REASON WHY I NEED A BLACK BERRY

I have never considered myself technologically handicapped and I know my way around several complex gadgets (if we are talking about computers)… the I-pad was really never rocket scienceJ.  After I am done with all this bragging you should see my humble handset, at least I can listen to radio!!! That is as far as the story goes.

I have had a really good phone before but it was it was never for keeps; it was a very heart breaking experience. Let’s just say I have my own set of issues with letting go. Sometimes I feel like if I get a really good phone it will be taken from me leaving me more heartbroken than before. I am slowly working on letting go of my past relationships with good phones and move away from the comfort zone of my current phone (which I would not mind if stolen over and over again). Simple it is ‘Replaceable’.

I am aware of slim touch phones that would fulfill all my dreams. Coming from a bad relationship with my last phone, this time I will take baby steps. I just want a Blackberry. I believe it is practical for a beginner who is moving on, it may be a bit difficult at first to dump my old handset but I hope slowly he will come to realize that we are really not fit for each other.

He has been holding me back form uploading all those pictures online. I cannot even respond to some of my emails, tweets and comments on time especially those days I am away from my PC! Can you believe he doesn’t even want to share the sim card slot with his own twin brother from Airtel!!!!

He has been my faithful and loyal servant but I think it’s time he loosened his grip and let me go. It’s time for me to spread my wings and soar. I need him to trust me, have faith and let me join the other side. Where emails are replied on time and tweets shared just at the right moment. That’s why I need a Blackberry.

A RELATIONSHIP.....TREAT IT LIKE A JOB

Some few years ago, one of my good friends (rather Older than me) gave me good insight for my relationship life. He told me “A relationship should be treated like a Job”.  Then I was in campus I did not have any job so I equated the same to an assignment. Let me tell you how I handled my assignments back in campus;

•         I was either too over ambitious and did all the work exhaustively and completed it weeks before the deadline. In a nutshell I rushed them.

•      I was either too lazy to work on them, then I would do them overnight the day before handing them in.

I bet you now realize why that advice was not really appropriate for a 20 year old mind. I recently go a new job and the analogy given to me earlier started to make sense. It is true that a relationship
may
work best when treated as a job. This is how…

COMMUNICATE

As in the work place learn how to reply to texts, emails and phone calls. Keep people updated on the progress of your department (read life). If a matter is to be discussed that is very important ensure that all the parties affected have some bearing to the decision made. It is unprofessional (relationship-wise) not to communicate if you will be late for a meeting and if you will not be able to make it for a date.

HAVE A PLAN

Getting into a relationship without a plan is like shooting with no aim. If a relationship is not viable kindly move on to the next viable project, do not go around in circles there will be very low or no profit in the long run. Set short term goals such as taking her out on date, making a phone call or even long term goals such as moving in together, getting married! Weigh the pros and cons of every decision then make a decision with lots of objectivity, sometimes listening to your heart clouds your mind. 

KNOW WHAT IS THERE IN THE MARKET

This can be your competitor’s profile. Who are they? Why would he/she choose them over you? What can you do to ensure that he/she does not lose interest in your products or services (Yes! services). If the lady loves poetry or fashion you better take her there over the traditional good ol’ movie theaters. Keep up with the current trends. 

MARKETING!!
The way you talk, dress and generally appearance says a lot about who are. Set a standard and stick to it. People are comfortable with consistency. Inconsistency may bring about distortion of the brand image. Good grooming and stay healthy to ensure that you have a wide base of prospective ‘suitors’. Be very careful with those that want free samples, ‘If they want constant supply of the milk, they’d better get the cow too!’

 The basic things we do in our day to day activity at work if applied with the same level of seriousness and enthusiasm in their relationships, would form very good relationships, my take. Think about it!!

THE BAD BOY CRAZE........

I am seated at my desk as usual working and humming to this song by Jaydn Maria “Good Girls like Bad Boys”, quietly I cannot help but think how true this is, as much as we may want to disagree with modesty, it is still very true! (I Included). We always literally run away from the really nice guys and chase after the one guy that you wouldn’t take to your mama.

