A Generation apart

Apologies for the hiatus…

I stumbled across a yahoo news page titled “The decade according to 9 year olds” (The clip is shown above).

I experienced a whole lot of different ranges of emotions from envy, to pity, to shock, to embarrassment all these with bits of ROFL (rolling on the floor laughing) in between. In today’s post I will compare my life when I was 9 years old (7th July 1984) and how I would have answered the questions in retrospect

Qn. 1 Who is the biggest Celebrity?

They said Michael Jackson, Lady GAGA, Jonas Brothers.

I would have said Micheal Jackson (And that truly makes him the King of pop. Indeed he is the only musician of the last millennium  that my small brother, 14 years old and I can listen to without fighting to change the music… RIP Michael, you achieved a fete very few musicians will.)

My lady GAGA would have been Madonna… and Jonas Brothers.. I think my version of them would have to be Boyz II Men or 3T who I came across 2 years later.. all the same, I had the crazy little girl’s crush on them like I would marry one of them when I grow up… All grown up now.. not one of them is in sight. Sigh!!!

Other answers I think would have given are: Michael Jordan (Every body wanted to wear Jordans – the shoes and if they didn’t have them, they wore hi-tops – mine were yellow and white in color, and they were Jurassic Parks), Mariah Carey (Nowadays her songs aren’t as soulful & rich as her songs back then … or maybe that’s just me?), Nelson Mandela (Much as I was a kid, we had to watch the news because TV stations would start broadcasts at midday / 4pm and news was a family affair at 7 pm, thankfully even today Nelson Mandela is still one of my best Celebrities

Qn 2. Have you heard this song? (Britney Spears’ Baby One More Time)

Fast forward… I was probably 14 or 15? and definitely it was one of the favorite jams.. every dance group in school had a routine to the song.. I also remember the Christina Aguillera Vs.  Britney feud.

Qn3. When were you first on the computer?

Now, this question is the sure tell tale that we are truly generations apart… When I was 9, for fun and entertainment, I played police and robbers with my friends, and a bevy selection of other games such as Kati (our version of dodge ball with a ball made out of my school socks – for which I would receive a major whipping later.. but never mind that I kept doing this day in day out!)

I also received my first china doll from my aunt in Germany. It was my true pride and joy, and I spent hours in my room, locked in with my doll playing pretend – which was one of my favorite games, especially since I am an only girl and couldn’t relate with my brothers’ interests. Sadly this favorite pastime ended when I accidentally dropped my doll and its head broke into a million pieces (hyperbole – it was more like 5 pieces) all the same, that was the worst day of my life!  - at least back then :{

Then the other fav. past time I had was sneaking out the TV from where it was locked by my parents the evening before,  during the school holidays. My brothers and I ingeniously discovered where the key was kept. Never mind the TV was as heavy as half my weight!! We carried it meticulously and enjoyed watching the annoying coloured lines with the “tiiiiiiiiiiii” sound before broadcasting started. Then promptly at 5.30 pm we would haul the TV back where it was stored and pretend we have been great kids to mum and dad. Our joy was cut short one day when mummy came home from work earlier than usual, so we heard her hoot at the gate and we quickly cleared the living room of the TV set – I don’t know how mothers do it but they always seem to have a hunch of what you have been doing. When mum came into the house she went straight to where the TV set was and she placed her hand on top of it – needless to say we slept with our hides on fire that day.. and that’s how I discovered how to watch The Bold & The Beautiful via the keyhole of the door that separated the living room and the bedrooms! The joys of growing up in MY generation…

Fast forward to when I was first in front of a computer.. I had seen one in the movies and programs we used to watch, but the first one I touched was in my mum’s office. I must have been 13 0r 14, and I discovered how to play solitaire! I think I even wrote about it in one of my school essays and all my friends must have been very tired of hearing that story over and over and over! Compare that to these 9 year olds who downloaded music when they were 3 years old!!! Heck, when I was 3, I was doodling… they knew how to use keyboard keys when they were 3?????

Qn. 4. Can anyone tell me what Napster is?

