Self discovery

After reading Deno's blog on knowledge of self, the idea of self discovery has lingered in my mind. This i realised a few minutes ago... (as i was walking to the kiosk round the corner to buy some airtime for a 100/-... US$1.2). It came to my mind, as i reflected on my activities over the last two weeks, that it is in the company of my peers that i distinguish myself and make a clear identification of my self.

That probably sounds extremely mundane.... i knew that 8 years ago- but its just made full sense. I had the opportunity of travelling to Msa on a retreat with some young adults from NPC - Karen. And i got to enjoy the company of a group of young christians with very strong and different personalities. In my interaction with them, i was inspired by the vision in the hearts and minds of many of those guys. The clarity of mind and purpose... the strength of their conviction in the power of salvation... their hunger for relationships with meaningful purposes... all this got me by surprise. There is actually a hope for this country.

Back to self description... as i interacted with a few of the guys, i saw who i wanted to be like. And the happy part [for me] was that these guys were making the steps that i've been fearing to make. They were... beating the path (so to speak) that i want to take. They had taken the risks that i've been fearing to take. It became much clearer to me, that the faint dreams in my head cld actually materialise and blossom. Oh, it was extremely fulfilling.

That aside, i was also impressed at the sobreity with which these guys discussed women. I've had the unpleasant opportunity to sit with guys who discuss chiles like tomatoes huko being sold at the Tusker stage! But these guys, actually had quite some positive vibe... constructive discussions about relationships & the direction they should take... the prudence and/or imprudence of many things that many guys ordinarily wldnt give too much thought.

The foregoing might sound very ambiguous, but i now believe that the company that i keep or keeps me... , will truly build and mould my character, and contribute (and probably determine) my accomplishments, and shape my future.

hey!

hey guys? kwani the blog design changed? am just in this kacyber checking the blogs and noticed the new design. had a good day with kibet-some swimming, some drinking (not alcohol), some talking and some eating. cheers guys have a good christmas.

Affirmative action!??!

Read this article on the Daily Nation of jana... that reported that the Ministry of Education is formulating a policy to limit the number of KCPE private school graduands joining top national public schools.

The Govt seems to have realised that they aren't really doing an excellent job at providing free education, prob. because the free education isn't helping its intended beneficiaries progress academically. Given that the elite of our beloved country many times carry the day, i strongly doubt that the intended policy will see the light of day.

But what if it does.... sad situation. The Ministry will be punishing the parent who sacrificed to make significant investment in the education of his child in a bid to allow the parent who didn't make any such sacrifice gain entry into the top nation institutions.

Affirmative action is, in my view, the wrong move to take. Somebody should take responsibility for the fallacy of free primary education, and make it right!

Google Transit - Just plain cool

Yet another of the reasons i want to work for google (cmon..u didnt know??) - they reward their employees with time to work on their own passions..something that is begrudgingly hard to do in my current Job.

So check it out, Google transit, allows you to do what youve always wanted to do..planning those small pesky trips in new cities or even in your eon neighbourhood.
It only works for Portland Oregon, but in no time will be all over the place.

A key Business Op for Africa following this is to develop the underlying structure for such data. System developers In Africa unite! We need such digital utilites yesterday!

Knowledge of self?

I wont concede whats making me feel so warm and fuzzy inside. It might just fizzle away, I'm wont to take that risk.

You will notice i changed the look and feel of this whole place - hence yesterdays renascence. I've realised since that i have made it a habit to be reborn, in every sense of the word. I enjoy stooping and rebuilding from worn out tools. I love the challenge of what the new will feel like - the fleeting promise of a new day, a high in its own right. It is in this time that I want reach out to others, to share , to revel in the brotherhood of my peers.

My fear is that I also secretly sadistically look forward to the flip side of that cycle - the death of things, the collapse, the very need to be reborn. What this reflects is a bizarre ambivalence that makes up the juice that keeps me ticking - day to day -week to week. It is in this time that I am, as so succincly put by Simon and garfunkel, a rock, an island, protected by my books (work) and poetry (programming). I find great solace in silence, in soaking in m own presence.

Whenever I resign to such 'who-am-I' thoughts, I am often tied down by the age old conundrum of nature vs nurture - and the evidence to point to both arguments is compelling enough to make me forget about the work i actually have to do - which is why i'll take this cue and head off to work. it'll be a good day - Carpe deim, or more appropriately , F U Monday blues...

Here I go..armed with a blurry knowledge of self - better than none at all.

Renaissance

I have come to accept that my writing skill set is now almost as acutely atrophied as my arm and chest muscle, but don't count me out yet from this blogging game, yet.

Perhaps my silence might have belied the vast amount of excitement and activity (read: fake it till you make it) currently going on in my life.

Ok really, I cannot believe I got through that with a straight face. Last few weeks have been a confirmation of what I always suspected - the mundane routine of corporate life really is the noose that tightens around ones entrepreneurial passions.

However not to cast an entirely dark cloud over the last few months - there have been some light moments, not in any order:

* Permanent Residency in Canada

* My rebirth into video gaming

* Job INsecurity

* I'm going going ..back back.. to NAI NAI

* Sibling Pride

* A delicate dance with Depression

* My Vision for Nchi Yetu Daily

I shall proceed writing about these as individual posts ... with such bludgeoning honesty that even I'm looking forward to it.

Listening to:
This way - Dilated peoples feat Kanye West

RE: till the wind bloweth my way

Tis done now, not to be undone. I scaled the heights and conquered the mountain. As I rest by the fountain and quench my thirst, I ponder, "Does anyone really care/know what the hell am talking about?!"
Howdi folks. Just about to clear my exams. Been a long time, running scripts,late-night crash courses in Unix/Linux, coupled by the very tribulations of being a young man in modern day Nairobi. Atleast now I can kick back and take a short respite, as I will indulge myself in MCSE over the short break. Atleast I get to see my chic moro, after 4 months! Kui,pliz be happy for me, coz I know u can relate......
By the way Deno,u stil at EA? Am asking coz been spending my time (poorly) playing NFS- most wanted deadly stuff. wat u workin on?
let me bid thee farewell, for the belly of the beast rumbles (for real am hungry).
gotta switch to de-caf.....

RE: Kibaki roareth

hi everyone! yes twas the silence reminiscent of the mute. but am back!
Happy thanksgiving y'all! saying that coz we got to givre thanks for the little we have. In the aftermath of this referendum, Kibaki dun did it! His critics had written him off as a senile,gutless, post-golf husk of a man.But wen push came to punch, Othaya did us proud. Let's just hope things dont get out of hand. Since he fired the whole cabinet, vibe has been rife about the turmoil we'll end up in. Went to a Kao barber shop and the Kaos were rogain the way we'll see melee if Kalonzo is excluded from the next cabinet. Luos are here chanting "Tsunami!" if Agwambo is relegated to the doldrums of govt business. Halfway thru my cut, some Masai rushed in chanting war cries on behalf of Ntimama if their king is not returned to his throne.
all we can do is sit, watch, eat and gain weight, and hope that his decision will unite the nation towards our development goals.

Salaams: digital referendum

Salaams people...

I know i know, lost, nimepotea .
(can u tell since turning 23 aIve grown a tad impatient??)

So Nov the 21st eh...d day is here. Hope u've all got your registration cards...

I thought it was kind of a bummer that we in the diaspora were not able to contribute to such a momentous time in our country's destiny - so in that i frustration i & chriso thought of recreating our own ka mini digital refurendum of our own.

Only we didnt want to recreate the trivializing and piliticizing that is this whole orange/ banana craziness, we thought it more prudent to actually READ the constitution, identify which issues we thought contentious (and yes we could be wrong), and then vote and discuss these issues.

So we:

1. Got our hands on the wako draft constitution.

2. chopped it up into chapters and sections.

3. through the results into a BLOG.

4. Modified the commenting form to mimic a virtual ballot: so for each section, you can vote Yes/No and optionally give reasons or views on your position.

5. We tally these Yes/No's (on the fly) of only what we thought were the nationally contentious issues:

Appointment and functions of prime minister

State Functions of the President

Dual citizenship

Unit of devolution

I purposely didn't hotlink them so that you can browse through the referendum blog and find em.

6. We display the results in a mock up 'referendum watch' on Nchi Yetu Daily.

Now given the speed with which this fun lil project was put up - rest assured it is far from full proof : you currently can vote more than once for an issue - although we are somewhat naively optimistic that Kenyan bloggers are far to busy to get involved in such petty malice and will be responsible digital citizens.

Anyway I urge you all to piga those virtual milolongos and encourage others with internet access to participate as well by emailing the link to NYD and Referendum blog. Voting is anonymous, although email is required ONLY to avoid spamming. If there is anything worth forwarding, it is this chance to virtual referendum vote.

Happy voting wananchi!

Constitution Advertising

I was driving home jana evening along Uhuru Highway, when i heard some guys on radio [who sounded kidogo like Deux Vultures] singing the tune 'Easy like Ndizi. Vote Yes!' . While earlier in the morning on my way to work along the same Highway (in creeping traffic) i heard the No tune 'I am Sober. Vote No!'

