#8 from 21 Before 21: Be physically fit

For this item on my bucket list what I really wanted to do was lose about 30 lbs before my birthday in January. Seeing as though I officially started this bucket list in October, losing 30 lbs was SO unrealistic. I signed up for a gym membership around my neighborhood and was really determined to lose a few pounds but halfway through the month of November, I realized that it was not going to work. Not because I was not dedicated, but because my school and work schedule is really strict and the gym had very odd hours of opening: on weekdays they opened around 8am and my first class was by 10am and it takes close to 2 hours to travel to school. So clearly, it was not going to work.

One of the things I did learn from having the gym membership was learning how to run. About two months before, if you asked me to run down a block or even climb a couple flight of stairs, I would struggle. I am not at 100%, but I can definitely see the improvement from before and I know that it will only get better once I keep exercising and continue to eat healthier on a regular basis.

Throughout this fitness journey I also realized that when you try to do something in order to please someone, it will never work. Never. I have always struggled with my weight ever since I was a child and would always avoid wearing tank tops, skirts, and shorts but now I am a lot more confident about certain things. My skirts collection has improved massively and although my shorts and crop top collections are not that big, they are slowly getting there.

When you are "big" you tend to want to shed a few pounds in order to please your family and friends and especially to attract that guy that you really want. Trust me when I say it is never that serious.

Ghanaians have no chill. None whatsoever. In fact Africans in general have no chill but because I do not want to generalize too much, I will just speak about what I know. Some family members have made it their job to comment on my weight every single chance they get. Please, who sent you? And the most annoying part of all is that their own children are nowhere near perfect. Abeg fix your own wahala before you add more to your plate.

Lowkey, one of the reasons why I really wanted to shed a few pounds was to please a specific someone. Now, before we talk about that, it was not because he gave me an ultimatum like, "Oh if you don't lose weight I'll leave you" sort of thing. Nope. It was not even like that. I have to give credit when it is due and at some point he would even encourage me and tell me to keep going because he knew I wanted to shed a few pounds for myself but it was never an ultimatum.

If you are with a guy and he constantly comments on your weight and makes subliminal remarks instead of appreciating you for who you currently are, then it is time to pack up and go. Granted, there is nothing wrong to motivate someone to shed a few pounds when they are overweight and such but it should not be a constant thing. Ebeiii.

For me, what really got to me was the little comments he would make sometimes when he was not supporting me, especially when he was unaware of making those specific comments.

Maybe it is just me but I take certain things to heart - especially when it is about my weight. [More on this topic once I complete #15: get closure on any past unhappiness, on my bucket list.]

Anyway, instead of focusing so much on just losing a few pounds, I have decided to focus more on not just eating healthy and exercising but also more on setting aside time for myself and getting my monthly massages again.

Here are a few pictures from my fitness journey thus far. Enjoy! :)

Sincerely,
Samuella

#14 from 21 Before 21: Let someone know how much he/she means to me

Since Thanksgiving is tomorrow, I felt it was only right to complete this prior to the holiday. For this goal I sent messages to my girlfriends from Drexel and my "dance consultant"/Nameita to let them know how much I appreciate them. Those who know me know that I am not the emotional type and I tend to not show any real emotions so I decided to just express to them how much they really mean to me. 

Initially, I was going to share the messages I sent to all of them here but I think for privacy sake, I will not do so. Instead, I will share a few pictures of them below.

My experience thus far at Drexel would honestly not be the same without them and I just wanted to let them know from the bottom of my heart how much I appreciate each and every one of them.

Sincerely,

Samuella

Wharton Africa Business Forum: The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly

First of all, let me just clarify that there was nothing "ugly" about the Wharton Africa Business Forum - I just wanted to be dramatic!
 

The 23rd Annual Wharton Africa Business Forum was from November 13th to November 15th and it was packed with lots of meaningful sessions and gave participants an opportunity to network and mingle with one another.

Friday evening started with a session for prospective students of Wharton, small group dinners at various restaurants across the city, and a late night mixer for program participants.

I signed up for the small group dinner and found out that my sister knew one of the forum participants and I was immediately at ease! The whole point of the Forum is to meet and connect with new people but it is always nice when you actually know at least one person during these Forums.

Anyway, I met with my group at Banana Leaf and we spent a lot of time sharing our interests about Africa and why we all had such a huge interest in the continent. I was honestly relieved listening to other people's ideas on how Africa can continue to thrive because for so long I always had to explain to people that Africa is not "a dark continent." After a couple of hours over sizzling beef, Homemade Roti Canai (Indian pancakes), and Kang Kung Belacan, I was completely full and was ready to hit my bed! I opted out of the late night mixer because I wanted to be well-rested and did not want to show up at the conference with bags under my eyes - especially when I was doing, "Operation find Samuella a husband" - no way!

