some photos

some photos I took today with the help of self timer on my camera, the blue heels arrived today and they are so comfortable high and yummy!... lol I just realised I called shoes yummy and I like the sound of it!



Pink check converse

Rebook Classics

Uggs
Leopard skin heels from topshop

Blue heels from misguided.co.uk

Self portrait

I Choose You

I Looooove Grey's Anatomy! its one of the best tv shows out there, here is an awesome scene from season two(esp 26) its sooo romantic when Denny tells Izzy Stephens "I choose you" xoxo

Victoria and Albert

Oh! This was the happiest day of my life!

Unconventional love of two first cousins...

Queen Victoria became the Queen of England at the age of 18 after her father’s three elder brothers died without leaving a male successor to the throne. Her father Prince Edward had died about 17 years before that in 1820 the same year her grandfather King George III died leaving her with her mother who she did not get along with. Her reign of 63 years and 7 months is currently the longest any Monarch in Britain. I am not going to go into too much detail about her reign but I am here to capture the love story of her and Prince Albert. Prince Albert the love of Victoria's life happened to be her first cousin. Yes!!!! she married her first cousin, his father was her mother’s brother I think the word we are looking for here is incest. Apparently Victoria was being pressured to marry once she became Queen but she was in no rush. When Victoria met Albert for the first time when he visited from Germany she was drawn to his education and intelligence and thought Britain could benefit from his ideas. The second time he visited she was by then already been Queen for about a couple of years, she was even more captivated that she proposed to him. Talk about unconventional not only did she marry her cousin she was the one who proposed to him. WHEN THE QUEEN ASKS YOU TO MARRY HER YOU BETTER SAY YES!! Okay it was nothing like a one sided affair or a "I command you to marry me situation" he actually shared the same fondness she had for him.

On Victoria's wedding evening she had a headache and wrote in her diary while lying down "I NEVER, NEVER spent such an evening!!! MY DEAREST DEAREST DEAR Albert ... his excessive love & affection gave me feelings of heavenly love & happiness I never could have hoped to have felt before! He clasped me in his arms, & we kissed each other again & again! His beauty, his sweetness & gentleness – really how can I ever be thankful enough to have such a Husband! ... to be called by names of tenderness, I have never yet heard used to me before – was bliss beyond belief! Oh! This was the happiest day of my life!"

I do not know about you but forget about the incest going on here and join me in "Awwing" this is so cute! This is so adorable I hope to feel this way someday you know if and when I get married but not to any of my cousins or anyone related to me!

This marriage remained strong and produced 9 children however sadly Albert died 21 years after the marriage when he was only 42. Albert’s death hit Victoria hard as she went into deep mourning and refrained from public appearances. Her seclusion had a negative impact on her but regained later on in her reign on both her silver and golden Jubilees she made public appearances.

After the snow

Morning after snow in London a couple of weeks ago, took some pictures at almost mid-day on my way to buy milk from the corner store down the road.. (double click on the pictures to see them enlarged)

Melting snow on the plant infront of a hair dressers.

The snow causes traffic as cars, buses and other vehicles have to drive slowly and carefully.

A plant infront of the Cafe where I have breakfast sometimes.

A man decides to walk on the road and not the pavement because its too slippery.

Trial and Failure

"Been there done that and failed" I saw that once on a facebook status, it was a comment on a post of someone complaining about a difficult exam they were going to have, and I assume the comment on the status was a humorous way of a friend who has done it before acknowledging that the exam is indeed difficult.

How many people are willing to try new things, knowing they are difficult and almost impossible to excel at? How many people will take dangerous risks that may offer massive payouts? Looking from a financial point of view the more risks an investor takes the higher the expected return. There are risk free assets that offer low returns, but an investor may want high returns I mean the kids college school fees, the massive mortgage payments will not pay themselves. Without bringing out complex equations in summary MORE RISK = MORE RETURNS however as the name risks implies there is a lot to loose if things do not go as expected. Risks come with gains as well as loses, such is life!

I find myself pondering a lot of times if I should go after my dreams. I mean the dreams that come and hunt me for months then go for a week, then come back again for months. The risks I dream of taking, seldom come to surface in reality because I stop to ask myself "what if?". I am so afraid of failing, that sometimes I refrain from trying and I shield myself with the ignorance of never knowing how I would have done. Ignorance is bliss, you cannot fail if you do not try, you get me right?! However everyone one knows you cannot win, if you are not in the competition. Have you ever watched "who wants to be a millionaire" and discovered you know all the answers to the questions asked and you wish you were the one playing the game and not the person on the television who seems to have no clue. Oh well, there goes your one million my love because you are not the one playing.

