My First Award!!

This post is long overdue! Sorry about that HoneyDame! This is the moment where I thank you, in front of all these screaming fans, for this absolute honor, that you have made me the object of.

***clearing my throat***

"Ms HoneyDame, it is with a deep feeling of gratitude and great honor that I humbly accept this award. It means much to me... Thank you for your unaltering support, your kinds words, your encouraging comments. You make me smile, and my life in Blogsville now has a sense thanks to you..." (Please don't get freaked out... LOL)

Seriously tho, thanks HoneyDame for this award!! My first!!!!!!! So exciting!!!!!

Now sending it right back at you for your excellent blogging performance.

Everybody, please take the time to visit Musing, Delusions and Illusions! by HoneyDame!

I also wanted to say thank you to you silent readers out there as well as followers and blogger friends! You are all sooo truly appreciated.

Okay, so I have to say 7 things about myself and I have to award this to up to 15 newly discovered blogs.

About myself:

1. I have very very bad vision. I have worn glasses ever since I was 5 years old. So I can let you imagine the style of my cute pair of binocles in the early 90s. I had this one yellow flowered pair of glasses that I thought were  cute at the time. Now pair that with thick non-relaxed hair (I know what you defenders of natural black hair are gonna say), early puberty acne and a body soooo skinny people thought the wind would carry me along and you have the perfect recipe for an ugly little thing. So yes I had a huge complex when I was younger. You know how it is when you get picked on and bullied at school and when from innocently not even looking at yourself in the mirror you  start being sooo aware of your physical flaws. And yes people especially us african people underestimate the damage that it does to one's self esteem. Thankfully, God has freed me from all these negative thoughts on myself, but you know how it is, especially with us women, it comes back once in a while, especially when you're feeling down...
2. Not sure I have ever mentioned my cultural heritage. Well, I'm from Congo, also ironically referred to as the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Yeeah... I know, they couldn't have found a better name. LOL. I grew up in Ivory Coast so I don't know that much about my country really, even though I lived there for a little while after high school before moving the US. And I'm married to a Cameroonian. So I consider myself an African FIRST AND FOREMOST, before anything else. I do believe that we should be proud of our distinctive ethnic and cultural heritage but I do not necessarily think we should carry overbearing nationalistic pride. How could we? The name of the nationality that we bear was not even chosen by us!!! Yeah, I am a panafrican at heart!
3. I am a native French speaker. I only started speaking English fluently about 5 years ago. I have since lost most of the eloquence I was known for in French and I have not really ever compensated for it. Most people can't tell exactly where I am from when I speak English normally. They go from Jamaica to Nigeria to..."I'm confused". Other people tell me I have a Nigerian accent... when I try my own rendition of my dear Mama G, Patience Ozokwor.
4. I'm learning pidgin English so that I can communicate better with the extended family on my husband's side, especially the ones back home and the older family members who only speak the language or pidgin. And yeah Naija movies are a great tool for that purpose LOL! Oh yeah I forgot to mention my husband is from the English speaking part of Cameroon near Nigeria's east border, hence the pidgin.
5. I looooooooooooove cooking. And that should not come as a surprise to you. I have a lot different African influences, and I am very open person when it comes to local African cultures, life ways, and culinary habits. Most of what I cook, I was not born eating. African food is good, if you are willing to learn how to cook it well, and if you do with love. And remember to remain open to other African dishes even if they sound/look unfamiliar. I don't understand people who are willing to learn, try and discover other oyinbo type of food, and when it comes to food from a different African country, they make faces. Can't stand that!
6. I have been married for exactly 75 days today!!! And loving it!! It's not a bed of roses, but when there is respect, understanding and especially communication, there is nothing more beautiful!
7. My daddy calls me his "little soldier"!!! I love my daddy!!!! LOL!

Alright!! Coming back a little later today to award bloggers I have recently discovered!