Gabon...home sweet home...

Today, I just want to show you some aspects of my country . It will be not be about the facts and figures; but just through images; as we know that a picture is worth a thousand words...

  

Traditional dancers



Beach in Libreville

   

Elephant in Lope's National park

  

Fang tribe mask

 

Nesting turtle in Mayumba



Gabon map

Picture 1:  http://www.playfilm.fr/catalogue_5_documentaires_art-culture_talents-du-gabon__talents-du-gabon.html

Picture 2: http://www.travelwizard.com/africa/gabon-vacation/

Picture 3: http://www.theodora.com/wfb/photos/gabon/gabon_photos_7.html

Picture 4:  http://www.theodora.com/wfb/photos/gabon/gabon_photos_20.html

Picture 6: http://www.theodora.com/wfb/photos/gabon/gabon_photos_16.html

 Picture 7: http://www.theodora.com/wfb/photos/gabon/gabon_photos_16.html

Conventional is a good fallback position isn’t it?

Living in a conventional manner means that you just comply with everything; you just do the bare minimum. It brings to my mind so many examples such as the French expression “metro- boulot-dodo” which literally means subway-work-sleep. It refers to the routine of our everyday lives. By going into this routine; you become conventional. You become predictable as you do the same thing everyday.

http://graphshirt.com/stickers-graphshirt/379-sticker-metro-boulot-dodo.html






http://www.flickr.com/photos/40187826@N08/4603793102/



It is true that through daily duties and responsibilities; life can become repetitive so whether you like it or not; you might be inclined to fall into that routine. However; by being conventional you don’t really apply yourself to do more that you can actually do and you don’t explore your full potential. You are not willing to risk anything as you feel comfortable in your own bubble. It is important to highlight the fact that that nothing ventured nothing gained. It is by taking risks that you can actually achieve something new.

Conventional is not a good fallback position as it will always in some way limit the way you think and consequently your actions. If you never take risks how will you ever know what you are capable of? The world is filled with people who stick to the same routine; what value will it add to your life anyway. It is important to think outside the box and be ready to take risks.

You cannot chase two rabbits at the same time

In our lives; we want to do everything at the same time. It is true that is it important to know how to multi-task. However; it can be difficult to chase two rabbits at the same time. When your mind is focused somewhere; your attention is gone to that particular focus point. There are things that we can do on the side; but without even realizing it; it takes a bit of focus from the first thing. I can take the example of doing different household chores. You chop onions; you put something on the stove; then you need to check the dish that you put in the oven twenty minutes before. Then your phone rings; you answer. While doing that; the thing on the stove is starting to burn. You tell the person to call you back because obviously you need to remove the pot from the stove. In this scenario; we understand why it is difficult to chase two rabbits at the same time.

http://photodune.net/item/focus-word-with-motion-rays-on-green-chalkboard-background-/2656525

This scenario brings to mind the fact that when you start to do something and you add other things; you remove a bit of focus from the first thing that you were doing. Due to that; the results won’t be as perfect (or even not good at all) as it could have been if you focused on one thing. Let’s take another example. The most logical one that comes to mind when you hear the sentence: You cannot chase two rabbits at the same time. Let’s say you are a little kid; you see a rabbit; you chase him. Along the way; you see a second one you start chasing rabbit number 2. But while you are doing that; rabbit number 1 is already going somewhere else. You start to lose him. You can either choose one rabbit to chase or try to chase both which would probably mean that you will lose both as your are not focusing on one specific rabbit…

http://www.activegarage.com/category/innovation

 It is important to put our focus on something and stick to it to see it through…

If you can’t get someone out of your head; maybe there are supposed to be here…

 Through the course of our lives; we meet different people. They enter our lives for many reasons; it can be either on a professional or personal level. Of course; the tie is stronger on a personal level. You get to know each other for a certain length of time. The importance of the person becomes stronger on a daily basis. This is how friendship blooms. Regarding romance; I think that attraction needs to take place beforehand. Of course; it is not the only way for that to happen. Because you spend a lot of time together; the bond becomes even stronger. You start to ask yourself what you would do without them in your life.

http://www.turrisiassociates.com/july-09-news-letter/tabid/87257/Default.aspx

Then; something happens that drives you apart. It can be due to numerous things such as misunderstanding. Then the person is out of your life. You keep thinking about her/him. You try to get him/her out; but you know that there is no use; in someway the person will always be here. The thing to take from that is that if you can’t get someone out of your head; maybe there are supposed to be here. It is important to find a way to work things out because whether you want it or not; it is going to affect you. If the person can’t have the same place they did before; then create another one for her. I think our hearts have enough space to do so…

http://www.cloverquotes.com/picture_quotes/show/34-unknown-thinking

Lemon tart...

