My First Cooking Experience

As far as I can remember, my mom used to cook for us, and I sometimes used to help her with few things in the kitchen. Later my sisters joined her in the cooking. But she’s the type that doesn’t force children to learn how to cook. Though it’s important but she just believed we would learn as she does most of the things for us and also invite us to the kitchen every time she’s cooking. I remember one of those days, she would tell us some nice stories and how she used to cook when she was young. She was the first born of her parents, so she learned most of the things when she was very young. She also told us how she used to go to their farm to fetch some fresh vegetables and prepare them for the family. These and many more were the interesting stories she told us then. We were always anticipating to hear some of those stories. And while in the kitchen, the aroma of the food that she’s preparing are also fizzling into our nostrils. So we can’t just but be with her in the kitchen and enjoy the nice stories she shares with us. It was always a good time in the kitchen. All along, I was passively learning how she does most of the cooking but wasn’t paying so much attention into it. This continued until the very first day I had to cook by myself. I was going to prepare rice and beans concoction because I love rice and beans when I was young. I still love it now but not as then. I could eat it every day all day. It was my number one favourite. And my mom knew this. So, anytime she really wants to please me, she would just prepare it or ask my sisters to do. They also liked it as well. So, on this faithful day when I needed to cook, many questions came to my mind including how I would not screw things up and waste the food I was going to prepare. This happened when I’ve already gained admission to a higher institution. I can’t remember anytime I did a complete cooking when I was still at home. I helped my mom with most of the things in the kitchen like manual grinding of pepper, cutting of onions, peppers and vegetables, and pounding of yam and other items, but not to do the whole cooking all by myself. So, I was always helping her with one or two things in the kitchen. While I was doing my first cooking, I was really anticipating how the result would be and gist my mom how my first cooking experience was. Eventually, I surmounted courage to start and put water inside the pot and put it on fire. When the water has come to boil, I put the beans I’ve washed inside it and I was trying to remember how my mom and sisters used to prepare it then. You know that moment when you have no clue what to do next but just trying to remember how things should be done, but you know you won’t get the result you want if you don’t follow the right order. I was there expecting good outcome from my first cooking. Some minutes after, I added parboiled rice that I had rinsed inside water. Then I mixed the rice with the beans that’s already partially cooked. I wouldn’t have time to prepare stew, and didn’t have enough ingredients, so I decided to do concoction where I would add everything together in one pot. I waited and allowed the mixture to boil. I was constantly checking to see if I would need to add more water and I did couple of times. I remember my mom used to allow the food to boil and allow enough heat to cook the food before she checked, so I did likewise. When I noticed that the rice and beans are about to be finally done, I added pepper and oil, with all the seasonings and salt to taste. Then I eventually closed it to allow final cooking. Lo and behold, my rice and beans is finally done. All the time I spent was approximately 55 minutes. I tasted it and loved it. I was like wow! I finally did it. Even though in my mind, it was as if I’ve cooked it before. But I know that it was the first time I was cooking all by myself without support from anyone. The fact that I thought I had cooked before in my mind was an evidence that all the cooking that I had seen my mom and sisters did had been registered in my mind subconsciously and I knew I could do it by myself also. There are many things like that that we thought we don’t know how to do or have not really learn how to do but in a way, by watching other people did it, the process has been registered in our minds and we could go to replicate that process. Our brain doesn’t deceive us on what we can do and what we cannot do. If we have seen something done over and over again, it would be registered in our mind and we would be able to replicate it. So, that was how my first cooking experience was and when I told my mom she was happy. Later on, she told me few things I need to work on next time to have a better result. I ate and enjoyed my rice and beans concoction that I cooked for the first time. 

