why i love Chimamanda; author of half of a yellow sun

Chimamanda is a writer and a sociologist who is Nigerian.  She is the famous writer of a very famous african novel called 'half of a yellow sun'
the book is based primarily on a young house boy called Ugwu and the way he matures from boy to man  in light of the civil war that was taking place at the time. His master is a math professor called, Odenigbo. Odenigbo is quite an eccentric character, very fierce in his views and passionate about the political stance he has on the affairs of Nigeria at the time.
Other central characters in the book are Olannna and her twin Kainene; the two are as fraternal as they come. the former being weaker in character the fairer of face. The former posessing a very sardonic view of life and though described as 'ugly' her character is strong. The twins are from a very wealthy family and they are not united in any other way apart from the fact that they share the same birthday. A central character in Olanna's life is her Aunty, Ifeka, who breast fed her and Kainene at infancy,  Olanna holds an open regret that Aunty Ifeka is not her actual mother.
Olanna is Odegnigbo's girlfriend and Kainene has a white boyfriend called Richard.

Now I appreciate the fact that not everyone is interested in literature. But i believe that this book is a good read for anyone; no matter your intellectual maturity or literal passion. It presents a simple yet detailed and realistic view of the biafran war which forms a central part of Nigeria's history. The war is presented as battle, a means of initiation into the bitter reality of life and adulthood ( particularly for those characters who experienced it in their early adolescent years). But above all, it serves to bond the relationships  of characters who were apart (especially in the case of the twins).

The plot climaxes at different points which makes the story line unique. Richard writes some chapters titled, ' the world was silent when we died' from the perspestive of how he had felt the war and the experiences that helped him understand the cause.  As we progress through the book we come across many lines that only a sociologist could have come up with; someone who is in tune with the workings of society and the way humans think as an integral whole. The valiance that Chiamamanda Ngozi Adichie portrays in the biafran soldiers would never be better explained than  by the following line, 'Before I came to Biafra I heard that Biafrans fought like heroes but after my visit to Biafra I can tell you that heroes fight like Biafrans' by the french ambassador in response to the valiance he experienced first hand.

Perhaps the ultimate suspense is at the end when we are unsure whether olanna's twin, Kainenen, is dead or not. Chimamanda leaves that piece of information for us to decide; it depends on whether it affects your view of the book. kainene could be alive or dead. It depends on which ending suits the reader.
At the end of the last chapter the ultimate shock is given. The last line reveals to us what we knew but could not know for sure. here the person from whoes perspective the book is written is revealed. it is the loyal house boy Ugwu (or 'my good man' as odenigbo calls him). And as ugwu writes his dedication last it reads, 'for master, my good man.'

only you can determine your happiness

I am someone who keeps memories very carefully. I dont believe that anything that happens under the sun should go un remembered..but i have also come to realise that in life we really only have what is between hello and goodbye. So quite ironically we are bound to be hurt. To be crushed and to be lonely once in a while. But what many people do not realise is that only you have the key to your happiness. Do not wait for people to make you smile, smile because there is hope. Dont wait for people to make you laugh either, laugh because it is the sweetest sound you will hear in life.

As i grow I begin to understand more and more that i do not have to be happy because other people are happy with me. I am happy because I live and and with each heart beat I am reminded that I have a mission to accomplish.

Duby

Things I'd love to do with/for my future daughter

Hey!

Ok so I'm the kind of girl whose been dreaming about the perfect husband and having kids, sinch I was 10(or younger).

I'm still pretty young- almost a full-fledged adult( interpret that as you will, noting that adult could mean above13, 16, 0r 21 given the context)

Anyway, I was listening to Ed Sheeran's 'Small Bump', and couldn't help dream about the things I'd love to do with my future daughter. This serves both as a post for you guys, but also a reminder for me when I'm old(er):

• Take pictures/ document all aspects of their childhood( within reason)
• Take mother-daughter ballet classes and dance with her (i know- they exist!)
• Braid her hair in the cutest styles, and dress her in the cutest baby dresses
• Bake with her
• Play classical music for her both as a kid, and when she's older
• Teach her piano, or any instrument she enjoys
• Get her to keep some form of journal or notebook
• Share my reminder book with her(my own version of a journal)
• Teach her to love writing, especially poetry
• Read her princess stories, but also real-life stories of hardship, pain, and charity.
• Ensure she reads:
• - The Princess Diaries(Meg Cabot)
• - Beautiful Child(Torey Heyden)
• - Ps I love you(Cecilia Ahern)
• - Where Rainbows End( Cecila Ahern)
• - House Rules(Jodi Picoult)
• - A Thousand Splendid Suns (Khaled Hosseini)
• - The Kite Runner(Khaled Hosseini)
• When I'm pregnant with her, write little notes or letters to her, about my experience with her, myself, hopes and dreams and advice for her as she gets older(maybe by milestone birthdays? too cheesy? i like cheesy). Stick it in a book, that she can read, and always have just in case anything happens to me.
• Let her find God her way, but help and encourage her every step of the way- make sure she finds Him, like I did.

-Cathy