much for reading and supporting me and I wish you all a wonderful new month. Stay blessed! Please don’t forget to subscribe to my Blog and Youtube Channel (VivioGogo) and share with your friends. Also follow me on Instagram @ugochiukah and @lavivisblog, and on twitter @vivio_gogo . Until next time, stay safe. XOXO, God bless. 😊

 

 

 

 

SOMEBODY CALL THE COPS UP!

 

Hello hi,

Welcome back to my blog space; I hope you are doing great. Happy new month!! It's December; we made it to the last month of the year by God’s grace. In the last post, I mentioned that I moved to a new country. So since then, I have been trying to settle in my new environment, hence the delay in my writing (sorry!). I’ve moved a lot in my life so I thought this latest move would be easy-breezy, especially as it was just across the border. However, I have found it to be the most challenging move I’ve had, sigh. The delay in getting my shipped luggage (never use UPS for anything, they are useless), the struggle to get my driver’s license (the driver license office here has some weird staff), and acclimatizing to the extreme weather conditions here are a few of the hurdles I have to had to jump but thankfully, I’m feeling more settled now.

Several things have happened to me since I arrived, some expected and some unexpected. One of the biggest shocks I experienced was being in a mall at the same time as an active shooter! This happened just about a month after I arrived int he States. I’m sure, you’re thinking, how come?! Well, I went to the mall with a friend to return some items that I had bought online. Upon entering the mall, a Black lady was leaving and casually mentioned that there was an active shooter in the mall. I stood for a few seconds, wondering whether she was joking. Yes, I know we hear in the news almost every other week about shooters in the malls and shops in the US, but I just did not understand how that lady could be that calm and not running if there was truly one present that day. I did not respond to her. After a few minutes of standing with my friend, we concluded that things looked quite “normal” in the mall and that I would quickly go in and return my items. Before we could take 2 full steps, we heard someone on the prompter make an announcement:

“Attention everyone. There’s a shooter in the mall. Please take cover or shelter somewhere safe. Again, I repeat…”

I felt my body freezing at that moment. I was really close to the exit of the mall, since we had just entered, but I felt like I could not move for a few seconds. It was only after my friend spoke to me that I regained more consciousness. We cautiously but quickly, made our way back to the car in the parking lot. I was speechless, wondering how I could have experienced such a random occurrence. As we sat in the car, my colleague asked “should we wait?”

“Wait for what?” I asked confused.

“Maybe the shooter(s) would go away”, she answered calmly.

“Or maybe they would find us! Can we leave now please?” I responded, quite shocked at the lack of fear my friend was displaying.

We headed to another branch of the store with my heart still beating fast. Out of curiosity, I asked my friend why she had been so calm the entire time. Her response was that she often saw and heard of things like this, so such news no longer disturbed her. I said I think I understood her but I never wanted to become desensitized to such kinds of news, and as a matter of fact, I never wanted to be in a place with an active shooter ever again! We laughed a bit, did some shopping and returns, and then I tried Tacobell for the first time in my life (the soft tacos were my favourite).

Upon getting home that evening, I checked the news. It turned out there were two gangs fighting and they came to the mall. I wondered why they could not have fought in their own homes, instead of disturbing the peace of others. I did not bother to tell my family members (although they will most likely read this here, LOL) but I said a prayer that night, thanking God for saving my life.

So guys, this is one of my many stories since relocating to the US. Since then, I have an impromptu eye surgery (I will post this on my Youtube (VivioGogo) channel soon), gained some weight, and had my 1^st US thanksgiving in Dallas, which was great with lots of food (photos in this post). but Overall, my stay has been good but super busy with work but I am looking forward to experiencing more adventures and sharing them with you. In the meantime, I want to wish you all a wonderful new month. Stay blessed!

Thank you very much for reading and supporting me. Please don’t forget to subscribe to my Blog and Youtube Channel (VivioGogo) and share with your friends. Also follow me on Instagram @ugochiukah and @lavivisblog, and on twitter @vivio_gogo . Until next time, stay safe. XOXO, God bless. 😊

 

LATEST AMERICANA ON THE BLOCK, ABOUT A MONTH IN THE STATES.

