Did we Finesse 20?!?!?

Hello, my Bunnies,

If you're reading this then your girl just turned TWENTY-ONE 🤯 

For the longest time, I was trying to figure out the marker that 21 came with. In the US I know that's when people can legally drink but I'm from Nigerian and was in the UK so that was 18 for me. 20 was the end of being considered a teen so what are you doing 21? But I recently found out that in Nigeria you could only get a Certificate of Occupancy (legal title to land) at 21, younger people have to have a guardian. So, guys, I can 'own' land (if you're a legal practitioner in Nigeria you'll understand why own is in quotation marks). TBH, I have been telling everyone that I want landed property so HINT HINT.

Usually, I like my birthdays to be very reflective of how far I've come, lessons I've learned and whatnot. Last year as you all might remember, I said I wanted a chill year (insert LOL here). I am going to be very honest with this reflection today. Twenty felt like a mess and was not easy at all. I think I had the most breakdowns at 20; mentally, emotionally and physically. The age started out well with my mum being around for the first birthday in four years, I usually have my birthday during school terms, by the time I moved to the UK I didn't have any birthdays with my family around. So it was really nice having her there.

I had spent the Christmas holiday doing coursework and an exam with no sleep and hella stressed. So fast forward a few weeks when the results came out and I was shattered. One of my coursework, the one I had poured everything I had, came back with an unimpressive result. This was my final year and every single grade mattered. This kick-started the first of may breakdowns. At this point too, my social life was not doing great and not everyone could understand that my plate was too full and I was overwhelmed and needed space to just regroup. Seeing as I was dealing with academics, health and extracurricular commitments, my timetable was full.

I made peace with the grade, I figured I needed to up my game on the next ones cause I still had a tonne waiting for me. So I got feedback from teachers, got advice on what to do in the next ones, committed it all to God and started my research and work early. Using the advice from the first essay, I, again, poured and gave my everything to the next coursework and again subpar result with equally subpar feedback was given back. I'm like Jesus do I have to give up my kidney. Whilst on the second wave of coursework, I find myself in the emergency room (through everything my health wasn't top notch but I'm being hit left and right in final year...WOW). Ended up having incisions made in my neck (fantastic sturvs). But you know life is not gonna stand still for me so we move. I'm popping pain meds given by my doctors and putting my concerns and worries in my back pocket because I didn't have time nor strength to be distracted. Onto the next coursework again (I had four waves of coursework and each wave consisted of two coursework). This one came with better results in one of them, the other was a headache but we move guys. Final wave was so close to exams so results came out with final exam grades so I just turned that one in and returned to revising for the exam modules I had.

Mans trying to revise and keep stress levels down at the same time (extreme sport). Anyhoo, one week plus to exams and I can't move my right hand (my dominant hand...like Nigerians would say 'why not kuku kill me'). I had just been told by Disability that new arrangements have been for my examinations, I could type instead of write and my hand can't move and I am in pain. So revising is not even my biggest worry anymore, I couldn't move and I couldn't sleep. My friends literally had to come to my place to spoonfeed me our work materials. Now deferring exams seemed like the most logical thing to do. However, your girl doesn't want to be set back a year. How you may be wondering. Well if I deferred, then exams would be in August (and I have no assurance that my health would have fixed up) and then Graduation would have been December. That would mean missing the Bar 1 batch that resumed in July (there's only one batch in Nigeria) and having to wait till 2019 to start law school. A big no in my book. So I pushed through, I remember telling God "You know I have no strength and my trust is wholly in you. I won't be the person writing that exam because my physical body can barely stay up but I have you and that's all I need". I wrote my two papers and now it was time to wait.

When the results came out, I was so happy because I was graduating with no setback. Graduation was assured. The overall qualification wasn't what I would have wanted but I had been through hell and YOUR GIRL IS GRADUATING. Funny enough my two exam papers had good grades, can you see God. But something came and put a hefty amount of sand, in fact, concrete, inside my garri. The results for the final wave of coursework came out and what was showing in the student portal and the result portal was not the same. EXCUSE ME BUT WHAT IS GOING ON? So I am contacting every and anybody I could but no one is replying me even my personal tutor (who is your first point of contact in uni). I haven't told my parents or friends about results cause I am not even sure if it is mine or not. Me that was content before, I am now panicking and worried and graduation is how many weeks away. Plis dears. I had to eventually message the Dean of my faculty. They 'corrected' the error and said degree classification was still the same thing. But the lack of urgency they had and the dismissive attitude toward their own failings sent me to my next bout of crying. I woke up crying and slept crying. Like how am I sure this is the only mistake and I can't even appeal it because, one, I have limited time in the country before law school and two I didn't fail so I have no standing for appealing. Sha I eventually had to tell my parents (especially my dad) and they were very understanding. My father literally said 'wipe your tears, have your bath and eat. You're graduating abi? You will go to law school and show them. We learn from this but focus on the next challenge'.

