As funny as it sounds, I just realised that the most common things, those really small things we term “mundane” are the hardest to understand for a lot of people.. What does it mean to listen!? (Take some time and answer yourself).
I found out after listening to myself that to me, to listen is “to sit and hear what someone has to say”, and that is it. But really what it means to listen is to (more…)
WHO I AM
My name is Otuagomah Dhebbie and I’m 18. I live in Ondo State, Nigeria. My skin is the colour of creamy chocolate.
They call me Dhebbie and Dorian as well. My fave colour is black and I’m not a foodie. I am an aspiring law student of the University of Benin.
I’m a YA writer and I also blog about YA stuff at The Koterie. I have an undying love for books, menswear and movies. I’m also a media enthusiast, an ICT geek and a music fanatic. I identify as a cross dresser. I’m an unapologetic tomboy and an unrepentant (more…)
It’s been a great one week for Nigeria. Two things of note happened: the swearing-in of the new president and the clinching of the post of the President of the African Development Bank by our brother Akinwumi Adesina. You see, it’s a thing of joy when your country and your countrymen are attaining great heights within and outside the country. And the good news is; there are many more to come.
In the light of the Akinwumi’s victory at the African Development Bank, DBANJ is tipped to be the next World Bank President…..
Okay, I agree. It is not often that you see an entertainer been tipped for such a position. But after the events of the past few weeks, you will agree with me that no other person deserves to succeed Jim Kim, the World Bank president, than the eminent Nigerian Musician, Dbanj.
¬FINGER CUTTING IN THE DANI TRIBE OF INDONESIA
They Say Death brings pain, Yeah, it does. I know of a lot of emotional pains caused by the death of a family member, But the Dani Tribe of Indonesia has taken the pain caused by Death of one’s loved ones to a whole new level. In the Dani tribe of Indonesia, when a family member dies,the women of this tribe cut off the top half of one of their fingers upon attending the Funeral (which is a considerable amount, considering the fact that no part of the human body is negligible). Before amputation they would tie a rope or string around the upper part of the finger for about 30mins, making it numb for a less painful removal. This practice is derived from religious belief and rests on the fear that if the deceased were a powerful person while living, their essence would remain in the village in lingering spiritual turmoil.
¬MONKEY BUFFET FESTIVAL
Ever imagined having a big buffet for animals?. I have a pretty wide imagination but i don’t think that ever crossed my mind.
A man named Yongyuth Kitwattananusont, an hotelier suggested the making of buffet festival for Monkeys in the province Lopburi, Thailand. With the assistance and sponsorship of Tourism Authority of Thailand, he inaugurated Monkey Buffet Festival in 1989. In this festival, people set up tables and load it up with Fruit, Cakes, Flowers and Candies, then Monkeys are released and allow to have a share of the spoil, much to the amusement of the viewers. Two words come to my mind, Spoilt Monkeys!. Monkey Buffet Festival falls on 25th of November every year.
¬KIDNAPPING THE BRIDE
Imagine you’re in a wedding and the bride was kidnapped, you’ll call that bleak right?. But the Romani have carried out this insanely criminal tradition for centuries. This culture of stealing the bride from under the nose of groom and guests with the wedding party in progress is still a regularly practised act in the Romanian capital. Some friends of the groom might decide to kidnap the bride. The ransom is all about few bottles of whisky or perhaps something more romantic. The guys who kidnap the bride negotiate via phone. This tradition is harmless and is celebrated as a risqué fun to nuptials.
¬THE TOSSING OF BABIES
Now this is a real shocker!. Baby dropping is a cultural activity in India especially in the Maharashtra state of India. In this tradition, screaming, wailing and innocent babies (not like there’s anything like a guilty baby) are dropped from several meters into the air, preferably from the top of a 50m tall building, and there are a group of 14 to 15 men standing right below, holding a blanket that breaks the baby’s fall. Just as it bounces on the blanket once, it is caught by one of the men and handed over to the mother. Understandably, it takes several minutes before the baby recovers from the shock.
This Culture of Baby Tossing has been in practice for the past 700 years by Hindu and Muslim Indians. The ritual happens only once per year, and is believed to bring good luck to the baby, keeping it safe and healthy. It also ensures prosperity for the entire family. The ritual is generally meant for babies less than 2 years of Age. As many people may see this act as barbaric, the natives have held on to it and are not ready to give it up anytime soon.
