A Fashionista's Take on Abuja City....

Meet Cynthia...


She has lived On/Off in Abuja since 1993. Woooow!
Schooled in Scotland but has been back for about a year. Couldn’t resist asking this gorgeous fashionista HR consultant about Abuja: How it was, How she sees it now and What she want it to be…….
She was an absolute delight to talk to….. Enjoy!

CC : Where do you like to hang?
Cynthia: I love La Dolce Vita in Wuse 2 because after work you want to have a nice drink in an atmosphere that has nice young people, and have decent conversations with music that is loud enough to enjoy and low enough to encourage for chit chat.

Dinner: if I have to go out for dinner, i usually go to la dolce vita cos im there anyways, but once a week I go to Chez Victor with my cousin and family.

Fun: fun for me has evolved over the past year. It use to be basically clubbing, my favourites were tucano, soho and I kindda like play because I find the young crowd very interesting. I go to eden too because I love the DJ.
But recently fun for me has been more private and entertaining stuff like karaoke Night at soho where I go every Sunday with my sisters and my friends.

CYNTHIA(in blue) WITH FRIENDS ON KARAOKE NIGHT


Sunday Afternoon: people are always looking to fill this time up and its usually boring…….
My friends and I bring our monopoly and other board games to salamanda and then we watch the salamanda movies too.

CC: Being Back in Abuja after a 3 years Hiatus, what do u miss?
Cynthia: The free roads. Abuja use to be traffic free and u could go from house to work in 5 short minutes, but now there I traffic at every major turn, its frustrating. But I hear they r working on that particular problem.

CC:What do you think Abuja should have:
Cynthia: Abuja is too contract based. There are no real industries and coporate organizations and the few here are head quatered in lagos or other states, thus you see a lot of young people especially young women hanging around doing nothing. Lots of ideas but no funds or encouragement and their ideas never see the light of day.
And then I think there should be more malls, more recreational activities and Art galleries should showcase Nigerian art, not art imported from Kenya or Ghana and other citys in Africa. A lot of expertriates and foreigners and sometimes even indigenes are on the look out for indigenous Nigerian art but hardly find.

CC: if there is one place you will ENDORSE for people coming in from out of town or even for Abuja resident to try out….. what place will that be?
La Dolce Vita!
Fantastic service, wonderful ambience, good food, lovely crowd. They serve Italian and Nigerian dishes and in my opinion they have the best pizza in Abuja.


N.B Cynthia is an Independent HR consultant and her clients include, Coporate organizations, develovement and funding agencies, NGOs and Private placements. she can be contacted throught the CC.

A lil Sumtin' Sumtin for my Readers.....

City Crawler a lil sumtin sumtin for my Readers..... call it a lat valentine gift. kisses.


ZAIN - 5684 7477 1823 6047

ETISALAT - 769 564 440 895 175


(please if you are the lucky loader, leave a comment or txt me on 08037135829, i have another surprise for you)

#CItyCRawler this Weekend - How To Beat The Heat.....

Can you believe this heat?

Its 44 degrees in the capital.(yikes)
For the past couple of days, Abuja has been terribly terrible hot, humid and irritating. I hear this complain from everyone, even people who go from AC house to AC car to AC office. PHCN is not helping matters, at least if there was Electricity it wouldn’t be so bad. I cant wait for the rain…. It wont change much but at least we will have a much cooler weather.

So in city crawler style, I have decided to suggest to you 2 ways you can beat the heat this weekend. Enjoy!

Clothing!!!!
You spent Monday to Friday sporting suits, shirts, and generally portraying a corporate look, well lucky for you, weekend is work free so why not take this time to wear that Tank Top and Short that you have been dying to wear. Or the gypsy dress that leaves your body free to breath. I know that there is no guy on this planet(I exaggerate Yes) that doesn’t have a light tee and Bermuda or Cargo shorts. Don’t be shy about your skinny calfs jo, its too hot for anyone to notice. These are light easy clothing that you can wear anywhere and anytime and look really good while at it.



Activity…
So we don’t have a beach or anything, but if there is one thing Abuja has in ample quantity its hotels and most of the hotels have pools. So if you are just a struggling young lass like me and don’t have a pool in your back yard (yet…) then head over to any of the great hotels around and have fun in their swimming pool, cos what better way to beat the heat than with cool refreshing water, either sipping it or soaking in it. If you are down with the mall thing, thats cool, because most of them are fully air-conditioned especially the Movie Cinema where some times I actually think they want to kill people with Cold…….