Hello hi,

It’s been another long while. I’m sorry that I have been away but I hope you can understand why after reading this. A lot of things have happened since the last time I wrote, so I just want to check in and update you all. I’ve been getting many questions and comments such as: when are you back from Europe? What are you doing in the States? Did you move? So here I am to clarify information to whom it may concern, lol.

Did I move?

Several weeks ago, I made the brave decision to move to the United States of America; so yes, I have moved out of Canada to Minnesota. You might be wondering, why Minnesota? Well, I got a job here and after much long and hard thoughts, prayers, advice, and discussions, I decided it was the right next step to take. I call my decision “brave” because as a black woman who was living somewhat comfortably in Canada, the States would not necessarily be the next best thing that one would think about. I don’t want to go into US politics or the environment but I’m sure most people are aware of the climate in the States. Secondly, I had other great job offers, including one in Canada which seemed to be my dream job, had I not gotten the US job offer first. Therefore, a part of me felt crazy for leaving behind a great job offer but a bigger part of me wanted to explore and viola, I moved here.

What kind of job did I get?

It’s an academic type of job in health, although it is not a University. I am an Epidemiologist, so I do health research and my focus is still in maternal and child health.

How was the moving process?

I have been living in the States for just about a month, but I still feel unsettled. Surprisingly, this move has been one of the most stressful moves of my life. This is the fifth (maybe fifth and half if you count Norway) time I have moved countries, so I thought this one would be easy breezy, especially as I was still moving within the same continent. Alas, it has not been so, although God has sent me helpers every step of the way, thankfully. As some of you may know, I was in Norway for about 3 months as a visiting researcher. So when I came back to Canada, I had exactly one month to move out of the place to a new country. This meant that I had to find someone to live in my place, pack my things, get rid of or sell things that I could not carry, find a new place in Minnesota, finish up projects and kick off some projects, say goodbyes amongst many other things! In between these, I had a conference to attend, and I had to renew my Nigerian passport, both of which I had to travel for. So when I tell you that I felt and still feel like I’m on a fast moving track, almost as quickly as Amusan was running during the World Champion in athletics, I’m not exaggerating. Also, my sincere apologies if I did not get to say goodbye (properly) before I left.

How did I move my stuff?

I managed to pack my things slowly before moving but finding a moving company was hard because it looked like the whole world was moving at the same time. I eventually decided to use UPS which I scheduled for pick up a week before my travel. Guess what, they picked up my stuff just a day before my trip to the US! As if their incompetence was not enough, my belongings which were supposed to arrive a couple of days after I travelled, just came in last night (I kid you not – after one month!). And to add insult to injury, not all of them have arrived and some of those arrived were damaged. So as you may be wondering what I have been wearing, I have managed with the few clothes and items in my luggage that I checked in on the plane. I did not carry too many clothes on the flight as I was hopeful that my items with UPS would arrive on time: so I carried mostly my documents, irreplaceable stuff, and food items that were semi-perishable. I have had to spend the last one month calling UPS almost every day to find out where my packages were, and the calls mostly involve multiple transfers to different departments which have sucked up several hours each day. They made me feel out several forms and send it to them many times, yet no news. Finally, it turned out that my items were just sitting in their warehouse for no good reason. My experience with UPS has been hell, so if you’re ever thinking about using them, don’t!

Have I settled in?