Saturday: 
First off, kudos to the entire WABF team for making sure things started on time! The program stated that breakfast and registration would start by 8am with the morning keynote at 9am and everything was on track! All WABF participants received a bag filled with goodies and I honestly was not expecting that, at all - but I loved it and it gave a special touch to the overall Forum. The morning keynote was moderated by Robert Tashima, Managing Editor of Oxford Business Group and Anna Bossman (my favorite), Director of the Integrity and Anti-Corruption Division, African Development Bank Group, and Donald Duke, the Former Governor of Cross River State, Nigeria were the speakers. 

They focused on their own unique "Africa Story" and gave advice on why millennials should take an interest in Africa and more importantly HOW millennials can prepare for their transition such as understanding that Dumsor (light off - read more here: Dumsor - Wikipedia, and Twitter Dumsor - it is so bad, there are Google apps to help you navigate around when it happens Dumsor Android Apps) is an actual thing in Ghana and not to expect the luxuries we have in the States like constant electricity and water.

For the breakout sessions we had an array of options and it was really difficult picking just one session to attend so I spent a lot of time sitting in on the different sessions. One thing I wish the WABF team could have at the end of the conference is some sort of packet, preferably a digital file, about each of the sessions and all of the speakers contact information in case people were interested in multiple sessions but could not attend all of them.

My favorite session was the Lean in Africa: Promoting the Role of Women in Business. I may be biased, clearly, but the topics all of the speakers addressed really hit home and it was really assuring to hear that these women went through the same things I am currently experiencing and they turned out very, very well!

Some women, myself included, worry that if they strive too high they may not attract any man simply because the man might be intimidated by the woman but the truth of the matter is, no woman should have to second guess their experiences and opportunities simply because it might make a man uncomfortable. Clearly, the man is very insecure about himself and just not mature enough to realize that they should not be intimidated by a successful woman.  

If anything, they should be grateful! But you know everyone thinks differently so to each his own.

In between the breakout sessions we had lunch. This is probably the most important thing the WABF committee needs to improve. I, along with a lot of people I spoke with, did not like the food. I thought the food for both lunch and dinner would be really good because, come on, it's Wharton! And because quite frankly, they have a lot of money and got some pretty big sponsors and partnerships. But nope. I was wrong.

I was not expecting Jollof Rice and Chicken for lunch but I expected more than a boxed lunch! Biko (please), there are so many African restaurants in Philadelphia that they cannot even form (pretend), "Oh, there are no African restaurants round." False!

During Forums like WABF, I believe it is even more important to showcase Africa's diverse culture through food as well because the program participants were not all of African descent and it is literally THE best time to introduce them to our food. Just like Chinese, Italian, and French cuisine can be served at high-class functions, so can our food.

My friends and I joked about how I should have provided my services on behalf of Samuella's Kitchen and at the beginning I disagreed but please, WABF, in the future I am willing to cater for your events (shameless advertising) and I know of other authentic African restaurants that would be happy to do the same.

Anyway, at the end of the breakout sessions we had a career fair and it was quite small. I was expecting a massive room filled with employers ready to hire top talent but the career fair really did not do it for me. I guess I had high expectations because it was through Wharton? I thought it could be bigger. It was not bad though, do not get me wrong. I made a lot of good contacts there but it would have been nice to have more companies represented.

Dinner was at the Loews Hotel and although I was not able to go, I heard it was very nice - just that the food needed a lot of improvement as well. So please, next time serve at least Jollof Rice at the dinner! After dinner was the after party and I made sure to attend! I heard good things about the after party from previous attendees and they hailed WABF's After Party from previous years and guaranteed that the party would be LIT.

For those who do not know, "lit" is basically an adjective (in my mind!) used to describe something that is going to be a lot of fun, interesting, and beyond amazing. Sure enough, the after party was really LIT and Jidenna came through to perform. Although his performance was short, I felt it was straight to the point and gave people the chance to mingle again.

In regards to "Operation find Samuella a husband"(Na jokes o!), it was unsuccessful sha, but no worries, Oluwa (God) is involved.

Overall, WABF23 was one of the best forums I have ever attended. The speakers and moderators were amazing, everyone was so helpful and personable, and the WABF Committee deserve an applause for all of their hard work and I really cannot wait to see what they do with the Forum for 2016!

Sincerely,
Samuella

Breakout Session: Financial Services Deep Dive: Direct Private Capital Investments and the Evolution of the Economic Backbone of Africa

Right before Ms. Mo Abudu delivered her afternoon keynote

Afternoon Keynote: Ms. Mo Abudu

Breakout Session: How to Get Your (Africa-focused) Startup Founded

Breakout Session: Telecommunications Deep Dive: Connecting Africa's One Billion

Breakout Session: Lean in Africa: Promoting the Role of Women in Business

With Nana Ama & Nameita

After Party Chronicles: Pt. 2 | Ft. Shalom

After Party Chronicles: Pt. 3 | Ft. Shalom

After Party Chronicles: Pt. 4

After Party Chronicles: Pt. 5

Rough Buns/Rock Buns/Scones - 1

Ingredients:

