https://3speak.tv/watch?v=kingsleyy/imcaxauwdl
[](https://3speak.tv/watch?v=kingsleyy/imcaxauwdl)

Take at look, is that space not bushy?

It was very early in the morning, around 6 a.m. or thereabout. As you can see in the video, the weather was not bright even though the sun had already come out. The dew was still heavy in the air. I decided to clear off the weeds that had taken over the space—something I had been procrastinating on for a long time. That morning was the only suitable time for me because once I get into my daily work, I wouldn't have the chance or time to do that kind of task again.



Normally, to make the work easier for me, I should have used pesticides to clear the weeds. But I didn’t budget for that, and the task wasn’t supposed to be a big one for me, considering the fact that I’m used to farm work—even though it has been a long time since I did any strenuous farm activity.

I borrowed a cutlass from a neighbour to do the work. The cutlass wasn’t sharp, as they don’t use it for farm work. I think the cutlass is mainly kept for security reasons in their house. I believe so.

Some of the grasses were very strong and had matured firmly into the ground, but I didn’t have any issues with the blunt cutlass because all I needed was to use it to make a way while I used my hands to uproot the grass from the ground. That’s exactly what I did.

In the later part of the work, I didn’t see the need to use the cutlass again because the grasses were soft. So, I used my hands instead, applying force to pull them off. As you can see, the veins in my hand were all out, indicating that I wasn’t joking at all.

The work didn’t last up to 20 minutes before I was done. That day, I left the grasses on the ground to dry off, but later in the day, it rained, and the next day I had to pack up the grasses.

Oh, lest I forget, that space is my garden and I cleared that during the beginning of this planting season.

Thanks for reading.

**_Photos and videos are mine_**

https://3speak.tv/watch?v=kingsleyy/qdtqjdeadg
Greetings!

_____


Hey, for those who have been reading my posts for a long time, you will know about a particular group I belong to in church, which I often talk about—how good and blessing-filled it has been working and serving the Lord in the ***Ushering Unit***. Yes, I am an usher, and I like to share my experience with you a lot, maybe to encourage you to create a section in your house of worship where you can render service to the Lord.


In the unit, one of the biggest things we look forward to each year is the end-of-the-year party, which is not primarily a party, but a big part of it is. What do I mean? We come together to thank God for how He led us throughout the year and for the blessings we received. After the religious ordinances, we proceed to the party, which includes food, drinks, and dancing.

Last year was no exception—we had it just as we do every year, and the video attached to this article is a summary of the party segment.



As you can see, we try as much as possible to celebrate in the rich African way, especially when it comes to food. We do not consider rice to be a suitable food for such occasions, so we always go with African food (soup and swallow). This African food is always a standout. We put in extra effort to make it more delicious and garnished than what we usually eat at home.

There was dancing, as you can see—both the adults and the little children—along with gisting and laughing while eating.

As we kick off this year, we hope for a better and bigger party at the end of the year.

Thanks for watching and reading.

*Photos and videos are mine*

Uploaded using 3Speak Mobile App

https://3speak.tv/watch?v=kingsleyy/wvusgamgrq

[](https://3speak.tv/watch?v=kingsleyy/wvusgamgrq)

Greetings!

_____

Yesterday, being Friday, I had a funny encounter with two children who always seem to be tough to handle whenever they're together. They're also fun to watch once they start their drama. They're no siblings, they're just friends but merely looking at them, one would think they're twins.

Around 5:00 p.m. yesterday, I was seated outside in the compound, enjoying the fresh air, when these two children came in and started running around. I wasn't bothered until they went over to the tap in the compound. The tap wasn't locked, so they started fetching water and splashing it on themselves. I quickly chased them away, but they began to cry because, according to them, they wanted to have a bath, and I was stopping them instead of encouraging them. Lol. Over here, in my part of the world, water is likened to gold because we rarely have electricity to pump it. We often have to buy expensive fuel to pump water, so it shouldn't be wasted.