Its amazing how much these guys have spent on advertising and campaigning for their respective positions. Any loss of votes will surely not be for want of a tidy campaign budget on either side.

Sikiza musiki: Orange No Campaign- Mapambo, I am Sober, No Hatuitaki
Banana Yes Campaign- Song 1, Song 2, Song 3. (I'm not hating- their songs just don't have titles!)

Please do vote!

RE: what...marriage?

good for Cherry...but my memory fail me. Cowi u say she was in our class?
by the way Deno, since ur my tech guru, could you help me with a free web hosting service? am designing a site for a class project and am hpoing to get a few ideas on banners,flash ads and eweb site stickability.

Going to the Chapel and we're....gonna get married

No it ain't me

I never thought we'd be here this fast (or does this only seem fast to me..just yesterday Mr. Matu was giving us special attantion) but guess what...one of our classmates is now getting married.

Yes Cherry is getting married.

Woe unto those who won't be able to attend we'll take a camera with us.

But CONGRATULATIONS Cherry its not every day a person is able to find that someone who just fits and makes life that much more worthwhile.

XxX

the beers

Its alll about the ndovu...

Just reminiscing over a summer well spent...

wallapa people?!

with all due respect to the Office

It was only last night, that my cousin drew my attention to Kibaki's most recent description of the No (Orange) Team led by among other luminaries- Raila and Kalonzo. My conservative tongue, which would only use the derogatory term pumbafu (now commonly used in ordinary public parlance by H.E.) under my breath (and still have this unpleasant taste of defilement in my mouth) - was utterly astonished to learn that H.E. called his ever faithful cabinet members mavi ya kuku!

That such insults were not used in any of the schools that i attended, does not lend any credence whatsoever to the golf playing aristocrat that H.E. has previously portrayed of himself. It simply doesn't make sense. Perhaps behind this swanky proper demeanor that we besmurge upon ourselves or unconsiously bear (whichever the case), lies this uncanny and puzzling personality: how else would we describe his careless outbursts.

Anyway... the above notwithstanding, with all the respect due to the Office, the occupant should find a kindergarten teacher for some Polite Language 101, or stick to written speeches from the highly qualified head of the Presidential Press Unit. Failing which, he most probably will be the undoing of his campaign.

ps. the linked article is not referenced for the journalists views (which i don't subsribe to), but for his quotation of H.E.'s various crude slips of the tongue

Compelling movie!

I finally got to watch 'The Diary of a mad black woman' and boy!!!! was i
impressed!

I was totally carried away by the level of Tyler Perry's talent in music
writing (having written some of the music for the movie), his story
creation, and his multiple roles in the flick! I have mad respect for this
artist- most particularly because of his faith and the clarity of the
message in the 'diary' and given that this is his first movie. Astounding!

The intensity of the emotional scenes couldn't have been done any better-
and Steve Harris and Kimberly Elise... tsk tsk tsk.... perfect choice,
great quadruple of eyes and talent!

You can probably tell how smitten i was- had to watch the whole thing over
again wit commentary plus all the special features. The simplicity of the
story, as compassionately narrated and delicately yet so intensely
rendered transformed (in my case) what would have been jus another black
movie into a compelling and inspirational epic.

I am definitely watching Tyler's next flick!

Take your time on this

Best friends become that for tiny things they don't even realise. My best friend always knows how to make me rethink life and decisions.

Anyway she shared this with me and I think it'd be good for you all to take time off and read it. never know it might inspire you for greatness ( because you all have inbuilt greatness)

XxX
Kui


...a great reminder when you don't feel like going on....it's by Ishmael Osekre...wonderful wonderful wonderful poet. enjoy!


Once upon a 2:30am

Its 2:30am, sun and moon have exchanged places in the skies, but I am still in the library; writing a paper I do not have to present tomorrow. Sleep has embraced the world around me in a city that doesn't sleep but, my eyes refuse to close and my mind insists on staying awake. Ideas are running through my mind at a pace faster than my fingers can move to write. It is not the first time and it doesn't feel like it will be the last.

I stop to ask myself why I am up at 2:30am in the morning, writing a paper I do not have to present tomorrow. I try to find reasons why I am up at this time of the night, but I find none. I think of my bed and I remember it is comfortable. I think of the air conditioner and I find nothing wrong with it. I think of coffee but I have not drunk coffee. I think of my room mate but he is quietly asleep.

I spend the rest of the time between my thoughts and my paper, like the pendulum swings, trying to make an argument on my writing paper at the same time, hoping to find answers to what is making me stronger than myself.

While writing on my paper about roots and wings; about why if my roots do not teach me, my wings will never know and why I amongst other things, I can never forget my roots and wings that have brought me here, I feel my words gain momentum and my sentences illuminate with color. In worlds of thoughts, amidst shapes and forms of imagery, I discover "it".

I discover why I am up at 2:30am in the morning, writing a paper I do not have to present tomorrow. I discover why sleep has embraced the world around me in a city that doesn't sleep but my eyes refuse to close. In an instance, in fractions of seconds I discover at the table I sit to write my paper that, I represent more than myself. I discover at the only illuminated table of the night in the library that, I represent the countless number of people who have added to roots that hold me in the rocks whose inspiration have given me wings to fly.

I represent those values which informed me that, "hard work breaks no bones," when I was growing up in Kokomlemle in Accra. I represent the advice to be better, the motivation to be stronger, the caution of knocks, and the ancestral proverbial wisdom that was imparted whether I was ready or not. I represent those I did business with on the streets in Accra when I carried cold water in plastic bags. It was a short experience, but an always to be remembered enterprise.

I represent my junior secondary school teacher Mr. Nyaonu, whose name I will not always remember but whose advice I will not forget. He took me outside the classroom one fine day and told me, "When people are meant to be exceptional, sometimes, their qualities are detected when they are young'' and he said, "You will be an exceptional one in the future."

I represent the young men of Kokomlemle who I grew up with. I represent those young men I left behind at home, who I helped to do homework and took inspiration from me and those adults whose words of advice were most crucial when I needed to be talked to as a child; they confirm the African saying that, "It takes a village to raise a child."

Its 2:30am, sun and moon have exchanged places in the skies, but I am still in the library; writing a paper I do not have to present tomorrow. The hunger that has kept me up will not cease; the hunger that I feel will not be satiated by food and water. As I write my paper, I am reminded that, I represent more than myself. I represent women who trade their property for their children to receive an education they did not have: my mother. I represent "Rabbi" the priest who refused to sack me home for fees and allowed me to go through high school for those debt stacked final years uninterrupted until my fees were paid later. He gave me the chance.

I represent Ms. C.S. Acheampong who must always be mentioned in the hall of fame of teachers/mothers who gave their students the best mentoring at the high school level. She took my first poems and essays and helped me find legs for words to walk on.

I represent Kojo Oppong Adjei, the radio DJ/programme director of Sunny fm in Ghana who discovered me at the University of Ghana, Legon, he negotiated an air time and a salary for me to have my first media experience on radio without prior training or expertise and insisted I went to school to gain tertiary education because he saw a lot more in me than I saw in myself. Kojo believed in me.

As I sit at this table to write, I represent Demay Ackah -Yensu the lady who spotted me at the British Council and made me a weekly guest amongst other guests she hosted on the book review segment on Metro TV in Accra. I will not forget her last words to me that, "I am a gem" before I left home for the US.

I represent Mr. Tom Pigmann who told me during my first month in the US that, "Osekre, I know your spirit will grow to fill up the places of New York." A motivation which drove me to successfully audition at the Apollo theatre, to get a spot on a community based station on Wall Street and to successfully host a poetry event at the Bowery poetry club in New York.
I represent those generations unborn whose lives will meet mine and whose ability to see further will depend on the shoulders that support my arm. I must not disappoint them. I represent the many more whose stories I can't tell but will never forget.

Sweet inspiration has embraced me on this quiet night of sweet encounters. I feel wisdom cooks the pots and inspiration feeds my thoughts and imagination spreads itself through my faculties. At one point I am contemplating truth, at the other, I am imbibing it. At one point I am taking leaps, at the other, I am making flights with invisible wings.

It is the year 2005, and I am at the threshold of a remarkable educational experience. An experience that has its challenges and its glories both of which I am willing to embrace.

Rejoinder: Random RandomThoughts

The random thoughts expressed evoked this rejoinder:

why havent I moved out of this shoebox?
he he he! you must be (i) broke, (ii) not anxious to leave the pretty maiden next door, or (iii) moving out's just too much work for you!

What is my purpose here?
hmmnn. Prov. 15:22: Where there is no counsel, purposes are disappointed; but in the multitude of counsellors they are established! Give it more thought and more prayer- na utatambua!

Can I make a difference?
Differences are often made in small bits and many times the best deeds will go unnoticed or complemented. Then again, we wouldn't want our heads to grow with each positive impact that we have on this world or members thereof.