So yeah, UPS has definitely affected my speed of settling in the US so far, since I have not unpacked anything. However, getting social security number (SSN) in the US has been just as stressful. I went the first time during my conference visit in Chicago to try to get my SSN but after waiting for an hour, I was told that my H1B (work) visa had not yet been activated. So once I finally moved officially to the US, after my visa was activated, I went again to an SSN office in Minnesota, queued up again and after an hour, was told that it was not the correct SSN office. Hmmm! I went early the next day to the correct office and stood in the hot sun for more than 4 hours. When I got into the building, it was almost like they only had 2 staff working on the day, hence the snail movement. I finalized the SSN application quickly, or so I thought. I was told that my SSN card would be mailed out within 2 weeks, but the card did not come. I called them, they said they would mail out a new one which would take another 2 weeks but there was no guarantee that it would come, can you imagine? They also did not have any tracking or anyway to expedite the process. So I had to go back to the office, just this week, to queue up again and get them to mail it to my new apartment. Thankfully, the queue took only 2 and half hours this time and the weather was not as hot. Fingers crossed that it comes soon, because if you know anything about the States, you would know that everything is tied to your SSN (for Nigerians, it’s like BVN) – you can’t get a credit card, no permanent telephone number; the whole thing is  a mess. I have been shocked about how the system does not track and improve the process for such an important document.

How have I managed so far?

Moving on to better news, other than these unfortunate events mentioned above, I have been well received by my few friends, acquaintances, and colleagues here. My friend, Gucci, has been gracious and let me stay at her place for 2 weeks while I was home hunting, and fed me abundantly: God bless you dear. Her sisters and friends, and people that I have been connected to, have also been very kind. My colleagues have been donating stuff to me and driving me around…so really, I know that God is by my side, as always and everything will work out for my good, Amen.

How have I been finding Minnesotans so far?

I had heard about “Minnesota niceness” before moving here, but perhaps because I’m coming from Canada, I don’t feel it. I’d say people in Canada are much more polite, although I noticed here that you are more likely to get a hi from a random person, than in Canada. Sometimes, I look back to be sure that they are speaking to me, lol.

The weather?

I think the summer is a bit milder than in Montreal. There have been some super hot days but mostly, it’s been manageable.

Any culture shock yet?

Besides the random hellos, I think one of my biggest shock was going to the office and seeing a sign at the entrance that said, “No guns allowed”. It took me a short while to understand why such a sign would even exist in a health organization.

My new apartment?

It’s really nice; it’s a brand new building close to shops, amenities, work, and the airport. The downside is the loud noises of planes; I mean it feels like I live on the airport track. Also, my apartment is next to a main road, so I also get car noises ☹ As a matter of fact, I tried to change rooms a few days ago but it did not work out. On the bright side, there’s a nice outdoor swimming pool which I used this morning and lots of amenities e.g., gym, coffee, in the building.

Have I done any sightseeing?

Not yet, because I’ve been dealing with the challenges I mentioned. I only went to the Minnesota Institute of Arts (MIA), which was lovely but large, so I was not able to finish look at even a quarter of the place. I plan to go back. I also went to Minnehaha falls with my boss, it was a beautiful sight.

Do you miss Canada?

I try not to live my life missing people or things that I can go back to, if I need to. This is my way of adjusting to a new place, and not dwelling in regret, otherwise I would not have moved this much in my life. And I consider every new move as an opportunity to experience new places, people, culture, and to grow both personally and otherwise. I hope this answers your question 😊 Nonetheless, I have missed having conversations in French or at least trying to (specific to Montreal) and the good public transportation system I enjoyed in Montreal and Vancouver.

How can I be reached?

My Canadian WhatsApp number still works so if you had it before, you can still use it. Otherwise, emails, social media, my blog here, and the traditional way of letter writing is available to you if you have my home address, lol. If you’re going to call me, please Google time in Minnesota so that you don’t call me at ungodly hours. :P

 So that’s all folks, at least for now. Abeg, before you people start asking me JAMB questions about migrating to the US, I just got here o, so I don’t know much, LOL. I plan to keep you updated via my blog and YouTube, as I settle in and navigate what it means to be a Nigerian-Canadian transplant in the States. So please keep me in your good thoughts and prayers.