I love cooking and trying out new recipes...here is one of of a dessert that I really love!!!

Ingredients

1 large meyer lemon cut into 8 pieces

1 1/2 cup superfine suger

1 stick butter

1 tsp vanilla         

4 eggs

your favorite tart shell

Method

Put all ingredients (except tart shell) into a blender and whirl like crazy!

Pour into tart shell.

Bake 40 minutes at 350 degrees (watch that the top does not burn).

Source: http://food52.com/recipes/1374_lazy_marys_lemon_tart

http://www.taste.com.au/recipes/27824/baked+lemon+tart

Nothing is more dangerous than an idea when you only have one idea...

How to define the word idea…To me; it can simply be defined as a though that is conceived in the mind. We all conceive ideas more or less on a daily basis. It depends on the situation we find ourselves in. Generally; the need for an idea arises when we need or want something that is deemed important to us. This is obviously how numerous things came to life. We can take for example technological appliances: cellphones, microwaves, fridges and so on. Of course; it is not only limited to that. An idea can be conceived for other purposes such as personal or professional ones.

http://sbrownehr.com/got-an-idea/

Having one idea is great. You or someone else needs something; you think about how it would be possible to satisfy that need; and an idea is conceived. However by having one idea; you take a risk of not seeing it through. For one reason; something might get in the way of the achievement of your idea and ruin everything. In order to avoid those types of situations it is always good to have a plan B. It is referred to as a backup plan. When plan A fails; you are left with nothing but your disappointment because it did not work out. In some situations it can even cost more than that. By having a backup plan (even 3 or 4) you have peace of mind; at least you know that at least one will pull through. Having only one idea is definitely dangerous…

http://www.colourbox.com/image/magnifying-glass-plan-b-image-4159171

Gabonese recipe...

I fell in love with the following recipe.It is so scrumptious!!! It is a recipe from my country Gabon...It is amazing. Give it a try...

Ingredients

2 onions, finely chopped 2 hot chillies (typically Scotch bonnets), finely chopped 25 okra pods, trimmed and finely chopped 2 garlic cloves, minced 2 Maggi cubes (or fish bouillon cubes) 500g smoked and dried fish, rinsed and broken into pieces salt, to taste oil for frying

http://mypearlproject.wordpress.com/2012/01/30/dongo-dongo-with-baton-de-manioc-gabon/

Method: 

Add about 4 tbsp oil to a large pot. Add the onions and garlic and fry for about 4 minutes, or until just soft. Add the fish pieces and pour in enough water to cover. Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer then cover the pot and cook for 20 minutes. At this point, crumble in the bouillon cubes and add the okra and chillies. Top up the water until all the ingredients are just covered. Cover and continue cooking over low heat until the fish and okra are tender and the sauce is thick (about 30 minutes). Serve hot with fufu.

Source: http://www.celtnet.org.uk/recipes/miscellaneous/fetch-recipe.php?rid=misc-dongo-dongo-gabonnaise

Have you figured out the second head fake?

The concept of head fake was brought up by Randy Pausch; a computer science professor at Carnegie Mellon. He was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer and was asked to do a last lecture at the university before he died. The lecture was on the concept of achieving your childhood dreams and included the concept of head fake.