It is the reason we have i tunes, i pods and i phones… But I probably knew that much much later in life

Qn 5. The sound of dial-up

I vividly remember that sound. I was very privileged my dad worked in a telecomms company. So I was a lucky kid.. I had great show-off stories, like when my dad got his first cellphone – which had a portable charging station and which cost crazy amounts of money for making a single call – and which was so bulky and looked more like a walkie talkie – I was around 12 / 13 years old. We first got internet at home when I was 18 and lucky for me I could surf the net and the beautiful sound of dial up is as vivid as ever.. like music to my ears of the internet connecting! Look where we are now? Fibre already!! Indeed technology changes faster than you can say change.

Qn 6. Can anyone explain global warming?

If I was 9, I have no idea what I would have answered… I would probably have said the heat caused by all the wars in the world…. or I would have said pass…

I learnt about global warming properly in my Science & technology class in my 1st/2nd  year in Uni. I heard about all the cacophony around it when I was in high school.

Qn. 7 Who is Barack Obama?

Because I am from Kenya, ofcourse I know Barrack Obama? How could I not? The period during his ran for president was a reprieve for me because for once Kenyan politicians and their politics took a backseat in Kenyan mainstream media.

Back when I was 9, if you asked me who Bill Clinton is, I’m sure I would have confidently answered “The president of America”. I remember my parents being excited that he beat the Senior Bush. The Clinton Vs. Bush rivalry is very similar to the Obama Vs. Bush rivalry… indeed history repeats its self.

What I find mind boggling though is that most of the kids’ answers are centered around Obama as the first Black president of the USA and not simply as the current president of the USA. Is that because that is  how he has chosen to brand himself? or because of the media branding him in that way? or because today’s 9 year old kid is more sensitive to black or  white?

Qn. 8 What was the biggest news story of your lifetime?

Jeez, lemme see…. Eeer, when Nelson Mandela was freed and then became the first black president of RSA? The breaking up of the USSR? The fall of the Berlin wall? The assassination of Robert Ouko – That was definitely big for me back then, because my primary school was right next to the University of Nairobi (Irony of all ironies, a decade later i end up in the same place) and the university students would riot and their riots back then did bring the whole city to a stand still; so we were directed to stay home, for fear of the students rioting – and riot they did. I must have been home for an entire week! The joys of childhood – missing an entire week of school!!!

Qn. 9. What can you tell me about 9/11?

I guess before 9/11, in my life the closest happening to 9/11 was the 1998 bombing of the American Embassy in Nairobi. It was big and scary, especially because I was about  2 and a half kilometers away from it.

And today, in my wisdom I saw 9/11 brought a new world order, an obsession with terrorism and an even bigger reason for terrorism to persist.. It brought an opportunity for some to make more money, through the illusion of fighting a “war” against them terrorists… But that is just me.

Qn. 10 What is a terrorist?

In my 9 year old vocabulary I would probably have answered “Some one who makes you have fear or terror” Hihi. and now I would give the same answer as Qn. 9

Qn11. Living during wartime?

The most vivid war memories I have of when I was 9 are: Serbia & Sarajevo war, the Iraq war (There we go with history again), the Rwanda genocide… Am not sure how I would have answered on how they affect my life… I would probably have said they do not affect my life.. Again I miss the joys of childhood in my time..

Qn 12. What is your biggest fear?

Ahem.. definitely not a bloody mary! I was scared of the devil, and all satanic stories… they really gave me nightmares. And then I watched a horror movie one day, that had zombies as the main characters.. then that became my biggest fear.. But on some days it was the fear of Mrs. Oyugi, my math teacher that was the biggest fear of all!!

Age aint nothing

This morning on my way to work I was riding with my mum in the Matatu. no. 48. The journey is usually 20 minutes, however due to the phenomenal Nairobi rush hour traffic it takes 40 min.

Today being a Friday, the traffic jam was twice as bad… Nairobians and their peculiar habits..

