So yesterday was the 25th ofiicial christmas day .A place I would love to have been is Manger square - Bethlehem - home of the site where Jesus was bon a couple of thousand years ago...But tsk tsk I was miles away in Seabrook NH - hadtaken one of the ladies I work with to spen time with her family.What amazed me the most was the manner in which to them chritmas is a time mainly to unwrap gifts and compare notes on who has got what.....Christmas in the diaspora is not what we as Kenyans have been brought up with.My rommate Mary brought me to this reaity yesterday desribing how she misses her kids and good ol family times over christmas nyam chom - the long drive to see cucu guka and cousins you have not seen the whoel year...Then I get to work later on in te day and my workmate tells me the exact same thing Peny can you imagine we are working on Christmas day - a lady with children and a huzzy....the sad reality is that life in the diaspora seems to offer material satisfaction to some extent but sadly there are things that life here snatches away - the laughter and joy of Christmas with family but most important rememberig that 2000 years ago in a lowly manger in Bethlehem a carpenters son was born to die and save the world...instead of spending so much time going round the malls shopping for gifts why dont we take that time to go to a cancer ward and hold a childs hand who is bald from chemo.Take time to say thank you Jesus coz you died I live, tell the ones you love how much you love them...
So we may be miles away from home but that should not stop us from just being thank ful for the smallthing we take for granted - that you are alive is blessing enough t see another year...so Kenyans out here hang in there hold on to your Christmas memories of days gone as memories keep us grounded and not forget where we are from......
Friday, December 26, 2008
Monday, December 22, 2008
Enough Mugabe Enough!!!!
Robert Gabriel Mugabe...Zimbabwe has had enough you have milked her dry you have milked her people dry enough is enough...Mugabe with the white man is what Hitler was with the Jews during the Holocaust.Am sure if you ask Mugabe who his mentor is he will tell you Adolf Hitler.The similarities are so similar - the most obvious is the famous mustache - look at Mugabe look at Hitler..then their Marxist beliefs , both did not have a father figure in their lives from an early age...Okay am straying from my point...I think its so unfair that I can write all this down while someone in Zim right now cannot even fathom what will happen to them should they even entertain any subservient thoughts not even talk about the government.
The statistics in Zim are alarming - the highest bank note right now is at 10 quintillion - I did not even know such a word existed...inflation is at 1 million percent is that right surely mathematically , morally and economically speaking??Mortality rate for men is at 37 for women is at 34!!!the lowest in the world..
The saddest is the cholera and hunger outbreak...a farmer I quote , "You should see what we eat in our homes," said Ethel Sibanda, 55. "I haven't eaten isitshwala (a thick porridge made from maize meal) for a long time now. My family and I have relied on wild fruit and kernels of the amarula tree. We last received maize in my area in November."..
Zimbabwe is crying out and we as the world are so busy solving our credit,auto,mortgage crises celebrating christmas - it is so unjust.Rwanda cried out during the genocide and the world kept on doing its thing - causing a 21st century African holocaust.....the International community needs to be mobilized in Zim...yes there are laws that avoid a country from infringing on another countries sovereign rights but just this once those laws need to be over looked...this is a humanitarian cause.. Mugabe needs to get out of his palace and look around him..people are falling like flies from hunger...so what can we do as individuals is my question??
"The only white man you can trust is a dead white man."
- Robert Mugabe
The statistics in Zim are alarming - the highest bank note right now is at 10 quintillion - I did not even know such a word existed...inflation is at 1 million percent is that right surely mathematically , morally and economically speaking??Mortality rate for men is at 37 for women is at 34!!!the lowest in the world..
The saddest is the cholera and hunger outbreak...a farmer I quote , "You should see what we eat in our homes," said Ethel Sibanda, 55. "I haven't eaten isitshwala (a thick porridge made from maize meal) for a long time now. My family and I have relied on wild fruit and kernels of the amarula tree. We last received maize in my area in November."..
Zimbabwe is crying out and we as the world are so busy solving our credit,auto,mortgage crises celebrating christmas - it is so unjust.Rwanda cried out during the genocide and the world kept on doing its thing - causing a 21st century African holocaust.....the International community needs to be mobilized in Zim...yes there are laws that avoid a country from infringing on another countries sovereign rights but just this once those laws need to be over looked...this is a humanitarian cause.. Mugabe needs to get out of his palace and look around him..people are falling like flies from hunger...so what can we do as individuals is my question??
"The only white man you can trust is a dead white man."
- Robert Mugabe
Emotional Roller Coaster
Gosh it has been ages since I was last here I have so much to say so much to write so many pictures to post I do not even know where to begin...Maybe I can begin by its December 22nd there are 8 days to the close of this year I rememeber last year at this time we were psyking up to go to Florida with Shingi and Prisc OMG and this year I am so bila any plot...watsup with that ???
so anyhu.....today was a day for me to push off..I think with 8 days left to the end of the year its a moment of reflection - look back at the year - achievements , downfalls , nonstarters - as Dennis would call them...I was not only reflecting on the year but in generall the last couple of weeks have been an emotional roller coaster for me in so many ways I cannot even describe in words...For one mum and Adi have been here for four months - at the beginning it seemed like such a long time but time went to so fast we had a such a grand time by the time they were leaving I think I begun experiencing withdrawal symptoms - haiya for real - no more mums food , Adisas sarcasm , just the joy and laughter of family...Secondly am leaving Lowell and more specifically Mary.Lowell has been my home for the two years that I have been in this country so I will somehow always call it my home in America and Mary has been more than a rommmate , but a friend a teacher a mentor and almost a mother to me in so many ways....so yes am moving to Salem - so I am a "tabula rosa" - blank slate - ready to write another chapter in my life.Its very exciting , nerve racking , but all in all am ready to grab the bull by the horns...but thats what life is about grabbing it by the horns - we cant let it get the better of us....My reasons for moving are many that I will not go into detail but I think everyone at some point in life reaches a turning point where decisions have to be made , actions have to be taken words have to be spoken to find your purpose and achieve certain things ..okay am getting carried away as usual....
So other than that - certain relationships in my life have been ...whats the word I can put there...can I say growing??advancing??getting deeper??confusing?? generally the lines / boundaries that I had with certain people are becoming blurred and the worst thing is I cant really explain what the expectations are or what the outcome will be so its a grey area in my life right now...and I really like seeing things either black or white..hopefully the whole thing will get done with as little heartbreak as possible - not a good feeling....
Yes so thats why my emotions feel like they have had a pass to the roller coaster at Six Flags....so today I drove to New Hampshire to my quiet coffee house to absorb myself in The Swallows Of Kabul - great book - I think am falling in love with Afghanistan.now thats a whole other story...so anyway the ambience of the place gets five stars the music is great not too many people actually no people at all I go there when I want to be me want to let go think straight and read a good book...so there was the sweetest couple that came in...so am deep in my book..from the corner of my eye i see a walker I did not even bother looking up but as they passed I saw it was a very old lady with her equally old husband by her side and he was helping her with the walker and he held her bag sat her down brought her coffee aaaggh i was almost in tears it was so sweet to see how the old guy still thought the world of his woman...Ok yeah bear with me...as I said I have been an emotional wreck...
The life I touch for good or ill will touch another life, and that in turn another, until who knows where the trembling stops or in what far place my touch will be felt.
Frederck Buechner
so anyhu.....today was a day for me to push off..I think with 8 days left to the end of the year its a moment of reflection - look back at the year - achievements , downfalls , nonstarters - as Dennis would call them...I was not only reflecting on the year but in generall the last couple of weeks have been an emotional roller coaster for me in so many ways I cannot even describe in words...For one mum and Adi have been here for four months - at the beginning it seemed like such a long time but time went to so fast we had a such a grand time by the time they were leaving I think I begun experiencing withdrawal symptoms - haiya for real - no more mums food , Adisas sarcasm , just the joy and laughter of family...Secondly am leaving Lowell and more specifically Mary.Lowell has been my home for the two years that I have been in this country so I will somehow always call it my home in America and Mary has been more than a rommmate , but a friend a teacher a mentor and almost a mother to me in so many ways....so yes am moving to Salem - so I am a "tabula rosa" - blank slate - ready to write another chapter in my life.Its very exciting , nerve racking , but all in all am ready to grab the bull by the horns...but thats what life is about grabbing it by the horns - we cant let it get the better of us....My reasons for moving are many that I will not go into detail but I think everyone at some point in life reaches a turning point where decisions have to be made , actions have to be taken words have to be spoken to find your purpose and achieve certain things ..okay am getting carried away as usual....
So other than that - certain relationships in my life have been ...whats the word I can put there...can I say growing??advancing??getting deeper??confusing?? generally the lines / boundaries that I had with certain people are becoming blurred and the worst thing is I cant really explain what the expectations are or what the outcome will be so its a grey area in my life right now...and I really like seeing things either black or white..hopefully the whole thing will get done with as little heartbreak as possible - not a good feeling....
Yes so thats why my emotions feel like they have had a pass to the roller coaster at Six Flags....so today I drove to New Hampshire to my quiet coffee house to absorb myself in The Swallows Of Kabul - great book - I think am falling in love with Afghanistan.now thats a whole other story...so anyway the ambience of the place gets five stars the music is great not too many people actually no people at all I go there when I want to be me want to let go think straight and read a good book...so there was the sweetest couple that came in...so am deep in my book..from the corner of my eye i see a walker I did not even bother looking up but as they passed I saw it was a very old lady with her equally old husband by her side and he was helping her with the walker and he held her bag sat her down brought her coffee aaaggh i was almost in tears it was so sweet to see how the old guy still thought the world of his woman...Ok yeah bear with me...as I said I have been an emotional wreck...
The life I touch for good or ill will touch another life, and that in turn another, until who knows where the trembling stops or in what far place my touch will be felt.
Frederck Buechner
Sunday, November 02, 2008
The Buck stops here.....
