Kohcoh's Haven

It's time for the Olympics!!!!

2008-08-08T01:23:00.000-07:00

Wa wa wa I'm such an Olympics fanatic, specifically the opening ceremony!! I have not missed a single one since the Seoul Olympics in 1988. Only because i was too young to watch the Moscow and LA ones, but I'm sure i was dancing around in my diapers even for those!

I'm so excited about the Beijing games. I always thought I'm have made enough mullah to go for these ones.... sadly not. Maybe London??

I'm just so excited to see what tricks those Chinese have up their sleeves. I hope there will be lots of dragons and fireworks at today's opening. Wooooooooo hoooooooo!!!

I don't care about the pollution or all the drama leading up to the games. Now that we're here, let's enjoy the games, the greatest sports spectacle in the history of mankind!

I wish I was on leave.

It's August and it's time for the Olympics baby!

Yes We Can - A story of personal triumph

2008-06-04T02:27:00.000-07:00

Everyone and their grandmother is writing about Obama today.

I am a total Obama-head!! I am a true believer and I am not shaken by assertions that America is not ready for a mixed race president. Yes, I realise I am not American and I’m not going to vote and his victory will not directly put bread on my table.

But there’s something special about this man. And I believe that he can.

But today, what strikes me most is the magic between Barack and Michelle. Barack and Michelle’s personal triumph at this moment.

At this moment, the strength and magic of their bond amazes and inspires me.

He had a big dream. The biggest dream. And through all the ups and downs, the challenges, the victories, the defeats…….. through all of it, they have stood together.

“I got you baby!”

That’s what I see in that picture. Tenderness, affirmation, love and pride.

In the midst of all the madness, they stand together.

Magic!

America, this is our moment. This is our time.

Our time to turn the page on the policies of the past. Our time to bring new energy and new ideas to the challenges we face. Our time to offer a new direction for this country that we love

This was the moment - this was the time - when we came together to remake this great nation so that it may always reflect our very best selves, and our highest ideals.

Nairobi Metropolitan Development and Implementation of Vision 2030

2008-03-27T04:06:00.000-07:00

Oh for crying out loud!

I knew it was too soon to celebrate. Obviously, Kenya needs more than just change, we need to get rid of a whole lot of people. And when I say get rid off, I don't mean dispatching them to their obscenely large farms to spend the rest of their days counting their horses and farming brussels sprouts or whatever it is that obscenely rich retired people do!. I'm after a more permanent form of getting rid of.

Read into that statement what you will.

Nairobi Metropolitan Development and Implementation of Vision 2030?

What the hell do these guys take us for?? Ati 44 ministries? Ok, honestly, why the hell do we still put up with this band of fools?

What will heck will the minister of Special Programmes be doing anyway that the minister for National Heritage and Culture will not? Will the minister for development of North Kenya and other Arid Areas (productive) live in Wajir?

So now we need two separate ministries for 'Trade' and 'Industry (productive)'?

I'm so done with those fools!!!

Who has Bin Laden's phone number?

Facing up to the truth

2008-01-08T02:56:00.000-08:00

For the past few days, I have butted heads with friends and loved ones about this, and prayed for the courage to write a post worthy of what I truly believe. Infact, I have enough worked on several drafts.

Today, I stumbled onto the MadKenyanWoman's realm, and lo and behold, there it was. The truth.

Here it is: Enough!

I post below a few paragraphs that immediately resonated with me, because this is exactly what I was telling my friends at the bar on Saturday, before they chose to walk away from me and avoid me all night.

"How have we produced this population of Kenyans so estranged, so alienated from a sense of collective hope and a progressive trajectory that they are willing to burn to the ground this national edifice we call our home? I begin to suspect that it might have something to do with the ways in which we treat our people as if they are disposable nappies....first we crap all over them and then we throw them away. Or, first we work them up with visions and dreams of a utopia denied them only by the holding of office by the ‘the other side’ then we slyly make insinuations of how much easier life would be without ‘them’ and then we give them a little nudge and say “oh look, there goes one of them now. And who left this panga lying about in the open like that, all nice and shiny and sharp?”

And then we exclaim in shocked horror: oh goodness, me! However could this have happened? Oh please, please, well, gracious me, whatever shall we do?

On the other hand, whatever can Kikuyus think we are about, saying complacently that “we” won the election when even Europeans who can count are quite able to figure out the implications of votes which add up to fifty thousand and are transmuted into seventy thousand by some mysterious Kikuyu alchemy? It boggles the mind, the sheer bare-faced effrontery of fraud meant to thwart the popular will and carried out in naked defiance of international observers and Kenyan media. We may not have universal education yet, but a good number of Kenyans can count for themselves with a fair degree of confidence in their own tallies. What on earth do the people of Central Province mean, dancing about in the streets like that with joy, when it is evident to anyone who believes in this country that uchawi numbers are self-evidently not a cause for celebration?