¬BACHELORS PARTY (VERSION 2.0)
Ever dreamed of a bachelors party in Vegas?. Cool Huh?.. For some of you, depending on who you are, you may find this way cooler. In Ethiopia, some grooms-to-be have their own “bachelor party”, a rite of passage they must complete prior to being able to marry. Participants must successfully jump over a castrated male cow four times while naked, symbolizing the childhood they are leaving behind them. If successful, they will now be considered one of the Maza( other men who passed the test) and will spend the next few months supervising these events in villages throughout the Hamar territory.
Every Nigerian has heard superstitions and weird beliefs. Beliefs that an adult we know strongly defends, however ludicrous it must sound. If you haven’t, well, lucky you! Today I’ll show you that Nigerians and Africans are not alone. There are customs in different parts of the world that are downright astonishing and maybe a little funny. Even now in the 21st century, these ancient ways are still very much alive. The following are ten strange birth customs in the world:
1. Baby Fellatio: Yes! You read right. The fourth largest ethnic group in China – Manchu – express love for their new-borns by paying ‘special’ attention to their genitals. Ironically, kissing is taken as a sexual act regardless of whether it is on the cheek or not. So parents don’t kiss their children on the face. Considering that, this custom takes the cake on my list.
2. Contagious Pregnancy: Get this. In Russia, it is believed that other women should not touch a pregnant woman’s belly because they could get pregnant too. I’m trying to fathom why a woman would do that in the first place other than to rub on gel for ultrasound. If this was true, female ob-gyns would be popping babies left and right.
3. Placenta Eating: In some parts of India and China, for some reason unknown to me, new mothers are encouraged to feast on their babies’ placentas. This has been challenged by modern medical doctors who state that contamination is possible. That did not stop Kourtney Kardashian from saying her placenta pills were yummy.
4. Isolated Mothers: In Pakistan, Kalash mothers are kept in an isolated building during child labour as they are deemed unclean. I am very astounded by how unfair this is. The only people allowed to go and help them are women who are menstruating as they are also not clean.
5. Toe Cocktail: Indians make the list again! I can’t decide which of the two is freakier. When a woman in labour is experiencing difficulty, she has to drink a glass of water that her mother-in-law has dipped her toe into.
6. VIP Baby: Balinese babies are not allowed to touch the ground for their first 3 months of being alive. Swell for the VIP baby, eh? The ground could defile the baby’s purity. In fact, a celebration is done to honour the 3 month old baby where he/she can finally ‘walk’ on the ground.
7. Daddy’s Presence: A United States’ midwife was taught to wrap the father-to-be’s shirt around his wife’s shoulder and put his hat on her head. This serves the purpose of giving the woman energy for labour. Sweet and strange.
8. Restriction of Movement: In China, mothers are confined for 30 to 45 days after birth. They are forbade from entering the kitchen because it is believed that the cooking gas can cause breast milk to dry up.
9. Umbilical Cord Clipping: The Japanese save a new-born’s umbilical cord in a wooden box. Supposedly, it signifies the mother-child relationship.
10. Cake Christening: At the christening of their first baby, Irish parents moisten their baby’s head with the top layer of whiskey fruit cake and share the remainder of the cake amongst the guest. This symbolizes the long life for the child. Not too shabby.
That is it for today. We are not backward illiterates for having our beliefs. We are just humans looking for anything to have faith in.
“The 6 Controversial Statements of the Pope” ??
Some recent revelations have emerged regarding some statements made by the catholic pope: Pope Francis. Before I begin, I would love to state categorically, that I am not against any doctrine and we all serve one God and that Judgement belongs to God Almighty alone.
Below are statements attributed to Pope Francis.
(1)That the church is big enough to accommodate homosexuals. But then, the Bible states in Lev.18;22 : “You shall not lie with a male as with a female, it is an abomination”, and that whosoever commits such abominations must be cut off from the people.
(2)That the Catholic Church does not believe in ‘literal’ hell and that hell is merely a metaphor for the isolated soul. The Bible contradicts this in 2Pet.2;4 and Psalm 9;17.
(3)That God is not a Judge or a God of judgement but a friend and a lover of Humanity. The Bible also contradicts this in Isaiah 30;18 and Psalm 9;16.
(4)That God is changing and evolving as we human are. The Bible contradicts this in Job 33;12. Now knowing fully well that God is a spirit, does a spirit evolve? That’s a puzzle you should solve.
(5)That like every other ancient book,some pages of the bible are outdated. The Bible that is ‘claimed’ to have been outdated contradicts this in Psalm119;160 and Isaiah 40;8.
