Friendship, like love I guess, isn’t really a respecter of age. I think my friendship with Eki is proof of this because we just connect on a strange, elemental level even though we’re not exactly age mates. Actually that might just be the Osayande charm that all the girls in that family have? Maybe. Anyway, the other day Eki and I were having a gossip on Hollywood’s current It Girl, Lupita N’yongo and I said to myself, “Self, you will blog about this one day!”

Today is that day.

Wendelyn: Commenter on necolebitchie.com says of Tika Sumpter’s bob: “She looks like Anna Wintour dipped in Godiva”

Eki: Haha!

Eki: Mind you we’ve not discussed your thoughts on the world’s new It girl: Miss Lupita N’yongo

Wendelyn: I think some of these people in the west are just goats

Eki: Goats ke?

Wendelyn: She is as pretty as your dark skinned neighbour. Calling her “…the most gorgeous thing ever!!!” is a stretch

Wendelyn: She is dark skinned and pretty, no one will be angry with you if you say “…she is ok!” or “…she’s pretty!”

Eki: As in

Eki: Reaching for the stars

Eki: The pretty is even debatable to me

Eki: The gorgeousness of her skin isn’t though

Wendelyn: They’re all like “…she is the most stunning being ever!!” Really?? But the girl in your office that looks like her you wouldn’t date though…

Eki: But to me she’s a hella dark girl with gorgeous skin. And great eyes

Wendelyn: Her skin is dark and luminous.

Eki: Tbh there’s something about her eyes/smile that’s very warm and nice

Wendelyn: But the one they’ve claimed her “…the most gorgeous ever!” I’m like, calm it. She looks like a ton of us outchea!

Eki: She’s def someone I’d want to hang out with. She seems fun. Like someone I can relate to on many levels

Eki: It’s just the beautiful black skin that’s mesmerizing them

Eki: I’ve been there before lol

Wendelyn: What’s craziest to me though is that she was on Shuga just how long ago

Eki: Exactly

Wendelyn: So this is amazing to be happening to her

Wendelyn: It’s like a new Nollywood actress suddenly becoming A-list in Hollywood.

Eki: She’s proof that you gotta be ready when the world is ready for you

Eki: She lucked out. But has played it excellently well

Eki: Genevieve and Omotola had their opportunities too

Eki: But they have proven they couldn’t juice it for all it was worth

Eki: Like she’s straight up besties with Anna Wintour. Casually chilling with Kanye. Being dressed by the best dressmakers in the world. Everyone wants a piece of her

Wendelyn: I don’t even know how to say she did this but I guess you’re right, be ready when your stars align.

Wendelyn: Omotola can start being ready by losing a ton of weight

Eki: Exactly. That’s what I’ve learnt from Lupita oh.

Eki: STAY READY!

Wendelyn: When I read Lupita went to Yale school of drama, all I could think was “Damn!”

Wendelyn: Like take this thing seriously!

Eki: You never know when fame/stardom/wealth/influence is gonna come knocking

Eki: So gotta stay ready

Eki: I feel there have been times something bigger was ready for me, but I wasn’t quite there

Wendelyn: Yeah

Eki: Now I shan’t let such pass me by

Wendelyn: I love that when she decided to properly pursue acting, she went for the best.

Wendelyn: I thought, “Why the hell didn’t anyone from Nollywood think of doing this?!”

Eki: True.

Eki: Nowadays I try to look more presentable – you never know when Prince Harry will decide to show up at Galante for post-work drinks

Wendelyn: Hahahaha

Eki: Her background is very similar to ours

Eki: She’s upper middle class African

Eki: Happy that the world is accepting her for that too

Eki: Like went to school in Kenya. But an international school

Eki: Traveled on holidays

Eki: Etc etc

Eki: No forced accent

Eki: No complexes

Wendelyn: Her dad is a politician, aunty on Forbes most influential African women’s list

Wendelyn: And they probably would have told her, anything worth doing is worth doing the best

Wendelyn: Not even just well

Wendelyn: It’s what we did by applying to good schools

Wendelyn: That “…if I’m going to do it, I might as well be the best…”

Eki: Exactly

Wendelyn: I’m just impressed with her foresight

Wendelyn: She’s like us, we had people that were wiser and wouldn’t let us consider any other ways

Wendelyn: Like my dad told us that if we can’t get into Ivy Leagues, we would go to school in Ghana

Eki: Hahaha oh Isaac!

Eki Osayande: But that’s what my dad used to say too

Eki: Ain’t no point sojourning to far away lands to get what UniLag can provide

Wendelyn: Lol. Of course, that’s what made me work

Wendelyn: I remember when I got into the LSE and everyone was congratulating me. My dad only said, “thank you”

Wendelyn: Lol

Wendelyn: For him I’d justified his choices for me by getting in

Eki: Lol

Eki: My dad would have even said “Before nko?!”

Eki: “Thank you” ke??

Eki: Lupita’s still hardworking and honest about her background

Eki: No apologies. Love that

Wendelyn: Omotola and co are examples of big fish in small pond though

Eki: Hahaha

Eki: Allow them

Eki: They also don’t know better

Eki: So you can’t really compare

Eki: A lot of us had many decisions made for us in advance

Eki: I see that in Lupita too

Wendelyn: I guess but man you’re right though. Lessons from Lupita for real

Eki: The world was ready for her and she was more than prepped.

Eki: You should watch her interview with Jimmy Kimmel

Eki: She was so charming and at ease.

Eki: Very endearing to watch

Eki: That’s when I started paying attention

Eki: Cos oh boy that punk haircut and okay body?? Complete with muscular arms that look like mine – were not moving me

Wendelyn: That’s what institutionalised privilege does

Wendelyn: I read this quote about nobility one time, let me find it

Eki: Yup. Exactly. Institutionalized privilege

Eki: Or rather innate privilege

Eki: That’s why I say she’s an unfair comparison to Omotola and Genevieve tbh

Eki: Cos it’s just like if you or me blow up

Eki: Of course it’s exciting but ain’t nothing gonna faze me really

Wendelyn: Found it

Eki: She’s been at Yale. With movers and shakers. It’s still exciting but you can’t really honestly think “OMG it’s so surreal!”

Wendelyn: Found the quote. “I understood that grandeur was not nobility or dignity as I’d been taught. It was the ability to be comfortable in the world.”

Eki: Exactly

Wendelyn: Hahaha if we blew up we’d be so messy. We’re Nigerian so we’d not only be comfortable, after a little while we’d look down on the best of Hollywood like “Jennifer Lawrence though…that all you got??”

Eki: Exactimundo

Wendelyn: Snobs and errthang

Eki: And while the world is charmed by our confidence, eloquence etc

Wendelyn: Lol we’re just being ourselves

Wendelyn: So true

Eki: It’s like a great philosopher once said ‘I woke up like this!!’

Wendelyn: Hahahahahahahahaha

Wendelyn: It’s really a “great philosopher”. Beyoncrates?

Eki: Just like even being at Stanford…

Eki: Like yea it’s awesome being at a great school

Eki: But honestly where I come from, everyone tells me I’m awesome too

Eki: But obvi there’s levels to this

Eki: Lol

Wendelyn: Lol

Wendelyn: It’s just knowing there’s nothing to prove

Eki: Exactly

Eki: That quiet confidence is a luxury not accorded to all

Wendelyn: Sha see us feeling ourselves like we lost our keys…