There’s hubris, and then there’s Central Province. I am fairly sure that it didn’t help matters. No one has won here, folks. We are all our own victims and our own oppressors—and some of us are guiltier than others.

The drunken man in a bar in a PNU stronghold who leeringly raised his glass to me in celebration of the government being “ours as usual” should, as he nurses the inevitable (and I hope excruciating) hang-over, ingest with his Panadol the human costs of maintaining the feudal principality of Kikuyustan--especially when other people would rather live in Kenya. Where does he think he will flee to, when the flames of discontent spread, as they inevitably will unless we come to our senses?

Amongst the many things that should stop the down-swing of that upraised panga is the fact that our neighbours in the region are deeply inconvenienced by our violent naval-gazing proclivities. It will probably serve us right to be in the position of receiving humanitarian assistance from countries we have regarded with pitying superiority up to now. Perhaps we will then understand that refugees are not lazy people on the dole; they are innocents trying to save their own lives.

Enough. If we are to sink with the ship, let us at least not pretend that all along we thought it was only a spring shower that was brewing, and not a furious tempest. Self-truth is a good platform to stand on and from which to survey this mess and decide what to do next. Enough pretence.We cannot bleat on endlessly about the wonders of our economic growth when most Kenyans have yet to see the evidence of such growth. We cannot leave people out in the cold whilst we luxuriate in the warmth of our riches and then, to add further insult, disingenuously ask them why they don’t come into the light of the fire when we know we’ve barred all the possible means of access beforehand."

In the end, truth and justice are the only pillars for true healing and reconciliation.

Let us all embrace the truth.

Cuppa?

2008-01-08T01:44:00.000-08:00

Today there is indeed a glimmer of hope. Leaders from both sides deserve praise for making efforts to reach out to each other.

ODM leaders must be commended for having the foresight to cancel the rallies and give way to mediation and dialogue.

Also, after blocking AU chairman President John Kufuor's visit last week, President Kibaki also deserves praise for inviting him back.

Now we can see that there is some effort by the two to sit down and seek solutions to this crisis.

But of course, every circus has its clown.

I am appalled by Alfred Mutua's continuous crass, and careless manner of talk.

Mr Mutua, when you say:

"If he (Kufuor) is to come over he is coming invited by our president as a colleague to discuss issues. So he is not coming as a mediator. So we don't have mediation happening because you don't mediate where there is no war. So we are expecting quite a number of African leaders to come over to Kenya, former heads of state and also sitting heads of state who would like to come and have a cup of tea with our president as invited guests."

Do you expect the Kenyan people to stand up and clap at your "genius"? Do you think this is a matter to be made light of?

Come to have a cup of tea indeed!

And when you say, Mr Mutua, that Kibaki has a lot of friends and they are just coming to chat with im, do you not realise that the people of Kenya have even more friends?

I wish Mr Mutua would stop treating us like blithering idiots. Mr Mutua owes us more than this drivel.

He has made many gaffs in his time as government spokesman. But this time, he should handle this matter with the seriousness it deserves!

Dear Mwafrika...

2008-01-06T23:49:00.000-08:00

You said in your comment to my last post "Stop the violence":

What's with the misleading title?! One thing you have to admit is that there
were flaws in that electoral process. Kibaki may have won but how it was
done left to much for people to doubt. "Even if you slither back, we
WILL get rid of you eventually". Threats will get us nowhere, we need
to look for peace by all
means.

I would hope that what I meant was obvious but I would hate to leave you in doubt.

My headline was simple and to the point: "Stop the violence" Now, days later, even i must admit that at the time I was writing that, I didn't expect it would get as bad as it did, as fast as it did.

When I said:

I believe it is time for those who are trying to be underhanded to stop!!! This
country is much bigger than your selfish interests, you nasty bunch of
losers!!... Stop it and walk away. Read the writing on the wall. We are done
with you. Even if you slither back, we WILL get rid of you eventually. We may
fight today, we may be unreasonable and make off-hand senseless remarks about
each other. But tomorrow, we will heal. We will rise above your mercenary
shenanigans and then, THEN, we will have a common enemy and it will be you!! And
God help you when we set our sights on you!! Make no mistake, we will get you.

I surely was not advocating for violence. I firmly believe that the situation we find ourselves in was caused by a bunch of leaders who decided they were more important than the rest of us.

And while our hope is shattered, and our belief that we can shape our future lies in tatters, I believe that one day soon, we shall drag ourselves back on track, we shall stand together and we shall use our vote to get rid of them. Properly. Fairly.

That is what I said. That is what I believe.

That is what gives me hope when I despair. That the human drive for truth and justice will triumph.

