Odiere_desk

Disclaimer This article is for educational purposes only. It is not medical advice. If you have symptoms or concerns, please speak with a healthcare professional. If you grew up in Nigeria, you’ve probably heard it at least once: "Don’t swallow guava seeds o, it will cause appendicitis."   I believed it too. Every time I ate guava, I’d sit there picking out every tiny seed with my teeth, scared that one missed seed would land me in the hospital. But here’s the question: Is it true? Do guava seeds actually cause appendicitis? Honestly, No Guava seeds do not cause appendicitis.  In this post, we’ll break down where this myth came from, what science actually says, what really causes appendicitis, and how you can keep enjoying guava and other fruits without fear. If you’ve been worried about seeds, corn, or nuts, this is the truth you need to know. 1 . The Guava Seed Myth: Where Did It Come From? Let’s be honest. This myth has been passed down for generations. Our...

My friend studied Fishery in a federal university. 4 years, Project, Defense, Certificate.  5 years later, he still can’t get a job in fishery. No company is hiring. The farms want "experience."  So what did he do? He’s paying even MORE money to go back and do PhD. Why? So he can teach other people Fishery in the same school. In his case, school looks exactly like a pyramid scheme. Pay money → Get degree → Teach others to pay money → And the cycle continues. I’ve heard it 100 times:   "Education is a pyramid scheme. You go to school, spend millions, graduate, and there’s no job." And honestly? I get the frustration.  I have a friend with a First Class in Biochemistry who is currently doing POS business .  I have a cousin who learned video editing from YouTube in 3 months and is now earning more than our lecturer.  I have spent 5 years in uni, collected certificate, and my first "job" was applying for 200 jobs with no reply. So it feels like...

My niece just turned 2 years old and last weekend, my mom was talking about shaving her hair.   The reason? " She has come of age, and her hair is getting harder to comb.” My mom proposed that shaving her hair now would make it grow back thick.   And it made me wonder... how?   What if the hair doesn’t grow thick?   My niece basically has virgin hair right now because we haven’t started using artificial products to soften it. So why rush to shave it? That one conversation sent me down a rabbit hole. Because it wasn’t just about hair. It was about how we learn, what we believe, and who we trust for answers now.   For generations, Nigerian children didn’t learn about life from Google or YouTube. They learned from grandparents under the moonlight, from parents at the dinner table, and from community elders during gatherings.   Stories, warnings, and advice passed down through oral tradition shaped how young people unde...

I learnt this the hard way.  I had a serious bike accident. In those first minutes, I wasn’t thinking about bones or bleeding. I was thinking about one thing: water. I became so thirsty. So desperate. I kept crying and begging for water. I was telling everyone, “I’m fine, I just need water. I’m just badly thirsty.”   The way I begged made the people gathered around feel sorry for me. And as a typical  Nigerian, they would joyfully gather to watch. They brought the water.   Just as I was about to gulp it, hoping it would calm me down, something changed.   A few minutes after taking the water, I started feeling like I was losing air. I couldn’t breathe properly. I had to pause, stop any movement, and just focus on staying conscious.   Na God just save me.   The worst part? The people around didn’t know any better. No one said, “No, don’t give her water yet.” They were just looking at me like television — helpless, co...

This morning, I was watching Black a popular Korean series. Although the series was interesting, being a Korean fan for years I can still differentiate the actors from who is who. But my friend couldn’t.  He paused and asked me: “ Why do Korean, Chinese and Japanese people look alike ?” If you’ve ever had that question, you’re not alone. And if you’re Asian, you’ve probably been asked it too. The truth is: this doesn’t just happen with Asians. Black people get mixed up by non-Black people. White people get mixed up by non-White people. But because “ Asian ” covers 4.7 billion people from 48 countries, the stereotype hits harder.  So why does our brain do this?   It’s not because Asians actually look the same. It’s because of something psychologists call the “ cross-race effect” or “ own-race bias .” And it’s 100% about how your brain is trained, not about how people look. 1. What Is The Cross-Race Effect? The cross-race effect is simple: We are better a...

I parked into a new neighborhood recently and heard shouting from the house next door. A couple was arguing. Two weeks later, I watched the wife pack her things and the kids and move out.  As time went on, I discovered she had left him with almost nothing. Every property in the house belonged to her — the family car, their TV, couch, cooking gas, table and chairs, even the beds. The only thing standing was the apartment lease which was yet to expire. The reason for their argument? The wife's father had recently passed away. His property was shared among his children. He gave her and her sister 50 million Naira each as inheritance.  The husband proposed she give him the money "as he was the man of the house." She refused. She wanted to use it to establish herself — buy properties and start a business.  The story was quite hilarious when I heard it. But underneath the humor was something ugly. The man wanted control. I’m sure he had been jealous of her from the ...