My Favourite Time Of The Year

Okay, I must confess this is the first of my favourite times of the year.  Not because of new year's resolutions, (my formal setting of a to-do list, as documented here, is a real first for me), but in terms of what is going on in the world calender.  It's the start of awards season in the entertainment world, and for some reason looking at what people are wearing and picking my favs to win this and that award is highly exciting for me.  I love films - I watch an inordinate amount and I love to hear people's acceptance speeches and wonder what possessed that person to pick what they wore.  Unfortunately, due to my peripatetic semi-homeless state, this year is the first year in 11 years that I will not be able to watch all the award shows on time, but luckily due to the technology that is the pvr, my sister is taping everything for me so I can enjoy when I get home in a coupla months.  Unfortunately that means avoiding the news for the next two months but I have already found out that Natalie Portman did win the Golden Globe, which I am very happy about, but now I know darn it! I don't know how I'm going to keep this up.

The big sports tournament season starts too with the Australian Open that I have only been able to watch one match of :(.  Yesterday I was able to catch the Nadal-Tomic match and probably will not be able to catch another match till the Finals due to time-difference and work.  I really hope he can make the career slam and history.  His after-match speech reminded me how much I love him as an athlete.  I really love strength that comes from accepting vulnerability and being comfortable in honesty.  I am to write a post about that soon. Yes, another post added to my never-ending list that is constantly being invaded and usurped by things that need to be dealt with in a timely fashion.

These are the times I miss working from home and/or being a student which is what I have been for the last four years.  Luckily the Africa Cup of Nations that traditionally happens in January is only on even years so I have time to rectify the situation for next year.  It is at time like this that I feel the holes in my life too.  My enjoyment of film and sport as a fan sort of fills the hole that has been created by not being able to play sport or pursue acting which I was able to do as a student.  These passions provided great relief and clarity to think and be and do in life.

It makes me think about what I want to be as an adult.  Technically I have been an adult for quite a while but I have never really felt like one to be quite honest.  I have come to a point in my life where I have definitely finished my education, as I have no inclination to pursue a PhD and have to figure out who I want to be both professionally and personally and whether I have the courage to do what it takes in both areas. To figure out how to reconcile the intertwining and complementary yet polarising dichotomies that these two parts of life create.  How to figure out the concatenations that make the simplicity of the many dualities in life complicated.  Steps have been made but where will they lead?

As much as I am addicted to uncertainty, there is comfort in at least knowing that the path is set even if you have no idea which direction you are going in.  I am currently waiting for that comfort.  Unfortunately I'm the most patient impatient person.  So I am currently driving myself crazy by recognising that all good things are worth the wait, but the wait is killing me! So I am currently trapped in a vicious cycle of applying logic to the illogical to stay sane which could possibly lead me to further craziness. Great! NOT!

Africa In Flux: Tunisia

While I have focused the blog on the Sudanese in the last week, other African countries have also being going through major changes for quite a while.  Unfortunately, Tunisia has gone the violent route in order to free itself from the shackles in the form of a 23 year reign of President Ben Ali who stepped down and fled to Saudi Arabia on the 15th (while eerily that date also marked the last day of voting for Sudanese secession) amidst the rioting and protests led by youth - mainly students and the unemployed.  The Tunisian Prime Minister, Mohammed Ghannouchi has set up a unity government to steer Tunisia through the 2 months leading up to the presidential elections. You can read and watch a video about the intentions of the unity government here.

Hopefully Tunisia will be able to follow in Sudan's footsteps and find a peaceful solution through voting and this will be the last of the violence.  I am glad that the Prime Minister has indicated that they are looking to lead Tunisia to a democratic, peaceful and free path to elections and  to rebuilding the nation politically and socially.

Here is a series of videos giving a recap of the events that started in December 2010 and escalated in the last two weeks culminating the the uncertainty that Tunisia now faces.







I hope the security will be restored soon and that the Tunisians find their way to the future they desire inshallah.

The Journey Has Officially Begun

Voting for secession or unity for Southern Sudan was officially over yesterday and now begins the task of journeying ahead with the outcome decided upon.  President Kiir has called for forgiveness and peace.  I am hoping that Sudan can follow in South African footsteps and find a way to peacefully work together to find a solution that brings both sides forward without more blaming and violence.  Preliminary results are leaning heavily towards secession even though the process of counting and verifying is to take a month.

The Sudanese seem to have have been inspired by South Africa in other ways.  In this video after a South Sudanese man voted, he proceeded to blow on a vuvuzela to celebrate! More importantly Mohammed Ibrahim Khalil, Chairman Southern Sudan Referendum Commission,  says that at the referendum vote was "the most peaceful, the most orderly, and the quietest [Sudan has seen.]...It is really a great achievement." I am glad that positives are being drawn out of the situation already.  Positive energy leads to positive results I say.

60% Referendum Target Reached :)

The Southern Sudanese referendum is valid as they have had over 60% turnout already despite the long lines and safety issues around voting.

I am happy that peace efforts are prevailing regardless of opposing forces.

Here is a video of Koffi Annan articulating his support for Sudan splitting into two countries, his hope that both side realise and positively exploit their interdependence and how he is wary of people thinking that this may lead to being a paradigm solution for other African conflicts.

Messi Business

Yesterday Messi won the Ballon D'Or, beating his Barca teammates Xavi and Iniesta.  And I am not impressed. Absolute rubbish! Messi was crap during the World Cup and only shone during club football.  Both Xavi and Iniesta were stellar for both club and country.  They are the footballers of yesterday, they take pride in representing their team and don't think about all the dollar signs their clubs flash at them.  I am very upset about this.  I have not warmed to Messi being the next big thing in football.  I know he was won because of his global personality.  Everyone knows him from not only Barcelona, but from his Addidas ads.  Basically he was the most marketable and this win will be great for all sorts of spin.  I am not the only one who feels that the Spaniards were robbed. Even he didn't expect it because he had won it the year before!

Here is a video of the ceremony. At least he looks shocked and humbly accepts the award.  I was thinking his brother is spitting image of him its kind of freaky! Yah, coz he's his twin ha ha ha ha! You learn something new everyday...



Reminds me of the way I felt when Eto'o won the 2010 CAF Footballer of the Year award. He always plays so well for his club and look at how he played at the World Cup as well. And he was won it before, I don't think he did anything particularly special this year to deserve it.  I really thought Gyan was robbed by his own people man! Thought his BBC award would be an indicator. Sunderland is not as big as Inter Milan I guess. I have only been able to talk about it till now that's how mad I was about it and have still not quite recovered!

Sudan Referendum Update

Despite both Presidents Kiir and Bashir asking their people to conduct the referendum in peace, there has been violence with lives lost.  Is there any way to get peace without such conflict? Does freedom always come with a violent struggle?  This mars the momentous occasion taking place. This is so unfortunate as you know that is all the media will concentrate on, another conflict to talk about in Africa continuing the "if it bleeds, it leads" journalistic trope that plagues our continent particularly.