Stop the violence!!

2007-12-29T04:58:00.000-08:00

The joy and pride I was brimming with yesterday is sadly nowhere to be found today.

A colleague just walked in saying he had been mugged by a group of youth who inspected his ID and told him "Its good you're not a Luo. Those Luos will see us [watatuona]."

Another colleague tells us a story of his friend who escaped narrowly when he drove away from a crowd demanding to see his ID.

Who are these people? What is going on?

I'm particularly subjective today as I strongly support one side and believe that one specific party is squarely responsible for the violence and renewed tribal animosities we are witnessing today because they are refusing to take their fate like men and admit defeat.

But I won't get into that cos that storo will never end.

However, I believe it is time for those who are trying to be underhanded to stop!!! This country is much bigger than your selfish interests, you nasty bunch of losers!!

We have lived and still live side by side and your petty ambitions are irrelevant. We hang out together, we get married to each other, we work together.

Stop it and walk away. Read the writing on the wall. We are done with you. Even if you slither back, we WILL get rid of you eventually. We may fight today, we may be unreasonable and make off-hand senseless remarks about each other. But tomorrow, we will heal. We will rise above your mercenary shenanigans and then, THEN, we will have a common enemy and it will be you!!

And God help you when we set our sights on you!!

Make no mistake, we will get you.

I hope and pray that people across the country will come to their senses. Our power is not in pangas or sticks or violence, our power, our strength is our vote and our voice.

Let us not sacrifice our gains and growth at the hands of a bunch of grumpy old men who are out of touch with the times.

And I hope Odinga and Kibaki realize, and quickly, that they need to stand together and save this country before it burns.

Who will save our country? I know I sound alarmist, but my blood curled when my colleague walked in with that story. It could be me, it could be one of the people I love. And the next person will not be so lucky. And it could be you.

God bless Kenya.

Ecstatic!!!

2007-12-28T05:02:00.000-08:00

WHAT!!! I must partake of some serious celebratory bevs today. Everytime I think about the results, I swear I get teary-eyed.

I am SO proud of Kenyans today. With turn-out set to rock over 80 %, we are making history here people!!

Need hanky for real. It’s getting real emotional for me yaani!!

Revolution!!

2007-12-28T01:42:00.000-08:00

We all knew it was coming, but I don't think even the most ardent of those of us who were clamouring for change could have ever predicted this.

I dare say, this is a revolution we are witnessing in Kenya.

At my last count, and according to unofficial results by Kenyan media stations, atleast 12 immediate former ministers have lost their parliamentary seat. What!?

Moody Awori, Simeon Nyachae, Kipruto Arap Kirwa, Moses Akaranga, Musikari Kombo, Raphael Tuju, Mutahi Kagwe, Paul Sang, David Mwiraria, Njenga Karume, Newton Kulundu, Kalembe Ndile, Mohammed Abdi… And I fully expect a few more scalps by the end of the day.

Also, news just in, Paul Muite has lost in Kikuyu!

Unfortunately Michuki "the rattler" has managed to slither back. But the foundations have been laid.

I am overwhelmed!! Really I am. I am bursting at the seams with pride for just how far Kenyans have come. A little more than five years ago, we did not have the power to do this. We didn't even know that we could do this.

Look what God can do!!!

I am getting a bit teary-eyed right now. This is…… more, more, MORE than I ever dared to hope for.

Watching the series "Making of a Nation", has made it so clear to me, and I am sure to many others, that the time is ripe for change and we must not look back. We must not let "these people" continue to live large at our expense.

And for me, the parliamentary polls are so, SO much more important than the presidential ones. Don't get me wrong, of course the buck stops with the president, but to have a good capable and competent parliament…… so much more important to me.

I know by the end of this exercise, some good people are likely to fall by the wayside. Right now, I really want to see Patrice Lumumba, John Kiarie, Jonathan Mueke, Mutava Musyimi make it into the August House. I pray the good people in the relevant constituencies give them a chance to make their mark.

I hope this really marks the point in our nation's history when we, the people, take back control of our country. We can no longer allow an elite group to plunder and loot our future.

I hope our leaders, across the political divide, in all the different parties, are receiving us loud and clear.

"We have a vote, and we know how to use it!!"

I hope the ECK can get its act together soon. We need to start seeing some official results soon!

THIS REVOLUTION IS BEING TELEVISED!!

Update 1310 hrs

Murungaru sent packing!

Update 1430 hrs

Dzorro out

KJ with slight lead over ?Mugo

I voted!!!

2007-12-27T04:28:00.000-08:00

I know many of you are wondering what the heck I'm so excited about, but first time voters know how I'm feeling.

Not that i just turned 18 (ha ha)!! General apathy and youthful folly made me disregard earlier elections but this time, nothing and no-one was going to stop me.