Okay so its one day to the elections and trust me things are getting nastier and nastier...the nominees from all the states are getting more and more desperate to outshine outdo outsmart and outvote each other....I was watching Sununu and Shaheen - they are running for New Hampshire and the ads are all all "We do not want more of the same George Bush" , Bush this Bush that Bush and taxes Bush and the war its all his fault....but you know the strange thing , I think its just human nature to want to put the blame on someone....Its so much easier to say I dint do it its all your fault...The proverbial kid that has just broken a glass...the first words that come to mind - "I dint do it.." So back to the politics - I think the whole dow dipping below negative , the credit crunch , fore closures etc what if I said Bush is not entirely to blame??I think this is a hole that America has dug herself into over the years...I am not trying to be cynical - far from it but for real as Rev Wright put it Americas chicken have come home to roost...this is in many aspects - from the credit lending - I mean how do you use and use and spend and spend money that is not yours....money that you will not be able to pay back at the end of the month??Open up anybodys wallet around here...so many creadit cards will fall out like bats out of hell...So many calls at the end of the month Hi am calling from Jack n Jill collection agency am calling about a debt...Hi am calling on behalf of ABC bank your loan is over due.....as much as America I can give credit as the hardest working nation.....(trust me people here work liek hell - a good 60 % of people are averaging two jobs) I have to say the whole living from pay check to paycheck has to stop here!!at the end of the month the money has gone to paying the car paying the TV paying the laptop everything is on credit...my mother always told me "do not live above your means"..so instead of blaming Bush - yes I do admit some of his descions have been off the radar - we need to sit back and say no the buck stops here this time...I cannot blame Bush for spending this credit card to the limit....yes I could blame him for the war in Iraq - but then again thats a whole historic Sunni Shiite battle that goes waaay back -but please guys...if we want the country to change the age old adage change begins at home has to apply....if you cannot afford to pay that monthly payement on that Rav 4 let it slide - get a cheap used honda for now and sit back and think how you can make money to get a new car later....so guys I have the busiest week coming up ...exams projects..and other odds and ends I need to tie up...
ok so next time I will be writing we will hae a new president....watch this space
ok so next time I will be writing we will hae a new president....watch this space
Wednesday, October 29, 2008
Munch on this
Two Quotes I picked here and there :
Life is too short to wake up with regrets
So love the people who treat you right,
and forget about the ones who dont.
and beleive that everything happens for a reason.
If you get a chance, take it.
Nobody said that it would be easy,
they just promised that it would be worth it.
Life is too short to wake up with regrets
So love the people who treat you right,
and forget about the ones who dont.
and beleive that everything happens for a reason.
If you get a chance, take it.
Nobody said that it would be easy,
they just promised that it would be worth it.
99 Balloons
Okay so I am yet to learn how to down load videos onto my blog ...so bear with me in the meantime and click this link...it will take you to a video I watched today of young Baby Elliot who was born with Trisomy 18...http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qILw1iFzmIE ...Okay so today I will get all biological on you.Trisomy 18 is a genetic condition that affects the 18th gene.There are 23 pairs of human chromosomes. In Trisomy 18 (Edwards syndrome), there is an extra chromosome with the 18th pair. Like Trisomy 21 (Down syndrome), Trisomy 18 affects all systems of the body and causes distinct facial features. It is estimated to occur in 1 in 6,000-8,000 live births. Unfortunately, about 95% of fetuses die before birth, so the actual incidence of the disorder may be higher. Of those born, approximately 80% are females. Trisomy 18 affects individuals of all ethnic backgrounds.VST - (Ventricular Septal Defect - a hole between the lower chambers of the heart) , ASD (Atrial Septal Defect - a hole between the upper chambers of the heart), and coarctation of the aorta (a narrowing of the exit vessel from the heart), kidney abnormalities, omphalocele (a portion of the intestinal tract is located outside the stomach in a sac), esophageal atresia (the esophagus does not connect to the stomach, meaning the baby cannot eat by mouth), and polyhydramnios (excess amniotic fluid), clenched hands, choroid plexus cysts (a pocket of fluid on the brain that is not problematic in itself but may be a marker for Trisomy 18), rocker bottom feet, and delayed growth, micrognathia (small jaw), low-set ears, and a strawberry-shaped head, as well as severe developmental delays..Then there is also Trisomy 13 which is more severe as it occurs lower in the chromosome arrangement - affects chromosome 13...then there is Trisomy 23 - Downs Syndrome which is more common today I am being the Bio geek that I am....So the link is of Baby Elliot who lived for 99 days and he was such an inspiration to his parents during his funeral they released 99 ballons in the air.......I just thought I should share the conditions and this tiny piece of heaven - Baby elliot...
Sunday, October 26, 2008
What If
Today I saw the most touching article I have seen in a minute....My friend Eric was preaching at his friends funerals sermon and his title was "What If"...these are some of the what ifs he posted
What if Forbes named me a millionare?• What if I was famous and Rich?• What if I lived in a big house and I drove a big car?• What if I was blond like Brittney Spears…who is no longer blonde but bald! Hehe!
So the point he was trying to put across was what if you died today would you go to heaven??On another different but related note I think what is driving my passion to write is that the official ten day countdown to the presidential elections begun today and the questions on everybodys minds are What if we get to see the next black president??What if Mc Cain wins?What if the votes are rigged?What if What if what if??
I think my friend is right..life is made up of what ifs..Ithink what if is a defining statement that can be a defining moment in ones life depending on the answer...What if you jumped off that cliff?What if you did not get that visa?What if you were born white?So in this regard...I think America and the world are at a great defining What If moment in history if the Democrats take home White hOuse on Nov 4th....If Obama wins as the first African American president...it not only is a victory on American turf but also victory that dates back to the days of the Civil War and Rosa Parks on the all white Alabama bus to Martin Luther to the Mau Mau freedom fighters in Kenya to Nelson Mandelas 27years in prison to the continous stigma thats associated with the black race....It will be victorius in the sense that the struggle for equality has paid off - that people wil realiza that we all belong to the human race and not just one particular race....that whether you are Black white Hispanic Caucasian you have no dominion over anybody ..that you can dream dreams and set out to accomplish them...and whether you win or loose the struggle must go on!!!So what if Obama does become president....what if he doesnt??
The Negro needs the white man to free him from his fears. The white man needs the Negro to free him from his guilt. -Martin Luther King, Jr.
What if Forbes named me a millionare?• What if I was famous and Rich?• What if I lived in a big house and I drove a big car?• What if I was blond like Brittney Spears…who is no longer blonde but bald! Hehe!
So the point he was trying to put across was what if you died today would you go to heaven??On another different but related note I think what is driving my passion to write is that the official ten day countdown to the presidential elections begun today and the questions on everybodys minds are What if we get to see the next black president??What if Mc Cain wins?What if the votes are rigged?What if What if what if??
I think my friend is right..life is made up of what ifs..Ithink what if is a defining statement that can be a defining moment in ones life depending on the answer...What if you jumped off that cliff?What if you did not get that visa?What if you were born white?So in this regard...I think America and the world are at a great defining What If moment in history if the Democrats take home White hOuse on Nov 4th....If Obama wins as the first African American president...it not only is a victory on American turf but also victory that dates back to the days of the Civil War and Rosa Parks on the all white Alabama bus to Martin Luther to the Mau Mau freedom fighters in Kenya to Nelson Mandelas 27years in prison to the continous stigma thats associated with the black race....It will be victorius in the sense that the struggle for equality has paid off - that people wil realiza that we all belong to the human race and not just one particular race....that whether you are Black white Hispanic Caucasian you have no dominion over anybody ..that you can dream dreams and set out to accomplish them...and whether you win or loose the struggle must go on!!!So what if Obama does become president....what if he doesnt??
The Negro needs the white man to free him from his fears. The white man needs the Negro to free him from his guilt. -Martin Luther King, Jr.
Monday, October 20, 2008
down in the dumps.....
Okay so am in serious pain right now...my shoulders feel as though they are going to snap any moment now...my head is spinning...am sleepy and hungry...I am just in a general disorientated state I seriously cannot write anything of importance today but just vent.......I have an exam kesho for anthropolgy that I will see stars for sure I want to trade in my car...it is bringing me so much hell I got back a Psych exam I had an 85 thats a freaking B - yes I only strive for As .....aaaaaaaggggggghhhh am screaming...today is one of those days I just wish I had a cabin house in Colorado...get into a jacuzzi then curl up in front of the fire place have a real man by my side laughing and talking all night long then going to watch the sunrise..... I just want to be out there in the wild chasing the wind.....AM DOWN IN THE DUMPS...I NEED A PICK ME UPER!!!!!
Monday, October 13, 2008
Am Disgusted, saddenned, ashamed , stark raving mad!!!!!!
Today after a very long time I went to the Nation media website to see whats happening in good ol Kenya...Good ol indeed...the first article has driven me back to my blog - it seems I come here when I have so much emotion.....and yes I do....the title read "13 die as matatu and lorry collide" so I thought okay another grisly accident on Mombasa road or the ill fated Nakuru Naivasha "highway" as they call it!!!So I begin reading and the second paragraph made me do a double take...I quote no let me copy and paste for greater effect...Bodies of the passengers and their belongings were strewn all over the road when the Nation team arrived at the scene shortly after 5pm. The accident occurred at about 3pm near Berea Bible College, about 35km from Nakuru Town..Okay people maybe its just me or are you seeing something wrong...very wrong with that statement???!!!!The damn thing happened at 3 and two hours later the bodies are still lying all over the place...am jumping up and down in fury right now.Check out the story here..It makes me so upset the negligence of the system in Kenya or is it Africa as a whole My God the response is so delayed who knows in two hours how many lives would have been saved!!!!!!!!Aaaagh!!!And the worst thing is this is has been happening since I was young I knew "the black spot on the Nairobi Naivasha highway" and October 2008 am 22 years old and we are still singing the same song...On another silmilar but related note there was also an articlein the same paper titled
"Frustration of unanswered emergency calls."..The article begins...
It’s 8pm, and Naomi Mulia calls her office for help; she has just come across a boy’s body lying on a city street.
“What do I do?” Ms Mulia asks her colleague who is on night shift.
“Call the police — that’s a police case,” comes the reply.
She dials 999 but for 10 minutes, no one is picking it up. She gets upset, and looks left, then right to find out if anyone is watching. No one. She quietly leaves the scene.
“First, I dialled 999 and got the ‘number-doesn’t-exist’ tone. I was surprised and thought I pressed the wrong code,” she said later. “Then I recalled instructions on display in public booths: ‘In case of emergency, dial 0’. So I tried 0, but the line went silent.”
For petes sake am I over reacting for nothing or am I more upset coz my favourite aunt was a victim as well a month ago to a road accident....or maybe because my sister is a quadriplegic as well because of a road accident...or maybe my good friend Joans younger brother was knocked by a matatu when he was only 8 years old...or is it because Njeri lost her dad and sis at a go through a road accident...or maybe am plain mad at the negligence of the those in charge of maintaining law and order...Or maybe am not justified in comparing it to here in the States where you can call 911 if your head is paining and they will be there in 5 minutes tops.....Is it that life is more valuable here than it is developing countries???
No I refuse...I refuse to read these articles and go oh how sad...and do nothign about it...I refuse to watch innocent peoples lives taken away just beacus eof negligenc eon the part of the police....no no no no!!!!!!!!!
Here are some great quotes I picked from the OWYP online chat held on Sunday....aagh am still mad!!!
The more intensely we feel about an idea or a goal, the more assuredly the idea, buried deep in our subconscious, will direct us along the path to its fulfillment." -Earl Nightingale.
Give a man a fish; you have fed him for today...Teach a man to fish ; and you have fed him for a lifetime...
