I WENT, I SAW AND I CONQUERED

Well Im back home (finally) in Nairobi...  and lets say a lot has happened since i last blogged... let me see.
In October i took a 17 cities trip Amsterdam, Wageningen, Rotterdam, Hague, Antwerp, Brussels, Paris, Nice, Monaco, Genoa, Milan, Rome, Naples, Florence, Pisa, Venice and it all ended in Birmingham. It was an incredible experience, which was spent in the company of people i hold dear to my heart.
They say be careful what you wish for, let me rephrase.. i think you should be careful about how you wish for what you want.

I have envied all my lecturers for having studied in Wageningen University (Holland) and i so wished that one day i would set foot on that campus. Well i did, but that was when visiting my close friend .. Carole Mench not as a student... (God's sense of humor).

First reunion with Mench after One year.. i last saw her in JKIA Nairobi

Every piece of this Euro-experience was to cherish for a lifetime. The fact that i had to ride a bike when going to the club.... was a completely new phenomenon to me nonetheless i enjoyed it. I bumped into an old friend Liah in Holland as well and she took us round to the Peace palace at the Hague, its a shame i did not run into Bensouda ... The calories!!

Some moments in Holland

I promise you i would not miss something to tell her .. if i am completely speechless... SELFIES!!! Amsterdam was not what i expected it to be...at least vahn Gogh was.. but i enjoyed the truffles and eating thick chips smothered in Mayonnaise..

The fast thalys train.... 3 hours from Amsterdam to Paris!!!! sometimes it felt as if i would burst my eardrums due to how fast it was going... like those Ryan air flights we love too much for the price.Kenya has a lot of catching up to do.. Paris was everything everyone says... i got to the Eiffel tower  and i thought well am here .. so ive seen it then... so i decided to climb up the tower to the top .. using the stairs.. (Kuchoka nayo).. the heavy breathing and panting could only just tell how unfit i was for the task..still... i made it!!! Visited   Notre dame Chapel and it was rich in history and architecture.. i knelt down and said a prayer it was a deeply special moment.. just to also imagine how many more souls had passed through this point i was in.. what was their story??

 Meeting the Osborn's was a very big highlight of my trip,

 not to mention he was my Bishop when i left Kenya, the kids.. the catching up conversations with Ingrid late into the night... (good old days.. just like visiting teaching) South of France was breathtaking... I really want to live there one day.. ( for a month or so).

Sunny day in Nice - South of France

 Monaco is surprisingly smaller that i thought it was. This is the country where everybody is rich!! The kind of cars that roll there ... Lamborghini, Ferrari, Porsche.. and the frequency of seeing these cars can be likened to seeing a toyota car back in Nairobi.. this Damsel was in awe... Monaco has rightfully earned its bragging  rights.

On my drive to Monaco.. beautiful Cote d'Azur

Airport workers in France decided to strike, cancelling two of my flights to Paris then Milan.. I had to take the bus from Nice into Italy.. for (£17) its good since i got back my £125 Pounds from easyjet.. bargain. I shared this bus with my two friends... dare i say hitch hikers from America. They had been on the road for 3 months... with barely no money.. getting lifts from strangers.. well this was a good depiction of  a YOLO lifestyle. We sang and danced in the bus.. laughing our heads off... listening to the bus driver argue at the top of his voice and finally break up with his girlfriend over the phone ( In Italian which an old lady on the bus was kind enough to translate for us). I almost thought we would crash, he was driving at break neck speed. my travel companions invited me for a 'Burning man' concert while we popped into a McDonalds to get a McFlurry ...but not a chance ... i had the whole of Italy to me for 10 days my agenda was set.... thanks alot to my over-dependence on TripAdvisor.

Italy is the most beautiful place ever... it was like a dream come true..

Shared this with Mench my partner in crime.. :-) Italy is a chilled out place, really home of fashion... Milan. where labels are really labels.. with some sort of very conservative touch..  (aside.. i had my short dress on and they did not let anyone into the Duomo.. so i missed out.. shame) its not over technologized as Holland.. its homely and the men love the women.. Italian men.. smh. I loved Florence.. (which they call Firenze).. it is absolutely impossible to describe this city with words...I took my bargaining skills to the leather market.. where they sold me a bag for 100 euros and i bought it at 25 Euros.. the Kikuyu in me!! i also got a leather bound journal (yes i still write a lot even if not on my blog). next morning it was Pisa then Venice.

Some few tips when planning for a multi country trip.. get good insurance for your travel to cover flights .. hotels etc. I got my money back when my flights were cancelled. Maps are so important, so is asking for people for directions as well. Learn Basic words of the local language so that if there is a change in your travel schedule you can understand. The italian trains get late and delayed a lot...so don't book them too much in advance. Between countries use trains over flights.. since trains take you to the heart of the city whereas the airport tend to be in the outskirts so its an extra cost for Taxis. Always choose an english speaking.. preferably christian backpackers. Use your visa card a lot.. it may cost more but its safer than walking with huge amounts of cash and spare some cash (incase you loose your wallet) in different parts of your bag.You can never exhaust the use of tripadvisor. Stick to the original plan!! its less confusing.. if you use flights book them well in advance they are cheaper.. i got a flight to Schiphol from London for £22. buy light souvenirs like key holders, fridge magnets so that you do not exceed your luggage capacity that is where cheap flights make cash.. excess baggage. always know the location of your embassy in every country or someone else who you constantly communicate with incase you get lost or disappear. Last.. best thing to carry is an open mind and a great attitude!!! then you will enjoy anywhere you go.

Before trip i thought it was about firsts.. first time in another country.. first ride in a gondola... first time on an electric train...first italian pizza in Italy... first time around Europe.. first time in a bag packers hostel, first kiss from a man of a different world (Yes i got one in Venice.. seriously the city of love).

 It was more about.. being grateful. grateful for the chance to experience a new culture, getting so much love and hospitality from all the friends and family that hosted me. The world is indeed a small place its only as big as we let it be.. deep down we are all the same despite borders.. we laugh, cry , love and sleep at night.

It was a test to my friendship as well with Mench, we had hard times on the road.. choosing restaurants, trains over buses.. food, almost missing trains having to rely on her to speak Italian, disagreements on where to visit first.. her being Catholic Rome and the Vatican was quite significant .. while i wanted to visit Tuscany and the colosseum. And the fact that she lost 90% of my photos of the trip.. but i can still smile at her ..lol.  This was a learning experience and i had to accept she was much better at navigating and i planning.

