Guatemala & how I spent my birthday.

 

I travelled to Guatemala City, Guatemala for my birthday (2/5) this year, and in efforts to make this year's birthday as quiet as possible, I didn't really share much about it, talk less of visibly "marking" the day. By the way, this decision is/was not borne out of any self-depreciating mindset or attitude nor was it a response to anything I was going through at the time; it was rather a strong interest of mine, as selfish as it sounds, to celebrate my birthday only with myself this year. I had also had a mini-celebration with friends in Dallas a week prior, so it was a nice way to mark it with friends based on that interest this year. I reckon that with the hopeful trajectory of my life in the next few years, I would eventually be kind of forced (positively forced, positively forced) to celebrate my birthdays with other warm bodies (speaking specifically about a partner and children), so why not get as many "selfish" birthdays in as possible before then?  Anyway, back to the main point of this post, Guatemala.

Guatemala was a great way to start the new year of my life. I'm not new to solo travel or planning trips in general, so planning the itinerary for this trip was a breeze. I arrived on Sunday evening then went for a run the next morning, the morning of my birthday. 

I then responded to well wishes for most of the morning, journaled, prayed, then did my hair - ello, pixie geng *insert heart eyes*

 After a mini photo shoot (more like took pictures in front of a mirror), I went for my dentist appointment. After my dentist appointment, I came home and got my nails done - the apartment I stayed in luckily had a nail salon in the lobby, a very cute one at that. I then changed, got fresh again (what's a birthday without getting fresh multiple times), then went to an art gallery and the cafe shop next to the gallery for lunch. It was then that I started noticing some cool things about Guatemala City. For starters, getting to different places was quite easy, thanks to Uber. I took note that Guatemala City is a fairly quiet city, with everyone always being inside somewhere - I rarely noticed people just wandering aimlessly about. It was also nice to see a full house at the lunch cafe I went to. Altogether the lunch (or in this case, brunch) was nice, I got the usual - french toast and protein. Guatemala is definitely not a country whereby one can get away with not knowing spanish. I had to turn on my Google Translate a few times, and a few of my service providers had to grab their english speaking colleague. 

After the art gallery and lunch, I walked to a few other neighborhoods - let's call it a "lost in Guatemala" session - over the course of a few hours. I walked to a nice plaza with nice restaurants and then bought a keychain from the nearby Miniso, then went to the outdoor mall near my home. Through exploring these areas, I saw a bit of lagos in guatemala city. There are so many plazas dedicated to food spots, and these are foods from all over the world. Lagos, well the island mainly, is equally a food-oriented city, with new restaurants popping up on a weekly basis. After the wandering and just relaxing at the nearby mall, I headed home to change for my birthday dinner. After the glam and photo session, I headed to my dinner reservation, which was a 13 course dinner (small plates), whereby I got to travel, if you will through Guatemala through the different dishes. My "travel guide" would narrate a bit about the dish before I began eating. The foods were delicious and the fact that I got to learn about Guatemalan and Mayan culture was the icing on the cake, pun intended. After dinner, I responded to a few more messages and turned in for the night. A lovely birthday for a lovely girl, indeed. 

The next few days were spent working from home, running, and just enjoying my "week as a nomad" life. From what I have experienced in this aspect, it is safe to say Guatemala city is at the top of my list for any possible future remote work. For me, and based on my experience, guatemala city is easily navigable, the city is pretty quiet, and has enough amenities for the average 20-30 something year old. If you are thinking of going on a writing sabbatical or just need a serene space to work, consider guatemala city. The only con is guatemala city is insulated - there are no beaches or waterside. Nevertheless, I think anyone could visit guatemala city and really feel focused to work and or prioritize a few tasks. 

By Thursday, I was on my way to Antigua, Guatemala. With the way people hyped Antigua up (I heard so much about it prior to my visit, from it being so safe to how beautiful it is), I was a bit underwhelmed. As soon as I arrived (Antigua is about an hour away from guatemala city), I went on a walking tour. I was wholly unimpressed, and I think my guide could tell. It is literally 4 blocks with every house having been turned into some kind of business, from a restaurant to an Office Depot (yes, I got the ick as well). As a UNESCO world heritage site, you would think that they would make efforts for capitalism to not be as intrusive, especially in such an interesting way, but alas here we are. All the same, the town is walkable. We went to a ruins museum (the town was once destroyed by a volcano). There are three inactive volcanoes that surround the city of Antigua. My guide also took me to a Jade shop where I could buy Jade and also learn about the history of Jade, as Guatemala is a country rich in Jade as a naturl resource. Lastly, my guide shared a bit about the cultures within Guatemala, namely that Guatemala consists of 3 major ethnicities: Mestizo, Mayan, and Garifuna. My guide was a Mestizo woman, so it was nice to learn about her culture while learning a bit more about Guatemala along the way. 

