CHINA TORI

Usually, people tend to come up with epistles when they’ve had to go through really terrible situations and come out either unscathed or with wounds that will live with them forever, but my case is different. I get all mushy and reflective when I wrap up one year and I’m about to step into the next. I find in my journey a whole lot to think about and be grateful for.

I sincerely do not intend to make this the typical “I was at the bottom, but I’m here now” kind of epistle but I do hope that you will find in my pictures small and really tiny things that will inspire you to stay true to yourself and to hold on to your dreams.

Cropped tops are not my thing. Yeah, it will take a lot to build the confidence to wear pieces that will expose my “big/bloated stomach”. This cream coloured cropped top has been lying in my bag for months and on this particular day, I didn’t have what to wear. I had to try it out to see if it will be “useful”, but I didn’t find the courage to wear it out and I ended up not going anywhere.
📷 by my kid brother.

Fresh out of the university, regular stay-at-home girl, submitted a lot of applications online for jobs, always on the internet, envying everyone else, in and out of quarrels with everyone at home and bored to death, I decided to make my own makeup video. This is a still-photo from that experience.

2017 – Mom kept pushing for a family portrait and the offsprings of Okoro assembled. When it was time for a personal pic, she had to force that smile outta me. There’s only so much one can bear and no one understood that the pain running through me was the reason I cut my hair in the first place.

1. March 20th 2017 – There’s no way I’m stepping into another year without a party. Hey siblings, pack up! We are going to take pictures. My first celebration after my one year birthday; it wasn’t loud but I had my brother and my sister and that meant so much.

Head of Drama Unit Platoon 9, NYSC Bayelsa State. Nobody wanted to assume the position, so I did and together, we broke the jinx that has existed for over ten years by coming first.

From my mom’s eldest sister, to her other elder sister, to one of my first cousins, and then to me, this buba and iro helped cover my shame that Traditional Day in 300 Level.

This is the picture I came up with for my campaign ad in my 400 Level when I contested for the position of Department President. Guess what? I lost. In a department where 98% of its population are women, I lost woefully to a man.

Here’s a pic of me and the one person that makes EVERYTHING make sense. I love you sweetheart.

I had just made that hair and I was feeling fly, plus I needed a headshot for an audition. I never got a call back.

Christmas is a time for new clothes. I was way too old expect any from my parents and I couldn’t afford any. So I wore my mother’s wrapper instead. Did I enjoy that Christmas? Sure did.

There you have it. Thank you so much for taking out time to read through it all. I hope you found something; anything at all that will make a difference in your life.

My birthday is in four days and I can’t help but be grateful. I know that there’s still so much to learn and this knowledge fills me with hope and positivity. Please be here to celebrate with me come March 20th, 2018. God keep you.