• 3 Cups All-Purpose Flour
• 5 Tsp Baking Powder
• 1 Large Egg
• 1 Cup of Milk (Whole Milk/Cereal Milk or Evaporated Milk)
• 3/4 Cup of Butter
• 1/2 Cup Granulated Sugar
• 1/2 Tsp Nutmeg
• 1/2 Tsp Salt
• Muffin Pan

Procedure:

1. Grease cupcake/muffin pan and dust LIGHTLY with flour - set aside.
2. Position rack in the center and preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
3. In a large bowl, mix together flour, butter, nutmeg, salt, and baking powder until you get a rough-like texture.
4. In a separate bowl, lightly mix the milk and egg.
5. Lightly stir the milk and egg mixture in the large bowl until well combined.
6. Using a measuring cup, put 1/4 full in the pans.
7. Bake for about 15-20 minutes or until done.
8. Leave to cool in pans for about 10-15 minutes then remove.
9. Serve with hot chocolate, ice cream, or Malta Goya.
10. If you would like a more smooth texture, sprinkle a surface with flour and knead the dough LIGHTLY!

#10 from 21 Before 21: Try something new

For item #10 on my list: try something new, I decided to go Apple Picking! Our Campus Activities Board (CAB) planned a trip to Linvilla Orchards and I thought it would be a perfect opportunity to cross it off my list.

I invited my girl friends to go with me but they made comments about it being similar to farming and didn't understand why they had to pay to farm, etc so initially I had planned to go alone but then one of my friends, Oshoze, decided to come along and was pretty excited to come since she said she never did anything particularly interesting as a child and we were both in the same boat cause all I knew growing up was school, home, church, and more school!

On our way to Linvilla Orchards, a friend of mine called me to seek my help about nonprofits in the US versus nonprofits in Ghana/Nigeria and when I told her I was going apple picking she said something that made me really happy. I wish I can recall word for word what she said but it was something along the lines of how I was managing to do all these things including school, work, extracurriculars, etc and she said, "At least you're living - so I'm happy about that." I suppose you can say that touched me cause one of the main reasons why I started this #21ThingsBefore21 was because I am always doing a million and one things and I never really take time for myself and the only way I know how is to take some "me time" and the only way I could successfully do that is if I created an actual list of things to do!

Okay, back to the story:

Initially I thought Linvilla Orchards was this far place that would at least one hour but in less than 30 minutes from Drexel, we were there!

Oshoze and I were pumped and we could not wait to pick some good apples! The first thing we did was a Corn Maze - which was pretty easy to get through. We looked at the corn and it was the kind you can only get from a proper grocery store or directly from a farm. Not like the white tiny ones most supermarkets like Fresh Grocer sell *insert moon face here*. At one point Oshoze and I joked about "taking" some of the corn back home but we didn't have a bag big enough to properly hide our little produce.

Walking from the Corn Maze, we saw a pit full of Apples that looked really good to us but people thought otherwise. The pit was full of apples from a game they had there called "Apple Slingshot" and they sold a bucket of apples for $5 and you were free to use them as slingshots. Oshoze and I were in shock! See fine apples these people were using as slingshots sake of game! We only hoped the apples were actually rotten on the inside and just looked really nice on the outside.

After the Corn Maze we went to the Straw Maze and we were gingered to try it! We thought it would be as easy as the Corn Maze but you should have seen us: struggling and walking through the bales of hay to solve this crazy maze. We spent longer than we thought in that maze but it was really fun just walking through the different paths and it really taught me a lesson of how deadly it can be when one arrives at a hasty conclusion just by using prior knowledge to solve a totally different situation.

Next up was the Apple Picking! YAYYYY! We went to the other side of the road to catch a hay ride and the land was so massive! After we arrived at the "Apple farmland", Oshoze and I spent several minutes walking up and down rows and rows of different kinds of apples and plucking them from the tree and tasting it. It sort of reminded me of the Garden of Eden in its massiveness and overwhelming array of apples available.  Generally, most people can name two or three types of apples but I found out there were so many different ones!

Here is a concise list of the ones I'm most familiar with: Golden Delicious, Granny Smith, Mutsu, Fuji, Honeycrisp, Pink Lady, Gala, Jonagold. If you're interested see the full list here: History of Apple.

We spent several minutes picking the apples and caught the hay ride back to the front in order to pay for our new apples! When it was time for me to pay for my apples the shop attendant accidentally flipped my bucket of apples over and most of them landed on the floor! I was low-key really sad but I still ended up with some pretty good apples! We then went to one of the shops and we bought Chocolate Pizzelles and my favorite, Kettle Corn! Overall, it was a really really good experience and I highly recommend it to everyone if you have a few hours to spare.

After all, you really only live once and you can be busy all you want but God really wants us to enjoy life - not caved up in our own little world. Please see below for a few pictures from my little adventure.

Sincerely,
Samuella