Well, i notice that my mum is seriously engaged on her phone.. On looking closer, mummy was actually playing a game of building bricks on her Phone!! I was sooo shocked. She was amused at my shock and responded “its just like solitaire”…

My shock is grounded in the fact that just 5 or so years ago mummy could barely write an sms! I used to send out her christmas and easter forward sms’s. She prefered calling to writing a text!

Its amazing how transforming technology can be….

A flower picked before her time

In my high school, we had a school song which was sung in all functions and it went as follows: “Friends are precious, they are the best of all gifts that one can ever have. Nothing material, can take the place of the comradeship between you and I. ….The light of Alliance stands for unity and hope, It binds us together makes us one. It gives us the strength to courageously go forth, all in the power of the Lord, of the Looord.

On Saturday, I received with shock the passing on of my comrade Carol Ngoha.

I remember Carol from my first day in form 1Z. I was stressed rubble, soaking in the culture shock of joining boarding school for the first time ever. Carol made it seem like a breeze. Please, she was already performing in chapel on Tuesdays and Sundays within her first few months in form one. She oozed of confidence that evaded many a rubble. She was so cheerful and her cheery nature was infectious… it just rubbed off.

I remember whenever evening preps were just about to end, Carol would raise her voice and say “Excuse me class, I just wanted to read a verse for you………….” Never did she falter when an opportunity to share her faith was presented…..

Fast forward to 2005, when I just joined main campus, and I met Carol in one of the classes we shared. She had not lost her luster one bit. I particularly remember Carol’s hairdos. Man, to this day there are hairstyles that I have seen only Carol and Carol alone! I kid you not. Her hairdos were her trademark – they were outstandingly different, unique … they were just so Carol.

In my 3rd year of Campus, Carol was my neighbor at the hostels – her room was across from mine. Carol used to wake me up with her amazing soprano. I particularly remember Saturday mornings was her general cleaning day and she would start cleaning as early as 7am and she would sing along to lovely Christian jams. This would always nudge at my guilty conscience because I had been out all night till like 5 am and I was nursing a hangover or two…. Carol would always invite me for dinner in the evenings, which she prepared in her room. Her room was like a mini palace, with flowing drapery, coloured TV, sturdy stereo system, a FRIDGE! Man, I loved hanging out and just chilling in Carol’s room.. It was the whole shebang!

I last met Carol in 2009 at Alliance Francaise as she was searching for a venue to hold her graduation party. Prior to this, she had helped me out as I was trying to sort out issues of missing grades with lecturers at the University. She got me a lecturer’s cell number and encouraged me to sort all those issues, despite the fact that I was an inch close to giving up… We have lost a friend, an encourager, a musician, a flower… plucked before her time.

Global crises?

I was in a meeting where a gentleman said that the new buzz word in the world currently is “economic stimulus package”, as I watched CNN yesterday I could not help my jaw drop agape in sheer wonder at the turn of global events and what it is resulting in… Below are the issues i have found outstanding relating to the current crisis that i think is fast multiplying into crises.

• President Barack Obama has directed that the US construction industry shall only use Steel made in USA 
• India has banned all chinese toy imports for six months – something tells me that six months is not really like 6 months.. more like 6,000 months??
• Labour unions in  UK are demonstrating against foreign workers in their country – many citizens are jobless
• Royal Bank of Scotland records its biggest loss in UK history and the UK interest rates are at 1 %
• Toyota sees its first annual net loss since 1950! Warrrr?? Toyota  has consistently had good returns for 59 years!! Then come 2009 the markets turn tables against the domineering giants.

So if Toyota (please keep in mind that the car infront of you is always a Toyota) is experiencing its first loss in the last half century does this spell doom for the world economies? In the same meeting I was in today Paul Kukubo (www.paulkukubo.com) added his voice to the huge debate about whether Kenya would 1. Be affected / infected by the global financial crisis 2. whether the Government is bluffing that Kenya is shielded against this crisis (which afterall seems to be having a domino effect all over the world) 3. Whether Kenya has its own financial crisis which is taking place in a reversed direction – We are having increasing interest rates, real estate pricing is rising exponentially, the dollar & other foreign currencies are still gaining against the shilling e.t.c

I feel the need for an indepth financial and economic analysis of how the Kenyan economy stands to gain or lose from this crisis. Be it in Foreign Direct Investments, Offshoring / Outsourcing, Tourism and whatever else affects our economy.