Who is my friend?
At this point i wonder if the questions were rhetoric! (but i nonetheless continue- this is more interesting than the piles of files on my desk!) Anyway... "Trust ye not in a neighbor; put ye not confidence in a friend; keep the doors of thy mouth from her that lieth in thy bosom. For the son dishonoreth the father, the daughter riseth up against her mother, the daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law; a man's enemies are the men of his own house. But as for me, I will look unto Jehovah; I will wait for the God of my salvation: my God will hear me." (the highlighted part gave me a brief laugh!)

Why does money mean so much? so little?
To me, it means more than it ought to (more than i want it to). This adrenaline rushes on pay day halafu the mightly slump that ensues after the budget is drawn ! ... 'but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust consume, and where thieves don’t break through and steal' (Matt 6:20)

What would my sister look like?
lol! I know how stunning mine is! Nonetheless... Charm is deceitful, and beauty is vain; but a woman who fears Yahweh, she shall be praised. (Prov. 31:30)

Are we slaves of social or genetic fabric?
Took too much thought time!

I have given up trying to be cool.
To some extent, thats the way it should be.
Don’t be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what is the good, well-pleasing, and perfect will of God. (Romans 12:2)

Why cant I put on any weight?
Pole chief, i've also gongad rock on that one! Anyone out there with an answer!?

Complacency is my worst enemy.
Even the youths shall faint and be weary, and the young men shall utterly fall: but they that wait for Jehovah shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; they shall walk, and not faint (Isiaih 40:30-31) or get complacent!

Deno, i actually enjoyed doing this, more than i figure you will reading it! Blessings!

random random thoughts

why havent I moved out of this shoebox?

What is my purpose here?

Can I make a difference?

Who is my friend?

Why does money mean so much? so little?

What would my sister look like?

Are we slaves of social or genetic fabric?

I have given up trying to be cool.

I miss my parents.

Why cant I put on any weight?

Complacency is my worst enemy.

Cant wait to be immersed in something i really love.

Patience is such a valauble trait.

I need to go to bed. early.

AFLEWO 2005

Hi good people,

Finally the Aflewo 2005 Worship service is here..

This Friday 23rd september 2005 at NPC Karen From 9 pm till dawn

That's not all. If you get your hands on the AFLEWO flyer, you have the privelege of purchasing Nescafe at your nearest Nakumatt outlet at a discount. All you need to do produce it when purchasing nescafe products. This offer is valid till 31st of october 2005.

How about that for spiritual and physical nourishment.

Hope to see yo'all (that are in Nairobi) on Friday at Aflewo 2005.

Kibet Chebii

RE: Close Calls

Hi All,

In light of Denis' last post, I found this that should lift spirits.I'ev also been having some hell of my own and this totally cheered me up.

Enjoy.


Malachi 3:3: "He will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver."


This verse puzzled some women in a Bible study and they wondered what this
statement meant about the character and nature of God. One of the women
offered to find out the process of refining silver and get back to the group
at their next Bible Study.


That week, the woman called a silversmith and made an appointment to watch
him at work. She didn't mention anything about the reason for her interest
beyond her curiosity about the process of refining silver.


As she watched the silversmith, he held a piece of silver over the fire and
let it heat up. He explained that in refining silver, one needed to hold the
silver in the middle of the fire where the flames were hottest as to burn
away all the impurities.

The woman thought about God holding us in such a hot spot then she thought
again about the verse that says: "He sits as a refiner and purifier of
silver."


She asked the silversmith if it was true that he had to sit there in front
of the fire the whole time the silver was being refined. He answered yes, he
not only had to sit there holding the silver, but he had to keep his eyes on
the silver the entire time it was in the fire. If the silver was left a
moment too long in the flames, it would be destroyed.


The woman was silent for a moment. Then she asked the silversmith, "How do
you know when the silver is fully refined?" He smiled at her and answered,
"Oh, that's easy -when I see my image in it."


If today you are feeling the heat of the fire, remember that God has His eye
on you and will keep watching you until He sees His image in you.

RE: music

hi y'all jus to echo vicki's music appeal, can someone pliz tell us where do get sounds?
am lookin for Dead Prez 'Hip Hop' and Lil Scrappy's 'No Problem'.
HELP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!1

Plus who knows Cowi's phone number? Been tryin her Safcom &Celtel line, she's mteja plus the sms's aint delivered. wanna give her the pics from that long past Coast trip of ours, so she can upload 4me. my scanner's broke.
tell her to holla

Close calls

So i had a terrible week. I'm over it.

what im not over is how many close calls I've had -

1) As I'm crossing the road and this idiot in a black racish-mazda-looking beast of a vehicle speeds incredibly fast towards me, and as i scurry away like a mjinga, alas, the guy was pulling one of those handbrake u-turns that are straight out of Transporter 2 (which i should warn u is just a cartoon on testoserone). One mistake in that highly masculine manouver, and I'd have been grilled minced meat.

2) I almost burnt my kitchen, along with the rest of my building down making fries. All in the name of a quick dinner. lets just say i'll be spending more time cleaning that friggin oven.

3) ok so theres no number three. but 2 close calls in a week is more than enough!

God are you trying to tell me something? I promise I'll listen if u just write it down and mail it to me.

This had better be a good week I'm running out of that 'stay positive' juice.

Constant gardner: the good the bad and the ugly

I saw The Constant gardener the second time this past tuesday, and I had lots to say.

The good:
The scenic shots of kenya, Nairobi, Kibera are real, gripping, and beautiful at the same time. The manner in which the central themes of this flick are presented is very provocative, if you take the time to think about them beyond the obvious web of conspiracy theories spun by the script.
Dont want to say too much lest i spoil it for those who havent seen it.

The bad:
It wasnt your everyday edge-of-your-seat action-packed nail-biter, i felt the build to the climax was painfully slow, even though the use of flashbacks was nicely done. It had the potential to be so much MORE thrilling.

The ugly:
I knew examples of what the film was trying to explore existed, but i didnt think i'd find them this soon.. Vioxx, produced by Merck, one of the worlds largest pharmacutical firms, is a living case of what is so wrong with a capitalist healthcare system.

fall '05

...excited, she said,"ain't it great to be back in school!!" And i actually mean it. Something about not having to see the same old boring faces from work day in day out just gives me a refreshing feeling. Or maybe I've been in school for so long that I've actually began to enjoy it.....who knows. Well, back to trying to get into classes this first week, so I can graduate this sem. , YES! For some reason I feel that I'm probabbly the only person reading this that feels that way after reading david's posting. Hang in there, as always it will soon be over, then we can enjoy the pleasures of job hunting..........can I get a yeee haaaa! Be blessed!!!

talk about being MIA

hey all!
first of all thousand and one million apologies for the leave of absense!
i know that everybody is busy andyet they have all been able to blog...lakini clearly my multitasking energy is being overused at jobbo and so thats why!

Apologies aside! maisha is good...God has been much faithful with the new job and the relocation to the new city and the new apartment and all that fun stuff. working for a company that makes chocos however is not very good for the waist line, so now I am focussing on working out etc,
if y;all want details of the company i work for...please feel free to hit up www.mars.com and I work for the canadian division known as Effem Inc.

K...no more shop talk.

sorry to burst the "we love kanye bubble:("

i just wanted to drop in to give all you kanyeezi fans a little food for thought. Yeah his music is the bomb...havent really listened to his latest album...but i know frm college dropout that man has mad skills...
but...there is a slight issue with this mans attitude! yaaani talk about feeling that he is the ish.
He was in toronto a couple of weeks ago and really let it be known how full of himself he is...
videos dont lie so chk out this link, and read the email that is circulating....

other than that! hope u are all well and blessed!
much love
--------------------------------------------------------------
I got this e-mail from my homie Dr. Jay de Soca Prince
who works at FLOW93.5fm in Toronto... I rushed back
from doing my show in Ottawa to get back home to
Toronto to catch the end of the now historical Marc
Ecko GETTING UP FESTIVAL, and this fool's arrogant
attitude just ruined the smooth vibe the whole weekend.

The words that followed are Jay's detailed account in>
the VIP, I was doing other ish so I wasn't at the
afterparty. This dude needs to get back to what we call
earth and get his head outta the clouds for real, that
karma will come back Kanye. You just lost one of the
most important cities in hip-hop outside of the States
along with a bunch of fans. DON'T "EVER" COME BACK TO T-DOT AGAIN... We don't play that dawg, we serious!!!
I've personally added a link to a video recorded at
FLOW 93.5fm of Kanye West's interview:
http://toronto.dose.ca/webx/video/kanye.mov

You be the judge!!!