I was truly grateful for the love i felt when i went on my small rendezvous about Europe. I promised my self that if ever any of my friends came to Kenya .. i would play nice host since i figured the love i received was enough to go around. It made me appreciate where i come from... who i am and a sense of Identity was renewed in me. I had several reasons to add to my list of why I love Africa .. why i Love Kenya!

(Peek-ah-boo......)

Naughty Girls...

SO HERE IS WHAT I THINK OF BLIND DATES

Recently my friend hit me up with an email and sent me a link to You Tube to watch an episode called Tujuane. It has been now a couple of months since I first heard of it, however, I had been caught up in this dissertation cycle. Opening the link was like opening a can of worms I couldn't not  sleep that night. Instead I was glued to my screen and I indulged  episode after episode.

This gave me rather a clear picture of what the dating scene is like in Kenya. In my opinion it is okay to have a blind date go bad, apparently that is nothing too far from the norm. However, If it goes bad and you have a million viewers watching it, one should be prepared to face the wrath of  opinionated social media participants. Look at what happened to Susan here. (the poor girl) I would say i could pin point a million girls who do the same on dates, the only difference is they do not do it on national television (wise)

There is a lot of stereotyping  that happened on many of this dates. Where do you live? (apparently its either you live uptown ama estlando!). Some girls say they don't like talking in Kiswahili (watch this). Being a great fan of Churchill Show, I wonder what happens when Ayeiya is on stage. Would the same girls say... i have no idea what he is saying, I bet they would be laughing their asses off.

I have a set of rules that I stick to when going on a blind date that helps me have a really great time or enables me pull through an excruciatingly boring date . Dating is a great chance to meet people and know their story, there is beauty in diversity.Before you show up for a date, ge a hint of who the other person is, do this through emails , social media, texts or even a phone conversation. That is one way of preventing impending disaster. I believe within 10 minutes of having a truly genuine conversation you can tell if it is worth it to meet this person. Thats why some ladies get dissaponted when they find they have been sent on a date with a 22 year old and they a nearly clocking their late 20's (or 30's) like this one.

Do not have unreasonable expectations of your date, don't always expect to find a Taye Diggs (i so dig him) or a knight in shinng armour waiting at your table.

Be ready to take what embrace what comes your way, because you would have been seated home watching TV.. most likely bored in over sized jumpers or a stocking on your hair. Dress appropriately! it may be good to find out before hand where you might be going not to end up dresses in formal wear then go out on a skating date!


Make the date casual, as the saying goes 'Its never that serious'. Keep the conversation simple, its not an interview for your future spouse. Do not impose you personal values on your date, everyone is entitled to their own opinion, so keep an open mind. Ask open ended questions and make sure the conversation does not revolve around yourself. talk about current affairs, television programs, movies, books, hobbies and interests and avoid very controversial issues such as politics, how much they earn and religious beliefs. However getting past that boring date, needs extra special effort, always tell yourself. its only this one date and give it 30 minutes ( suck up and make it as brief as possible). This will save you from those coma- inducing boring dates!

Be yourself, humility is a virtue and focus on common talking point with your date rather than try and show your date how much better you are than him... or how you are out of his league. Be kind and polite, however do not be too accommodating, if vulgar language is used to too suggestive personal contact it is vital that you highlight some personal boundaries in a cordial manner. Carry some cash just in case you have to foot the bill, Ladies it doesn't mean that if the guy doesn't pay he is an outright loser.... but guys if you do pay, you score higher. I believe if a guy asks a girl out he should stick to the 3-P rule. Plan, Prepare and Pay!




How much fun you have on a date is entirely dependent on you! Just because you had a terrible blind date doesnt mean you write -off blind dates completely! The best part is even if the current date doesn't work out (which is very okay).. you are a step closer to finding what you really want!

HELLO THERE I AM TWENTY SOMETHING

I moved to a studio apartment recently just a walk away from school. its very cosy and warm. I do miss being with people around me but now i can focus appropriately. It is said that change is as good as a rest; but this change has not made me rest. Moving away from home to a another place in a foreign land was very exciting , nonetheless, i wouldn't say it was not easy... but definately worth it.

I am turning 25 this week (YIKES!!!!) I do feel very old, year do fly past. Just a few years ago i was at 17 doing my first job, then i got to 21 which was the perfect age to be ( it even sounds good to say 'Im 21')   23 came next and this is the age of responsibility, coz your not too young and not too old either and before i even got used to saying i'm 24 ... the big 25 is here. When you get to 25 you stop counting and start using words like mid 20's and late 20's :-)

 The next thing you know you have candles  on your birthday cake like this.

To be honest i'm not looking forward to turning quarter a century!! What makes it worse, are the blogs that tell you.... 'Things you need to do before you turn 25'. Honestly!!! When i was younger i thought 25 was an irky age.. i hoped that by the time i turned 25 i would be working in a international agency, globe trotting and experiencing different cultures, at 25 i hoped to be so in love and staring at the sunset in the horizon, At 25 i thought i'd be at 60 kgs and dressed to kill. At 25 i thought i would have a house of my own holding great dinners and sipping cheap wine in the evenings.

Now that i am 25, i am still in school reading, working at a restaurant, gone to only 2 countries, definitely out of love and no sunset in the horizon because of the classic tale of the English weather!! I am not complaining....... i'm just trying to reiterate that fact that you can't plan out your life to work in a certain way. Things may actually turn out differently, but usually for the better most of the time. Its not exciting to turn 25 when i know i'm am growing closer to getting wrinkles and grey hair. I may be overreacting but.. the journey of a grey hair starts with one birthday!

My take on birthdays. I love attending birthdays may be because other people are growing old and i am not! I have never really had a birthday party ( true) just once. I love small quiet birthdays with the ones i love :-) about  2-4 people or just with my family. That is what i call quality time, big birthdays have to be organized for me coz it is too much pressure and i can over do things...... my OCD kicks in. When my birthday draws closer... the text messages keep flowing 'Where the party @??' Birthdays are when people come eat drink and make merry and  sometimes you take so much effort to prepare and people cancel, show up late and sometimes no presents!

I am spoiled  i love to be pampered. No birthday without presents ... even if it is just a card.. it is the thought that counts. Preparing for a birthday is one of the greatest social pressure i have found hard to come to terms with. However, i will still call all my friends for a birthday dinner and make merry till the sun comes up ;-0.