To compensate, I allowed them to fetch water into a bucket, then I locked the tap afterward. While I was pretending not to notice what they were doing, they added detergent they found on the ground—left behind by someone in the compound—into the water and started making foam. They then dragged the water close to a motorcycle that had been parked there for almost two weeks. I believe the motorcycle had a fault, which is why it was left there. These boys decided to wash it and make it clean, and that's when I decided to record them.



I couldn't help but laugh as I recorded because it was so thoughtful of them. Normally, no child in my part of the world would willingly wake up and decide to wash his father's motorcycle; it's always considered a big task. I used to frown upon such chores when I was at home and told to wash the motorcycle. So, it was quite touching to see them washing the bike playfully.

However, as they splashed water on the bike and started dragging some extended wires, it became less funny because I worried they might cause more damage to the motorcycle. I gently asked them to stick to just one part of the motorcycle and stop tugging at the wires near the engine, but they shook their heads in disagreement. I considered stopping them altogether because of the risk they were causing with the wires, but that would mean a lot of shouting and running around trying to chase them off. I wasn't ready for all that; I had only come outside to relax, not to engage in a marathon chase.

So, instead, I called them over to watch the video I had recorded of them. They were delighted when they heard about the video and rushed over to my side. I played it for them, and they laughed, completely abandoning the motorcycle washing. I won! Children can never beat the wisdom of an adult.

Thanks for reading.

**Photos and the video are mine*

https://3speak.tv/watch?v=kingsleyy/umszgbddmj

[](https://3speak.tv/watch?v=kingsleyy/umszgbddmj)

Greetings!

Welcome to my blog containing the fun I'm having in my garden

One of the veggies I love so much in my food, aside from the very popular pumpkin, is bitterleaf. I love that leaf so much, particularly its bitterness, and so I decided to grow it in my small space.

**First Stage:**

As you can see in the video, I had to locate a neighboring compound that has it in excess to cut the stem. Yes, it's planted through the stem and not the seed.

*Just as I was discussing with @humbe when she asked if it doesn't have seeds or if it's not grown with seeds, I mentioned that I had seen mature plants produce flowers, which suggests that it has seeds. However, I haven't seen it grown via seeds. Maybe one day, I’ll try that and see if it’s possible.*



That particular evening, I went to the compound, took permission from the owners, and cut five stems. The cutlass I used wasn't very sharp, as the owners don't use it for farming; they just keep it in their house. So, I had to apply pressure when cutting and trimming it to create a sharp edge, which would allow it to stay in the ground more easily when planted. I hadn’t handled a cutlass for a long while, so it made me reminisce about the days of farming back home in the villa.

**Second Stage:**

The second stage, which is mostly the last stage, involved digging a hole with a shovel and placing the stems inside while they were standing up. It’s not laid on the ground and completely buried—no, it's placed in a vertical form, either at 90° to the ground or at 45°. In fact, any way it's placed is acceptable as long as the stem is not completely buried underground.

Why?

The thing is, bitterleaf is a stem plant because the leaves, which are the main part, spring up from the stem. From the standing stems, new growth sprouts out as the pinned stem in the ground gains stability. Although, if it's completely buried, it will still sprout, but it’s going to take a longer time to grow strong, unlike the one that’s standing.

I used a shovel to dig the ground because the soil was so hard that the stems couldn’t penetrate easily when I tried forcing them into the ground.

I was confident about the survival of the plants, even though there was no rain for a week after I planted them. I supported them with early morning watering for about three days before the rain returned.



Last week, when I went to check, I was delighted to see some sprouting from the stems, which means germination has begun. I can't wait for the time when it will have grown enough leaves for plucking and use in cooking soup.

***Are you conversant with bitterleaf, how is It planted in your part of the world?***

Thanks for reading.

**All photos and videos are mine**

https://3speak.tv/watch?v=kingsleyy/iujtaupjdo

[](https://3speak.tv/watch?v=kingsleyy/iujtaupjdo)

Greetings!