Here is a video from AFP  including comments from George Clooney and Koffi Annan that shows just how important and historic this moment is.  I love the woman who is so excited and is convinced she is "going have her [own] country." And the dude who had been waiting since 2am really epitomises the gravity and urgency of the situation.

I hope that by January 15 everyone will have gotten to vote and Sudan can keep forging towards a better future.

Sudan's Landmark Referendum

As I write this people are turning up in droves in Southern Sudan  to vote for what most are assuming will be for secession from the North.  By July we could be seeing a new introduction to the African continent, our youngest nation yet.  While we vowed not to further cause turmoil by redrawing the very inconsiderate lines that were once so callously decided upon on a table by European powers over a century ago, think that it is very brave of us as Africans to recognise that in the case of Sudan, Africa's largest country geographically,  it is too big and too culturally diverse to be kept as one.

For more information about the referendum and the circumstances surrounding it, the BBC has comprehensive coverage here that leads to other links and information.  Earlier in the week President Bashir, the current President of Sudan visited the South to express his support.  His views on the referendum are that "the work of freedom is just at its beginning, [He is] confident that the southern Sudanese people have the strength and spirit to succeed in that endeavour." He understands the South's need to divorce itself from the north but is also wary that they are not aware of the potential pitfalls and tribulations they will face as they forge their own future independent of the south.

Here is a video of him articulating his views further:



You can also read a summary of the interview at Al Jazeera.

You can also find out more about the Government of Southern Sudan at their official website. Salva Kiir was sworn in as President of Southern Sudan in April 2010. You can view a video of the ceremony here and his views on the referendum hours before calling for co-existence and peace with the North here.

Watch this for a quick profile President Salva Kiir:



May this be the beginning of real progress in solving the Sudan's North-South divide, whatever decision the people decide.  For the vote to be valid, 60% of registered voters have to participate.  I am glad that those overseas are also able to vote as well :).

Afropolitan Elephant Delicacy

In an effort to preemtively get my brain functioning in French for my classes that start next week, I decided to start reading the paper while eating my lunch.  (Yes I do keep some of my promises). In the kitchen, there usually is a copy of 20 Minutes, a very light read that basically steals a lot of its news from the BBC ha ha ha.  Which made it very easy to fudge through as I was like I read about this yesterday....Anyhoo, I came across this little fluff piece, which is not available online, so I took a picture of it.

Elephants are my favourite animal due to the affinity I feel for their way of life and because they are just awesome possum!  They are family oriented, smart, majestic and have a taste for marula fruit that I would still like to believe gets them a little tipsy as does Amarula when I fancy a tipple :).  And they are a little destructive for no apparent reason sometimes, which I can completely understand and this imperfection makes them perfect. Sometimes you just need to stomp about and let it out. You have to have flaws to be truly beautiful I think.  And now it seems they can be Afropolitan too!  Here they are in Switzerland and like me are also partaking of local delicacies and delights.  Badly translated the caption reads:

"Christmastime is over, the Bale Zoo animals are always at the party.  Christmas trees that don't find a buyer are given as dessert. A culinary delicacy that is much appreciated by the elephants!"

Here they are being all cosmpolitan it's awesome! As I was walking home I saw a pile of abandoned Christmas trees and wondered if they too will end up rounding off an elephants meal in the future. My hosts have been coaxing me to have one more glass of wine and feeding me horse.  Oui, cheval! Je sais, je sais...I would try some sapins de noel too but I think I'll stick to my wine, cheese, chocolate and Haribo thanks.  I've had fondue (with cognac in it he he he), now to try raclette...

Top 10 posts of 2010

Well really its the Top 9 with one from this year but seeing as resolutions are shaped by the year that has just been I think my resolution post is really a 2010 post he he he.

I wasn't going to have my Top 10 posts featured on the blog as I thought it was rather didactic and chose the democratic route and used the data the site collects to have your top 5 posts featured on the right.  However, as my blog has been growing over the last 7 months I feel that people are still coming in and out and so may have missed some posts that I feel showcase both my best writing and really encapsulate my love for the continent, the issues I am passionate about, and my nonsensical nature.  An African without a little despot in them is not an African at all I say he he ;}. So here are my Top 10 ranked in order, starting with my favourite:

1. Transitioning from Young And Eager To Accomplished
2. Resolution Time
3. World Cup Lessons
4. Dress To Express: Proudly African Accessories
5. "You are so beautiful, how come you haven't had anyone's babies yet?"
6. Why It Sucks To Be A Young Educated African Woman Today And So On...
7. Thoughts on The Hybrid Nature of the African/ Afropolitan Inspired By Music
8. Obama's Address To The President's Forum With Young African Leaders: You represent a different vision, a vision of Africa on the move"
9. Interesting Debate
10. What Are Our Priorities?
And they are also featured on the right :).

I have also just started to use Google Analytics to track traffic and see who is reading that is not formally a follower.  I did not do this at the beginning as I wanted Mwana Ba Afrika to evolve on its own without really thinking about trying to get an audience and pandering for support.  I think now I have gotten into the groove and I'm in a healthy place, so this tool will be used more out of curiosity than shaping what I write about and how I write.

I have also joined Afrigator, a leading African blog aggregator and social media site.  If you are on it please connect with me, I am registered as MBA.

2011 has started off well, I am so excited to see what it brings!

Resolution Time

I am not one for formalising New Year's resolutions but I have decided to live dangerously in 2011. I have discussed trying to be the person you want to be in this world that seems to be allergic to the young, eager and passionate. 2010 was a rather strange one for me. I have gone through a lot of change but have not really been steering the raft that I am on. I am not even sure whch waters I am travelling. However that doesn't mean that my journey has not been enlightening. I may be a peripatetic destined to outdo the masaai with my crazy nomadic lifestyle but I am determined to roam this earth with purpose,happiness and effectiveness.

One of my flaws is inertia.  I challenge people to be the best they can be while I cower in the corner gripped by the fear of failiure when it comes to endeavouring to realise my passions all the while appearing to be in control and productive because I dream big. This seems like I am stating an oxymoron rather than confessing. I am doing both it would seem. Starting this blog was the best thing I did in 2010 as it forced me to confront myself. In having an open conversation about my passions, frustrations and fears in the ether I have exposed myself by shining a light into that corner. It has empowered me to take the bold steps I need to take to be the person I am screaming to be.

2011 is all about taking those steps. To not be gripped by the fear of being a good African child and play it safe and do what needs to be done in an invisible manner. To not worry about what people may sayabout the  unorthrodox choices I as an African woman have been champing at the bit to take. You only live life once so you'd better live it the way you want right? There is no such thing as the African woman. There are only African women. And I plan to be one that lives on her own terms, that grows and loves and contributes positively to her family, friends and community. Most importantly, one who is able to look in the mirror without regret. I may have detoured but if I commit to sticking to the path in 2011 then 2010 will have more meaning. And I will be able to do the things I need to do and my life will have an impact rather than only  serving  to merely confirm my existence.

