Love in the time of cornrows: Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie on her new novel, Americanah

The Nigerian writer Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie’s new book, Americanah, is a story of romance, race and the politics of hair

Americanah, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie’s new book, is the story of Ifemelu, a young Nigerian who travels to America to study and stays there for 13 years before deciding to return to Lagos. The book is an atmospheric and vibrant love story – the love between Ifemelu and Obinze, the high-school sweetheart she leaves behind, the love between Ifemelu and her American boyfriend, the love she has for her young cousin Dike, whom she looks after in America, and the love of her homeland, Nigeria. It is also a novel about race and immigration and what it feels like to be black in America.


But the book’s biggest love affair seems to be Adichie’s enduring relationship with hair. Hairstyle is such a constant presence in the book that not a page goes past without a mention of it: straight weaves, box braids, cornrows, dreadlocks, afros, twists, raucous curls, kinky coils and TWAs (teeny weeny afros). Not to mention texturisers, relaxers, oils, pomades and hair butter. No character in her book gets away without having their hairstyle mentioned, and many are defined by it. And not just the girls. ‘The greying hair on the back of his head was swept forward, a comical arrangement to disguise his bald spot.’ ‘A dreadlocked white man sat next to her on the train, his hair like old twine ropes that ended in a blond fuzz.'


As Chimamanda Adichie, 36, sits before Telegraph in a hotel in London: contained, amused, sexy and intellectual, her own hair is succinctly tethered, but it looks as if, were she to free it, it would be ready to spring into action at any time.


‘I am obsessed with hair!’ she exclaims, before settling happily into a long session on the subject. ‘As you can see I have natural, negro hair, free from relaxers and things. My hair story started when I was a baby. My mother had boys and she desperately wanted a girl, a girl with hair. I came out with a lot of hair and she was thrilled. As I was growing up she would do things to my hair but what I loved the most was when she stretched it with a hot comb. I was terrified too, because when the comb touched your ear it was so painful, but I loved the idea that my hair would then be straight. So when I was three years old I already had the idea that straight hair was beautiful and my hair was ugly.’


In secondary school her hair had to be natural or in braids. Even now, Adichie says, her two nieces who go to school near Lagos have to have their hair cut short, like boys. (‘They are continually texting me, to ask me to buy them a wig. I believe strongly that we should be proud of our hair, but if my 15-year-old nieces want a straight wig, I’ll buy them a straight wig! Life is short.’)


#Telegraph.co.uk

Iron Lady, Margaret Thatcher dead at 87

London (CNN) - Former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, a towering figure in postwar British and world politics and the only woman to become British prime minister, has died at the age of 87, her spokeswoman said Monday.

Her funeral will be at St. Paul's Cathedral, the British prime minister's office announced Monday.

Thatcher served from 1975 to 1990 as leader of the Conservative Party. She was called the "Iron Lady" for her personal and political toughness.

Thatcher retired from public life after a stroke in 2002 and suffered several strokes after that. British media reported Monday that a stroke caused her death.

She made few public appearances in her final months, missing a reception marking her 85th birthday hosted by Prime Minister David Cameron in October 2010. She also skipped the July 2011 unveiling of a statue honouring her old friend Ronald Reagan in London.

In December 2012, she was hospitalized after a procedure to remove a growth in her bladder.
#cnn

Pictures of Nollywood Actress, Nse Ikpe Etim’s Traditional Wedding

Talented Nollywood actress Nse Ikpe Etim and Clifford Sule’s traditional wedding was held on Thursday April 4th at St. Stephen Primary School, Ikot Etobon, Akwa Ibom State-Nigeria.
The beautiful bride was dressed in her traditional wedding attire...in a carbon colour traditional attire and adorning an hairdo known with the Ibibios as she danced happily to the tunes of singer Afro pop singer Waje. Her hubby who was wearing a traditional attire too.
It would be recalled that Nse Ikpe-Etim earlier got married secretly to her long time childhood friend, Clifford Sule, a UK-based lecturer on valentine's day February 14 at Ikoyi registry in Lagos.

6 Outfits That Will Instantly Make You Look Bigger

This is a list of things that will make you look bigger. I’ve tried to concentrate of things that we unintentionally wear not realizing the effect they will have.

