Thursday, 6 December 2012

Walking through History

I still find it amazing that I'm studying World history after my trip around some of France's historical sites. It makes the history lessons come more alive!

To think, that I walked through the gates of the Chateau de Versailles, the very same gates that the French citizens marched through during the French Revolution..









 










I was in the palace...walking the same corridors walked by King Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette! In fact, here's the very room she slept in...and the door she used to escape the raging mob.


That's actual silk on the bed and alcove . Oh la la! :D



Walked in the gardens they strolled in...these ducks and swan may even be descendants of the birds in King Louis XVI's day!














Twirled in the Hall of Mirrors, which must have hosted beautiful balls in its hey-day. (A Cinderella story perhaps? ;) )


Don't we make lovely princesses?



And I still can't believe they used all that to bury Napoleon Bonaparte. I mean, wasn't he a very short man?




Here us, on a final stroll along L'Allee Royale 
* All photos were taken by Yours truly! Except the ones I'm in, of course :)

Friday, 30 November 2012

Necessity is the mother of INNOVATION

Ever since the government decided to bring in a new Traffic Act, the public service system in Nairobi has almost come to a standstill. I've been trying to make sense of this matatu strike and maybe it's just me, but I don't think anyone is gaining from it; neither the matatu guys nor the rest of us stranded citizens.
I mean, wouldn't it just be easier to comply to the rules, live and drive in a safer environment and still get your pay at the end of the day? Can anyone tell me what their grievances are?

The best thing about human things though is, for every bad egg, there's a basketful of good ones. And this matatu strike has just shown how innovative Kenyans are. We now have a carpool system where people are offering each other rides in a safe and legit way. If you need a ride, just tweet your location and destination with the hashtag #carpoolke or check out the site https://carpoolke.crowdmap.com/main

So proud to be Kenyan right now!

Sunday, 28 October 2012

Love really is worth it...especially God's love


Francesca Battistelli must have been inspired cause she's definitely inspired me :)

This is a beautiful song.

So long by Francesca Battistelli


I used to daydream that I could be free
And far away from all the pain in this world
A little understanding
A hand to hold me
I was wrapped up in my doubt
But all that changed when you came around

[Chorus]
So long all that lonely living
That something that was missing isn’t missing anymore
So long to the way that wasn’t working
And the hurting that was all I knew
It’s all gone so long as I have you

Still have the hard times when nothing’s going right
Just wanna pull the covers over my head
You gave me a new perspective
When the days get heavy and I feel rejected
There’s someone to run to
Since the day that I found you

[Chorus]
So long all that lonely living
That something that was missing isn’t missing anymore
So long to the way that wasn’t working
And the hurting that was all I knew
It’s all gone so long as I have you

So long to the mornings without meaning
The nights without sleeping
I’m right where I belong

[Chorus]
So long all that lonely living
That something that was missing isn’t missing anymore
So long to the way that wasn’t working
And the hurting that was all I knew
It’s all gone so long as I have you

Thursday, 18 October 2012

What we forsake

 
Been thinking about God's ever gracious nature and how audacious we are as human beings to take it so lightly. It's even worse for us Christians because we know, we're not ignorant like those who do not know about God, those who do not share a personal relationship with Him.
We know how dark our lives were,
               how deeply we were entangled in sin
               how lost we were...
 before we realised Christ died to save us from ourselves, to bring us to the light.

The creator of all the universe, of everything we have, everything we see
Made Himself like us...
Can you imagine? A being such as who God is, taking the form of us weak mortals?

And not just to live and suffer and go through hard stuff like we do everyday
But to bear ALL our sins? All however-many-billion... actually, He died for everyone, even those yet to be born
So that's more than 7 billion 'people-loads' of sin
All on one person, one 'man-God', one God personified...

And yet we still sin
 We still go ahead and do what we know is not right..
I'm amazed at our behaviour,
      amazed at my own audacity

It's really baffling that I'm still alive
  And if I am still alive, since I am still alive
The least I can do, is serve YOU

So Father Lord, even as You continually extend 
 Your grace towards me
You can use me, send me, call me,

          I'm Yours.