Can you believe Kanye West?
Okay, I've read interviews with him in magazines and
seen his outbursts on TV when he didn't win an
award...but this guy gets the "kakahole of the month"
award for his behavior at the club this past Sunday
night...to make a long story short, he was hired to be a
special guest host at METRO and he apparently gave
strict orders that he only wants to hear Hip Hop while
he's in the club...okie dokie buddy...no scene...he doesn't get the award>
for that cuz in my opinion, if the promoters are paying
him a big set of money and are caving into his demands,
then you can't blame the artist (no matter how ignorant that it was)...but I can and will blame Kanye for the "kakahole-ish" behavior he displayed... Lil' Jon, Ludacris, Mos Def and Lil' Scrappy were all inside the club enjoying themselves...this I saw with my own two eyes...those artists and some Toronto Argos, Mo Pete from the Toronto Raptors and a whole set of ladies were in the VIP just chillin....
Then Kanye took the mic and said that he felt disrespected cuz he was in the club for 45 minutes and hadn't heard one of his songs yet...he proceeded to say that he rules the radio and that he will never come back to this establishment again...now mind you, I'm standing just a few feet away from him and this guy just had the most pompous look on his face..

He continues on how he felt disrespected and then the DJ on the other mic tells him that its still early (I think it was around bar closing time) and he has to wait for the tribute...they start to rinse a set of Kanye West tracks but the kakahole grabs his people and exits thru a back door...
None of the other artists seemed to care about his departure and neither did the crowd...perhaps this is all a publicity stunt cuz his album is coming out and any publicity is good publicity, right? For me though, Kanye needs to humble himself and perhaps then people will pay him the respect he feels he deserves...

this Sunday, the very first track on SOCA THERAPY will be>>>Maximus Dan's "Be Humble" in honour of the "kakahole of>>>the month".>>>>>>>>> PLEASE FORWARD TO EVERYONE

Where is the music?

Hey guys hope ya'll are well. Do you know where can I get the following songs?
1. Hey Mr DJ-Zhane
2. Request Line-Zhane
3. Cosmic girl- Jamiroquai
4. Let's take a long walk- Jill Scott
5. Getting in the way-Jill Scott
6. The way (i think-in the music video, she's in an art gallery)-Jill Scott
7. Fantasy-Earth, Wind and Fire
8. He's the greatest dancer-Sister Sledge
9. Heaven-Tavares
10. Bad girls/Sad girls-Donna Summer

Cheers.

Been a while

Ok clearly VI has hit new lows getting spammed by graduates dot com: still trying to figure out how i got infiltrated.

Brief recap (not in any priority):

Day Job: I hit new stress levels that i didnt know were possible. Last friday I had my first big deliverable and it got kidogo more neurotic than I am used to. I was so tightly wound thursday u couldve used me to turn turbines...My boss is gone for vacation for the next 2 weeeks, leaving a vaccum that im already being sucked into: I could either look at it as a major opportunity to shine, or to be burdened by the thought of the magnanimous expectations of the rest of the team. Should be a fun 2 weeks..even im looking forward to how well i'll improvise matching up to this incredulously well organized chap that is my boss.

Side ventures: My bro's and family stumbled accross a feature piece regarding my humble entrepreneurship venture in the Globe and Mail which i am purposely not going to give a link to lest I accrue a gang of groupies. It really wasnt as big of a deal as it appears, given that the Globe and Mail is among the most respected newspaper in Canada - . Made some good leads into getting support from an academic front - pitched it to one of my favourite profs and he bought it. Aligning business objectives with pedadogy is more of a science than I expected, but I'm sure we can make it work.

Social: Talked to the folks after a *while* and it was interesting tossing the blame back and forth concerning whos tupad who..I hypothesised that they are paying the consequences of throwing me in boarding school at such an early age: I quickly learnt to disillusion myself from how much i Miss those i love the most as a sort of knee jerk to avoid home sickness. who knowss..Mt kenya mmight have done its damage, but it surely had its benefits... My folks also made a point of NOT telling me that they made a house call to my significant other's Diggs with my grandparents. What does this all mean?????? are mbuzis being kaguliwad in my absence? woi I'm losing my mind at these clandestine agendas..

AoB: living in the 'student ghetto' , as much as i whine about it, has its benefits...This week is Frosh week @ McGill, a period that should usher in the green vicarious freshmen from all over the world into the illusion of a world of hedonistic nirvana, intersparsed by some academic activity known as lectures. All an illusion, but it'll be fun helping to paint it if invited to any frosh bashes...
Also, forgive me, but I have to brag - I went to church! On my own volition. Put all my 'urgent' errands aside. Dragged a friend along. It was polite. I found i was more critical about the message than I remember. I was sifting , picking and choosing the sermons precepts. The prodigal son was mentioned a couple of times, reinforcing my lack of belief in coincidences...It was edifying all the same. Highly reccomonded for all those who suspect their hearts have grown too cold..


Reading: The tipping point by Malcolm Gladwell. Great start, and interesting point of view on some of the issues tackled by Steve Levitt Freakonomics, which i malizad listening to some time ago, (amen for Ipods and and audiobooks). Crossing the Chasm by has been a slow read for me coz i never get good closure to absorb it mzuri. The River Between has still been my most satisfying climax building read of the summer. I am making steady inroads into pre-colonial kenyan culture..my folks and uncles better watch out next discourse we have...no more walking ove rme wth that ..'aah u just born the other day.. us we have been there and done that" talk hehe.

Listening to: Late registration album: my latest endeavour is to critically assess kanyes new Joints before it gets into the hands of the callous masses who will most probly not allow it to escape the curse of the sophomore jinx.
Otherwise Msanii's radio blog is absolutely sick and provides me with the much needed hit of Kenyan hip hop whenever Im in the zone at work..*hebu rudisha*!!

Randomn thoughts: You are/become who you hang out with.

REJOICE!

yes! it's over, am now officially on holiday. with that hangs the dark cloud that i recluse and hardly approach this thingymajig to communicate with the outside world, so don't send the cops after me.
jus did my last exam feels great. ironically it was a law exam, so Kibet we're kinda on the same boat. feel bad about the joblessness, thats why am trying to be an enterpreneur, though a broke one. But got some ideas am trying to put into action, some are working, so with your prayers, am hoping to teach Kirubi a thing or 2!
thank God i changed. i was one of those guys who had a fit on the dance floor, hurricane dancers as they're called here. I used to feel that i had to share my zest with those around me, love me or hate me, ud go home remembering me.
but my girlfriend made me watch Hitch, you know when Will teaches the fat white dude how to move, not gyrate. Am now a proud recoverin hurricane, but sometimes i miss those days. Dancin became my aerobics session, and when you get home you're so tired u wake up sore like you had returned from doing battle with the Archedians.

OZ CLUB

Hey guys. Hope all is well.
'Why do you hate clubbin'?' I get this question all the time. Hmmm why do I hate clubbin'? From the top of my head there are four main reasons. By the way I never go to the club willingly. I just mysteriously end up there. My friends and their tricks...I fall for them all the time.

1. I am the type of person, who people will always designate as the driver. Why? Because I am the type of person who does not like the taste of those drinks appropriately named piss, by some clever or not so clever person. The point is, I hate being the designated driver. I constantly fear that someone's bowel contents might end up in my car or may 'beautify' my clothes at like 6 am in the morning, when I am so tired and I want to sleep, but noooo I have to clean up my clothes or my car to get rid of that nasty nasty stuff and smell.
2. There are those people who like to sit down in the club and watch people dance, as they are having their drinks. Well, these people can be placed into 2 categories: Perverts and People who just like to sit down in the club and watch people dance, as they are having their drinks. I fall into the latter. I enjoy sitting down and watching people dance as I am having my drink. I do find it really interesting to watch people, as they dance or cuddle or slip and fall or fight or whatever is to your liking. There can be that guy who is dancing like a duck, whose wings are not where they are supposed to be. Instead they are tucked under its belly and as it tries to walk the legs hit the wings and it is like it...(if you are not following, I am talking about the duck and how it relates to 'that guy') is going to fall but it quickly regains its balance and this goes on repeatedly. It gets too frustrating to watch this guy dance like he is almost going to fall but does not. I wish he would just fall, get over with it!
So, I shift my eyes to this woman, the type of woman who is dressed in environmental clothes. Environmental clothes are those clothes that happen to be green, brown or grey in colour. Her hair is either red or she has these greasy, untidy-looking dreadlocks. She is standing in the middle of the dancefloor. Its like her legs have been nailed to that spot. All she does is wave her hands in the air, miming the words of the song being loudly played, as the disco light shines upon her. She feels like she is one with nature, one with the song and one with the club:the music is in her as she is in the music. She gets boring to watch. Even you can't watch someone waving their hands for a whole 3 hours, can you?
The next thing I see is a person running from one end of the club to the dancefloor. This person dances by throwing his hands in all directions and jerking his legs, as he works the dancefloor. He doesnn't realize that by jerking his hands and feet, he may face legal suits the next day. The cause of action- Intention to Cause Grievous Bodily Harm. In 2 minutes the dancefloor is completely empty and Mr. Jerking hands and feet is the only one there, now jerking his whole body, working it like the world is about to end in a millisecond. I look at the dancefloor people. They have this look on their face, the look that says, 'Why is this freak of nature trying to ruin our night?!' These people want this maniac to grace the dancefloor with his absence. They are afraid to assist him to achieve this (probably by use of force), for fear that they may end up not having their beloved eyes or teeth. Next thing you see, is this lady coming from where Mr. Jerk came from. She has this embarrassed, no very embarrassed look on her face. I assume it's the girlfriend because it can't be the mother and it can't be the sister. She convinces him to leave the danceloor. She now apologetically looks at the dancefloor people and they respond by having this 'your boyfriend, aka Mr. Jerk Freak, might not have a body to jerk next time if we see him on this dancefloor again' look. However, my friends at this stage think am very bored, so they drag me into the dancefloor, cheer me on, encourage me to dance-I shift my legs to the right then to the left, wiggling and woggling my head, as my hands do this dishwashing action. I see other Africans facing us with the 'what the...' expressions on their faces. My friends then encourage to go back and have a sit. I think they are embarrassed, well why did they ask me to dance in the first place, if they knew I like to sit and watch people dance as I am having my drink?!
3. You meet the weirdest people. Taxi drivers, stalkers, taxi drivers, stalkers and taxi drivers. Why taxi drivers? One of them stole my mobile phone, the other one of them kept giving me this slimy, sleazy, licking lips, undressing, drooling, icky look. To top it off he gives me his number tells me to give him a call. I got off the taxi, a kilometer away from my place and had to walk home at a time when the owls are thinking, 'what the hell is this small, dark like night human doing walking at this time? let's give her a scare. whooo hoo hoo...' And so instead of walking, I ran home like a mad person. All this so that bwana taxi driver wouldn't know where I lived.
4. Being a cheapskate, I hate to spend money. So, if I go to the club I don't buy any soft drinks. I choose to drink water. I hear it is embarrassing to be with a person who drinks water in the club. Is that so?
There goes...If you allow me not to be the designated driver who likes to watch to watch people dancing while having a glass of water, then we will have a jolly good time in the club.
Cheers guys.

