Nigeria turns 50 ~ so PARTY TIME for us!!

Since I have a few Nigerian friends we are aware of the 50 years of independence of Nigeria to the UK. So that means party time for us!

Dunke, one of my good friends threw a Nigerian party, with Nigerian food like Suya (my favorite) Jollof rice, Peppersoup, Masa = rice cakes, Zobo = hibiscus punch, black beans and some other goodies.

Then of course the THE.MUSIC, Nigerian music and some real African butt shaking, these women can shake their booties!! Like the Middle Eastern ladies shake their bellies, the African women shake their booties!! WOW! I was impressed how just the bootie was shaking, and not the rest of their bodies, it was amazing and so much fun to see. JJ and Jezz looked out their eyes, they tried it at home, but of course they couldn't do it... LOL

And another fun part of the evening: everybody got to wear a Nigerian Head wrap ~ a GELE.





We had so much fun to try this intricate head gear on, it is quite the art to tie it. Of course after a few drinks all the non African ladies were also willing to try. The fabric is quite stiff, it almost feels like paper and it makes a lot of noise when they are wrapping it around your head and it squeaks in your ears like you are getting a tooth pulled! But the end result is fun and amazing!! So learn first a bit about this Gele and below I will show you some pictures of our party.

"Gele" is a Yoruba {Nigeria, West Africa} word for a female headwrap. A " headwrap" is a long piece of cloth that you tie and tuck on your head to create wearable art, as African women showcase their unique Masterpieces. "When a Man turns his head to take a second look at a woman, it is probably her Gele Headtie that got him hooked" There are no two exact styles of Gele headwrap. Gele may look similar to the eyes, but on close examination, each Gele has its unique twists and turns creating an elegant look of an African woman.

The head wrap or headgear plays an important part in Africa's fashion styling, specifically in West Africa. There is a saying that "an attire is not complete until it is topped with a headgear". There are different styles of head wrapping. Even an intricate-looking style starts with a basic procedure.



And here are the 'White Africans' having a great time with a Gele. From L to R: Tehmina, me, Candice and Marta.



The Nigerians know how to party, but above all, how to dance and shake that bootie!!
A fun night, thanks Dunke & Matthew!!

PS: If I get more pictures I will post more later...
Love, M

Did you know?

Some facts and figures from Africa...


Africa, second-largest of the Earth's seven continents - covering about 30,330,000 sq km (11,699,000 sq mi), which makes up about 22 per cent of the world's total land area.

Largest Country
Sudan, Republic of, republic in north-eastern Africa, the largest country of the African continent. Sudan has a total area of 2,505,800 sq km (967,490 sq mi).


Smallest Country
The smallest African country is The Seychelles covering an area of 453 sq km but Gambia is the smallest of the mainland African states, covering an area of 11,300 sq km (4,363 sq mi).


Largest City
Egypt's capital city, Cairo, is the largest city in Africa with an estimated 9.2 million population


Highest Point
Mount Kilimanjaro - Uhuru Point - (5895m/19,340 ft) in Tanzania


Lowest Point
the lowest is Lake 'Asal (153 m/502 ft below sea level) in Djibouti

Northernmost tip
is Cape Blanc (Ra's al Abyad;) in Tunisia

Southernmost tip
is Cape Agulhas in South Africa

Culture
Ancient Egyptians
The ancient Egyptians slept on pillows made of stone.

Beer
Apart from Muslim nations, Ghana has the lowest per capita consumption of beer in Africa, yet its brewery industry is one of the most competitive

Weddings
Did you know that in Africa it is almost impossible to hold a small wedding? The idea of a private wedding is unknown and is greatly frowned upon. Friends and relatives expect to be invited to a wedding and to play a role in the ceremony.

Health
Malaria
90% of all malaria cases are in sub-Saharan Africa
3,000 children under the age of five die each day from malaria in Africa
1-5% of GDP in Africa covers costs of malaria control and lost labour days

Did you know, that Africa would have been an estimated US $100 billion better off in 1999 if malaria had been eliminated years ago?

Aids
17 million people in sub-Saharan Africa have died of AIDS

At least 25 million people in Africa are HIV-positive.

12 million children who have lost their parents to AIDS face a precarious future.


Hospitals
The world's biggest hospital is in Soweto, named Chris Hani Baragwanath Hospital, it has 2,964 beds.

Misc
Diamonds
The world's largest diamond was the Cullinan, found in South Africa in 1905. It weighed 3,106.75 carats uncut. It was cut into the Great Star of Africa, weighing 530.2 carats, the Lesser Star of Africa, which weighs 317.40 carats, and 104 other diamonds of nearly flawless colour and clarity. They now form part of the British crown jewels.


Windmills
Did you know there are about 280 000 windmills on farms across South Africa, second in number only to Australia?


Most Populated Country
With a population of more than 113 million, Nigeria is easily the most populated country in Africa and the 10th most populous country in the world.

I hope you enjoyed these facts, and learned a few things about this huge and interesting continent of AFRICA.

I wish you all a Fabulous Friday and Wonderful Weekend!
Mireille

The new Martha Stewart.... NOT! LOL

I am trying out a new hobby... actually an old hobby that I tried again lately, and that is sewing.

I learned it more than 15-20 years ago, but hated it. Thought it was so boring, but with little girls in the house I thought to give it another try, and now I like it, so here some skirts I made for the girls. Of course I started with an easy pattern that I found here. However, my trademark will be some hand-sewn beads on each clothing item, an African touch :-). You won't see the details on these pics but there are some beads scattered over Jasmine's skirt and some other designs on Juliet's skirt. I also made a dress for a daughter of a friend of mine, but forgot to take a picture, so that will come later!

The girls weren't really in the mood to take pictures or wear the skirt, although they like it, with PE at school it is hard to run mommy! But I told them, in this skirt you can run as hard as any pants ;-) It's about the right shoes....



These skirts are made from fabric from West Africa, Nigeria. I love the bright colors and the funky designs on it!

My inspirations I get from these handmade sites like ETSY, DAWANDA and INDIEFIXX, check these out if you are also a lover of handmade stuff, you will love it!!

My other inspirations I get from my friends Dunke and Felicity, we copy each other's clothes and make patterns out of these. Most with the help from Felicity, since she is a clothing designer and starting her own business. So we keep each other occupied with new patterns, new fabrics Dunke gets from West Africa and sells it to us, little entrepreneurs here. Now it is my turn to start something, but I am working on it!! So keep coming back....

Tell me, what is your hobby, do you like to make things, create something out of scratch... TALK TO ME ABOUT IT!

Have a Fabulous Friday!
Mireille