I am glad that I ended the year at home. The temperature is not to cold, like Switzerland, and not too hot like when I left a couple of months ago, just perfect :)!  I have been able to reflect on the year and regenerate to make the necessary steps to be whole again. I have also thought about replacing Goldilocks that's how perfect the weather has been he he he. I have not followed MRS ANTELOPE's advice as much as I should and have let others take my peace.  TMINI MI has this quote at the bottom of her email that I have always read but has never really resonated with me until now:


A person is only as big as the dream they dare to live.


The source may be unknown but the person who came up with this was able to encapsulate such a profound concept in such a simplistic and succinct fashion! Hence the new Amashibi - this quote is right on the money for what 2011 is to be for me and of course you can join in and make your 2011 awesome possum too :) . 

Happy New Year once again! As a realistic optimist I am commited to continuing to dream but I don't expect to have everything fall into place. But I do expect my life to change for the better. I never expect anything
less. It's the only way to keep trying...

Happy New Year!

2011 is the year! Watch this space for more details... :)

Kisses This Christmas

If you were wondering about finding mistletoe on the continent to stir things up at Christmas have no fear. Just nip over to Mount Mabu in Northern Mocambique where some botanists found Africa's tropical version of this yuletide plant. You'll not only be taking a preemptive strike against those pesky holiday pounds you are sure to gain, but you also will be increasing your chances of holiday romance and cheer. You are welcome in advance ;}.

Forgive me, I am in a giddy mood as I leave the cold and snow behind for a sunny Christmas, which is the only way it should be.  Snowy ones are for the movies: nice to look at but we don't need to actually experience the cold and craziness that comes with it.

If you are flying like I am, I hope you make it in time to be with your family and/ or friends and aren't delayed, especially if you are flying from Europe.

To those who are politically correct and/ or don't celebrate the birth of Jesus, Happy Holidays! To everyone else, Merry Christmas :)!

Why It Sucks To Be A Young Educated African Woman Today And So On...

I know, such a depressing title seeing as 'tis the season to be jolly".  I promise this is the last serious post and from now (as in the African now now, meaning in a minute or an hour or a day he he he) till New Year it will all be "fa la la la laaaaa la laaaa la laaaa" ;}.  COMBINE sent this link to Chimamanda Adichie's essay in the Financial Times about the plight of the young, educated African woman on the continent that stirred up a serious debate, and I could not not post about it.

The depressing thing about the article is that it had many truths in it that I could related to.  People have commented on the car I drive at home and I have had to bite my tongue and play coy and 'womanly'.  I share her frustrations with the world that I live in.  But I don't just feel that way at home, I feel that way whereever I go.  Even in the West (albeit in different ways sometimes) I feel that my educatedness and self-sufficency and my womaness are at loggerheads.  And my Africaness adds further complexity and confusion to this already seemingly paradoxical combination of attributes.  I am also a bit upset by how stereotypically she framed and narrated her plight.  As LOLZ pointed out this was not an article to be published in the Financial Times. And I agree.  It seemed like a blog post to me.  It did not read like an opinion piece, it was too loaded with the vitriol of, for lack of a better phrase, a mad black woman.  Which I think detracts from what she was trying to get across.  Even though the article ends positively, with hope that things will change as they always do and have as progress has already shown, it leaves a bitter taste in your mouth.  I am disappointed that Chimamanda was not able to add anything more useful to the conversation. Her acclaim gives her the power to be able to initiate change.  She could have used this opporunity to do so much more with her words :(. Why couldn't she give recent examples of things changing like how men helped elect Africa's first female president? And why is it that getting what we want means no compromise on our side?  Compromise is required on both sides to get to where we want to go...

Women's issues seem to be the topic du jour, not surprising after the 16 days of Activism to End Violence Against Women bookended by International Day to End Violence Against Women on the 25th of November and Human Rights Day on the 10th of December.  However I feel like the media really latched on to this yearly occurence in 2010. I read this disturbing piece on the BBC Africa written unfortunately what seems to be a disgruntled African man in the Expert Views section which greatly perturbed me as if he is an expert on women's issues we are all screwed. Even though I too expressed my concern about all these days and my question about condensing them into a week has been answered by the already extant 16 days, I think this diatribe went one step further and missed the point of these days entirely. Farai Sevenzo seems a smart enough guy and his interests on the continent are very exciting, which makes it all the more upsetting that he used his voice to write such a terrible piece.  Even worse than Chimamanda, who has somewhat stagnated the conversation on the particular plight of a certain kind of African woman, Farai has just set the whole conversation  on women (in general) back! In order for women's rights to be achieved, men have to be a part of the solution! If they do not understand that despite women earning and achieving more the world is still being ran by men then all these efforts will eventually be in vain.  I watched these two TED talks about how women are outperforming men and how men need to be part of the conversation for equality to really exist that offered some clarity to the issues I have raised from the two articles.

 



Why is it that women think they have to take over and be men to have won the gender wars?  I don't think Roisin's glee in women making men feel like poop is productive because it just makes the scales imbalanced on the other side. Her vindictiveness is no better than Chimanda's vitriol. There has to be a way for men and women to share power and not for it to have to be a tug-of-war with one side with more clout than the other.  Porter's talk made me so sad that the worst thing that a boy could think of being is a girl and how that is used to really play on little boys minds. This links to Roisin's talk as it explains why guys are feeling so emasculated by the rise of women as they are told that women are weak and can't bring home the bacon but we are proving to be strong and very productive.  This incongruity in messages must be incredibly confusing.  Which could explain why Farai doesn't see the need for all these International Days when in fact this is exactly why we need such days.  We need these days for both men AND women.  To help men and women work out the shifts going on in society and to help with understanding.  Because men are not taught to articulate their emotions and thoughts with words, and many lash out and gender violence is evidence of that.  Men will always be physically stronger than women, and showing that power to a woman is unfortunately still a preferred stereotypical way of exerting  manhood to stroke fragile egos. 

I am also very annoyed about the stereotype Roisin uses about girls being good and listening to the teacher and that's why they do well in school.  I barely sat still in class and was always told off for fidgeting and talking and not paying attention and I managed to become highly educated and the proud recipient of 3 degrees (which I am still wondering how I managed to achieve them but I'll take all the certification bestowed on me gladly he he he). I have felt very unwomaly for a good portion of my life due to this and I know other friends who feel this way due to their unwomanly behaviour in the same and other situations.  It is not good to essentialise.  Yes, there are gender differences but  not all of us fall perfectly into the normal boy and girl templates.  We are all on a spectrum and must be given allowances at times to be ourselves in order to fulfill our potential. We all have skills that are required and we need to find ways to tap into both male AND female potential.  It's not about women now suddenly being better than men.  It has always been and always should be about using the requisite skills at the right time for the appropriate situation. Noone is obsolete, everyone is relevant on some level at any given time.

