Q&A

Question: How old is the Rock of Gibraltar?

Answer: According to the official website of the Gibraltar National Museum, “The Rock of Gibraltar is a Jurassic Limestone promontory formed from the shells of tiny sea creatures which compacted layer upon layer on the seabed some 200 million years ago. Between 60 and 20 million years ago movement of the earth’s tectonic plates uplifted these layers of rock to their present position, where they have been shaped by the sea and weather to give the Rock of Gibraltar the iconic form we all recognize today.”

Question: Are you happily married?

Answer: Yes, I am happily married. It’s has been a joy to live life with Brandt Douglas. Through this marriage, I have been blessed with new friends and family, and I feel truly blessed.

Question: What are the adjustments of blending two diverse cultures?

Answer: This coming June, I will have lived in the U.S for 12 years, which means that I have spent exactly 12 years in Nigeria and 12 years in the U.S. This has been an interesting journey. From the first taste of French fries, to wondering why people loved eating raw vegetables, to developing some love of making salads for others. It is hard for me to think of adjustments I have had to make whilst trying to blend two diverse cultures. Sometimes I ask myself if I am more Nigerian or more American, and I could never come up with an answer. My formative years were spent in Nigeria but my teenage years and now my adult years have been spent in the U.S. I actually think that I have had to blend two diverse cultures. Nigeria, New York, and Oklahoma. Three distinct places with their own cultures pulsating through the lives of those that live there. An adjustment I am hoping to make is to read to my children when they are young. In Nigeria, parents reading children’s book to their children is nonexistent, so often times in conversions where titles of children’s books come up, I am at a loss because this was an experience that I never had but I wish to give to my kids. Another adjustment would be calling those older than you just by their names. In Nigeria that was absolutely not okay, you would always call them uncle or auntie. Actually there are people in my life that do have these titles and we are not related. I gave in but not all the way. There is probably way more adjustments that I am not thinking of, but I see it this way, my life is a story of its own, the up’s and down’s, the worry about my accent not fitting in, being the only black person in the sea of whiteness, learning how to make American food. All of these acculmulate in me and make me a more diverse person than my seven year old self could have ever imagined.

Question: Why did you choose to become a Nurse?

Answer: As I was about to graduate with my bachelors in psychology, I wondered what my next steps would be, get my masters so that I can become a license therapist or what else. At this point I knew Brandt and I were going to get married. This is where it felt like the door for nursing was opened. It would give me the opportunity to work as a psych nurse or do something else entirely, and it is a license that I will always have. So, I became a nurse due to my interest and passion in psych.

Question: What inspired you to get into pottery?

Answer: I do not know what inspired me to get into pottery lol. I do love working with my hands, and if you know anything about pottery you know how much of your hands are involved in the making of pottery. I love that it keeps me from quitting half way, and I can actually see improvements the more I work on it. Try it out if you ever have the chance to.