Turning 25, makes you feel like this when the big things in life start. In terms of thinking about career, friends,love and marriage. This is when your parents stop giving you do's and don'ts and they do listen to your opinion as a grown up.

I sure do want to hang on to my early 20's where i partied till the sun came up!! when spontaneity was the order of the day........ when i loved dangerously! There are no limits in the early 20's. Rest assured i am not changing so much, i think compromise is what has to suffice :-0 The balancing act.

I am so blessed to come this far.... i have had great highlights in my early 20's and the downs were not that bad. In this 25th year of my life i plan to grab life by the balls.... travel to many places that i have always wanted to, get that job that i want, lose that weight that i don't want. If i can't watch the sunset in the horizon then i will be dancing in the rain. This life is for me to savour its delights. A happy 25th to me!!! (Drum rolls)!

CHEWING GUM PROBLEM???

Walking to down the super market to but any candy has been a daunting experience for me lately.... i have never had such a wide variety to choose from. Daunting because first, i love food and i have a sweet tooth.. yes i said it!! At the same time i do not want to add to much weight and not fit into all this pretty little dresses i have at my disposal... this picture reminds me of ball gums that i have had in plenty in my life. When you don't know what candy to buy you can comfortably buy Ball gums.
they are colorful and so pretty!!!!

So this week i was walking down Old Christchurch Road going to town center. I saw this council worker removing chewing gum from the street... One by one. the quantity of chewing gum he had to remove was minimal as i thought the restaurant owner had probably requested for it. A day later i found the same council worker removing chewing gum from the square one by one, whereas the street looked like a carpet stuck with grey chewing gum blotches.

( this is how the street he was working on looked like!!!)

At first i thought this was like the worst form of punishment... but when i talked to him he seemed quite jolly and said that he had to use his small machine doing one chewing gum at a time.
I would have thought that littering was non-existent in england..... however they have their own share of problems in keeping the streets clean and neat.

On average, 30,000 pieces of gum are irresponsibly discarded each day on Oxford Street in London alone, contributing to 3.5 billion tossed pieces of gum each year in the UK. Some people argue that it is a way of creating jobs however ..... who wants such a hard job any way. if people can throw big papers and bottles in a can how can  aminute thing such as gum be this hard.

It costs over £1 to remove one piece of gum from the street.The British Government spends 150 million British Pounds (approx. $230 million USD) annually to remove an average of 7,000 tons of chewing gum from UK streets.According to leading American dietitians, swallowing gum can actually boost the fiber in our diets and help to prolong life, and by giving us the impression that we are full it can help tackle obesity. My message to the gum-chewers of Britain is if you chew, then swallow, too. And if you can't swallow it, then find a bin or face a fine.

THE MYSTERY LANDLORD

Moving into student halls is great but not always. First, i lived in Chesil house i rerally didnt like it much.... and i am not complaining..because i loved my studio flat in student halls. but i didn't know too many people there and with most students being undergraduates.. i felt rather older.. not meaning I'm grumpy and boring but i have better priorities for my time and social preferences vary plus it was pricey. So i moved in with some of my classmates on a shared flat. My flatmates are okay they are funny  and i get to eperience different cultures through them. Sometimes they do get on my nerves but those are woes for another day. i will not even give you a glimpse of how some of their rooms look like (hoping none of them reads my blog!!! erk!).

The most peculiar thing about where i live is that i have never met the landlord! So let us give him a random name  for security reasons  me being kicked out let us call him John*. He is the hardest person to meet and call. Since i moved in he sent someone over to make sure i settled in just fine and do a little bit of this and that in my room to make it more homely. He is so difficult to get on phone and the caretaker always says John says this or John says that. Apparently everyone else in the house has met him just me????
They speak so highly of him... he is a good person, he is very kind and understanding... and so on and so forth.

So i figured there are several ways i could picture him... in my spare time..lol.

The banker in Deal or No deal.... ( off course not the one holding the phone... the one on the other end of the phone. We have really never seen this banker but.. we could have a mental picture of him. Maybe its a guy who is in a suit behind a desk...

Or..... believe it or not i once thought he might be The Mask.. you know a random guy who puts on a mask and becomes anything....

 Maybe.. he is even like Iron man..... like Mr. Stark..








 May be just maybe.. i have just over done it.... but things you think about in your spare time can be really stupid.. well i don't want to meet him... because its better putting faces to a person....

DAMSEL GOES TO ENGLAND

This Big girl went out to conquer the big world and first stop was England !!! I know it has been four months now, seems time passes so fast, and i have had so much happen in such a short time that i can't squeeze into one blog post. It was sad at first to leave my family and friends, but it was time to look ahead.

I live South West of England in a small town called Bournemouth, which has a beautiful sandy beach on the english channel just 10 minutes from my house. This was my first time out of Africa (It always has to start from some where) and i was nervous as a june bag in henhouse. My mother thought i was going to get lost when connecting my flights in Amsterdam..... she rushed me at the airport i had to tell my friends goodbye through a glass window at JKIA. Luckily i got to my destination safe and sound.

I always had this picture of England in my head, from the movies (Pride & Prejudice), books like Jane Eyre... i wanted to come to the land of the queen, ever since i was young. When you grow  upreading cinderella and beauty and the beast... all you want to see a palace, the queen and squirells on the compound. or better yet my adult imagination made me think that it would look like Hogwarts and the underground was like hogwarts express... well to some extent it is true.. but the rest preety much is just English.

Me at westminster Abbey... see me with kate and william at Hamleys.... my fairy tale complete.

 

 

However, moving doesn't come without its own set of suprises. This are few things i have learnt and observed.

1. The bus will never wait for you... countless number of times i have been left by the bus... one day i just missed the bus by 5 seconds and i was running in my new heels that i had not yet got used  to  and the bus drove off!! Hath no fury.... i screamed and scorned at the bustop till other people just looked at me, trying to regain my sanity.. i shouted... 'In Kenya the bus waits for  me '
2. There are always two taps, one hot water and the other cold. this is not entirely new to me. Yes, we have double taps back at home.. but only the cold taps work... Rather cool to have both taps working yay!!!
3. When someone tells you ' That's funny'  what they actually mean is that it is actually not.
4. Everyone stands behind the bar..... they practically just crowd there, there no waiters passing drinks! In kenya i wonder what would happen with those who do one drink all night....
5. People in England say - Ain't it - ( meaning isn't it)...it is just wrong!! grammatically.. i can never get used to it.
6. The shops close too early over the weekends... what.. i miss nakumatt its 24 hours :-(

I have met many people made new friends and i love every chance i get a new experience . Success comes to those who embrace change and not those who resist it.

