Salieri

Discussing: An act of Love

2008-08-06T19:03:00.002+03:00

"I respect your views ..."

How many times have we heard this phrase, and with a sense of satisfaction in respecting human freedom, we tuck away so many of those topics of which we lie so ignorant, and away we through so precious an opportunity to share.

Here's my take. If you are ... if you would call yourself a friend, then are not the truths that you hold most dear the ones which you ever so wish to share. To search for truth together with him/her whose significance in your life is not a mere nighttime breeze - passing only through the hair.

But you argue, "Whenever I do get close to discussing, it ends up nowhere, since I do not convince them to change their mind, and they do not succeed in changing mine - and anyway, I bear no intention of doing anything of the sort."

And I respond to that "I agree that to convince the other is the nature of today's discussions, but it is not the nature of discussion."

Discussion should be an objective and truthful search for the truth, with the assumption that neither knows the end. Yet having agreed on the fundamental building blocks - the common ground which you may discover to be further than you imagined, both build up the arguement, together - pushing it like a wagon up a hill, until the result is known, or an unagreeable fact is arrived at, at which point opinion will have taken the place of fact.

And if with a Loved one the truth shall not be sought, then with whom, ... even more worryingly, then what else will you search for?

I pray that your hearts may burn BURN with a desire to exchange views in the search for truth in the most trivial facts - the building blocks of the more 'complicated' circumstances of life. Youth, at heart, youth - may you burn like a fire, burn away all fear and dark corners of your beliefs and purify your hearts and mind. Do this and life will come to be ever so beautiful - with no impurities of thought.

But I must warn, the joy will not be sustained by a pause - like a fire without firewood.

Love!

Friends and Friendship

2008-02-18T00:16:00.002+03:00

It has been said that man is a social being.

Quite often, this statement has come with the qualification that in order to survive, man requires others so as to acquire from them what he cannot get on his own.

In recent times past, I have come to be exposed, initially through formal lesson, but fundamentally through experience, that whilst the statement remains true, the qualification does a great injustice to it.

I am not a social being merely because for bread I need a baker, for beer I need a brewer or for meat I need a butcher, for though these I may need, I am social because in a friend we, together and individually, find fulfillment in each other - in helping, supporting, and sharing tears and laughter the heart grows unceasingly. And truly the love that it bears cannot be borne in it alone, and must be shared, for it feels as though the heart would burst in excess of it.

For the father - a loving wife and needing children, for the mother - a loving husband and desiring children, for the children - guiding parents and many playmates. For each man, woman and child - a sea of love in the eyes of another, a cushion of tears on the shoulder of a friend, the silence of a listening confidant, a congratulations' pat from a partner, an opportunity to help in a trusting other, and a toast to life in the smile of life - our friends.

To Friends and Friendship!
To Our Friends!

So How High is this Sky

2008-02-03T21:39:00.000+03:00

Too often I have heard the famous statment 'The sky is the limit'.

Recently I have come to wonder, how high is this sky? and is it lower for some people because of their economic, religious or cultural status? For many years I thought this was so - that dreams were dictated by current economic status, that goals were limited by religious belief, and that living the life was defined by cultural background, yet all the time it didn't seem right. But I had neither reason against it, nor the direction - at least not quite what I later got.

In the last very few years, some key persons have continuously, and very often unknowingly, guided me in this path.

Thanks to these, the sky's limit is only as far as my imagination can reach, and I'm hell-bent to discover the bounds of my imagination. With it, my economic status will be, ... precisely that - mine, what I mean it to be, depending on how I regard any current economic status. Religious belief - hey, if God created the world, and gave me my imagination, and the power to differ right from wrong, then I fear no danger in that aspect. By cultural status - that's what makes life so rich.

A toast to life!

There and back again.

2008-01-31T22:05:00.000+03:00

It has been too long since that day on which I excused myself for 'a few days'.

These days have now turned into weeks, weeks into months, and these months landed us in a new year. But now, ... now I intend to be around a lot more often.

Oh many are the tales and stories that I would like to write down, of friends and family, experiences and growth, of joys and sorrow, laughter and silence, yet I write now knowing that the days due promise only more work and less time to relax and reflect on the movements of life.

I will take a different approach this time. For longer than should have been I have wanted to jot down thoughts, ... not to anyone in particular, yet that others may read them, think of them, and where duly they agree, but more appreciable that where they differ do they offer reply - and if fate may so gracious a gift may grant, a discussion may arise in an exchange of ideals and ideas, in desire to learn from each other, rather than in trying to undermine any other.

What more can I say, than that the days to come be filled with much joy and thought as both you and I may contain.