The “head fake” is learning something indirectly or through an indirect message. He said so himself in his speech: "Most of what we learn, we learn indirectly (by head fake) and "The best way to head fake someone in education, is to have them learn something while they think they are learning something else"   

http://www.lyved.com/success/5-myths-about-achieving-your-dreams-and-goals/

There is an important point to the concept of head fake. It is about how you live your life. If you live it the right way then something good will happen to you. The karma will make your dreams come true. Through this; it is important to understand that we should not only do good deeds hopefully to make our dreams come true. We must live good lives to the fullest. By doing so; only positive things will come your way and your will reach your dreams even indirectly. 

http://www.lyved.com/success/5-myths-about-achieving-your-dreams-and-goals/

Source: http://leozetteroode.wordpress.com/2010/09/20/have-you-figured-out-the-second-head-fake/

Top 10 places to visit in Cape Town

Cape Town is a really beautiful city. There a re so many places to visit ; so many things to do. Here is a list of the top 10 places to visit in Cape Town:

1. Dine and shop at the V & A Waterfront and mingle with the Capetonians. Take a look at the best designer brands in Cape Town or buy some handmade South African crafts, then take a break and sip a cold drink in one of the sidewalk bars. 

2. Go on tour in the Cape winelands and experience true South African hospitality in one of the wine farms in this area. Do not miss to try the special Cape creation, the pinotage wines. 

http://www.roseweb.co.za/news/rose-and-wine-tour-to-the-cape/attachment/cape-winelands/

3. Watch the sunset over the ocean. The sunsets from Dolphin Beach in Blouberg give also an opportunity to take in the awesome views towards Table Mountain and the City Bowl. Click for more great sunset pictures. 

4. Swim with the African penguins at the turquoise lagoon of Boulders Beach in Simonstown or enjoy a stroll along the Indian Ocean and browse through the many antique shops in Kalk Bay. 

5. Take in the gorgeous view over Table Bay from top of the most popular Cape Town attraction, the Table Mountain . Especially recommended early morning to see the sun rise over the bay. Stunning. 

http://dumirocks.wordpress.com/2011/11/12/what-table-mountain-new-7-wonder-of-nature/

6. Relax in a café in Camps Bay and watching the locals. The sun sets spectacularly over the Atlantic. This wonderful setting at the foot of the Twelve Apostels mountain range makes Camps Bay a firm favorite not only with tourists. 

7. Visit the Gold of Africa museum or any of the other unique museums in Cape Town , like the South African National Gallery or the South African Museum with its natural history collection and adjoining Planetarium. 

8. Learn about South Africa’s history on Robben Island. Make sure to visit the exhibition at the ferry terminal before going to the island, where Nelson Mandela was imprisoned for many years. 

http://www.places.co.za/cgi-bin/places/photos/photos.cgi?ac=dsp&sq=10&nm=Western+Cape&lsq=14

9. Enjoy superb seafood in Hout Bay . Visit this seaside village with its picturesque harbour at the northern end of the famous Chapman’s Peak Drive or check out this side of the Peninsula by boat and take a trip to Seal Island. 

10. Take a stroll or hike in Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens . Enjoy the colourful daisy fields in spring time i.e.September/October or see the many different kinds of fynbos and proteas in bloom in November.

Source: http://www.expatcapetown.com/cape-town-attractions.html

I am...

First of all I want to say that I am a child of God. I know that he put me on this earth for a reason. There is a mission that I need to complete; a dream that I need to accomplish.

I am a Public Relations graduate. I have completed my National Diploma in the Public Relations field. I was not easy; but despite the obstacles I carried on and was able to get my diploma.

I am proud of myself. I have recently celebrated my birthday. It is a time where you particularly realize how time flies by. You realize what you have accomplished so far. Of course there is still a lot to do; but you know that you have the motivation to do so.  I have struggled on a professional; personal and academic level; but here I am now. If I did it once; I can do it again.

I am unique. There are millions of people around the world. But in spite of this fact; nobody has the same face as me; nobody talks the way I do; nobody smiles the way I do. No two people are the same even people from the same family. I am blessed to be the way I am. It is not about having a huge ego but it is about loving myself because if I don’t appreciate who I am; who will?

I am ambitious. There are a lot of things that I want to accomplish in my life; whether on a professional or personal level. I would like to use my Public Relations experience to help people; to give back to them. There are so many things I want to do and so many places I want to go to in order to accomplish this.

I am a scatterbrain person. My mind is all over the place. Most of the times; I leave the keys outside the door; I forget to turn off the hob; I don’t remember if I closed the door or not; I constantly forget where I put my keys. It happens all the time…But I guess I am used to it by now.

I am loving. I love spreading joy and laughter around me. I think it is the best medicine.

Well; this is me (in a nutshell)