Fire fire

So I was seated in one of the funky Serena hotel rooms, and suddenly a waif of smoke comes through the window. Then suddenly i hear explosions going off..one by one… I make frantic calls one by one and discover that Nakumatt down town is on fire… just after I wrote about it my last post!

Does any one out there have any info? Please do share!!

Innovation

Yesterday I celebrated my girl Rachel’s birthday with pomp and style. So Rachel has been for the longest while been absolutely taken away by the new city council benches all over the CBD. So for her birthday we sat on the benches on Kenyatta Avenue, right opposite Came and enjoyed good company of friends, heart warming conversations and blood warming drinks…… yes…. SEATED ON THE BENCHES…

Rachel was very elated and over joyed.. she even did a jig to the loud music that you could hear from Veranda.. LOL.. ’twas a sight to behold.

In Nairobi, where 2 or 3 are gathered, a crowd will surely form, so from 2 people, came up 4 people and suddenly there were 10 people!! Yes, Seated on and standing around THE BENCHES on Kenyatta Avenue!!

They say the more the merrier, soon, we had to quick dispatch Tony to the now 24 hour Nakumatt down town to refill the drinks supply.

Seated in the CBD at 10pm in the evening, celebrating a friend’s birthday is not something I had ever envisioned doing. Before yesterday, I would have vowed there is no way I could be caught dead in that situation, but I totally enjoyed myself, company of friends and most of all, the coolness, calmness and serenity of Nairobi in the night – not to forget the security. Got me thinking how we fail to notice the goodness that change brings, we simply go on with life in a mundane way… Go on, take up the challenge and enjoy the change in our city.

Hail Barack Obama

Yesterday, I was among the millions of people around the globe who were wowed and inspired by President Obama’s speech.

When I was in university, I took a unit called ‘’speech writing’’. In this class we used to analyse outstanding speeches – I must say that the speech made by Barack is more than outstanding.

It embodies timelessness – children of children will be able to listen to this speech and be moved … just like we are by Martin Luther King JR’s speech decades on. This speech is written for the ear and evokes emotion.

It inspires you to action – I met a gentleman today, who said, after listening to Mr. Obama, he has taken up the challenge to ensure he is an eloquent, inspirational and renowned leader over the next 8 years.   

I don’t know what Barack’s speech did to you. For me, I was motivated to work harder and smarter than ever before. As he said, it is time to set aside childish things. I will take the onus to write my history as I want it written for as long as it is within my powers to do so…..

I dedicate today’s post to His Excellency President Barack Obama and his magnanimous speech. Read on…….

My fellow citizens:

I stand here today humbled by the task before us, grateful for the trust you have bestowed, mindful of the sacrifices borne by our ancestors. I thank President Bush for his service to our nation, as well as the generosity and cooperation he has shown throughout this transition.

Forty-four Americans have now taken the presidential oath. The words have been spoken during rising tides of prosperity and the still waters of peace. Yet, every so often the oath is taken amidst gathering clouds and raging storms. At these moments, America has carried on not simply because of the skill or vision of those in high office, but because we the people have remained faithful to the ideals of our forebears, and true to our founding documents.

So it has been. So it must be with this generation of Americans.

That we are in the midst of crisis is now well understood. Our nation is at war, against a far-reaching network of violence and hatred. Our economy is badly weakened, a consequence of greed and irresponsibility on the part of some, but also our collective failure to make hard choices and prepare the nation for a new age. Homes have been lost; jobs shed; businesses shuttered. Our health care is too costly; our schools fail too many; and each day brings further evidence that the ways we use energy strengthen our adversaries and threaten our planet.