My yam, which is one of the surviving plants in my little garden, has been doing well. I had a stick on it, which serves as a stake to help it grow well and not spread on the ground, and of course, that's how yams are grown.

Some days back, I got there and saw the vines scattered, and having good knowledge of farming, I didn't hesitate to twine the vines on the stick to help in healthy growth. If those vines are left like that, they'll swing off so badly, falling to the ground when they become so long. By then, they'll be left with no option but to fall to the ground, and their mouth will become so pale and shrink after a while. So, yeah, that's what I did in my latest work there, twining the vines to avoid such problems.




Usually, the twining is supposed to be in an anticlockwise direction on the stick, but because the stick isn't long enough, I had to twine some in the opposite direction. Also, I had to draw some of them, the ones that were shooting up above the stick, downwards, and tie them with little spines of grasses in the area where the branches are full enough. Oh yeah, it's better they expand in a particular area than to allow them to spring up to the clouds above the stick, where they'll eventually fall down when they're too long to hold up, and they'll get broken.

The importance of twining yam vines cannot be overemphasized. It's one of the major care tasks of a yam plant, and if not done, the yam may not develop as well as it ought to. Way back when I was at home living with my parents, we usually had a big farm space for yams, and my dad would spend a full day in the farm doing this kind of work. We used to call it a lazy man's work because the task looks simple, but hey, it's not simple, especially when the staking is so high, and a long stick is used to twine the vines. It becomes worse when those vines are stubborn and resist being twisted where they're supposed to be. Sometimes, we would see my dad on a yam stand for 20 minutes struggling to wrap the vines around where they're supposed to be with the stick. Sometimes, he would lower his head to take a rest because his neck was tired of being stretched. He would rest his head a little before raising it up again to continue the battle. This is one of the reasons I decided to use a low stick for my staking. I don't want to experience the difficulties of raising my head up for minutes struggling to twine the vines. With what I have here, I can easily use my hand to hold them and tie them in the direction I want with ease.

Thanks for reading.

***The photos are mine***

https://3speak.tv/watch?v=kingsleyy/bfaaiayjwb

[](https://3speak.tv/watch?v=kingsleyy/bfaaiayjwb)

Greetings!


After the last time I checked on my little garden, I hadn't been up and doing with it because I needed to get pepper seedlings to plant there. According to market records, seedlings can't be gotten now because the season has passed. We can only plant it by its main seed, which is not common. It is very hard to buy a pepper in the market that will germinate when planted. I've bought many times, planted them, and didn't see them germinate.

So with all these issues, I lost interest in checking on the space for a couple of days. I went there yesterday and found it bushy. The grasses were growing as if they were under the influence of added manure or fertilizer. They looked so green and flourishing. The yam plant was almost covered with grasses, as well as the pumpkin that was growing there.



*"So this was just for some days I left it unattended to?"* I questioned as I stood staring at the space. The last time I checked, I cleared some of the big grasses.

Well, I had to clear them off.

Even though I'm still yet to get seeds to plant and make good use of the space, leaving the place bushy is never an ideal thing. I wasn't with a cutlass, so I began to pull the grasses off with just my hands. Even as the grasses were grown, they were very easy to pull out. I didn't have difficulty pulling them off.

Although I didn't clear all because rain started drizzling while I was doing so, I decided to go back tomorrow to attend to it.



My quest to get seeds and seedlings to plant continues. It's very bad that this city doesn't do farming, so it is very hard to come across these things easily.

Thanks for reading.

______

| *Videos and photos are mine* |

https://3speak.tv/watch?v=kingsleyy/hdkszpcfsc


[](https://3speak.tv/watch?v=kingsleyy/hdkszpcfsc)

I currently live in a city where I don't often get the opportunity to attend parties because I don't like going to uninvited ones. However, I recently had the chance to witness a live band performance—a very local one with a mix of digital instruments and traditional ones like drums.

The type of music in such pattern I'm familiar with is church music, which I experience every week at church.

