More Deals!!!

See, people! We've got your back!!! We have another update on how you can save the big bucks as you plan to make it to the reunion in Atlanta, July 1-3.

You can try Priceline. Here's how you can use it:

• Scroll down past the image of the "Mr. Man" over there to where it says, "Name Your Own Price."
• Click on the "Bid Now" button for Flights. (You can do the same for Rental Cars.)
• Enter the necessary information, such as "From", "To", etc.
• Click on the "Bid Now" button.
• Follow each of the 3 listed steps.
• Step 2 tells you to "name your price."
• Write the amount you want to spend on your flight.
• Enter your information.
• Priceline will send you information when flight costs go down to your bid rate or close to it.

Ta-da! Save big bucks!!! See you in July :)

Still Wondering Why Atlanta is the Place to be? Here's Why

So you're probably still thinking, "why should I even make my way to Atlanta?" When we're not meeting and reuniting, what's there to do in that city anyway? Read this personal account of a current ATL dweller who has fallen so deep in love with the city. Who knows? After you come to the Reunion, you might just realize that you'd like to move here after all :)

The Beauty of Living in and Exploring Atlanta

I’ve gotten the opportunity to visit and temporarily reside in different cities in the United States, and a few other cities in the world. I haven’t enjoyed and felt more at home anywhere else but in Atlanta. While living in Northern Virginia, I had this sudden itch to move to Atlanta. I’m not sure if it was the Usher and Ciara craze at the time, or the rumor that way too much talent was grown and reared in the city, or just that I had some family there. For whatever reason, I longed to move to Atlanta.

I must say I’m not much of a “going-out” kinda girl, but I do my rounds once in a while; and there is just about everything you can imagine to do in Atlanta. My girls and I indulge in café runs occasionally to gist and dine out. We’ve done Café Intermezzo, Café Circa, Marlow’s Tavern and a number of other places. The serene, warm environment in cafes is kinda romantic. You don’t want to saunter in there too many times alone if you are single and desperately searching, if you know what I mean…’cos you’ll end up hating every couple you see afterwards. The outdoor drive-in cinema is of course quite different too. You can drive in with your friends and purchase some pop-corn and drinks while watching a movie from your car (if you own or hey, rent/lease a cool top-down convertible) or on some outdoor lounge chairs or fold-up seats. Talking about movies and cinemas, the AMC Fork and Screen theatre lets you enjoy a movie while having a bite. Talk about dinner and a movie!

 

Now if you are into shopping…most of us girls are. Atlanta boasts of several malls; outlet malls are not too far away either. You could do department stores, Marshalls or TJ Maxx, or higher-end stores like the Versaces and Guccis in Phipps Plaza. Feel free to let your hair down at a jazz lounge or two. Some amazing low-key musicians make their stop at Café Circa certain days each month. Tyler Perry shot a scene of his "Madea’s Family Reunion" in Apache Cafe…painters and poets’ night. I find it interesting.

 

The Centennial Olympic Park is a cool place to take a walk and see the singing fountain. I did watch a Beauty and the Beast play at the Fox Theatre a few months ago and LOVED it. Now when it comes to night life, don’t you dare mess with the A. Some y’all guys have said a thing or two about the behinds of Atlanta women. Hey, it wasn’t me. Just heard it through the grape vine…and no, I am not in the number. You’ve heard Usher sing about Georgia Tech women, baby! Ludacris stops by his restaurant Straits from time to time. Jermaine Dupri mentions Velvet Room quite often, maybe ‘cos he lives there. LOL! And there are many more, Compound, Tongue and Groove, Shout etc. So, whatcha waiting for??? Bring YOUR behinds out here. Be a part of the story; don’t just hear about it, shawwwwwwwwwwwwwwty!!!

-ATL Dweller

Alright people, as soon as she said "drive-in cinema," I was so sold.!I hope you are too. See you in the Peach City :)

For more info, visit:

http://www.simon.com/mall/?id=210

http://www.starlightdrivein.com/#/movies/
{Image Credits: Usher, Alan Whiteman; Cafe Circa, Atlanta Restaurant Blog; Marlow's Tarven, The Dish; Apache Cafe, Creative Loafing}

Share Your Memories II: IELC/DISS Teachers

Hey IELC and DISS alums. Today, Ifedi Odinakaeze, class of 1997, wrote on his Facebook wall: IELC/DISS Teachers's List:- Alpha Iwuoha, Giovanni Ineh, Bright Adawasi, Ogbonna Elekwa, Wilfred Nmaokei, Martha Ukoha (Mrs. Ineh), Geography teacher, Louis Onwuegbuchulam... ? Please I need help from our IELC/DISS Alums to complete this list. It is a long one!!!!

{Image Credit: Lightprincess}

Who are the teachers you remember from your time at IELC or DISS or both? Be sure to include what year you graduated. You just might get a prize :)

Airfare Deals!!!

If you're like me, you're cheap!!!! And you're always looking for ways to save a ton of money and still have fun. Kudos to you if you are an "akpa ego" and don't mind making it rain. For my fellow frugalistas interested in saving some bucks, we have some ideas on how you can save major bucks on airline tickets to the Reunion in Atlanta (July 1-3).

Here's how:
Getting low airfares (including BOOKING EARLY):

1. For getting alerts in your mailbox about low fares to your destination. Once it gets to below your budget, buy it!
http://www.airfarewatchdog.com/


2. For findng out the range of ticket prices around your time of travel, use:
http://www.bing.com/travel/. Scroll down to find dates with lowest fares.