should i sigh or smile

Campus is finally ending this Friday, but strangely the feverish excitement that i anticipated has refused to check in- sadly too i must add! For various reasons actually. First, the lack of any campus experience is the lousy side of whole the parallel night school idea, at least for a first degree.The evening appearances for four years doesn't really allow you to do anything exciting that you can write home about- or ficha from your kids when they ask for a narration of the university days of the early 21st century. No tales there on my part!

The second reason, why i suspect i lack enthusiasm is the unemployment rate. Yeah, i know the problem couldnt be more emphasised in every media gadget (blogs included) but it has only recently become real to my mind in the last few weeks. I personally, praise the Lord, have the comfort of having a job to slide into (or continue with). But for the bigger part of my class, full of enthusiastic lawyers (starting Friday) eager to get their legal minds solving problems and anxious to make chums are about to go through what i think will be the most trying period of their lives. Background. For an law graduate to become an Advocate, you first need to have one year of pupillage (internship basically- but where you rigorously carry out research and other work at a law firm), thereafter a diploma must be obtained from the Kenya School of Law ( which involves doing exams- at diploma level! for the same courses that we studied and passed for our LLB). Thats like 1 and a quarter years gone. Then after the School of Law clears you, your name is forwarded to the Chief Justice to find time to gazette your name and swear you in. It usually takes the CJ between 1 and 1.5 years to gazette the names (and woe unto if your called Yvonne or Zeno!) Back to the problem. So first hurdle: my over 300 classmates have to find a law firm among the few firms existing in the country. Second hurdle: survival with the remuneration of a pupil which ranges from KShs. 2,500 to KShs. 12,000. About 5 firms in Nairobi pay between the range of 15-17k and they are terribly competitive at that! Third hurdle, after we complete the one year of pupillage, you have to find your way to School of Law (now situated at Karen) for classes for a period of time, which must be paid for and accomodation sought (major problem for guys who were subsistent on HELB loans). At this time, the law graduate is jobless because the firms don't usually retain after the year of pupillage and he is somehow to survive in Nairobi for the purposes of the School of Law classes, and thereafter start the job hunt again either for a place to hold over as he awaits his admission into the bar, or a place as an Advocate of the High Court. Well, am sure that the events immediately after my last paper tomorrow and our subsequent class party should be incredibly exciting.

It would be bit better, i think, if we'd get our degree and just be thrown into the market- where i then have to struggle and sort myself out. I think that's easier than the hassles that the system forces us to undergo. My take? I think its just a means to have as many people fall out the wayside and thereby limit the number of people who enter the profession.

I need a girl pt. 5

Kazi si kubaya..just the daily frustrations of a working man here..amidst the ever fleeting paycheck.

meanwhile I somad this and was awestruck at the audacity of Our kenyan folk..haha yenyewe it can't hurt to dream - even about Chelsea...p.diddy video quality au sio??

Did any of you get to meet Mr. "I smoked but I did not inhale?"
not even a glimpse? aiii

Hope you are all timam. much love.

music

wow, vikki that must be a blast. us guys are still stuck in that kiss era, so they only play 1song from that album.speakin of music, maybe you guys can help, esp Deno. there's this song chris had, Africa by Akon we played it at the hotel. am wonderin where i can download it from, fre ofcourse! also 'Hip Hop' by Dead Prez. am getting into the whole political rap thing, u know music with a message, not just about chics&spinaz!
can anyone help me out?

I got tha Legend

Hello V.I members? How are all of you doing? I hope you are all fine. I am fine though, been a busy holiday which is very good for me otherwise I would have fallen into a state of deep depression.

Well then... Remember a couple of months ago, when Thomas, Angie, Shiku and Deno were talking about some guy called Mr. Legend? Yeah that's the guy...You guys talked about him heaps, well relatively a lot, that I could not get my mind off this guy who had very special music. The thought of his music not fikaing Ozland at the time, was as irritating as a thorn in the butt. I needed to know what was so special about him. Luckily, Aussies decided to give him a chance. In Feb/March, Mr. Legend came to tour Sydney and Melbourne (hmm these people think that Aussie consists of Melbourne and Sydney and Perth is non-existent) I am not complaining because his Get Lifted CDs hit Perth stores soon after. On Monday while I was window shopping, I came across his CD. I immediately bought the CD. Went to work and had a listen to it. Wow! Special indeed. Thanks for introducing me to his tasteful soulful music.
So, that's the major thing that has happened this week, I have listened to his CD everyday this week at work. Makes me perform better...it seems.
Great CD. I award it 41/2 stars out of 5. For those who don't have it get it.
Cheers.

Reading briefs

I found this pieceWangari Maathai's views on Aids . My opnion is we should afford everyone, no matter on what pedestals they stand , a right to their opinon. She got where she is today out of her will to speak her mind and share her spirit. Correct her, set heer on the right track, but dont vilify her (or Thabo mbeki) for their rightfully owned and justified (arent they all) opinions.

Then this is what I call sensational, pointless reporting which appears to have serve other purpose but sucker punch me the african reader . granted such statements are embarrassing and can not be ignored, the article lacks focus and consistenty in theme. So to slap a headline like that on the story betraays an already disparaging outlook into the African mental model.

And this..this is what i call disruptive technology. Si mambo ya ipod this ipod that..Even though Apple stock prices would claim otherwise. Disruptive technology shouldnt just me measured by the degree of culture change, but the purpose of it. African entrepreneurs, be smart, invest in a technology that is changing Africa like no other. Wireless telecoms and communications software. And no you dont have to pay me for the tip. Deno feeling generous today..

re:uchawi ndio!

for real, that woman made a deal with some dark forces. For a long time, movies have made more than books. But if an anticipated movie Like the Choc Factory can't hold its own against a fiction filled, bulky collection of whooha and rantings, then i guess the reading culture is catching on. It's a good thing dont get me wrong, i just cant understand how people can sit down for hours on end reading 600+ pages of what someone conjured from who-knows wat....that's strength!
I hear JK is now richer than the Queen of England. No mean feat in its own, and more to come not only from sales, but what about the 7th instalment of the series, i hear from a Harry Porter nut that it'll be "the one". So those records wont hold for too long.
Deno, si even us we ramble on about something..am thinking "Harry Kimani kwa Mavurugano ya Abun Wasi"!
ok, gotta work on the title, but it'll be rich with the jungle-lore of 'Aafreeca'!

iko uchawi

Saw this shit on the news but I had NOOOO idea it was this insane!

9 million copies in the first 24 hours!!!!!!!!

I rememebr my ol lady and me joking vile this JK rowling mithe has some serious uchawis goign on..I mean people make deals with the devil, but this time JK must have lobbied with a union bana for this deal....