"Try and fail, but never fail to try" I came across this quote somewhere and it hit me! what am I afraid of, I am young there is no harm in going after the things I want. There is no harm in trying even if I fail, I will just keep trying till I have lost interest in that pursuit, but if it still hunts my dreams why give up? Take risks! Play the game! you never know you just may win...

Lowkey

just keep it between you and me! ..new song from Nigerian artist Banky W, in the song he tells the girl he is having an affair with to keep the love lowkey, that everyone may hate them together, but the affair is just between them and it feels right!

Crazy love

I listened to Latif's new album recently and my favourite song was crazy love its an adorable song!

get up!

Life has no remote. You have to get up and change it yourself.

— ♛ ΛBDO ♛ (@ItsLifeNotes) January 12, 2012

the past is gone

Don't cry over the past, it's gone. Don't stress about the future, it hasn't arrived. Live in the present and make it beautiful.

— FactsAboutBoys.Net (@FactsAboutBoys) January 9, 2012

Up coming posts

Happy New Year people, hope you all enjoyed and received the blessings of christmas, sorry been busy for a while now! but will soon publish some interesting and exciting posts...

1. Its been 60 months since I thought about you...
2. Not so little anymore
3. Beautiful Dreams
4. Pray with me
5. Diary of a Glad African Woman --- Part 5
AND MUCH MORE this 2012!!

Stay Tuned!... (you can follow the blog by email, so you will be notified when new posts are published, emails from this blog are anti spam!!)

with love,
Rita Diamonds xx

COMING SOON!!

CHRISTMAS IS COMING SOON PEOPLE!!!! get into the christmas spirit :-)

Sad thing is I have so much school work I have to do during the holidays as well as study for my exams in January.

BUT that won't stop Christmas! Its the season of love ....hope you get to spend it with your family and around people you love...

Random Photos

Have I ever mentioned that I wanted to go into photography???? I really need to take some photography classes when I get the time and funds!

I lost the other ear :'( bad way to treat a gift

Red and yellow first two primary colours
Jack Daniels
I can boggie better than you in my 7inch heels

LOL and this is me being vain infront of my lappie :p

lalala I never was good at drawing but I hope to one day be an artist telling stories with my pictures, till then enjoy the randomness!!

With love,

Rita Diamonds

Not How I would have done it!

Not How I would have done it!

Do you ever find yourself looking at life through another person’s eyes and thinking you would have done things differently if you were in that person shoes. Like when over hearing guys watching a football match I hear screams of "how could he miss that off side", "pass it to MR A", and well other similar phrases that imply that the viewer would have done things differently if he or she was in that football match. We watch other peoples life’s and undermine the mistakes they have made, telling ourselves we would have done it better. EASIER SAID OR THOUGHT THAN DONE!

I recently finished reading a book and I am not sure who I was annoyed with, the writer of the book or the main character of the book. My interpretation of the book may be completely different from what the writer intended, or maybe I completely got it but just disagreed. If it was my story to tell I would have told it completely differently, no doubt about that. Same thing happens when I watch movies and say “na! I would not have ended it that way” such a casual comment to a movie that only took one year and three hundred and sixty five more days to get produced.

You go out and on the streets you assess what people are wearing and whisper to your friend “see that hideous hat that woman has on her head!”, who died and made you the Queen or king of fashion? We make people feel bad about their natural looks and the average girl takes her slightly above minimum wage salary to go and get a boob job done. I wished it ended there but one year later her implants burst and she gets to sell her “boob job gone bad story” to sun newspaper. Ah well, c’est la vie!

