DID YOU KNOW: PRAYING MANTISES 'PRACTICE' SEXUAL CANNIBALISM?

Hellos,.....two weeks ago, i published a blog on how a praying mantis invaded my home and my whole being was in quagmire for some good hours. While many of you had various reactions to the post, i still stood my ground, ....that thing is way too lethal to hang around! Luckily enough, one of my amazing audience members seems to have doubts about this 'docile' but hazardous insect in disguise. He sent me a message to do some more research about this whole 'coital cannibalism' that some praying mantis species' females practice. Thanks Cosmas for reaching out.

And without further ado, lets get cringing, shall we? Yeah, i meant it, cringing, because you will be shocked at how some ruthless female mantises treat their 'lovers' after some good hours of copulating. Yep i mean hours, they don't just take a lunch break and get 'jiggy' with it, they take their God given time and,...literally like,"we don't wanna do half-baked work, we'll take all the time we want." Haha, hope i don't have under age persons reading this shit.  Before i get into the reasons why this is 'business as usual' for these 'girls', let's get to know more about the mantises. Save the best for last, goes the old proverbial phrase.

STEREO VISION
Praying mantises have 3D vision, just like we humans and that makes them a one in a million family of insects with such a rich possession. They have 5 eyes,...yes, five of them. Two are those protruding cylinder bottoms hanging at the two edges of the ridiculously triangle shaped head while the other three lie in the middle of the whole sort of samosa situation. The big eyes are for seeing movement in a depth vision while the small ones detect light. It's a no brainer as of now that i get to accept, these crazy fellas have a similarity to humans.

Them eyes, them mandibles!

WHY ARE PRAYING MANTISES CALLED SO?
Well, its because when they are waiting for prey, they hold their front legs in an upright position as if folded in prayer. Also, the word 'mantis' is of Greek origin from a word 'mantikos' meaning prophet. There is a whole lot more of spiritual affiliations to this insect but i don't want to get there, allow me to proceed, thanks.

SWIFT AMBUSH
Mantises are said to have a very swift coordination with all their senses while they capture and devour their prey. Actually, the time lapse for this action is like the speed of lightning and can rarely be observed with naked eyes. Their serrated long front legs are also a perfect feature for keeping prey pinned up for the meal.

CAMOUFLAGE ASPECT
Mantises camouflage both for safety against predators like frogs and lizards and also to lure their prey. The perfect example of the prey luring devils are the Orchid Mantises whose color and structure fit perfectly the mimic of an orchard flower. See, looks can be extremely deceiving. In so doing, other insects bring their nosy selves to the 'flower' for nectar only to be entangled in the 'stiff tentacles' of some triangle headed being.

Here it is, doesn't look like an insect, does it?

FLEXIBILITY
Mantises have heads that can turn a whopping 180 degrees, mantises have been found to jump with extreme precision contorting their body midair to land on a precarious and specific target, just like cats. Normally, praying mantises range from 1-6 inches (2.5-15) Centimeters long depending on the species which are over 1,800.

LIFE CYCLE
Like most insects, mantises have three stages of a life cycle. They, however, generally live for only one year, half of which is spent in the egg and nymph stage so the mantis only enjoys six months of adult life. They also molt at end of particular periods and in the end, some develop wings while others dont. The females don't use their wings to fly but the males do. That sounds like some kinda gender inequality, haha.

One more for your optical nutrition. If u can't see it, check again.

LASTLY, THESE FEMALE CANNIBALS!

Now, there are different scientific reasons that rationalize this behavior but one that i read about and was more fascinated with, is the fact that the female mantises lay lots of eggs and while the mating process goes on, the they develop an urge to feed. One clear thing is; mantises eat fresh prey and unfortunately for the male counterparts, the females can access nothing but their partners during or immediately after the sexual intercourse. It's the very reason why they will bite off the partners head-to start with and dine on the rest later. 25% of the males die during the intercourse and research shows that the ones that survive continue to engage in this risky business. HAHA

A headless male mounting a female, where do u think the head disappeared to?

When a female eats a male after mating, his body resolves into hers and part of which is also passed on to the offspring.(i hope this ain't a confusion but that's just how it is) and the 'satisfying' bit is: Females who cannibalize their partners are found to produce 25% more eggs(which actually carry some of the males biological material) than those that don't. How more interesting or confusing for this matter can science get?

So basically, that's what i thought i would bring you this week. Somethings are not 'helpful' in real life but they are worth knowing. Imagine me narrating this whole thing to my grand kids, i would definitely look a genius to them. And also, the more we learn about nature, the more we get to be in sync with it. If knew that the mantis is barely dangerous to humans, i probably wouldn't have dived into a frenzy of fear when i sat face to face with the fella. See, he or she, whatever it was, would have found its way out.

Let's be open to learning,...as it never stops and also feed our minds with some interesting facts other than these daily horrific breaking news of climate uproars, the laying off of workers in companies,...the dirty politics making rounds on our TV sets,...our mind should also have something less terrifying and stressing. 

Here to warm your day with these weird facts,

                                                                          PATIENCE.

STOP PLAYING THE COMPARISON GAME, IT RUINS STUFF.

Good morning ladies and gentlemen, it's 11/10/2019 and like i have mentioned before, years must be chasing after some holy grail, dang,...i even heard Christmas songs playing at my local shop(guess they are a little too early though) haha..but that's to bring you up to speed with this virtual marathon.

A little throw back to 2018

Okay, back to business, when i was a young girl, i admired our housemaid so much. She was tough, had a commanding voice and all those qualities i wanted to have. She looked curvaceous in her skirts(always) while i appeared straight head to toe. I always wished to be like her, with the authority she possessed. One day, she punished me for a mistake i did, and while i served  my punishment, i said to myself, "if i weren't young, i would not be doing this." Little did i know that she actually heard me lamenting and she said to me, "wait for your time, when you grow up, you will also boss  around."