To Life!

These days

2007-11-04T13:21:00.000+03:00

Oh boy, i tell you.

These last few weeks have truly been days of great challenges.

In the week before last, we completed our two-and-a-half week exams, and I doubt i remember ever being so harassed by an exam, ... or actually, a set of exams. It was not infrequent in several of the papers that I would have to linger for several moments, contemplating on which of the horrid optional questions i would make an attempt on. I remember a number of instances in which I had to select a question, not because I knew the most in that particular question, but that of all the questions offered, that was the one in which I would lose the least marks! Made me feel very daft!

But that has come and gone, yet these days remain complicated. Right now i'm trying, with great difficulty, to understand that realm of intelligence that goes under the title of "Accounting". There is a system that I must modify, and for that to happen, I would have to bear some understanding of accounts, accounting, balance sheets, etc. So, by the way, if you know anything about accounts (trust me, you can't know less than I do), just hola, n that would be a great help.

Nyway, gotta go back to work. All the best to you all.

May love, life and joy be yours!

Cheers!

The Traveller's Path

2007-05-30T09:00:00.000+03:00

The Road goes ever on and on
Down from the door where it began.
Now far ahead the Road has gone,
And I must follow, if I can,
Pursuing it with eager feet,
Until it joins some larger way
Where many paths and errands meet.
And whither then? I cannot say.

Notice of Disappearance

2007-05-08T18:37:00.000+03:00

I would like to inform you that I vill be disappearing for the rest of the month.

Vhen i come back, and hopefully much shall have gone as planned, I do hope to make some upgrades that should bring more info online.

So, tell He Who Resides Above to have favour upon me in this time.

Until I am back,
Chao ,
Au revoir
Good Bye
Bai

Pilgrim

2007-05-04T12:20:00.000+03:00

<If there be a song that has captured the wonderings of the wonderer, it is this>


Pilgrim, how you journey,
on the road you chose,
to find out why the winds die,
and where the stories go.

All days come from one day,
that much you must know,
you cannot change what's over,
but only where you go.

One way leads to diamonds,
one way leads to gold,
another leads you only,
to everything you're told.

In your heart you wonder,
which of these is true;
the road that leads to nowhere,
the road that leads to you.

Will you find the answer
in all you say and do?
Will you find the answer
In you?

Each heart is a pilgrim,
each one wants to know,
the reason why the winds die,
and where the stories go.

Pilgrim in your journey,
you may travel far,
for pilgrim it's a long way,
to find out who you are...

Pilgrim, it's a long way
to find out who you are...

Pilgrim, it's a long way
to find out wh

Kikuyu Archive

2007-04-25T10:23:00.001+03:00

Hi guys, here is the archive I promised that'll have all the lessons I put up.

Lesson 1: Greetings

ni~ati~a? - How are you?
ni~kwega. - It is ok. (most common)
di~mwega - I'm ok.
---------
i~ we? - and you?
onanii~ - me too.
---------

N/B: the we has its e pronounced as in elephant.
Check the Pronunciation Ref. Below.

Of things to come

2007-04-19T18:40:00.000+03:00

Here are a few things i'd like to add to the blog:

Kikuyu Lessons
The Mass of Easter Sunday spurred a deeper appreciation of my mother tongue - Kikuyu. An idea struck - why not give it out to others? So, every so often i'll add more "tutorials" on Kikuyu on the side bar. If u like it, post me what more you'd like with it as things go along.

Book Reviews
For some time i'v been trying to found a culture of reading novels. So, every so often again, i'll be putting book reviews on any novels (or movies for that matter) that i'v recently conquered, as I conquer them. So feel free to pitch it your disagreements and comments.

Pleased to Death

2007-04-18T17:53:00.000+03:00

Great among the lessons of the Eastertide was the cost of pleasing others.

I have always known I had an unhealthy crave to please others. So far, its consequences had been relatively mild - a forgotten appointment, overlapping appointments, misplaced words, and so on.

This time I almost blew the car - literally. Driving at night, I remembered all the tips n tales of night driving - "Do not drive slowly as you may be car-jacked!", "Beware of speed bumps, they are car-jackers' favourite spots." were top on the list. So i raved the car, ... at each bump, hurriedly changing the gears to my favourite gear 4. Why? To show my dad I can drive at night.

But lo and behold. The temperature gauge nearly clocked the max. temperature, not once, ... but severally. Now I dont need to tell you how dangerous that is.

To make matters worse, I KNEW I shouldn't rave the engine, and I KNEW I was uncomfortable doing so.