Friday, 14 September 2012

Happiness is...

I really do miss singing Sunday school songs. Here's one I remembered today:

Happiness is to know the Savior
Living a life within His favor,
Having a change in my behavior
Happinesss is the Lord

Happiness is a new creation
Jesus in me in close relation
Having a part in His salvation
Happiness is the Lord
Real joy is mine
No matter if teardrops start,
I've found the secret --
It's Jesus in my heart!

Happiness is to be forgiven
Living the life that worth the living
Taking a trip that leads to heaven
Happiness is the Lord, Happiness is the Lord
Happiness is the Lord!

Saturday, 1 September 2012

Have you ever?

Have you ever reached what you thought was your end?

Have you ever sat down and asked "When will it ever mend?"

Ever felt like everywhere you turn, complications extend a hand?

A hand you'd rather not take, one you wish was never offered

I'm sure many of you are nodding, saying in your head,

"I've been there!"
    
         "I know that place too well"

Do I have good news for us? I just might

Cause what I do know is it always gets better

For sure.


Have you ever tried to track your progress in that place?

That place of doom and gloom and nothing good

Positive progress, where the cloudy sky is clearing?

Have you ever noticed that you don't always notice

Notice when things start to light up?

When the room starts to get warm?

When darkness loses its foreboding nature?

Ever thought of a brand new day

As a whitewashed wall?

A clean slate, a new start?

Seriously, have you ever wondered

why the Sun just doesn't appear in the sky?

Ever pondered?

On why She has to go through the process of rising up into the sky?

Have you ever realised?

Realised that everyone gets another chance?

So never give up.

It may seem hard, it may seem blurred

Soon enough, things will clear

And your question will turn around and be

"I never knew... I had such strength,

such faith, such a great support around me,

such a loving Lord and Creator

Had I never, would I have ever?"





Wednesday, 25 July 2012

Belgium on a public holiday: photo session

Here are a few photos, as promised!

We took the metro to town on Day 1...



 There was a whole fair being held at the park grounds to celebrate the public holiday. All sorts of stands were there including an entire dog show. Here are some adorable dogs I managed to capture on lens..



And watched the military parade for national day!!


The horses made a mess on the beautifully clean streets and right after them came, who would have guessed, a cleaning crew!!

I found myself wondering if we could ship one of these trucks to Kenya :)


As always with these military parades, there was a marching band.

I just love their feathered hats!
 I love how the incorporated the lion into the military uniform. Its an important symbol in Belgium which appears on their coat of arms as started by King Leopold II and putting it on the top of the flag poles is a stroke of genius. 

The architecture is also something out of this world. Here is a building in the city centre (Brussels)



I hope now you have a bit more of an idea as to what Belgium looks like in my eyes. More photos should be coming up as soon as possible!!

Monday, 23 July 2012

MY Summer in Belgium: DAY 2

So from the title you already know that I'm in Belgium!! This is the first time I've been in Europe so there's cause for lots of excitement on my part. When people say good friends are a treasure, they truly are. It's because of a good friend of mine that I'm here and I conquered everything that the embassy threw at me. Because of her and God working through people, I'm enjoying experiencing a whole new culture.

Naturally, most accounts should start with 'Day 1' but I'm going to mix it up a little. ;) It may also have something to do with the fact that I'm beginning this account on the second day...maybe just a little bit.

So today being a Sunday, I went with my friend and her family to church. They go to IBC which happens to be the same branch of church that my family used to go to when we lived in Dar-es-Salaam. I was so glad to hear that IBC was in Brussels too! The service was great and for the first time in my life, I was eager to stand up and introduce myself to the congregation, as is custom for visitors in most churches. I was eager to represent Kenya :) turns out though that I didn't need to do it for Kenya, just for myself because the moment I said I was from Kenya, the pastor remarked pleasantly ,"It looks like Kenyans are going to overtake us!" (or something to that effect)

Later, we went for pizza from 'Pizza Hut' and I got to see coupons in use for the first time with my own two eyes! That is definitely something we need to think introducing in Kenya...it can cut your purchase cost almost in half!