After the tour, I had an original Guatemalan dish at a local restaurant, recommended by my guide. The meal was great! I thoroughly enjoyed it- a chicken and soup meal, with tortilla on the side. Corn flour tortillas are a staple with every meal here in Guatemala. I would learn that quickly because my morning meal the next day by Lake Atitlan also came with a side of tortilla. The tortillas are so lovely. 

The next morning, I was on my way to Lake Atitlan, via a day tour I booked. The tour consisted of visiting 3 different towns around Lake Atitlan, learning about different aspects unique to Guatemala along the way. We started at Panachajel, had the "with a side of tortilla" breakfast (and fried plantains! yum), then used a speed boat to head over to the first town, San Juan La Laguna. It was quite the colorful city, with a high elevation. As we walked up the main street called "Umbrella Street", it felt like I was going up a hill. We entered a cocoa shop and got to try cocoa rum after mini-cocoa making workshop. Guatemala is also rich in, you guessed it, cocoa. I picked up chocolate and a chocolate turmeric bar soap. We then took photos (a few Guatemalan native secondary school age boys came up to me and asked for a photo), explored a bit more, then headed to our next town, San Pedro La Laguna.  Here, there was a nice view point (and a nice photo taking opportunity) - there was a hand statue and a heart fixture. 2-5 years ago, I would have brought a black flowy dress with me to take potos, but omo, I couldn't be asked at this age. I am quite disillusioned with photo taking as of now (it may change eventually, but I honor how I feel right now), so I took the photos exactly how I was dressed and I was quite pleased. After taking in the views then heading over to our final town, Santiago, we were all quite hungry, so we stopped at a restaurant to eat. We then explored that village, learned a bit more about the active volcanoes surrounding the area along with the Mayan culture (my guide was Mayan), then we were on our way back to Panachajel. It was quite the adventurous day. I went to a nice restaurant for dinner then was on my way home to turn in for the night, as it would be a long day the next day getting back to Guatemala City, and further back home, to Dallas, Texas. 

Overall, Guatemala was a great way to ease into the new year of my life. I love how I spent this trip. It was lovely to have no expectations or anxiety, if you will, surrounding curating the best content or getting that instagram worthy photo while on this trip. As you can see, I took so many photos and just enjoyed that photo taking process without judging its post worthiness. Further, given that only a select few knew of my whereabouts, it further helped that feeling of freedom I was hoping to attain, even if it was just for the week (work notwithstanding). It feels quite nice to have these kinds of trips once in a while, and it was even nicer that Guatemala was a country that ended up being perfect for it. Will I return to Guatemala? Absolutely. 

Till next time, and till my next trip, 

Funmi Oke 

A Conservative Conundrum

In recent current events, Dr. Claudine Gay, Harvard University's first black president, stepped down from her position. A cursory glance at her statement will pass the message that her stepping down is for the sake of the university moving forward in peace, implicitly referencing the occurrences surrounding both her and the university as of late: allegations of Gay’s academic plagiarism, the campus protests regarding the Hamas Civil War (and her handling of it), and finally (and the straw that broke the camel’s back), accusations of antisemitism. One term that underpins this fracas of a period for the university is DEI, or Diversity Equity and Inclusion. A term once used as a white flag of peace and a symbol of forging past the ires of Black Lives Matter is now a weapon, a sword welded by the Republican Party and nationalists alike, stating this as America’s problem as a way to garner votes, a domino effect, if you will, of the past summer's June 29 Supreme Court decision on affirmative action which  effectively ended race-conscious admissions practices in higher education and eroded 40 years of precedent . Notwithstanding the political tension surrounding this term, it is interesting to note how conservatives are pointedly trying to ‘roll back’ many tenets pushed forward by democratic principles, including DEI. In a recent article, they pointed to the hiring practices of these universities as a concern, stating that less conservatives were being hired. Other initiatives such as the student loan relief being blocked, and the overturning of Roe v. Wade, the Court ruling that the Constitution of the United States generally protected a right to have an abortion, provides more evidence of such a “roll back”. Even in the very circumstances surrounding the protests at Harvard, we are seeing that free speech, a core tenet of progressivism, is not really free. In the battle between conservatives and democrats in America, conservatives are putting their best foot forward and are commanding the turf, even behind the scenes. We are seeing a big push back against “modernism”, in favor of more conservative ideologies.

