******Advertisement********

These lovely heeled sandals, made from pearlized ivory leather, bear a cascading profusion of sculpted roses. Your toes will enjoy this garden--all thorns have been removed! We call them Jos roses, after Tamsin's first Nigerian home. Why? When a neighbor trimmed her roses and handed Tam the cut canes, she just stuck them in the ground. Not only did they root, they bloomed within three months! Get them on Saminaka at Cinnamon Brigade: http://slurl.com/secondlife/Saminaka/121/177/31/31

UNDER THE MANGO TREE--Tamsin Barzane

It's been a busy week, with another one ahead. I have the summers off, I have no children to look after, you'd think all would be relaxing, but it isn't. There's still fallout in the form of a barrage of emails to be answered, calls I don't want to take, requests that are interesting but not what I want to do right now, bills to take care of, and all the things you know all too well.

When I think back to my time in Nigeria, I realize few of these things applied--or at least not on a regular basis. Nobody took credit cards--so you only bought things you could afford and thought you needed. Bills were for utilities, but those who couldn't afford could tip the electricity men something and their lines were safe for another month or so. Hungry? A friend would always be willing to share. Anxieties and pressures still existed, but at a different weight and pressure.

Maybe that's one reason I enjoy Saminaka so much. I like to go out dancing, but when people use their spammy gestures and words cover the screen, it's almost as if shouting is going on. A frantic pace is a sort of artificial excitement, like restaurants with intentional bad acoustics meant to foster the noise of a thousand happy, frenzied customers.

Slow down with me. Saminaka has two "off" islands, one with a hammock, the other with a beach blanket or a tree pose. There's the Wikki Warm Springs, where you can float in the water. Sit on the pier by the waterfall and swing your legs, or splash in the pool it spills into. Relax with a cup of palmwine at the Manatee Lookout, or read a book in the library. You'll feel your pulse slow, your muscles relax. It may be virtual, but it can have real physical effects! C'mon over! We've even moved the giant video screen over to Apapa port, so the view of the sunsets is unimpeded. Your free trip to anxiety free paradise could begin right now!

******Advertisement********

VANITY HAIR BY TABATA JEWELL

THE GREATEST HAIR FOR RUNWAY MODELS THAT LOVE TO DARE THE CATWALKS OR JUST NON CONVENTIONAL AVATARS!!! PUT SOME FANTASY IN YOUR SECOND LIFE!!!!!

Middle Experience on Treet.TV

Treet.TV's Second Life show, Designing Worlds, featured Saminaka's Middle Passage Experience and Indea Vaher's Safe Haven Landing on their show last week.

Watch the wonderful video here: http://archive.treet.tv/designing-worlds-middle-passage-experience

Saffia Widdershins and Elrik Merlin travel as Ronke and Boubacar, leaving Africa through the tragic Middle Passage, arriving in the Low Country of the United States.

******Advertisement********

Our massive grid-wide 40% sale is winding down! You know what that means? New sim! New make up! Fabulous new shopping experience. Once we move, all our make ups go back to full price, so be sure to get in on it. Last call ya'll!

FIRST SAMINAKA PHOTO CONTEST--ALL WINNERS!

Saminaka's first contest drew some gorgeous shots of the sim and its visitors and residents. The Grand Prize winner was popular Charity Richez (above), a skilled photographer who waltzed off with 2000L, a voucher for five skins from Kiko Life, a photo shoot with spirit Wingtips, and a raft of prizes from Saminaka's shops!

Other participants whose pictures are shown here are Keno Beardmore, two pics by PHaTTSaMM Fizz, Puff Klang, and Insenara Siamendes.The others' photos will be published next week.

Every participant is a winner, though, gaining a prize that sells for over 200L. Another contest will come in about a month; each Grand Prize winner must wait out the next contest so all have a good chance!

******Advertisement********

FereSight Tarot Readings

by Feretian String

Tarot is more than a game to simply tell you when you'll come into a million dollars or that a mysterious stranger will find their way into your life.

Tarot is a tool for self discovery, helping us to acknowledge the power of choice in our lives and the self awareness that is neccessary to realizing our dreams and confronting our fears. The Tarot reveals what we already know deep down in our subconscious and spreads that knowledge onto our surface awareness.

Fere reads RL Tarot cards. If you are not satisfied with your reading, you simply do not pay. Your privacy is guaranteed. Inquiries by IM.

******Advertisement********

Ads! We have an initial special offer for you, whether you are shopkeepers or classified customers! Remember you can advertise your shop, feature an item, or try to sell a transferable item. If your ad has a photo, it costs more. There are discounts for extended runs of the same ad, and lesser discounts if you have constant ads, but they vary from week to week. YOU CAN ALSO USE THIS VENUE TO ADVERTISE RL OBJECTS AND SERVICES; LIST YOUR EBAY OR OTHER SITE AND REACH OUR CUSTOMERS (Tamsin Barzane will never reveal your rl identity to readers). All ad payments are in-world and in lindens. Ads for the coming week should be submitted by noon SLT Sunday.

Single ad, no photo, one week. maximum 5 Blogger lines: 50L
Single ad, photo, one week. Text maximum 5 Blogger lines: 100L
Single ad recurring, no photo, one month (4 issues). Text maximum 5 Blogger lines: 175L
Single ad recurring, photo, one month (4 issues). Text maximum 5 Blogger lines: 325L
Single ad changing week-to-week, no photo, one month (4 issues). Text maximum 5 Blogger lines. 180L
Single ad changing week-to-week, photo, one month (4 issues). Text maximum 5 Blogger lines. 425L

If you want longer text, more than one photo, or a longer ad run, prices will be adjusted. Contact Tamsin Barzane through inworld notecard or at tbarzane@gmail.com

These are introductory prices--no telling if they'll last more than a month! Get em while you can! As of the morning of July 12, our circulation was 358--now, a week later, we're at 464!! That's a big jump, and our readers come from all over the world. WE GROW DAILY!!