(6)That the Catholic Church will soon ordain some women as Cardinals and hope that a female Pope will arise someday. The Bible contradicts this also in 1Cor 14;34.
Now it is a known fact that for ages, catholics have continued to pray through Mary, but Jesus said in the Bible “You can only get to the Father through me”.
A famous pastor in Nigeria once said that “Catholics substitute Mary for Jesus”, and he called that the Hyperdulia of the Virgin.
I am not against any religion,doctrine or belief. We all serve one supreme Being and that’s the “Almighty God”.
We Should continue to love one another.
UNIBEN Vs EDO STATE GOVT.
(The Hidden Truth).
In a matter that had its root from Monday 5th January 2014, at about 5pm it was reported that some youths armed with bulldozers attacked the official residence of the immediate Past Vice Chancellor of Uniben Prof. Godwin Osayuki Oshodin under the supervision of the state governor. Comrade Adams Aliu Oshiomole and began the demolition of his ‘claimed residence’. Since then, a lot of crisis, accusations and counter accusations have arisen. Some questions are still yet to be answered which include;
(1)What right did the state governor have to demolish the residence of a Federal worker? In a matter in which a lower court had given Edo State Govt. The right to take over the land, Was Oshiomole afraid of losing at the court of appeal? Was that the reason for carrying out the demolition?
(2)What right does an Immediate Past Vice Chancellor have to the property when he has left office?. In a claim earlier on, it was noted that the then Gov. Of Edo State Samuel Ogbemudia in 1979 gave the land to the University to use as a quarters for its lecturers, But when asked recently. He claimed he never leased, dashed or bequitted the landed property to uniben. Was he under pressure to have made that statement?
(3)What right does a Federal University like the University of Benin have to attack and seize a state owned vehicle and burn it to ashes? What therefore is the university teaching it’s students? Is the university not supposed to be an institution of learning and moulding good character? How is the burning of a state owned vehicle justified by this? OR Is it possible that afterall, those who perpetuated this act of ‘agberoism’ and ‘militancy’ are not students of the school but simply sponsored by The Opposition Political Party?
(4)Lastly, the major opposition Party PDP were quick to jump on the issue like vultures on the carcass Edo State Govt. Has created?
(5)Is this an ethnic battle? Would Uniben have been silent if the Governor was a ‘bini’ man?
Many questions are begging for answers as the riot enters Day 2. Well, our arms remain folded, watching as events unfold.
To be continued….
1500 YEAR OLD BIBLE CLAIMS JESUS CHRIST WAS NOT CRUCIFIED
This discovery turns modern Christianity on its toes! This Bible, dating as far back as 2,000 years, specifies the Gospel of Barnabas, a disciple of Jesus Christ, and claims Jesus wasn’t actually crucified and didn’t claim him to be the son of God, but instead a prophet. The book charges that Apostle Paul was “The Impostor.”
The story is completely different. In the Book of Barnabas, Jesus wasn’t crucified, but ascended to heaven alive, and Judas Iscariot was crucified in his stead. The National Turk issued a report saying that the Bible was seized from smugglers in a Mediterranean operation. The gang was charged with smuggling a variety of things, such as antiques, illegal excavations and even explosives. The book is valued at around $28 million.
That’s quite the find! Experts and Authorities in Tehran insist that the book is very authentic. It’s written in gold lettering on loosely tied leather in Aramaic, the language of Christ. There are connections that can be drawn between this text and Islam, and it directly contradicts the New Testament’s teaching.
In it, Jesus also predicts the birth of Prophet Muhammed, who founded Islam 700 years later. Experts believe that during the Council of Nicea, the Catholic Church went through and hand picked the gospels that form what we know the Bible to be today and omitted the Gospel of Barnabas (among others) in favor of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. These original texts surfaced over time, and this new discovery is especially worrisome to the Catholic church. So what does this mean for religions derived of Christianity? It’s a bit of a predicament.
The Vatican has asked Turkish authorities to allow them access to the book for examination. The big question is: will they accept it as evidence, deny its validity
or call it a “Muslim lie” as “Truth” Magazine did in 2000? To many people, this book is seen as a cause for hope. But what does this mean for atheists? Is it a real text or a hoax? And does it even really matter?
With any luck, this newly discovered text will force theologians to ask deeper questions about their faiths instead of believing it dogmatically. Only time will tell. In the meantime,we gotta keep an open mind, be respectful of the beliefs of others, and remember that it’s our responsibility to take care of one another and this planet we call home.
The Koterie• 