Choices

Should I do what everyone is telling me to, no, willing me to do or should I follow my dreams? What if my dreams are becoming expensive for me to follow, then what? Do I give up on them and settle for something that will feed me? So many things to choose from. One thing I did not have difficulty choosing was a life for God. He’ll take care of every other choice I have to make.

The Power of Prayer

There are times we get on our knees and ask God for something and all the while we’re thinking, ‘yeah right, my neighbour will never come to the knowledge of Christ, he is too hardheaded’ and then God surpises us and grants our prayer requests. I was very surprised when I prayed and fasted for one week for something I thought would take months or even years to be fulfilled but it happened in the week I was praying!! I was so ecstatic I cried my eyes out over it. Not sad tears, happy joyous tears where I wanted to jump up and down and not stop. I now believe. God listens and He’s willing to give us our hearts’ desires, we just need to ask him. That’s all it takes, asking. And boy am I glad I can pray!

It’s been too long

I’ve always been bad with faces. And names sometimes. Nowadays I make excuses and say it’s agnosia, a condition I found online. But maybe it isn’t and I end up beating myself over it, over not remembering the one guy I met once who remembers my name and I have no idea whether I’ve met him before or not. Ah well. Here’s a story from when I was younger.

My mother is the most wonderful woman in the world. I know everyone thinks their mother’s the best but well, mine’s better than yours. Heh. Anywho, in my S.3 I went to visit her in the US where she was working and I was so bored cuz all we did was go to my little sister’s 10th birthday party, ice skating with my 12-year-old sister and her friends, . . . Ok, maybe I wasn’t that bored. I just wasn’t doing grown up things like I wanted to. So my mother took a day and took me on a tour of Washington D.C. Bless her heart she thought of something grown up for us to do together. On this tour that I was enjoying very much, the tour guide kept asking questions and giving out gold coins or some such memorabilia for the correct answer. We got to a big picture in the middle of the tour and the tour guide said this question wasn’t for a coin but we could all answer. It was of a beautiful blonde woman with bright red lips and a mole. I yelled at the top of my lungs, “Madonna!” Thank goodness the other tourists were louder than me when they yelled, “Marilyn Monroe” I was so embarassed even when no one heard me. I was 15 for crying out loud and I didn’t know the difference between Marilyn Monroe and Madonna! Who cares anyway? It was the time when Madonna had that Marilyn Monroe look.

I guess what I’m trying to say is that up to now I can’t tell which actor is which no matter how many times I see Tom Cruise. But at least when Christina Aguillera had a Marilyn Monroe look, I could still tell it wasn’t really her cuz Marilyn did not wear nothing on stage. Heh.

I just don’t know

I seem to be misunderstood a lot lately. Don’t ask me why because I also want to ask me why. You say one thing and someone else hears another thing. Not you honey, you’re fine. Me. I say one thing . . . So I’ve taken to shutting up and enveloping my personality in silence. I will be a good listener. And that means that I listen and share what you said with my boyfriend. He’s the only one who will take my personality because he loves me and has to. My other friends also love me but I’d rather find out what’s happening in their colourful lives than tell them about your colourless one. Ahem. Sorry. Personality had shown its face. I’m sorry I’m misunderstood.

Yay, more me in another paragraph! Remember when I quit my job about two months ago? Well, being unemployed is well . . . such a drag. I have had my fill of series on tv and now I’m back to looking for a job. And I found some really great leads that when I tell my father about it he gets more excited than I am. Hm, does this mean he’s looking forward to the day when I can afford to move out? Wait, he’s already told me he does so I’m not wondering any more. I do hope this works out for me cuz it is such a great opportunity and blah blah blah all the things I tell my father to make him happy and tell me he’s charging me rent soon as I get my first pay cheque.

The love of my life is leaving soon and I’m not really that sad about it. Ok, I am that sad. Even more. But I am also happy for him and supportive of his decision. I just pray that he hurries back from the land of loose moraled women. Yes, I am worried. Darn it’s hard being jealous.

I had a whole lot of philosophical things to say in this my first post in forever but all I can think of is I hope DeTamble and 27th Comrade get married in Australia so I can go see real sheep and kangaroos. Am I deflecting my own wish to get married? Maybe. But who cares, I still want to go to Australia. Oh, chatting to DeTamble at BHH today is what brought on my desire to see kangaroos. Yes, BHH happened for those of you that weren’t there. Ask Ivan about the cocktails because I didn’t have any but he sure knows a lot about them. Don’t you Ivan?