So I came home and went to law school. To the glory of God, Bar 1 went well. TBH when I think of my degree I feel anger but I sideline it because I can't be dwelling on the past. Another thing that's made 20 so stressful definitely has to be my health (there was always something new to cause pain and stress over. I was seeing my doctors more frequently than I would have liked). Plus the stress of law school, Nigeria and its climate aren't making matters easy but we what...WE MOVE. 20 wasn't all drabby, I graduated, my brother graduated, my dad was conferred with a fellowship, my cousin got married. Even though I was honestly broken hearted over everything, it would be ungrateful to not recognise the hand of God in everything. I was not the best of Jesus babies cause I was very unhappy, I was not in a good place and it felt like I was just going through the tunnel with no sight of the light at the end. I didn't have my chill 20 and I am not where I'd like to be. However, I will be highly cliche and hopeful that I am where I need to be and nothing is a waste in the grand scheme of things.

Did I #Finesse20? It might not feel like it but Benny Kanyip you definitely handled 20 and all its hurdles with impressive delicacy and skill. You're still alive and kicking and you are in the next phase of your life. The road was tough and painful but by the grace of God, we're here.

So here's is recommitting things to God, every day, every minute, every second and that is why this is going to be #Hallelujah21 because no matter what happens that is what we shall be saying from this day forth.

You guys should go on my Instagram and see the montage I made documenting #Finesse20. I am immensely grateful to my family and friends for making #Finesse20, when I watch the montage I can't help but feel so blessed for the people I have in my life. Like I have to give a special shoutout to my uni friends for making uni amazing; my GIFT family, Helen, Safiya, Debby, Kechi, Dami, Simi, Ana, Simran and I especially have to thank Sandra and Maria (these were the people spoonfeeding me my revision when I couldn't move) and Maria was doing hospital runs with me. Sorry, I can't mention everyone but I am immensely grateful for the people I met in uni. I am also so grateful for Law School friends; new and old ones who I reconnected with. These are honestly the people that make you see that God is real and that he loves you. God bless you all, I love you.

Happy Birthday to me. Cheers to a Hallelujah filled 21.

Lots of love from BANNK xxx.

Twenty!!!

Hello, My Bunnies,

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!

Guess who turned 20 today?!!? ME!!!

I no longer fit in the teenager category but tbh nothing has changed much (at least not yet).

I pray that is is the year of greater discernment and wisdom.

I can't wait to see what 20 has in store for me. I am so grateful to God for his faithfulness all my life and I look forward to a closer relationship with him. I am not doing anything extravagant for the day (I want a chill 20) so I don't have much to tell you guys but here are pictures of me during my teen years. I have grown in so many ways and I am happy with the woman that God is moulding me into.

One thing I learnt from my teen years is that pain really does end and God has great plans awaiting us and his plans are always perfect.

Cheers to more years Bunnies.

10 things you probably don't know about me

Hello from your Chubby Bunny,

This is a get to know me post. Before I begin to tell you more about myself, I'd like you guys to know that updates would start coming in bi-weekly. This is to allow me to alternate between the blog and my book on Wattpad. YES, I AM WRITING A BOOK. I might even write a stand-alone short story on there soon. So please follow me on Twitter so you are kept updated about everything and subscribe here so that you get notifications when I update.

On to getting to know me better.

So for the general stuff, I am 19 and my birthday is on the 21st of January. I am the youngest of two, I have an older brother and I am from Nigeria.

Where am I from?: Although I have mentioned that I am from Nigeria, in Nigeria, I am from a tribe in Southern Kaduna. My tribe is Attakar and we have our own language, traditional head and customs. So, no, I am not Hausa.

Talents: My talents include singing, acting and writing. I don't utilise them as much as I should but I am challenging myself. I have always been apart of school plays, I am apart of the worship team in my youth fellowship and I am writing a book on Wattpad (Yey!!!). I also have a wonderful ability to sleep at any time, anywhere and through anything.

Favourite food: I love Nigerian street food. I am totally obsessed, Nigerian street food isn't bite-sized, the portions are made to fill you up and that's probably another reason why I love it. It has everything from savoury to sweet things so your cravings are always met.

Type of music: I cannot choose a specific genre because my family and I are music geeks. I love Gospel, Reggae, Afrobeats (of course) from Fela to Wizkid. I love Beyonce, Celine Dion, Whitney Houston, Adele, Emily Sande, Yanni and so many others. If a song has mad beats or wonderful lyrics or both then it is for me.

Phobia: I am scared of Cockroaches, I cannot be in the same room as one. In fact, when I see cockroaches in my room I move to another room and sleep there. I also have a little apprehension of heights so I don't do roller-coasters but I love flying (contradictory I know).