I missed the early morning crush by going later in the afternoon, and got to the polling station when things were rather calm and orderly.

I think the system of alphabetizing registers really helped, despite rejection in some polling stations.

My heart was pounding as I picked the ballot papers, but after I had done the deed, I felt an overwhelming sense of relief and joy.... followed by anxiety.

Oh Lord, I hope I marked it right. Please don't let my vote be declared spoilt. I hope he wins. Oh man, this is so cool that I'm getting to vote!!

As I walked out i did a little jig, I am so excited to have voted. My entire left pinky finger is purple. A badge of honour!!

Man, I felt so powerful in that 30 seconds!! Wish I could bottle that, and sniff it very sloooowly over the next five years!!!
People power!!
(Obviously I'm a bit delirious from my 30-second power high!)

I really believe my preferred candidate is the best choice for this country. I hope he wins.

But mostly I hope the attempts to scupper and rig the elections fail miserably!!

I vote in Langata, and I hope Stanley Livondo gets like 5 votes!!! Teach him to stick to his shady business. People like him have no place in our parliament.

I must say I am bursting with pride at the fantastic turn-out!! Kenyans have shown today that they will not be taken for granted anymore. We are here, and we are in charge. Politicians best recognize that!!

I am also sad that Kenyans have had to die because of politician's selfish interests. I hope Kenyans will be restrained and mature as results begin to trickle in. Because the fact of the matter is, after the elections, we all continue with our lives. My neighbour remains my neighbour, policemen go back to work and we all must live together. Let us shun divisive politics and show some maturity.

As much as I pray for peace, I will be at the forefront of condemning those who show no respect for our democracy by rigging or other shenanigans.

There is so much I want to say, but for now, I hope all of you got a chance to vote, and that you voted safely.

I pray that the next few days will prove that Kenyans have matured politically.

God Bless Kenya!!

Merry Christmas

2007-12-25T00:38:00.000-08:00

Why am I in the office on Christmas day while the rest of the world (well, ok, except the guys here at work with me, and emergency services) is busy stuffing themselves?

Also on the day my chest hurts, and I'm sick, and I'm petrified I have contracted some diease with a scary name like bronchitis.... mere days before my only break in the last six months!!!

Well, at least, ceteris peribus, the constant and irritating politicking that has been going on for what seems like forever will soon be over. I do want my candidate to win, but actually, all i want is peaceful polls and most important, a leader who can heal the serious ethnic animosities that have once again emerged in the run-up to this election.

I, for one, am tired of these damn stereotypes and bloody useless animositybetween so-called rival tribes. And it disgusts me that it is the people I least expect it from, my peers, who are now spouting this nonsense.

Can we all just get along!!! God help us.

Anyway, I hope I get over this damn bug by Sunday!!

Merry Christmas all, and a happy and blessed new year to you and yours!

Ayyyyyy!!!! The horror!

2007-09-11T06:20:00.000-07:00

Well, I am completely appalled that some of you said that:

· The crocs are cool!
· The crocs are comfortable!
· They own the crocs!
· THEY INTEND TO BUY THE CROCS!

p1nk13 said...
Heh! Ms K yaan1 th1s 1s what the med1a term as 'A roar1ng rampage' aga1nst crocs.Bel1eve me 1 love shoes, and th1s 1s most probably the hardest th1ng to adm1t:I th1nk crocs are cool (duck1ng in shame) 1 swear those shoes look comfy, and since you saw them in Na1, 1'm go1ng to get me a pa1r. Don't hate me, Ms K - love's bl1nd Lol

Anonymous said...
but like for real girl, me I rock a pair of them croco-dilos. Comfort lakini ingalau they help me run for the subway :)

Obviously, someone is slipping a little something into your drinking water cos you clearly are not thinking straight.

These things (for they cannot be called shoes!), it can also be claimed that they are comfortable, but does that mean you’re going to go out and speand your hard-earned shillings on them?

(And by the way, if your answer is yes, I'm striking you OFF!)

I mean, we all know that slippers and those cute, stuffed bunny slippers are really really comfortable, but we all know better than to wear them out in the world!

Sneakers are comfortable! I have several pairs of really rad sneakers but you don’t wear your pin-stripped suit with the sneakers! Even when you're running for the subway/bus/matatu/donkey cart! (Or do you? Oh you do?! Be gone!)

As the Manolo so eloquently says:

The Manolo does not fully approve of wearing the sneakers for the commute, because one never knows whom one may encounter. Better to look your best from the instant you leave the house, even if this means the men playing basketball in the schoolyard no longer glance approvingly at your feetwear.

So, you who declares that they help you run for the subway, here are the luscious alternatives!