I want to wake up one day and genuinely see the world through other people’s eyes. Try and understand why they are that way, try and immerse myself in their experiences. I want to be able to fit into your shoes and get the same feeling you got that made you buy them. When you tell me stories of your pain I want to look at it completely from your point of view in order to help you properly. I want to be able to get off my high horse and ride a donkey for a day or even just an hour. I want to be able have a picnic on the less greener grass and know how it feels. I want to read a book and understand the writer's point of view. I want to come for your show and be happy you did it your way…

When you see me

There is a particular phrase I hear many a time "you have not changed one bit". Normally depending on who says this to me I feel nervous or actually very delighted. If its said from a long lost very special friend because of what we shared I am usually certain its meant as a compliment. Have you ever reconnected with someone that was close to you in the past and find that time has changed the current of the friendship. It may be because the other has developed into this whole different person, not a bad person but just not your ideal type of company. So when I see this long lost friend and we are within five minutes talking like we were never apart, it an awesome feeling of comfort and relaxation.

There are other times when this phrase is said to me by someone who I never really got along with, it is kind of like you did not like me then, and you do not like me now. It is either the other's fault or mine, and when it is the other's fault, maybe because they have an unpleasant and unfriendly vibe then I am not worried. But if it is my fault of being quick-tempered or some other fault I have then there is a big problem! You could not have seen me when I was thirteen and see me at twenty one and dismiss me as the same sharp tongued little brat. I want you to see this new empowered woman I have been working so hard to be. Within the first five minutes of our re-friendship or re-acquaintance I want you to say "wow I am so impressed". There is warmth in knowing a friend likes you the way you are, but there is joy when a friend is blown away by your improvements. There is a sense of growth you feel when someone who never rated you in the past, is captivated by your spirit, and enthused by your proactivity.

When you see me I want you to see a young strong woman, and not a feeble little girl. When you see me I want you to see in my eyes, the future the world needs. I want you to see me in the best way you allow yourself to, forgive my mistakes, accept my apologies and welcome my growth.

Communicating with Lyrics

Part 1

Girl: I don't want to wait for our lives to be over

I want to know right now what will it be

I don't want to wait for our lives to be over

Will it be yes or will it be sorry?

(Lyrics from I don't want to wait-Paula Cole)...Full song

Boy:This time I want it all This time I want it all
Showing you all the cards Giving you all my heart
This time I’ll take the chance This time I’ll be your man
I can be all you need This time it's all of me

(Lyrics from This Time-John Legend)... Full Song

Girl: I know you've seen a lot of things in your life
It got you feeling like this can't be right
But, I won't hurt you, I'm down for you, baby

(Lyrics from Trust-Keisha Cole ft Monica)...Full Song

Boy: Baby, you can do no wrong
My money is yours, give you a little more because I love ya, love ya
With me, girl, is where you belong
Just stay right here, I promise my dear I'll put nothin' above ya, 'bove ya

(Lyrics from Love me -Justin Bieber)...Full Song

Part 2

Girl: But nothing's greater than the rush that comes with your embrace

And in this world of loneliness I see your face
Yet everyone around Thinks that I'm going crazy, maybe, maybe

(Lyrics from Bleeding Love - Leona Lewis)...Full Song

Boy: I've tried to hide it so that no one knows
But I guess it shows
When you look into my eyes
What you did and where you're comin from
I don't care, as long as you love me, baby

(Lyrics from As long as you love me - Backstreet Boys)...Full Song

Girl: I love you, please say
You love me too, these three words
They could change our lives forever
And I promise you that we will always be together
Till the end of time

(Lyrics from I love you -Celine Dion)...Full Song

Boy: As I write this letter
Send my love to you
Remember that I'll always
Be in love with you

Treasure these few words till we're together
Keep all my love forever
P.S. I love you
You, you, you

(Lyrics from P.S I Love You -The Beatles)...Full Song

With You-You mean to me what I mean you and...

With You by Chris Brown

I am studying for my examinations its been stressful couple of weeks. I came across this song and remembered why I fell in love with Chris Brown. Watch and listen and feel inspired by the lyrics.That's why I love shuffle on Ipods you never know what song will come next and change the whole outlook of your day. Songs can be special as they can symbolize a particular memory you want to keep for the rest of your life!..

Facebook Identity

"Dear Facebook , one day they will abandon you too. Sincerely Myspace"

This is a famous tweet I have seen so many times on twitter . I am not so sure I agree with Myspace, well till I see Facebook getting abandoned too. Although I used to go to Myspace often I never ever created a personal page as I never thought I needed one. Furthermore Myspace is really for people looking to pursue a music career, and although I have been told more than twice that I have a nice singing voice I am not so sure about making it a career (I mean everyone has a nice voice in the shower and when singing in church). Yes I have been in choir and done a few solos but that was when I was more selfless.