Isn’t it unfair that the nice guys always finish last? It is always the bad guy that wins, the rogues, rascals and very spoilt brats. Sometimes I tend to think that once you get a bad guy it is like a breath of fresh air, something out of the ordinary totally exciting. When ladies are with bad boys they tend to relax and not worry so much about, etiquette and being all lady-like they are purely themselves and not uptight.

On the other hand being with a nice guy is somewhat of a big responsibility at times, since they have this picture of a perfect girlfriend or even spouse! Most of the time the lady is trying so much to be what they want them (nice guy) to be rather than what they ought to be. A bad boy will outrightly tell you what they want from you however intimidating and annoying it is to us women, deep down we like it and find it rather cute (and don’t deny) that’s why being around them is much easier since you do not see a future with them the future with them is now…

This doesn’t mean that all the nice guys should start being jerks since we love bad boys. No! you should strike a balance between being a complete manipulative person and a harmless nice guy. Be cool and charming that will win the beauties. Bad boys can be so addictive, Right!, but a proper lady should know when to snap out of it because they are not really for keeps. Trust me I have examples top of my head...

Somewhere on the map....

Last year (feels good to say that), i had my share of local tourism around the country. Most memorable was when i went to work at the coast. I know you are thinking about sandy beaches, warm water and sunglasses on (that's me pulling the 'diva 'look"), and you're right that's what happened, for a week!


I was living in a small village named Kikoneni, the people living there had a deep rooted culture. Adapting their lifestyle was somewhat new and definitely not easy. Unlike back in the city, you have to spend a couple of minutes every morning greeting a stranger and finding out how their morning is! If you do not they take offense and intern you cannot be able to get the data you want.

My first night, supper there was completely traditional, prominent tribes there were the Digo, Duruma, Giriama and Rabai. We sat on mats that were made from interwoven palm leaves under the starry sky. The cuisine there was coconut this and coconut that... beans, rice and it was very delicious not thinking of the calories in coconut oil!

The first house I visited was a typical traditional mud house where i had to spend the day with the mother. Their usual chores included one i found very interesting, pounding dry maize in a motor and pestle commonly called "Kinu' (i still wonder why they do that before taking it to the posho mill). The exercise looked simple as the mother did it, naturally, being of good cheer i decided to help. Woe unto me, as i tried to control the heavy stick i kept on missing and hitting the side of the wooden mortar. Children gathered around me like i was offering some sort of amusement, i gave one twelve year old girl to do it ( since she gave me that look - Really) and she executed the duty effortlessly while I rubbed my blister full hand on my jeans. The rest of the weeks passed on well and i learnt how to make the local cuisine including Mnazi! (Yes) but technically i could not climb the tree, i thought it would catapult me meters away.

Living in the village taught me several things, yes you can do without internet, running water, and phones (but can definitely do better with them around). It made me see life in a new light, how women in many parts of the country are still marginalized and work tirelessly in their households. How early marriages still exist in the back yard of our own country! The land is very productive and rich, but still farmers suffer under the hands of middlemen not getting what they are fully entitled to. Poverty was rampant and with it came issues of early pregnancies, hygiene, sanitation and ignorance.

I could not bring civilization in a month, nor educate in a week, but i made a difference to the few i could, I learnt and accepted their way of life. During that period i got a gift of humility , peace of mind and above all i found favor among my fellow clansmen. If walk down the streets of Kikoneni today I'll will be proudly called a Kikonenite!

LAST DAY OF THE YEAR 2012

Funny how life changes as we grow older. I would have not thought that the last day of the year would be spent entirely in front of my computer at work, naturally i would have opted to be out of town in a breath taking scenery away from prying eyes and embracing the peace and tranquility.