And ati horaa for book lovers? haha JK and the publishers will say anything as they laughing all the way to the bank..Oprah look out.

if this is not some SPELL/HEX/UCHAWI/UGANGA {select as you please } then what is? I mean Harry Potter IP should be traded on the nasdaq or something.

aaargh can you tell i am just frustrated after my meagre earnings were made even more meagre by confounded INCOME TAX!?
Well atleast now you know. Dont mention money to me anytime soon.

re: shaving bumps

it's funny the way we aspire for things others have, or look towards fastforwarding everything so that we can get ahead. sort of the-grass-is-greener-on-the-other-side mentality. i mean look at shaving for instance.
the guys in this blog (and the few women) can attest to this. in our youth, shaving looked cool. It was the Machismo thing. The satisfaction of holding that blade, and swathing ur face with foam...ahh heaven! ...or so u might think. You painfully and very quickly discover that shaving is a science that they forgot to teach us in school, but is aptly being offered at SOHK (school of hardknocks).
the way u hold the blade, how much pressure u apply, how long the foam was on...
but at least we have 'intelligent' blades in the likes of the Gillete Mach3,or Wilkinson Quattro. gone are the days of buyin wembes for that screw-loaded shaver that dad would kill you for, coz u used the blade to sharpen ur pencil!
we couldn't wait to do it, but now it's a painful chore. so ladies, dont stress the guy coz he has a few days of stubble. give it a rest coz God knows he deserves it! Tips:

1. for a smoother,closer shave, apply some vaseline to your face before lathering
2. invest in a shaver with many blades eg. Mach3,Quattro as the reduce the strokes required
3. apply the lather early and let it soak in.Better if u have foam that contains menthol,tea tree extracts,aloe,etc.
4. use a shaving mirror!
5. shave in a well lit environment
6. moisten your forest well
7. rinse the blade regurlarly
8. when you get bumps, give ur face a rest
9. use alcohol-free aftershave or shaving balm

or better yet,you can invest in a motorised shaving machine,with/without a smoother. Folks with sensitive skin may opt to avoid the smoother.

All in a days work

so my first week was last week, and in just by the swift drag of a week and some odd days have i gone from excited and excitable 'new guy' to disgruntled, swamped 'that guy'.

Granted it is a vastly rewarding experience working with people this talented, and that Im on a salary vs thoe dog gone hourly wages..it cant be that bad..can it?

Suddenly blogging about work doesnt seem that easy. Ive hit a very very static organizational culture that im afraid might swallow me up like the whale did Jonah. In this week Ive quickly learned

1) that no one really cares what u learnt in school - jus make it work- FAST.

2) Exteriors are highly decieving.(like whats new eh) Never judge a company from its product or sales. u gotta be in there in the wading through the mud to really understand whats the dilly with how it works.

3) Watercooler talk is addictive..I felt like a mbotch on steroids last week kaguaing everyones skeletons in the name of 'new guy curiosity'.

4) I like challenges. I abhor micromanagement.

5) I have no life. really. Someone save me. this is a cry for help. I did not even get a chance to see the Jazz Festivel the ONE time in 4 years im actually in montreal for the summer.

6) You cant change personalities (atleast not in a week!). You CAN change attitudes. I need a magic wand to change attitudes!

7) Africans are grossly underrepresented in the game development community. So are women.. :-(

8) Living close to work is not as fancy as i thought it would be..It has ended up meaning that I trot in later than Id like, and stay in after-hours far far more than is healthy. The mind is a dangerous weapon..

9) Dont drink Ethiopian/Italian-blend coffee first thing in the morning: your piss will smell funny. atleast mine does.

10) 2 weeks is eternity when u havent gotten paid and YOUR (vs ur folks) are paying the bills.

11) The world can conspire agaisnt you, slinging at u a series of juxtasposed disappointments: for what purpose..hmm Only I can determine that. can I roll with the punches?

12) I actually missed this therapuetic feeling of typign away my worries. Need to do this more often.

ciao amigos.

Lolosoni challenges tradition

After reading my favourite mad Kenyan woman's take on the ills of tradition This washington post article on Rebecca Lolosoni was an eye opening illustration of the pent up courage of the African woman.

A Place Where Women Rule, isgood case of where the right questions with regard to tradition and culture are being asked.

But my concern is when this battle for rights will be clouded by the allure of self sufficiency & autonomy -> the number 2 reasons for the erosion of family unity. Si tutafute UMOJA?(which is ironically the name of Lolosoni's village)

African Family values are in jeorpardy, and no ones talking about it. Watch the divorce rates skyrocket in the meantime.

gazuntite!

damn vicki, ur makin my mouth water. U sound like the real chef, am still in the neanderthal stage of eggs and tea! by the way am sure y'all have heard about the pizza G thing. not sure i'll be able to make it mite be going to Naks to see a sick relative, my cuz is being operated on but y'all have fun.
have y'all checked out www.mountkenyaacademy.com ?

RE: Africa Simama!

Kwa vile dadangu Cowi ametamka mambo yanayo tuhusisha sote, ningependa kumuunga mkono. Huko peke yako mama, kwa vile hata mimi nimesimama nakuwasikiza wanakenya wenzangu wakilalamika eti mambo ni mabaya, na wao wenyewe hawafanyi jambo lolote la kuimarisha hali yao. Kazi yao nikulalamika bure, na mmoja wao anapojaza titi, na kujimudu, wako hapo papo kumkata chini.
ok that was a phase, but the days of insha didnt pass by just like that. Ifeel the pain, especially with this G8 thing going on. My learned brother tells me that kenya was not eligible for debt relief merely because we don't fall into that category. Trust the African mind to politisize everything..from a famous American line" it's coz we're black!"
lets not stand by and just critic things without offering a solution. We're good at that, we take comfort in our comfort zones of hopelessness, helplessness. The Japs realized that no one was gonna give them any favors after WW2, so they got their sh*t together. Can't we do the same?
Ok, about G8 i believe our arguement holds some water. We should reinforce it with wat Hon.Kituyi said the other day. We should press these Big Boys to stop unfair trade practices and level the playing field. Some of the taxes they impose on our produce, yet granting their stuff benefits and shieding their markets is not ethical, even after claiming that theirs are globalized economies.am just pissed to the bone!
but we have to style up too. for example, 40% of our coffee and tea produce is wasted due to poor packaging. This is compounded by the fact that eg. the Brits only buy the high grade unbranded stuff, which they promptly package and brand 'English Breakfast Coffee'. This is the real stuff that we gotta fight.

Hello

Hey guys, it's been long. This is 20% due to the fact that I have bloggers'/writers' block. 30% due to the fact that it is very difficult for me to access the net, since I live in the gicagi area of Perth. 50% because I am working almost everyday from morning to night. So,.... can you imagine I have absolutely nothing of interest to write about, but I will write something coz Kibet told me to blog and well it is my day off. My mind is becoming absolutely stagnant it is being filled up with stupid Aussie issues. Further, coz of living in gicagi, I don't get to meet my friends as frequently as I would want to discuss relevant political or global issues. I also don't get the time to buy or read books, or even go the library to stimulate my poor mind.

So, I decided that the only thing that'll excite and stimulate me brain abit is cooking. Yes, I have turned to cooking. I am becoming a sort of connoisseur in chicken cooking and dessert making-men! I make a mean white chocolate souffle. My housemates now call me 'the crazy eccentric chef'. Crazy and eccentric because when my housemates decide to help me prepare something, I am always irritatingly watching them making sure they get things right. I go completely spastic when things go wrong and so I end up doing things on my own, at times. Yesterday I yelled at one of them for not stirring a chocolate and butter mixture with a spoon, for crying out loud she was using a knife and fork, jeez! Anyway guys take care, but before I possibly disappear again for a long time, here is a chicken and rice recipe to remember me by. It's easy peasy enjoy!


Orange Cream Chicken
Ingredients
300-500g chicken breast (skin on or skin off it's your choice), diced
1/2 cup of like 50-100% orange juice
1 onion, chopped
Mushrooms, optional
Thickened or heavy cream -1/2 a cup or less/150ml
30g (more or less) butter (depends on how greasy you want the chicken. Hint:the less the butter the better-30g is almost perfecto)
Salt for seasoning, optional
Method
1. Saute the onions in the 15g butter and 1/2 cup orange juice, until there is no moisture left. Put it aside.
2. Saute the chicken with the remaining 15g butter until brown. Don't forget to add the salt when sauteeing. Then add the 'orangised' onions and the cream. Stir, let it boil kidogo-I leave it cooking for about 3-5 minutes or until the cream becomes brownish-orangish in colour, then I remove it from the heat. Serve over rice (below).

Arab Rice
Ingredients
1 cup of rice (do the math if you're cooking more rice)
11/2 cup boiling water
Salt, pepper, pilau masala etc etc
5-10g butter and 1 tsp oil
Method
1. Pre-heat oven to 2oo-210 degrees celcius.
2. Melt butter and oil at the base of baking dish.
3. Stir in the 1 cup of rice. Add in 3/4 cup of boiling water and put in the oven. Let the water boil into the rice.
4. After the water has boiled into the rice, add the remaining 3/4 cup boiling water (mixed with the salt, pepper and pilau masala etc etc) and put back into the oven for 30 0r so minutes.
You can check if the rice is ready by putting a fork into the rice. If there's no moisture then you are ready to gormandise the food.
Bon Appetito.

It Does matter if you are black or white.

So its been a long time since I blogged but I've been reading and seeing wagwanning in the area.

