The Nineteen Blog

The English idiom ‘don’t judge a book by its cover’ is a phrase which means one shouldn’t prejudge the worth or value of something by its outward appearance alone. So cliché is this line that many use it often in discourse. But many of us are guilty of prejudging others based on their outward appearances. We size people up and their physical attributes sometimes determine if they deserve our respect or not. If they dress well, smell good, have well-toned bodies  and generally exude overall wellbeing, we either get intimidated or try to associate with them.  Big Brother Naija 5 is the rave of the moment, like it or not, it is going to dominate the media space for the next 9 weeks.  Twenty contestants were unveiled on Sunday and even before the show started proper many comments on social media was that of immediate disapproval of some contestants based on their physical attributes.  Laycon and Trikytee were these contestants many wondered the yardstick which qualified ...

 The Urban Dictionary defines a stare as ‘to continuously look at someone/ thing for a while; often considered very rude’. It is only natural for us to look at others, c’mon, we’ve got eyes. When it lingers however, it is rude. At some point or the other we have been stared at or even stared at others. People with physical disabilities, scars, overweight/ underweight, well/ shabbily dressed often get stared at. I see these and I wonder how people living with disabilities especially feel. I mean they are mindful of their challenges, why make them feel awkward.   It is quite easy to size up someone from afar; I mean get a good glimpse at whatever they are wearing or what we find interesting about them. But when the other person becomes aware that your eyes are practically scanning them, cut it. Staring is one act I don’t find amusing. I mean, how do you explain the discomfort that comes with someone’s gaze fixed on you. Has a stare ever made you feel there’s a horn on your h...

Are you getting enough sleep? I mean,  good quality sleep at night? One luxury many in major cities barely indulge in is good, quality sleep due to many factors. This includes the hustle to beat traffic in the morning and at night the inability to get back to our respective homes on time. If you live in Lagos, this is understandable. In today's evolving world, we are expected to take up many challenges and execute all. We multitask, run multiple businesses and also study while working 9-5. These deprive many of good sleep. A good sleep pattern becomes difficult to keep. Many even brag about not sleeping at night to show they are hardworking and serious about achieving their set goals. *Chuckles*  Well, sleeping at night goes beyond a mere time of rest. It is the period you body does all the hardwork of rebuilding muscles that you have worn out during the day and cleans harmful plaques and wastes out of your system. Lack of good sleep actually impinges on your ability to make g...

Rape and the culture of violence is not new to our society. In recent times, reports of rape cases have been on the increase.  In June, the Nigerian social media space went into a wild frenzy following accusations by Seyitan Babatayo against music entertainer Oladapo Oyebanji popularly known as  D'banj. According to Seyitan, D'banj raped her in 2018. Emotions at that time was still rife over the gruesome rape and murder of Uwaila Omozuwa in a church in Benin City Edo state, rape of a 12year old girl by eleven men in Jigawa, rape and murder of an 18 year old student in Oyo state, rape of minors and many others.  According to the inspector general of police, Muhammed Adamu, a total of 717 rape cases were reported in police stations across Nigeria between January 2020 and May 2020. 631 of these cases have been investigated and charged to court, while 52 are still being investigated.  This number only captures those reported. We can only imagine the myriad of unreported ...

Wow! Have you seen Lilian, remember her from our high school days? Goodness gracious! Lilian is doing so well! Her skin glows, plus she embarks on exotic vacations frequently. Oh, really, where did you bump into her? On Instagram sis, you need to check out her page. She is living the life!   God when? I am fed up oh, can’t wait to start balling too. This exchange is not unfamiliar. Even if we haven’t had one recently, someone somewhere is ‘oohing' and 'aaahing' over someone’s seeming perfect life on social media. Social media is indeed a blessing in disguise. It has made life a lot easier. Keeping in touch with family, friends, former colleagues, old school mates is just a click away. Video, voice, and even chats with our dear ones can be achieved in real time. It is also a medium for transacting business, education, information and more. However social media has become a contributory factor to unhappiness, unfulfilment, bitterness and feeling of underachievement to man...