Thank you very much for reading and supporting me. Please don’t forget to subscribe to my Blog and Youtube Channel (VivioGogo) and share with your friends. Also follow me on Instagram @ugochiukah and @lavivisblog, and on twitter @vivio_gogo . Until next time, stay safe. XOXO, God bless. 😊

 

BIRTHDAY RECAP AND BIRTHDAY ETIQUETTE

Hello hi, 

I am writing to say thank you to all who called, texted and prayed for/with me yesterday! I am really grateful for your love and care. Also, special thanks to those who shared my latest YouTube video (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hGZLGqXMH5s ) on their platforms; I really appreciate your support.

For those of you that don't know, yesterday (April 24th) was my birthday. It was a Sunday and I was born on Sunday, so I usually get excited when my birthday coincides with my day of birth. Weeks before, I was not sure how the day would turn out because I am not currently in my home country and I don't have a lot of friends here. So I even considered travelling to somewhere else, but I was talking to a friend and we decided to go to the sauna. So she booked a a one and half hour sauna by the fjord and we planned to have dinner afterwards. And that was how I started planning my day, even though quite lazily, unlike previous years where I used to be super pro-active. I guess another reason why I did not try to do much was because my current age is not exactly a 'milestone' age e.g. 21, 30, 35 etc., although of course, every age is a huge blessing.(From the things I have written, you should be able to guess my age if you don't already know:) ).  

My birthday started with WhatsApp messages and then family calls, and then, I went for mass. After I got home, I thought I would take a nap but I had more incoming calls and messages, such that I could not. The day before my birthday, I had checked to see if I could buy ice cream cake (my usual tradition) but could not find anywhere around - so you see, that this is not an European thing which explains why I did no know what icecream cake was in 2014, LOL. I eventually got a few cupcakes on my birthday because most of the cake shops were closed (many shops are closed here on Sunday and I completely forgot).  Along the way, I asked a couple of strangers to help me take photos so most of the photos you see below were from nice people that don't know me. 

At about 3.30pm, I left for the sauna with my friend. We got there and it was blazing hot! Don't ask me what I was expecting, I know that saunas are hot but clearly I had not been in one for ages and I had never had to stay in one for long. It took a while to get used to and I realised that sitting on the lower benches were much more tolerable. The breaks and dipping into the ocean also helped and with time, I got more comfortable and had a fun experience - all thanks to my friend :) Note that I did not say 'swimming in the ocean', because I have not finished learning how to swim plus that water was freezing cold, so I literally dipped my legs in and ran out each time, lol.

After that, we took a walk around, then went to at at a nice Turkish restaurant, which gave me free dessert for my birthday. I had a few more calls in between the meals and when I got home, I started responding to messages and some missed calls, while new calls came in. It was a lovely and delightful day.

As I grow older, I value true friendship more and more, but I also value my time and sleep, and so this brings me to the next part of this write-up which I have titled 'Birthday etiquette'. Basically these are some things that I think people should consider for other people's birthdays.

BIRTHDAY COMMUNICATION ETIQUETTE

1. Always check the time zone before you call. Google is a useful resource for this; you don't even have to do the conversion yourself. Just search for something like 'Lagos time to Houston time' and it will tell show the times in both places. If you're not sure of where the birthday celebrant is, you could also ask e.g. Hey, are you still in Tokyo? Are you back from London etc. That way, you can know the time and avoid calling me at weird hours.

2. This is somewhat related to #1 but slightly different. If you think you might not be able to call the celebrant in good time on their birthday, it is okay to send a message or voice note wishing them a happy birthday and letting them know that you might call at another time - unless, you know that the celebrant is naturally a nocturnal person (which I am not). It is NOT okay to call them at 11.59pm or at a time they might be asleep,  just because you are trying to meet the 'deadline'. The truth is that once midnight comes, their birthday is already past, so it is less annoying to wake them up to wish them a happy birthday on a day that is not even their birthday. 

3. Don't hoard the celebrant's phone. I know you mean well and sometimes, you might want to really catch up, especially if you have not spoken to the celebrant in a while. However, remember that there might be other people that want to do the same. So personally, I would say one should keep each call to a maximum of 15 minutes on the actual birthday. You can call back another day to catch up properly. Of course, there are exceptions for this such as family members, life partners, and bestfriends, but otherwise, please try to be considerate of the celebrant's time.