Now that's exactly the piece i was missing in the puzzle. Comparing myself to a person who had 20 years ahead of my life was nothing but giving  myself migraines. While i didn't notice how sad i was because of being young...and wishing i was older, i now know that i deprived myself of some peace of mind as a child. To be sincere, there are nights i spent sleepless imagining how best i could be tough towards Sylvia(oh that's her name) but at the break of dawn, Sylvia would cool our(My elder brother Hope and I) porridge and as she handed me my cup, all my anger vanished like a sweet dream. I laugh hard each time i recall my "war" plans against older people.

I'm enjoying my photography sessions these days. ShotsbyPolly.

See, just like me, there are so many of you guys out there,....you look at some young girl cruising a Chevrolet and some sort of fire consumes your whole being and you start to wonder,"gosh she actually looks younger than me, i am 26 and i don't even own a fridge to keep my fruits at home." Stuff like that take away happiness and makes you feel less of what you really are, so a better way to keep up your energy is appreciate your own abilities and also keep in mind that there lots of people who secretly admire you for who you really are. We used to call them SAs(Secret Admirers) way back at Maryhill High School, @Rose @Cathy do you copy????

This is for my male counterparts: I had a friend who always admired women of a certain class, but looked down on himself because, well he wasn't established yet. One day he decided to join a gang or cult of some sort,...those guys had no proper legit jobs but they were always dripping in Calvin Klein V necks. He admired them, compared his Kaja jeans(Oh btw, FYI kaja is not a brand, its a place in down town Kampala where you can buy cheap clothes) to their Boo Hoo, Levis dark wash pants ,...and so on. Three months down the road, he was one of the "boys" and he actually hooked up a girl he always wanted.

All was well until hell broke loose as the gang leader was arrested and so the shady business (whatever it was) closed shop. By then my buddy had quickly adopted to a life which he unfortunately couldn't sustain without a well paying normal job. Long story short, the girl moved out ASAP, and moved in with some City tycoon's loaded son,....the landlord confiscated whatever the guy had over uncleared rent arrears and poor friend was back to what,...square one,..NO, some negative digit. Now, was all that really worth it? I am a woman so i can't judge him, maybe you guys can let me know in the comments down below. Stop playing the comparison game people.

Sending you some sky vibes as seen from Nakulabye! ShotsbyPolly

I have had my fair share of the downsides of the game too. I look at some ladies and they are literally like some carefully sculptured beings, and then i go, " oh dear non-existent booty, who hurt you? I mean i could use some bit of a bump,......blah blah...." That used to happen a lot before i discovered that some of the babes with tantalizing asses have trouble fitting in jeans and some cute leather skirts! Haha, that could be one of the reasons  why i started to appreciate my 42 kgs slender physique and complain less. As women, we find that a lot and while we focus on some one's hour glass body, we lose touch with the amazing  almond eyes God gave us, which is totally wrong. All this comes from comparing ourselves and belongings to someone else's.

While sometimes its a motivation for us to work harder and achieve something, it shouldn't be a distraction from our self worth. It's helpful in one way or the other but it comes with such a huge momentum that we rush so fast, hitting every obstacle along the way at full speed without slowing down to get our bearings  right, and in the end, we miss the target. So, let's take the positive out of admiration and let go of what makes us feel less of the strong,  able, courageous and amazing people that we already are.

LOVE,
            PATIENCE.

I NEARLY KILLED MYSELF, LAST NIGHT!

Hello from this side, from a panicky Patience who had to pinch her cheeks to confirm she is alive ..."after waking up." Now, i know you are curving your lips,..."shiaaa, if someone is awake, they are alive",..that's what you are saying. But no, this morning, i needed just more than my eyes faintly surveying my surroundings to confirm i wasn't on the highway to heaven!

The calm before the storm

How did i come to this though? That's a big query! And the answer is quite easy, i panicked and created something that is capable of suffocating a human, woman like me to death. Let's dive into the details, shall we?

Okay, after a long day's exhaustion at work, i went home, freshened up and at 10 pm, i was catching a movie whose title i can't recall, neither much about it because my eyelids kept kissing the whole time. All i remember is, there was Silvester Stallon in there, i don't mistake his freaking face for anything, haha, even if i'm 80 degrees high on smirnoff.

Here is how it all begun; I change into my night wear, a flimsy floral polyester dress, and get a glass of water, get in the corner of the bed and comfort myself with my blue quilt and hence the dosing begun. Guess you are wondering why i just couldn't sleep right away, it's because: i don't sleep sleep, i sleep time. When i sleep at 10, that means i will wake up at 1 am and lose sleep till 3 or 4 am, so to avoid that, i sleep at midnight or 1 am, so i can go all the way to 7 am, which is my wake up time. Naturally i have less sleep.

The horrorific moment kicked off with me jerking off from what, sleep or a mistaken longgg nap at 1am and the first thing my drowsy eyes caught sight of was a humongous playing/praying mantis a meter away next to where my drinking water was. Scared to bits, my first reaction was to kill the monster minus breaking the glass. So, my dumb ass conscience was like: "The insecticide,..yes that will work." Grabbed the canister, and fuuuuuuuu..fuuuuuu, i sprayed at the mantis till it staggered and its lifeless long limbs flattened out. Oh, i could then breathe, my life was out of danger, haha.

Just in case you don't know who broke into my house, this thing did.

See, they say before you start a war, you should be sure you can somehow end it. As for me, it didn't occur to me that i had to deal with a room full of insecticide smell. It's 1:20 am now and opening the door wide at that time is something i ditched. So, once again, my weird gut points at the deodorant that i had just bought,....got it, sprayed around the room, well to take out the odd smell, what i didn't know is i was making it even worse. So for heavens sake, if my teeny tiny nose couldn't take the first explosion, what made me think i would handle a fusion of i don't know how many gas 'ingredients'-for lack of a better word.

Long story short, in a few minutes, my eyes were running watery, my nose beaming with whatever the sneeze offered and before i took all that in, i noticed that i was actually taking my breaths in gasps. Once more, my mind was like,"Patie, this is actually how people suffocate from stuff and die in their sleep." What???? i tried taking water, but noticed it could have an amount of the gas since its been just there. Suddenly, i felt light headed and while i thought i was gonna die, i sneezed to life again and opened the door, sat at the veranda and watched the flickering star in the dim grey sky.