The fabulous black pair

The sweet and dainty pink and white

The yummy royal blue

The risque and fashionable gold

And the sturdy and serious

For more, visit Manolo's website

As for you who says they are cool, perhaps you’d also like a pair of these, for your beach and ocean floor frolicking!

Credits
All pics: The Manolo

Invasion of the crocs!

2007-08-23T08:00:00.000-07:00

I started hearing about them sometime last year. When I saw the pics, I thought “Why would anyone want to wear those atrocities!!”

They rekindled memories of the sweaty-feet-squishing-around-in-probably-melting-plastic from my childhood encounters with the sandaks.

And although sandaks are now thought of fondly with the kind of bumbling nostalgia which occurs as time dulls painful memories of blisters and slippery, squelchy walking, I must say I hated them even back then.

Now to see them back masquerading as some sort of comfortable, hip footwear – I'm appalled!!

I present to you – The Crocs!

I read The Manolo religiously. Because I have a sort of consuming obsession with the beautiful shoes. (And the love/desperate envy for his fantastic wit and writing).

I love shoes! And although I cannot claim to have never bought the slightly odd (or downright ugly) pair of shoes, I must say the croc is the ugliest shoe I have ever seen and I don’t know why anyone would wear it, let alone buy it.

Although perhaps the people of the younger persuasion, here referring to the children! below the age of 8! could get away with it.

Although I myself would be hesitant to stick the lovely and delicate feet of the young MS-K-lings into these vehicles of flesh-distorting torture!

I must admit, I read the debate about the crocs with some kind of bemused detachment – after all, the filthy things, they were not available in the Kenya.

The only person I had seen wearing them was the Karen Cowgirl who had bought them on the vacation to Canada, and could be forgiven for her misguided purchase. Perhaps it was the lapse in judgment caused by the jet lag or too much sun exposure?

I listened in horror as the popular excuse for the travesty of wearing them came out of her mouth – “but they’re so comfortable”.

“But they’re so UGLY!” I said, shaking my head.

As I walked away I thought, “Thank God they haven’t discovered Africa”.

But blast the globalization! They have discovered the virgin un-croc'd Africa!

I walked past the Bata shop and my heart plummeted to the depths when I saw them – the Crocs in the window display! Here, in Nairobi.

Within reach of the millions. Soon they shall over run our streets and millions of otherwise intelligent beings shall be sucked into the vortex of plastic hideousness!

And they even have the fur-lined crocs, and the boot crocs and oh, I shudder!

I am with the Manolo and the Vincenzo and Kate at I hate Crocs so much, I bought the domain. The crocs, they MUST be destroyed. We must rally the troops and vanquish these agents of bad judgment, appalling fashion and just plain hideousness!! The enemies of taste and style and all things good!!

I proudly declare, I am a CROC-BLOCKER!

Resist the crocs my fellow Kenyans! They will melt in the tropical heat and your feet shall forever be stuck in the ugly shoes when the molten rubber adheres stubbornly to the flesh.

The excuse that they are cheap is cleverly formulated capitalist propaganda. Do not fall for their tricks.

The crocs they are hideous and they are plastic and we all know the good fairly-priced (sometimes very cheap) shoes can be found at second-hand (flea) markets around the country. Try the Toi at the Adams, or the Ngara, or the Mutinda.

And the bad cheap, they are terribly expensive. They give you the bunions and the fallen arches and the bad back and the aforementioned melted feet!

WHY would you want to wear the crocs when the beautiful shoes abound?

For the men the Gucci loafers:

And for the fairest sex.... oh where do I begin...

And you know, if he wears them, you probably don't want to be seen in them!

Besides, the crocs, they are dangerous.

Credits
The writing style shamelessly copied from The Manolo!
All pics, the Manolo

For more of the fugly shoes you must never be caught in, visit the Gallery of the Horrors

That KM!!!

2007-07-31T05:56:00.000-07:00

A certain someone, who shall not be named, but surely knows that I dislike me-mes, has tagged me nevertheless. I'm only doing this cos she owes me a pair of shoes!

Oh, and I don't care about the rules. Muahahahahahaha........

1. Where is your cell phone: On my desk, and the other one's in my bag. Omera habits yawa!

2. Relationship: Love my baby to bits!!

3. Your hair: Loc'd and proud!

4. Work: Enjoying it. Lakini I can see some real hard decision making in the pipeline.

5. Your sisters: One... almost carbon copy. Msim-harass kwa matatu!

6. Your favorite things: Books, strokes, Mamarula, music, friends, traveling, family, fish, my baby, shoes, shoes, bags! etc

7. Your dream last night: Eh, heh heh I have very complicated dreams. They're like an entire season of Prison Break crammed into 8 hours! Yaani I barely remember them myself. Lakini yani I dream the colours are in technicolor!!