******Advertisement********

You've discovered Second Life's Premiere source of great quality African Art . We offer a variety of African Art Images, vases, rugs, fire bowls and a whole lot More! Unique new pieces created by "CocoCurious" to complete your African Art Collection. http://slurl.com/secondlife/Meissa%20Isle/181/185/25

FROM THE SUITCASE--Oliha Yiwama

Hooray! After a few weeks of cyber woes, Oliha was able to send this missive from Nigeria. I had asked him about how the Michael Jackson news was met--for Michael was a big star there, too, impersonated in stage shows and played on the radio. I also remembered how when, years ago, the U.S. was baffled about Michael's Caucasianization, Nigeria was puzzling instead over his feminization. But, as everywhere, things change when a legend finally departs. Also, Oliha had been the one to inform me of Marlon Jackson's involvement in a proposed resort at Badagry--hotel, golf course, slavery theme park (umm, not a celebration of it), and a sited Jackson Family Museum, active as of this past spring (see concept drawing above). Here's Oliha's report:

Nigeria, the unofficial home of Michael Jackson (at least in the minds of Nigerians!), continues to mourn the loss of its unoffical national hero. Ever since the news of MJ's passing, Nigerians have been glued to their TV sets watching every detail and commenting on the tragedy.

Nigerians watched MJ's wake and commented on each family member by name, as well as the other multitude of stars that attended. I happened to be on the laptop at the time, but was asked to forgo that and to solemnly join the others to watch the funeral proceedings. It was a time of deep thought.

I was so glad that I did. Michael was quite a star, who passed too soon. It was absorbing to roll back the years and think of his impact at home, and to see it here as well. Nigeria follows R&B, blues, soul, hip-hop, and even country music avidly. One of the most popular musical forms is reggae, and Bob Marley is still remembered annually, his face painted on the back of countless trucks.

My curiosity aroused, I decided to inquie who was bigger, Bob Marley or MJ? I got an overwelming responce in the household--MJ! I took my poll to the streets of Benin City, in the cyber cafes, restaurants and to anybody I could ask. The overwelming response remained MJ, in Nigeria and in the world. MJ, I don't know if you are aware, but you continue to live in Nigeria. May you find peace and consolation. --Oliha Yiwama

******Advertisement********

OCHL ENTERPRISE--CLICK FOR A LARGER IMAGE!

Read the blog, get an introductory copy of OCHL's GUIDE TO MUSIC AND DANCE IN SL

HAWKING IN THE MARKET--SAMINAKA COMMERCIAL NEWS

***Slate, Scroll & Stick, Saminaka's library, also has a bookstore! Walk in and turn to your left, and you'll see books to buy and read inworld, as well as Amazon links to great books from and about Nigeria. These will be added to regularly, so come back!

***Kiko Life's new mainstore and sim will soon be ready, and it's an exciting venture! By next weekend.... Well, it's still in the planning stages, but Tamsin Barzane will be opening a posh new boutique there with a completely new line of clothes for men and women, full of prim detailing, sculpty accents, and African textures with contemporary styles!

******Advertisement********

These fashionable men's shoes bear a tiny crocodile charm and are available at

Tropicality at http://slurl.com/secondlife/Saminaka/121/177/31/31http://slurl.com/secondlife/Go/40/204/24

WETIN BE DAT? Pidgin English phrase of the week

"O Boy, come make we wash this your Okada with some cold beer!"
"Wash" means to celebrate a new purchase with a drink, while "Okada" is the name of an Edo town that has come to mean "motorcycle," especially motorcycles used as mini-"taxis."

MY PEOPLE SAY--NIGERIAN PROVERB OF THE WEEK

"When the hyena drinks, the dog can only watch."

THIS WEEK IN SAMINAKA--JULY 20 to 26

Tues., June 21, 6 pm SLT. Weekly meeting of Egbe Akowe Writers Group at the new Slates, Scrolls & Sticks, Saminaka's library cum bookstore. Join the group and receive its missives by hitting the Subscribe-o-Matic (doesn't add to group count) at the meeting location http://slurl.com/secondlife/Saminaka/174/194/30 or the Manatee Lookout Palm Wine Joint on Tarkwa Beach. Critique/sharing the first hour, then writing fun afterwards for the lingerers. Prepare to use BenGay--Acu Watanabe will split your sides with her wisecracking!

We had a great first meeting--come even if you haven't written this week and join the discussion and in-place exercises!

Wed., June 22. 6 pm SLT. Opening of the "Timbuktu's Ancient African Universities" slideshow and launching of the African Intellectual Traditions hippobook at Slates, Scrolls & Sticks at http://slurl.com/secondlife/Saminaka/174/194/30

Ongoing for unspecified period. Visit Saminaka's booth at the "Show Me the Green" Expo on the

rooftop of the Museum of the African-American

Experience here: http://slurl.com/secondlife/Saminaka/136/213/28

Ongoing for 3 more weeks. The Middle Passage Experience has been relocated outside Treet.TV's studios. With more prims, it is more powerful than ever! Foliage surrounds the paths you take from freedom to slavery, and evocative sounds reinforce the move from everyday contentment to horror. Make history come alive! At http://slurl.com/secondlife/Northpoint/71/68/23