Now someone will lie to my face that this ain't freaky!

At 2:37, i started growing goose bumps from the cold outside so i moved back. The gas smell had reduced but still felt "not safe enough" for me to sleep but slept anyway. Told God i don't want to be the headlines of some local TV station so i asked him to keep me breathing till morning, and He sure did.

So, guys, take caution. If you are like me who never gets anything done right when on pressure or scared, remind yourself to breathe breathe and breathe, You need to fuckin come down, NO, I NEEDED TO CALM DOWN FIRST BEFORE I GOT HOLD OF THE INSECTICIDE CAN! You need to do the same. At this rate i'm afraid i might panic and lose out heaven's gateway, haha i hope i won't. Take care guys, catch y'all next Friday, oh, and happy new month!

EVER WONDERED WHY WOMEN LIKE FLOWERS? HERE IS WHY!

I love me some cute and sweet scented flowers, be it Tulips, Peonies, Roses, Petunias, Lotus, Cherry Blossoms or Lilacs, they all are beautiful. Now some guys are like,....Petunias, Lotus, What the heck is that, some hot bitch in a new blockbuster movie or what? Haha, gather close, let me give you a hint on how to get your woman to smile and feel overly special.

Rose

Most of our 'brothers' have almost lost their brain cells in trying to figure out why women love flowers, want flowers even when they never last even a month. Well, hell yeah, they don't last but that's one of the chore reasons we love them. We want you to spend some money on something that we can have for a moment, not that pair of shoes that you will always refer to while reminding us of the 'sacrifices' you made for us...yes, some dude tells you:"I spent a fortune on that dresser of yours and you still doubt me?" Hey, we appreciate all those things, but a bouquet of fresh flowers on that fuckin dresser reminds us more of the sweetest things you have said to us!

Cherry blossoms

Now, some girls will be like, oh i don't care about those expensive gifts....blah blah....Here is the truth, we really yearn for them on the inside, while we try to be "your ideal woman who is not materialistic" we honestly wish that you could surprise us with even one half of a fresh petal at our work places, that will keep us rooted in the smiley emoji mood, i swear!

Tulips

It's a fact, flowers die after a few days or weeks(depending on how well you take care of them) but that's not the point, the point is giving us something that's not a basic. We crave the chocolate on some specific days,(that makes it a basic, no arguments please) we love to eat out, food is a need....so apart from all these, how about some 'new' unexpected roses in the vase in our living room?

Peonies

See, when the sugar abruptly tastes bitter, the issue is not with the sugar granules, it's with the tongue. If you ever present flowers to bae and she ain't moved, its not the flowers that smell awkward, it could be your behavior or ridiculous ways that turn her off, get your shit together and be a better version of yourself.

The other reason is how we feel about the kind of flowers. Red tulips are a declaration of love while the sunflowers shout, False riches, disdain, why because way back when the Spanish explorers approached the America's, they thought the sun flowers were made of real gold as seen from a far which was far different as they came close....so don't ruin your date with these. Find out the meaning of the flowers before you present them because that's what we value, sometimes. Lavenders represent devotion while red roses sparkle love and desire. Be mindful of the BLACK ROSES though, just like you see them in movies, the darker the shade, the more intriguing the meaning behind.

lotus

Flowers, despite the cultural affiliations or meanings attached to them, are gifts that no one can say no to. The whole reason why the snapchat filters grace your forehead with crowns of the same. Dear mean, extra ordinary men, are the usual men, who go an extra mile to do something extra. Be that extra for the woman you love, its just that simple,...easy peasy!

Petunias

The first flowers i ever got were fake plastic roses,......(oh dear heart, hold up) and i must say, i loved them, despite their 'fakeness', haha,....i sprayed my deodorant on them every morning so i could smell them at lunch time,...i was in primary seven vacation. When was your first time to give or get flowers people, lets get chatting in the comments down below.

Thanks for stopping by, take good care of yourselves and ,...show people some love, buy women flowers,...they are waiting for that dawn to break, so make it happen.       Love, Patie.

TELL THEM YOU LOVE THEM BEFORE YOU LOSE THEM

Hello there, hope y'all are doing great, if otherwise, how about a warm cyber hug from yours truly, ME! Well, thanks for stopping by once again, i appreciate the love. So September is only a week to end, where the hell is the year zooming to? Some of my dreams are still only a wild goose chase, what am i gonna do? Okay enough of me, let's get chatting!

As you can tell from the title, today i want us to look back at how we have been treating our loved ones, family, friends, workmates, associates and the people we constantly bump into at our frequented hangout spots.

See, we are human, we catch feelings(yes, we do, i do).....we feel comfortable with some people and not with others, we like some at first sight while we hate others at first chat. That's how the human race is. Much as we experience these all sorts of love and attraction, whatever it is for you, we also tend to overshadow these sweet adrenaline rush moments with our ego, pride and prejudice.

If someone is cute, we think they might be proud, if they are rich, we think they are full of themselves, if they are poor, we think they are only gold diggers, if they are quiet, we think they are boring....and so forth. However, these are only baseless judgements that deprive us of a chance to meet, like, love and be with the people who could actually be our soulmates, who knows!

Also, when we get to be with these people, how often do we show or tell them how we feel about them? Two weeks ago, my brother Hope(God bless your heart) asked me to pass by his home so we could eat cake together. I told him i would be tired by the time i finished the day's work, then Monday messy traffic,.....all those excuses. However after a minute, i told him i would go. 

WHY THE SUDDEN CHANGE OF MIND?

Well, i sat still and wondered why i would turn down the invitation. How many people are dying of depression, with not even a soul to listen to them, hug them and aid them go through another day? I told him,"whatever opportunity, minute i can have to spend a moment with my family, i will exploit it fully. I will surely come." Truth be told, we had an amazing time and our darling mother couldn't wish for more. She loves it when we are together.