8. Your favorite drink: Eeh alcoholic ama the entire spectrum of fluids? Juice? Alcohol?..... ah this question is hard. The only one I don't drink is gin. Everything else is fair game. I've even drunk palm wine!

9. Your dream car: ANY range rover!! Kwanza the old mkebe Vogue!! I want a canary yellow one with cowhide interior!! Ama the Sport. Its kinda cute! Oh and Jaguars are pretty cool too. Ama a Porsche 911 boxter!

10. The room you’re in: Ofisi, lots of lunatics. Enyewe we need an in-house shrink

11. Your shoes: Never enough!! Yaani now, why can't I have all the shoes I want!

12. Your fears: Death of loved ones. I am also discovering a fear of heights and flying. Dunno know where from!

13. What do you want to be in 10 years: Why should I have answer to this? As if it makes it any difference. I just wanna be happy! Oh and I want to be a mummy!

14. Who did you hang out with this weekend: His pals, my pals, and a very well built and athletic stripper!

15. What are you not good at: Demanding what I deserve.

16. Muffins? Yes please, bran ones. Lakini, only from the Karen provision store and they bloody don't make them any more!

17. Wish-list item: Yay finally bought the camera (it is beautiful!) so now I want babies, the 30gb iPod or a brand spanking new VW Golf! Oh, and I'm standing at a wedding on Sato and NEED gold shoes. HELP!

18. Where you grew up: Outskirts of Nairobi

19. The last thing you did: Laugh at a colleague, lakini in good faith.

20. What are you wearing: Skirt!

21. What are you not wearing: Like KM says, dumb question, but if I must answer... Manolo Blahniks!

22. Your favorite pet: I REALLY want a dog. I keep trying to get my friends with compounds to get a dog we can co-share.

23. Your computer: Eh still in a store somewhere...

24. Your life: I'm happy.

25. Your mood: I'm good, thanks.

26. Missing: A good night's sleep. Like 12 hours!

27. What are you thinking about: Eh, nothing really. My back aches.

28. Your dream location: Greece or Jamaica.

29. Your Ex: I still think he's kinda hot but now I know he's a cad! But he's an honourable cad so that's cool.

30. Your Favorite Item: My camera definitely. I need to name it.

31. Your favorite color: Green, I'm obsessed with it! Otherwise earthy reds, peaches, oranges, browns....

32. Last time you laughed: Three minutes ago.

33. Last time you cried: Actually, since I cry during every extreme makeover home edition and sappy movie, can't answer this one objectively.

34. School: Dear Lord, help me to get my ass back in school this year!

35. Love: is yummy!

Shaken.... and stirred!!

2007-07-17T07:46:00.000-07:00

These earth tremors are damn freaky. I didn't sleep a wink on Sunday and now one just shook our entire building. I am pretty damn scared and I pray that was the last one!

Blown away by Thandiswa

2007-07-17T06:09:00.000-07:00

Earlier this year, I was lucky to attend an event where a couple of African artists performed.

I must say, I supported Valerie Kimani all through the Tusker Project Fame (oh shoot me!) but that day I was very, very disappointed. She looked very cute and I WANT one of the outfits she was wearing, but that's about all I liked about her performance. It was lacklustre, flat and uninspiring.

Valerie if you read this, I still got love for you, but you have to up your game. You can't hide behind your band and back-up forever. I know there's a voice in there. Let it loose!!

Another disappointment for me was 2Face Idibia. He was certainly good looking, lakini his performance left me cold.

Of course, by that point of the night, the music part of the event appeared unsalvagable. Then, came Thandiswa Mazwai.

Call me ignorant, but I must confess, I'd never heard of Thandiswa before that night. From the event's programme, I learnt that Thandiswa Mazwai was formerly the lead vocalist and songwriter of the acclaimed South African group Bongo Maffin. I knew Bongo Maffin, but I had no clue who Thandiswa was.

Well, I must say, I haven't been able to stop talking about her since. She gave an absolutely electrifying performance. And I mean, absolutely electrifying. The only other performance I've attended which came close is Youssou N'Dour, so you get an idea just how fabulous it was.

Her voice is flawless and her stage presence is magic. At the end of her performance, every single person in the audience wanted an encore.

After the performance, as if it were even possible, she climbed even higher in my esteem. When the event was over, she came into the crowd and started talking to people and taking photos with us. She was, I have to say, a refreshing change from all those international musicians who prefer to hide in their dressing rooms and leave surrounded by bodyguards to speed away in heavily tinted cars.

She was completely without diva attitude, sweet and friendly. I was lucky enough to get a picture taken with her AND, when her manager came around giving away CDs of her new album Zabalaza, I got one!! YAY!! Now that's how you handle your fans!

