My very first entry!!! This is beginning to feel like a ritual for me. I'm addicted to blogging, and every time I open a new blog, I'm faced with this "First Post" ceremony.

Here goes:

My name is Lotanna (LOW-TAHN-NAH) Igwe-Odunze (EEG-WAY-O-DOON-ZAY). My first name means "Remember your father" in Igbo (the language I speak most of the time when I don't speak English). The full thing is actually Lotachukwunna (LOW-TAH-CHOO-KWOON-NAH) which means "Remember God your Father", but I guess it's a mouthful for a non-Nigerian, so I also got the shorter version of the name, Lotanna.

All this talk about names is giving me a headache. I'm eighteen years old, and from the not-so-small country of Nigeria (also known as Africa's most populous nation, the Giant of Africa, the Happiest Place in the World, etc) where I lived almost all of my life before moving to the United States to attend Saint Leo University. Being an international student here so far has been interesting, and at times, hilarious. It cracks me up the way people misunderstand almost everything I say, and I end up having to say things twice, or explain more than necessary when only a few words should suffice. On the downside of things, I'm one of only three Nigerians here, so sometimes, homesickness gets me very, very, down.

I speak English and Igbo fluently, although I will most likely respond in English if you speak Igbo to me (unless of course, you're my mother, in which case I will pay very close attention to everything you are saying and reply in whatever language you happen to speak to the last letter.). I also speak some Hausa. I can write essays, and compositions in Hausa, but I speak it atrociously, so I usually just mumble to myself and say "Ban ji ba" (Hausa for "I don't understand/speak") whenever a real Hausa person is near. I don't want to murder the language, and it takes me so long to make the sentences, so it's easier to speak English.
In addition, I speak stilted but grammatically correct French and Spanish. So that makes...1...2..3... five languages I speak. Pretty cool huh?

So far, there's been a lot of drama as far as my first few months of school are concerned. Good drama, and not-so-good drama, but mostly good drama. I'll blog about it later, but right now, I'm just getting a feel of the place. I've never used this particular type of blogging software before, so I'm stretching my legs a bit. Can I change my profile picture??? I beg you! For some reason that one didn't come out the way I wanted it to. I'm including a prettier one that feels more like me. I'm really excited to do this because, apart from the fact that it gives me an excuse to have yet another blog, I've never before dedicated majority of a blog to one facet of my life.

The "First Post" Ceremony is over.....this is going to be intriguing.

I am terribly addicted to Heroes (thanks to my roommate's television) and last night's episode has just left me biting my nails and cursing NBC for making the shows a week apart with no reruns in-between.

It was kind of a long weekend for me. I procrastinated like only a student can. Lazed about, tried to study, then I lazed about some more and watched the hours go by. I did accomplish something though. I did my laundry. I'm picking classes for next semester (I have to remember to stop calling semesters terms. I should also stop calling water fountains kelvinators.) so I'm very excited. Another thing on my procrastination list. I have to go over my selections with my Academic Adviser. It's weird. I thought being in university would be this impossibly difficult thing, and it was scary.

About my procrastination. I found this great Homework Management Website called Gradefix.I think God inspired the authors to create it so I wouldn't fail my first semester of college. No more procrastination (I hope!!!).

Being Nigerian, before college, I'd almost never heard of the Freshman 15. Those legendary pounds that you're supposed to put on in your first semester of school. So Seventeen and CosmoGirl mentioned them a few times, but I never really paid any notice because it was all alien to me. Until I got to Saint Leo. It turns out, not only have I gained the dreaded Freshman 15, but the name should be amended to the Freshman 75.

Yes, I have gained 75 whole pounds since August 20. Isn't that just swell? Now I have a closet full of clothes that I can't wear, but on the upside, it's made me quite creative about finding what to wear each day. I have 2 pairs of jeans that still fit, but they groan as I put them on, and one has already burst its seam in (thankfully) a discreet location. I began to suspect that all was not well when I wore my high-heeled boots to Mass one day, and during the walk back, my legs began to shake uncontrollably, all of their own accord. Turns out they couldn't support my weight in addition to the incline of the boots anymore. It was take off the boots or collapse on the sidewalk. When I got back to my room, I wiped the dirty soles of my feet with a napkin and hopped on the scale.......

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L-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-N-N-G-G-G S-I-L-E-N-C-E.................................

The next day, I decided to visit the more than well equipped gym, for the first time since I arrived at school, and for the third time in my entire life.....

.......The price we have to pay for pancakes...

Just got back from a basketball game. I'd forgotten how entertained I used to be by basketball. I went late though, at 4:53pm, but I still caught a lot of action. I'm sorry I haven't posted in a while. This week was the last week of classes, and finals start on Monday (actually they've already started for me since I had my English final on Thursday), and I've been neck deep in last minute homework and studying. I recorded most of the time I was there. We lost unfortunately. :( But it was a close win for the Flaglers anyway. 75 to 73. If you didn't see the game, and you're bummed because you missed it, sorry, I can't give you a blow by blow. I'm not good at that sort of thing. I will post a clip of a few shots the Lions made here later.
In other news this week, I went to see Cedric Liqueur perform. He was in the Cannon Memorial Library on Wednesday, December 5 to perform a poem by Sappho (She was one of the most prominent female Greek poets of the 6th century. - Learned that in class..heh heh). It was unbelievable. Mr.Liqueur is able to express such a vast variety of emotions with just his eyes and mouth. I was speechless for most of the rendition, and then when he had a free moment, I jumped over a few people's legs and got a picture with him. Swell, innit?