These are the indicators of crisis, subject to data and statistics. Less measurable but no less profound is a sapping of confidence across our land — a nagging fear that America’s decline is inevitable, and that the next generation must lower its sights.

Today I say to you that the challenges we face are real. They are serious and they are many. They will not be met easily or in a short span of time. But know this, America — they will be met.

On this day, we gather because we have chosen hope over fear, unity of purpose over conflict and discord.

On this day, we come to proclaim an end to the petty grievances and false promises, the recriminations and worn out dogmas, that for far too long have strangled our politics.

We remain a young nation, but in the words of Scripture, the time has come to set aside childish things. The time has come to reaffirm our enduring spirit; to choose our better history; to carry forward that precious gift, that noble idea, passed on from generation to generation: the God-given promise that all are equal, all are free and all deserve a chance to pursue their full measure of happiness.

In reaffirming the greatness of our nation, we understand that greatness is never a given. It must be earned. Our journey has never been one of shortcuts or settling for less. It has not been the path for the faint-hearted — for those who prefer leisure over work, or seek only the pleasures of riches and fame. Rather, it has been the risk-takers, the doers, the makers of things — some celebrated but more often men and women obscure in their labor, who have carried us up the long, rugged path towards prosperity and freedom.

For us, they packed up their few worldly possessions and traveled across oceans in search of a new life.

For us, they toiled in sweatshops and settled the West; endured the lash of the whip and plowed the hard earth.

For us, they fought and died, in places like Concord and Gettysburg; Normandy and Khe Sanh.

Time and again these men and women struggled and sacrificed and worked till their hands were raw so that we might live a better life. They saw America as bigger than the sum of our individual ambitions; greater than all the differences of birth or wealth or faction.

This is the journey we continue today. We remain the most prosperous, powerful nation on Earth. Our workers are no less productive than when this crisis began. Our minds are no less inventive, our goods and services no less needed than they were last week or last month or last year. Our capacity remains undiminished. But our time of standing pat, of protecting narrow interests and putting off unpleasant decisions — that time has surely passed. Starting today, we must pick ourselves up, dust ourselves off, and begin again the work of remaking America.

For everywhere we look, there is work to be done. The state of the economy calls for action, bold and swift, and we will act — not only to create new jobs, but to lay a new foundation for growth. We will build the roads and bridges, the electric grids and digital lines that feed our commerce and bind us together. We will restore science to its rightful place, and wield technology’s wonders to raise health care’s quality and lower its cost. We will harness the sun and the winds and the soil to fuel our cars and run our factories. And we will transform our schools and colleges and universities to meet the demands of a new age. All this we can do. All this we will do.

Now, there are some who question the scale of our ambitions — who suggest that our system cannot tolerate too many big plans. Their memories are short. For they have forgotten what this country has already done; what free men and women can achieve when imagination is joined to common purpose, and necessity to courage.

What the cynics fail to understand is that the ground has shifted beneath them — that the stale political arguments that have consumed us for so long no longer apply. The question we ask today is not whether our government is too big or too small, but whether it works — whether it helps families find jobs at a decent wage, care they can afford, a retirement that is dignified. Where the answer is yes, we intend to move forward. Where the answer is no, programs will end. Those of us who manage the public’s dollars will be held to account — to spend wisely, reform bad habits, and do our business in the light of day — because only then can we restore the vital trust between a people and their government.

Nor is the question before us whether the market is a force for good or ill. Its power to generate wealth and expand freedom is unmatched, but this crisis has reminded us that without a watchful eye, the market can spin out of control — and that a nation cannot prosper long when it favors only the prosperous. The success of our economy has always depended not just on the size of our gross domestic product, but on the reach of our prosperity; on our ability to extend opportunity to every willing heart — not out of charity, but because it is the surest route to our common good.

As for our common defense, we reject as false the choice between our safety and our ideals. Our founding fathers … our found fathers, faced with perils we can scarcely imagine, drafted a charter to assure the rule of law and the rights of man, a charter expanded by the blood of generations. Those ideals still light the world, and we will not give them up for expedience’s sake. And so to all the other peoples and governments who are watching today, from the grandest capitals to the small village where my father was born: know that America is a friend of each nation and every man, woman, and child who seeks a future of peace and dignity, and that we are ready to lead once more.

