24 Facts About Me (How well do you know me?)

1. My full first name is Chinazor, short form is China (pronounced Cheenah) and nickname- China (pronounced Chyna). Please don't call me Chichi, lol, too many girls with the name; and  I think some people call my sister that.

2. I am a neat-freak, Borderline OCD. Thanks mom!

3. I am a very picky eater. It's so hard to surprise me with food- I'd politely turn it down. My favorite restaurant is anything Italian.

4. I love eggs. Scrambled or boiled.

5. I love fish too. Preferably Tilapia.

6. I don't keep that many friends. I have a very small circle. I am very friendly however; I do know [of] a lot of folks.

7. In as much as I Snapchat my cooking escapades a lot of times, I am a very lazy cook.

8. I don't know how to speak Igbo- my tribal language. Biko, before you criticize me, most Igbo children that weren't born in the east, don't know how to speak the language. Don't ask me why, but I'm not fluent in Yoruba neither. (I was born in Lagos, my mom is an avid Yoruba speaker). I understand both languages though.

9. I used to love writing stories. I wrote a book once that was in its publishing stage when I was in SS2 (in high school), through my Business teacher. But then America happened. Never heard from that man, *sobs*, he probably stole my story!

10. I used to know how to dance and sing. I was on my school's hip-hop dance team. I'd always been in dance/cultural teams since primary 3. I tell people that my talents were revoked because I stopped utilizing them. *I was in different church choirs for 6 years, maybe?*

11. Ciara is my girl. The only artist whose music I've heard all off. I'm not up to date with albums and Hot 100s, but when it comes to Ciara...forget.

12. I watch reality TV shows more than TV drama series because with the later, I tend to get bored with the story line overtime. Some of my faves (when they first started) were: The Walking Dead, Pretty Little Liars, Empire..that's all I remember for now lol! 

13. From J.S.S. 1 to S.S.S.1, I was either the class captain, or a school prefect. Mind you, I was always nominated/appointed *side eye* I once was the scapegoat because I didn't write *Names of Noise Makers* as the class captain.

14. I love high-rise buildings with a bomb ass view; overlooking the lake, or a beautiful skyline.

15. My favorite number is 15. It's probably because I was born on the 15th of July. I was also 15 years old when I came to the U.S.

16. I created this blog when I started nursing school... for my sanity, in August 2011.

17. I love interior designs. I can spend long minutes online or on Instagram (I follow many interior decor accounts).

18. I used to be quick to anger and hold grudges. Years ago. [Edit] I've been told that I'm not the most compassionate person with words; that I'm very blunt and don't know how to relay words/messages to overly sensitive/emotional people. I'm working on that.

19. If I sense that a certain person is acting some type of way towards me, I hit them up to see if I've  wronged them (so it can be acknowledged)- if I haven't, and they give me a reason to pick a fight, I let them go.

20. I am not an only child o- as a matter of fact, I have four siblings. I don't have the luxury of spending time with them as much as I want to, because I always end up living away from everyone else.

21. Coca~Cola over Pepsi. Don't argue with me, lol.

22. I love granulated sugar in my popcorn. No butter, please.

23. I love all things art.

24. People always say I act older than my age. Please, how's a 24 year old supposed to act? Btw, I've been told this since I was about 15 years old.

How much of the facts did you get right?
Leave comments; let me know if we have anything in common.

Merry Christmas!!!

It's the "most wonderful time of the year". It's the season to be jolly...

...but why am I not in the Christmas spirit?

Each year, I look forward to the 25th of December. I look forward to Christmas more than my birthday (well, not really). It's the atmosphere, the Xmas carol, the parties/events, the togetherness, the lights and decors- everything!

It's all different this year. I don't feel like it's Christmas- maybe it's because it'll be my first time EVER working on Christmas day, or because some of my siblings won't be home...I don't know. 

We have a Christmas tradition each year (like most families) where we all gather around the living room, share past stories, open up gifts, and win bonus gifts- if you're able to tell which wrapped gifts are yours. All of that.

Hope you all have a beautiful Christmas celebration.

Happy Holidays.

Leftover Cravings

Whether it be from the beginning of the year, mid-year, or currently, there are some cravings I'm yet to fulfill. 

These leftover cravings have thus become my Christmas wishlist, and I thought to share them, perhaps I'd get lucky. Hehe.

• My love for sandals make me crave these Tom Ford patchwork leather cage sandal even more. I love the many variations in color, but this brown/rust and maroon tops it for me. I also love the leather and velvet mix. But of course, it's sold out everywhere! *I wear a US size 9 if you find em ;)*

• When the Apple watch came out, I wasn't a fan [don't ask me why], but after seeing a few coworkers with it, I can't even begin to tell you how convenient it'll be to use, especially with a job like mine.