4. If you decide to share the celebrant's photos or videos on Instagram, I think it's best to mention or tag them so that they can see. If you don't do so, they might not notice (unless the celebrant is randomly looking at Instagram stories) and won't be able to show appreciation for the nice gesture. 

5. Finally, someone's birthday is not a good time to start asking them about favours. Again, you can schedule another time to talk with them and discuss whatever you wish to. On one's birthday, just call during normal hours, say/sing happy birthday to them, and wish them well. You could also ask them what they have planned for the day, and keep the conversation simple.

So there you have my 5 birthday etiquette. I hope these help someone make a birthday celebrant's day less stressful :P

Again, thank you all very much for the well wishes; much appreciated. Also, thank you very much for supporting me throughout the years. Please don’t forget to subscribe to my Blog and Youtube Channel (VivioGogo) and share with your friends. Also follow me on Instagram @ugochiukah and @lavivisblog, and on twitter @vivio_gogo . Until next time, stay safe. XOXO, God bless. 😊

HAPPY EASTER 2022!

 Hello hi,

I hope you are doing great. I just want to say "Happy Easter!". For Christians, we are reminded of God's unmeasurable love for us. He sent his only son, our Lord Jesus Christ, to die for us and save us from our sins. So let us be thankful today and give all glory to God in everything we do. So many things have happened around the world, but we are still here because of God's grace. 

So my dear friend, have a wonderful Easter celebration and remember to show love to others. 

Thank you so much for stopping by; by the way, my birthday is a week from no, yay! So for my birthday gift, please continue to support me by reading my posts, watching my YouTube video and subscribing (Vivio Gogo).

Here are a few random photos from my visit in Europe, enjoy 😉:

Thank you and God bless. Alleluia, Christ is risen!

HAPPY FEBRUARY 2022!

 

HAPPY FEBRUARY 2022!

 

Hello hi,

Happy new month! Today is February 1^st 2022. I thought January was supposed to be the slowest month of the year but this year, it flew by for me. Perhaps, it’s because I travelled? Ah yes! For those of you who don’t know, I ran away to Bogota, Colombia for a week in January (hee hee). It was a spontaneous trip; I will tell you more about my trip in my next blog post/ vlog. Nonetheless, January was really quick for me such that I don’t even have my goals for 2022 finalized yet. Usually by this time, I would have ‘marked’ my previous year’s goals and pinned up my new year goals on my fridge, but I have not. I would have really loved to share how well I did with achieving my goals last year, because in my opinion, I did very well. In fact, I think that last year’s achievement was probably my best so far (all glory to God) but I misplaced the piece of paper where I wrote the goals during my move to a new place. Maybe it’s a sign that I should not share for now? LOL. Oh well, one thing I would like to share for sure was that I tried to be grateful to God everyday, which was number 1 on my list and still remains so on this year’s list, even though I have not yet finalized it. Maybe I will share everything together in 2023 January by God’s grace :p

Anyway, back to February, this is a month of love. February is not just about sharing/receiving chocolates on Valentine’s day (although I would love to receive some myself, lol) but also about sharing love, kindness, hope, and prayers. So, I would like to encourage everyone to show love to people around them, including family, friends, neighbours, and strangers.

February is also Black history month, which is celebrated in the US and other countries. For Blacks/Africans, it is a great time to learn about our history and educate people around us; as well as celebrate those who have fought for justice and freedom in the Black communities. So please everyone, do some homework this month as you eat your valentine’s day chocolates!

To sum up, I wish you all a wonderful month of February filled with love, knowledge, peace, and charity. Thank you very much for supporting me throughout the years. Please don’t forget to subscribe to my Blog and Youtube Channel (VivioGogo) and share with your friends. Also follow me on Instagram @ugochiukah and @lavivisblog, and on twitter @vivio_gogo . Until next time, stay safe, masked up and socially distant. XOXO, God bless. 😊