This is huge contrast to a recent occurrence in one of the countries in the Global South, Nigeria, the country where a recent BBC documentary exposes the abuse, rape, and cult-like practices of TB Joshua and his church. This documentary is said to be a product of 5 years of research, interviews, and investigation. While TB Joshua himself has died, it is still important to raise such matters as it speaks to the failed state of what is considered a fail-proof institution, the church (or religion in the Global South in general). While not much rage translated offline via systematic processes or parastatals, the documentary did spark discussions and raised awareness to the deleterious engagements of not only the pastor in question but other ordained ministers that use their title as a cloak for their vices. The documentary and such conversations give evidence of different demographics of Nigerians (albeit daresay mostly those in the diaspora) leaning more towards progressivism and democratic principles. Nigeria is a heavily conservative state, with politics divided mainly amongst religious lines. Seeing online discussions about other men of God and their alleged distasteful actions show that young people (at least) are balancing the religious fanaticism they were most likely born into with critical thinking as to what is right and wrong. Gone are those days in the Global South where a religious minister’s actions are defended or disputed without question; people are speaking up and there is an audience willing to listen. In Nigeria, in the battle between conservatives and progressives, progressives are slowly inching towards the goal post, even if it is just behind the scenes.

In the Global South, there's is a push towards modernism, while in the Global North there is a push back towards conservatism. Which is the best way to go? In the infamous words of Claudine Gay, context matters.

happiness

 funmi bolatito wuraola oke

a name so potent filled with manifestations

of happiness joy wealth a high that can never 

go low but lo and behold 

lifes taught her to hold dear the treasures that 

each good day brings so she teases

a japanese variation and etches it 

on her heart (skin). 

what’s in a name? 

fumi /japanese means wealth, beauty

The Last Days of 2023

“I find introverts weird,” random guy at the beach resort in accra said uninvitedly, in the midst of chatting me up (also uninvitedly). “But you don’t look like an introvert,” he opines further, as if to mitigate the starkness of his prior statement. 

None of this aspect of our exchange mattered. Most important to me was how I admitted (for the first time) my personality. I spoke about it briefly here. It was the first time that i was proud to state this. I don’t feel the need to constantly be seen. I adopted a quite outward personality in my late 20’s, and that didnt serve me well in the long run given the disconnect between how much I shared content online yet failed to follow through in the actual engaging with others part of social media (I keep harping about this because this stint taught me so much about myself and for that I am grateful). 

I don’t necessarily feel the need to extert myself or make my presence known. My presence always speaks for itself. 

That is exemplified with the way I spent the night before new years eve (it was so perfect that I wish this was my new years eve). I had gone to a restaurant on my jays (my new favorite phrase)  called Bella Afrik. It was a nice way to wind down the night given how I had spent the day - ok actually it was quite the chilled day through and through: I had gone to brunch earlier in the day, then went home and took a nap (woke up by 7pm). I wanted to end the night on a sweet note, so I went to this restaurant after not being let in to No. 19 (they were having a private event). I found a seat at the bar next to two ladies that I ended up befriending. We chatted  over food and drinks and shimmied our hips to the afrobeats playing pleasantly loud in the background - it was the holidays after all: good feels all around. we decided we didn’t want to end the night there. After trying Bloom Bar + another bar to no avail, we ended up at a more local spot, The Woods. 

I was so happy about the ambience at The Woods that I exclaimed this exactly upon entering. It was not packed, people were in their respective spaces just lounging and we did the same. We enjoyed the night, laughed, smoked, ate, and enjoyed one another’s company into the wee hours of the night. 

(post- edit commentary: I had lunch with friends on January 7th in Dallas, TX that said they also went to The Woods a different night, so now that location has lost its low key allure for me. Motivation to find a new spot next time I go to Accra, then.) 

That was how I spent the night before new years eve. Now fast forward to the next night that I was on the beach in conversation with this guy. I was in the middle of writing out my reflection on 2023, so focused that anyone that disturbed me was met with my “written all over her face annoyed” look. That didn’t stop him from engaging in conversation with me. “Working on a  holiday?” “No, just writing out my reflection of this year and goals for the next” “Oh…*proceeds to ask further probing questions*”. 

After he leaves, I finish my frozen drink as I close out my reflection and goal writing session, pray a bit, then by 8 pm I am on my way home to change for dinner. I eat dinner at Shogun, a Japanese restaurant, on my jays. My last meal of 2023 was two slightly underwhelming sushi rolls and a nice cocktail. By 10 pm I am in bed, ready to sleep into the new year with my alarm of such transition being the fireworks that start to strike so effortlessly and in tandem by midnight. 

Happy new year. 

Funmi Oke

Thoughts on Traveling through Africa

Around July/August 2023, I decided I would spend December 2023 traveling through Africa, or in more concrete terms, to four different African countries, all in different regions (two in the same).

