WORDY WEDNESDAY #5

*Trigger alert

Today’s word is abuse. Basically, it means the cruel and violent treatment of a person or animal. Synonyms: mistreatment and maltreatment.

Last weekend, I was speaking with a family member and he was reluctant to accept that child abuse exists, especially here in Nigeria.

My main argument was that while it may not always be intentional, abuse – be it physical, verbal, emotional, psychological and sexual –  is a reality and the sooner we start to acknowledge these things, the better.

**The following video illustrates my point exactly but be warned, it has graphic elements. 

WORDY WEDNESDAY #4

You know how a good book stays with you and from time to time, you remember scenes and events from it? Last week, I found myself replaying Yann Martel’s Life of Pi in my head. It was the first time I encountered the word prusten, the chuffing sound only tigers and snow leopards make.

Hello, Kitty Richard Parker!

 

WORDY WEDNESDAY #3

Today’s word is arriviste – ‘a person who is trying to move into a higher class in society’; ‘a person who is unscrupulously ambitious’.

It sounds like it belongs to an Edith Wharton novel and I keep coming across it online whenever a certain political family is discussed. It’s a rather unflattering description but doesn’t it cast the user in an unfavourable light as well?

Don’t be a snob.

xoxo

MY FIRST BOOK

When I decided to retell the story of ‘Jack and the Beanstalk’, I thought writing a children’s book would be easy.  Boy, was I wrong.

Little did I know that the road ahead would involve hundreds of paper cuts and thousands of finger blisters.

But my self-delusion resulted in this book (and another*) so I guess you could say it worked.

There are no physical copies but you can download on your mobile phone/tablet.

Get it on the Okadabooks store  while stocks last. 😉 Hehe. 

*Be sure to use xoakumbu as a referral code when signing up to get a discount.* 

 

*I’m currently shopping for publishers for my 2nd children’s book.

WORDY WEDNESDAY #2

Lately, I’ve become interested in Swedish culture and I’m convinced I must have been Swedish or at least lived in Sweden in one of my past lives.

I’m not consciously learning Swedish, but when you spend time on a few Swedish (bilingual) blogs, it’s not hard to pick up a bit of the language. So today’s word is “Puss” and it’s not the one in boots. It translates as “kiss” in English and it’s usually used to end text messages and blog posts.

Interestingly, “kiss” also exists in Swedish and it means “pee” in English. Languages are fun right?

Until next week, puss puss 😉