She's beautiful, and I was particularly enamoured by her style. Where many young female musicians resort to showing skin, she wore a resplendent African outfit. Her braided, beaded hair looked fantastic and was a unique statement that stood out from the legion of weave preferred by many perfomers. And you have just GOTTA love a woman who's not afraid to shun heels and perform in tackies!!!

I cannot forget to mention her absolutely fabulous back-up singers and band! Thandiswa hand-picked her band herself from over 400 candidates and it brings a vibrant, fresh young sound to her live performances.

She says she picked the band to give new talent a chance to live their dream.

"There’s so much talent out there, just waiting to be discovered. I’m living my dreams through my work, and I’m able to do that partly because certain people gave me a chance. So I want to be able to give other young talents the same opportunity, and allow them to live their dreams. We can travel the world together, making music. I’m really looking forward to going on the road with these guys."

Zabalaza is her first solo album and it is a magnificent debut!

Now Zabalaza is on constant rotation in my house. I love the entire CD and you must go out and buy it now! I love the lead title Zabalaza, Revelation, Nizalwa Ngobani, and Ndiyahamba. The sound is quintessentally South Africa, but Thandiswa unique sound combines the old and the modern seamlessly. Revelation is a gospel song with a bluesy sound reminiscent of American church choirs. Reggae, Kwaito beats and traditional Xhosa rhythms co-exist effortlessly on the album and work brilliantly together.

The South African Music website has this to say about Thandiswa:

"There is no doubt that Zabalaza will become one of the most important musical projects to emerge out of South Africa. Released in the year that South Africa celebrates ten years of freedom, the album is also a metaphor for Thandiswa’s musical emancipation – she’s matured into an artist who can stand up and express her views, and create a project that she feels honestly represents her voice, thoughts and experience. The number of major awards that she and the album have been given is a testament to this, from the Kora Awards in December 2004 to the South African Music Awards in 2005"

She's been dubbed the Miriam Makeba of our generation. I can say that I, am a believer.

Now, can one of our so-called Music promoters get this girl here for Kenyans to enjoy!

Read more about her: South African Music

Buy your copy of Zabalaza today

Welcome home Alan

2007-07-04T06:29:00.000-07:00

In a world where bad news and negative images seem to fill every waking (and sleeping) moment, it is inexplicably wonderful to have a day when a story of overwhelming joy reigns.

Welcome home Alan. Welcome home!

More: Alan Johnston freed

I do not lye!

2007-04-06T04:55:00.000-07:00

So, in addition to spending the last few many months lurking around the greater blogosphere, obviously my life, like all others, has moved right along. Well, I'm not yet a mommy... or anything as cool as that!!

But....

I do not lye, anymore! The creamy crack has been banished from my life!!

I've been planning this for years. Somehow, I always knew I'd end up loc'd. I had my first crop of locs in 2002, but i took them down in 2004 after a bad break-up.

(Exactly WHY is it, that women make such rash hair decisions after break ups? Someone better find a cure for that ish STAT!!)

So, after one particularly traumatizing crack application about two years ago (goddamnit my scalp was damn near broiled!!), I began to come to the decision that maybe this long, sleek, straight hair thing wasn't for me. Besides, my long healthy hair got shorter and shorter after every crack session because of all the breakage and well.... they apply the damn crack with gloves on onto my naked scalp. It's called a damn chemical process. Chemicals people!! Why don't i just pour a vat of battery acid on my head next time! (Ok, tiny exaggeration)

Anyway, I decided that that stuff is not for me. So i kinda braided my hair till it was growing out of my scalp pre-braided!! I'd known people for years who'd never seen my hair!

I was almost definitely going to go back to locs. My heart kept leading me back to locs. For a while, I toyed with the idea of the curly mop do (like that Jaden Smith cutie!), but my hair's REALLY kinky, so i'd have to do some stuff to make my hair loosely curled and I just.... my heart wasn't in it.

Then there were all the other concerns. My mum hates locs. Always has, probably always will. She almost had a party when I took down the first headload, and she keeps haranguing my brother about his. Then there was the whole must-look-professional thing.

In the end, none of these reasons was strong enough to hold me back from freeing myself from the bondage of the LYE (insert shivers and scary effects hapa). My mother will just have to learn to deal with it and well, I'll deal with the work issues if and when they happens.

Decision made - check. Hair loc'd - check!

Let me tell you, this ish is NOT easy!! Most of time, I don't know what the hell to do with my hair. I wake up sometimes and I look like a golliwog!! I look all wrong and I want to curl up in bed and never leave but i know its cos my hair is a damn mess!!

I try the turbans but it always comes out wrong and there's only so many times you can rock the Alicia knot. I'm having bad hair weeks!! Months!! I'm trying hats, but everyone wants to look at what's UNDER THEM!!!!

