Getting things done...

Am that kind of person that naturally falls into the role of connecting dots and ensuring things are organised well and ultimately get done; and on schedule

 

With time, even before I volunteer myself, there is an assumption already that I will take care of the details of the event, trip, visit etc. I was shaken out of this by a friend who calmly told me (when I was complaining about all the things I needed to do for a certain event)....and who made you Chief Organiser?? and this shook me real deep....since for sure, this is work I had assigned myself....so why complain??


So now, that part of me is gone!!

 

So for any event that is coming up - I will (not so) happily seat as things get organised (some at the very very last minute) which annoys me....BUT....this is the new me.....so long as it involves a group, I don’t have to be Organiser Extraordinaire!!

 

..mmhhh...gets getting used to....but that’s life!

Heri kuwa na maji kuliko kuwa na stima!!

These last weeks have been challenging........

All of a sudden the taps run dry, no warning, and the way I am now used to having water flowing from the tap...aiii

You see this feeling is deep within me from those days growing up in Langata and having no water for days on end...haki even saying that Langata had a perennial water problem is an understatement!! Where didnt we fetch water from!! aii...am sure at some point the water we had was mixed with sewage...I kid you not!! So when i was moving out of home to my own space, my requirements were very simple....I need a place which has water flowing from the tap!!! and so i ended up in South B area where i stayed for over 10 years

So my current water situation brings back very unpleasant memories. Memories of taking 'passport' shower in the morning and getting into town and the cleaners at KenCom are cleaning the verandah with buckets and buckets of water ...how i wish i could just enter the bank and take a good shower (assuming of course they have showers in there LOL!!)

Anyways, so now I have to ponder my next move...its the holidays, I have guests over....and I have no water...aii...Serkal Saidia!!!!

WEPESI

Back in the day the means of transport for quick access to Eldoret was via the vehicle called WEPESI  - which i later came to learn meant Western Peugoet Service

This car could move!! from Nairobi to Eldoret using Eldoret Express took you a full 7-8 hours but Wepesi cut this trip by half!! No rules on the road or they were not known, am not sure. All I know is that during those campus days, I preferred Wepesi - God knows why I was rushing to Nairobi!

In retrospect, cant imagine the risk I exposed myself to!!

Easter season

I love Easter.........

So much joy and happiness around!!!

and 4 straight days after a long wait for a public holiday!!

Flashback to my single days and Easter spelt chance to get out of the city. My sister once worked in Mombasa so this was destination once the break started; I literally went to Mombasa almost every weekend when she was there!! such fun times!!

Now Easter is either in Kisumu or in Nairobi - better when there is minimum travel since the entire Nairobi seems to shift base during Easter. This year Easter falls at a time when schools are not closed yet...so we have only 4 days to pack in as much fun as possible

Happy and Blessed Easter!!

California Cookies

There is this cookie place near Gill House - was called California Cookies

The other day I was passing near there and was saddened that it had closed down; you see every day in early 80s, when we used to pass there on our home from school at lunch time and my father would buy us cookies and the sweet smell of the cookies remained with me for a long long time........

I passed there sometime ago, and simply had to walk in buy some - what can i say, i was drawn in by the sweet smell of the cookies. The place inside looked like it had not changed since those days....waaaa.....anyways, it brought back lots of memories when I was young without a care in the world!!

so now its closed

thats life

hope the owners are baking lovely cookies in another venue!

Brussels!!

Oh my!!!

Its a nice Tuesday morning....and am hit with the news that Brussels is under attack! when will this end?? we have suffered in the hands of terrorists and they seem to get people when they least expect. When a developed nation such as Belgium is attacked, I shudder to think how exposed we are given the laxity in security that is so obvious around us....

Reminds me of that dark day in 1998 when there was a bomb blast in Nairobi. I was hustling at a place near Biashara st when we heard the loud bang and saw smoke coming from the other side of town....from the window we guessed that KenCom had caught fire....and silly me I actually walked towards that direction!!! As I approached KenCom I realised the blast came from further down so I walked on....on reaching Harambee avenue, many people were walking / running in the opposite direction and I sensed that it may not be good to go too clsoe after all and so i went on home!! I empathise with the innocent persons and families that have suffered under terrorists.....this simply has to stop!!!

But how????

Software...

So my new gig requires me to use an ERP system that I find amazing considering all the possibilities it has within one site!!

You see, last time I entered data was a looooonnnnngggg time ago and I have been a end user of information since then, extracting very specific types of reports so really no need to learn the intricacies of these systems.

Now I find myself having to wade through this system...and admiring those that effortlessly get lots of information ...back to reading all the manuals!!

