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.