My best friend wrote something down today that really got me thinking.IT DOES MATTER IF YOU ARE BLACK OR WHITE


I thought of how many Africans out here are infuriated by our systems and standards.Of how many have the nerve to voice it and how many the courage and vision to do something about it. Because what's real is that the numbers diminished per category and worse still too many of us are hiding behind the nothing can be done or I can't do anything about it or I'll wait till things get better to stand up and be counted for Africa.

So whats your take.

I'm ready to take my stand just not too sure how to implement.

More Bad news

I am unapologetic about part of my conservative nature, one that speaks out about Gay Marriage being Extended Nationwide in Canada.

No one is denying anyone the righ to love, or the right to be together legally; But when governments and others begin to tweak and twist the definitions of institutions, institutions that have been ordained by God, sanctified by Nature, I begin to worry.

When shall a line be drawn? or rather when shall we stop erasing those lines? Are there even any drawn?

The last days...

Gone too soon

My brother just called me and Todays standard just confirms it:
Starehe founder, Dr Geoffrey Griffin dies at 72.

He passed after complications from Stomach cancer, but was a fighter till the end.

So few of his Kind left today: those who dream dreams and pay the dear, sacrificial price to make them come true.

I will be in a better position to post after my thoughts and emotions extricate themselves from each other...

Wired News: How to Thank Kenya for 9/11 Cows

Just read about How to Thank Kenya for 9/11 Cows:

"'The cows are the most amazing gift we received ?- I mean, who else sent cows?' insisted Ed McCormick, a construction worker from the Bronx. 'If those guys wanted us to have jewelry, they would have sent it. They wanted us to have cows. We should take the cows and raise them on a nice farm upstate and then send the cow puppies back to them someday.'"

That cracked me up big time thought i should share. Cow puppies...lol only in America.

I met Kimeli Naiyomah some years back - went to school with my older brother..interesting character. Love him or hate him (some Kenyans have accused the chap of being opportunist) I laud him for initiating the gesture.

The Resurrection: Montreal,NYC,Quebec City, Detroit

Lost my blog-mojo without a doubt.. Not sure whether i can be cured. It like sinking sand this epidemic - Just when I think i am out, it pulls me back in Don Corleone style. Whenever I have a kam juicy story to tell - something (often a juicier event) without a doubt will prevent me from ever starting the former, and all im left with is this sky high pile of juice that will never end up documented.

So in an effort to reclaim whats left of the scant readership of VI, heres what ive been up to for those who care:

1) Hosted my family - all 15 of them for my graduation. I reveled in the attention like no other time and could not hav e been more overjoyed to see so many folks show so much love; even though, i mean who are we kidding, they all used my grad as the perfect excuse to cut work and school. Apart from my knees getting wobbly on stage, the convcation was uneventful, - way too many pictures taken at the photo ops after the ceremony, some of which i throw up on flickr and share. Logistical nightmare it was; When your scrambling to make that many people simultanously happy, it quickly dawns on that the event(and many others that should be for u) is so NOT about you.

2) Went down to the big apple for a week. Agenda: babysit the folks , who were also there, as my bro hustled along at work. It turned out to be way more than that - amidst helping my brother with some severely needed intereor design now that he had moved from Brooklyn to the city, I did guided tours round the city via GrayLine, experienced the wonders of Juniors World famous Cheesecake in Long Island(debatably as good as sex), Napped through Harlem, Partied like a rockstar @ Hiro (where Paris has been spotted severally) , Drank till 8am in the cox with my old time best friend and soon to be insanely successful investment banker, Celebrated my parents 30th(!!!!!) wedding anniversary in cozy style, enjoyed free wifi @ the pristinely located Bryant Park quadrangle - congruently sporting my (but do i sayyyy) gorgeous iBook. Visited the largest Walmart i have ever layed my eyes on, Expereinced the Puerto Rican Day parade, was even metres away from a shooting. It was intimate this time with the Naked City that never sleeps...I cannot tell you how much more I appreciate cities like Montreal and Nairobi after my third encounter with what i consider to be a 'highly segragated and polarised babylon'. The wallet did not survived unscathed either!

3) Got back a day before my cohorts and I drove off to Quebec City for the final round of the Quebec Entrepreneurship contest. It was certainly worth the drive - We were whined and dined cabaret style with french cuisine and not-so-generously flowing wine. An unfamiliar aura of affluence and some french dignitaries assailed the night - I was embarrassed at my impairment as far as the Kifaransa was concerened. I now know what Kiwetes feel like when they see jamaas playing basketball oor climbing trees. But i digress... Our 80 page submition ends up winning the grand prize in the University category..Dont mean to gloat, I will let the press releases do it for me. It was shamelessly gratifying to be the skinny kid from Nairobi, shaking hands with Quebecs Minister for Education and recieving a cheque that is meant to credit venture creation in Canada. I left the stage thinking - 'to whom much has been given, much will be required'. I felt accountable in a way that i havent really felt before. THe pressur eis mounting to make this thing work....

Each of these events in essence is a universe of lessons to blog about. Sometimes life gets a hold of you and taking the time to document it feels like u are trying to sever that hold and life in itself may pass u by as u type emphatically type away. One thing is for sure though..After losing an disgusting amount of cash to Detroit's loss this Thursday, i will definitely have LOTS of time sitting at home to blog.

Kudos @ daily.nchiyetu

Good (and silent) people of VI...you need to check out Nchi Yetu Daily. I finally got round to spending some time to jus idle on the internet and boy! was i taken by the site. I lost all sense of time and spent hours poring through the thoughts, rumblings, inspirations, experiences and diverse wisdom of many kenyan bloggers. It was just amazing the quality of writing that many of the kenyan bloggers have and exploit in the blog craze... Do yourself justice and take a peek daily.nchiyetu.com. I take no responsibility if you are fired from your job for oogling for too long at the site. (Denis expect an invoice!!!)

I have been having conversations with several guys both studying outside and within Kenya about the level of brain drain that Kenya experiences every year when a massive number of form four graduates leave the country for further studies in Europe, Canada, Australia, etc and who after completing their studies and with the overwhelming incentive of job security, better pay and generally better career prospects opt to take up jobs in their countries of study. The different takes that i gleaned from several discussions on the subject were quite interesting and varied; but generally tilted towards condemning our brethren who opt to take jobs out of the country.

One passionate guy argued that kenyan parents spend millions of dollars to educate their children in foreign institutions, which millions of dollars could have been used otherwise to hasten the economic development of the country in a myriad of ways. His cry was that these millions get lost and eventually work to the benefit of the developed countries in whose institutions we sink (positively) in funds. At what point does the investment return to the motherland, was the question he raised.

I got an interesting response thereto in this informative piece. Take a look http://uhurunihaki.blogspot.com/2005/06/brain-drain-chit-chat-for-brain-dead.html

Whats your take

RE:budget

Well this year's budget will go down as a manya a 1sts.

1. it was the shortest budget in recent history (atleast to my knowledge) lasting only 2hrs
2. it was a year when few things were increased on most tax waivers awarded eg. maize flour, sanitary pads, LPG gas
3. fuel was not increased
4. MPs were uncharacteristically alert with no one dozing, or being caught on camera doing so

with this year's aim to promote rapid growth, maybe many of us will now get to taste the fruits of the so called 4% economic growth, as claimed in the last financial year. One thing I think we should start is a budget review about a month before the reading of the next budget, with debate on it. This will be a source of referendum for the ministries of planning and finance, as well as an avenue for accountability to the tax payers. In the past we have not seen where/how our money is spent, maybe this may prompt the tax defaulters and evaders amongst us to come forward.

I posted soon after the reading, so there is likely to be more info from your dailies in the coming day.

One.2U all

RE:Fear and life

Well, we tend to 'respect' what we fear. In Kenya they have tried that whole principle thing and value judgement but it failed, lost on a generation that was as flimsy as a leaf in a storm. So what do they do? Use the one tool that has worked from time immemorial...instil the fear of a thousand camel fleas and the likes....and vuala! Results. It may be little, but atleast it's a step in the right direction.
Agreeing with soulsta, some think it funny that i may sit and just listen. absorb the world around you, pick up on the energy that u inadvertently miss, drowned out by the illogical things of this world, or as we are consumed in our foolishness.
Every once in a while i hug a tree.don't laugh, my lecturer taught me this. Be one with the Earth, jus go hug the tree, and thank it for all those things you take for granted ie.oxygen production.
May this inspire u, try planting a plant of whichever sort and tend to it. It'll be an eye opener to the rest of ur universe, in whichever realm you perceive it to be (some of us run parallel to the rest)

Listen

somebody very dear to me sent me this forward and i thought it had sooo much to say.

Listen to life. stop worrying so much about what you're trying to say, and listen for a while. Though it may seem strange, one very effective way to express yourself is by listening.
Listen, carefully, lovingly and attentively to the world around you. Listen to others and listen to life.
Let go of your assumptions about what you expect to hear. Listen not only with your ears, but also with your heart and spirit.
Pay attention to what life has to say to you. There is no end to the valuable lessons you can learn.
When you think you know it all, you deny yourself the opportunity to learn new things. When you interact with others only to impress them with how much you know, they'll soon understand that you know very little.
The more you listen, observe and learn, the more powerfully you'll be able to express yourself. Take heed of what life has to say, and what you learn will carry you far.


so often we go about life just talking and laughing, gossiping and scheming and we fail to listen to life, and our hearts and most importantly to God! the messages that we miss, the secrets that are revealed are worth so much and can take us so far...yet here we remain, not listening.
Lord knows im guilty of that....