So ill be out crawling, might run into you…..
Ta and have Fun!

N.B – For cool Tees and Tank tops for guys and girls, I recommend THE CLOSET Boutique
The TECHNO Event is on at EDEN VIP on Saturday night, so if you liked the Black Eyed Peas ‘BOOM BOOM POW’ then this event is for you.

CITYCRAWLER POLL

we now about abuja but we want to know what you think about abuja. so for our first poll we have this question....

wHATS tHE bEST rADIO sTATION iN aBUJA? and Why?
(you know all the options so leave a comment or txt your answer to 08037135829)

thanks and best regards from CC

bACK tO tHE LIFE tHAT iS uS..... ceLEBRATIONS ovER

Oh my! Where did all the red go?

Abuja city is back to its green old self as Valentine brought many days of celebration (starting from Sallah in November to Christmas/New year) to an end. Even this morning on Radio, we were not laden with the sappy, mushy music that has been playing all week to get us into the spirit of love. The music got so depressing at some point that I almost sued Kiss FM for damages. But this morning, its back to normal music, normal (bad) news, normal craziness that is the life of us. Yes we are looking forward to the Easter celebs but that’s not for another 40 days (yes I’m catholic).

So how did valentine/birthday weekend go? Awesome will be an understatement.
But before I give the Bday gist I have a question to ask Abuja. Why do we always complain about boredom and nothing to do? No nice events, blab la bla and then people put together a fantastic event, advertise it to the high heavens and turnout is poor, Why people? Why? I’m bothered. So on Saturday evening just before heading to EDEN VIP, I stopped by at the Professionals Rock event which had acts like Wande Coal, Jesse Jags, Lord of Ajasa and a host of other hot artiste on their line up and I was astounded at what I saw. Decoration, 100%, performances 110%, planning 100%, attendance was very poor. It’s discouraging. There were very few people there to appreciate this lovely event that had Omo Baba as the compeer. This very funny comedian held his own, and there was not even 1 minute dull moment. I particularly loved the performance from Jesse Jags who is set to take the music industry by storm, I too Cant wait for his Grammy night. I spotted Mr Audu Maikori, CEO of chocolate City (the label that rap sensation MI Abaga and Jesse Jags are on)
Wande Coal has always been a favorite and his performances are always spectacular which goes to show that he prepares adequately for that. Fantastic entertainer I must say. Lucky me, I ran into him later that morning and he sang happy birthday to me, his voice brought tears to my eyes and I screamed like a true groupie…….

Speaking of birthday…….

Mola Kalejaiye of Blaquestar consult and Emikay Ogbeidi of The Closet, were also celebrating so we all shared the day together. EDEN VIP was gracious enough to host us and a lot of our friends and clients turned out to toast and party to a very good year ahead. I want to name names, but instead ill say, you all rock and Abuja rocks, and we will keep it going and we will hold it down just right(I sound like a rapper).
BIRTHDAY GIRLS


EIC STYLE AND GRACE MAGAZINE


PR LADIES


OAP KISS FM - TYENG GANG


FUTURE DIPLOMAT


MY SEXY ALANTA


RAN INTO ANOTHER BIRTHDAY MATE


ENTERTAINMENT LAWYER


LOVELY GUEST



THANK YOU ALL VERY MUCH!!!!


(EVerybodys picture should be here but im not good with the camera and this were the only ones that came out ok, ill hire a professional next time.)







thats all folks..... lots is happening in Abj, ill keep u posted.
kisses every one.

VALENTine Week.......

The Crowd that showed up for Comedy Karaoke was unprecedented. But not too surprising though, Abuja Residents are hungry for something new, for something different from the usual forms of recreation that we are accustomed to. And in this Event, the usual rules did not apply.

If you have been following this blog you will know that the event “COMEDY KARAOKE “ hosted by White Rabbit Concept was held on Sunday and as the name implies, the Audience were the Comedians. I was impressed at the amount of people who stepped up to the spotlight to participate. Abuja people have been accused of being highly inhibited but given the right reason they will shake it off and get on stage.
Awesome ideas like this start small and then catch on like wild fire before anyone knows what hit them. Comedy karaoke started out the valentine week and did a pretty good job bringing people together, later in the week counting down to Feb 14th, there are several events being hosted in the capital, every bar, lounge, club, restaurant and fast food place has something planned, so whatever works for you. You can also reach out to the city crawler on 08037135829 or send an e-mail to ijokeagu@mtnnigeria.blackberry.com and we will give you information and help you with ideas on how to spend Valentines Weekend.