Being summer, the days are unusually long (unusual for me) so after playing sports games on Nintendo 'Wii', my friend, her siblings and I went to the nearest park in the neighbour hood. We played the traditional 3 sticks and had a great time chatting with a 6 year-old girl in a mixture of Dutch and French. (Thank you Alliance Francaise de Mombasa!!)

My day yesterday was more eventful what with it being a national holiday when there's a parade in the capital city. I know Kenya has its own parades but I'd never actually been to one until yesterday. Oh, the waiting was definitely tiring and seemed almost futile but it paid off. More so for the activities the military had organised than anything else. There was rock-climbing on an artificial rocks, lots of food stands and other things related to the military like looking for land mines and camouflaging...awesome experience for little boys. You know how boys get with military-related things...

And I got on a metro for the first time in my life! For those of you who don't know what a metro is, its pretty much like the American subway. You buy a ticket which gets you through the gate of the station, then you check to see what time your train's coming and wait for it to arrive. The metro has automatic doors and the driver's in a cabin by himself. Absolutely zero contact between the driver and the passengers. SO different from Kenya. Even the buses here have no conductors. You just get on the bus and slot in your bus card and take your seat. Easy peasy!!

Being in Europe is definitely an experience I'm going to cherish for the rest of my life. I can't wait to make more memories tomorrow!!! :) Photos will be coming soon.
Till then, a bientot!

Friday, 6 July 2012

Supernatural

There's a song done by a Christian rock band called 'Flyleaf'. The first time I heard this song, I was speechless. And right now, with all I'm going through, it's so appropriate it seems heaven-sent. Here are the lyrics:
 Her headaches
Constant
Increasing in pain with each passing day
She can't even manage to stand on her own
It's gotten so bad

Now you think of saying
There's no use in praying
Still she bows her head so she can say,
"Thank you for just one more day."

Supernatural patience
Graces her face
And her voice never raises
All because of a love
Never let go of
Never let go of

He has every reason to throw up his fists
In the face of his God who let his mother die
Through all the prayer and tears
She still passed in pain anyway

Now you think of saying
There's no use in praying
Still he bows head so he can say,
"Thank you for ending her pain."

Supernatural patience
Graces his face
And his voice never raises
It's all because of a love
Never let go of
Never let go of

He is teaching me
What love really means

Supernatural patience
Graces his face
And his voice never raises
It's all because of a love
Never let go of

Yes it's supernatural patience
Graces his face
And his voice never raises
All because of a love
Never let go of
Never let go of

He is teaching me
What love truly means 

Being sick is never pleasant. And it gets worse when the sickness is prolonged. The people who inspire me to be determined and work through it are a number. We begin of course, ultimately, with God. He' s the one who gives me the strength to move on everyday. He had also blessed me with the rest I'm about to list.

My family...in their own way, they help me push for more and not sit and settle down in self-pity.

My boyfriend and his cousin...by being in even bigger shoes, my boyfriend's cousin encourages me via the best gift I've gotten in a person of late, a.k.a, my boyfriend. If his cousin can fit in size 11 shoes, then my size 6 should be more than manageable. That last statement is figurative. :)
My ever-closest  friend... H.A.A, you may baby me a bit too much, but the fact that you do means a lot. You've taken care of me in more ways than I can count. Thank you for increasing my reasons to live.

Then there's other friends and random people like Phillip Phillips who won the last season of American Idol. He was sick a lot during the competition and had to perform amidst pain on many occasions but you would not have known, had they not mentioned it. So seeing someone as musically talented as him who overcame his sickness just encourages me even more. I love music. That should say everything.

Basically, I'm just counting my blessings. We used to sing a song in Sunday school, "Count your blessings name them one by one, count your blessings see what God has done, count your blessings, name them one by one, and it will surprise you what the Lord has done."
1 Thess. 5:18 says, " give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus." 

So, whether you know Christ or not, whether you're born-again or not, whether you think God does not exist or you know He does, try it. Think of all the good things you have in your life. See how you feel after. And don't say you have nothing to be grateful for...everyone does. You just have to look beyond what you see!