• Ohh dear Wrangler! If you know me, then you know what the craze is. I've always liked Jeep. This Wrangler is the sexiest car ever, and I often tell folks, if you were to put a Benz  and a Wrangler in front of me and ask me to take whichever one I wanted, I'd go with the Wrangler! The love is deeply rooted and I can't explain further. I'll take the 2015 Wrangler in black or white.

• I'm not too big on pumps, but if I have to wear one, they'll to be pointy-toed. After getting the So Kate (in nude) from Neiman Marcus earlier this year, I knew I wouldn't rock it much because those shoes are uncomfortable, especially since I have very weird feet. The 39.5 is somewhat tight on me, but the size 40 is too loose. Tsk! I do want these black Pigalle Plato 120mm however.

• Lastly, the Louis Vuitton Neverfull in GM is a must have for me. I'm not a big fan of LV, or bags that have their logo all over them, but this LV tote in Damier Ebene print is fab! I love the structure and size of it. It'll make a great travel bag.

What's on your Christmas list?

Night Ops

Am I the only one that loves taking photos at night, with a great camera??

Nah, my friends do it too! Hehe

LA LA Land

Hey beautiful people!

OK this post is going to be long and tiring to type because I'm blogging from my phone- I don't feel like sending files to my computer and then downloading them.

Alright. So on the 13th of November, my friend Ella and I traveled to California. Yes, Friday the 13th! It had been a long week, and day for us; traveling almost 4 hours made it all tiring. We arrived Cali to the Paris attack news. *God bless them*

We arrived Los Angeles at approximately 5pm, and the drive to our apartment downtown was 1hour 30mins. L.A. traffic is no joke. Still better than Lagos traffic. 

We found our AirBnB apt the day before traveling because the first one we had canceled on us on Thursday. So after work on Thursday, I did a quick search and found our hostess, "A". It was my first time using the site. I'm usually in a hotel or at a family/ friend's home when I visit a city. Ella on the other hand has had a few experiences with AirBnB. 

When we got to L.A., we immediately went to look for food, after which we decided to take a nap (bad idea) before going to party at Playhouse nightclub. We overslept! I woke up at 2:30am, Ella was still in dreamland. We had also purchased our party tickets (S/O to our bank for refunding our money!). 

Saturday morning.

We set out to go to Hollywood, because honestly speaking, there isn't much to see downtown of LA besides the 1 million and one jewelry stores at every corner. We also walked past some music/movie/photo sets on the streets. 

So we took the Redline from 7th and Metro to Hollywood and Vine. There we walked the Walk of Fame and then got to tour the city via Prime Time Hollywood Tourz. 

We started the tour down Mulholland dr, where we saw the homes of Justin Timberlake, Ice tee, Gwen Stephanie, Katty Perry, Bruno Mars, Eddie Murphy, and others. 

We climbed up to the top where we could see the Hollywood sign and the beautiful city! 

\

To continue the tour, we drove through Beverly Hills where we drove past Jackie Chan's home, and Manny Pacquio's (P.Diddy's old home). 

Jackie Chan's home

We then drove through Bel-Air, passed Micheal Jackson's home, Rodeo Drive where they have the most expensive stores.

Metal Girl

CT scan of my mouth

So today I went for the 3rd phase of my surgery: the placement of the abutments and impressions.

Like I mentioned in my previous dental post, I had screws drilled into my gums. Those screws are holding the abutments, and the abutments will in turn be the base for the porcelains. 

An X-Ray of screw placement

Needless to say, I was already used to the procedure, since this would be the third time that they'd cut my gums open. I'm not sure what was different about the procedure this time, but I felt very light-headed and nauseous. I was put on 2L of oxygen via a nasal cannula.

Georgia Peach

I traveled to Atlanta, GA for two days, just because...

OK. See, it gets annoying when the weather in Chicago dramatically changes, and while this is a norm, we Chicago folks are yet to get accustomed to it. Now last weekend, I went to the city that everyone asks me about (like I'm missing out on something major). Because it was a short one, I didn't get to be a tourist. I only visited the ever-famous Lenox Square Mall. It's huge- it has every store therein. I see it as Downtown Chicago stores being compressed in to one building, so it was nothing too exciting. 

For nightlife, I visited Lion's, Xs, and Josephine Lounge. They're all great. 

One thing I learned about their club scene is that there's always an option for hookah, which is great, and most of their clubs never stand on their own...they're attached to other shops/stores (like a plaza).

Top- Akira, Jeans- JustFab, Sandals- Macy's, Purse- Michael Kors

Top- Akira, Skirt- Forever 21, Heels- Steve Madden

Where to visit next?

xxxo

C.U.

