[Blogger Inspiration]- Rita, Gbemisoke and Chichi

Rita… This amazing woman has blessed my life through her blog posts. Like Geebee, she shares about her life on blogsville which I find very very courageous. I think she left an encouraging comment on my blog once and as usual I checked out her posts. I noticed we shared similar views on a lot of things especially relationship wise. We became Facebook friends and email friends at some point. I met her once when I went to Naija in 2010. She was really reserved yet nice and pleasant. I am quite the opposite (restless soul!) and I must say reserved people unnerve me cuz you can’t tell what is going through their mind. However with Rita I didn’t feel awkward around her, we got along well. We don’t talk as much but I am glad to say I know Rita.

Gbemisoke, now when it comes to personalities this is one madam that I flow with easily. She is so funny and down to earth. Funny enough I knew her on twitter rather than through her blog. One time she said she was coming to the UK for vacation and I DM-ed her to find out where she will be staying. Lo and behold she was going to be near where I lived. We arranged to meet and despite a busy schedule I made sure I went to see her. I wanted to meet the jovial Gbemisoke and she did not disappoint! We flowed like bread and butter (lol)….I met Alexis as well. Such a cutie. Gbemisoke tells you as it is. We have skyped a few times and it was always filled with laughter. 

This madam has also abandoned her blog, though I think she is trying to dust off the cobwebs from her blog. You can catch her on twitter as that’s where she is these days conveying words of wisdom.

 

I met Chichi randomly but I think it was meant to be. I used to visit her blog sporadically and enjoyed reading about her relationship and her wedding planning. I am not sure I ever left a comment, I was a silent reader basically. I did follow her on twitter though. I noticed she was very pretty in the pictures she put on her blog. One time I went to the local church in my area as I couldn’t go to my church. I stood up to join praise and worship. Next thing I hear this beautiful melodious voice from someone standing behind me…I was so tempted to look back to see who was singing so stunningly. I succumbed and used style to look back and I saw her. Now I am very good with faces, and I knew I had seen that face somewhere but couldn’t place it…Her voice haunted me (in a good way) and then it hit me…this is chichi the blogger from "From Now till I do!" I was like wow OMG, I have just met a blogger and she doesn't even know it yet. I didn’t know if to walk up to introduce myself or what. I didn’t have the nerve as I didn’t think she knew me or my blog anyways and didn't want to start long stories...so I went home. Later that day I asked her on twitter if she attended xxx church and she said yes and how did I know. Hehe. I told her I saw her and that’s how we became friends.

Chichi has a gentle spirit and is as beautiful in person as she is in her pictures. She has been an inspiration to me and is a big fan of Super Working Mum :). She seems pretty organised to me from reading her blog posts. I can proudly call this lady my friend. I hope she feels the same way too.

Ladies, it has been a great pleasure knowing you. You make blogging worthwhile.

[Blogger Inspiration]- Nolimit

This is the second part of my Blogger Inspiration series. You can check part 1 here

It’s a very funny story how Nolimit and I met in real life which I think she mentioned once on her blog but i can't find the story. So, I knew her first as a commenter on my blog and I used to visit her blog as well. You know nothing special at that time. One time, in 2008, I blogged about my driving experience and passing my test here.  Nolimit commented and asked what driving school I used and costs etc. I emailed her with the details and we chatted a bit. I think at some point I asked for her real name but she said she couldn’t tell me cuz she was anonymous (right!). So I left it at that and didn’t push it. Till “God caught her”! lol

Source

One day around last quarter of 2008, she buzzed me on yahoo messenger (we were already chat buddies at this point) and asked me if Baale was my husband and I asked how she knew… she started screaming and feeling like a detective. Apparently my post on my belated honeymoon triggered her investigation. Baale had posted a similar picture I put on my blog on Facebook and madam detective noticed the similarity. Note, I still didn’t know her real name at this point. Anyway I also did some detective work and found out she and Baale went to Uni together! I got her FULL name from Baale and asked her- is your name not so so so…there goes your anonymity. I am sure she wanted to faint at this point. It was hilarious I tell you.

Fast forward to 2009 we still hadn’t met but we were still friends on yahoo messenger. I was pregnant and towards the end of my first trimester. I wasn’t eating well due to morning sickness. Nolimit and I were chatting as usual and she mistakenly mentioned to me (or did she blog about it, I can’t remember) that she had a pestle and mortal from Nigeria which she used in pounding yam. She proudly said she didn’t make poundo yam but had to pound it and even said she was going to be pounding some yam soon. Guess what pregnant Aloted did, I invited myself to her house! Told her you can’t deny a pregnant woman proper pounded yam o. Somehow we arranged a visit and I cajoled Baale to take me to her house. For those of you that know London well, I was living in West London and she in North London. That distance is far but we went, lol, I wonder what was going through Nolimit’s head, she probably thought I was insane. We got there past 8 at night and it was as if Nolimit and I had known each other for ages even though that was the first time we were actually meeting. There was no awkward moment. Long story short I ate pounded yam with efo riro in Nolimit’s house and it was t’oh quality!

Nolimit and I have remained very good friends. She is so REAL which I think is one of her best qualities. She is a child of God, jovial, confident, funny, friendly, a good dancer, not shy at all at all and very down to earth. There are no airs about her and she tells you as it is. She is also an entrepreneur…a quality I greatly admire.

Blogsville, thanks for bringing Nolimit into my life.

[Blogger Inspiration]- Good Naija Girl

From my recollection, the first time I knew about Good Naija Girl was when she contested in bloggers idols I think in 2008. I was rooting for her and the person who eventually won Abbie. During and after the contest I checked out GNG’s blog and I was hooked. Her slogan caught my eye- "Murdering the Yourba language since 1979. That totally cracked me up. I was curious to know more about this oyinbo girl in a Nigerian body and how she was adjusting to both cultures.

I left a few comments on her blog here and there and then one time she emailed me. I replied and it was as if we had known each other for ages! We found out we had a bit in common, blogging, reading, borrowing books from the library, living in cluttered space, joking a lot and chatting. It wasn’t long before we added each other on gtalk and we have been friends ever since. We have also spoken on the phone. She has such a cute and lovely voice.

If you ask me one blogger I would love to meet in person, GNG will be right on the top of the list. Even though we have never met in person, she has been a great inspiration to my life. GNG is such a sweet, funny, cheeky person and I love her spirit. One other thing we have in common is that we are both entrepreneurs and we share our fears of leaving the corporate world and doing our own thing. We also encourage each other knowing one day we will finally leave!

I call her my blogger consultant…she is so passionate about blogging and anytime I have a blog type question GNG is the lady to ask. She is ever so willing to help.  Very soon I fear she will start charging me sef. lol

Anytime we catch up online, we are busy sharing & strategizing business ideas or brainstorming. We also share blogville gossip sometimes cough cough. I always leave energised after I have had a chat with GNG. I feel like ya lets go do this! I hope you feel the same way girl.

This is one blogger I am thankful to know and who has impacted my life positively. I look forward to meeting her in person someday. I have been begging her to come to the UK but she is playing hard so a'mma just pack my bags and head to Canada.

GNG, thank you for being you and for inspiring me. You rock, totally!