by ‘Ifreke Inyang

January – Plan to Attend The Future Awards Symposium

This is definitely the way to start the year. The Symposium holds on 11 & 12 January, 2012 at the Muson Centre in Lagos Nigeria and is presented by The Future Project, in association with Enough is Enough (EiE) Nigeria and the International Republican Institute. The Headline Speaker is Obiageli Ezekwesili, World Bank Vice President for Africa; supported by Bishop Matthew Kukah, Bishop of the Sokoto Diocese of the Catholic Church. The opening address will be given by the Minister of Youth Development, Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi. The hosts are Tolu Ogunlesi, winner for CNN African Journalist of the Year 2009; and Adaure Achumba, a correspondent for Reuters.

February – Have a Valentine Day to remember

On every other Valentine’s Day, it is always about the ladies. While they may not expect an over-the-top declaration of love, they would at least want a special gesture of affection from you. And this year, you can take it up a notch by surprising them. Why not prepare her a meal and invite her to dinner? You can also light up the romance with candles and soft music. Trust me, it’s not too much.

March – Take time out to clean out your closet

Check through your wardrobe, arrange it and take stock of the items of clothing, accessories and shoes you have.  Look through your DVDs and CDs and see which ones you can discard. There will be others you’d need to give out. And of course, there will be some that after digging them up, they’ll go on auto-repeat! You can also update your collection – download (legally)new music to your iPod, BlackBerry or laptop and make sure you back up all your files.

April – Cook something up for Easter!

One of the most exciting things you can ever do is try a new recipe. What more, it’s is Easter and yet another time to host family and friends. Grab this opportunity to serve something new to your guests. You can search the Internet for dozens of recipes and try them once or twice before the big day.

May – Watch the Champions League Final live!

On 19 May, the 2012 UEFA Champions League Final will be staged at the grand Allianz Arena in Munich, Germany, home of Bayern Munich and 1860 Munich. It will be the 20th final of one of football’s biggest club competitions. If you can make it down to Germany, it will be an experience to treasure for life. But if you can’t make sure nothing stops you from watching the game on a big screen!

June – Set P!

If you’re not on Twitter, then setting p won’t be fun. It is that simple. Setting p – or flirting in simple term – must have originated from Facebook, but the advent of smartphones have made Twitter the best avenue to flirt. There are many methods to it: You can either start from your timelines or you make it ‘coded’, using the more private direct messaging.

July – Watch the opening ceremony of the London Olympics live!

It is the year of the Olympics. And this time around, London will play host to the world. The games will be played at the Wembley Stadium, Wembley Arena, Wimbledon All England Club, Lord’s Cricket Ground, The O2 Arena, Earls Court Exhibition Centre, Weymouth and Portland National Sailing Academy, and the Excel Centre. But it is the opening ceremony, complete with the English pomp and pageantry that will be one of the highlights of the event. Don’t miss it for anything.

August – Attend The Future Awards 2012!

#IncaseYouMissedIt, The Future Awards’ calendar has been tweaked a bit. And this means the prestigious awards will now be held on the last Sunday of August in 2012. As usual, there will be the pre-award conference and the fascinating innovations to look forward to!

September – Deactivate ALL your social media accounts

Yes. I just said so. Take time off social media, whether it is Twitter, Facebook or even the not too popular Google Plus, and focus on other stuff. You can start by not reactivating your BIS or Internet connection when it expires. You’ll be amazed at what you will achieve without these necessary evils.

October – Go on vacation

I’m absolutely sure there a number of places you’ll love to visit, whether in Nigeria or outside. Plan early enough and make the necessary flight reservations and hotel bookings. Also, it is important you research the located very well, especially if it will be your first time. Enjoy a new culture and take a lot of pictures!

November – Enjoy the Eclipse

A total solar eclipse will take place on 13-14 November, 2012, with a magnitude of 1.0500. It is usually a beautiful sight and one for the cameras. According to Wikipedia.com, “When seen from west of the International Date Line the eclipse will take place on the morning of November 14. Greatest eclipse, of duration 4 min 2 sec, will occur east of the International Date Line on November 13, approximately 2000 km east of New Zealand, and 9600 km west of Chile.” Identify your timeline and make sure you don’t miss it – even if it means staying up!

December – Get someone an unusual Christmas gift

It will be another Christmas in twelve months. Christmas is a season of laughter, food and giving.  So what will you be giving that special person or friend for Christmas this year? Why not think of something unusual, cheeky and interesting? Think of gadgets, customised stuff, toys, etc. Just think outside the box!