Friday, 1 June 2012

The scars of yesterday, the joy of tomorrow


She sat still, so still that she looked like a statue.
She sat cross-legged on the concrete wall that formed the boundary of the beautiful cliff-side house. Just after her crossed knees was a 200 metre drop that did not seem to bother her. After the drop was a beautiful green valley that seemed to go on forever into the horizon where the sun was just beginning to rise.

If you looked at her, she seemed as distant as the rising sun, but on closer inspection, the black earphones in her ears became visible. She was listening to the CD she'd just bought two days ago, by Casting Crowns.
  "Now I'm letting go and holding out my hand,
     Daddy here I am again,
        would you take me back tonight?..."

The words of the song seemed heaven-sent. They blended so well with the quiet environs and tugged at the strings of her heart. It was soothing, sitting there, listening to the music, watching the sun rise. It was the dawn of a new day, a day that would be brighter than the one before, a red day. Yesterday with all its tears, pain and torment, now seemed to be a fading dream. The warmth from the rising sun kissed her arms, legs and forehead, revealing a cut on one arm...scars from the now-fading yesterday.

She raised her chin and let her face be bathed in the warm sunlight, a slight smile stretching across her lips.
     " I went and made the world my friend,
       And it left me high and dry
        I dragged Your name back through the mud
         that You first found me in
           Not worthy to be called Your son
            Is this to be my end? 
       Daddy, here I am..."


Life had been so bleak for her, but now she finally had a promise of hope, a promise of restoration, a promise of... a new beginning. For once in her life, she knew, without a shadow of doubt, that everything would be okay.
     " Daddy, here I am..."
         


Thursday, 26 April 2012

Rainy day

On a rainy day,

the skies are grey,

The weather determines,

what we wear

how much we care.... for our well-being.

But at some point, it begins to clear up

and it's no longer gloomy, in fact, its beautiful..


Rainy day,

sometimes I really don't like you

but you wash away
all the dirt and filth

and everything
is clean again.


When the sky clears, after a rainy day

it's like dawn, a new beginning

a new chance to start over,

to be clean again.

Just like Christ washed away our sins with His blood,
so the rain washes away the stain of dirt

So thank you, Rainy day

and when you do go away,

we'll be glad to see you back again,
but only after a while!


Friday, 23 March 2012

Born to lead

Being born to lead may seem quite automatic. I mean, if it's an inborn quality, it's got to be as easy as breathing, right? You don't even have to exert yourself to do it. But is there really such a thing as a "born leader"? Are only certain people born to lead? Or is everyone born to lead in their own capacity?

 I may not be able to effectively answer those questions at this point in time but I've been learning many things about leadership recently. Some from the lectures of my class on 'Interpersonal communication' and some from God. Well, actually, mostly from God. :)
Among the most obvious things I've been reminded of is: leadership is not sitting on people and being domineering and dictatorial. I guess that disqualifies most of the presidents that Africa has seen.

 Something I had never realised is that leadership is not the position given to you by people. It is instead, a conscious decision made on a personal level. Being appointed 'chairperson' or 'class leader' or even 'school captain' does not necessarily make you a leader. Doesn't sound quite right, huh? It is true that leadership qualities have been seen in you and that's probably why you were appointed so, but You only become a leader when you decide to take charge of the situation, to coordinate necessary activites and remain accountable to your role. Before this conscious decision is made however, you're just a leader by name. Maybe you didn't even want that position but didn't turn it down because you felt you had no choice. Or maybe, you took the position so that you would enjoy the priviledges that come with it. That's why we see people in positions of leadership and think to ourselves, "Why on earth are they in that position if they're not doing what you're supposed to do?"  Sometimes, you can clearly see that they do not even want to be there.

God knows just how much this has opened my eyes to the truth and importance of leadership. As my philosophy lecturer once said,
     "A leader is one who knows the way,
           shows the way
                  and goes the way".