Best part of it though is the shopping experience whoop whoop!!



I AM WEIRD... BUT IN AN AWESOME WAY...

I’m not going to open this blog post by saying its been a while since I last posted….again, but that’s a fact. Things have been moving fast in my life lots of new experiences, I am completely exhilarated, meeting new people, going to new places and amazing girlfriend moments, I have laughed hard till my ribs hurt, I have cried so hard that… I was whimpering uncontrollably, I have had mind boggling conversations with great people…. A wholesome experience it is…

I do not consider my self an ordinary girl..as a matter of fact i am Extra-odinary, I do live in  world of my own… my own movie with a story line starring well … me. I sometimes amaze my self and wonder.. do the people around me get what i really say to them... sometimes my friends think im weird...

I still check under the bed every night before i sleep.... i have no idea why coz the boogey man is not real. I still have most of my dinner dresses really circular and pricessy design... to hell with fashion.. i want to look Like cinderella.

I still write a journal and have secret code names like Scrooge for mean people and Prince charming for the awesome guys.. :-) Don't get me wrong ... i don't run around kissing real frogs and collecting pumpkins to take me out, nor Pray that my fairy godmother will appear with her magic wand and give me a gorgeous print dress and 5 inch double platform heels... i actually go shopping and get me some clothes...

Sometimes people tell me to snap back to reality, but that is just me... i will not stop wanting to travel to the most amazing places in the world... machu pichu, taj mahal...leaning tower of pissa, the Holly wood sign...and many many more places. There is no harm in dreaming......big.

I love my food cold and highly sugary, i love rice and milk mixed together and choclate pancakes. I love to sleep in diffrent socks.. even though they are paired up. I love listening to music though 80% of the time i can't hear the lyrics and i have to print the lyrics. I still write songs in my diary and if the old newspaper cut outs (pop stops) were still there, i'd fix them on my journal..... i love reading old books and will read them to the end no matter how excruciatingly boring it may be.

I am a hopeless romantic, I trust too much too fast and i think its cool to take long walks and dance in the rain... who cares if you catch a flu... thats what doctors are for... and salons for the hair. I still think "Sound of Music" is the greatest movie ever.. even after Lord of the rings and Chronicles of Narnia.... I still believe that i can get a message in a bottle marked "X"....

I truly live in my own small weird world.. which may not make sense to many but me... but i still think its weird in an awesome way!!!!

I WON SOMETHING ON RADIO...

Well i won some thing on Radio today, ive been working out in the gym, but im not going to turn down that Pizza!.. freebies taste so good. I look at my pic holding that voucher and thinking... i actually won something! I am not such a true believer in the lottery, though my dad made me scratch so many of those charity sweepstake cards when i was young. We only won a thousand bob! Which i considered a rip off coz we had bought much more.. :-( Good thing is that its was for a good cause.

Yep that's me there with an all happy face and a grumbling stomach... I had to make sure I came for it completely famished. Its not that im not a true believer entirely its just that any little thing I win.. I flaunt it so much, no matter how small.. see im blogging about free pizza ( my point exactly!!). Maybe it God's way of telling me to question how I would  behave if it was bigger???

The first recorded sign of using the lottery was in China... it is even believed that the government used the lottery to build the Great Wall of China! In 1612 Virginia's economy was once revived by the intoruction of the lottery to keep the settlers with income to survive.... Its not every body's lucky day... but sure do buy a ticket once in a while it may be just-your-luck.

I have always wondered what happens to those people who win the lottery... For instance .. Tazama chappa?? We are Africans, its in our blood to take care of the other people in the family.... extended family.. your brother's wife younger cousin's step sister's adopted daughter! Do they all come rushing in at the time???How come i never know someone who has won the lottery with huge tons of cash??? People win the lottery.. just never met them....

Bottom line this is the second time i have won this month.... and i am loving it!! guess this time i may just convert to a true believer ( for now )... who knows if I might just get that trip I have long waited for... *wink wink*

ALMOST THROWN OFF BALANCE

Its been Eons since i posted last... lately i have been holding my pen to write even in my journal but i dont seem to quite get it out. Its supposed to be a sneak peak into my diary to some extent, but i wasnt sure i was ready to let it all out there. Finally some one had to write something! this past two months have been .... well something.

When my girlfriends and I meet our conversation is broken into several categories to make catching up quite easy. We talk about our academic life.. ( which is not so existent since most of us are out of school), our social life, our financial life, our professional life and most of all our love life. This is an all rounded way to keep catching up, prolly very efficient. Lately all this categories seemed to have a downward spiral in my life and some completely non existent. I really had some hard questions to ask, but no one could answer them, i am all grown up now, this are the things i ought to take care myself.

My parents always teach me to behave so I can make it in life. The usual work hard in school and get Excellent grades this will take you to high levels in society. Respect your elders and work with utmost deligence and honesty. Save, invest, get knowledge and sieze opportunities. Keep away from "some" boys .... the list is simply endless...

What i concluded was, what to expect in life was not told to me by all my mentors. They missed out telling me that it may be kind of hard to get some of those jobs no matter how well qualified you are. They always told me that i would kiss many frogs but never how ugly some of those frogs would be, they never told me that life would sometimes be so unfair and there is nothing i could do no matter how right i thought i was... They never told me thats\not all the succesful and happy people were good ( some are evil), but i cannot say who deserves what!

At one moment i thought life could never get worse... annoying and unfair. I felt life this all should shut down and leave me alone. It was more like a chain reaction something bad leading to something even worse. This are the defining moments. They always make sure to get the best of you. Is that the reason why some people look so serious as they grow older..#justwondering

I am not entirely unhappy about what i have learnt in this past few months, i have to take it positively.. it was a humbling moment. One thing that was true was the fact that in the end if you do what is right you will have the last smile ( laugh sounds evil...) This kind of experiences build character, how well you deal with any situation. The nitty gritties of how hard sometimes it can be.. are what you don't need to focus on.

If everything would be on the other hand so smooth life would have been somewhat boring i guess.... The light at the end of this tunnel......... i think i just got there...

MISS SMARTY MOUTH

All my life i have grown up knowing that education is the key to life and my teachers taught me that education is all about books and knowing everything there is to know, so i spent hours in books, heaps of them getting to know all i could. I am proudly nerdy and sometimes i say somethings to people that sounds Klingon  and they give me puzzled look. Being smart naturally this is supposed to be a good thing... but sometimes i think it is sort of a blessing in disguise!

