Happy Sunday to all my awesome BMG blog subscribers. It has been many weeks since I last wrote here. Frankly, this COVID-19 situation has had me observing from behind the bedcovers; watching until it is safe for us to come out. But seeing as the Rona will be with us longer than we thought, I guess we all have to begin to cultivate new coping habits to get us through this new normal. So, I wanted to take the opportunity…
Canada
Guest Feature: Nanya Container
I didn’t even know Nanya had a nickname with ‘container’ as a suffix…looooool. Hey BMG blog readers, please find below my very 1st male guest feature on the blog. The reason this is the first is not from a reluctance to feature more male guests but because so far, all the prospective male guests I’ve approached have proved elusive. I have sent out a number of requests to my male readers asking them to feature, and I find myself chasing,…
Newcomers & Self Care
A lot has happened since I last wrote here. Before I kick off though, did everyone get a chance to catch my feature on CIC news? If you did not, here’s a fine chance to go ahead and click the link and read up! When I first heard about the Trump travel ban, I felt so many emotions. First one was just deep sadness, that again, my people and I are being profiled for all the wrong reasons. Then, I…
The funniest conversations happen in my Twitter DM… hahaha… First, there was the one guy who kept saying, “hi”, and “hello” to me several times, even after I tried to inquire as to the purpose of his salutations. Then, there was another person who persistently asked me if I was married, and was probably going to ask me to sponsor him to move to Canada until I blocked him. Trust me when I say, my DMs enjoy a fair amount…
The Car Insurance Mess in Toronto
I have been shopping around for car insurance this past month within the GTA (Greater Toronto Area) and let me tell you this- if you are are a single, female living in an city like Brampton, who has only recently relocated to Canada, you could be paying as high as 490 dollars a month on car insurance. By 490 Canadian dollars, I mean roughly 367 US dollars. Mind boggling eh? Let me explain why this is so, as best as…
Guest Feature: Lawretta
I first connected with Lawretta on Twitter in my first months of landing in Canada. I was intensely homesick and I had been tweeting a lot about needing to build a tribe in Toronto. She reached out to me via DM and very compassionately gave advice. She spoke to me about negotiating my room lease agreement and giving myself time to settle in here. She also kindly accepted to feature on the blog. Read her thoughts below: Introduce yourself in…
Car Driving on These Streets
You guys remember how I failed my road test/driving test the first time in this country? I wrote about it here. Well after a second attempt, I passed in flying colors (to the glory of God and his son Jesus). I was issued my G2 license that allows me to drive on any expressway here but would require me to apply for a full G license in a few years time. My 2nd drive instructor who helped me pass the…
Concluding part of Isunu’s Canadian university application and student visa process. She has successfully submitted all her documents to the Canadian High Commission and is waiting to hear back on her student visa. Kindly say a prayer of success for her if you are reading this. Update Oct 13th 2018- Isunu reached out to me to share the good news! She got her student visa and is coming to Ontario early next year. I am so excited for her ???????…
Guest Feature 3: Isunu Part 1
Ladies and gentlemen, I was positively stunned when Isunu reached out to me on my Twitter and IG pages. She wanted to share her story on the blog about how she applied to a Canadian university from Nigeria, and subsequently a student visa. I’m used to people reaching out to me, to ask for help (which is fine by the way), so imagine how gobsmacked I was that she was willing to share names, details, and contacts from her experience.…
BMG Goes to School
I truly feel like Eze, in Eze Goes to School– that novel that was a right of passage for anyone who enrolled in primary school in the 80s in Nigeria. This past week (my 1st week at school), I have had to come to terms with learning in a controlled environment; working on assignments and quizzes for grades; and being a team player to my 15 classmates. I’m sure a lot of you are wondering why/when I decided to go…