Despite my leads for a job, I still want to keep my options open so if anyone is willing to hire a bum who sponges off her father then please leave me a comment. Bum and sponge aren’t my degrees so I will have proper papers documenting all the classes I missed but somehow passed the classes for. God bless y’all tonight. And tomorrow. And everyday.

P.S. The most exciting thing about my life right now is the baby shower I’m looking forward to. I love cute baby things and I just might buy too many for the baby mama to accommodate but what the heck, they’re cute.

The Pursuit of Happyness

When you have no reason to get up in the morning but to watch the sun rise then you have found happiness. Getting up dreadfully in the wee hours of the morning and wishing your office would burn to the ground is not the way to live. Live for you. Live merely for life! The pressures of what to eat and what to wear should be left to the Lord who clothes the lillies and feeds the sparrows.

I resigned from my job. I’m not bored yet but I’m happy. I’m happy I don’t have so much responsibility and I can get up at any time I want to. My pursuit of happyness has ended. I have found it! Ok wait, I still want to have a baby and then maybe it will be over for real.

Sometimes music says it best.

I’m sitting here involved in the love story that’s in the bigger story of The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafon with India Arie in my ears when my heart totally melts. In her 2002 album there’s this totally beautiful love song, “Complicated Melody”. That man he . . . I almost cannot sing it on key. Maybe it’s the love between fictional Penelope and Julian, or it’s how I feel about my booboo but that song just strummed my heartstrings.

Complicated Melody

If he were a color
He’d be a deep dark forest green
If he were a car
He’d be a long stretch limousine
With room for all of humanity inside
Cause he is so giving
And he is so wise
If he were a number
He’d be a five cause he has such a brilliant mind
If were an animal
He’s be an ass cause he’s so stubborn sometimes

But if he were a song
He’d be a complicated melody
That complicated fellow he
I almost can not sing it on key

But he means the world to me

If he were a building
He’d be a beautiful cathedral
Cause he’s so traditionally spiritual
If he were a dance
He’d be complicated like the tango
Exotic like a mango

But if here a song
He’d be a complicated melody
That complicated fellow he
I almost can not sing it on key

But he means the world me

He ain’t the reasong for the sun and the moon
He is the reason for this here tune

Cause he means the world to me (ooh ooh)
Said he means the world to me
Me me me yeah
He means the world to me yeah

Complicated melody that complicated fellow he
He’s a complicated melody
I almost can not sing it on key

I can’t sing on key anyway but love just takes your breath away! Here’s my love letter. Magical moment anyone?

Help!

I’d like suggestions of places I can frequent after work. See, I am dating right now. And that means I see my boyfriend every evening before I go home to just sit and talk and drink a soda or eat a meal. But dating is darn expensive! I used to frequent this cool little joint in Garden City but the prices have gone up like three times so far so now we can’t afford to eat there everyday. So we go and drink a soda and sometimes talk late into the night and by the time I get home, I’m too tired to make something to eat. I can’t starve myself because I’m dating.

Just so y’all have an idea of how much we have to spend, we’ve limited ourselves to UGx 5,500 each a day. Nowadays you cannot get a decent meal for that amount of money. Besides Steers’ Good Guy meal that is. And Steers has no parking. That’s another limitation. Basically I must be too demanding. I want a place that is quiet and cozy, with secure parking, and I can have a meal within my budget. Also, it cannot be like in Buziga or some such ridiculously far place. Any ideas? My boyfriend and I will be grateful.

Facebook is fun!

Now ladies and gentlemen, don’t get your knickers in a bunch because I mentioned this tool of the antichrist. It’s actually good for me because I get to keep in touch with my family more often than not. Even if by ‘keeping in touch’ my brother means sending me links to funny youtube videos. He’ll get it someday.

So I decided to jazz things up and copy Kaza, who uses any picture but hers as a profile picture. She uses her sisters’ pictures. Now my sisters be hot. As in H.A.T.T! I don’t want to be seen with them because I’ll be the one men are approaching to introduce them instead of the men hitting on me. Ever since I started using pictures that do not belong to me, I have been getting friend requests galore! These people don’t stop at just asking to be your friend. No sirree! They want an edge over all the other sleazy perv men who want to befriend hot girls. So they send messages with their friend requests. And I kid you not, this is what I get:

Hullo Carlo, what’s up babe you are realy tight i like the you control your eyes they are just too……….!! From Skin Nabb’s.