I have used Facebook for almost 6 years now. There are very few traces of things I had put up initially and I frequently clear things off from my profile. I remember the early days of Facebook it was like a form of heroine. I was an addict!, I would update my status often, upload pictures mostly of me posing in my room. I kept intouch with friends wrote on their walls, commented on their pictures, posts, etc. I would read friends wall to wall and find out random information that I would use for nothing. I joined a number of interesting groups. I was so pleased with the fact that I could reconnect with long lost friends. Its was an invitation to peoples cyber life's. 6 years on I am now less active on Facebook, less openly expressive and most of my Facebook conversations happen inbox and not on my wall. I upload pictures sparingly and try to be discreet about my life in the most possible way. I hardly write on friend's walls and hardly update my status. And I am now more cautious about what I comment on Facebook because it would broadcast on my friend's newsfeed. I try to be as inactive as I can, I even removed my wall for a about year because I knew people would not make an effort to inbox unless it was very important. And also I feel that what people write on Facebook sometimes is superficial because they know other people will see it, but in inbox I realise that people are more real, relaxed and less pretentious.Sometimes on Facebook I laugh when I see what people that I know quite well post. I am thinking no no no that is so not you, you do not sound like that.

Below I have categorised 6 different Facebook identities that interest, bewilder and even annoy me.

The Religious Facebooker: Every status of this type of Facebook user is religious (may be a quote from the Bible or Koran). This person writes long posts giving religious advices subliminally telling us they are spiritually ahead of us and are in the position to preach the word. This person also goes round liking every religious post they see on Facebook. They comment on all religious posts they see on their newsfeed giving their own insight on the particular topic. Some of them also have some Facebook applications that post religious posts on all their friends newsfeed. This sort of person normally has conservative pictures on Facebook, nothing scandalous (hallelujah! we prefer it that way no one wants to see the half naked born again). This person normally blocks their tagged pictures so we do not see that they also have fun, (and if their tagged pictures show there will be boring anyway as they would untag all the interesting stuff). Please I hope this does not mislead anyone to thinking that I am not religious, as I am a devoted Christian but some of these people just come across as hypocritical to me and just plain annoying (especially when you find out certain true unflattering things about them).

'My life is so interesting' Facebooker: Okay when I am bored this is my favourite type of Facebooker, but when my life is moving smoothly not so much. This person will upload pictures every week of all their adventures. These pictures always comprise of the same group of friends, doing exactly what they do every weekend just in different clothes. This person gives updates of their life on their status, like 'yesterday night was fun' and then the friends who you know through the weekly pictures will all come and comment on the status and by the time you are done reading all the comments you know exactly how 'yesterday night' went. This person puts up the current youtube videos on their wall (by current I mean the youtube video that is going viral globally at the particular point in time). Well for those boring days you my dear are my favourite Facebooker.

Political/News reporter Facebooker: First of all thank you for keeping me so updated. I actually appreciate the efforts of this Facebooker constantly posting all the important news and events happening in the world. Some choose certain things in the news to always post about , some post about sports (football, basket ball, tennis, cricket), some post about the hilarious parts of the news (like prime minister in sex scandal), some post all the financial news (like Goldman Sachs invests in Facebook), some post the political news (like will America re-elect Obama), and some focus on a particular country(like Nigeria, UK, Palestine, China, Japan, India). Then sometimes if you read the comments on such posts you see interesting debabtes going on between friends and colleagues. Its always the same people that comment on these peoples posts and its just very interesting if the particular post in question interests you. Keep up the good work! although sometimes I want to tell you to go find a job in CNN and leave us on Facebook alone.

"Why so serious" Facebooker: This person has their whole CV on their Facebook profile. They are also a combination of the 'religious Facebooker' and the 'political and news reporter' Facebooker. All their statuses are so serious and apparently deep. They try to sound intellectually able and use very big words all the time. They only comment on serious and deep Facebook posts. They definitely have a picture of them receiving an award on Facebook. Why so serious especially if you are still that young (by young I mean below 60). I am not even going to waste time writing about this person because life is too short and I wish they realised that too.