My personal Favorites for Valentine though:
• A special package trip to the beautiful Coast of Benin – please call 08036240620

• Professional Rocks – this holds on Saturday d’ 13th and has acts like Wande coal, and Comedian Omo Baba as part of their lineup of celeb entertainers.

• The 70s themed Valentine party – this is hosted by casa rerri , maitama on the 13th of February and yes, u get to dress up.


• Oriental express offers couples a special valentine package at their Chinese restaurant.

All I see is fun! Fun! Fun!
And for those of you who are single like me, get ready to party at Eden VIP this Sunday at 12AM, you might not get presents from that special someone but you will have fun rolling with me on Vals Morning because its my birthday and the CityCrawler knows how to get a party started.

Ta!
(Pictures from the Comedy Karaoke Event will be loaded up soon, and the CC Cam is shooting at fashionistas this valentine, i hear the theme color is Red, yep everyone loves a lady in Red). my eyes are open, my minions are on the look out and the information we will be bringing you, well you simply cant get it anywhere else.....

THE STYLIST, THE SHY BILLIONAIRE AND DON JAZZY AGAIN…. FRIDAY NIGHT LIVE.

Good morning Abuja and Every one, Air Kiss – (muaah)

Its been a stressful week, so I decided to go out on a limb and hit the town city crawler style. My usual plan is An hour in every spot. First Stop – Eden VIP and I was stuck!

There are a lot of people that will never ever go out unless they are in the company of friends, I am not one of those people, I am bold, I am confident and I know how to get a party started; Eden was a perfect fit for me last night.
This Club has evolved a lot, in less than a year it has become an entertainment/Fashionistas Hub. Last night at Eden was exactly that. What makes a good night out really? Good music, Good Company and a flow of cocktails which this club is famous for.

There is a certain inhibition that hunts Abuja party crowd. my judgments are severe but I will not put a label on it. You go out on a Friday night after a crazy week and hope to dance the night away and everyone is seated or maybe just giving a few sublime moves hoping not to be considered ‘Razz’. But the secret of letting go of this inhibition is the right environment, when you know that you are rocking with the right crowd under the right roof.

Music - This is the year of Don Jazzy!!!! I say that because his beats rule the air waves in every single club or party. Last year’s music is last year’s music, still jamming and all, but what is that song that you ‘jump to’? There you go……. Whether you are popping champagne or trying to get close to that girl that ‘there is something about’ he has the music to get you going. I can boldly say that Don Jazzy and his Mo Hits crew are a music Phenomenon, and you can take that to the bank.

Fashionistas on the loose!!!!! You know the thing about fashion is it thrives as any art thrives; by evolving, embracing new ideas and of course giving its audience a grandeur version of themselves. In the past, Abuja party crowd were not really big on Dressing up for a night out, but nowadays looking good assures you of a free passage into the snazziest club, and Eden packed a punch last night thanks to the Stylish Alhassan who never goes wrong even in jeans and tees. This is 1 guy to look out for, cos when his designs hit the runway we will be going…Dolce who? I was able to spot a few ladies and guys who where bold and fashion forward and added a certain beauty to the club by just being there, a particular couple caught my attention, the guy sporting a bow tie and the lady a glittering engagement ring that could have blinded me, nice.

He is tall, not dark, and handsome. But shy(the cute type of shy). This handsome owner of Eden VIP is one to watch, cos the business of keeping people entertained is crazy(ask dbanj and Mr B) but he is steadily creeping into our skin, and in just a few short months he has created a social network that u will be fool not to tap into. Why is Eden VIP not trending??????(he he he he he)

The long and short of this story - I had crazy Fun last night, and since my minions at all the other clubs had nothing to report, I’m guessing the other clubs didn’t offer anything new. Shout out to all the people who made my night, Onoja and his lovely Bride, Timmyjibe, Alkasim, Aniekan, Chukwuma, Chinasa, Chika, Oje, Alfred, Osa and a special shout out to the DJ, Eden has gotten it right with this one.
I apologise for not bringing pictures, the night was unplanned, but I will carry my City Crawler Cam everywhere I go from now on.
Oh and by the way – Onyinye You Missed! And where was my Girl, the lovely Isi??
See you all on Sunday. (Air Kiss, Air Kiss)