Through the window.....
"Frustration of unanswered emergency calls."..The article begins...
It’s 8pm, and Naomi Mulia calls her office for help; she has just come across a boy’s body lying on a city street.
“What do I do?” Ms Mulia asks her colleague who is on night shift.
“Call the police — that’s a police case,” comes the reply.
She dials 999 but for 10 minutes, no one is picking it up. She gets upset, and looks left, then right to find out if anyone is watching. No one. She quietly leaves the scene.
“First, I dialled 999 and got the ‘number-doesn’t-exist’ tone. I was surprised and thought I pressed the wrong code,” she said later. “Then I recalled instructions on display in public booths: ‘In case of emergency, dial 0’. So I tried 0, but the line went silent.”
For petes sake am I over reacting for nothing or am I more upset coz my favourite aunt was a victim as well a month ago to a road accident....or maybe because my sister is a quadriplegic as well because of a road accident...or maybe my good friend Joans younger brother was knocked by a matatu when he was only 8 years old...or is it because Njeri lost her dad and sis at a go through a road accident...or maybe am plain mad at the negligence of the those in charge of maintaining law and order...Or maybe am not justified in comparing it to here in the States where you can call 911 if your head is paining and they will be there in 5 minutes tops.....Is it that life is more valuable here than it is developing countries???
No I refuse...I refuse to read these articles and go oh how sad...and do nothign about it...I refuse to watch innocent peoples lives taken away just beacus eof negligenc eon the part of the police....no no no no!!!!!!!!!
Here are some great quotes I picked from the OWYP online chat held on Sunday....aagh am still mad!!!
The more intensely we feel about an idea or a goal, the more assuredly the idea, buried deep in our subconscious, will direct us along the path to its fulfillment." -Earl Nightingale.
Give a man a fish; you have fed him for today...Teach a man to fish ; and you have fed him for a lifetime...
Through the window.....
Thursday, August 28, 2008
Olympics 08 - medals or world class power??
Okay so the olympics concluded last weekend and boy oh boy dint China give the world a run for their money....China is telling the Western world we were down but we were not out and we are back...so the price tag was at 43 billion okay yes take a deep breath on that one...So as I was watching the games proceed I noticed that most of the matches being aired on nbc were either where an American was participating or a Chinese chap....so it got me thiking Olympic games have become more commerical and a show of prowess than ever...Look at it thiis way it all boils down to money / funding..Okay lets take for example a small weird country on the map with an even weirder name - say Uzbekistan...with a GDP that is slightly higher than what China used in the run up to the Olympics 55billion ..Then we take a look at China and US with GDPs of 10.7 and 13.3 TRILLION...okay so many figures to deal with..okay so the four year run up to the olympics...China and the US are able to train their teams as they have the resources and the manpower and more advanced equipement in sharp contrast to the Afghani football team that is warding off bombshells...
Then the other thing how it all boild down to money ..look at all the great runners of the Kenyan team who have defaulted and are runnign for European teams - Dutch, Qatar whyrun up those Rift Valley hills for peanuts instead of running for three times the amount and a better life for you and your family so it all boils down to money...
so back at the ranch - birds nest this time.....the U.S and China all throught the Olympics seemed to have been involved in this struggle for gold medals...and to me it looked like a rise as the more stronger world power..Yes alot alot of training and practice went into both teams and I applaud the efforts - Phelps breaking record after record..but my problem is so what about those little countries that have such promising athletes but do not get that in depth training due to lack of resources and equipment??
Okay my other problem with the Olympics so after the pomp and gay they usher in the paralympics.....okay so whats up with that picture...reminds me of the book "No feast for Kiungu"..something to do with a guy getting to the party waaay after it is done...so thats what i feel about the Paralympics as much as the initiative is great and the intentions are integrative I do not see why they should have a separate show AFTER the actual olympics...its kind of like a consolation prize so why doesnt IOC find a way of integrating the paralympics into the actual games...so anyway maybe its me just being me but i think there should be a better way of doing it....
Then the other thing how it all boild down to money ..look at all the great runners of the Kenyan team who have defaulted and are runnign for European teams - Dutch, Qatar whyrun up those Rift Valley hills for peanuts instead of running for three times the amount and a better life for you and your family so it all boils down to money...
so back at the ranch - birds nest this time.....the U.S and China all throught the Olympics seemed to have been involved in this struggle for gold medals...and to me it looked like a rise as the more stronger world power..Yes alot alot of training and practice went into both teams and I applaud the efforts - Phelps breaking record after record..but my problem is so what about those little countries that have such promising athletes but do not get that in depth training due to lack of resources and equipment??
Okay my other problem with the Olympics so after the pomp and gay they usher in the paralympics.....okay so whats up with that picture...reminds me of the book "No feast for Kiungu"..something to do with a guy getting to the party waaay after it is done...so thats what i feel about the Paralympics as much as the initiative is great and the intentions are integrative I do not see why they should have a separate show AFTER the actual olympics...its kind of like a consolation prize so why doesnt IOC find a way of integrating the paralympics into the actual games...so anyway maybe its me just being me but i think there should be a better way of doing it....
Sunday, August 24, 2008
Really Random...Really..Really...Random...
So today I spoke to my long lost best friend who I have not spoken to in like two years - Kabbz...it was a mixture of emotions and the funny thing is we were talking as though it was just yesterday that we last spoke......its so funny how things change they remain the same the first thing he told me is he was baking a cake and I went like - you still bake cakes - he used to bake the best cakes and no doubt I guess correct he was baking a vanilla cake at the time...so we did a lot of catching in the liitle fourteen minutes - his sister Kafoi has the preetiest baby his latest girlfriend is called Naitore - and I told him about my two heart breaks and his cute adopted brother Tony is confusin women now......yani there were times we could text each other all night long til credit kwishad or batteries died , lunch movie and pool dates at Sarit , nyam chom at Vision Plaza and all this gave me a deep nostalgic feeling of how I miss the simple life that I had then- when T mobile,National Grid and Salem State were not hounding me for money....But you know what ..the feeling lasted for only I think two minutes coz trust me I cannot imagine going back to that life after the rivers I have crossed and mountains climbed...as Faith Hill sings , "If I had to do it all again I wuldnt take away the pain coz it made me who I am.."
Then tody in church I re dedicated my life to the Lord - yes the full shabang I went infront and it was such a relieving experience my heart felt so light - or maybe I was wishful thinking - no but for real I asked God to re light the fire that once burnt bright for Him.
So this coming week is a big week - big thangs poopping Adi and Mum will be here kesho at a time like this...am broke as hell..yani am in th three digits - loer three digits - bordering on two digits but am not even worried - I dunno why stuff just has a way of working itself out...speaking of which I need to call Ritho he is taking me to the airport - he just doesnt knwo it yet he he he he!!!Then I am going to Salem State gosh I just hope it works out well - the way I was a great defaulter last semester!!
Okay so I am officialy out of vibe oh there is a greate quote I have just read..."Blessed are they that are cracked that they may let light in and it may shine through them.."It was from an organization that deals with people with spinal cord injuries...
Okay so let me head on out and begin my crazy week...adios amigos...
Then tody in church I re dedicated my life to the Lord - yes the full shabang I went infront and it was such a relieving experience my heart felt so light - or maybe I was wishful thinking - no but for real I asked God to re light the fire that once burnt bright for Him.
So this coming week is a big week - big thangs poopping Adi and Mum will be here kesho at a time like this...am broke as hell..yani am in th three digits - loer three digits - bordering on two digits but am not even worried - I dunno why stuff just has a way of working itself out...speaking of which I need to call Ritho he is taking me to the airport - he just doesnt knwo it yet he he he he!!!Then I am going to Salem State gosh I just hope it works out well - the way I was a great defaulter last semester!!
Okay so I am officialy out of vibe oh there is a greate quote I have just read..."Blessed are they that are cracked that they may let light in and it may shine through them.."It was from an organization that deals with people with spinal cord injuries...
Okay so let me head on out and begin my crazy week...adios amigos...
Monday, August 18, 2008
After all is said and done
First and foremost arent you loving the colour scheme going on with the matching attire and the font colour...yeah I border on O.C.D abit - like things done a particular way!!!Okay so I was a bad girl last nigHt but I have atoned for my sin with my best friend Dennis - went into his inbox - I was very bored and found an email that he and his fiancee were writing about the qualities that they are looking for in a husband and wife and its so sweet that both of them fulfill each others "requiremnts" as Dennis put it..
Then later on I am chatting with my friend Joan from work and she tells me you are so well rounded - good qualities in a wife and I tell her my goodness that is my biggest fear I love kids to the t and am so big on the whole family life settling down but on the other hand am so career driven and into fulfillment of personal ambition - which is very selfish ...but I think when you meet "the one" life and love have a way of readjusting themself in such a manner that your focus somehow re-aligns with Mrs. X or Mr. Y..
So last weekend was my good friend Veronicas wedding and I got to be a maid...I have the pics posted down here....very preety wedding Ver looked killer and Patrick sweet as usual..so right now they are honeymooning in Florida - made sure I got her lingerie and beach wear that will give Patrick and aneurism!!!
So anyway they were going to play the song that I am definately walking down the aisle to - whenever that will be...After all is said and done - Beyonce and Marc Antony..but they dint coz of this and that..so I have taken the liberty of copying the words below so I will revert back to them in the next ummm......years..
After all is said and Done - Beyonce Marc Antony.
Here I am, looking in the mirror
An open face, the pain erased
And now the sky is clearer
I can see the sun
Now that all, all is said and done,
[Marc]There you are
Always strong when I need you
You let me give And now I need, seriously and protected
With the one I will love After all is, all is said and done
[Beyonce (Marc)]I once believe that hearts were made to bleed(Inside I once believe that hearts were made to bleed, oh baby)
But now I'm not afraid to say[Beyonce & Marc]I need you, I need you so stay with me [Beyonce (Marc)]These precious (precious) hours (yeah)
Spend each hour in open arms And dream into, into tomorrow
[Beyonce & Marc]Where there's only loveAfter all is, all is said and done
[Beyonce]So here we are in the still of the moment Fear is gone, hope lives on[Beyonce & Marc]We found our happing ending
For there's only love And this sweet, sweet love After all is, all is said and done
The Dream Chasers...
Today I was driving to work and a feeling of nostaligia crept over me...I suddenly found myself at Monier 2000 - the indoor and outdoor advertsising company that I used to work for in Westi..and boy oh boy dint I have a grand time..I met such amazing people I learnt so much on the job in the 6months that I was there I learnt all the stages a billboard goes through before we see that Samsung phone on Waiyaki way ...all those Adopt - a - a light backlits..