Empty Facebooker: This person's last update on Facebook was 5 months ago. The last three wall posts which are about 1 month old all say basically the same thing 'where are you'. You have seen all the pictures on the profile before as they are all about 2 years old. The tagged pictures on this profile are all blocked, basically its a dead end. The ironic thing is that some of these so called empty Facebookers log on everyday and even stalk you that cannot get any update from them. You think you can fool me that you actually have a life interesting enough to avoid Facebook. Okay I do admit you have fooled me keep it up!.

No game plan Facebooker: you never know what to expect from this Facebooker. Everything they post is so intriguing and unique. You do not even realise that you look out for their posts on Facebook and their comments on other peoples post. They have a sense of humour too. Infact they are all rounders they upload interesting different pictures that do not always feature the same people and place. They also put youtube videos, have the odd political post and even have some religious posts. You realise when this person has not done anything on facebook for a while as your news feed is just left with the other types of Facebookers. I like this Facebooker, interesting surprises never gets old. Although some of these Facebookers are pretentious as they are always trying to do the unexpected instead of relaxing and being themselves or being Empty Facebookers.

It is often said that if Facebook was a country it would be the largest country or second largest country in the world(something like that basically emphasizing how many people use Facebook). Facebook constantly changes its format to attract more users, but how long can they keep us glued to the blue world before we go somewhere else. May be next century Facebook would still be very active and will write back to Myspace saying "Dear Myspace, I wonder if you went to heaven when you died, tell me how it is there as I may never see it as I doubt I will ever die, Sincerely Facebook".

Once in a while ...

~Once in a while~

1.drop a coin for the homeless guy on the street

2.smile at a complete stranger

3.give up your seat on the bus for the old lady

4.say a little prayer for the motherless babies

So little helps to make the world a better place...

One of Those Messages

so long at first you are put off from reading

you leave it and come back in the evening

after the first line you are aware of your nervousness

take a deep breadth you can't stop now

you read every line slow enough to reason well

a few grammatical errors but the message is not lost

very strong words that pierce right through you

take a deep breadth you can't stop now

as you read you are aware of the writters feelings

words of love and hate all bundled up in pragraphs

you picture a flash of the last few years

take a deep breadth you can't stop now

you are done reading and feel a tear drop

is this actually meant for your two eyes and one heart

you read this long message a dozen more times

take a deep breadth you can't stop now

one of those messages everyone should dread to read

one of those messages you have no choice but read

one of those messages that you must reply but don't know how to

take a deep breadth you can't stop now

Diary of a Glad African Woman -- Part 4

~Ka-Di --- My Rendition of Goodbye~

Goodbye in a sense can be by far the most distressing word in the English dictionary. It is what we say as a farewell. The word itself can be followed with a flood of mixed emotions. It could bring happiness, sadness, liberation, and even mourning. Many languages and cultures have their own translation of the word. The Thai say “la Korn”, the Italians say “arrivederci”, and the French say “au revoir”. My people the Ibibio’s closest rendition of the word is “Ka-di” which I translate to mean “Go and Come “. In essence my culture is not afraid to let go of family and loved ones. Instead we let them go and let them know our arms will be open to welcome them back. We love you, we would like you to stay but there is a whole other life for you to experience. Go and come back with fascinating stories, go and come back with gifts. Go and come back with help to save us all. Go and come back before my birthday, go and come back in the rainy season.

Ka-di does not mean the one parting will always come back in person. The soldier may come back in the form of a letter filled with beautiful parting words and memories of bravery. The one gone will come back in our minds in the form of delightful memories of wonderful adventures. You will see the person when you hear a song they very much loved. You will see the person when you recall who taught you how to read. You will see the person when you remember when they made you laugh or cry. Go in person, come back in my heart.

My Granddad has just completed a successful life. He had a fulfilling career as an Ambassador, started a wonderful family which will continue growing stronger and stronger for generations. He was a Christian faithful to his Catholicism beliefs. He was a Father who opened his home to many. He was a Son of his soil who aspired for the development of his community. I am grateful that in my lifetime I got to meet him and eat cashew nuts served by him. There is nothing dreadful about the death of a fruitful life. Dry your tears everyone, Granddad is off to the next episode of an interesting life series. While we may miss him, please welcome the culture of my people and tell him Ka-di. Go Granddad and come back in our hearts.

This is a real piece I wrote that was published in the programme of my Granddad's funeral of April 10th 2010...

Ibibio is a Nigerian tribe, find out more about the Ibibio culture on Wikipedia