Well.. 2011 was a year of learning for me, i bent some rules or probably broke them. I have learnt how to deal with different personality types. When the year started i wrote own my resolutions ( as i do every year ) and i am not going to rant about how i didn't keep half of them no.... as-a-matter-of-fact i did, if it was a test  i would score highly. I graduated from college with honors, i tried to be a better daughter, aunty and friend ( hope my friends back me up on this one) and most of all i solidified my relationship with my heavenly father and so much more!

What I learnt this year:

Education :  It is what opens the door for me to get a bright future. It makes you think critically of actions you take and consequences of each action. It is a way of life how you think, talk and relate to other people.

Finances: I realized that school was a comfort zone and when i had my own money it meant planning, saving, making right choices for the money i had ( made some bad ones but you learn form experience, don't you?) It taught me to say NO! to what is not necessary and what i can do without. Earning my own money also gave me freedom to do what i wanted without necessarily looking up to my parents for approval.

Working: My first job as a Nutritionist has been an amazing experience so far, I was  too overly ambitious at first but I have learnt (still learning) to do what i can to the best of my ability and set realistic goals that I can be able to achieve without too much strain. I have learnt to listen and learn from people experiences they have been doing this longer than I have.

Family: Having such a strong christian background my family has played a great role as to who i am. On my graduation party, it dawned on me how much support my parents and siblings had given me during my education and lifetime I am entirely grateful for that. I have learnt family traditions are their to be kept followed and passed on to my sons and daughters, no matter what the circumstance try as much as possible not to conform.

Relationships: This was my greatest lesson I must say, bottom line with friends don't burn bridges. Character and personality is what matters in the end it is not who you are in the society how much money you earn bottom line its character and personality. I have had a huge chunk of my own (story for another day) but I have learnt to let go and lose the 'hope gene', men will not change so once like him be ready for him never to change #fact!

As much as some people think its a waste of time or utterly unnecessary to write down their resolutions, I still am not for that school of thought, somewhat conservative, i will write them since it gives me a sense of structure, organization and a plan to fall back on and evaluate my performance. It is a plan I intend to stick to, its my way of checking if in the write track.

I wish you all a Happy 2012. Make sure you write your resolutions!!!

Wanja Kinyanjui

Christmastime 2011

Well it's Christmas!! All the excitement begins, holiday meeting family members you have not seen in a while and definitely the finger-licking food. When i was younger i could not wait to see my cousins come and spend christmas at home or I at their place.

Holidays then were very exciting and it reminded me of the story i read in Primary English, about a certain girl who went to Wundanyi and blah blah.. My point is, we were all about the same age and we did all sorts of childish activities you can think of. Once we went to a neighbor's house on 31st December and lit fire crackers and ran off ( i hope she is not reading this). It made the bond tighter and i always leaked a tear when it was time for us to leave.

This Christmas my folks told me that my cousins would be coming, i was ecstatic now that we were older who knows what mischief we could do, including going out dancing random bonfires and music in the house.. my mind was running wild with ideas. Wait until i got home to find them, Lo and behold! before my sight were four bambinos staring back at me. Don't get me wrong i adore children, but this festive season i was going to fight tooth and nail to have peace and mind away from toddlers.

Seems when we grow older we get different things to do, work, different responsibilities on our shoulders. Consequently family time during the holiday is now reduced to one or two days. Maybe i am the one having a hard time letting go off my childhood memories but i wish Christmas was longer and fun as it used to be.

CHILDHOOD MEMORIES

My childhood was just fascinating unlike children nowadays who sit in front of the P.S the whole day playing and later sharing stories on funny monster stories and ridiculous Sci-Fi details, not that i do not like it but they just squeee the juice off the story.
I was half a tomboy and half a girl. I may not have been the best at "kati" but at least i beat all my friends intellectually to be top three in the game. Once i followed a girl called "sweetie" ( i still don't know her real name up to now) to a nearby river that was strictly forbidden, I couldnt swim so i played with the ice cold water longer than the rest of the kids ( the experience was commonly known as duf-o-parara). i got such a terrible cold that lasted for a week but that was not nearly half the beating i got from my mother - hell hath no fury!