I have been actively doing bucket list travel since 2018. I thought I wanted to be a travel blogger, Instagram worthy pictures and trendy, informational content and all. That venture taught me more about myself than any other venture I had undertaken since that point, specifically that I am not “social enough” to naturally and successfully be a travel blogger, nor is the desire enough for me to learn how adopt this personality. This explanation was a long and short way to excitedly share that my new outlet for capturing and documenting my travel will be through my self-titled website, funmioke.com (a very low stakes, yet fulfilling way for me to still document my travel to an interested  audience, without the fanfare).

Since 2017, I have travelled to 30 countries (now 32), but never really through Africa. When I was making plans for the holidays, I already knew I wanted to be in warmer climates, i.e home for me, Nigeria. I also knew, based on experience, that I would have no issue if I were to travel to a few countries in Africa before heading to Nigeria. This is what brought about the desire then research I did to commit to traveling to Kenya, then South Africa, then Nigeria, and finally Ghana.

I am in Nigeria writing this on the tail end of my trip, so as you can see, we did it. I am first and foremost grateful to God for journey mercies. As a solo traveler, female at that, it says much about my bold spirit (and maybe organizational skills) to navigate and handle all the logistics of connecting through four countries in a less commonly “explored” continent. 

I will not lie, getting closer to my December 4 departure date, my adventure was finally dawning on me, and the nerves were setting in (to the point where I was fervently praying for journey mercies as I was showering hours before my trip). You know how you set out to do something unconventional, but don’t realize the magnitude till it reaches the time? That’s always me. 

Anyway, sitting here reminiscing now on the past three adventure-filled weeks, and I smile. I had such a great time, and am grateful for safe landings so far, especially given how I was at some point sandwiched between a babe carrying my luggage and a motorcyclist riding at 3:45am in Mombasa, Kenya frantically trying to get to a train terminal (definitely a story for another day). 

Here’s to more wild rides, and equally more safe landings, God willing. 

p.s. - you need a yellow card if you’re traveling between African countries + always be mindful of visa rules. 

Funmi Oke

Values +

Borrowing from the wise words of one of the greatest philosophers of our time, Kanye West, “everything I’m not makes me everything I am”. 

I learned the hard but needed lesson last year that I need to clearly define my values & stick to them. Don’t get me wrong, I have always been value-driven (wouldn’t be where I am today if I was not). The only difference is my lack of clearly stating them so as to stick to them when most needed. 

One thing I love about me is my ability to try things out and rule it out if it doesn’t work out, knowing that it directs/pivots/reroutes me further to defining exactly who I am(hence the above-mentioned quote).

So, here I am explicitly stating my values:

• I value family. 
• I value service. 
• I value critical thinking. 
• I value thought-driven spending.
• I value a well-rounded lifestyle.
• I value fitness & holistic living
• I value lighthearted fun
• I value kindness
• I value discipline 
• I value cleanliness
• I value peace of mind
• I value curiosity 
• I value hard work/a solid work ethic

What are your values? 

Funmi Oke

10 Guidelines for 2024

 I wanted to supplement my “goals” for the year with some guidelines for myself. Those are a bit easier for me to adhere to, given that I am quite rule-driven. 

Here goes. I’m also avoiding fluff and cute bow tie content and getting down and dirty this year (iykyk). 2025 will be the year of fluff after all this hard work. 

10 guidelines for 2024. 

1. Stay away from people who are insistent about misunderstanding you

2. Pray without ceasing 

3. People get what they need. The things I don’t  need but rather desire, at the right time, with the right person, and at the right place, it will happen. Just focus on aligning these three things for yourself. Find your feet first, funmi, and the rest will flow. 

4. Never think for once that you’re undeserving of good things. You deserve it + they will come. 

5. Hyper focus on those that inspire you + disengage from those that don’t. Tailor your social media use to your vision

(i enjoy just chilling, not taking life too seriously, no strong face enjoying time with friends planning hang outs + rolling into partnership from there) 

6. Keep things to yourself no matter how painful. you genuinely don’t know how much others care to hear your thoughts 

7. Desist from the struggle friend persona. You are not a struggle friend. Everything you desire you receive. If you don’t receive it, it was not meant for you. 

8. Take more pictures. You’re beautiful. 

9. If it’s not exactly what you want don’t go for it unless you have no other choice. Most times, you have a choice. 

10. Be patient + master the art of timing (remember the B.E.) 

Bonus: 

11. stay away from weird people.

12. Never let anyone tell you who you are and are not. You define that for yourself and it’s subject to change based on you.

Funmi Oke