But the thing that made me proud the most was the manner in which the people I worked with moved on after that to bigger and greater things in life...Sally went to work for Barclays bank , Jane started her own printing firm , Trizah relocated to the UK with her adorable daughter- speaking of which I think she is the one who made me nostalgic the most..I remembered one thing she told me as I was coming to the States - "Kababy - they used to call me the Monier baby - as you go to the States one thing I want you to do is "jinyime" you may want to drive that good car and wear that nice shoe but if you do not jinyima until you can afford to comfortably buy it your family will suffer and you are the one to help the family...go study and study and work and work some more until you can say okay I think I can buy that car '
So as I was saying yes so Rajiv my cute Indian boss started his one travel and tourism company - Savage paradise and did Imention how is daughter is the cutest thing - Anya.Then my partner in crime Farzana went on to become the HR manager at Glory driving school . Olive works at Stan Chart, Chacha went into travel and tourism and Mike North - he had big dream for Monier - too bad they did not really take off..he went to do photography.And me..well I knew from a long time that I wanted to come to the States and am studying something that will put me where I have always wanted - to be helping others....and it funny that everyone followed their dream - what they are passionate about...Mike was a managing director at Monier but reso0lved to photography ..Rajiv was head of sales and marketing but he just wasnt ticking...so its all about finding your niche...what are you so passionate about...that thing that makes you get up every morning and get going keep fighting..Its not enought to just settle for where you are..make sure you are where you have always wanted to be and the only person who can stop you is yourself....
so Monier 2000- kina Linah and Willie - they are passionate about graphic design and are still at Monier - providing quality artwork that has stood Monier the test of time with all the competition from upcoming advertsing agencies - the Ovidians and Magnate...Miss that place so much as it challenged me to be a better person.
Consult not your fears but your hopes and your dreams. Think not about your frustrations, but about your unfulfilled potential. Concern yourself not with what you tried and failed in, but with what it is still possible for you to do. - Pope John Paul xxxiii
But the thing that made me proud the most was the manner in which the people I worked with moved on after that to bigger and greater things in life...Sally went to work for Barclays bank , Jane started her own printing firm , Trizah relocated to the UK with her adorable daughter- speaking of which I think she is the one who made me nostalgic the most..I remembered one thing she told me as I was coming to the States - "Kababy - they used to call me the Monier baby - as you go to the States one thing I want you to do is "jinyime" you may want to drive that good car and wear that nice shoe but if you do not jinyima until you can afford to comfortably buy it your family will suffer and you are the one to help the family...go study and study and work and work some more until you can say okay I think I can buy that car '
So as I was saying yes so Rajiv my cute Indian boss started his one travel and tourism company - Savage paradise and did Imention how is daughter is the cutest thing - Anya.Then my partner in crime Farzana went on to become the HR manager at Glory driving school . Olive works at Stan Chart, Chacha went into travel and tourism and Mike North - he had big dream for Monier - too bad they did not really take off..he went to do photography.And me..well I knew from a long time that I wanted to come to the States and am studying something that will put me where I have always wanted - to be helping others....and it funny that everyone followed their dream - what they are passionate about...Mike was a managing director at Monier but reso0lved to photography ..Rajiv was head of sales and marketing but he just wasnt ticking...so its all about finding your niche...what are you so passionate about...that thing that makes you get up every morning and get going keep fighting..Its not enought to just settle for where you are..make sure you are where you have always wanted to be and the only person who can stop you is yourself....
so Monier 2000- kina Linah and Willie - they are passionate about graphic design and are still at Monier - providing quality artwork that has stood Monier the test of time with all the competition from upcoming advertsing agencies - the Ovidians and Magnate...Miss that place so much as it challenged me to be a better person.
Consult not your fears but your hopes and your dreams. Think not about your frustrations, but about your unfulfilled potential. Concern yourself not with what you tried and failed in, but with what it is still possible for you to do. - Pope John Paul xxxiii
Sunday, July 13, 2008
The Ditch Diggers daughters
Okay so today is Sunday - my prime time for chiming in as Priscilla calls it...It has been a minute since I was last here I really have a busy life sometimes I ask for a few extra hours which I know shows lack of priorities yet again....So anyway I am reading a PHENOMENAL book its called the ditch diggers daughters - by Yvonne Thornton wait I forgot DR. Yvonne Thornton...she writes about growing up as a ditch diggers daughter in NJ when racism was the order of the day in a family of six girls who became succecsful physicians and enterprenures...
The story is so deep as their mum and dad were poor but they believed that their daughetrs would become doctors someday "with "scrippyscrappies" around their neck - stethoscopes.. which they did..I have some phrases that the dad used to tell them in order not to loose sight of the goal...they are the ish
"Men can get old..even when they are sixty ,women will lok at them ansd say Oh you are so mature..but you women, you only got a certain amount of time to make it and you got to act fast....."
"The way to get to an ultimate goal is to set intermediate goals along the way.."
"I want you to go to school with children who have goals or whose parents have goals for them ...that way you will get a head start.."
Women are stupid emotionally..you cant help it coz God made you that way.Women are to have kids and men are to run around..thats the natural order....in every hour theres about three seconds that you are weak..so you ahve to select when you are gonna be stupid.."
If you let other people hold low expectations for you or if you hold them for yourself , you will come to believe that is all you are capable of.But if you really set yourself to trying and keep going after higher and higher goals , there is no limit to what you can accomplish.."
"In order to take something from your child you got to replace it with something ."
"If your down you will come back up again just do not loose sight of your goal."
and the final one - my favourite...
"Women have the capacity to love anybody , but men are dogs.Its in their nature to run around.But if a man latches on to somebody he truly loves , if the sun rises and sets in that one woman , if she is all that he ever wants then he will stick by her
The story is so deep as their mum and dad were poor but they believed that their daughetrs would become doctors someday "with "scrippyscrappies" around their neck - stethoscopes.. which they did..I have some phrases that the dad used to tell them in order not to loose sight of the goal...they are the ish
"Men can get old..even when they are sixty ,women will lok at them ansd say Oh you are so mature..but you women, you only got a certain amount of time to make it and you got to act fast....."
"The way to get to an ultimate goal is to set intermediate goals along the way.."
"I want you to go to school with children who have goals or whose parents have goals for them ...that way you will get a head start.."
Women are stupid emotionally..you cant help it coz God made you that way.Women are to have kids and men are to run around..thats the natural order....in every hour theres about three seconds that you are weak..so you ahve to select when you are gonna be stupid.."
If you let other people hold low expectations for you or if you hold them for yourself , you will come to believe that is all you are capable of.But if you really set yourself to trying and keep going after higher and higher goals , there is no limit to what you can accomplish.."
"In order to take something from your child you got to replace it with something ."
"If your down you will come back up again just do not loose sight of your goal."
and the final one - my favourite...
"Women have the capacity to love anybody , but men are dogs.Its in their nature to run around.But if a man latches on to somebody he truly loves , if the sun rises and sets in that one woman , if she is all that he ever wants then he will stick by her
For real the book is mind blowing, inspirational , hard to put downer those books that make you want to get up and get going....this summer i have dedicated it to reading books that give me uh huh moments...My next read is a Child called "IT"...Priscilla reckons it will make me cry...Oh and I just finished Left to Tell - Discovering God amidst the Rwandan holocaust - Immaculee Biography..good stuff there but was slightly over done in the emphasis on thee spiritual part...
Oh from A thousand splendid suns which I had just finished- another good one from Khalled Hosseini the best quote, "A woman like a rock in a river bed - enduring without complaint-her grace not sullied but SHAPED by her circumstances..." aaagh punches in the air punches in the air....
Okay so am going to DC on Tuesday - I was selected as Project Ambassador 08 - 09 for One World Youth Project so we have a retreat / training this week and I have an exam for my anatomy class -oh did I tell you I am taking anatomy and the profeeor is the ish...he makes you see things from a whole new perspective he is so thorough you get to see why C is C because of B and B because of A....but yet againmaybe I just love Bio too much (geek squad)..Then there is a work in progrees that Adi and madthe are working on will keep you posted...Sunday, May 11, 2008
The Kite Runner
Oh Yes I forgot to mention this awesome book I am reading by Khalled Hosseini - the Kite Runner immigrant from Afghanistan when the governement was overthrown in the 70s...so he is writing about his days as a young boy in Kabul with his best friend before he was deported to the US.The laws that did not favour women , the lack of education etc..Today he is an MD in I think CA..so he shows the differnet paths his and his best friends lives took..and it is just so awesome to see how life changes for people...anyway the point of this was a quote that his mother told his sister one day...who is very succesful right now the mother was like , "Do not get used to cooking and cleaning coz thats what you will be doing for the rest of your life." The reason is today is Mothers Day and the men at the church were supposed to roast meat so mary tells me at the end of the service there was hush hush and confusion and eventually they find out nothing was prepared for them...I was so aggravated to hear this coz all the time it is the ladies of he church who are cooking cleaning when there are functions at the church so the least the men could do was for mothers day..and you know why? some African men are still caught in this mindset that a womans place is in the kitchen well honey you have another thing coming..Maybe thats y my relationships are short - lived as soon as we start role playing - you be in the kitchen I put my feet up I am like brother to the left!!!!!!! So ladies lets think outside that small box..yes I do admit there are points we feel oblidged to cook and clean but it shouldnt be such a stressful thing...let it come naturally....Robert Kyosaki in his Retire Rich Retire Young book semas something like do not expound so much energy in something you are not good at....channel your energy to perfect what you excel at.....so if you are not the best home maker....open those books and get crackalacking!!!!!!!!!!
okay through the window am so sleepy!
okay through the window am so sleepy!
The Big Apple
Okay so Adisa got off her lazy behind and decided to send me the pics for the New York so here you have it...We had such a grand time it was so unplanned unexpected ....it was so awesome...April has been terribly hectic what with school exams finals gosh I am literally heaving a sigh of relief...but now guess what I am so free for the next four months no wait one month ..am taking a summer class inJune but hey its summer...think beach cookouts,the mall, spending time with friends,graduations,weddings,hanye...yes I am getting wasted this summer...
speking of which I am a maid at a wediing an am so like not looking forward coz everyone is a size four...very depressing coz its only me Betty and Monnie who are size.......but hey will have funall the same...Then I am in the proces sof looking for a car...no fun no fin it is hectic for someone who doesnt know what is sijui a V6 i hear V8 just give me a plain white toyotta that moves!!!!!!!!these are the times I need me a man!!!!lol!!!!so it is one in the morning no school kesho yipee...but have a busy day all the same kesho....oh today was Mothers day called a few special ladies in my life I know that are mothers - I think its take real courage and sacrifice to be a mother so big ups to all mamas...tufungulieni barabara.... There is no way we can pay you back but the plan is to show you that we understand you are much appreciated..-Pac
speking of which I am a maid at a wediing an am so like not looking forward coz everyone is a size four...very depressing coz its only me Betty and Monnie who are size.......but hey will have funall the same...Then I am in the proces sof looking for a car...no fun no fin it is hectic for someone who doesnt know what is sijui a V6 i hear V8 just give me a plain white toyotta that moves!!!!!!!!these are the times I need me a man!!!!lol!!!!so it is one in the morning no school kesho yipee...but have a busy day all the same kesho....oh today was Mothers day called a few special ladies in my life I know that are mothers - I think its take real courage and sacrifice to be a mother so big ups to all mamas...tufungulieni barabara.... There is no way we can pay you back but the plan is to show you that we understand you are much appreciated..-Pac
Monday, April 21, 2008
March Madness from Baltimore to Manhattan with Love....