Now that I have expressed myself, I take my leave to enjoy the holiday season :}!

Gyan Named African Footballer of the Year And Other Sports News...

I am so happy to report that my voting enabled Asamoah Gyan of Ghana/ Sunderland to be named BBC's African Footballer of the year ha ha ha!   With his leadership during the World Cup I am not surprised.  We Africans truly appreciated how he helped Ghana step up to the plate to keep an African Nation visible and relevant during the tournament.  I would split my pajama bottoms while in the process of falling to my knees before the nail biting penalty in front of the TV for him again any day.  He is truly a Black Star ;}.

You can watch his thank you and read more about it here.

I have not mentioned the fact that Nadal lost to Federer in the ATP Finals last month due to the fact that I don't want to dwell on that because he had such a stellar year.  However, Federer is hosting an exhibition match in Switzerland this Tuesday to raise money for his Foundation that does work in Ethiopia, Tanzania, Malawi, Zimbabwe and South Africa.  I know that it is only an exhibition match but I want Nadal to win. It will make me feel better.  And I hope he wears the purple again.  He wears my favourite colour well ha ha ha ha. And I happen to be in Switzerland so I should be able to catch it. Problem is there are so many random Arabic Channels to sort through hopefully find the Swiss one it is showing on. Federer's Facebook page also indicates it will be shown on other channels so you can check there to see if you can catch it too.

Buy Life?!

I was really perturbed when I read on Perez Hiliton around World AIDS Day that celebrities like Lady Gaga and Alicia Keys were digitally dieing and wouldn't resurrect themselves untill they reached their goal of raising $1 million for the Buy Life campaign.  There are SOOOOOOOOOO many things wrong with all of this both in terms of semantics and sensitivity.

1. You should not be encouraging people to buy life.  Save a life yes, buying life no! Life should not have to be bought it is a human right to live so really it should have been worded better.

2. Alicia Keys was spearheading this campaign through her Keep A Child Alive foundation and defended this campain by saying "Its so important to shock [people] to the point of waking up. It's not that people don't care or it's not that people don't want to do something, it's that they've never thought of it quite like that."

All I have to say is HMMMMMMMM. Telling people to make the ultimate sacrifice by killing their digital selves to help buy the lives of others just seems all sorts of wrong. And celebrities leading the way makes it cool which is exacerbating.  I know they were thinking about the clout they have, especially on social media, and they meant well but really?! It makes the people donating seems superior to those who are in need of help and it creates and "us" and "them" dichtomy that Koffi Annan was warning against. If people want to give you don't and shouldn't have to shock them into doing it, you just have to provide a platform to do it.  I guess it worked and people have donated beyond the amount requested but was it to help those living with HIV, was it just so they could get back to keeping up with the latest news on the celebs they follow on Facebook and Twitter or worse to be cool and part of this daring and sensational campaign!  Does it matter how the money was raised? Money is money right? I don't know about that...

Death where I am from is not taken lightly and I think from what I have heard from other Africans it is the same all over the continent.  So the whole "I'm going to be dead till you resurrect me" thing is just disturbing and so self important and disrespectful to me.  The people who they are saying are dying because we aren't helping don't get the luxury of coming back when things are the way they want them to be like those committing digital death voluntarily. The analogy is just WRONG! And to make it worse most of the money is going to Africa seeing as we have the majority of HIV/AIDS cases and Alicia Keys does most of her outreach on the continent.  The people recieving it will probably have no idea how the money was raised and I think that is a good thing because we Africans have pride even though we are made to seem like we just take what we are given without thought or care.  Reminds me of when the Zambian President refused to accept the GM grain sent as Aid. We have principles.

I think this is also why Africans in the diaspora are largely cut out participating and being a part of such campaigns.  They are not designed to help us help ourselves.  They are designed to guilt Westeners into giving and for them to feel good about their benevolence.  In the end it feels to me like its not really about the people in need.  Which is a shame because mobilising Africans in the diaspora is probably the key to getting proper control over helping those less fortunate and curtaling poverty and pandemics.  We are brought up to strive to be able to take care of our families and if you have the means you help there is no discussion about it, especially when you are abroad because the little that you can send is a lot back home. But we do it in silos because we do it for our families not for the community at large for the most part so those who do not have family of means are the ones who suffer. Africans overseas remitted $30 BILLION back home in 2009.  Some of that could be used to help programs that are seeking to empower and improve the lives of those who are less fortunate on the continent. However if they are like me then they probably get mad when they see a campaign call for money on TV or in their inbox or while they are surfing the net. I do not feel guilty, I feel offended and/ or angry most of the time. I don't think we should wait for Western campaigns to think of us, we need to start our own. We need to go back to the village not only RAISING but also SAVING the child mentality.

Am I just being too sensitive about this?

Human Rights Day

Today is Human Rights Day.  Unlike other days I don't think it's widely acknowledged.  I think this is the first year I knew it existed and was reminded by an email I got today at work. As I was saying here, these days should either fall on the same week or they should be better publicised. In light of what I have discussed with regards to AIDS due to World AIDs day last week, I thought this quote from UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Ms. Navanethem Pillay, was rather appropriate:

Advocacy stems both from necessity and empathy, that is, the ability to identify with somebody else's condition and to feel them as one's own.  It is such empathy, regardless of distance in time or space or custom, and the common notion that all human beings are entitled to dignity and respect that have built the human rights movement and underpinned its progress. Each day the human rights movement wins more supporters, but we must not be complacent.


I read today that the Rwandan genocide archive has been unveiled.  You can view some of it here. We should never forget what happened. Especially today.  One of these days I will muster the courage to watch Hotel Rwanda again.  Watching that movie traumatised me for life.  I had a mini nervous breakdown in the cinema bathroom after viewing it.  I am not particularly thrilled to go through that again. Once was enough thanks.

As humans, as altruistic as we like to think we are, we are motivated by the things we care about.  It is scary to think that there are people who do not care for lives beyond their own, and sometimes they don't even care about themselves! We can only hope to grow into better people. More importantly, that we actually go about growing and not just talk the talk but walk it proudly!

2011 is the Year of People of African descent I have just learned from reading Navanethem Pillay's speech. Hmmmmmmmm.  In the last two months I really have been bombarded with news such as this year was the Year of the Lung and all these days that keep popping up.  I am going to have to post about this...