Big face is me, with my best friend.

So, don't wait till someone is lying helpless on their death bed to buy them their favorite drink so they can be happy because they won't. Tell your friends how dear they are to you before they are not anymore. We live in a world where we are not sure if we will see another sunrise so love the people you love-profusely, because many a times, we never know what is in the heart, only you can display what you feel for us.

Don't wait till HE/SHE goes for whoever comes by when you could be THE ONE she/he has yearned for all their life, and then you suddenly start to realize that you COULD LOVE THEM MORE THAN THAT! Bury your damn ego and date that waitress, driver, bartender, tailor even when you have a thousand degrees on your head, because if your heart beats for them, if you see them and feel alive again, if they talk to you and you get butterflies in your stomach, they are the ones! It's surely not about reputation, LOVE TRANSCENDS ALL THAT.

The umby, yes, it was so sunny.

Why would you go on and marry a neural surgeon whom you are going to cheat on with a driver? You know clearly that your heart belongs somewhere else yet you keep on bruising it with your insatiable desires for a certain 'class', social circle', and the urge to please others. Who wants to live their entire life being happy and complete for only two hours when you get away from your wife/husband to go and find 'LIFE' with some one who ain't rightly and legally yours?

My esteemed readers, let's defy some of these human nature weaknesses, love the person you want to, tell them so, have fun with your family because at the end of the day, they are the ones most likely to take you in, regardless of your honors, crimes, poverty, riches and all the above. Have people in your life who will stay when your mask falls off. Love them without holding back, if it works out not, it's okay because after all, YOU GAVE IT YOUR ALL.

Here comes the lady in red, Penny.

To my darling friend Penny, i appreciate and love you more than you will ever imagine. I cherish every moment spent with you and i want you to know that i will carry you within my heart all the days of my life, because you have loved me unconditionally! To Hope and Spear, my knights in shining armor, i love you deeply. To you all my readers, i couldn't have come this far without your support, thank you and i love y'all. Be kind to one another, and LOVE IMMENSELY, UNCONDITIONALLY AND MOST OF ALL, LET THEM KNOW HOW MUCH THEY MEAN TO YOU! ........Love, Patie.

YOUR DREAMS ARE STILL VALID, TAKE HEART!

"In life, we make choices, some good, others bad. Reliving my life is something i can't do, Starting over again seems nearly impossible but if i could, i would still choose........MY DREAMS." I read this phrase from a greeting card i got in my Primary Six, from my friend's sister. (Yes, i received many of those and some letters on cute writing pads, ...how nostalgic!) For some reason, it has stuck with me till now, if indeed i could,...start all over again, i would never look down on myself, later on my dreams.

Many a times, things don't go our way,(like they sure will always) and in the heat of the moment, we feel like and often actually do give up. I have been in a situation where i wasn't even sure if i wanted to face another day. Moments when i felt like i clearly didn't belong and i had no reason to go on and pursue what.....dreams? Career? or disappointments? There are two years of my life that got death and despair staring at me in the face, marking each passing day on the calendar till i would finally face my fate. It was hard, and my faith in my dreams dwindled with each tedious hour that went by.

My weaknesses and mistakes landed me into a life long heartache but so what? Did i have to let go of everything? All the years of school? All the plans i had ahead? What about my dreams that i could vividly visualize...even feel? Did i really have to let it all go down the drain? Flush them down the toilet in an instant? What then would be my purpose in life? How about the people who had high hopes in me? Those who have supported me along life's long journey, my parents, brothers and kids who saw me as their icon, did i have to break their hearts too?

So, everyone, before you let it all go, ask yourself some of the above questions. Look around you and put to paper how many people your decision is going to hurt. I know i have always preached the self-love sermon but you need to differentiate it from self centeredness and selfishness. Don't mix the two.
Before you give up that course at the university, look back at the struggle you went through to even secure your admission. Before you quit that job which is a milestone in your career, think about the sleepless nights expended in preparation for those interviews, the presentations and all those sacrifices you have made, just breathe,...and soldier on for the next week. Of course when enough is enough and you can't take it anymore, quit! There is always an open door, after a closed one.

While receiving an Oscar Award five years ago, in her acceptance speech, Lupita Nyong'o had this to say; NO MATTER WHERE YOU'RE FROM, YOUR DREAMS ARE VALID!
And i would like to re echo the same, it really doesn't matter where you're from, what school you went to, what family background or even what is going on in your life right now, IF YOU CAN STILL VISUALIZE AND FEEL YOUR DREAMS, THEY ARE STILL VALID!

There are mornings when i woke up and wrote a resignation letter, carried it with me to my work place, this was about 3 weeks after i got the job. But each day that i decided to quit, i would go to office and by the end of the day, i had a valid reason to get back the next day and work. Thanks to one of my bosses who was an open book for me to read and draw strength and inspiration from. And so can you! DON'T QUIT UNTIL YOU CAN'T 'NOT QUIT'.

If there is one thing i have learnt, it's to hold on just a little longer. To keep on the grip even when i feel my fingers getting numb. To show up for myself even when everybody shuns the party, because at the end of the day, YOU CREATE YOUR SUCCESS, others only join in and tag along.
DON'T GIVE UP ON YOURSELF AND YOUR DREAMS.

Love you all, take care of yourselves and chase your dreams.

DID YOU KNOW: MEAT-EATING PLANTS(CARNIVOROUS PLANTS) EXIST?

Hellooos from this side, how are you doing people? Now, if anyone knows me a bit, they know i'm a curious fella who wants to learn more about various stuff, even if that knowledge isn't necessarily gonna earn me a dinner platter, ...i just love learning new things, they excite and fulfill me somehow.

Not all that glitters is gold, Need i say more?

This week i chanced upon an article that partly read "Meat-eating plants are back"....this was one of those moments when i try to revisit my science lessons from school to check if i ever learned about such and dang, these plants never came into play. This only means my curiosity veins were coming to life, like they were under some kinda massive ignition. I wanted more and more i got!