Recall that earlier generations faced down fascism and communism not just with missiles and tanks, but with sturdy alliances and enduring convictions. They understood that our power alone cannot protect us, nor does it entitle us to do as we please. Instead, they knew that our power grows through its prudent use; our security emanates from the justness of our cause, the force of our example, the tempering qualities of humility and restraint.

We are the keepers of this legacy. Guided by these principles once more, we can meet those new threats that demand even greater effort — even greater cooperation and understanding between nations. We will begin to responsibly leave Iraq to its people, and forge a hard-earned peace in Afghanistan. With old friends and former foes, we will work tirelessly to lessen the nuclear threat, and roll back the specter of a warming planet. We will not apologize for our way of life, nor will we waver in its defense, and for those who seek to advance their aims by inducing terror and slaughtering innocents, we say to you now that our spirit is stronger and cannot be broken; you cannot outlast us, and we will defeat you.

For we know that our patchwork heritage is a strength, not a weakness. We are a nation of Christians and Muslims, Jews and Hindus — and non-believers. We are shaped by every language and culture, drawn from every end of this Earth; and because we have tasted the bitter swill of civil war and segregation, and emerged from that dark chapter stronger and more united, we cannot help but believe that the old hatreds shall someday pass; that the lines of tribe shall soon dissolve; that as the world grows smaller, our common humanity shall reveal itself; and that America must play its role in ushering in a new era of peace.

To the Muslim world, we seek a new way forward, based on mutual interest and mutual respect. To those leaders around the globe who seek to sow conflict, or blame their society’s ills on the West — know that your people will judge you on what you can build, not what you destroy. To those who cling to power through corruption and deceit and the silencing of dissent, know that you are on the wrong side of history; but that we will extend a hand if you are willing to unclench your fist.

To the people of poor nations, we pledge to work alongside you to make your farms flourish and let clean waters flow; to nourish starved bodies and feed hungry minds. And to those nations like ours that enjoy relative plenty, we say we can no longer afford indifference to the suffering outside our borders; nor can we consume the world’s resources without regard to effect. For the world has changed, and we must change with it.

As we consider the road that unfolds before us, we remember with humble gratitude those brave Americans who, at this very hour, patrol far-off deserts and distant mountains. They have something to tell us, just as the fallen heroes who lie in Arlington whisper through the ages. We honor them not only because they are guardians of our liberty, but because they embody the spirit of service; a willingness to find meaning in something greater than themselves. And yet, at this moment — a moment that will define a generation — it is precisely this spirit that must inhabit us all.

For as much as government can do and must do, it is ultimately the faith and determination of the American people upon which this nation relies. It is the kindness to take in a stranger when the levees break, the selflessness of workers who would rather cut their hours than see a friend lose their job which sees us through our darkest hours. It is the firefighter’s courage to storm a stairway filled with smoke, but also a parent’s willingness to nurture a child, that finally decides our fate.

Our challenges may be new. The instruments with which we meet them may be new. But those values upon which our success depends — hard work and honesty, courage and fair play, tolerance and curiosity, loyalty and patriotism — these things are old. These things are true. They have been the quiet force of progress throughout our history. What is demanded then is a return to these truths. What is required of us now is a new era of responsibility — a recognition, on the part of every American, that we have duties to ourselves, our nation, and the world, duties that we do not grudgingly accept but rather seize gladly, firm in the knowledge that there is nothing so satisfying to the spirit, so defining of our character, than giving our all to a difficult task.

This is the price and the promise of citizenship.

This is the source of our confidence — the knowledge that God calls on us to shape an uncertain destiny.

This is the meaning of our liberty and our creed — why men and women and children of every race and every faith can join in celebration across this magnificent Mall, and why a man whose father less than sixty years ago might not have been served at a local restaurant can now stand before you to take a most sacred oath.