Message of abstinence from our celebs..

Just heard this via Wassapangaz and was moved by the message that came out. Listen HERE : 'Vumilia' on record agaiinst HIV. It is a powerful thing for these YOUNG peoople, considered the domineering voice of reason and culture for many young kenyans. It is great to see them use their gifts for something that is not just about making themselves more money.

Hopefully this will recieve some MASSIVE airplay at radio stations back home. At first it was almost comical to listen to as I listened to Nonini, of 'We KAMU' fame, croon about abstinence, but i'll cut him some slack. All entertainment value I hope and these are his real sentiments.

All the performances are timam, definitely worth the listen.

On Abstinence: Do you think abstinence is harder to do when there is no motivating religeous drive behind it? Should the fear of death be the number one motivating factor behind the call for abstinence? Will it be effecive when people have already witnessed the sweeping effect of death in their villages, families, homes? Would it be sheer naevity to push for abstinence o the basis of purity instead? As in honour/respect thy body sort of purity?

Fear is an incredibly strong influence in the decisions we make, however something in me has always told me that Decisions based on strength/principle are the defining ones that last. Maybe thats what we should be striving to elicit from our peers and our youth: The principle that will lead them to abstinence.

a force to reckon with...

anyoone have change?? i cant break this..

of shooters and dairy farms

Also feel sad too see how things went with Tom, but they put something into perspective that many have ignored. Those rangers were in plain clothes and did not identify themselves prior to confronting him. I can understand if they looked like thugs, or trespassers. Am not saying he did the right thing, i believe a charge of manslaughter should have been preferred against him. But some time ago, CID guys popped at home jumpin over the walls brandishin guns and lookin very rogue, not wanting to identify themselves. So we naturally raised the alarm.
The AG should have bonded him in custody until the necessary investigations are done, as now he may interfere with the process.
Rule of law my smelly behind, and we are the same ones who dont even follow the simplest of dictates within the Traffic Act.

An Uncommon Dialogue

Ok i have a confession to make. havent completed a book in eehh..ehh lets just say a really long time. I decided to ease my way into this whole umm reading thing by beginning with audio books since that way my sessions will be less suceptible to my chronic ADD caused by my incredibly alluring ibook. (proof - i just stopped listening to jot down this blog! what would i do without wifi..)

Currently listening to Conversations with God , by Neale Donald Walsch and is thus far, nothing short of AMAZING. In the Book, Neale chronicles his 2 way dialogue with God.

Not just its comfortable prose, but the 'dialogue' helps one ease into the strong opinions emanating from this piece - as the reader it is almost as if you are a bystander listening in on a great conversation between 2 people, and the ideas(heavenly inspirations?) pushed forth by the author thus goo down a whoole lot easier. This literary style is great as it avoids the a condascending approach of other books of similar subject matter, which usually lose the battle to convince before they even begin.(at least for me)

It is helping me ask a whole lot of the questions about my faith that were stuck in the labyrinth of my spiritual senses - and is somewhat of a reawakening becuase of this. Highly recommended read. (or listen if ur as distracted as i am).

Jehovahs Witness wont know what hit them next time they come by my apartment..

Why you can afford to ignore blogging

Business Week just did a piece on why
Blogs Will Change Your Business. Though primarily building a case for the potential economic value behind a massive blogging culture by exposing the disruptive nature of the blog (in quotes since its not quote one), the article also explores in a straightforward and witty manner everything else you ever wanted to understand about this quasi-hysteria I have about blogs and the Internet 3.0.

Must read..and looking forward to the business week blog!

Chicagocrime.org

Cant wait for Google to implement google maps for Kenya and greater Africa for that matter. I mean think of the birth of complimentary technology that would stem out of this. Few poosts ago i gave an example of the brilliant fusion of Google maps & craigsList Realestate listings. Now check THIS out.

chicagocrime.org, is a free browsable database of crimes reported in Chicago that fuses this useful plethora of data with the Google Maps interface, allowing views and persectives of live crime data by street, police district, location etc. As if this was not enough, all this info, in a preferred format, is available through RSS feeds, the same syndication technology that allows the tracking of blogs on feed aggregators such as *cough* *cough*Nchi Yetu Daily or Bloglines.

Cool!

RE:East Africa

Hey deno, when we took world civilization i happened to catch a few things in between naps. That there was already a civilization established much earlier than the Egyptian civilization around east Africa. There is proof that they were the first to domesticate the chicken,whose remains were accurately identified and dated to before the era of the Pyramids, within the area of present day Coast and into Tanzania. It's believed that they had links to the Shanzus who appeared later.
But interestingly,this ancient kingdom fell to a northern force, which totally destroyed any eveidence of its existence. That is why it's not well documented as there is very little in terms of remains.
PS: HAve u wondered why most of the early Egyptian paintings and monuments are black? It's coz they were ruled by blacks, with origins from present day Sudan.but again they fell as a result of a revolt by the middle east inhabitants whom they tolerated.

Not so eternal Egypt..

Last week a friend of mine did something together that we had postponed for far too long - hit the Museum circuit of montreal. No not something that we do all the time, and in a city thats is apparently such a liberal art vortex, its about time we indulged in a dose of 'culture' and exorcised the complacent 'mshamba' aura that we had become so accustomed to. My most memorable thoughts on: Eternal Egypt @ The Montreal Museum of Fine Arts:

* First off, we get in in laughing at all the suckers who opted to pay an additional 5 bucks for an 'audio' guide - a clumsy looking phone like contraption that speaks out a commentary on each respective artifact once u come within kidu 0.5 metre radius of it. I mean call me cheap, but 5 bucks to hear some mechanical voice payuka what i can read on the walls, no soundtrack, no headset - Surely ..i expect a such a respectable museum to be slightly more 'creative' in their efforts to rip us off.(the entrance fee is 7 bucks..to put things into perspective)...


* The female form is thing of beauty. And I ain't talking about the exhibition. It took me a while to get into the idea that I had come to see egyptian collections and not for my restless eyes to be darting around the stunning women present. Such a great pick up spot - cant believe my Mac radar had failed to pick up on this earlier. The atmosphere of brought about by a cluster of impatient people desperately struggling to appreciate art must certainly have accentuated the impression of the female in all her curvaceous glory upon my weak senses. Each curve complementing the other in seamless fluidity ..oh man..I wouldn't classify myself as a shameless gawker, just one who like to give credit where its due with my eyes...

* None of the artwork exhibited gave any slight mention as to how they were found.mostly what they represented. I felt it ironic that this stunning egyptian art was so far protracted from the people who championed it. This british museum is profiting immensely from the relics that should belong directly to the linked and owned by Egyptian heritage; I mean what makes the british any different form art conscious grave robbers?

* The theme that most jumped at me from observing the archaic pieces of limestone, papyrus reeds, gold, silver and bronze was this: man, today, yesterday, tomorrow, has an undying obsession with his past. Thats what each artifact essentially was: an individual time capsule, a means with which to iconify some individual for times to come. Skilled sculptoring was a much heralded profession in the middle ages before Christ, and really only aristocracy could afford them. One had to be trained extensively to write in hieroglyphs - meaning the vast majority was left out of these 'history books' and 'time capsules'. I want to hear what the average man in 1872 BC was about. Hopefully by the same token 4000 years form now the web server that hosts this blog will be unearthed by some 'digi-ologists' who can read my blog and ascertain what it was like to be a thoroughly cool average joe from kenya studying in Montreal. (and just incase u do read this from the future...i lied..I was the most influential person in Africa for the next 30 years.)

*I have a childlike impatience after like an hour of standing in an enclosed area.

* Who do they think they are..those kings and queens of misri..ati considering themselves 'deity'! Hapana. Thats just plain presumptuous. Power is a dangerous thing to have. The one great thing that came our of their ego-stroking art work is that most of the stone figures were sculpted in larger than life size.something that perhaps useful for archeologists today who aren't fans of the shovel.

* Every sculpted face was missing its NOSE. No this one has bugged me ever since i was a kid wondering what the hell went wrong with the sphinx. (ever read the Asterix comic with Cleopatra& ceasar..haha good stuff). Seriously though, it didn't matter how small the sculpture was - the mapua was ALWAYS missing. Something these grave-robbers knew that we don't. I posit that either these artists had one zany sense of humor , or that something seriously valuable was stored there in a not so discrete fashion.

* What was the rest of Africa doing 2000 years before Christ? was this obsession with capturing history something isolated only to the egyptians? I am especially concerned with what may be left of such an archaic East Africa. i refuse to believe it was a bunch of hunters and gathers struggling to figure out how to trap their next antelope dinner.

Looking forward to my next Museum trip..