This pitcher plant can trap and digest a big rat not only some tiny mice.

I don't don't want to be your biology/ecology teacher but how about i give you that trick that will keep your child from wandering away into the bushes/farm land against your consent? I even wonder why there was never a scary folklore of some kind about these plants told to me while i grew up!

What drives this carnivorous behavior though?
Carnivorous plants largely grow in areas with less soil, water logged areas like bogs and swamps where water and sunshine are readily available but with less of soil nutrients and this creates an immense need for nutrients like phosphorus, nitrogen and potassium which can luckily be derived from insect bodies, and more small arthropods like toads and frogs. Hence the adaptation to trapping, killing and digesting the 'meat'.

And there he goes, sliding in to his death!

How is this trapping/killing possible?
Now what bothered me most was how a plant, whose locomotive ability is as limited, could honestly trap an insect that flies miles and miles! It was not until i 'got down with it'
Here is how it all works;

• These plants produce a sweet smelling nectar that attracts insects onto them. Just like how white women are attracted to guys with dreadlocks haha, this is no offense, i have had countless confessions.
• On the surface of these leaves or whatever you may call them, is a sticky substance that gets the victim glued there, like never letting go.
• Inside the lid(for some plants like the pitchers) are downward pointing hairs that lead the victim further into the plant base. So literally its like a hell whole, you can only slide in but can't crawl out.

Oh dear, he is on his high way to the grave, RIP!

• At the base of the barrel is a pool of chemicals that DIGEST the insects. Now, here is the irony. The prey/victim isn't killed immediately, its trapped in these liquids/acids and may take up to 15 minutes to finally die and then the chemicals work on extracting the needed nutrients, a process that takes a very long time. It's a slow, violent eventual death, poor insects!
• Some eg the Yellow trumpet have a substance in their nectar that paralyzes any insect that eats it. One sip away and the insect tumbles right into the pool to be digested.

Caught up in the interlocking hell gate.

• Some eg the sundews use nectar to get insects to land on leaves covered with sensitive hairs with beads of sticky liquids.
• The Venus fly trap is probably the commonest around which apparently is put indoors to capture flies. It has an interlocking sort of ridge; a no escape plot.

Careful what you wish for, don't fall for the red lotus!

Common Characteristic (according to me)

90% of them have red or a patch of red on their leaves or stems.
One of my workmates told me, "that could be because of the blood they consume",....haha,...i died.

Now tell me this doesn't look like a trap to you!

Okay everybody, i would love to hear from you, are you familiar with these plants? Or have you heard a folklore concerning them?  The only one i read a few days ago about a carnivorous tree that ate human beings....found out the tree never existed neither did the writer.

I'm on the look out for these plants, if i land on any, i will update this post. If you know any, suggest please, i want to satisfy my curiosity, THANK YOU!

SETTLING FOR LESS IN A RELATIONSHIP?

Hello everybody, how are y'all doing? It's the last Friday of August and baby, we're riding the hell outta this year. Meanwhile, i was away last weekend- the reason you didn't have a post, i had gone to check on my darling mother and i must say it was all nice. I hope you are all well and progressing! Thanks for dropping by again, ...forever grateful!

I thought we would talk about one of the most complex issues on earth- RELATIONSHIPS. Now, i'm not somewhere close to an expert in this but i just thought i would share what i want someone out there to know, for i have seen it happen and affect us especially the ladies. This is in no way meant to offend our male counterparts, (we love underneath it all), i'm only 'just saying'. First off, maybe you could do a background check on your current status, whether you are dating, married or even planning to start 'seeing someone'.

IMBALANCE IN DECISION MAKING
Have you had or are you in a relationship where you can't even decide on where you are going to have dinner, dress someway, have a schedule for activities of your own... do you report to your partner about you sending your sister 2k airtime ...and so forth, you need to sit down and evaluate this whole thing. By the time we decide to be in a relationship/ partnership/ situationship, whatever it is for your case, we are old enough to have a life of our own, a part of which we want to design and manage the way we want. Once you have no rights to do this anymore, darling, get back to the drawing board and find your bearings. One head cannot be the overall in everything!

ONE WAY CONSTRUCTION
Okay, i used the word construction for a reason, if you are the one making the first deposit for your savings and eventually the other person never comes through with theirs, there is an issue. If you are the one concerned about running the house entirely, calling the plumber, buying groceries, paying kids' school dues, clearing bills while your other half only comes to the kitchen table for a glass of juice, honnie, do some maths and gauge a way forward. It should be two way, imagine a building raised to the 4th floor on one side and still on the basement level the other side- it will fall in any minute. Don't wait for your own blocks to bury you! Are we together??

ARE YOU HAPPY?
There is nothing that takes away life like an unhappy relationship, i have been there, trust me there is nothing like getting used to nursing a heartache. The pain is fresh every morning when you wake up, the thought of how your partner yelled at you in front of your friends constantly plays vividly in your mind. When your kids ask you why "daddy doesn't buy ice cream like my friend's dad," it feels bad and however much you want to protect your babies from the truth, you can't deny the fact that it eats you up each day.
Do you look at couples holding hands, laughing together, being happy even with less and you recall your boyfriend/hubby only smiles at you when he wants "some"? What exactly then, are you longing for in this so called relationship? Personally, i would say, prioritize your happiness and well being because at the end of the day, not everyone we meet is meant to hurt us, stop sticking in unhappy love stories because you are afraid of people bad mouthing you, calling you loose....it doesn't matter, the pain is felt by you and only you can redeem yourself to a better place.

How we moving on with the year, HAPPY

SOCIAL LIMITATIONS
I know a man whose wife never attends a party, a social meeting or even visit friends and relatives, the reason is..."she will learn bad stuff, manners from those people, i don't want her getting involved with those sluts," so says the man. Now seriously, is that life? Money can buy you all the good things on earth, earn you some reputation but it never hugs you when your world is crumbling down, neither does it smile with you when your days are bright. Life is so much more than just this damn man or woman who is tying you to his sitting room. FREE YOUR MIND AND SELF FROM THOSE AWKWARD, STUPID BONDAGES.