Okay so March was a very very crazy month......I literally did not have enough time to breathe...things happened oh so quickly and maybe me taking 5 classes and two full time jobs is not helping to the craziness...so yes where do I begin...oh oh oh...I was priveldged to welcome my mom and sister to America - yeah thats how wild things were.Yes they were visitors of the U.N ahem ahem but do we say.This was under Make Roads Safe Campaign - an international NGO that advocates for Raod safety.So there was ova bill that was to be presented to Bun Ki Mun - is that hsi name the sec gen?to make Road Safety a sustainable agenda as part of the U.Ns M.E.DS - wow I said that is one sntence without flinching - my days at EAMUN helped!!!! so Casey Marenge - exec director - chariots of destiny through the petition collection in Nairobi over the past weeks was invited to support the passing of the Bill - which it did!!!You can read more about the whole event on http://www.makeroadssafe.org/ okay so now to the juice...so we were randa randaring in Manhattan we were staying at Melbas - thank you darling!!!It was such an awesome experience - one of those things you would never imagine - strolling down the streets of Broadway..blog I tell you Broadway with the two rocks in my life.Three or four years ago this was just but a dream.....We went to the Appollo theatre - yes home of Chris Rock...in Harlem - yes Harlem!!!There is just something about Harlem it has so much culture and pride you feel so at home.For a moment there I thought I was strolling down Luthuli Ave.Oh then how can I forget my best friend who made it all possible - Denno you know I cant thank you enough but the love is there ile mbaya.Drove me all the way to New York... where others said it was impossible yes Denno said we will find a way so big props halafu took us round to Jersey and statue of Liberty it was just an awesome experience being with the people who matter the most in my life...But all I can say is it took hard work determination and a spirit of perserverance.I remember adi telling me the days they would go and be at the stands alone with madthewaiting for signatures when no volunteers turned up in the hot sun..But you know what...thats what faith is all about...believing in things we cannot see and having that assurance that nothing is ever a waste.For real there are times you think gosh what was all that what a wasted effort...trsut me nothing happens thats not in Gods bigger picture....So yes we had a great great week did so much dollar shopping stuff and Mc.Donalds was our best friend for the week oh oh and how can I forget the yellow Manhattan cabs - rock on!!!!!!!!!!!!!!I do not have the pics as Adisa is still in jet lag.....fo rreal....But I do have the one for Baltimore.Oh yes we went to Baltimore and Delaware with Mary the week before...what a drive.....8 freaking hours but the company was fun...not excatly my age but fun all the same.....so here are a few pics of Baltimore with darling Gachenge where we stayed and the Kagwimas etc.....
Babies r us.....
Okay so where do I begin.March was one of those crazy cray months you barely have time to catch a breath or even a heartbeat...as in things happened oh so quickly that I have been overwhelmed so here I am back after a month of ups and more ups...So let me begin with Mary Annes baby shower.So Mercy and I threw Mary Anne a baby shower on what date was that...whatever...so anyway it went well close family and friends were there and by eleven it was done which is what I think real baby showers and weddings should be all about.Not all the media circus and pomp people here have turned them into.Inviting everyone from the chief to the D.C to the cobbler I mean a baby shower or wedding shoud be a time to celebrate with those who are special and dear to you so anyhu.....here are some of the pics from the shower.You can see Mary Anne and her huzzy Josephat.Mercy is the black beauty bald Mnet face of Africa then there is 6ft winnie and of course MC Denno hakosi...enjoy....
Sunday, March 09, 2008
Monkey Business
I got back from Springfield today which is like a good two hours drive from mass.I had taken Mary to sit her MTEL exam - her career is in the field of Education so this is the Massachussetes License exam.Some silly exam that Mary told me people have taken even 5 times coz its so damn hard....which got me thinking.... in my Psych class the teacher asked us to each say if we thought we were intelligent...and I told her Everyone is intelligent by their own standards.Just because I did better than you on the SAT does not make me more intelligent than you that is just someone else's idea /standard of intelligence....So now for the MTEL just because I cannot get that 70% that YOU want....who justifies that I am a poor teacher? or the NCLEX exam..I know such brilliant nurses who cannot practice coz they have flanked the exam that totally sucks....yes am getting carried away as usual......so we left on Friday we stayed at her friends place...such an adorable lady - Anne Wachira you are an angel she can cook up a storm ....my goodness Mary and I had started a diet a week ago and we kept consoling ourselves saying...okay we will pick up after the trip coz trust me Anne cannot stand to see you not eating - plantain , pork ,chapatis , fruits,chicken gosh she is awesome in the kitchen...Mary and I were telling her ,"Kuna wenye wa kupika na wenye wa kula," coz we are definately in the latter category...
So anyway after a very long drive back and forth I had to go for a commitee mtg of a wedding that I had promised to make engoho then do an errand for somebody else run late to work in the process... you can tell where am going with this...... its all monkey business!!!!!Am sure you are going like okay hold up back up.....Mary told me of a story once of a white man who tried to carry so many monkeys on his back..or something to that extent but when he treid to hold this one the othe rone on the shoulder fell off and so on and so forth...so yes Monkey business is when you get so caught up trying to be there for people ..i dont think am a people pleaser - or yet I try not to be - but somehow in trying to do favours for people I forget the common adage , "Nice people finish last." So I need to toughen up and learn to say no when it is called for coz at the end of the day I am the looser...So learn from me folks..assess the situation first and ask yourself am I making myself useful or am I being used...
So anyway the week was great..save for Hillary winning Ohio and Texas....hang in there Obama Wama!!!!But the thing thats saddens me about Obamas nomination is the state of this country....Our dear ol Texan has left the country to the dogs...its a shamble that the next person coming in has a plateful of work.From Healthcare to immigration to the economy to mortgage to college education that seems so unnatainable.... to the Chinese and the Japs gaining on the dollar.Obama will have so much to do and the worst is people will be waiting for him to fail in the stereotyped black society that we live and yet the truth of the matter is the country is a rotten apple already....
OKay enuff sad talk then I got a glimpse of Apprentice Africa the first episode was ok though as Anne Andere has said the CEO should try change his tact on firing he looked so rehearsed and very shady..but all in all Go Joyo - thats Joyce Mbaya Kenyan contestestant -we are on first name basis here coz she is a friend of a friend - am trying to get the hook up!!!The other Kenyan guy - Eddie -Mr.Smiley and the other one from Strath...good for you people...young enterprenures....
So yes am on spring break may be going to Baltimore so watch this space I will come back ranting and raving as usual....Borrowed No Reservations which am going to watch now - Catherine Zeta- yeah am still a sucker for love but I know Deno is going to call so thats a one hour break in the movie........as Didge would say....through the window baby..........
Put your hand on a hot stove for a minute, and it seems like an hour.Sit with a pretty girl for an hour, and it seems like a minute. THAT’S relativity.
-Albert Einstein
So anyway after a very long drive back and forth I had to go for a commitee mtg of a wedding that I had promised to make engoho then do an errand for somebody else run late to work in the process... you can tell where am going with this...... its all monkey business!!!!!Am sure you are going like okay hold up back up.....Mary told me of a story once of a white man who tried to carry so many monkeys on his back..or something to that extent but when he treid to hold this one the othe rone on the shoulder fell off and so on and so forth...so yes Monkey business is when you get so caught up trying to be there for people ..i dont think am a people pleaser - or yet I try not to be - but somehow in trying to do favours for people I forget the common adage , "Nice people finish last." So I need to toughen up and learn to say no when it is called for coz at the end of the day I am the looser...So learn from me folks..assess the situation first and ask yourself am I making myself useful or am I being used...
So anyway the week was great..save for Hillary winning Ohio and Texas....hang in there Obama Wama!!!!But the thing thats saddens me about Obamas nomination is the state of this country....Our dear ol Texan has left the country to the dogs...its a shamble that the next person coming in has a plateful of work.From Healthcare to immigration to the economy to mortgage to college education that seems so unnatainable.... to the Chinese and the Japs gaining on the dollar.Obama will have so much to do and the worst is people will be waiting for him to fail in the stereotyped black society that we live and yet the truth of the matter is the country is a rotten apple already....
OKay enuff sad talk then I got a glimpse of Apprentice Africa the first episode was ok though as Anne Andere has said the CEO should try change his tact on firing he looked so rehearsed and very shady..but all in all Go Joyo - thats Joyce Mbaya Kenyan contestestant -we are on first name basis here coz she is a friend of a friend - am trying to get the hook up!!!The other Kenyan guy - Eddie -Mr.Smiley and the other one from Strath...good for you people...young enterprenures....
So yes am on spring break may be going to Baltimore so watch this space I will come back ranting and raving as usual....Borrowed No Reservations which am going to watch now - Catherine Zeta- yeah am still a sucker for love but I know Deno is going to call so thats a one hour break in the movie........as Didge would say....through the window baby..........
Put your hand on a hot stove for a minute, and it seems like an hour.Sit with a pretty girl for an hour, and it seems like a minute. THAT’S relativity.