Clear Choice. Not So Clear

Frustrated is not even the word to describe how I feel this very moment.

I have failed myself in choosing this company as I have been deceived on numerous occasions. As some of you know, I had my front teeth extracted in November last year- that's when the nightmare began. Each time they would tell me that my next appointment will be me getting my permanent solution. And each time, I was disappointed. My disappointment started when they had to make FOUR Essex for me...but let's not even go into details.

After the extraction in November, I was to wait a few months before they would begin surgery. These people had me wait until exactly May 6, 2015 to see me. Who needs their gums to heal for 6 MONTHS after a common extraction, when some people are having same-day implants??

So on May 6, I walked in, believing I would leave with my new smile. Wrong! They told me when they said I would get my "implants" they were referring to the screws- the base for the teeth. Once again, I was let down. I was very upset. After putting in two screws, they told me that they'd need my gums to heal for another 4-6 months. What?? That was when I knew these people were playing games with me, and were only extending my procedure to possibly buy time for themselves. Now I had already paid them the balance of $5,500 (wrote the consultant a check), so nothing was stopping them from working however way they pleased. I told the surgeon that I would need my teeth in before my sister's wedding in August. A couple weeks before the wedding, I went to see him to examine how well my gums and bones had healed around the screws. All it took this man was a glance to turn me back to say my gums needed more time,

An appointment for September 21st was set for me to get my teeth in. I couldn't make it and had to reschedule for October 19th. 

I just got off the phone with the receptionist to ask if I could come take a look at the teeth before I had the surgery, and she said to me: you're not having the teeth in. They will uncover your gums and let that heal for about 3 weeks. 

OK, I'VE HEARD AND HAD ENOUGH. I've reached my boiling point.
These people have made this process (that was meant to be beautiful,) an unbearable one for me. Do you know how many days I take off work to have my surgery done and then I get let down, each time? Do you know how uncomfortable it is for me to eat in public? How uncomfortable it is for me to speak? I can't be as free as I want to for the fear of the artificial piece falling off.

I won't recommend this company (unless you have the patience)

I hope representatives of this company come across this and take actions to better please their customers. They also need to take the initiative to employ new and/or more surgeons.

Again, I failed myself for not researching much about this company. 

$14,500 is not chicken change! *side eye*

Poor Spirit

Poor Sprit Airlines that is.

Poor because they will plummet in sales if they don't pick up their slack. But I don't feel sorry for them. I never finished my blog about my first (and last) experience with Spirit Airlines(S.A.), but here goes...

So, in May this year, I booked a flight with SA after getting a link from my brother about a reasonable-priced deal for our trip to Houston, Texas. I jumped on the link and immediately bought my ticket. I didn't do any research as I hadn't heard much about the airline. I've only flown Southwest. 

Anyway, I'll try not to make this post long. On the day of travel, my flight was delayed for 2hours, almost voiding my plan in Houston. Thankfully my cousins and sibs waited for me. 

Three days later when I was to depart, this is what happened. Mind you, I was to go to work on Tuesday as early as 6:30 AM (12hr shift). Meaning I had to be up by at least 5:45 A.M.

The images above are screenshots of the  emails they sent to me each time our flight got delayed. A whooping 4 HOURS!!! We landed in Chicago past 1AM. Thankfully my dad was there to pick me up. I got home around 2AM and was in bed by 2:30. Leaving me with less than 4 hours of sleep to function on a very long shift. 

If you are to fly Spirit, do yourself a favor. Don't!

The round trip ticket was displayed for $126.21 and in the end I paid $233.18 from paying for bags + carry on to paying for my seats plus their taxes! Ugh.

Not all that glitters catches the eyes is gold. 

Later,

C.U.

IG Files

Wow I haven't posted in a while! I recently started a new job, so I've been making major adjustments. But here are some Instagram files from the month of August: It's been all about weddings!

August 1st: My Uncle's wedding in Houston, Texas

August 8th: #BiolaMichael2015 in Linconshire, IL

August 23rd- My sister's traditional marriage #AdeDinma205 in Dolton, IL

#AdeDinma2015

August 29th: #MoriamandJames in Chicago, IL

See you on my next post.

xxxo

China U.

(blogged from my iPhone)

Igbo Bride, Yoruba Wife

August 23rd was the beginning of a happy journey for my big sister, Rosie, who got traditionally married to her best friend. They were friends in college, 5years ago. 

That day was a memorable one in that I got to see my sister at her happiest. She was beaming with joy from ear to ear; couldn't stop smiling. We had family and friends come in from Nigeria, London, and other states in America. The marriage ceremony was held here in Illinois. I won't bore you any further, here are some photos shot by Chuck.

Dear Mother

Check out the little bride :)

Proud parents

Asoebi girls

All images by @chuckstrphoto