3. Look for Jet Blue or Spirit Airlines. Sometimes, they have great deals.

Looking forward to hearing how you saved bucks AND still made it to the Reunion :)

Share Your Memories!!!

Hey Dority/IELC Alumni:

Share your cute (or not so cute..LOL) picture memories with us. C'mon put yourself out there!!! Give us something to laugh about, talk about and reminisce about. Let's have picture timelines that remind us of how far we've come-big heads and all :)

If you're in the picture above, please identify yourself :)

You May Now Register...You're Welcome :)

Hey Dority-ites...LOL,

You may now register for the 1st ever Dority/IELC Alumni Reunion in North America at our official website. Please make sure to read the accommodation information and instructions on the "Travel" page to ensure that you take advantage of the $82.00 per night discount rate for all reunion attendees. Yup, I said $82 per night!!! So, you can pay the $82 yourself, split it 2 ways, 3 ways, 4 ways even, if you want to :) The hotel provides rooms with either a king bed or 2 double beds so take your pick.

The weekend registration rate is $75. This $75 will go towards a mixer/party, yummy finger food at the mixer, informative speakers, amazingly delicious food, entertainment, and a chance to dress up at a banquet. Most of all, the $75 is necessary to ensure that we provide a wonderful space for us all to show up, mix up and meet up.

We're working tirelessly behind the scenes because we can't wait to see you all! Oh yeah, please feel free to offer YOUR services as well if you're interested. We need y'all. LOL! If you have any special gifts or talents that you wouldn't mind sharing, please email us at diss.reunion@gmail.com, or just write a comment on this blog.

73 days and counting!!!

10 Reasons You Should Make it to the Reunion

These are 10 reasons you should make it to the Reunion....in no particular order

1. You know you want to. Admit it!!! You can't wait to see what your classmates have been up to: where do they work? what are their dreams, goals and aspirations? More importantly, you can't wait to see how they LOOK. Dority knocked the beauty out of some of them and from what you've seen on Facebook, some of those people look pretty darn great right now. <wink wink>
2. As several of our Dority peeps have shown, the Dority connection works romantically <clears throat and resists the urge to mention names-for now!> You know who want to see if you can cast your net into the lovely Dority pool and catch yourself a beautiful fish...preferably, for life.
3. You've heard stories about some bad guys turned good and you want to see for yourself firsthand! Men, if they can change, the rest of us go dey heaven for sure. In fact, God don keep Him right hand seat for us finish.Chai!
4. You want to party like it's 2003 (or whatever year it was when you graduated.) Please try to resist the urge to show your old age by reminding us that you were already a man or woman when the rest of us were still grooving to "Alex O! Alex O! Kpokporikpo!"
5. You finally have people to sing those random songs with. Who else knows "I Remember When I was a Soldier," "The Day is Bright," "Dority International Secondary," and so on. C'mon let's make some noise!
6. You've wanted to tell people to "stand with arms akimbo" a la Mr. Ineh, and to "genuflect" a la Mr. Adawisi, but never had people around who would understand. Now you do!
7. Absolutely nobody but a Dority student could appreciate the phenomenon that is Mazi Mazi Linus. You know, trying to pinch butts, rid girls of lip gloss with chalky dusters, and my favorite, introducing the next generation to some very interesting war songs. Enough said!
8. Speaking of pinching butts, time to get together and discuss those teachers who you think might have had some questionable thoughts and motives in their relations with you over the years. Their eyes and hands always seemed a tad bit, well, suspicious for lack of a better word.
9. You want to share battle scars! Flogged and punished, those strokes of the cane must have left a few scars. Anyone who can  prove that s/he has the most just may win a prize.
10. Most importantly, and very seriously, you want to share victorious stories!!! Of how Dority changed your life and perspective. Of how you didn't appreciate it until you left Nigeria and realized that you were a diamond in the rough because of it. Of how you were taught that you can do and be anything in the world.

Hopefully, as we all connect together, we'll be like the trees below-growing continually with deep deep roots,  but with arms around each other. Let's resolve to come together to create partnerships that will aid in our physical, emotional, entrepreneurial, professional, creative and spiritual goals. Who knows, this might be the beginning of a series of relationships that can change our world for good.

                                                       *Photo Credit: www.picsoftrees.com

Welcome! Welcome!!! Now let's go....

Hi Everyone:

It's soooo exciting to have a place to talk about this. We've all been fantasizing, dreaming, wishing and talking about this for years, and we have decided to put our money where our mouth is. (Speaking of money, we'll talk about a little later.) We're making the Dority Reunion happen, people!!! 

Over the next few days, weeks and months, you'll get information on how this is supposed to happen and how you can help. First things first: the reunion is confirmed to happen during the Independence Day Weekend (JULY 1-3, 2011)  in ATLANTA, GA. You'll be introduced to the visionaries who are working hard to turn this dream into reality and create an amazing, fun-filled, educational and uplifting event that will hopefully keep us connected and allow us to learn so much from each other. You'll get information on what has been planned so far, what to expect from Atlanta, and what to expect from the event. You'll get the opportunity to volunteer (we need a lot of help), give us your opinions, and be a part of this historic event. It is our firm belief that this reunion will be a springboard for greater things to come for us as individuals, current Dority students, and our great nation, Nigeria.

Welcome again. Be part of this  conversation!