I just had a conversation with my sister about the fact that neither Bai Ki Moon or Koffi Annan ever had a Mr. in front of their names but Navanethem Pillay is qualified by a Ms.  She said it is so we know she is a woman and I was like I know but well why should we always assume that people are men and why don't we refer to everyone as Mr. or Ms. and she was like well men ruled the world so that's how it is. Well it can be changed. We are still being singled out if we have the Ms. People will continue to assume that someone is a man if they cannot tell unless they see a Ms. unless we change it. It is a human right not to have to be singled out so I say! And with a name that is unisex where I am from (and is qualified naturally to distinguish as a he or she equally) and that the world at large would not be able to decipher even if it was just a girl's name because of where it is from, I am particularly concerned about this. I also need to stop abusing
the world "well" in this post....and "like" for that matter ;}

AIDS, Common Sense and Discrimination

I have been obsessed with the TED Website since a friend of mine suggested that I use it to learn when I complained of boredom.  I had viewed talks before but since finishing my masters I have been all educated out.  But learning while passively listening is addictive and now I can't stop.  I now watch a TED talk to accompany my lunch at work everyday.  I came across this talk by Elizabeth Pisani and now have a girl-crush on her.  She's so smart and witty and just cool!  Most of all she talks a lot of common sense, something that I think is lost on the world.  We do not trust ourselves to just go with our gut and what just makes sense even if you can't explain it with research, graphs, charts and formulae.  Part of life is just knowing and doing.  She is a little off-kilter so I warn you that you may be put off by the way she presents her thoughts. I quite enjoyed it, I love subversive humour and presentation but can fully appreciate how it may make some uncomfortable or could offend.



If you like her style, right now you can download her book for free here.  This offer is only good for the month of December.

Her talk got me thinking about the recent study that showed that partners of HIV+ people could protect themselves from contracting the disease if they followed a drug regimen consisting of an ART cocktail.  I am all about realistic, sensible prevention.  Let's be honest, humans are sexual beings and telling them to abstain is not the most sustainable and moreover commonsensical way of getting people to think about protecting themselves consistently.  Most people have a modicum of control at best.  I am not cynical or pessimistic, I've just lived enough in the world to know that the average person is quite illogical and careless and have little control when it comes to the bumptibump.  As you know I am a proponent of prophylactics and if you can get them to be part of the everyday routine of a person like taking a pill with their daily vitamins, I think that is great. Now we need to concentrate on halting the pandemic through transmission rather than just having it under control through treatment once positive. Both are required for success.

Speaking of the lack of the commonsensical, Kenyan Prime Minister Raila Odinga's recent speech only serves to push the gay minority further underground, further encouraging risky behaviour which will lead to this groups further marginalisation through the double-stigma borne from their lifestyle and if they contract HIV.  I am so disappointed in all the African nations, and in particular Uganda, that further are hampering Human Rights and AIDS progress by targeting the gay community with misinformation and fear tactics for political ends. Enough with the nonsensical!!! UNACCEPTABLE!

And the same goes for women.  We are just depicted as a helpless high risk group and really, not enough is being done to get to the root of the problem.  Yes our biology means that we are more likely to contract the disease  and there is nothing we can do to alter the way we have been designed, but there are social factors than be dealt with.  The typical  African story of girl raped by an uncle, grandfather or family friend to cure himself  of HIV/AIDS is something that should not be allowed to happen. UNACCEPTABLE!  Women to afraid to have candid conversations with their husbands about cheating and condoms is still rife in African society. UNACCEPTABLE! Educating people about how they contract it and what can be done to prevent or manage the disease is still something that needs to be done better.  And the issue of gender-based violence in Africa is something that needs to be dealt with.  I am ashamed that Zambia is one of the countries where men are really foolish about why they abuse their spouses, defending themselves with reasons to do with expressing love.  UNACCEPTABLE!

However, I am very happy that I received a text from my Zambian mobile service provider that read:

 "Guard against gender based violence vices and where such vices occur please do not hesitate to report to the appropriate authorities."

This pleasant surprise makes me happy as it shows how mobile technology can be used to educate the masses on the African continent.  And it is a great example of corporate social responsibility.  So easy to do and the social effects can be huge if the message is received on a regular basis.  I know a lot of people have been talking about mobile marketing and this puts people off.  I don't want to receive a text from sleazy marketer but getting a text about my well-being with no agenda is a welcome use of an opportunity to speak to a large group at little cost. I think this kind of community outreach in Zambia has been spurred by recent efforts from Government to make concrete change through a bill that is ready to be presented to Parliament. I hope that they will not lose momentum as happens with a lot of these efforts.  It made me think of Ms. Afropolitan's post and how I had no idea that there was a day for Gender-based Violence and how it just slipped by.  Some of these issues need to be tied together and maybe there should be a week that tackles all these interlinked diseases and human rights abuses rather than having them scattered about the year with some getting more attention that others.

BTW, if you happen to be in New York, the Access to Life Exhibit is currently showing at the UN Headquarters until the 17th of December.

World AIDS Day

I have never actually ever really observed today.  I know it happens every 1st of December and I have worn ribbons at certain points in my life but I have never participated in any events or really sat down to reflect on why this day has been created.  This year I helped organise events at work and participated and have seen AIDS with clear glasses for the first time, now that I have been most graciously informed that I had rose-coloured ones on before.

I have always been passionate about AIDS and Africa. When I was about 8 years old I was deathly afraid of contracting the disease as it had been drummed into me that AIDS was a death sentence and people who contracted it had somehow done something very wrong and that's why they got it.  The vestiges of that is an acute awareness and vigilance bordering on the psychotic in my personal life because of it.  As I got older and started to understand the social aspects of it the fear that could have led to discrimination thankfully evolved into a fire that burns to be a part of doing something about it.  If I had been a better student I would have fulfilled my childhood dream (this was one of many) of finding the cure.  However this would entail what I consider to be copious amounts of school and a skill that I avoid using at all costs and that is research (I know you may be surprised  by this as my posts tend to have such depth (yes I flatter myself ha ha ha) but this pleasurable and voluntary unlike school and prolonged work related stuff which can be quite painful if you have to do it with no perceivable end) and another called discipline that I have very little of.  So I decided that I would do everything I can to help with the skills I do have.

I happen to be working for an organisation that is at the forefront in trying to reverse the epidemic and this makes me happy.  Blogging about it  helps because it is an issue at the top of Africa's agenda.  Today, at work, I heard from people living withe disease talk about particular experiences in their lives after they had contracted HIV and two things stood out to me:

1. There is no face for HIV/ AIDS.  Yes Africa has the most affected by the disease but it is detrimental to keep showing the face of a disenfranchised African woman or child whenever AIDS is mentioned, and when the media want to switch it up the faces change to gay men, because it allows people who do not identify to think that they are safe or even immune and it stigmatises certain groups no matter how the messages are presented.  On the panel there were women AND men, who were gay AND straight, who came from Africa AND Europe AND Asia AND the USA and were younger AND older.   It can happen to anyone in a manner of ways.  However, because my workmates are not disenfranchised or underprivileged it is clear that their stations in life have enabled them to be able to be empowered by their individual ownership of how they live with HIV and in being able to speak about their experience in a safe place with support and in actively working to help others have the same opportunities to live in good health and which leads me to the second thing...