Also, now that my hair is not being constantly having the shit beaten out of it by the creamy crack, its beginning to have some attitude, acting up all the damn time. Revenge it is sweet, huh? It's too dry this minute, then it's too damn oily and sticky the next. My scalp keeps getting back at me for all those years of being basted and fried with the creamy crack by pulling its own sick torture moves; dry and flaking and ashy as hell one week... then fine the next. My head looks like a damn badly-made bird's nest most of the time

It's frustrating and annoying and depressing and I LOVE IT!!

I am not my hair... and I am my hair. I'll es'plain that statement in another post cos this one's getting too damn long and it's Easter y'all! (Happy Easter to you and yours! God bless)

If you stick around, you're going to be hearing a lot more about my hair. So you'se best get comfy with it!

My journey to fabulocity!!

Ceteris paribus

2007-04-06T04:32:00.000-07:00

Heh heh, I know what you're thinking, another tease post. Well, I hope not too.

I miss blogging. In the last few months I have lurked extensively, I have discovered thousands (I kid you not!) of new blogs about so many things!! Fashion and photography (the sartorialist), celebrities {LOL what? What? What!!} (Crunk&Disorderly), beauty (Afrobella), hair (Motown Girl), perfume (Now smell this).

I know all the examples above seem frivolous. Where are the blogs about "important" stuff? The news blogs? The Africa blogs? The political blogs? The development blogs?

I read those too. But I've found, more and more, that for me blogging is more fun when its about things that may seem frivolous to some. Why? Because, for me blogging is about relaxing, venting, life things, hair things, perfume things, clothes things, photo things...... You know, the other stuff that makes the world go round!

I don't want to come across wrong, I'm not saying that the other things - news, politics, development issues, climate change - aren't important to me. They are, and I do read about them. Its just..... I'm kinda around that kind of stuff ALL DAY! I need a break. And when I do....... I turn to my blog roll.

So, why did I quit? Well, mostly because I felt as though my blog had no purpose. What was my blog? Certainly not a news or politics blog. I didn't write about development issues, or African issues. I don't do poetry. I felt rudderless. For a minute, I thought my blog was unimportant.

So, do I now have a purpose? Aw hell no. But I've realised, we all have our place. So what if my blog is all over the place? So what. There are millions of blogs. MILLIONS! Really, what does it matter? Who has the right to say my blog doesn't matter?

So, I'm back, ceteris paribus. Which means, whatever it means.

You can continue to expect the same mish mash you come to expect and love (ha ha).

And I can continue to have a place to record all the stuff that happens to me, when I'm busy dreaming about stuff that's going to happen to me.

Here's to looking at me, kid!

Crack is whack

2007-01-25T04:04:00.000-08:00

So, Kelitu says blogging is like crack..........

Hmm........

So it appears, that I am biting the bullet and coming back to o-blogosphere.

Yeah yeah........ i can't contain my excitement either.

So.........

What way forward for the Gay and Lesbian Coalition of Kenya?

Did you watch KNHCR's brilliant documentary on land, Bless this our Land?

Ms K finally learns to drive!!!

...and many more.

AND, so now what am I supposed to eat now that meat if off bounds and sijui the fishes are off swimming in other people's lakes!

ARGH!!!

And now I've changed to this stupid new blogger and they say I can't use exclamation marks.

BUGGER!!!

The inimitable Luther Vandross

2006-07-18T05:39:00.000-07:00

Think modern soul and R&B and one man comes to mind, Mr. Luther Vandross.

Today, Capital FM has dedicated the Afternoon Jam show to the great late Luther Vandross.

The whole show. Five hours. Two to seven p.m.!

OMG!!!

Amazing, stupendous. Heaven!!

A great way to honour a man who changed the face of music. And to celebrate his music. It's just an amazing treat to all Luther Vandross fans.

I'm going to have to leave work and today I didn't carry the hands free enhancement I need to be able to listen to music on my phone. I am in a godamn dilemma! I have a meeting at 5.30 which may last up to or longer than an hour. That means by the time I get out of that meeting, the Afternoon Jam will be over.

I bet you can guess what I'm thinking right now.

Yeah don't think I'm going to make that meeting.

It's LUTHER!!! LUTHER!!! C'mon!!!

So far, this is what they've played:

A house is not a home
Never too much
Stop to love
Love won't let me wait
There's nothing better than love
The power of love
Any love
How many times can we say goodbye (with Dionne Warwick)
Superstar
Give me the reason
Sugar and spice
Don't want to be a fool
The closer I get to you (with Beyonce Knowles)
I really didn't mean it
So amazing (Stevie Wonder/Beyonce cover)

And there's still THREE WHOLE HOURS LEFT!!!

Oh and for once, I think Marcus and Chris are talking too much. I wish they would just SHUT UP play the Luther!!!