Friday lesson #never too old to learn!!

Julio Iglesias......Legend

#TBT - loved and still love this song by Julio Iglesias!!

My Love by Julio

My love is warmer than a smile
My love gives to every needing child
If anyone should ask you who's my true love
Tell them my love true is ever
letting all their love come through
My love sees love with not a face
And lives to love through time and space.
If all of everything about my love
fits to the tune of you
Then you can say that you are my love too.
Let my love shine throughout the world
To every mountain top and steeple
Let It be felt by every soul
'Til love's all over
Let it reach out to every heart
To every disinfranchised people
'Til it is present and no more is
Pain all over
Our love sees love's the key to peace
We'll pray 'til all world wars have ceased
Should you or anyone you know
Enough to say they feel as we
Then let our universal song be free
Let our love shine throughout the world
To every mountain tap and steeple
Let it be felt by every soul
Til love's all over

Let it reach out to every heart
To every disinfranchised people
Till it is present and no more is
Pain all over

Say words of love to all we see
To rich or poor for love is equal
Let us lift up humanity
Spead love all over
Let all its forces join as one
So to rebuke all signs of evil
Through every valley, land and sea

Our love's all people

Read more: Julio Iglesias - My Love Lyrics | MetroLyrics

My 10 year old owes his Aunty a movie!

So by this time ten years ago, I was already admitted into hospital and waiting for ...well....for baby to come. You see, I had gone to hospital with my younger sister for routine check up even if EDD was near, and then we were to catch a movie after that. The doctor examined me and declared, lets let the baby get out...its time!

The first experience is so daunting....you dont know what to expect. The pain....walalalalalala....let me just leave that there....its needs it own name....labour pains just does not do justice to what one experiences....eish...getting goose bumps just thinking of it.....I tell you if that didnt make me go crazy, I dare say, nothing can!

and so after 4  (that felt like 48) hours of intense labour, Kweli came to the world. My first reaction honestly was relief, relief that the pain was over, and then joy, joy that the baby was fine and then fatigue!! I was tired....waaaa....Kweli came at around 5.30 in the evening, and of course close to visiting time, so people came over to give thanks with us....by the time they left, i passed out on my tummy till next morning! No one told me when you get a baby you will get so so thirsty...I think i drank all the juice and tea that i was offered and still needed some more!!

Happy 10th bday my dearest Kweli.....may Gods blessings continue to be with you, now and always! Remember you still owe Aunty a movie!!##Mwaaaaaaaaaa##

Journal it all...

I like journals and diaries!

I have keeping them for a long long time, and when I got my kids, I decided to also keep a journal for them - so I got me a good quaity red notebook to jot down anything and almost everything. I write down the things they do, the funny remarks they make...I have been doing this since January 2009 when my daughter was one month old!...sometimes going through it makes for such interesting reading!

I put in major events like visit of Pope, of Obama etc and also the more simple entries like this one....when I got these simple brown plastic shoes for my son (just for playing around the house)

and the minute i gave him, he said, '...SITAKI AKAI  MART (meaning I dont like them, they are not smart!!)

Cousins!

Cousins are an important part of family. Growing up we were the oldest among our cousins so didn't quite relate to them, and most lived in other towns anyway, so was physically not possible to meet often. I often envied people who can could relate with their cousins like brothers and sisters - an extended family to every sence of the word.

Was reminded of this today when visiting my brother and his family. We were having a lovely Sunday late afternoon unplanned tea and the way our kids quickly mingled reminded us that we really have a responsibility to nurture the bond!!

That we immediately agreed on!!

Polisi pia ni watu!

So today i had to leave early morning for a meeting in town. When i reached the junction to join Mombasa road, a police officer who was among 4 others came up to me and asked for a lift. Difficult to say no.

From the moment he entered the car, his phone was ringing off the hook and the Over Over machine was also on loud...aii....how does one concentrate and issue the correct instructions? Turns out kuna mkubwa who wanted the road cleared but so many cars were on the road at that early hour and he was saying he cant just stop the flow!! At some point he said, basi mwambie achukue barabara aweke kwa mfuko! he was visibly annoyed and it was just 6.30am in the morning!!

Anyways, he went on (during the short episodes when he was not on the phone) to say that sometimes people expect too much from cops and only remember them when they are in trouble....woishheee and that when you give your all and die in the line of duty, watasema watatunza watoto wako lakini watasahau familia yako soon after!!

Quite a somber morning!!

We do appreciate the cops and their work; lakini mm bado i fear them

He left the car pale GM and told me, have a good day!!!