STOP BUILDING EMPIRES ON TRUST
Let's get this straight. You meet someone, like them, love them, trust them and start to save up money for developing yourselves, ON TRUST....buy land, build houses, make investments, ON TRUST...get loans start new projects, ON TRUST? Open kid's accounts, insurance, ON TRUST? Fuck your trust, if you don't have anything solid and legal to show for all this, you own nothing! Learn to make paperwork and involve legal terms and conditions in all those agreements because once you have a case before court let's say a divorce(God forbid) you don't pull out your dear heart and present it before the judge, telling them you trusted your partner and you co-own this and that, it must have a title or deed and your name, signature and whatever else may fit. If need be, get a copy of your tongue print there, for there is none like yours,..haha.

IT'S NEVER TOO LATE
In December 2011, an elderly couple Antonio, 99 years old and Rosa, 96 years old called it quits from their 77 years marriage with a divorce following an infidelity affair as confessed by Rosa. Why do i have to mention this? Well, imagine a 99 year old splitting with a wife he's spent 77 years of his  with....BUT WHY NOT? If splitting from her would earn him a good nights sleep, then so be it. Why then is it so hard for you to move on from a two years toxic relationship, are you waiting for a dagger to cut through your throat so you can denounce him or her on your death bed? Oh come on, is it really worth it? You can lose everything and start all over again, maybe recover part of it but when you lose yourself, there is absolutely nothing to fall back to. So if your partner and the whole relationship only drains life and happiness out of you, sis, bro, what on earth are you waiting for?

Lastly my beautiful people, DON'T ALLOW YOURSELF TO BE SOMEONE'S OPTION WHEN YOU CAN GLADLY BE SOMEONE ELSE'S PRIORITY! DON'T SETTLE FOR LESS WHEN YOU CAN RIGHTLY HAVE AND ARE ENTITLED TO MORE.
I love y'all and thanks for reading. I'm awaiting your comments, what do you think of this?

DEAR CORPORATE PEOPLE

Good Day everybody, ....its a Friday again and we are grooving to Patie Polly's Beats; let's talk about our Managing Directors, Executive Directors, Head of departments, everybody that has a desk, a work station, space that they run or manage, yes The Corporate People in the Corporate world. I personally have had endless encounters with these fellas, considering my kind  my job, it's definitely what i have to deal with each day.

Everybody would like to have an address at a job, responsibilities that will earn us a penny at the end of the month. Or so our childhood dreams were. When we get that appointment letter to our new job, we want to call for a celebration, when we get promoted to a bigger position, we just can't help it but smile even at dim mirrors. But what happens a few months after we have 'conquered' that little territory? Where do we forget our manners each morning when we come to work? What goes wrong with treating people like we used to before we became one of the 'big bosses'?

The worst and most bothering experience i have had is dealing with the "Lunch hour break" that lasts forever. Mid day, 1 pm, 2 pm,....are we still in this break? Its so annoying when you have to deal with most of these 'big bosses' whose break lasts a lifetime till 3:40 pm and by 4:20 pm "you may have to come back tomorrow" as their secretaries/assistants will say. Maybe i'm not in the know but as far as i remember, most of these companies and institutions have a label at the building entrances indicating their daily working hours, what then happens in these offices? I never find a note on the office door indicating a different schedule of work!

People do relax in the green lash but i had never done so till last week.

Last week i had to pick some documents from some 'big boss' which were really urgent. This person was aware of this, even though i didn't "make a formal appointment" to meet them. So as usual, I'm rushing against the clock, crossing from Bank of Baroda to Worker's  House like some thug being chased around so i can be able to catch this person before they "step out" of office. At exactly 12: 27 pm, i showed up to an empty chair and like i said, the assistant told me,"she is out for lunch, you may have to come back at around 2." I insisted and inquired if she could be reached via phone call, to which this assistant agreed only to hear the phone ring in one of the drawers! What??? These people don't even take their phones with them, they don't wanna accommodate any inconveniences while they go on with their business, Jesus save the queen....!


So, i stormed out of office, slammed the door behind me and stared at the long corridor covered with a nice maroon carpet, pondering about what i have to occupy myself with till 2 or even 3 pm. A subtle thought alerted me of window shopping at Boulevard, but then i couldn't loam around for two hours,....these shop attendants don't like you 'just checking out' their staff without even picking a thing, they start monitoring you on their cameras, just in case you are a thief! That plan was a dead one, i didn't know where to be thou,...can't stand in the middle of nowhere for that long.

Just so you know, i got them shoes off and relaxed!

Long story short, i ended up under a huge tree shade, "Awo nga ku City Square" never thought i would be one of the people i see there till i was comfortably sipping on a cold Novida, sold to me by this lady who kept pacing around "my space", momentarily raising her eyebrows at me, asking if i wanted something. It clocked 2:30 pm, i commuted back to worker's house only to be told,"You just missed her, she will be in office tomorrow by 9 am. I wasn't feeling fresh enough already, my deodorant was wearing away with each hour under the tree, and now i had to deal with another stream of sweat that couldn't help but steam my forehead anew.

DEAR CORPORATE PEOPLE, STOP TOSSING US AROUND, CANCELLING APPOINTMENTS WITH NO PRIOR COMMUNICATION AND BEING TOO LAZY TO PICK A STAMP FROM YOUR MATE WHO IS IN THE ADJACENT OFFICE THEREFORE MAKING US WAIT 15 MINUTES TILL YOU MAKE A CALL FOR THE SAME. WE TOO, HAVE BOSSES WAITING FOR THEM DAMN DOCUMENTS, THANK YOU.

HERE ARE THE WINNERS, Y'ALL READY?

Another Friday, Another Blog and some winning too. Good morning esteemed readers, i hope you are having a great time. Thank you for being here once again and congratulations to all the winners. I couldn't have come this far without your support, its only right that i give back to you, ins't it?

Here we go.