-Albert Einstein
Sunday, March 02, 2008
Dunia Wiki Hii
Well from the title you can see that there is nothing of importance or philosophical that I am going to share not that I ever really have anything philosophical to say oh oh oh wait there is a quote that I picked up in my History class from Aristotle, 'Give me a lever long enough and I will move the world.."or something of that extent I think there was something else to add on to it but I have forgotten..but it was an awesome quote..I figured it has to do with just that small opportunity that bright, smart determined people out there need for them to do wonders in their life and the lives of those around them.Okay now I know where am going with this - gosh I love writing I get so carried away - so yes as I was saying..now I have a good dear friend who had such a rough year last year in terms of her relationship - she came to the realization that after 8years of chasing water falls it was just that - a water fall.Now the other day she calls me from an interview that she had been accepted into the nursing programme at our school - Salem State for the Masters programme - she is doing her Masters in Business so she will have a double Masters - and it gets better - the state is paying for it - tuition , books , clinical transportation so she called me the right after she left and she was so ecstatic.I was so happy for her - finally something to make a her happy - its a low down dirty shame what the guy has let go of.So anyway the morale of the story is 'God did not create empty vessels." What happens most of the time is that we loose sight of our hope and dreams coz of our immediate circumstance and yet the opportunity is right around the corner..Everyone has that untapped potential that if given an inch to excel in what they are good at they would go a mile...But its a catch 22...opportunity will not knock at your door you have to go show opportunity you are ready to receive it...Okay so my week was hectic kinda...I switched to the better option - Tmobile am rocking a new green phone nothing fancy I was going to get a complex phone but am just so simple I dont even know how to operate this cheap one I have..yeah they dont call me "Cucu Wa Cura" for nothing lol....haiya at some interview I went a question I was asked was If you were to be born in another lifetime what era would you choose and I said in the 20s before computers and Ipod Nanos and facebook and credit cards when life was "As is!!!!" I am just a country girl by nature or is it nurture???mmmh???My friend and I priscilla were discussing our perfect Sunday afternoon and am like chilling at the golf club by the pool and she is like hell no I would rather be at the mall...but hey thats me...and then what else oh yes they finally signed a coalition deal -Kibaki and Raila - He has always wanted to be Prime minister so there he has it...happy now???(read as blood power) but I think people are really bored of the whole scenario no people got bored long time ago....its like Americans and the Iraq war..people are so tire dof singing the same ol song bring the troops home that its just one of those things that are better left unsaid...
Okay now am off to bed.....its midnight..am too sleepy to catch greys anatomy so zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz...........................
Suffering becomes beautiful when anyone bears great calamities with cheerfulness, not through insensibility but through greatness of mind. Aristotle
Okay now am off to bed.....its midnight..am too sleepy to catch greys anatomy so zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz...........................
Suffering becomes beautiful when anyone bears great calamities with cheerfulness, not through insensibility but through greatness of mind. Aristotle
Sunday, February 24, 2008
AM ALL THE MAN THAT I NEED
Yesterday I came to a point in my life where I know where I am and where I want to be and what kind of a man am looking for to share my life with...Okay we are getting sentimental here....yes so anyway trust me its so good to know who you are as a person what your hearts desires are...am sure your waiting for me to write I have gone gay or something lol!!!!!No what I mean here is that for you to have that satisfying life you need to be sure of who you are... what do you value most... be it education be it family be it integrity whatever it is take it and hold on to it.Because if you do not know who you are and what you stand for people will definately walk over you... say things to you that may be derogatory and Priscilla is always telling me the men at work are so innaproprate and now that I think about it yes they are!!!Especially we women we need to be know how special we are...these men think they can come from their far away planet Mars and come talk whatever they want or treat us like gum - chew and spit us out when done..hell to the no!!!!!I think I have been wasting too much of my time searching for that guy who will see not just the physical but the emotional... the inner me my big big heart and I reached a stage after last week where I said enough is enough whats all this about.....I LOVE ME SOME ME!!!!So yes I have discovered what makes Penny Penny....I know her values I know what she likes and what she wants to hear and what she doesnt want to hear...I know what kind of behaviour ticks her off and yes she loves romance and def jam poetry and Tupac Shakur, Mary J...yes I may at some point need someone to complete me and my life - good hubby,cute kids... but for now I AM ALL THE MAN THAT I NEED!!!!Ladies can we get an Amen
"A true measure of a man is how he treats someone who can do him absolutely no good" - Ann landers
"A true measure of a man is how he treats someone who can do him absolutely no good" - Ann landers
Its not that serious!!!!!
Yeah this is one of my favourite quotes coined by one of my favourite people in this country - Priscilla....anyone we see acting too serious not smiling or thinking too much we tell them Its not that serious!!!!It was coined at some Mc Donalds we went to the girl who was taking orders was having such an attitude towards the customers so an African American (You know African Americans - you aint showing them attitude - they define attitude) so anyway the lady when it was her turn and the lady was showing her attitude she told her "Wait.... girlfriend you need to chill..its not that serious..(in a base voice rolling her eyes shaking her head with her finger in the air - use your imagination here work with me) and the girl was so perplexed and was like am so sorry and bla bla bla bla...So anyway morale of the story today I came to affirm the fact that Americans take life too serious I was talking to a lady I met through an organization now the phone call was meant to be a short one but trust me she went on and on about her brother and how she is getting ulcers because they are alwasy arguing coz the dad is in jail and its only her brother who can pay the dads expenses (bills - the common term around here) but apparently he has so much hatred in his heart and he has always had it towards her for such a long time ova since high school they are always arguing and the brother is abusive to his wife and kids he has a mean temper - maybe he gets it from the dad - who did I mention is in jail for physically assaulting his wife - as in cops were called ...the full shabang.So anyway today at work the lady I work with - very hardworking and everything but very serious...And the clients we work for are behavioural - you have to be very flexible and paitient.So anyway she told me the whole day before I came in they had had so many behaviours with the clients and I told her one thing.....humans give what they get if you are so serious towards them they will act out.Treat them as normal adults laugh joke take it easy!!!!!!The whole shift she was all over the place... working doing this doing that and am there chilling on the couch with the clients laughing at nothing so am like chill woman..talk to the clients know what your working with....socialize with them be their friends first before anything else....Okay so am drifting what am trying to say is that people around here are so damn serious trust me life is too damn short.People walk around here with so much thoughts in their head...live for the moment folks ...you know there is nothing much you can do about that phone bill due tommorow so you know what smile for today ..... goodness sometimes I think I am too easy going I do not take life seriously at all even when my sister or mom tells me something so pertinent and serious I have to laugh first as I absorb .....as the pastor in church said today - ahem ahem yes I did go to church - Riverside Assemblies of God- which I think is now my permanent church - I have done enough church hopping - from Mattapan to Billerica to Kenyan ushindi and Hosaana aiii I thought they said Mungu is universal....Oh yes so what the pastor said was Let Go and Let God.... Oh yes at church today some Kenyan guy who was beaten up sometime last year - got brain damage kiasi though he is recovering so fast - was there with his mum so they came to say hi to me and Priscilla and he was looking fine...he has changed since the last time we went to see him at the rehab center.He shaved his dreads and was wearing some stylish miwanis and then was wearing those meet Joe Black coats...auwwi then did I mention his smile..mpaka even Prscilla was like He is handsome and trust me coming from Ms Iron Pants that is a compliment right there.So anyway am so glad Njehu is back on his feet and his courageous mother - please can we hear it for the mothers in the house??so yes she was holding his hand when they went to be prayed for haiya kwanza now that I think about it the preaching was on the prodigal son...mmmh....coincidence....I was so happy to see him smiling again though even at the rehab center he was still smiling....but as Adisa says there is nothing as beautiful as smiling through a storm ryt Manditha - are u reading this by the way???
Okay now I am in between watching the Oscars,reading my lit book ,replying my emails,listening to Brian Mc. Knight - yeah am in one of those moods...and writing in my blog - gosh and I thought I would never see the day that I would be a multi tasker.......
I pay no attention to anyones praise or blame - I simply follow my own feelings - Wolfgang Mozart
Okay now I am in between watching the Oscars,reading my lit book ,replying my emails,listening to Brian Mc. Knight - yeah am in one of those moods...and writing in my blog - gosh and I thought I would never see the day that I would be a multi tasker.......
I pay no attention to anyones praise or blame - I simply follow my own feelings - Wolfgang Mozart
Monday, February 18, 2008
flu galore........
oh dear dear dear...i have a just contracted the flu that is goin around Mass it is hectic am telling you the full runny nose coughing headache things are thickItell you and I have to drive home I will be staggering on the road....
So anyway this weekend my friend Mercy and I had planned a surprise baby shower for a good friend of ours Mary Anne it was such a splendid time and we had spent the whole like past three weeks fretting over nothing and so scared no one would turn up and trust me we were there till three in the morning maybe thats y I have a flu..i have the pics tho my flash drive is far so I will posst them in the next blog....as you can tell this is by far the most boring blog posting to date I am so out it trust me.when I get sick I go ballistic I need TLC....
"The Only Limitation Is Your Imagination."
So anyway this weekend my friend Mercy and I had planned a surprise baby shower for a good friend of ours Mary Anne it was such a splendid time and we had spent the whole like past three weeks fretting over nothing and so scared no one would turn up and trust me we were there till three in the morning maybe thats y I have a flu..i have the pics tho my flash drive is far so I will posst them in the next blog....as you can tell this is by far the most boring blog posting to date I am so out it trust me.when I get sick I go ballistic I need TLC....
"The Only Limitation Is Your Imagination."
Sunday, February 10, 2008
random...from Def Jam to Grammies
Yeah this is so random right now...coz its one in the morning and am getting sleepy I should be in bed but its a pity my system is changing I am becoming a night owl.I can stay up till 4 in the morning but by 9a.m I will be blacking out.But no now that I think about it I have always been a night person never a morning person- ask my sister or roomate how grouchy I am.I am listening to Amazing Love- You are My King on You tube its one of those hillsongs that will never die in the leagues of above all power...good stuff when am in the mood for getting in touch with the Jesus in me- which seems to ne happening a lot on Sundays only - not good!!!So anyway yesterday I got derailed by Njeri at work - kawaida yake she hooked me up with Hennesey so we were sipping on Hennesey but the problem was I was staying for the overnight shift so I was staggering around the faccility till 7 in the morning..just a reminder why I stopped srinking.Today I spoke to myfamily my small sister is going to start Aga Khan High school for form one.I am still in shock that she is joining high school..I remember he rin her cradle so well its not even funny....checking up on her after every 5 minutes...Gosh I love kids so much..what I wish for is that I will give my kids 101% of me love them so gently...I am in a poetic mood coz I have just come from watching Shihan on Def Jam Poetry man he is mind blowing...I dont know how to post videos yet but if you get on you tube and type in def jam poetry Shihan.....
So anyway Valentines day is coming up this week and I dont have a valentine kawaida yangu.....I was talking with May the chick I work with and was came to the conclusion that I have the problem in relationships.I remember a quote Terry from Soulfood once asked, 'i wonder why men want me until they have me?" and yes I do wonder the first stages are bliss then suddenly something goes terribly wrong and it takes a down ward plunge.But you know what its a 50-50 situation which I dont realize most of the time - until its too late that is.I always want to be on the receiving end..always getting the phone calls always getting the compliments so I need to be more pro-active in my relationships.....okay this has turned from random to Dear June
Yes so as I was saying - gosh I get carried away so fast - O spoke to my family and I have a project pending over summer that needs their consulation prayers - lets just say its a big risk that I am willing to take - me being the risk taker that I am...So blog please cros syour fingers all goes well...will keep you posted...