T'is then (or rather soon after) that I realized that the first person I should convince is me, then whomsoever else shall learn thereafter. So the resolution: Dont please anyone for the sake of it - it could do more harm than good. Like a good painting, with just the right strokes of the brush, so let be life, ... do what you can to make it as perfect as your touch (or lack thereof) can.

Be Well.

Of Easter

2007-04-18T17:49:00.000+03:00

Its rather unfortunate that this has been the only time I have had time to update the events of Easter. Due to the lateness of the hour, I shall be quite brief.

I went upcountry.

Now to other stories.
Lessons learnt:

It's been long since I learnt of the tormentious labour of doing laundry, and the satisfaction that follows,
The heavenly choir of voices that sung on that Easter Sunday. For sure the gates of heaven were opened if ever they had closed.
etc, etc

Lady Luck

2007-04-05T13:04:00.000+03:00

Yesterday, ... hoping Lady Luck would turn her beloved smile to my direction, I came to realize that either Jack Frost or some other guy had pissed her off. Her stare was cold as hell ... somehow.

So I walk to the Co-op Bank's ATM at Nairobi West (just near where I stay). It was conveniently out of service. Well, maybe Lady Luck was just playing hard-to-get.

The time is 7pm and the road is known more for hooligans than for safety, but then again, with Lady Luck, nothing can go wrong, ay?

I pilgrimage in great haste to Nakumatt Mega's Barclays Bank's ATM - now that one is never out of service, or so i thought. I came to realize it was, but at least it had a kind message.

Since one of Murphy's by-laws states "If you try something foolish and it fails, destroy all evidence that you started it", i'll let the rest to remain history.

God Bless Kenya,
and a blessed Easter to you all (but forget not to make contemplate on Good Friday).

Just read it - Can't find a title.

2007-04-04T15:38:00.000+03:00

So,

I hadn't quite finished reading the book "The Google Story" b4 I got an idea from those guys. I thought of developing it to see how far I can go with it.

Is it often that a friend of yours tells you of a new shop to buy some product you've been looking for? Or have you had an experience with a shop (good or bad) that you'd like to tell others? Or even better, have you ever wished you could compare the prices of an item from different shops as you are seated at your computer?

Have you ever wanted to search online for a product - and have it return to you who is selling it from around your town, Nairobi for example, or Kisumu, or Rongai?

I have, and was wondering how many others have. Tell me, (if you have), what it is you have wanted with respect to this.

Cheers.

I'm Back

2007-04-04T15:17:00.000+03:00

... and so i'm back.

T'has been quite some time since i loaded. Nyway, as you probably have gathered from the other bloggers of my class, the habit of waking up to wonder it is that shall be done with the hours that lie in wait.

It is not uncommon to drag and dress and find oneself back to Strathmore, the very scene of many a day's escape. For those of you who have not visited Strath since your departure after the exams, the corridors are bare and the labs foresaken, like forgotten fields of many-a-day's wars.

And for you who share in the unfortunate fate of not having found internship, I wish you all the best, as i toooo go forth in search of someone in need of a little black kid.

Cherio!

Keep it Busy

2007-01-08T19:59:00.000+03:00

Hi guys!

Just put in a new visitor's counter - got the idea from the same dude that's been tempting us into this new world of bloggin. Yeah, that's him alright - wolfman.

It's really cool. Just click on it n it shuld giv u a pop-up to the website. But take care ur browser aint blocking them.

Keep that counter busy, ay?

Cheers to u all.

I

An Adieu to a Friend

2007-01-08T18:39:00.000+03:00

The name by which he goes is KD. Young man, Asian (really hates it when i tell him that as i shake my head from side to side like they do in the movies), and a very jolly fellow. I 'd bet u 100 to 1 that u cudn't manage a grumpy mood for 10 minutes while with him.

Yesterday he boarded a plane, and left the country ... for what one could say for good.

I met KD sometime mid last year. There is this place near our campus (its a center) where young men and young professionals go for spiritual direction and engagement in various activities such as sports, watchin movies, etc, etc.

KD, being the jolly fellow he is, got me out of a certain phase in which I would be quite grumpy. Back then, it wasn't much fun to be around me. So, with nothing to lose, we decided to take on an attitude to cheerfulness - something that you get to catch on pretty quick at the center. In the succeeding weeks, comments such as "Have you been smoking weed?" started popping up. From thence henceforth, that became our joke, with the consequent eruption of the phrase "Weed works!" (Take not, I dont take weed.)

'Weedy jokes' ensued, such as "I got a stronger variety of weed", "My weed supply has been low recently", and the best of all when the joking got quite far "You've been smokin too much weed".