So in that case, does every one of us have the capacity to lead? Why do the 'wrong kind' of people get such important positions?  I'm still thinking and mulling that one over. One thing I do know though is a good leader always has a heart of servitude. And when they serve effectively, they too receive service in return.




Thursday, 23 February 2012

What say you?



Over the last couple of months I've been reading Francine Rivers' 'Mark of the Lion' series and the three books have had a remarkable effect on me. I hope to be a proper writer one day and I really admire people like Francine who are able to use their gift as a form of ministry, 'cause that's what it is. Whenever I will write a story, God-willing, I'd want anyone to be able to see Christ woven within that story. I'd want it to be like eating pancakes flavoured with just a sprinkle of cinnamon. The amount of cinammon is just enough so you can taste it, but not too much that you can't taste the pancake anymore...that's kinda how I see Francine employing Christianity in her books. I pray that I will be able to do that in my own writings.

So the first book, "A Voice in the Wind" made me think a lot about professing your faith in Christ during difficult times and relying only on the strength you get from God. The story is set during the Roman era after Jerusalem was destroyed by Emperor Titus and revolves around a young Jewish girl named Hadassah who is taken captive and sold as a slave in Rome. Despite all the hardships she faced, she still managed to serve with love and at the end, her simple way of life led everyone to Christ. It made me sit and assess my own life. I found myself asking questions like 'If I were in the same position, would I act the same way?'

Forgiveness is one of the most important aspects in life. Unforgiveness can cost you eternal life yet sometimes, we don't fully understand the magnitude of forgiveness. We say we forgive but then everytime we see the person we can't talk to them naturally without having feelings of bitterness towards them. It's hard, I admit, it's hard to completely forgive as God does, but that's what He asks of us. Forgive, as Christ forgave you. Complete forgiveness means restoration of the broken relationship between you and the 'offender' (for lack of a better word). That means that you treat them as you did before the offense, love them, care genuinly, share with them... O God, even as I write this I can't help thinking, "That's difficult!" However, all things are possible through Christ Jesus, our Lord and Saviour.
This is my prayer for myself and those around me...that we will learn what true forgiveness is and let go of the natural need for vengeance we have deep within.

Forgive, forget, heal and live joyfully.

BTW: the photo is from another blog...

Monday, 6 February 2012

Camera work

yes!!!!

It finally worked! :) this was the photo meant to go with the post "This little light of mine". I took it myself on my first digital camera.

And the light shone through the darkness....

Friday, 20 January 2012

Is chivalry really dead?

I've heard people say 'chivalry is dead' and I've even used the phrase a few times myself. One day however, I was in a situation where I found myself thinking that chivalry must really be dead.

It was the usual morning rush hour when everyone in Nairobi is either trying to get to work or school and my normal priviledges of being dropped off at school had been momentarily taken away. So there I was, with the rest of the wananchi, waiting for a matatu to get me halfway to school.  As much as taking public transport in the mornings was a bit of a foreign concept to me, the moment I got to the bus stop, I knew that particular morning would prove to be a difficult one. There was already a tremendous amount of traffic accumulating on the highway and every matatu that passed was full. Since things were not looking too promising, my mother and I decided to walk to the bigger bus terminal, where we would have more hope of getting a bus or matatu.
On getting there, the crowd of people waiting was a clear indication that our luck had run out. There were no public vehicles in need of extra passengers. Just as we were giving up hope, a matatu came charging 50 ksh... 20shillings extra the normal rate. Not that anyone cared about the extra charge. In a moment there was a group of people, men and women alike, shoving and pushing to get on the 14 seater. My mother was lucky enough to get a seat. I was right behind her but some other ladies who decided that their business in town was more urgent than mine, unceremoniously pushed me out of the way and sat on the two remaining seats.
"That's what you get for being nice," I told myself, trying to get over the shock of being so blatantly mistreated. Fortunately enough, another matatu came in less than five minutes and not only was it bigger, but it was also charging the normal rate! The process of getting on however, was another story altogether. Every time I'd get close to the door, a man would push me out of the way, or stretch his arm over me and grab onto the bars next to the door so he would get on first. And each time it happened, it would be a man. By the time I got on, the only empty seats left were at the extreme back and I couldn't help but notice that the number of men was considerably more than the women. That's why by the time I sat down, I'd decided that chivalry was indeed dead. As dead as a doorknob (or a dodo, as my mom would say :) )
But then I found myself wondering what chivalry actually meant, who started it and who decided what passed for being 'chivalrous'. According to the Oxford Dictionaries online, 'chivalry' is defined as:

