"Asti La Vista" and A Happy New Year

Happy New Year, guys!

Hope you had a fantastic new years eve leading up to the beginning of 2012. How one spends new year's eve is what determines how the new year goes, not the first day of the new year itself - that's what I heard o. It was a girls' day out for Tomtom and I. I was initiating her in the joys of shopping and she seemed to love it. We had a fab day except that I could not find the beloved Martini Asti. It's a ritual in our home to usher in the new year with a drop of Asti. None of us like the sour after-taste of champagne. We went into every supermarket, store and corner shop within a five mile radius and found no Asti. I know many Nigerians love Asti for like forever. So who drained the streets of London of the great Asti?  Surely, not just Nigerians? I came to one sober conclusion: The recession is teaching some people a lesson in taste! Asti is the new champagne. As luck would have it, there were two bottles of Asti waiting on the Kitchen table when we got back home. Monsieur Strong saved the day. The new year would be bubbly, I thought, as we ushered in the new year after a short prayer while watching Jools Holland on the BBC.

So what's to hope for in 2012, both at home and in diaspora?

Nigeria
1. With increasing pressure from online campaigners, writers and bloggers, and the actions of a lazy Nigerian government under the internet microscope for the whole world to see, Nigerians could demand more from their political leaders this year. Some basic (publicly available) amenities like electricity and pipe borne water  would be great to start us off. GEJ can Shape up or Shape out.

2. Laws and social policies to curtail and deal with acts of violence towards women should be high priority given the unhealthy gender politics that has diseased the fabric of Nigerian society for so long.

3. It would also be a great year for human rights in Nigeria if the anti-gay same sex marriage prohibition bill was to not see the light of day.

UK
1. With the recession predicted to get worse before it gets better, one wonders if there is anything to look forward to?

2. Cheaper prices in food and utilities would be great.

3. Jobs for the unemployed would be good news too.

4. Is 2012 the year UK would decide to accept American English (and world domination), so we can all write and spell the same? So I can stop having red misspell lines marking every word I spell the British way?

5. 2012 Olympics is in LONDON! Yay! Who wants to rent a room? Lol.

"One" - an old tune by U2 featuring Mary J Blige: was playing in my head while writing this post.
Stay energetic, focused and blessed, people. Have a great 2012!