So let us mark this day with remembrance, of who we are and how far we have traveled. In the year of America’s birth, in the coldest of months, a small band of patriots huddled by dying campfires on the shores of an icy river. The capital was abandoned. The enemy was advancing. The snow was stained with blood. At a moment when the outcome of our revolution was most in doubt, the father of our nation ordered these words be read to the people:

“Let it be told to the future world … that in the depth of winter, when nothing but hope and virtue could survive…that the city and the country, alarmed at one common danger, came forth to meet (it).”

America, in the face of our common dangers, in this winter of our hardship, let us remember these timeless words. With hope and virtue, let us brave once more the icy currents, and endure what storms may come. Let it be said by our children’s children that when we were tested we refused to let this journey end, that we did not turn back nor did we falter; and with eyes fixed on the horizon and God’s grace upon us, we carried forth that great gift of freedom and delivered it safely to future generations.

Thank you. God bless you. And God bless the United States of America.

Rain….

This morning I was surprised to feel the soft patter of rain drops as I stepped out of the house – Rain? In hot as an oven Mid January? 

In times like this I absolutely love the rain – It makes everything sooo….. clean. I swear the Nairobi dust was getting to me. Yaani I had to add a shoe brush to my miscellaneous hand bag items!! You cant work five minutes and have clean shoes.

I’m saddened that people in my country are starving … again. Why is it that after every election we have food crises (as well as Teachers strikes) ? Just think about it… 2003, 1998, 1993…..

This week I have learnt that life is short… what you hold today may be gone tomorrow – so seize every moment. 

I wish you all an amazing weekend.

Mwaka Mpya

New Year Greetings! (You thought I would be doing this in Kiswahili????)

Happy new year to you all.

I trust that you all had a great Christmas holiday and crossed over to 2009 in one piece.

I had the most memorable Christmas (eve) ever. My great friend Lulu went into labour on 24^th Dec. and delivered a bouncing baby girl Michelle (named after Michelle Obama – In true Kenyan spirit) just one hour short of Christmas. Michelle did not want to be just another Christmas baby – she wanted her own birthday…. I do pray that she grows up to be a woman of great demeanor, stature, and beauty. I pray she grows up to be a woman of grace and humility and mesmerizing intelligence… of great style and poise just like her predecessor Michelle Obama.

So my reflection for the New Year is that I should take ‘new year’ literally – and look forward to new inspiration, new challenges, new friends, new experiences, new horizons…. New LIFE! I was talking to a friend of mine and we had an argument on whether resolutions were important or necessary to make at that – everyone has their take on this and the opposers of making resolution motions say that often, the end of the year is reached and none of the resolutions have been expedited .. So instead of stressing yourself out with resolutions… Just take a day at a time. Well, I subscribed to this school of thought for a very very long time, cause I especially am one of those individuals who love that old sacred hymn that goes “One day at a time sweet Jesus…….J”. However, as time went by, I realized that many a time I have short changed my potential viz-a-viz what I could actually have achieved had I made a mental note of achievement. I compare this to the times when I actually put what I wanted to sow and reap for example say I want to score an A grade in my exams… hang this by my bedside, put a note on my desktop… have a constant reminder of where I want to be and so I have no choice but to work towards that. For the times I have done this – I actually did commit to my goals of scoring that A grade, and it just did not turn out to be any A grade – but the very best A grade… And so, I resolve to outline my resolutions for this year and I welcome you to join me in putting them in paper… or picture or whatever will serve as a stark reminder to you, something that will always nudge you and spur you to action.

Finally, I am saddened that renowned Nigerian novelist Elechi Amadi has been kidnapped by unknown gunmen in the Niger Delta region. I remember that I read ‘The Concubine’ when I was 10 or 11 years old – Yap, I was an avid reader even at that age! In October last year Mr Amadi used an interview with Lagos-based newspaper Vanguard to condemn militant violence in the Niger Delta. “Situations where you have a mob ready to pillage and kill, [and] kidnap, then that is debased militancy,” he was quoted as saying. (www.bbc.co.uk). It’s a shame that the Nigerian government has let the lawlessness and violence in the name of black gold get to this extent.