2. AIDS is a Human Rights issue more than anything right now.  So the second thing I learnt was that people living with HIV are battling daily around the world for the right to be human.  For the right to have children if they choose, to be able to have access to proper medical care, to not be stigmatised, and most importantly to live, and not just in terms of the medical, but to live freely amongst the rest of "us" even though there really should not be such a distinction.

That is why I changed the amashibi (words) above to the Koffi Annan quote from World AIDS Day 2003 because his call to arms is still relevant, and maybe even more so, today:

We must continue to speak up openly about AIDS. No progress will be achieved by being timid, refusing to face unpleasant facts, or prejudging our fellow human beings - still less by stigmatising people living with HIV/AIDS.  Let no one imagine that we can protect ourselves by building barriers between "us" and "them.  In the ruthless world of AIDS, there is not us and them.  And in that world, 
silence is death.


The rest of the week I will explore certain issues surrounding AIDS.  Check out the (RED) website to see what people are doing around the world to commemorate the day. The UNAIDS 2010 Global Report happily reports that the number of new cases in Africa is going down and that this phenomenon is most acute in young people although disturbingly it in on the rise with older people.  You can also watch quite powerful and harrowing videos documenting the photo sessions around the world for the Access to Life Exhibition, a collaboration between the Global Fund and Magnum Photos.  I like this exhibition and the videos because it shows the many faces of HIV/ AIDS but at the same time I am always a little wary of documenting people's pain and suffering, I find it a bit intrusive and exploitative.  I don't think I'll ever be able to reconcile this conflict.

I was able to get these beaded AIDS pins  for everyone at work from Wola Nani, a great initiative in South Africa that provides medical, financial, economic and social support to people living with HIV, especially women. I really like programs that empower, that think about the big picture and not just about charity which I feel is usually more about the person giving patting themselves on the back for being so altruistic rather than being about the person in need. Charity is not sustainable but self-sufficiency is.  Going beyond giving a hand-out, an ephemeral happenstance to giving someone knowledge and skills, (as my father always says these are the things that no one can take away from you) is something that can be perpetuated.  You know the whole giving a fish versus taking people fishing to teach them how to catch one themselves thing.

Wola Nani is Xhosa for "we embrace and develop one another". I hope that this AIDS Day you'll think about how to do that in your community with regards to people living with HIV and find ways to incorporate those wise words into all facets of life :)

Art and Football

In keeping with my arty theme this week, I am continuing to post about beautiful things. Art is beautiful. Football is beautiful. And when they come together they make for a good post ;}.

Firstly, Drogba and Kalou have picked pictures taken by BBC World Service listeners and BBC journalists for the BBC's Africa Kicks.  You can watch a video on their thoughts about football's impact on Africa and you can also view the pictures they picked for the Africa Kicks Exhibition here: Gallery 1 - which aims to capture Africa's vibrancy , Gallery 2  - that conveys how football can be a life-changing and Gallery 3 -showcases how to Africa, football is more than just a sport.  I think football is where African's find the freedom to just be because perhaps we take Art a little for granted as  we produce so much in so many different forms so naturally that is has a mundane quality.  Football ignites the senses while simultaneously pacifying the soul.  It really brings us together. The photographs selected really capture our love of football.

While we are on the subject of football, BBC's African Footballer of the year shortlist has been revealed: Gyan and Ayew of Ghana, Eto'o, Yaya Toure and Drogba.  I have voted for Gyan. He was just absolutely wonderful at the World Cup. Awesome to the possum. He lead Ghana and represented the continent first class first class he he he. You can cast your vote here.

Also, FIFA is giving $100K to the injured Togolese goalkeeper who was shot during the unfortunate events preceding the Africa Cup of Nations earlier this year. I think this is an absolutely lovely gesture :).

I will leave you with a hilarious video of Gyan doing a celebratory dance and one of his Sunderland teammates joining in.  Classic ;)

Art Is The Theme It seems

It seems that all that I am seeing right now pertains to Art.  Maybe like Angola, I am looking to heal with creativity as I keep seeing horrible headlines about fighting between Marocco and Western Sahara, of violence after the polls in Guinea, a couple killed on their honeymoon in South Africa and something going on in Egypt! If it bleeds it leads is really being applied to Africa this week :(.

So I am going to focus on more happy things.  Catching up on blog reading exposed me to more Angolan art and also alerted me to a huge art exhibition in New York at the Museum of Arts and Design called The Global Africa Project that starts tomorrow. All facets of African creativity are showcased in both old and traditional forms and new hybrid ones.  The exhibition seeks to show the varied dimensions of work that Africans worldwide have produced and have organised The Global Africa project "around several thematic ideas.  These include: the phenomenon of intersecting cultures and cultural fusion; the branding and co-opting of cultural references; how art and design is promoted in the international market and the creative global scene; the use of local materials; and the impact of art-making on the economic and social condition of local communities.  In addition to providing a broad framework for the exhibition's organisation, these themes will encourage audiences to discern how global African artists grapple with the commodification of art production and the meaning and value of art in society - an increasingly significant issue for nations in a rapidly changing global context."

 

For a better and more knowledgeable analysis of the exhibition, as well as images of the exhibits, read Afri-Love's post and the Museum's blog. I am happy to see our creativity being showcased both in Africa and around the world :)

Art's Healing Power

I am finally keeping to my word and writing a post I promised to write ages ago.  When I was flying home I read about this wonderful art festival happening in Luanda right now.  Il Trienal de Luanda is a triennial arts exhibition started by one of Angola's sons, Fernando Alvim.  It is the most renowned of its kind in Africa and features outdoor billboard paintings, formal exhibitions, television and radio debates, educational programmes, theatrical performances and more, with the proceeds from these events financing the finale in December. This celebration of art started on the 12th of September and goes on till December 19th so you still have time to catch it if you happen to be going to Angola any time soon. The point of the Triennial is to celebrate Angolan history and heritage, but also to help heal the wounds suffered from years of fighting.  I think this is a great way to attract people to Angola, just as with them holding the Africa Cup of Nations earlier this year

Fernando Alvim is also curator of the Sindika Dokolo Collection, which is the largest collection of contemporary African Art in the world.  Artists from Algeria, Angola, Benin, Cameroun, Congo, Cote D'Ivoire, Egypt, Ethiopia, Ghana, Madagascar, Marocco, Nigeria, Senegal, South Africa, Tunisia and Zimbabwe are showcased, as well as artists from around the world.  I am particulary taken with this set of prints and this photo is so eerily involving. And I can't get over the fact that there is an artist called Nastio Mosquito ha ha ha ha ha ;}.

I have a love/ hate relationship with contemporary art. Some of it just seems so self-involved and important. I visited LACMA earlier in the year and the collection they had showing had me thinking: really??!!! Some of it you could put together yourself but as they say that is not the point, it's all about the experience. Whatever. I expect to be wowed by something I couldn't do myself.  I need to see creativity and ability that I cannot produce to appreciate.  A pile of boxes just doesn't do it for me I'm afraid...