Meanwhile tonight was the grammy awards and it fell so short of my expectations....the performances - except for Beyonces kawaida who gives her all in her performances were nothing out of the ordinary.I saw my boo Usher in the audience but his boo was by his side lol!!I think they are getting a baby..What happened to the days Usher , Mary J P Diddy would get on stage grammy night and give us a mind blowing perfomance...mmh I guess they dont make em like they used to!!!!Okay now my eyes weigh a kg......let me hit the sack.....Ciao
So anyway Valentines day is coming up this week and I dont have a valentine kawaida yangu.....I was talking with May the chick I work with and was came to the conclusion that I have the problem in relationships.I remember a quote Terry from Soulfood once asked, 'i wonder why men want me until they have me?" and yes I do wonder the first stages are bliss then suddenly something goes terribly wrong and it takes a down ward plunge.But you know what its a 50-50 situation which I dont realize most of the time - until its too late that is.I always want to be on the receiving end..always getting the phone calls always getting the compliments so I need to be more pro-active in my relationships.....okay this has turned from random to Dear June
Yes so as I was saying - gosh I get carried away so fast - O spoke to my family and I have a project pending over summer that needs their consulation prayers - lets just say its a big risk that I am willing to take - me being the risk taker that I am...So blog please cros syour fingers all goes well...will keep you posted...
Meanwhile tonight was the grammy awards and it fell so short of my expectations....the performances - except for Beyonces kawaida who gives her all in her performances were nothing out of the ordinary.I saw my boo Usher in the audience but his boo was by his side lol!!I think they are getting a baby..What happened to the days Usher , Mary J P Diddy would get on stage grammy night and give us a mind blowing perfomance...mmh I guess they dont make em like they used to!!!!Okay now my eyes weigh a kg......let me hit the sack.....Ciao
Monday, February 04, 2008
The "Pay it Forward" Philosophy
Today on my way back from school I was sooo hungry so I bought Chinese for me and Sue and she was like so grateful and making such a big fuss and was like you dont know how much I appreciate you bringing me and bla bla fishcake so I told her really its no big deal-coz really its not...But you know what I told her Pay it forward and she went like huh???Yes its a simple philosophy that could change the world..the same way I give her a ride someone did the same for me when I just came to the country and needed a ride to school.So you know what that person told me dont pay me back pay it forward.This applies in all aspects of life whatever good someone does in your life I dont want you to hold on to it I want you to give the good to the next person who may need it.Be it a ride be it a favour be it a smile when a stranger smiles at you as you cross the street I urge you to smile back and smile to the next person.If this philosophy was really applied dont you think the world would be so awesome.But the thing is we humans are so selfish we hang to everything instead of sharing...So share that smile let me scratch your back and you scratch the next persons back.....All in all my week has started out two hours late as my boss kept me waiting today but I learnt the gift of paitience - it truly is a virtue - I told my self if I get worked up I will ruin my whole week so let me find something to keep me busy...so I read for the test I had later on in the day and it really heleped.So she didnt really rob me of two hour sof my day she technically mademe not do what I owuld have done in thoise hours..okay gibberish when I start rumbling on please stop me as I am falling asleep...........zzzzzzzzz
Sunday, February 03, 2008
Letting go
I have just completed a medical ethics paper - that is due kesho -yes I remain the queen of procrastination and I feel so accomplished..but not really coz I did a little plagiarism - i hope none of my proffessors reads blogs coz I will be in the slammer sooner than I can say plagiarism....so anyhu I have also come from facebook and seen pictures of one of my first loves ahem ahem I will not write names and I was so amazed how much I have grown and let go of that relationship - coz trust me its not a cliche when they say the first cut is the deepest.Yes there were times Mr X would call and I would go balistic when he smiled my heart skipped beats but now that I look at it it was all just puppy love...a phase I am so over trust me he would say jump and I ask how high not literally but you catch my drift....I saw his pic today and I went like huh??what was all that about?But the beauty of every relationship is that you learn a thing or two and with each relationship you get better.....so yes I am still "on the prowl" as Lydia calls it but not really currently I have no social life my books are my life right now but I love them all the same when you start reading you realize how much you do not know and you had rather be quiet - yes let me be a nerd for today.....
You've got to know when it's over. Let me tell you something. I've got the gift of goodbye. It's the tenth spiritual gift, I believe in goodbye. It's not that I'm hateful, it's that I'm faithful, and I know whatever God means for me to have He'll give it to me. And if it takes too much sweat I don't need it. Stop begging people to stay. - T.D JAKES
You've got to know when it's over. Let me tell you something. I've got the gift of goodbye. It's the tenth spiritual gift, I believe in goodbye. It's not that I'm hateful, it's that I'm faithful, and I know whatever God means for me to have He'll give it to me. And if it takes too much sweat I don't need it. Stop begging people to stay. - T.D JAKES
Saturday, February 02, 2008
Me Mama Mikes and Kitty
Ha ha ha Yes that is the title of my post today...today i was glad to make my sisters day by sending her a black forest cake a bottle of wine and a Steers voucher through mama mikes...some online whatever they are that you can sambaza whatever it is you want - wine airtime etc to your loved ones back home and put a smile on their face (Let me be their unofficial marketing manager here)You can vsist their website at http://www.mamamikes.com/ and go ahead and make someones day......So anyway back to my sister yes as I have promised for such a long time I will write about her but trust me I cannot even begin to find the right words to describe what she has been through so today I will try as best as I can...I call her Kitty...So 5years ago - Oh my God its been 5years...yes so anyway 5 years ago she was involved in a nasty car accident in which two of her friends passed away and she was sustained a spinal cord injury - paralyzed from the shoulders down.Underwent spinal fusion in Cape town such a brave brave young soul I tell you...From on of the operations she came out smiling or so my dad says - but you know he is a drama king but honestly I believe him coz this girl can smile through a storm which she has and continues to day everyday.With all her ingenuity and confidence she has gone ahead and staarted an NGO called Chariots of Destiny please visit the site http://www.chariotsofdestiny.org/ that champions the need for accesibility options for people in the rural areas living with spinal cord injuries and also advocates for designating a driver through various campaigns e.g the just concluded peition signature for "Make Roads Safe" - Yes Adisa I can be your spokeswoman...Trust me everyone in our family knows for a fact that their is no one who is strong enough to go through what she has gone through with such grace, confidence and determination.In all honesty she has made each and everyone in the Marenge family realize we have inner strength that we did not know we had and most important one big philosophy I have learnt through her experience "DONT SWEAT THE SMALL STUFF!" There are things we choose to take so seriously that are so trivial and we become so rigid in our ways.Trust me life is too short so as per the Chariots of Destiny slogan Take Each Day at a Time!You may not have what you want or be where you want to be but trust you me there is someone somehwere out there who would give anything to be where you are.Goodness I could go on and onforever her story could fill my blog so you can read more below (I tried to paste the link but it refused so here is the pasted version) It was written by a journalist from one of our local dailies..enjoy
Of all the statements that Casey said, one will remain forever engraved in my heart-‘it could have been worse’. It is indeed remarkable that anyone can use those words after becoming paralyzed from the shoulders down, Yet, this is what Casey said and that is what makes her an amazing and inspirational young woman. After completing her O level education at Alliance Girls High School in year 2000, Casey joined the rest of her family in Kampala, Uganda where her father was working. She continued with her education and sat for her A levels in 2002.Upon completion, she decided to pursue her further studies in the UK.
After being accepted by a London university, she decided to travel back to Kenya and begin the process of obtaining the necessary documents needed for her journey. While here, she reacquainted herself with her friends and former schoolmates who were now studying at Daystar University.
On Friday September 26th2003, Casey met with her friends to go out for the night. They had a good time and left for home at about two a.m. The excitement and events of the day finally had their toll on Casey and she dozed off upon entering the car. When she woke up, it was Saturday early morning and she was lying on a bed at the Intensive Care Unit of the M.P. Shah Hospital. Little did she know that she had been in a horrific accident that had stolen away the lives of two of her friends who were passengers in the car and one that would ultimately alter the course of her life forever.
She spent six weeks at the MP Shah hospital in the ICU section. She had no voice, due to the breathing and feeeding tubes inserted down her throat, and all she could do was whisper to family and friends by her bedside. Cold metal tongs of traction were bolted into the sides of her head with eight kilograms of weights suspended on a pulley to keep the pressure off her broken neck. She endured a battery of tests and injections and was all the while fully dependent on the hyper ventilator for breathing. She remembers one incident when she tried to move her hands only for her arms to fail. She did not realize the full implications of this and dozed off considering it an effect of all the drugs that she was taking.
Due to the magnitude of the injury that Casey sustained and also the limitations available here for the treatment of spinal cord injury, the family sought expert medical advice from the Consulting Surgeons who then concurred on the decision to evacuate Casey to a hospital in Cape Town, South Africa for specialized treatment. After critical preparations and fundraisings, through an AMREF air-plane, Casey was then flown to Southern Cross Hospital in Cape Town.
Upon arrival, the head of the Spinal Rehabilitation Centre Dr. Ed Baalbergen began immediate medical care of Casey. Dr. Baalbergen, who was later to bond soclosely with this cheerful Kenyan girl, for the very first time laid out calmly the hard facts to Casey about the extent of the injury to her spine. Once again, it did not sink in due to the effects of the sedatives. When she woke up after a long drug induced sleep, she imagined that the doctor’s words were an unreal dream. She somehow believed that God would take control and make her walk. In fact, she kept telling her physiotherapists and doctors that her God wanted to and would make her walk again.
Soon after, she was on the operating table in a six hour operation to strengthen and stabilize her neck. Bone from her hip was extracted to be used as graft on her neck to aid the stabilization process. To date, Casey recalls the intense pain she was in from the operation. A mix-up of instructions caused Casey to receive a double dose of morphine. This made her delirious and sent her temperatures to the forties. Her mother watched in helpless agony as her first daughter’s body struggled with the pain and suffering. A second operation would follow to correct her respiratory system. She had to go through a number of exercises that would push the diaphragm up in order to revive her collapsed lungs. She started being weaned off the hyper ventilator and all the while having to endure the discomfort of feeding tube through her nose to the stomach.
On 18th December, Casey was finally off the hyper ventilator and a few days after she was moved from the ICU to the general ward. Even then, she could not breathe on her own and had to have an oxygen mask attached to her at all times. Subconsciously, Casey wanted to remain dependent on the machines to breath. This would cause panic attacks where she would demand to be put back on the machine. These attacks lessened when the rest of her family came to visit in mid-December. The first step of the healing miracle in Casey’s condition happened at this time when she was transferred from the ICU after a stay of eleven weeks in both Nairobi and Cape Town and moved to a normal ward room. This was indeed a welcome gift for the family who had just arrived in Cape Town to be together with her. Her younger sister’s Penny and Jessy were a calming influence especially when Casey’s legs would have intense spasms.