So without further ado, lets get straight to the day's main activity, haha,...sounds like some school sports day.

In the previous blog, i mentioned that i will be rewarding six people. Three of the winners are those who have been consistent with the blog and the other three had queries to answer. One person has got their airtime already, She was the first to read and comment on the post ASAP. Two questions are not answered yet ie: My all time favorite boyband and the song whose lyrics i mentioned in the post, the second slot was for the first person to subscribe to the blog. So just in case you ain't among the winners down below, you still have a chance to win 1000ushs worth of airtime.

After a thorough analysis, here are the people who came out fit for the first, second and third positions. They have read, commented and have been consistent with the blog from the start. NOTE: Commenting in my inbox, WhatsApp is so much appreciated but for this very campaign, it doesn't count. Only comments on the patiepolly.blogspot.com will win you a prize. Some of your emails don't show identity, they only appear as unknown, this can be rectified in your email settings, you can choose to "enable access to your profile" so it shows your email address or user name, thanks. Otherwise i can't locate you guys,...but i do appreciate you so much, more than you think.

The 5k airtime goes to @HopeB, 4K goes to @Merilyn, 3K goes to @Elisha and @According to Nduhu(these two came in a tie). @SharonK won instant airtime and received it already. Congratulations to you guys, you will have your airtime by the end of the day. Next giveaways will be tangibles so y'all have chances to win. Keep Keeping Up With PATIE POLLY'S TAKE For 'Season Two Rewards' which is due December this very year. Love you guys and take care of your selves. 

Let's catch up: Patie Polly(FaceBook) @PatiePolly (Instagram &Twitter) 

IT'S APPRECIATION/ GIVEAWAY TIME- I'M REWARDING YOU GUYS

A good morning beautiful people, it's shinning bright and sweet here in Kampala, i hope you are having some ray daggers of the sun mounting your walls somewhere. It's truly a beautiful day, i hope it brings you happiness and breakthrough. Okay, enough of the greetings.

So, it's been four successful months since PATIE POLLY'S TAKE rolled the curtains sideways and commenced on an adventure that i must say has been exciting and educating. Thank you guys for always dropping by the blog, leaving a comment and not to say, ask me on Friday morning, "where is the link?" It gives me satisfaction when you guys write back and tell me you relate to the blogs, you have learnt something and you enjoy reading my stuff. I do appreciate all of you for your time, love and the 5 minutes sacrifice you make to read and make my dreams a reality.

The 15 blog posts, since the 5th of April 2019, have created an interface for me and you to laugh, learn and share minds. My audience from allover the universe, and more so here in Uganda has taught one thing, TO START NOW, DO IT NOW. I never knew i would get here, thought maybe the reading culture has died down for many people, but no, YOU,my esteemed readers have given me much more than that.

For all the above reasons, i will be rewarding three people who have been consistent with the reading, commenting and giving the blog a good vibe. I will be giving out airtime worth 5,000 ugx to the first person, 4,000 ugx to the second and 3,000 to the third winner, next week on Friday. And i will give out 1,000 ugx airtime to the first person who reads and comments on this very post, INSTANTLY. As we progress, we will have more of the tangible give-aways like t-shirts branded patie polly's take so be on the look out for these gifts.

If u are using a phone, here is how u subscribe, go to web version.

Meanwhile, you can also subscribe from the homepage so you get to be on my mailing list. The first person to subscribe today also gets 1,000 ugx worth of airtime on whichever network. Giving back to you my audience was one of the driving forces that kept me on the lookout for more content because honestly who wouldn't want some 5k for freaky Friday data? I'm here for you, just like you are always here for me too. So get it guys, let's have some fun and LIVE WHILE WE'RE YOUNG( so goes some lyrics from my all time favorite boy band). Oh, whoever comments down below the name of the song and the band gets themselves 1,000 ugx airtime.

Type in your email and follow instructions to submit.

Alright, love you guys, hope to interact more with the winners. Please leave your email once you answer any of these so i know how to contact you for your phone number. Or you can write down the number if u don't mind, let's win together. Catch you later lovelies, looking forward to next Friday to unveil the winners, good luck to y'all.

MY MOST EMBARRASSING MOMENTS

Hello beautiful people, it's been a minute, hiatus is done y'all, i'm back! Here for more exciting adventures and epic tales to tell. I'm here to make your weekend a better one with yet another episode of my personal experiences- EMBARRASSING MOMENTS, Here we go baby!

Team short-hair where are you @

Okay, i have had weird moments, like missing a stair step while people are watching, pushing in instead of pulling out a door, an open zipper in a taxi and many others but these have not been as ashaming as the ones waiting down below. See, i love to have a good laugh, it's good for my health and yours too. So without further ado, let's get down with it.

One of my work responsibilities is delivering invoices and other financial documents to our clients. This comes with lots of moving, meeting new people(both rude and calm) and also visiting various offices around the city. It's fun sometimes and not so good on some hapless days.

One of the most embarrassing "occasions" was when i went to REA Offices in Kamwokya and delivered documents that were supposed to be taken to Ministry Of Gender next to CPS. Gauging the difference in the distances between these two places, you may not 'get' me really. Here is the thing; When i presented the papers, a certain Diana was supposed to sign my return copy, to my disappointment, the only Diana that ever worked at that place was on leave. This got me confused, i insisted that i had talked to Diana prior my going there. I got all the people 'up and running' about trying to see if anybody else could sign them. Finally, i was ushered into some office that had four ladies in all corners. I handed one the order form and she looked at me like i had just murdered a human. Before i could get myself together from the evil look, she slammed the form on the table and said, "this is for Gender not REA, do you have a problem?" Every chair turned towards me, eight eyeballs focused at my sorry face and in an instant, everyone burst out in laughter.
Those five minutes in that damn office were like a lifetime of shame for me. My teary eyes surveyed the papers and right there, at the very top the client name read"MINISTRY OF GENDER."