Il pleut...

Everyday like clockwork it rains when I leave work to head home.  I don't really mind the rain, so long as I have my umbrella and boots on I'm good to go.  And if I am walking briskly then the cold isn't so bad too, in fact it's welcome as it means that I get nice and warm and not too hot from the exercise.  However, Western rain is not like home rain, as me and my sister discussed recently.

I was lucky enough, due to a series of unfortunate events, to get to experience the first rains at home.  A welcome change from the heat. Well in relative terms bringing down the temperature to around 40C is better than around 50C ;}.  What I love about the rain at home is all the pomp and circumstance that precedes it.  You you may see some lightning in the distance, you'll definitely hear some thunder announcing the impending rain and then you smell it in the moments before it decides to grace us with its presence.  And that is really the essence of African rain, the smell. The potent, earthy, natural smell that I have only ever experienced on the African continent and particularly in Zambia.  Before the sheets of rain that cause everything to come to a standstill, there is such an aroma of growth, renewal and cleansing that is intoxicating.  The rain itself is awesome too.  Awesome in its authority and sometimes terrifying too when it wakes you in the middle of the night. Also terrifying when you have to pull over because you can't see anything but white. Or brown when you misjudge how deep a puddle on the road is and are blinded for a coupla seconds from going too fast through it...;}

Kenya Dig it? Yes We Can!

I read this article today about how Kenya is going to try and save its largest forest, Mau, by trading carbon units to be able to reforest and in turned earn billions of dollars a year for 15 years! Reading more about how important the forest is to a third of the country's population reminded me of a program I watch while at home.  The quote "Many local people understand the value of the forest" reminded me of the episode of Great Africans I watched on DSTV about the 2004 Nobel Peace prize winner, Wangari Maathai (who if you don't know about read up on her she is AMAZING!!!) the founder of The Green Belt Movement. In the program she talked about how when she was younger she remembers how she was taught which trees were to be cut for firewood and which were to be left like the Fig tree due to its long roots that keep the soil intact during the rains.  We Africans had such knowledge of our ecosystems and lived at one with the land but we have lost a lot of that.

I came across this quote today too from Mzee Jomo Kenyatta: "When the missionaries came to Africa, they had the Bible and we had the land.  They taught us to pray with our eyes closed. when we opened them, we had the Bible in our hand and they had the land." 

The above program talked about how the English came and cleared a lot of the land without thought due to the fertility of the land caused by the unique qualities of the Rift Valley and how this, as well as locals following suit, has caused Kenya to increasingly suffer from more and more droughts due to the fact that trees no longer form trapment areas for rain water. Even though Kenyatta made an crudely astute observation about how religion was used as a facilitator for colonialism, we need to start having faith in our own knowledge and make the decisions to revert back to some of our old practices while also embracing the knowledge we have also adopted.

What Kenya is trying to do is something that all African countries need to be doing. We need to exploit our resources in a productive not destructive manner.  And we need to be in control, especially with green issues as we are suffering from the brunt of the adverse effects climate change.  Which sucks really because we are not the main culprits.  But such is life, what can we do? What Kenya's doing that's what! :)

Interesting Debate

Yesterday one of my lovely followers posted this link on Facebook about African development from the Zambian perspective that sparked and interesting debate. I must confess I have yet to read Dead Aid even though I purchased the book earlier this year.  Unfortunately my brain is still recovering from Masters overload and I have not touched a book since I graduated. I am only able to read in short bursts, so the Internet is my only source of reading at the mo...Anyhoo back to what I was saying. It got me thinking about the direction Africa is taking and what needs to be done to finally move from receiving Aid to actually being able to stand on our own two feet.

It seems consensus was on benevolent dictatorship, where someone takes the reigns and makes decisions that ultimately lift our countries to economic stability that is enjoyed by the majority.  The educated need to be at the forefront and actually put their knowledge to good use rather than using it solely in the developed world.  However for this to occur, the continent has to be friendlier in terms of its rules, regulations and its people need to be as inviting to their own as they are to foreigners!

My view is that of a conservative liberal.  I believe in the right for people to do as they choose and live as they like but not with such abandon that one is not aware of their community which is how I feel pure liberals seem to be.  I also don't believe in the didactic maxims of the conservatives who make rules that benefit the elite under the guise of doing what's best for the people.  I think that Africa needs to be a little like China, selfish in its quest to succeed on its own terms and stop trying to please everyone by bending to be able to receive Aid or just letting anyone invest because the newest belief is that Foreign Direct Investment is the key to alleviating poverty.  However, I do not believe that Human Rights should be compromised and it is paramount that the environment should be respected at all times. I think Africa is in the position to show the world how development can occur without all the pitfalls that other countries have faced such as child labour and serious environmental damage.

We need to stop sucking up to anyone who has money because even though China may not have tried to handcuff us the way the US did with their push for abstinence campaigns before signing off on Aid, their lack of rules has them thinking they can do whatever they want because of their perceived benevolence.  The recent shooting of Zambian miners asking for better work conditions is a case in point.

Africa produces many educated sons and daughters and this is evident in the fact that despite appearances, they are the most educated immigrant group in America and despite their stereotypical bad reputation, Nigerians are leading the pack. What we need to do is go back home our at least start ventures there remotely and use our knowledge to better our nations.  We need to suck it up and suffer a bit to plant the seeds and stick it out long enough for the rains to come and go and for the sun to shine so that we can eventually see the fruits of our labour.  What is also needed is a conducive environment on the homefront.  When I went back home recently and was looking to stay and start something I was told very bluntly that it would be better if I left as what I wanted to do was not possible in Zambia.  Anything is possible if you allow it to be.  So now I'm in Switzerland.  At least I tried. And I will try again soon :)

World Pneumonia Day

There seems to be a day for everything these days but I think that the 12th of November is particularly important to highlight as pneumonia is one of those diseases that slips through the cracks, and yet most of the deaths from this disease are in developing countries.  When I found this out at work today I was quite shocked as I have never really heard that before though I have known people who have had it.  I think a lot of the times, especially in hot countries, pneumonia seems counterintuitive.  Even though it is an oxymoron, it occurs nonetheless. We need to pay even more attention to it as it is linked to diseases like HIV/AIDS and TB.

Check out the site for Word Pneumonia Day.  What I love about it is that it features the people working on the ground to fight the disease rather than just pictures of helpless faces.  Not only that, but the people from Africa are highlighted positively and are not just the face of the disease but also the face of the help being given already. Showcased are a Doctor from Nigeria and two female Doctors, one from Uganda the other from Pakistan.  I like the fact that it shows that we from the developing world are not solely problems but are actively part of solutions.

Here is an article about how Pneumonia in the African context.