SINGLE IN THE CITY – NO NEED TO CANCEL VALENTINE

Relationships are failing; it’s the norm around this period. First Christmas and then Valentine. Toasting resumes immediately after. If you think the 14th is about True Love, then you are a true slowie in 2010. Consumerism rules, commercialization rules, presents rules and it gets worse every year and this year is no different even with words like recession and meltdown firmly planted in our vocabulary. So if your partner found an excuse to ‘break-up’ or ‘be on a break’ this period cos he didn’t have money to buy you a Nintendo Wii, too late to travel because all the flights are booked, then I’ll give you a list of fun things you can do and cool places you can hang out that will keep your mind off things and assure you have a blast in the capital city this Valentine! Enjoy.

All the restaurants, lounges and clubs in Abuja have something special planned for resident who will not be exiting. It is my duty to keep u posted and I will.

("COMEDY KARAOKE" - SUNDAY FEB 7TH, CELEBRITY LOUNGE,NANET SUITES FROM 6.30PM)

City Crawler Goes To School

A lot of people think that the work I do is borne out of passion. Well that is correct. But I also had a beautiful foundation. I studied literature under Mr shina badaru in JSS2 and he made me love the subject so so much. I proceeded to study Theatre Arts in the Prestigious Theatre Arts Department (the best) of the University of Calabar. My teachers, Prof Kalu Uka, Dr Iji. Dr Enendu and Mr Orok, for 4 years schooled me THOROUGHLY and built up my passion to what it is today, a full blown career in the Media and Public Relations. But this story is not my Autobiography, its about an incident that happened one day in the premises of the University.

If you went to a University like mine, you will know that student were divided into 3 parts, Cool Crowd, Efficos and SU. Of course we all know what the ‘Cool Crowd’ means but for the sake of my foreign readers, ‘Efficos’ were the bookworms, night class, tie and suit wearing students. They usually made Class Rep and SUG(student union) Presidents. ‘SU’ were Scripture Union , this were the scarf tying, bible carrying, fellowship attending students. There were other categories, but my story today is about an Effico.

One morning, I got to school quite early. As I got off the bike at the bike stand, I heard a racket and edged closer to find out. A student (Effico) dressed in chinos trousers, stripped shirt and an awkwardly short tie was engaged in an argument with a Bike man aka Alalok(in Calabar) and Okada(in lagos).

*Bike man – it is N40 from orok orok junction to library…..
*Effico – How? Abeg take your N30 jo (at this point Effico turns to an onlooker and starts explaining the situation. Then point to the bike man and says)
‘Look at this individual’!
(The bike man is suddenly enraged, gets off his bike, swings it aside and hold the Effico by the throat and screams at him ) *‘ama kod eyen individual’ – translation – you called me individual???

Poor uneducated bike man, heard the big word, individual, and felt it was an insult. The whole misunderstanding was queeled and we dispersed to our classes. I have never forgotten that day and I tell that joke to my friends all the time and I am always assured a roar of laughter.

Its not just this joke I learnt during my time in Calabar, I do a very good Ibibio/efik impression and imitation and cos of this all my friends think I’m funny. I also have friends that make me laugh anytime they open their mouth to say something – good, bad, yab or even dirty. They are just so hilarious. Bill, Inieke, Jude, Ukeme, Gbenga, Ulabi, Muji, Farrah,Gang, Onoja, Tony, Kola, Audu, Q – for some reason they could be on stage performing, but they have day jobs.

So do have experiences from your time in school, from working with hilarious colleagues or living in a disfuntional household (I mean this is the fondest of ways) that you will like to share? Come Sunday the 7th of February, you will have an opportunity. White Rabbit Concept is introducing a fresh new concept “COMEDY KARAOKE ‘ . If you think you are funny, if you’ve got jokes then this is a perfect relaxation for you. It works like actual karaoke but in this case, you will be cracking jokes not singing (feel free to sing though). There will be an in-house comedian to get u in the mood and prizes for everyone who participates. A lil bird told me they have a blackberry to give out to the best joke of the evening.

This Concept was created to fill an existing gap in Abuja social culture; we always complain of same ol’ same ol’. Well this is something different and it is family friendly. So bring your mama, your papa, your husband your wives , your boss, your colleagues and come relax and even network on a Sunday evening. Who knows, I might get on stage and give the bike man joke, believe me, it’s funnier when you hear it……


Kisses every 1 and see you Sunday.