As you can see in the video above, it was an event—my paternal Grandma's burial—and the musical band was hired to add some flair to the occasion. One thing about this type of music is its originality; every single sound is practically and manually produced. There's a designated drummer, skillful guitarists, a proficient keyboardist, and the lead singer who directs and controls every moment.

The leader of this particular musical group is the one standing in front, wearing a dark blue attire with a lead guitarist's strap slung across his shoulder.

Sometimes, watching them multitask leaves me amazed, but it's something they excel at and make seem effortless. I used to play the drums somewhat decently; I once tried drumming and singing simultaneously, with a microphone stand fixed to my mouth....so I know how it works.

This musical group also features dancers, always ladies, who take center stage with their cultural dance steps.

At events like this, the attendees often shower the band with money as a token of appreciation for the entertainment they provide.

I grew up seeing this particular musical group, and it's heartening to see that they're still active in the business.

In many places in Nigeria, especially the town where I reside currently, indigenous musical bands are scarce, except for church ones, which I find disappointing. Although the indigenes in my current place of residence claim to have indigenous music bands, I haven't seen any yet....the ones that I saw that looked alike displayed like the church pattern.

Thanks for reading.

| Photos is mine |

https://3speak.tv/watch?v=kingsleyy/noadegcpuz
Greetings, everyone!

As the burial ceremony of the king's wife took place in the community, there were supposed to be more cultural displays to entertain the various kingdoms that came to grace the occasion. However, due to the situation at which the event was planned, only one group was featured, which I was aware of. There may have been others that I didn't know about because I was busy throughout the event.

Nonetheless, it wasn't a bad display, as I watched them and covered the event with my phone. I enjoyed the scene and laughed all through, especially at the youngest among them—the boy who was trying his best to keep up with the steps of the others.

At first, I thought they were a dance group from another community, but upon closer inspection, I recognized some familiar faces and realized they were from our own community.

It was a joy to watch, as it had been a long time since I saw a dance in the cultural scene.

Thank you for reading/watching.

| All videos and photos are mine |

https://3speak.tv/watch?v=kingsleyy/qdeaxsyuek
kingsleyy - 1000449054.mp4

https://3speak.tv/watch?v=kingsleyy/wfcugdyzja
Greetings everyone

Before you watch this video, I would like you to read it first to be able to relate very well to it.

The event happened on February 11, 2024, the day of the final match between Nigeria and Cote d'Ivoire in the just concluded AFCON 2023.

**How it started:**

Before the D-day, I wasn't feeling scared of my nation losing the match; I was so confident because we had beaten our opponent, Cote d'Ivoire, once with a goal in the group stage. So I was so sure it's going to be easy peasy.

The match was scheduled to kick off by 9:00 p.m., and because it's night, I planned to stay indoors to stream the match on my phone, but when my neighbour came, he persuaded me that we should go to the lounge close to our house to watch it. I quickly agreed because that'll definitely save me the stress of a bad network when streaming on my phone.

We got there around 8:45 p.m., selected a good spot close to the TV, and sat down.

While we sat down, the MC kept making announcements on the microphone that we shouldn't just sit and watch the match and that we should buy drinks to support the Lounge.

I called the waitress to give us two bottles of energy drink FEARLESS, and when she brought them, I asked about the price, and it was double what I usually buy it outside. I felt somehow, but I didn't mind. It's all about the joy of watching my nation lift up the trophy.

**Match started:**

The match kicked off, and the Ivorians kept pressuring us while we were playing out our favourite style, defensive style.

Before we knew it, even as they were pressing us massively, it's a gooooooaaaaaal!

Everyone, including the building, screamed aloud. The joy was massive; we couldn't contain it. The DJ turned on the music, and everyone began to dance. It was as if we'd won already.

_____

***The video above is the display of excess joy of our goal.****

_______

It turned to sorrow;

In the second half, the Ivorians equalised, and towards the end of the match, they put in another one to take the lead, and that was when they turned our joy into sorrow.

That night was so heartbreaking.

Thanks for reading.

*Image and video are mine*