Hobbies (spare time activities): I love reading and listing to music. I also love taking photographs when I am free and can take out my camera. Another hobby/talent of mine is procrastinating; I use one job to procrastinate another (eg. cleaning my room instead of writing my essay). If I really want to procrastinate then I just sleep and I know procrastination is bad so I am trying to work on it.

Favourite outfit: Even though I am a cool kid and I know how to dress my fine body. My favourite outfits are my PJs. I just love staying in my PJs. During the summer holidays (or most day TBH) when I have no plans, I just change from PJs to PJs. I wake up, shower and just slip on new PJs (my mum hates it but she's just happy that I am not sleeping the day away). I am very anti-social and tend to keep to myself so I love to be comfortable in my own space. If I had my way, I'd have more PJs than regular clothes but I have to attend classes and leave my house sometimes.

Favourite Memory: This would have to be summer trips and road trips my family and I took. It was very nice when we'd be together, shopping and sight-seeing. I love travelling and it was so nice doing it with my family.

Countries I have been to: I have been to Nigeria, the UK, USA, Gambia, Cote d'Ivoire, Canada. I have transited through Germany and Senegal. I 'd love to add more countries to this list.

Relationship Status: I am a single pringle. That is all I have to say about this question🤣

I hope you guys enjoyed this post. I'll see you in 2 weeks.

Love Aunty Bunny xxx.

Summer of Culture

Hello from your Chubby Bunny,

This year I had the pleasure of exploring the UK and I am here to dazzle you with how cultured I am now. For the first time, I will be including exclusive photographs taken by moi and of moi (you guys should feel honoured...jokes).

I worked with the International Summer school at my university and I had a grand time. I got to meet a lot of students from all over the world, make many new friends and we got to go on trips to various parts of the UK (most places I had not been to myself so it was a treat for me too). These places included Cambridge, Oxford, Liverpool, Shrewsbury and Staffordshire (here are some pictures:)

(I almost bought myself a castle but it wasn't big enough...jokes)

I went to my first ballet this summer. WARNING: if you are going to a ballet always read the synopsis or you will be very lost during the performance. I spent the first half of the show say 'huh?' with my friends and I needed the almighty Google to come to my rescue during intermission. Once I had familiarised myself with the story, the second part was easier to watch and I even understood the whole thing.

I was able to go on a little vacation with my best friend and we went to Blackpool. It was absolutely necessary for the body and mind. I got to actually leave my house for once and every day that we were there I got to explore the city.

Blackpool was so lovely to visit we stayed in the sweetest hotel that was more or less a resort (pictures below). They had a pool, a spa, gym and even a golf course. Trust your Bunny to be at the spa as soon as she arrived 😁. I only hated the poor wifi we got in our room and the food needed some added flair (*coughs* seasoning) but aside from that, I'd give them a 7 out of 10.

On our first day out in Blackpool, we were met with over 50mph winds and we never expected it. The Blackpool tower eye was even shut down (that's how serious it was). And being the newbie tourist, I never know that these winds could rip my glasses off my face and have it travelling through the streets of Blackpool. 😑  I was not amused. I am basically blind without my glasses, I cannot see details and small things; just shapes and colours. So I was blindly chasing my glasses with the winds still pushing them further away from me. And my so-called best friend was paying zero attention while I was screaming for help (BTW I am accepting applications for her replacement) but I got my glasses and my day wasn't ruined and neither were my glasses.

I got to go to the circus that day and the dungeon but I found the circus scarier than the latter. People hanging in the air without some form of a safety net below them was not good for my heart. The next day we finally got to go to the tower eyes as the winds had reduced (so no runaway glasses). After we proceded to Pleasure Beach, which is an amusement park and I also got to see how my so-called BFF had little love for me. She expected me to go on rides that had you tumbling upside down and had you almost seeing the Heavenly host...erm that a big NO from me (more reasons to replace her).

(yes, I went on the fairly odd parents' ride, sue me😁)

So I had a beautiful summer and as customary, it came with a few silly pictures because life is too short to have only serious pictures

Being able to travel to these places has ignited the spark in me that fuels my love for travelling. I got to be a carefree Black Queen enjoying life. I have not been able to travel much since 2011 and I've missed it. Seeing a new city and experiencing a new culture is beautiful. So hopefully this doesn't end this year. I'd love to even take trips within my own home country Nigeria and get to experience how other cultures live, their history and of course their food (I'm not chubby for just sitting down🤣).

Uni has resumed and well, I'll miss all the free time I had to sleep but it is nice having something to wake up for. I hope you guys enjoyed this post and like the pictures. Feel free to comment and tell me about your summers. I pray to be able to tell you about many other trips in the future.

P.S. don't forget that you can send in questions that you'd like me to answer. Aunty Bunny is here to advise and share with you.

Love Aunty Bunny xxx.

This is a segment of Benny's Diaries.