Beach Going Spring Vocation- Spring Bling!

I am back to town from a short weekend business-pleasure trip; I was out to the beautiful Island of South Padre off the coast of Texas and Mexico for a getaway from the hustle and bustle of the city of Houston to let out and have a good time. This was my first getaway in a year since my trip last year to Miami Beach. It was a hugely successful one also for the matter.

Somehow in my heart I am a beach boy. I love the beach - it is the ultimate rest laboratory for me. In fact I consider the beach God's purest creation of nature, an opera house of earth's creatures in beautiful harmony creating music sweet to nerves and beautiful to the soul. At the beach you find the sand from which man was made, as well as water and the creature it holds that sustains man. Air which is a basic necessity for living on this polluted planet of ours is also bountiful and mostly purer on the beach side. When I walk the beach I see the beautiful creation of God in the blue sky and the beautiful people that walk on it. The diversity of our earth and the wonderful chirps of birds even make the music sweeter and the beach irresistible for me.

South Padre was a blast. The people were friendly- and the service were superb. For a trip planned in 4-5 weeks it was extremely cheap too. The spring breakers were in town and there was no shortage of reveling. However, for those that had to go back to work on Monday- exit day was Sunday. It was three nights well spent and I perhaps did inculcate the lessons of my trip to Miami last year which was very helpful in planning l, especially traveling with a buddy - I had Hendrik Mason my college day friend and ex-student political associate with me; we both held it down before, and did it again. While he is considering entering the Catholic Priesthood we indulged ourselves for the weekend from the burden and pollution of the city.

Back to South Padre, I find the people here spectacularly nice. It was at South Padre I met the nicest waitress ever - in Dennys Called Lorraine (Lori for short). A 20 years old Hispanic girl that works 2 jobs and attends university (University of Texas at Brownsville studying management) and still manages to flash a smile that brightens up your day and be extremely polite to the extent my friend and I had to excuse her courtesy! She is well noted. The Hotel, Airline and Car Hire attendants also proved extremely accommodating allowing us slack on time for 30 mins to 1 hr as any young men will- no extra demand no waiting on tips (like everyone in Miami seemed always to be). How can I forget the French tourists we played soccer with (see picture 4 in album) and the group of 4 locals that played beach volley with us (Picture 8)- they made the journey worthwhile. These is a city nice people, and I will recommend South Padre Island and the Valley Area (including Harligen) to any beach going tourist any day any time. If you don't have a flash player to see the album here is a LINK TO THE PICTURES.

However, I must confess I am glad to be a home: Houston. Coming back to Houston and feeling like I missed out makes me realize how much I have come to fall in love with this city that I live, work and school. H Town! I hardly call anywhere home- for a a true son of Ekiti, born in Ibadan and raised in Warri - later schooling in Lagos and Texas, home is everywhere. But everyday, Houston seems to assume that title more than any place else. I am back to my Bachelor's pad- my little palace, it is quiet- heck, it is a well deserved one.

Life ...Just move on!

I often ponder what life has wrought me. Don't get me wrong - I am an extremely lucky person. What others dream of , I achieve - what many imagine, I live. Life itself have dealt me varying luck, but one thing is permanent : my actions often times seem planned, many times seem precise. Where I am at, what I do or what I engage in not only intrigue me, but virtually everyone around me. But alas, even though I am a man giving to much planning I will say I have less than 1% to do with what side of life I find myself. In many ways I am learning in life- one thing I always seek to learn is how to handle disappointment.

Life is full of ups and down. The life of those that have gone before me have taught me to enjoy the ups and revel in the downs. I am a freespirit more so I am a lively highspirited fellow. Gloom and I are totally diametric opposites! That is why handling disappointment often comes with its own challenges- but I have learnt. I have learnt dry jokes work, self deprecation is a sure fire way and forward planning provides a soft landing. But knowing that life deals you the hand that the Almighty uses to favor you, is a comforting feeling. Like it said in the good books: "All things work together for good..."

Any disappointment lately? Sure you bet. Georgia Tech. Sure they suck! I loved to be at Gatech. Everyone that knew me in the undergraduate years knows Atlanta was my exit point. I wrote the GRE with the Gatech cut off points in mind, all roads led there! But alas, I had not even finished applying before I got that dreaded letter: Rejected. Sad, sorrowful, mad? NO! Disappointed? Maybe. I moved on- I wasted a lot of money on applying to other schools I didn't even like- but even B Schools had the nerve to create one road block or the other! Damn they suck! But I realized at one point- maybe afterall it is not grad school I was supposed to go in January. I gave it all up, focused on getting me a good paying dream job- and guess what? What others find so hard came so easily.

Such is life- for what the creator wants is beyond your imagination. Just move on!

Poetry to My Motherland

Mother Africa!
Oh mother Africa!
Have you heard?
Have you not seen?
Will you ever feel?
Can you ever perceive?

Oh mother Africa,
Ancient in age,
Ageing in civilization.
The cradle of man,
The origin of the sapiens,
Wholesome in creation,
Whole in incarnation.

Nature's endowment,
Shall it ever depart?
The greenery,the waters,
The vegetation,
Beautiful to behold,
A land of contrast!
Mother Africa,
A paradox in its own self!

Olubusayo Michael Oluwagbemi
Copyright ©2006 Olubusayo Michael Oluwagbemi