Happy Birthday Mr T

Ok … so this post was supposed to go up yesterday, but I hadn’t even written it.

That said, I think the gentleman of the day had a grand time, and he’s looking forward to the rest of the year.  Last week, he and I had another random conversation.  We were talking to a network marketer about her product, and she talked about it’s benefits:

Mr T: Does your product help improve one’s skin?  (I was extremely tickled by this question.  Regardless of the fact that it was a business presentation, I burst out laughing.  Mr. T believes that the skin has the ability to improve itself and has been heard saying that if one uses lotion, s/he is depriving the skin of a wonderful opportunity to do what it should).

Lady: Yes.  It prevents breakage of the skin and makes it less tender.

At the end of the presentation, the lady asked if I’d like the product.

Wa Makeri: If Mr. T buys it, I’ll wait to see how his skin looks after he uses the product.

Mr T: (Laughter)  Are you sure?  Because I thought you would wait for my hair to grow back!  (He’s balding … very visibly)

Mr. T, I love you more than words can say … and in celebration of your birthday, this song was stuck on replay in my head.

 

 

Thank you for living this song and reminding me always, that living in the present is the only gift I can enjoy without restriction.  Wishing you a phenomenal year and many many more.

 

Anyone who missed my previous birthday tribute (it’s ages old, and was written when the bald was less bold) can read it here

Here is What I Think …

This is a follow-up to the thoughts I had posted here.

Sometime last year, I was speaking to my friend about possible choices for the elections, and we got into a discussion about why he was going to vote for Sonko for MP.  At that point, I thought that Sonko was just a crazy politician with nothing to offer Kenya but his gimmicks.  My friend had many good things to say about Sonko, and because his constituency is Makadara, I told him I would take him up on this conversation at a later date (I still haven’t).  And then, Sonko indicated that he would be running for governor … and I worried that he’d make it through.  And then he indicated that he’d run for Senator … By this time, Bishop Margaret Wanjiru was going to run for Governor, so in a sense, Sonko was going to be running unopposed (unopposed here meaning that he was the most famous candidate and therefore stood the best chance of taking the election).  Now, Sonko will run for Senator, and he’ll be running against Bishop Margaret Wanjiru.

My thoughts:

1. It took me  a long time to read the “I <3 Haters” on his cap
2. I love his hair
3. I love the fact that he carried a bunch of papers to the studio and did absolutely nothing with them except inspire this tweet
4. I am quite chuffed that many of you have read each word in this post hoping that I’ll say something useful about the interview, but I was in the mood for a random post.

Beats a corner.

Everyday Sense

This song speaks to me on multi levels … and for today, my big line is:

Coz hate in your heart will consume you too.

Wise words.  Have a love-filled week!

How Quickly is this 2013 Flying???

Did you know that:

• Tomorrow and Sunday constitute the last weekend in January?
• After Monday, we will only have 48 weeks to 2014?
• Today, there are 38 days to Kenya’s elections?
• Yes, less than 1,000 hours?
• Or put another way, less than five and a half weeks?
• For those of us who do something special for Valentines’ Day, we have 20 days?
• Or less than 500 hours?

Over the last few months, the urgency of the moment has struck me on many different occasions.  I have purposed not to let things creep up on me as often as they have in the past … One of the things that I won’t let creep up on me is elections.  I’m really thinking through the decisions I’ll document at the ballots.  I was asleep during the Aspiring Senators’ debate last night, and I’m sad that the third confirmed aspirant was not invited to join the debate, but I will watch it anyway.  And hopefully, the media will invite Kavemba (hope that’s the name) soon.

What’s happening with you?  Are you thinking through your election decisions?  Would you like to share your thoughts?  If so, please leave a comment on this post.

Have a thoughtful weekend!

W

TV

William Tell

Not sure if it’s the correct intro, but it has the boy with the apple on his head.  Regardless of how many times I watched the series, that scene always made my heart race with fright.

Music

 

This song is one of my top feel-good songs of all time!  Even now, I’ll change my gait if I hear it somewhere.  I get the proverbial spring in my step.

Advertising

I know what I’ve posted here is a song, but do you guys remember when Weetabix had an advertisement with this song?  That was when they had a yoyo giveaway in the box … and that was when I learnt how to play the yoyo (if it is correct to say that).  I hated Weetabix when I was younger, but their advertisements made me want to love Weetabix.  I came around eventually.

I would have posted Waiting to Exhale here, under movies, but I haven’t watched it.

Happy Thursday!

W is for When You Get Caught

 

Hey Everyone

I have missed these posts and I’m glad that I can attempt to hop back onto that bandwagon.  I’d like to say a big thank you to The Queen (aka Mama Princess) because whenever she emails, she reminds me that she misses these posts.  So this one is for you and your new bundle of joy.  CONGRATULATIONS!

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________

When DE and I were born, we lived in Nyeri County.  Our house was a walking distance to the town, and a walking distance to the river.  This worked well for Mr and Mrs T (whom I am sure appreciated proximity to the town) and my little cousins GeeMoney and Marco who were older than us, but still little (they appreciated proximity to the river).

Did  your folks ever keep old car tyres in a corner by your house?

Mr and Mrs T did, and their genius was not lost on the boys.  They loved to make ‘wheelbarrows’ which they would ride in the compound and have a grand time.  So one day, the boys’ sense of adventure was heightened and they decided to ride a wheelbarrow to the river.  One of them (not sure which one) took two sticks, put them in the tyre and convinced his partner in crime to ride the wheelbarrow to the river.