Also check out the GAVI Alliance, an organisation that is striving to introduce pneumococcal (yes that is a real word) vaccines to over 40 countries by 2015.

I will leave you with this very silly and refreshing video from GAVI highlighting the day and calling for action.

Picture Of The Week: Flower Power

Frangipani - Zimbabwe October 2010

Had my first day of work today and I'm absolutely pooped so I thought I'd start a new post series: Picture of the Week. I am a very amateur photographer and like Africa I'd like to think my photos capture beauty in its purest form and yet are rough around the edges ;}. I am too frazzled to do anything seeing as I have battled the elements - cold and rain while carrying groceries and getting lost in the dark just a minute from home because everything looked the damned same - small pokey roads with wooden houses that could be where I live.  It didn't help that on the way a dog barked at me and being an African one is always afraid of dogs on the road as they could have rabies.  Have to get used to people leaving their gates open and things...I am also a little annoyed that my google searches and my blogger page come up in German! At least French I can fudge my way through :(.

I will not end the post on a bad note.  Life is an adventure and despite the craziness I am having a great time.  Very excited about my job as one of my tasks is to find an inventive way to get people at work to get more involved in recognising World Aids Day on the 1st of December :).

MBA Haitus Is Over: I'm Baaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaack :)

I apologise profusely for my sudden disappearance without so much as an "hasta la vista baby".  In my defense it was facilitated by lack of constant computer internet access coupled with very annoyingly small keys on my Blackberry (hence my poor mobile posting) and the fact I was enjoying my regeneration at home under the African sun :}.

Luckily I have survived the scorching 50C weather and have not melted although I may now freeze into a brown icicle having made a really cold sojourn to Switzerland.  There is something wrong when the plane is so cold that when you get out at Heathrow it feels warm!!!! Was sick the whole first leg - the 10 hour journey from home to London due to the sudden change in temperature.  And unfortunately today it was gloomy and rainy and cold :(. Thank God for my winter coat although it is indicating to me that I have been rather lazy and is a bit tight. In my defense you try and move in ridiculous heat.  Being a couch potato and falling asleep becomes inevitable no matter how hard you try at certain times of the day.  However, the house in which I am renting a room is so charming, you know the way you would think Switzerland is.  It's made of wood, the garden is full of trees, and I can see a mountain located in France out of my bedroom window :)))))))). ABSOLUTELY AWESOME POSSUM!

Blogging is therapeutic for me and leaving home has definitely got me back into my "away from home routine" so will be making up for promised posts and getting back to my usual self :). Internet in my room helps...

Happy Peace Day :)

I had posted about International Peace Day a coupla months ago and
ended up thinking it was the 22nd and would have continued to be
misinformed had I not gone to the View Images Film Festival and turned
up inadvertently for the official ceremony marking the day!
Too much happened today, I have been brought peace through a
development that this blog seems to have contributed to. I finally
have a career opportunity that aligns with my passionate personality,
my goals and my love for my beloved continent and the world at large.
Also the ceremony I attended was so infuriatingly entertaining but I
can't type fast enough to keep up with my thoughts so will lug my
computer tomorrow to write about it.
For now I will leave you with words from a dear friend, a beacon of
inspiration, a quintessentially beautiful and proudly African woman,
MRS ANTELOPE: "Never let anyone take your peace." Those words really
resonated with me in 2006 when my life seemed meaningless and without
direction and hope. Everytime I question myself or let outside
influences bog me down I remember those words. Hearing the speakers
talk about peace being a human right and the base from which to build
anything that you want to last life reaffirmed her words and their
meaning. Enjoy your day and make sure to spread the love not only
today, but every day :)

Nets

So Nadal did finally complete the career slam on Monday and I am over the moon! The guy just amazes me! His constant adaptability in order to reach his goals is so inspiring.  Worth staying up into the wee hours of the morn and suffering through rain delays to witness. Was rather disappointed that Fed didn't make it to the final though.  He seemed so uncharacteristically out of sorts I hope this is temporary and not an ominous sign of his demise. He is 29 after all and in Tennis he's a bit long in the tooth really.

Was watching local news and was reading the text whizzing in that bar thing at the bottom and was pleased to see that Zambia has lowered its malaria cases by 60%!!! Then right after that I saw that 7 Malians were arrested for stealing donor funds for malaria!! Craziness.  Why can't there just be good news, why does it always have to be accompanied by the not so good??!! :(

And now you see why I called this post Nets he he he he...

Testy-Testy, 1-2-3 ;}

This post serves to test to see if all my hard work research and navigation of the treacherous waters of mobile blogging have finally paid off. Hopefully this will post otherwise I'll have wasted time on a Saturday morning sleeping!

The title of this post is in honour of some guy testing out a mike to make sure it was working. Cracks me up how we Africans always put a twist on things. As they say, variety is the spice of life :).

I am getting more proficient with my BlackBerry having recently discovered the symbol key that has restored my tongue smiley capabilities so Je suis tres hereuse maintenant. That was in honour of any West Africans who read the blog and wish it was in a more familiar language. However don't expect such special treatment often, my French has decayed to an embarrasingly rudimentary level. I am thinking about rectifying that though. My univeristy education has centered around media and communication and language skills are a fundamental part of connecting in the global sphere.

Either this is going to get lost in the ether (which it has done multiple times in the last two weeks) or you are reading this (I know you are coz I have read this post myself on the blog he he he) and congratulating me for successfully posting using the mobile format having finally gotten my computer on the internet long enough to activate blogging via email instead of unsuccessfully fighting for the Blogger site to load.

Awesome possum - I'm baaaaaaaaaaaack ;}

Darkness While In The Sunshine

Even though I am finally feeling warmth from the bright African sun after freezing most of the summer in California, darkness has fallen on my blog. It pains me to know it is in indefinite umbra and it seems the only way to be able to blog via mobile is to do the final setup from a computer. So I have to get out of my hazy malaise that I have been enjoying. Life has slowed considerably and I think I have indulged that too much. It is time to create waves in my now placid waters.

I do have to say that I have been active in spurts by reconnecting with friends and fighting with a very fiesty mosquito for the 1st couple of days. It used to have a posse but I sent them to sleep with th fishes. However this mozi refuses to be laid to rest and has retaliated by biting me a few times. I am not amused by its petulance. I will win this battle, I will not be taken down by some upstart insect with ridiculously long legs ;}!

I am going to go back to being useless and watch the us open that is turning out to be very interesting and with murray out, Nadal's half of the draw is opening up nicely so he really could make it to the final this year and complete his career slam. I have also learnt from my couch potato tennis watching that it is not wise to watch football in Germany. Poor Serena got injured by glass severing a tendon in her foot after they lost in the World Cup semis! She now has to have surgery to fix her now droopy big toe! I think that however sad this is for the women's game, I think it helps Venus. At least she doesn't have to worry about the possibility of having to play her sister and maybe she can win a title other than Wimbledon, which she hasn't been able to do since 2001!