I must say I enjoy being around myself much more.

Couldn't find a better way to say goodbye, but as the French have coined adieu - I commend you)to God.

I wish u all the best, KD,

... n dont quit on the weed.

Destination Linux

2007-01-04T17:14:00.000+03:00

In the inspiration of Rombe (commonly heard of as Lazlo), we should also set forth on journey to discover the unknown worlds that exist outside that of Microsoft, I speak of the land of Linux. Crew: students of Strathmore with a fettish for adventure.
Do they know yet: not quite
Will the know: in the fullness of time, they will.

This journey seemingly has more hitches than that set forth for the exploration of .NET, a happening that i find rather surprising.

All in all, any tips n tales - versions, stuff like VMWare, bring em on would be gratefully accepted as would warnings and well wishes. Hopefully at the end of this, we can join a linux group or something of that likening.

N forth we go ... as soon as we get the remaining nitty gritties sorted.

Destination .NET

2007-01-04T16:48:00.000+03:00

So there's this really crazy idea that i have been nurturing for a while now - coarsing Strathmore University students to move towards the current technology of .NET.

I must say that either Lady Luck has a serious crash on me, or my guardian angel is really working overtime. I'v been getting all the support i'v dared to ask for - external trainers (though still just about to clear up some finalities), computer labs, the necessary softwares (though i hear the one the university has may have a certain hitch).

There's still one major ... crucial component that i must sort out - the students. I'll release the story to the club members (the club is call SUITSA - Strathmore University IT Students Association) this Monday. If all goes well, the lessons should start the following Monday.

Nyway, cross your fingers, n this year may end up being more surpring that we may expect.

Cheeers you all!!!

Blog Upgrade

2007-01-04T15:51:00.000+03:00

Hey guyz! Just finished working on my profile. Still gotta get a few pictures up though. Keep reading thru, n tell me vhat u think of it!\

Cheers!!

Post of Christmases Past

2007-01-04T11:07:00.000+03:00

This post gives an overview of how Christmases have been.

December 2000: All the cousins from my ma's side invaded (literally) our grandma's (mum's ma) house. We totalled 20 ((kids only) without counting the parents present) in a small house normally resided by 2 - grandma (cucu -pronounced show-show) n grandpa (guka pronounced as is with a guttural g). There are those who slept on the floor, under the bed, etc, etc. We ate, n ate, and played, n ate. That Sunday, as we went to Church - we could hear comments such as "It must be Church time - everyones headed there now going to Church". Our number was convincing of the actions of a village.

December 2004:
The 25th: This Christmas I am particularly fond of. We had our Christmas mbuzi (goat) with a family in our neighbourhood - to paint a picture of how close the family is to ours, my mother n the mother of that house where classmates 40 years ago, and have remaind friends, best maids, etc, since. The 26th: We decide to return the favour and invite them over for a cup of tea (if you've ever been in a true african setting, you know a cup of tea is more than just a cup of tea, n the tea itself may not be there). Another family quite close to ours drops in coz we'd wondered what had gone wrong with them. The previous night there'd been a theft-scare. In the course of the day, 3 more familys (and be families i mean no less than 4 people) drop in also. In the evening, the last one arrives ... to spend the night. Keep track how many we'd originally invited. That night we watched The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King. Due to gastrointestinal technical problems, we got to host them for two nights - twas a blast.

December 2005:
This time we ganged up as three families (ours n two cousines from my father's side) and invaded our granny's (dad's ma) home for two mbuzis. Man! Goat don come that good everyday of the year. Plus the games in a teeeeeeeeny weeeeeeeny 'water rapid' near her home. Twas quite a day. We then bunked at our house (14 pple in total) for another two nights. We trans-nighted on The Lord of the Rings (again) The Fellowship of the Ring, but didn't make it through any of the others.

Post of Christmas Present

2007-01-04T09:37:00.000+03:00

So this Christmas built of the foundation set by some of the previous Christmases (I've listed some in the Post of Christmases Past) - we get to be host, to one family, and we get a bonus of two other families before the ending of the year.

December 2006:
A small version of the others, we hosted 1 family for two nights - our cousines - another family from dad's side.
On the 30th, two more came - none spent.

I'v fallen in love with the up-country Christmas.

In the Beginning

2006-12-23T10:53:00.000+03:00

And so, late though I may be, I embark on this road of blogging.

Must say that wolf is quite a drugger - he can pull you into many things.

So lets see what this will lead to.

Have to warn you, though, that the first couple of posts will be trials as i try to organize my profile.

Cheers you all.

And a merry christmas