I am not bellittling the fact that knowledge is vital, just that sometimes being nerdy or such a smarty mouth is kind of annoying. For instance my girlfriends once told me that always intimidate my dates coz of being a smart mouth and i thought .. Lame! Every guy wants a smart lady who knows everything (wrong!!!!) it can be intimidating sometimes.... especially if he wants to crack a joke and you sploosh him with facts and historical references... eventually turning into a historical lecture.. who really wants to talk about Charles Dickens, Hitler, Fidel Castro, acne, world peace .....??? Lesson learnt to well.

So quietly women learn to sit back and let the men shine in conversations, as much as you think they are so wrong but definately not always and laugh at the stupidiest jokes, sometimes letting someone feel smart works over taking the spot light. I used to wonder how people can stand blondes... i mean they are soo... well.. BLONDE! Facts they say the stupidiest things that make you laugh, they don't have to think they just live the moment have fun and drama... may be thats why men prefer blondes..... although there is also the darwinian theory to explain it... ( there me being nerdy again)

Bring out crazy arguments but that doesnt matter whether you are right or wrong just have a goddamn opinion.. don't be the it's okay person.. say No! sometimes. So nerdy me, has tried this and it definately works...!!! it boosts the self esteem of the people around you and only then can you see the true colours of who they are and they enjoy being around you more... Sometimes i look completly interested in stuff i am being told but have no clue they are talking about.... but somehow they will shut up along the way... and don't judge me because men completely switch off when we start talking about fashion and make up!

Im just saying....two sides of the same coin... i need the nerdy part of me to reason, come up with great ideas, run businesses, get jobs, succeed and the blonde part of me to balance it out .. have fun interact and do the whole livin la vida loca. Anyhoo its never that serious!

MY ENDLESS BLUBBERING OF THIS RAINY SEASON'S WOES

Well the rainy season is back ... yay! Im so happy because i can finally hang in my crocs and multicolored socks and curl at a corner to watch tv, at home. This rainy season also cames with some woes commonly heavy suffocating clothes, Adjusting the TV ariel, sleeping in a cold bed, getting late to wake up, laundry that never dries, trees falling and causing traffic the list is endless. I have a high tolerance level but some of this just make my annoyed clock tick faster.

 The first one is javing.. when the rainy season comes no one wants to open the windows and it is not cool to have a mixture of  'frangrances' for breakfast. To make matters worse the common cold... that i do not feel should be common to all, sneezing, chorus of coughs and who knows what you might catch...(severe influenza, dengue fever, diarrhea, skin rashes and leptospirosis)------>reason why i need a car..:-) Please for the sake of us who have been trying hard to stay healthy and Flu-free leave the damn window abit open for air circulation.

Hair hair hair do - undone need i say more .. cringe! Exactly how i feel after my hair has been rained on.. ( I don't like cats... this is hillarious!)

Next i am mad at those people driving at high speed past pedestrians.... it rainy, at least don't splash water on us.... really...! we have bearly recovered from the matatu-fragrance oven! I might just consider dressing up in a plastic rain coat and look like a walking nylon live-mankin! I am still job hunting thats bad enough i have to walk around in a suit to interveiws and a mad splattered one to show how bad it is.

Fare hikes!Yikes!  Matatus hiking fare to a whooping 100 bob for a 17 minute ride .. (P.S no traffic) and the guy tells me arrogantly "madam kama wewe hawezi kosa soo! we sonko!" Just coz of my suit spulltered with mud at the back.... only if you had looked twice. If i was a sonko id have taken my self home by now!

KPLC! My greatest woe, i will never undestood what is the relationship between electricity and lights , apart from, where there is enough rain we can generate more electricity.. but i have no idea where it goes at that particular time. Indoors is the best place to be when rainy, but how will we survive this if there is no lights to keep us indoors??

When i was a child i loved dancing in the rain, watching the rainfall from my window sleeping sound when it rained..No thats not true but now it sucks.. when i need to be in it everyday.. go through what i go through every day around it sometimes in it .... truly familiarity brings contempt..

MY OWN 12 SIMPLE DATING TIPS

I am not an expert at dating nor do i believe there is one. I usually think some advice may work well for one person but not for another. A classic case of one man's meat........ Generally there are some do's and don't that are conventinally accepted... well by me and some few other people that agree. Dates are very important and crucial they give the initial impression of who you are and you definately want to be yourself.

Simple things can determine how good your date can go and this are some of the ones i really feel are basic and should be followed to avoid common dating mishaps...

1. Don't talk too much, a date allows you to find out who the other person is. If you hog the whole time talking about yourself, you may just miss the chance of knowing the person across the table. Listening is a virtue... it shows you are interested in what your date has to say.
2. Baggage. Leave it at the door! This is someone new, a clean slate, do not disscuss your past relationships or heart breaks especially on the first dates. If your date asks, kindly tell him that is a story for another day.
3. Dinning etiquette !! I cannot emphasize this enough,if you can't use a knife and a fork ask for a spoon, eat small bits of foods at any one given time and do not talk with food in your mouth, bad table manners can be a turn off.
4. Eye contact is healthy, but do not stare it can make your date quite uncomfortable, smile and be warm this helps your date be more at ease and not a complete nervous wreck!
5. Don't pick up calls, this is very common especially with Nairobi guys.. (first hand account), if you have an important call coming tell your date early in advance otherwise ignore all the other calls you can always call them back after the date.
6. Guys, please pay for the first date dinner tab! That is what a gentleman would does. Ladies, do not push to pay for the bill, i call it playing the "Independent woman" card.... he asked you out he will get the cheque, don't flinch or even pretend to look for your wallet till he offers ... no no.
7. Flirt, smile, laugh at each other's jokes. Touch his arm, dating is not a business meeting.Don't be too smart (nerd) or too blonde..... Keep it light and fun... complete ticket to a second date.
8. Make an effort to look good. Be smart, be clean and pleasant. It feels so good when you see your date has made time to prepare to meet you. Women splash on some perfume, a bit of make up and  don't dress trashy, modest is the new sexy.
9. Mind your language, do not use offesive words, curse or vulgarity. It shows that you are rude, impolite and disrespectful. This also applies to common pick up lines...
10. Even if you don't like your date, don't be quick to give them a hard time. Your partner is human and, like you, deserves to always to be treated with respect. You can still have a good time hanging out with someone you're not attracted to, so treating them badly just because they're not your type is unacceptable. Rudeness is not allowed.
11. Tell the truth, don't be too secretive put yourself out there abit, it shows you also have weakness and can be vulnerable... its only human, covering up alot does not allow your date know the amazing person that lies inside.

