Firstly I want to express how much I’ve enjoyed this class, it is one of the only classes that have felt like a safe space. To thrive in a class like this, one needs to have an open mind, and that will be the basis for this blog post. To have an open mind is to avoid making a judgment or decision about someone or something without full knowledge about them or it. This is a mindset that not only helped me in this class, but also helped me in life as well. To be able to let go of preconceived notions you may have and accept that something can be different from what you think it is, or what you may have known it to be, because nothing everything is black and white, or as simple as it is in layman’s terms. Being open-minded came in very handy because what I learned is not necessarily what I was taught growing up seeing as I am from a different country with a dissimilar culture and preconceived notions. I could have easily shunned these new concepts such as trans studies, body empowerment, etc because it wasn’t what I was used to. This would’ve blocked my ability to learn as I would’ve remained unknowledgeable and unwilling to learn about information that is pertinent to me in the world today and in the new country I live in and in the new culture I live within. It helps me in the real world in the same way. It allows me to stay open to learning, because many a time a friend, peer, or colleague may be talking about something I’ve either experienced or been taught differently, or something I have little to no knowledge about, and I’ve been able to to look at their point of view and open my mind to be able to grasp and better understand it. As someone who hasn’t always been open-minded, I can attest that life, interactions, and just basic understanding becomes that much easier, so do yourself and your mind a favor, and open sesame.

Words are often what they are, just words. However there are instances when certain words/phrases are just daunting. There are many such phrases that insight fear, but one that sticks out to me is the phrase “we need to talk” especially if you are in a relationship with the person who comes to you with it. In my experience, this phrase hasn’t ended with a positive outcome, and this was when I was in a relationship. I try not to let this completely bias my outlook on the phrase, because as it can be bad, I believe it has the affinity to be good. That phrase has the ability to cause catastrophe in relationships, but in my recent experience, it has given room for something to blossom. There is obvious stigma with regard to this phrase, but ultimately, what matters is the intent behind it. The “we need to talk” of my past relationship was obvious to me that the end was near given the issues that were already present in my dying relationship as sad as it sounds. In that situation which I was mentally prepared to escape, those words brought some sort of relief when normally it should bring a stomach ache and ravaging nerves. However in my recent experience, those words sought out to ruin something nice and wholesome which I preferred to remain unspoken, but instead of this talk ending as bad as I expected it to, it went the exact opposite. It brought about the birth of something new where what was already established did not have to be changed or affected in any way shape or form. This just goes to show that this universally feared phrase doesn’t need to be scary, for as it can bring about the end of a relationship, it can also bring about the beginning of something beautiful.

There are many things in life that are good for the soul, and I have a few of those, but the one thing I will go in depth upon is food, and my love for it. To begin with let it be known that I like all types of food, and it is no hyperbole to say I would eat almost any and everything within reason. Being born into an African home played a great role in my appreciation for food because there is a surplus of delectable African dishes, and the list never ends. From breakfast to dinner, as a child I was always beyond content, and I can say the same is true now, as I am a young adult. You may or may not have heard the African stereotype/joke that says “there’s always rice at home”. Which in itself is pretty self explanatory. This is because rice is the base for many African dishes, as it can be eaten with so many different stews, beans, and by itself, hence meals like fried and jollof rice. Whether it be a regular day, or a special occasion, in an African household, there is always bound to be rice served as a meal. As to be expected, African food is not all I eat, since there are so many great dishes to be consumed in the world. I have developed a love for pasta, with my favorites being lasagna, chicken alfredo and even your run of the mill shrimp scampi. My love for lasagna is recent and was brought about by my brother who sought out to be the house chef, and his dishes only get better. Another recent obsession of mine has been IHOP, mainly because of the promo it has throughout the month of October (probably Halloween based) that allows you to get an omelets and 3 buttermilk pancakes for the small price of $6 which is something you just cannot beat. As a result I’ve made it my mission to eat there at least 2-3 times a week for as long as the promo lasts. Sadly the promo ends soon and it pains me to say so, but I hope this and all I have said can prove to you what I will do, for the love of food.

Average amount of college students at most get a good 4-5 hours of sleep and I lack all 4-5 hours almost every single day. From all my stem classes, soccer, video games, and girls that don’t want me that I waste my time on I get zero sleep. 
Let’s start off with school which takes up 50% of my life unfortunately. As a biology major I’m stressed out 90% of the time which will  probably be the reason I go bald before my 30s. If I go bald due to the stress of school I might just drop out. I know it sounds superficial but I will literally have to start wearing wigs for men in order to be out in public. 
With the little free time I have soccer and video games take up about 30% of my time. To be honest soccer stresses me out the same amount of school, but it’s the good kind of stress, you know? It’s a good way to escape from school and everything else. I also picked up basketball as a new activity, but it’s not going so great, I slightly suck. Following soccer is video games and helps me forget that I have bills to pay which is another quick escape great for the soul. 
Followed with my last stresser, women. Women take up 20% of my time, split between 15% friendship and 5% romantic. As you can see my romantic life is basically at a zero, but that 5% wasted might as well be the whole 100%. I just want a girlfriend and I’m starting to think it’s impossible to get one, but I’m grateful for all the female friends I have. Hopefully one of them will fall in love with me. 
This is just a quick glimpse into my nonsense of a life. Moral of the story is I apologize for sleeping in class and it won’t happen again. I’ll make sure to get a full eight hours every Sunday and Tuesday nights.