What kind of a name is Skin? Did his mother actually name him or did he decide that his facebook name should be something catchy like say, Ear. No, that’s too floppy. How about Foot. Nah, wait, I have it: SKIN! How totally rocking is that?! And well, his surname is Nabb’s. Yes, with an apostrophe.

There’s more:

Hay, very precious 2meet u here.More comn ahead. Stay cool.

Well at least this one has a proper name. Someone might know him so I won’t openly shame him here. But bambi no, I will not become your friend simply because you do not know English. That’s reason enough right?

Ooooooooh, wat acreature Carlo u r some thing cnt tell bt thanks to ua mama who gave those great eyez.Anyway do u like frnds beatiful?TAke care KICo.

This one was actually HILARIOUS! I laughed so hard I nearly fell off my chair. Then I showed it to some friends and we laughed some more and this time I actually fell. Let me think, do I like friends? Well, I much prefer Seinfeld but Friends was good. Actually, my favourite was Joey. Remember his, ‘how u doin’?’ I wish I could meet a man that will make me take my clothes off just by that one phrase the way Joey did with women. Yes, come to think of it, Seinfeld does not hold a candle to friends. I’ve changed my mind, I LOVE Friends. Not just like.

I hope my sisters are reading this. I would like to thank you both for the fun I’ve been having on facebook of late. These are only three, there are those that actually wrote to me more than once and begged me to be friends, random men sent me friend requests that I got tired of ignoring, but I just had to share what these two ladies have done to me. It’s good to laugh at your own silliness.

You’re my glory, the lifter up of mine head.

Psalm 3

¹Lord, how are they increased that trouble me! many are they that rise up against me.

²Many there be which say of my soul, There is no help for him in God. Selah.

³But thou, O LORD, art a shield for me; my glory, and the lifter up of mine head.

⁴I cried unto the LORD with my voice, and he heard me out of his holy hill. Selah.

⁵I laid me down and slept; I awaked; for the LORD sustained me.

⁶I will not be afraid of ten thousands of people, that have set themselves against me round about.

⁷Arise, O LORD; save me, O my God: for thou hast smitten all mine enemies upon the cheek bone; thou hast broken the teeth of the ungodly.

⁸Salvation belongeth unto the LORD: thy blessing is upon thy people. Selah.
There’s a man I know who says to me, ‘nanti oli mulaalo‘ and expects me to be insulted. It’s like telling me I’m a woman. How should I be insulted because I’m a woman? So I tell him he’s a mwiru. It’s negative for us balaalo and my being a mulaalo is negative for him as a Muganda. We both don’t get the other’s insult so we’re cool like that. I am as proud as a peacock when it comes to my heritage. Here’s why.

An old man was speaking about how far we Bahima have fallen from grace. He was teaching us about our culture and the things that we were too proud to do but that we do nowadays. He said it was totally unheard of for example to muzzle the mouth of another’s cow when it comes to drink at your well. Wells and grass were communal and no one would refuse another’s cows from grazing or drinking water because it was their property. Now there are land laws that have caused Bahima to act unnatural.

Bahima were known for being faithful and just. When one was caught stealing, one was an outcast. He was treated like a leper because it was almost an abomination to take that which did not belong to you. In fact, I heard a story once (I’ve diverted from Mr. Wise Old Man) about a man in the army during the war who stole a chicken and was brought to his commander after being caught. The commander told the other soldiers to leave and he grabbed the boy by his ears and spoke in Runyankole, ‘boy have you ever heard of our people stealing? If you wanted to take something could you not have stolen gold or something worth this shame? A chicken!!!!’ Apparently the man beat the young souldier almost to death because of the shame he had brought his parents! So this old man was saying that nowadays they dress the Bahima’s shame in fancy words like embezzlement. He said that it is a wonder God does not come down and pour brimstone and fire on our heads for the shame we have caused our nation!