I wanted to run away, but the door needed a finger print meaning i had to ask one of my scorners to help me. If i have never felt stupid, that day i felt the pangs of nostalgia for a kind heart to rescue me because each second added immensely to my sadness. The ground beneath me seemed to have ceased existing and suddenly i couldn't see clearly. At last, i made it out into the long corridor(or was it short) feeling like every person i met already knew how dumb i was. I thought i would never forgive myself for this mistake but time heals everything. That too got to pass.

I'm that short little being(or is it just the pic)

The most recent one happened in a very short time while my bosses called, whatsapped, and emailed me intermittently, call after call and in the heat of the moment, i panicked so much and lost my bearings. This was at Ministry of Health yesterday but one. I had important documents to submit, and just before i did, i got a call alerting me to wait a bit, check my email for attached documents that were to accompany the ones i already had. I get back to the gate, sign out so i can go to Wandegeya and do the needful. A minute later, another call asked me to go back inside, meet a person who would help me with that. I sign in again and while i headed for the reception, my data expired yet i had to download the e-doc so i can print. Gosh, i had to move out again, sign out and get airtime. I had borrowed some so while i hurried to load data, another call came in and i had to answer, my AT was then chopped. (HAHA, sending love to everyone who has experienced this before!) At this time, i could not concentrate at all. Long story short, i went back, waited at the second floor for someone to open but none ever came, so i went to first floor and accessed entrance, got the documents printed before a text came in asking me not to print one of the docs, WTF!

Guess what by the time i submitted, it was an hour of terrific adrenaline rush, sighs and deep breaths and forgetting office numbers therefore bumping into strange faces, saying sorry and begging for help from the wrong people. I felt really useless. At 5:13 pm, i was in bed licking milk and jazzing my bf how dumb i felt. He replied with a text that lightened up my mood; "Hey, relax. Don't beat yourself up, shit happens, remember your boyfriend walked through a glass wall before." This was all the laughter i needed, Thanks Ali.

Serving smiles all the way!

So, now you know that 'shit happens' ...haha. I'm eager to hear from you folks, have you ever got into an elevator and pressed the wrong button, ending up in a strange office? Have you tripped and fell literally over no obstacle at all? Let's share and spread the laughter.
Thanks for reading and catch you again next Friday as we bring more energy and positive vibes on board. Take care of your dear selves!

YOU GOTTA HUG SOMEBODY TODAY!

Hello, I hope you are having a wonderful day. How is everything you are setting your hands on? Have you had some "ME TIME" yet? If not, well you should! Sending you love and heartfelt hugs to usher you into this yet another weekend! You may wonder why I'm being this good good homegirl who wants to know why your smile ain't the usual( when you know people so we'll, you can tell there's tears behind the smiles),... 

Lately I have been working on greeting people not with just a hi but an extra "how are you, everything okay?" I have come to learn that many a times, we carry so much with us all day long and hardly find a confidant to pour out our hearts to. However, when someone sends you a text inquiring about your day, there is an 'inviting gesture' in it that eases it for you to say, "actually, I'm really not that well, I have a lot on my mind."

Some days, life gets really hard, work or school is kinda stressing, friends don't seem to be 'free' ..still held up somewhere, we barely have no body to share our inner feelings with. This is the reason you see angry, distressed people in a taxi, they will step on your baby toe(it being the last, haha) and won't even notice, or so say sorry because truly you are the least on their 'worry list'.

The same reason you will find a gloomy receptionist who will look at you like an intern dentist about to extract your tooth...( I don't know how to explain that look, you can try to imagine it) everyone is carrying a load somewhere, light or heavy, it's something that takes away their full concentration and being human, we are unable to present perfect faces or even speak with a little warmth.

What I'm I driving at? Let's all try to understand and accommodate one another, it's all that matters. This way we can avoid picking "not so good conversations" with the people we are serving or the ones serving us, let's keep it calm amidst that flaring temper that's about to explode our chests.

Give A Hug, Get A Hug, Its Two Way!

On Wednesday afternoon, I had quite a number of errands to run and somehow I was caught up in the rain around Bukoto, I stood the light showers(was on a boda b, good enough I had opted to put on a helmet). When I got to my first destination, I was a bit soaked up but still looked presentable(haha, whatever that may mean), to my amazement, this lady behind the counter asked me(after I had handed her some documents),"how did you make it here? It's been raining like hell. Are you okay?" I must say that was so thoughtful of her because truth is it was a hustle having to lift my feet (and legs as a whole) high like some woman of ninja warrior ..when we came across 'Kampala floods' haha, my left hand clutching at my bag and the right trying to clear off the mist that was forming on my helmet glass so I could see. I looked at her and smiled, (that smile that comes with a shrug) I then told her,"well, at least I don't have wet hair, the rest will be fine, it's just some spots on my jacket and trousers."  We giggled in unison and off I disappeared in to the elevator whose door opened as soon as I pressed he button.

My two other encounters of the day were a complete opposite of this and well, we won't go into that, I managed to do my job and keep it cool, it was towards 5pm anyway and I expect less from people who have sat behind the counter since morning, smiling with everyone. I get it, I really do. I don't complain,...but I see it all written on the face like " gosh, another customer to work on,....couldn't she come tomorrow...I already kept the file for incoming documents, jeez, go away! These are thoughts of many people on a day like Monday at 4:30-7:00pm...it's crazy.

 Personally, I don't like that email that creeps in when I'm literally logging outta everything, ...and it says, read through the document attached below, edit if needed and send back. I don't like that kinda email! The disappointment comes in when the doc is like eight pages so basically you have another hour to sit your ass down and work.🤔 

Lastly, i'm seated here, thinking,"how about we be gentle towards each other, communicate more humanly with the security guards at the entrance of these buildings and more so to the people we flex with at supermarket food counters(just when the chips tray is a spoon away from getting empty and you don't wanna wait) I think this would be better, we remain with our peace and spread peace! Till then, be mindful to ask if all is okay with your neighbor when they don't seem well, maybe a hug is all they need to get their day moving, ...it's priceless! 

AS FOR ME AND MY HOUSE, WE SHALL HUG .....i'm off to hug somebody!