I think with this up your sleeve, you can have an easier time during your dates. Its worked for me. Dating should be fun and cheap to ensure its sustainability over longer period.

LIFE IS GOOD....

I'm up early today, i even did some workout. I have a busy day ahead so i have to plan well not to have loads of backlog into the Friday! If you are wondering how cleaning out my closet is coming. Well, its amazing how one simple thing has changed alot of what is happening now. I take less time to dress up ( finally- since my options are limited). I can now see more space around me, im thinking of even repainting a more calm color not my mother's trafitional ivory walls. In a nutshell its been great less baggage.

This week has been great, you know one of those weeks where everything is just perfect! The universe is responding to this positive energy im exuding. Robin Sharma is one of my favorite motivational speaker especially on Personal development. I read some 60 things which he reccomended that one would do to have a stunningly great life ( which you can read  here ) I find some appalingly repulsive but some make complete sense. ( why would i want to sell the T.V??)

Finding happiness within your self is the best thing. If your own company bores you and you cannot have quality me-time who is going to actually enjoy being around you?? When you love your self, it makes it easier for others to love you and enjoy being around you. You gain an aura around you that attracts people (good ones) and keeps the bad away. Im not saying that bad things don't happen.... but it all begins in the mind. The mind is a powerful weapon... so lets give credit where its due.

As my weekend starts (yay!) im definately sure it going to be delightful. I look foward to having great conversation, good food, new experiences, pass my TOEFL exam ( why do we need to do them anyway....tsk..tsk ) and meet new people .

CLATTER CLATTER ... A HEAPED MIND PLATTER

I enjoy watching -Clean House- it is usually aired on Style. This is not your usual 'Extreme Makeover - home edition' programme. They look for the houses with the most clatter .. a complete-junkyard-in-your-living-room kind of house, then take out the clatter and restore homes. I find it very fascinating how much stuff you can keep in such a small perimeter. The clients usually have an issue behind all the clatter and its is not entirely because they are lazy.

Last night, i decided i had to create time to clean out my closet. My mother had been consatantly telling me i had too much clothes in my room, and i'd tell her that each piece of garment had a purpose. She was not just being 'mom', but actually my room  did look like a "hurricane aftermath!!" I kept on saying i would get to it but the truth is it kept on getting worse with everyday i procrastinated.

I have always been obsessively neat, this was unusual. I am not on an 8 - 5 job. I work mostly from home ... so simply i have no excuse. So, yesterday i worked late into the night.. cleaning my room , I had to give up some stuff. Ofcourse did not want to do it but i knew had to. Especially my wardrobe. Fitting into some clothes brought some nostalgic episodes. My first dinner in campus. The clothes i wore when i lost a whooping 7 kgs, some of them couldnt fit me anymore, some were completely worn off.. (shoes)... some clothes id saved up for so long to but i didnt want to let them go. Some were just past my age.... they were childish  and did not depict elegance.

 Some were worn to very special days... first campus date, outfit worn for my first stage hosting, gifts from my friends on birthdays, hand me downs- of which some were completely hideous! I have always learnt to keep my wardrobe very simple and just enough to get me by well. I had a whole "gikomba" ( as my mom called it) she did exegerate to some extent.. when had it come to this??? I knew i had to give them out, not just because it was kind, and messy, or because i had no use for them anymore, but because it was time to let go.

The clatter reflected the state of my mind and how my emotions at this particular stage in my life was. I did loose weight but i gained it back. I guess hanging on to the old petite clothes reminded me of how small i was once before. I had to let them go and embrace me now (im very okay). I did not want to give out my dinner dresses... since they have such splendid memories attached to them. My shoes... have trodden great lands, but i have to give them out. I was young and crazy... now im a fully grown lady and i can't stick to that look not anymore. Im sorry i had to let the hand-me-downs go, my sisters are far from me but their jackets don't make them any closer.... plus they really are fashion wanting. I have to learn to make meaningful communication with them.

Part of me felt sad, but the bigger part of me felt happy ,not just because i had a chance to give something out to someone who needed it, but also because i was letting go any attachments from my past that were crowding my physical space. Sometimes life can be tough, but a friend once told me that... life is like a movie and God is the director.. he will give his best actors the hardest roles. I don't mean that i have entirely forgotten my great and lovely past... but i have kept what is most important in form of memory staches in my mind. Memories that i can relate or refer to later. It has not only made my physical space more comfortable but also my mind is more at ease.

As i zip up this Godzilla-sized suitcase, i am ready now to let new things, new people, new experiences flow... im only 23 ( but not for long)... i have a world out there to conquer and i know i have enough room for what is coming... i can handle it! - I cleaned out my closet..:-)

EASTER'S NEW TRADITION

Its great to have mum back home for easter, techincally today is easter so all the messages i got on friday should have read - Happy Good Friday ( somemouthful). This easter the house has had the least number of people, 3 girls only! I have grown up in a big family and holidays are to look forward to everytime, there is nothing as amaizing as family holiday drama... #nostalgia.

So we had a pajama party(ish) with a movie at the end. I loved the whole idea -even though i slept within the first 20 minutes of the movie- waking up in a weird place in the morning ( read sittingroom ) was fun especially when my mother (in her late fifties) beat us all and she was the last one lady standing as we snored mid-easter-movie-night. As the family grows smaller hope finally my folks will settle for one tradition that they can do all by themselves when i am finally moved out ...:-)

Everyone watches movies ( if you don't... then you should be) so here is a list of questions and answers about my movie mannerisms... what's yours?

1.What’s your favorite movie of all time and why?
The Color purple, Preety woman as always but i do love Sarafina and sound of music....., yes i love musicals so much.
2.What was the best movie you saw this last year and why?
Last year.... ( thats so last year!!) well i think Bridesmaids definately.... Tree of life, ghost protocal, hugo and  Harry Potter -deathly hallows ( it finally came to an end!!)... guess you can't just have one :-(

3.Who’s your favorite director?