Black Lives Matter

This recently became a “buzzword” after the incident of an African American, George Floyd who was killed by a White American Police. "Black lives matter" has been on for a while and other forms of movements against killing of innocent lives and racial discrimination. While these are rightful courses and should be addressed urgently, there’s something important we need to address here, and that is to understand the ideology or mindset that this movement is passing across. Yes, we may be fighting racial discrimination and social injustice, but are we sure that that phrase –"black lives matter" would not create a wrong ideology in people’s minds? Society has incorporated into our minds what we should believe and what we should not. Why should skin colour be a determinant of someone’s destiny when they would always think they are at the mercy of other person or would always need to fight for their right? Nobody chose their race or skin colour, so why should it be a disadvantage for anyone? We are all made good and perfect and there must not be any iota of regret by anyone. We all came here on earth found ourselves with different colours and diversity, which are all part of nature. Variety and diversity are all what we see in nature. Look at plants, animals (aquatic and terrestrial), stars and other creatures, you would see so much diversity. So, while these are normal events of life that other creatures appreciate, why should human beings be the ones fighting over their own diversity? We’ve got to realize what exactly is going wrong here. Colour or no colour, life is about purpose. So, for the fact that someone is black, white or whatever colour should not make them feel they are disadvantaged or at the mercy of life. “Black lives matter” is an agenda to bring more racial discrimination and agitation. People would no longer focus on their lives and purpose. All what they would be fighting now is racial discrimination. But you don’t want to be a victim of someone’s ideology. You don't want someone to tell you what to believe and what not to believe. You want to live your own life. Someone who is being given the impression that the people of other race or skin colour don’t like him would not think good of such people. That would create more hatred and hostility. We should be more friendly and loving than ever, because there are more things to do on earth and for ourselves. And we shouldn’t allow race, skin colour, culture, tradition, religion, gender or any factor of discrimination to separate or disunite us. My regards.

What Every Man Is Looking For

Let’s talk about what every man is looking for. The most important thing every man is looking for in life is Value. And we can see that in how they talk, think and act. Value is the most important thing every man is looking for. Now what is value? Value is anything that has a worth or is precious or important to us as human beings. The worth of anything is measured by the price placed on it. For instance, if you go to the market, and you want to buy a watch. When you checked the price, it was $500. Now, knowing the price will automatically register in your mind the value of that wrist watch. Maybe before you saw the price, you thought it would be around $100. But the moment you saw the price, it just changed your mindset about it and know how valuable it is. Now, imagine if you saw another wrist watch, not far from it, almost looking the same, but it has another price, $50. Now looking at this second one, you know the value is not as high as the first. How did you know that? because of the prices placed on them. So you know the value of anything by the price placed on it. There are different things of value in life and human beings and nature placed price on them. Because everything in life is all about value, men are always in pursuit of it. And this doesn't mean women don't appreciate value. It only means they have a different perspective to it. For instance, do you know men and women value time differently? That's why you see men count the cost of everything they do with time and life. They are in pursuit of value, always. When you see a man, who wants to marry a wife, he’s not just looking for any kind of woman, there are a lot of women in the world, but he wants someone, who has got value, he wants a woman who has got character value, who has got emotional value, who has got some level of may be financial value and all that. Just any nice value that’s attracted to him, that’s appealing to him, that’s the kind of woman he wants in his life. A woman who has got mental value, a woman who has got some good qualities. So that’s what a man is looking for and say ok, I want her to be my wife. And of course, physical value, looking appealing and attractive are all part of it. So that is what a man is looking for. So a man is looking for a value in a woman before he can say I want this woman to be my wife. Now, when it comes to younger men, who want girlfriend, a lady who is so cute, nice looking and all that. She may not have so much good qualities like character, but just being a girlfriend, just looking nice, beautiful, and smart, so that he can flaunt her in the presence of his friends. That's physical value he's found in his girlfriend, and he's satisfied a lot. Every man is looking for value in life. When you see a man, who’s got project, he’s got something he’s doing, he’s got this, he’s got that, he’s got different ideas, different plans and so on, that he's working on. They are all channelled towards one thing, value. He wants to create more financial value, he wants to create more social value, he wants to create more marital value, he wants to create more spiritual value. That's men for you. Now, this is important for us to know, because then, it’s going to help us to channel our strength and resources into things that are more productive and impactful. It will also help us to know how to go about life, because when we understand what men are looking for, and we understand what women are looking for, then we will know how to relate well and do better. Check up the article on What Every Woman Is Looking For.