These children were about 5 years old, extremely eager to show their prowess at this game, and intelligent enough to try not to get caught by Mr and Mrs T.

1. As you have guessed by now, they decided to execute this adventure when Mr. and Mrs. T were out;
2. As you have also guessed by now, our house was up the hill from the river.

That was how their journey began – with absence from the folks and with a war to win against velocity.  It ended shortly thereafter, when their vehicle gathered speed and ‘ran away from them’.  Try as they did, their little legs were not fast enough for the speed machine and they lost it (not the war … the tyre!!!)

They came back home crestfallen, and found our beloved watchman, George, waiting for them.  At that point, they knew that their goose was cooked.  George was known for his loyalty to Mr. and Mrs. T … and that loyalty included telling them that their missing tyre had not been stolen.  It had been ‘misappropriated’ by the boys.

Marco was telling me this story about two weeks ago, and when I asked him if they tried to plead their case with George, he said, “Weh!  George was not one to save us by not telling them.  He would tell them.  Actually, he was like Cucu.  Once, Cucu told me, ‘I’d rather tell on you and have you dislike me, than not tell on you and let you continue with this.’”

Here is What I think

1. I like the fact that these debates are up and running as we prepare for elections;
2. I was not impressed by Sunday’s interview, and I think that whichever aspirant we choose, we will have to respond to his or her style of leadership;
3. Anyone who attempts to win people over by discrediting others is not the kind of leader that I want for my country. I would prefer to have someone who shows what s/he will do and what she/he has done in the past;
4. Anyone who needs only 10 minutes to come across as arrogant or vindictive and aspires to lead the engine of our beloved country worries me because it is unlikely that he will tolerate the views of those he does not consider peers;
5. Statistics and research won’t solve Nairobi’s problems any more than violence and hooliganism will; and,
6. I liked Waititu’s honesty, “That is not the kind of question that I expected from a friend.”

I would be delighted if these two gentlemen joined Toastmasters.  They both need it, but for not for the same reason.

There are many issues that Nairobi’s Governor (and every other Kenyan leader) will have to address, and we have our work cut out for us as we prepare to elect our leaders on the 4th of March.  Each man’s (and each woman’s) choice at the polls is a personal choice, but we must be deliberate in the casting of our votes.  My appeal to every member of Kenya’s electorate is that we vote wisely … and that in the interim, we pray for our beloved country.

Let us not sit back and wait for what happens after the 4th of March.  Discuss our future leaders with those in your circles of influence.  Do not let yourself be polarised by the ideas of those you love – see their thoughts for what they are, be gracious in your analysis of those thoughts and be gentle in your assessment of those aspirants whom you do not support.  We have seen that Kenya cannot be built on the polarisation of her people by any ideology.  Unfortunately, I think that we have been so frightened by our mistakes in the past that we cower behind them and hesitate to discuss our future.  We have been scarred, but seeing how things have panned out thus far, I am convinced that we have learnt our lessons … at least in part.  We have some ground to cover, but God is faithful.  And His power is perfect in our weakness.

God put us here for a reason and I am convinced that part of that reason is to grow each other in love.  That includes challenging each other to make better decisions, whatever we deem those decisions to be.  Clarifying what these decisions can be can take place in various ways, including healthy discussion.  We are capable of that.  I am convinced.

It is time for me to beat my corner. (Couldn’t resist throwing that in hehehe)

Swahili Shakespeare

What do you think?

I love it!

Random Conversations with Mr T

What better way to start the year?  I’m sure you have missed our conversations as much as you had missed me.  And no, I am not Vanity. She’s my friend.

For the past three years or so, the T Clan has arbitrarily discussed new year’s resolutions on New Year’s Day.  Since there are three guys and two girls in said clan, weight and fitness always find their way onto the list.  This year was no different.

Wa Makeri: This year I need to get serious about exercise.  I will run a marathon.  I hope to manage my weight.

Mrs. T: I also need to stay on course with my exercise regime.  I hope to manage my weight.

(Mrs. T’s back still gives her some trouble, but when she does her exercise, it tends to take away her agony)

Mr. T: This year, I will start swimming every Tuesday.  I hope to manage my weight.  (Please note the similarities between the first and second utterancefrom each party)

We weighed ourselves and declared our goals for 2013.  The following day, Mr. T came home and we started the usual daily recap.  And then, he said, “Since we weighed ourselves yesterday, I have lost one kilogram.”

Mrs. T gave him a strange look and asked how that was possible … I’m not sure she looked convinced that she needed an answer.

I was CURIOUS.  I’m sure you all know that I was going to get to the logical conclusion of the discussion (mostly for you, my dear readers because I was sure he would speak with conviction and authority):

Wa Makeri: Really?  That is awesome.  How did you do it?

Mr. T: Yesterday, I weighed myself when I was wearing my coat.  Today I took it off.

Happy Friday.

A Big THANK YOU! And I am back. :-D

The WordPress.com stats helper monkeys prepared a 2012 annual report for this blog.

Here’s an excerpt:

4,329 films were submitted to the 2012 Cannes Film Festival. This blog had 17,000 views in 2012. If each view were a film, this blog would power 4 Film Festivals

Click here to see the complete report.