 Steven Spielberg he won me over at a tender age.. Jurrasic park, lost world... indiana jones he has great movies thinks outside the box, great effects and simply value for your time and money kind-of-movies


 (Doesn't this picture remind you of Steve Jobs??? )







4.Do you like black and white movies?
No! thats why i got a coloured TV... greatwall days are over..:-)
5.Do you watch nigerian movies?
Haha, i have to ... as much as you want to change the channel... you watch on hating on somethings... but really they have great lessons... Plus someone please tell the men not to shout ... its preety annoying.
6.What’s the scariest movie you’ve ever seen?
Snakes on a plane!!!!! yikes... i would jump when anything touched my feet in the house for the entire evening...

7.Who’s your favorite actor?

Johnny Depp... you don't even have to ask why.... ( Hawt).. no wonder Penelope Cruz.... #piratesofthecarribean








8.Do you cry at movies?
Yes! I can't hold back my tears.. im emotional... movies such as Fireproof, My name is Khan... i just had to*sniff sniff *
9.What’s the funniest movie you’ve ever seen?
Really can't place a finger they seem funny but lately i guess i liked .... Our Idiot brother (really? that guy)
10.Would you rather see a movie at the theater or at home on DVD?
Theater of course .. the big screen... 3D pocorn at the movies is always great ( what's the secret ingredient???) and better off with friends because they will watch it till it ends without leaving :-)))


This tradition has been there just not the whole idea over easter but it has survived on.... i shall pass it on, modify it make it livelier for my own home and hope that my children's children will have the same :-) Whatever traditions you have going to the coast, partying hard, eating mbuzi, spending time with loved ones. Always remember that easter's greatest and timeless tradition is to show love to others, as Christ did for us, what greater love than this. His atonement gave me a second chance. Lets show love to some one who needs it... its not too late.. yet.

I STILL DON'T KNOW HOW SHE DOES IT !!!!

This week has been crazy, My mother was away for the last four days. I have been overwhelmed.... running the Kinyanjui's house should be a job on its own.  All my siblings have moved out but this bird here is not leaving the nest... ( atleast not yet ). When mother was away, the mice didn't play for sure. Naturally being the eldest and only one, I took over her responsibilities.

I thought Linet Scavo in desperate housewives was a busy one since all her kids were toddlers and they are messy.... Wrong, dealing with grown ups is equally challenging, because they are bright and smarter. There was a lot of budgeting to do, shopping, organizing, people to call, Hospital visits, repairs to be done, errands, bills to be paid, keeping tabs with extended family... and the list kept going on and on. I was maxed out.

"I don't know how she does it"- a movie starring Sarah Jessica parker couldn't have depicted it better, the working mom who has kids, a great career she keeps her on her toes, a husband who she also needs to keep happy, choices she has to make, people she has to dissapoint. My favorite part which is very true for us women is "The List." which we write in our heads every night before we sleep of stuff that needs to be done... its a great watch, but the best part is that in this small simple things we women do we get the greatest joy.

I do not consider myself selfish, nor lazy but if thats a glimpse of how it will be in the future, well its a scary world and frankly.. im not sure i am prepared for it. I like watching Kimora Lee Simmons ... oh its Hounsou nowadays ( the rate of divorce and remarrying is so fast, i cant keep track of last names).. Life on the fab lane, she has it all together... great kids, a whole business empire and she has not cracked! Amazing. she has her struggles but always comes out triumphant.

I think being a mother means you are completely selfless. A couple of times this week i had to give up some few things of my own to make sure that i did what i needed to be done. I still wonder how my mother does all that and keeps her cool... she must be a super mom, with very great super powers like loving unconditionally, knowing what to say at the right time, knows whats best for all of us. She also has very common slogans like " Because i said so", " Clean your room", " Do what your father says".

Its been four days only but it feels like a lifetime... i really now understand how much my mother does to keep that house running the way it does... but i think ill still need to figure out how she does it, perhaps with my own family... someday :-)

The hand that rocks the cradle is the hand that rules the world.
     -- W.R. Ross    

WHEN I WAS YOUNG I WANTED TO BE A SINGER..

I have been so busy of late not able to update my blog, i had almost lost my life as a blogger for a moment there, but not to worry i have not yet reached the point 'to blog or not to blog'. I am having this Thursday infront of my computer busy trying out Karoke on YouTube. My friend encouraged my to try out for Tusker Project Fame Auditions, she reallly does believe in me, when i asked her for the audition venue and dates, she told me "See press and posters for details!"... huh really i hope next time i wont get a 'terms and conditions apply.' :-)

When i was a child i really wanted to be a singer, when everyone else wanted to be a doctor, pilot, farmer, driver (yes!). I just wanted to sing. I have grown up in a house full of music... (then) we should have had a small choir.  I thought muscians were preety, especially Tina turner and her raspy voice...Whitney (R.I.P). Sound of Music increased my ever burning desire for music. At the age of 5 i could sing in front of a 200 persons' crowd, the comments were encouraging too. (Of course i did not look llike her below... :-)

Somewhere along the way came books, education and Music was not in my school Curriculum. Naturally i was more inclined to passing my maths test than learning the F and G -clefs. Back in school and formed a trio with my friends called - Three Roses and we could actually rock a crowd pretty well. After high school of course came college and lets just say singing lost to other things. Although i would drop some few notes for my friends, that was preety much the end of me doing any singing.

Im standing infront of my laptop practicing a song - If you ask me by Omawumi, (amaizing song!) and i am astounded by how terrible i sound, what happened to my voice??? I was so sure i could pull it off quite easily....#puzzled. Now i actually believe my mother's stories when she tells me she could sing..What im preety sure of is, i will not be checking press and posters for details anytime soon. The simple joy i used to find when singing my heart out has been lost in the hustle and bustle of my daily life. I not giving up yet... im going out to get my groove again :-)

THE TECHNOLOGY CURSE ON DATING

On this lovely Sunday afternoon i decided to do some indulging on Facebook by chatting up some of my virtual friends ( ones i have not met face to face) it is after all social networking! My first conversation;
Me: Hi
Friend 1 : Hi, your pics look hawt!OMG...!!! :-o
Me : Thanks.
Friend 1: How do u know Jane* and Carol*?.... if u know them then you must be coooool.....lol.
Me: (went offline)

I must say meeting someone online has become a bit more boring nowadays. I call it 'The Technology Curse on Dating '. Imagine you only need the Facebook name of a girl/guy you like! I miss high school dating. Back then, a guy had to sum up his courage to ask me for my name, postal address and sometimes even my class. After the first encounter I would wait patiently for a week or longer to get the letter. It was every Friday, letters were called out in the dining hall after supper. Imagine how I felt when my name was called out! I clutched the letter(s) so tightly. Not all letters passed as good, but generally let me sum up the - Characteristics of a good letter:

• The envelop had to be white and the recipients name written in caligraphy.
• The back had to have a tit bit like, 'Open with a smile', 'Kiss before you open', 'Open with love' e.t.c
• The writing paper had to be colorful, the normal foolscap was a thumbs down.
• The letter had to be scented... not too much not too little to be noticed, just perfect.
• At the bottom of every letter was a place for 'Dedics' ( special song for the lady/guy)

If your letter had this, you were officially in the game.