1. Elastisized Waistbands The problem with elastisized waistbands, at least for everyone but those with boyish figures, is not only the way the material puffs out instantly creating more volume where most of us just don’t need it but also the instability of the garment. If you have any sort of curves the waistband will move either up or down as you go about your day. The band is going to find the slimmest place to sit and again, unless you have the boyish figure it’s going to be a lot higher than you want. Basically it just doesn’t fit properly. A tighter band that does sit where you want it doesn’t work well either. Unless you’re toned all the way around the midsection you’re going to get the ‘squished bread’ look, which is very unflattering. Keep the elastisized waistbands on your gym clothes.
 
2. Pleats Pleats that fall from the waistband of your pants and skirts create volume. Their mission in life is to create a better fit, to follow the curves of the body more comfortably and stylishly. They highlight. Since they sit on your hips and tummy they will highlight your hips and tummy. It’s like wearing glad wrap, so unless your hips and tummy are so fabulous they deserve to be highlighted give pleats a miss.

TIP: A paneled and pleated skirt, like the one pictured, or one with inverted pleats that start below the stomach are great options for those wanting to conceal their stomach.

3. Horizontal Stripes Horizontal stripes trick the eye into thinking ‘wider’. The smaller and closer together the stripes the more pronounced the effect. A wider stripe still has the same effect, though not so pronounced. This is actually a shame because horizontal stripes are a classic – think Audrey Hepburn. Certainly wear them, BUT, keep them in proportion. If you’re a small person go for a small stripe. If you’re a large person go for a larger stripe. If you’re big busted or plus size, skip it altogether.

TIP: Horizontal stripes are an excellent way for pear-shaped people to add volume to their upper body and offset wider hips.

4. Metallic and Shiny Clothes Shiny or reflective clothes … um, well, they reflect. The effect is to make whatever they’re covering look bigger. So when you reach for those satin pants or that gold jacket be aware of what the overall effect is going to be. Actually this is a great way to get proportion back into your shape. If you’re bigger on top opt for the satin skirt matched with more subdued top or a shiny camisole matched with black pants if you’re bigger on the bottom.

 5. A Small Handbag If you’re a big person and you go with a small handbag it’s not the handbag that’s going to stand out. Comparisons will be made and since your body is approximately 30 times larger than the handbag the size of your body will be emphasized, even if you’re not particularly big in the first place. Your bag should mirror your size. If you’re smaller and wear a bigger bag – same comparison, different conclusion – you will seem small.

TIP: For best effect your handbag should be the opposite of your shape. If you’re a curvy person go with a more structured handbag like the one pictures. If you’re angular go with an unstructured tote.

6. Zips, pockets, ruffles, feathers, fur Anything extra added onto clothes is going to draw the eye and make the piece of body it’s covering look bigger. So if you have big boobs then no ruffles or flounces or anything extra other than what you already have. The same if you got lots of booty – keep things calm and minimal there. Added extras are best kept as the province of the slender or used to remedy proportion issues, and then only very sparingly. Anyone who is plus sized should avoid like the plague. Color and texture are better options.
 
Baggy Clothes I just wanted to finish with a word about baggy clothes. You can instantly make yourself look slimmer by wearing fitting clothes. If you’re big and you wear baggy clothes rather than conceal it simply highlights how big you are. If you’re small it will highlight how small you are. Wearing fitted clothes will make you look slimmer but you will also feel more confident. Trust me, it works.

#bodyshapestyle.com

ENUGU - Man Dies After Acid Bath At Girlfriend’s House

The Enugu State police command says it has commenced a fullscale investigation into the death of one Ugwu Peter Chima, who died as a result of acid bath he received in his lover’s house.

In a statement made available to DailyPost on Sunday, the police spokesman in the state, Mr. Ebere Amaraizu disclosed that the deceased had gone to see his lover at Old Army Barracks Nsukka in Enugu state when the incident happened.

“He was attacked with accid by a group of six armed men yet to be identified thereby leaving him with serious injuries on his body.

“He was, however, rushed to the University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital, Ituku Ozalla Enugu for medical attention, where he was subsequently confirmed dead”, Amaraizu stated.

#dailypost‬