She soon began her physiotherapy sessions and through counselling psychology she began accepting her fate. She attributes this to the wonderful and supportive team of nurses and physiotherapists. A major milestone was on January 19th when Casey’s voice came back following a final operation around her throat which enabled the breathing tube removed. Even then pain was never far away. The constant insertion of suction catheters to her lungs to assist in coughing was a painful exercise that she had to withstand time and time again.
Her mother, Lucy meanwhile had undertaken a course in home care nursing at a training institution in Cape Town to equip her with the necessary skills of taking care of her daughter in this new life. And so the preparations to bring Casey home started. Casey did not want to leave the ‘comfort’ zone of hospital. Here everyone knew her as a quadriplegic. She worried about coming home and having to be viewed by friends and family as a helpless invalid. At certain times she felt scared and felt that her fate was far worse than of her friends who had passed on. To some of her friends, she described her condition as death in slow motion.
She found courage and strength in a South African girl who is a midget with no arms. This girl uses her shoulders to drive among other activities, and a few weeks before Casey met this girl, she had just graduated and gotten her Masters degree in psychology. Casey felt challenged to make something out of her situation. She then began lessons teaching her how to use voice activated computer software that enables her to carry out all functions of a computer giving her hope that she could now complete her studies and make something out of her life.
After being accepted by a London university, she decided to travel back to Kenya and begin the process of obtaining the necessary documents needed for her journey. While here, she reacquainted herself with her friends and former schoolmates who were now studying at Daystar University.
On Friday September 26th2003, Casey met with her friends to go out for the night. They had a good time and left for home at about two a.m. The excitement and events of the day finally had their toll on Casey and she dozed off upon entering the car. When she woke up, it was Saturday early morning and she was lying on a bed at the Intensive Care Unit of the M.P. Shah Hospital. Little did she know that she had been in a horrific accident that had stolen away the lives of two of her friends who were passengers in the car and one that would ultimately alter the course of her life forever.
She spent six weeks at the MP Shah hospital in the ICU section. She had no voice, due to the breathing and feeeding tubes inserted down her throat, and all she could do was whisper to family and friends by her bedside. Cold metal tongs of traction were bolted into the sides of her head with eight kilograms of weights suspended on a pulley to keep the pressure off her broken neck. She endured a battery of tests and injections and was all the while fully dependent on the hyper ventilator for breathing. She remembers one incident when she tried to move her hands only for her arms to fail. She did not realize the full implications of this and dozed off considering it an effect of all the drugs that she was taking.
Due to the magnitude of the injury that Casey sustained and also the limitations available here for the treatment of spinal cord injury, the family sought expert medical advice from the Consulting Surgeons who then concurred on the decision to evacuate Casey to a hospital in Cape Town, South Africa for specialized treatment. After critical preparations and fundraisings, through an AMREF air-plane, Casey was then flown to Southern Cross Hospital in Cape Town.
Upon arrival, the head of the Spinal Rehabilitation Centre Dr. Ed Baalbergen began immediate medical care of Casey. Dr. Baalbergen, who was later to bond soclosely with this cheerful Kenyan girl, for the very first time laid out calmly the hard facts to Casey about the extent of the injury to her spine. Once again, it did not sink in due to the effects of the sedatives. When she woke up after a long drug induced sleep, she imagined that the doctor’s words were an unreal dream. She somehow believed that God would take control and make her walk. In fact, she kept telling her physiotherapists and doctors that her God wanted to and would make her walk again.
Soon after, she was on the operating table in a six hour operation to strengthen and stabilize her neck. Bone from her hip was extracted to be used as graft on her neck to aid the stabilization process. To date, Casey recalls the intense pain she was in from the operation. A mix-up of instructions caused Casey to receive a double dose of morphine. This made her delirious and sent her temperatures to the forties. Her mother watched in helpless agony as her first daughter’s body struggled with the pain and suffering. A second operation would follow to correct her respiratory system. She had to go through a number of exercises that would push the diaphragm up in order to revive her collapsed lungs. She started being weaned off the hyper ventilator and all the while having to endure the discomfort of feeding tube through her nose to the stomach.
On 18th December, Casey was finally off the hyper ventilator and a few days after she was moved from the ICU to the general ward. Even then, she could not breathe on her own and had to have an oxygen mask attached to her at all times. Subconsciously, Casey wanted to remain dependent on the machines to breath. This would cause panic attacks where she would demand to be put back on the machine. These attacks lessened when the rest of her family came to visit in mid-December. The first step of the healing miracle in Casey’s condition happened at this time when she was transferred from the ICU after a stay of eleven weeks in both Nairobi and Cape Town and moved to a normal ward room. This was indeed a welcome gift for the family who had just arrived in Cape Town to be together with her. Her younger sister’s Penny and Jessy were a calming influence especially when Casey’s legs would have intense spasms.
She soon began her physiotherapy sessions and through counselling psychology she began accepting her fate. She attributes this to the wonderful and supportive team of nurses and physiotherapists. A major milestone was on January 19th when Casey’s voice came back following a final operation around her throat which enabled the breathing tube removed. Even then pain was never far away. The constant insertion of suction catheters to her lungs to assist in coughing was a painful exercise that she had to withstand time and time again.
Her mother, Lucy meanwhile had undertaken a course in home care nursing at a training institution in Cape Town to equip her with the necessary skills of taking care of her daughter in this new life. And so the preparations to bring Casey home started. Casey did not want to leave the ‘comfort’ zone of hospital. Here everyone knew her as a quadriplegic. She worried about coming home and having to be viewed by friends and family as a helpless invalid. At certain times she felt scared and felt that her fate was far worse than of her friends who had passed on. To some of her friends, she described her condition as death in slow motion.
She found courage and strength in a South African girl who is a midget with no arms. This girl uses her shoulders to drive among other activities, and a few weeks before Casey met this girl, she had just graduated and gotten her Masters degree in psychology. Casey felt challenged to make something out of her situation. She then began lessons teaching her how to use voice activated computer software that enables her to carry out all functions of a computer giving her hope that she could now complete her studies and make something out of her life.
Monday, January 28, 2008
Patrick Njiru.....
Yeah today I honestly feel like Patrick Njiru in his hey days I have been continously driving from 8 in the morning till up about now I got lost as usual in the morning looking for the doctors kiosk so for one hour I was driving around Andover looking for the podiatrist - dont ask....lookingas suspicious as ever like a parol car..lol!!!So anyway after that drove home then drove to Salem and trust me these distances are not ati from mama pimas to baba pimas across the road I am talking a good one to two hours on a highway and the way nowadays I cruise at 80mph - too much Italian job..speaking of which the minnie cars are haunting my existence.I love those minnie cars to death - everyone around me knows that everywhere I look I c those babies they make me weak in my knees...right now my fantasy would be to cruise in a minnie just for ten minutes or half an hour on the 95 interstate thats all I ask Santa pls????I am seriously not a fan of big cars although my sister loves big cars big everything.I guess it says alot about personality...I prefer the simpler things in life just being content and happy inside is all that matters to me....
Okay I am beginning to dribble and drab about nothing yah coz its twelve thirty and oh yah the week did not start out as bad as I was dreading actually I love my classes today my proffesors are ladies..which is ok with me but I think I prefer male proffessors.....I think its the whole Mars Venus attraction that makes me succeed inmy classes when the proffesors are men..ok so yes I have begun to sound like I have taken one to many shots of tequila.so gnite.
Okay I am beginning to dribble and drab about nothing yah coz its twelve thirty and oh yah the week did not start out as bad as I was dreading actually I love my classes today my proffesors are ladies..which is ok with me but I think I prefer male proffessors.....I think its the whole Mars Venus attraction that makes me succeed inmy classes when the proffesors are men..ok so yes I have begun to sound like I have taken one to many shots of tequila.so gnite.
Sunday, January 27, 2008
tit bits
The fact that you were born,Is proof, God has a plan for you.The path may seem unclear right now,But one day you will see,That all that came before,Was truly meant to be.God wrote the book that is your life,That's all you need to know.Each day that you are living,Was written long ago.God only writes best sellers,So be proud of who you are,Your character is important,In this book you are the Star.Enjoy the novel as it reads,It will stand throughout the ages,Savor each chapter as you go,Taking time to turn the pages.
Monday Blues
It is approximately no it is exactly 1 thirty eight in the morning Monday and am upstairs when I should be downstairs in bed...reason being its a Sunday that I do not want to sleep coz I am dreading tomorrow...this supercedes Monday blues trust me this is a whole new level....The day has been so good went to watch some new dancing step up movie I think its called "the way she moves" - yeah it had no effect on me whatsoever so much so that I cant remember the name one of the cliche dancing movies that are coming up - poor girl wants to make it big gets into a dance group another group steals their moves eventually win...jeez talk about not another teen movie reloaded!!!!..anyhu back to my Monday blues.....oh yes I think I have had a light bulb moment as to the reason I am down...I did not go to church today..Now its atonement time...then another reason I just feel so inept ...unprepared psychologically physically and emotionally for the week..something is bugging me and I need to put my finger on it......and yes I think I have got it....this weekend I realized I have failed my very good friend Deno and myself...I have not been there for him as he has been there for me on so many occasions its countless... I have put my own selfish needs first and now I think the guilt is eating me up....second myself I have failed myself by not being true to my values and what I stand for so I need to go for self evaluation class 101 all over again - Priscilla where ya at???Mmmmh I am heaving a sigh of relief it is off mu chest..now I need to call Deno....yah we are that close I can call him at this time of the morning and he will be ready to listen to me rant and rave about nothing at all........
Okay so let me go and I hope I can find the directions I need for the doctors appointment tommorow - yeah my crazy week begins.....
Be a bush if you can't be a tree. If you can't be a highway, just be a trail. If you can't be a sun, be a star. For it isn't bysize that you win or fail. Be the best of whatever you are.
Okay so let me go and I hope I can find the directions I need for the doctors appointment tommorow - yeah my crazy week begins.....
Be a bush if you can't be a tree. If you can't be a highway, just be a trail. If you can't be a sun, be a star. For it isn't bysize that you win or fail. Be the best of whatever you are.
Thursday, January 24, 2008
New England my foot!!!!
Remind me y I chose to live in Massachussetes again ??oh yah coz it was my safest bet at that time in my life...Save for the best football team - Go Pats!!!!,baseball and almost best basketball team I think this State has the worst weather this side of the Saharra.They do not call it 'New England"for kicks sake...we might as well have been called "New Alaska" coz the winter is here and I can assure you Mother Nature is fast approaching menopause...she has been mean this time round.....I have been shovelling and falling slipping and sliding on the road getting frost bites , freezing... as you can seethe list is endless.....I really do not like the cold weather..I love sunshine it just makes my heart smile from the inside...note to self..should have been a sunflower in another life....so anyhu here are pics of me looking for the car in the snow to drive a good 50 minutes to Salem State College-yeah thats the bargaining chip for wanting to live in "New England"
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