I think of the technological revolution as more of a curse than a blessing ( to a larger extent ) in fostering the pace of relationships, truly matters of the heart should not be rushed. The I-pod, I-pad, I-tunes, I- this , I- that... but I-need-my-letters-written. Love letters have some suspense, anticipation, eagerness carried in them, you cannot simply delete or resend a letter that fast. That means the time taken to come up with the massive makes the words more meaningful, carefully chosen.

In this era i feel like technology has completely rendered love letters obsolete! I am not discrediting its emergence per se, i wouldn't also want to be stuck in stone age as the Flintstones communicating with drums, smoke and blowing of horns. When it comes to relationships, there is alot of information given out too fast and sometimes too soon. There is an overabundance of information that we may not be ready to process in such a fast pace.

In America, a study done shows that the American teenager sends out an average of 3,339 texts in a month ( that's 112 texts per day!). This my have detrimental effects on the kind of communication sent to and fro. The meaning of the words is cheapened! When you speed up communication you end up using more common expressions and cliche' phrases that are not unique and exclusive to one person. This is not a good way of expressing love. Some of the phrases are like : TTYL ( Talk to you later), Lol ( Laugh Out Loud) and many more. Since when do i make a joke and you send me a simple lol!!! Language has been completely distorted with acronyms that makes one sound charming and 'Swaggerful!'. Its like a me rolling on the floor fantasizing just because my new crush liked my photo on Facebook and tweeted me..... Wanna hang sometime. #lame.

Nowadays complete strangers can be an open book. Just Google their names or 'Facebook- Stalk them'.You can find out who has a top job and check out their profile pictures wondering who is that woman he has put his arms around! We don't keep time and we constantly lie on the phone, commonly... " I am almost there", when you are definitely not even out of the house! If only we would go back to when we were to meet at the clock at Kencom on Thursday at noon ( era of no cellphones)- then 'African time' would actually 'On time'.

May be I am being to skeptical and a bit harsh on technology, what I am simply saying is that, we need not dive into the newest form of technology head first (BBM), lets take time to know how it will affect our relationships in the long term. Its Wanja's nature to sometimes hang on to some old fashioned ways and  be conservative. Lets just keep some tangible records of the 21st  century metamorphosis of relationships to be able to look back into sometime in the future. Imagine if Paul in the Bible had written an Email to the Ephesians, and they had to delete it at some point to create more room for newer files... My point exactly!

RETRACING THE FOOTSTEPS OF MY YOUNGER SELF

I am an avid journaller. I started journaling when i was 12 years old. I hadn't quite grasped the idea of why a journal was important then.My teenage journals are filled with short erratic excerpts of my day, poems, lyrics from songs, bible verses and quotes from renowned people.Amidst all the naivety, i can conceptualize a clear metamorphosis of who i have came to be today. My writing makes more sense and is clearer as i grow older.

I do not at all dismiss the young girl's voice in my journals as 'Just a kid', i was able to express myself, my thoughts and feelings through lyrics of music, other people's poetry and great words. This way i have found my voice, my opinion and stand from what other people wrote. My personality has been greatly shaped from that kind of literature ( That is why you should screen through what your children read, watch, and listen to at a very tender age - classic case of your thoughts become your actions!)

When reading some of the entries, i am rather dissapointed in some choices i made. If i could go back in time i would not repeat some of the mistakes i made. Mistakes are lessons we learn from and if we do not make this a point of learning from them, we always put ourselves in almost similar circumstances that make us repeat these same mistakes, sort of a vicious cycle.

Sometimes i feel like reaching out to my younger self and tell her to do things more differently;

1. Don't care so much about what people think.
2. Spend more time with your siblings when you get older some will be thousands of kilometers away.
3. Do not date a bad boy... they really are!
4. Save Save Save!
5. Do not perm your hair...at least not yet.
6. Travel some more meet more people, laugh harder!
7. Don't take everything too seriously
8. Never give up on what you love doing.
9. There are some really bad and nasty people out there but there are more good people too.
10. Friends are essential keep them very close.

There are a million things i would like to tell this teenage girl as her life unfolds in the pages i hold, but, they have made her who she is today and i believe she turned out great! :-) Maybe extravagance made  me know importance of saving.Dating a bad boy made me know when a good man came along, maybe perming my hair made me realize that ' I am not my hair!' ( Yes! I stole that from India Arie)

If i was given a chance to go back and change a lot in the past, I wouldn't. I may have had a diffrent outcome, the ideal life, a complete state of Utopia, but then, i would be wondering what it would have felt like if i had done things differently and i would have never known!

THE WAVE

I am having my lunch break and as i walk past a shop, an old newspaper on the door of a new shop under construction stops me on my tracks. It is my old high school friend and her glam wedding photos are splashed all over the newspaper. Since i am with my workmates i tell them how cute they look on the photo and we all start oohhing and ahhhing at the couple. I finally decide to give her a call and catch up and she says the baby has been born. I am truly happy for her as we talk of the little bundle of joy. At the back of my head i am screaming at the top of my lungs.. "What????"

What happened to the plan back in school where we were supposed to stay single get flashy cars, pretty clothes before we let the knights in shining armor whisk us away? Reality check. My friend calls it the WAVE. The wave starts when all your girlfriends start getting married; have babies or actually settle in serious relationships. She says that if it misses you (the wave), you have to wait for 5 years to get into the wave again.

I may not be of the same school of thought, which proclaims spinsterhood and possible celibacy for the next half a decade.I believe its called growing up and taking risks that others are not willing to. Its knowing who is right for you and not the obvious heart breakers. Its putting your Knight in shinning armour before all the pretty dresses.

I may not be ready to take some of those risks right now but i am preparing to. I am preparing to be a great wife, mother and family pillar, I am letting God make me the best i can be, strong, prayerful, virtuous and loving. Just like flowers some open first and the rest come following later. In this case I may be a late bloomer but definitely a Bloomer!