Painful long weekends….. Flabbergasting Governments

I really looked forward to the 12th December long weekend that was last week… who can blame me after the long weekend packed October? I had really gotten used to the long weekends. I really partied and had fun with DJ Duvet and MC Pillow!

On Sunday, I was priviledged to participate in Carole Mandi’s talk show – Sebuleni which is screened on sundays on NTV courtesy of my friend Rachel Wariko (Dunia Moja). The focus was on PEV Survivors (Post Election Violence). There were two survivors, Kioko and Asha who recalled their painful experiences that happened this year. It was eye opening to really see that much as our politicians seem to have already jumped on the bandwagon of 2012, Kenyans are still hurting and crying out for justice. Speaking of politicians, i am reminded of their shenanigans… with media bills and refusals to assent to paying taxes.

Over the weekend I had a chance to read a short story by Hama Tuma, an Ethiopian writer. The story is entitled “Who Cares for the New Millenium”. I found the title quite striking, particularly remembering how the dawn of the millenium some 8 years ago came with all sorts of premonitions, warnings, anxiety and so on… remember Y2K?? So Hama basically argues that with the coming of the new millenium, Africans are and will still be subject to Neo Colonialism – and the reason for this is largely attributable to miopic, greedy and poor leadership of our so called leaders. A paragraph that really struck a chord in my mind is the following excerpt:

” … As I tried to explain before, our rulers lack a sense of perspective and humour. They hate sharing joy. They will feast and party to welcome the millenium but they will for sure keep their prison gates locked and their soldiers out on the streets or in murderous operations. Our rulers are jealous of us, they want to see us farmished and forlorn, bleeding and dying, suffering and groaning. In short, our rulers want us to live the new century like the past one. Some of us may thus be forced to become muslims and postpone the coming of the new century. More optimistic ones could become ethiopians and postpone the new millenium for 7 years. This may be the politics of the ostrich – hiding your head in the sand and imagining that the danger has gone away……… So many questions, so few answers: the perennial problem of Africa. Come January 2 2000, tell me, if you will, if the new millenium has relieved us of the likes of Eyadema, Kabila, (Mugabe?) and of famine and AIDS, of subservience to the West and of poverty or if it evenn promises to do some of that and I will eat my bleak words and apologise and hail the new millenium with the fervour of a Bill Gates……”

Strikes home! Doesn’t it? 2008 and we still have Mugabe and his croonies. I was telling a friend that when i was 7 years old, the news revolved around Moi, Kibaki, Raila, Orengo…… 17 years later…. same cast… slightly different script!@#!

Now the painful part of my weekend was this – at the shooting of Sebuleni, we were pleasantly surprised with meal vouchers for T Spot Reatsurant, Koinange Street. One of the few ‘tea’ spots with spacious and well ventilated ambience. Their decor is tasteful to the tiniest detail. This has been a favourite spot of mine for a long time… However after the past Sunday, I am NO LONGER A BELIEVER. So my girls and I order the sandwiches and when Jane’s plate of chicken sandwich comes, Rachel, seated across the table sees my eyes suddenly bulged – wide! And I am frantically shaking my hands and pointing at the plate… She goes like “What? What??” and I keep pointing and look like I just saw a ghost on the plate… and boy had’nt I seen one… well… not really a Ghost but a LIVE SLUG… yes, patterning on the lettuce in its sluggish form!!! AN ALIVE SLUG.. now excuse me, but if i needed to sample such a full of protein cuisine – I would head to the specialist restaurants for this – you know, like the french cuisines restaurant etc. Well, the manager was graceful and apologetic and convinced us to try a hot platter rather than a cold one. Since we were real Kenyans, there was noooo way we were going to let our free vouchers go to waste. So we ordered hot platters… Food was delightful, sumptious and filling. Well, that is what I thought until I had a bout of seroious food poisoning the following day. I am disappointed! Try T Spot at your own peril!