It was also known that when a Muhima judge sat to judge a case, every other tribe knew that it would be a fair judgment. Apparently truth and fairness are so inherent in our tribe that they were not separate from a man. But nowadays Bahima stand in court and lie through their teeth about their shame of stealing. The old man was so disgusted he kept repeating how we are not worthy to be called people anymore because we have done things that were totally repulsive in his days.

Oh how we need to pray for our people! We need to get back to the basics of our heritage. We need the Lord to lift our heads again. How can a nation (by nation I mean tribe) stand tall and lift their heads when they have touched the unclean thing? I remember stories in the Bible of people that God smote because they took a Babylonian cup when He explicitly told them not to take anything from a nation they have defeated. We cannot call ourselves true Bahima when we are an unjust, corrupt people that refuses another’s cow from drinking in our well! That man touched a nerve in me because I did not know what it meant to be from my tribe.

The other day my boyfriend and I were talking about what goes wrong with children that they break their parents’ hearts. He told me that sometimes, they need to know their culture to know what is right from wrong. I thought all they needed was the fear of God in them. Boy was he right! When you grow up knowing that theft is an abomination, there is no way you will take Mommy’s change lying on her table. It is drummed into a child and they grow up in that way. And of course, a child knows that when they steal they’ll go to hell unless they repent. Oh we need to repent for our nation! Let our nation hold their heads up high, without shame. Someone said that corruption is so embedded in our culture as Ugandans that there needs to be 3 generations wiped out before the habit is broken. Is it so bad? How we need to repent for our nation! For our children growing up in this generation of ‘embezzlement’ as opposed to stealing that will take you to hell.

Overenthusiastic much?

I like my work environment. We do not have much work to do and a usual day in the office involves everyone with headphones bobbing their head to some music or giggling at Barney Stinson’s newest antics in How I Met Your Mother. My workmates are cool, I don’t know much about what they do after work but I enjoy their non-company at work. We work amicably like that.

Then we got an accountant. Ever since Mr. Accountant stepped into our office, we’ve all wondered out loud if he ever had any friends before he came to work with us. See, the only time I talk to our IT guy is to tell him my google chrome has refused to download. Or if I can install the new Windows Media player 11 without having a validated MS Operating system. Seriously, that’s all we talk about. Mr. Accountant on the other hand, greets you and you just want to choke him. “Good morning. How is everything? Is it going good? How was last night? Did you sleep well? Did you drive safely to work? . . . ” We have all learnt to say hi and run out of his office before he can say another word.

But no, we cannot escape him that easily, we have phones. You know, those phones where you can call another office like an intercom line? Yeah. See, we decided to put him in the back of the building with his own office to calculate our various expenses and whatnot in peace. Maths needs some concentration right? Apparently not. Every second minute, the phone rings and it’s something like, ‘what are we having for lunch?’ Or ‘did you enjoy your lunch? Mine was very good. This woman cooks good food.’ SERIOUSLY!!!!!! You called to tell me that? I just lost a client here with you engaging the phone! So I found a genius plan to stop his interruptions of my Chuck marathons, I switched off the ringer. Genius huh? I know. Anyway, he’d call and call and call and then walk to our office and ask us what is wrong with the phone. We all told him that there was something wrong with it and if he needs to communicate he can just IM. Bad idea!

Here is an actual IM he just sent me a few minutes ago: did you get my email i sent you yesterday about “is it strange to sit at the last row of the seat at church” “$20 too big for church yet very small for shoping” I kid you not! That’s the other thing, he sends forwards galore. I’m about to spam him from my work address book because I am tired of his emails that have nothing whatsoever to do with work. And then he wants to discuss the forwards!!!!!!!

Now I know I complain a lot in this blog but hey, this is my space and it’s where I vent. I have very happy and fulfilling days the rest of the time I don’t blog. Blame it on the moon and it’s changes or something. But will someone please help me shoot this guy? My workmate who enjoys bopping her head to Single Ladies by Beyonce while she works yesterday blew a fuse and gave him a talking to. We were all silently rooting for her. She just told him that she does not care for his IMs and unless it is not work related he does not have to talk to her because she will not talk back. And I left out the part where he calls me ‘dear’ and says he likes me and why won’t I reply to his IMs. Aaaaaaaaarrrrrgggggggghhhhhhhhh. Hm, how to get a colleague fired? I’m googling that right now. Maybe I should file for sexual harassment.