the medieval knightly system with its religious, moral, and social code: the age of chivalry
  • the combination of qualities expected of an ideal knight, namely courage, honour, courtesy, justice, and a readiness to help the weak: tales of chivalry and knightly deeds
  • courteous behaviour, especially that of a man towards women: he still retained a sense of chivalry towards women

  • Reading this definition helped me realise that chivalry is not a common behavioural trait for good reasons. It first came about during the medieval times when knights still played an active role in their society and women did not have much rights, if they had any at all. A knight was expected to be courageous, honourable, courteous, just and ready to help the weak. Even before you bring in his behaviour towards women, he was already such a gentleman. So what happened? Would it be just to say that how men are being brought up today is the cause of the death of chivalry? Or is it the way women are fighting for equality with their male counterparts? If you ask me, there's no way women and men can be completely equal. I agree with how women equality started out, because before women had rights, they were treated worse than animals. But it's now gone a little bit too far with women wanting to be able to do everything a man can do. I'd still want a man to take out the trash for me, open a door, fix the light bulb, change a tyre... All this is stuff I can do myself, but it feels nice to have a man do it for me. It helps me appreciate him more, and I believe he feels appreciated in return. Maybe it's just the way I was raised or the influence of the environment I've grown up in, but according to me, that's how the world is supposed to be. And that's why despite having experienced it a couple of times, I still get shocked when a man shoves me at the bus stop so he can get on first. I don't blame him, he probably knows from first-hand experience that being courteous will cost him a bus ride home, so he does what he has to do. But does it have to be that way? I'll let you decide for yourselves.

    I'm hopeful of at least one thing...not all men lack the courtesy. Some still surprise us women with their 'chivalric' behaviour, whether they realise it or not. I just wish they were the majority.

    Tuesday, 3 January 2012

    Teaching old dogs new tricks...


    While on holiday I’d been re-instated as the official dog handler at home, a position I hadn’t held in a while. All it required was cooking for Leo(our German Shepherd), giving him his food at the appropriate time and maybe, if I felt up to it, take him for a walk.
    “Piece of cake!” I found myself thinking. But I’d forgotten about putting Leo back in his kennel in the morning, something he hated with all his doggy heart. He’d rather even have a bath, that’s how much he hated going back into his kennel. So I thought I’d be crafty and tempt him with a bowl of milk. It worked the first day; Leo followed me all the way to his house and went straight for the milk I placed in the middle of the floor. He was too busy lapping it up to notice when I locked the door behind him.
    With such a successful first day, I was sure the same would play out the next day. I don’t think I’ve ever been so wrong about something before like I was then.
    I started out as usual with the bowl of milk. Leo had realized by then that I was replacing the person who usually put him in and so he very cleverly sat at a distance and watched me walk to his kennel and put the milk inside. When I came closer, he immediately shot off like a rocket and kept his distance. I tried using all the commands he’d been ‘trained’ to respond to but to no avail. He did not ‘come’ when I told him to, neither did he ‘sit’ when I said he should. Instead, he gave me an amused look, tongue lolling out of his mouth, and ran off to chase the crows.
    Frustrated, I decided to try one last thing and get out his leash so that he would come to me. It worked! Like the obedient dog that Leo sometimes is, he came running to me and sat as still as he could while I put him on his leash. Now, the plan was to leash him and force him into his kennel, but Leo had something else in mind. Once he was sure he was on his leash, off he ran in the direction of the gate. When I didn’t follow, he came back to where I was standing and ran off again towards the gate. He wanted to go for a walk! His mind had registered ‘walk’ the moment he saw ‘leash’ and there was nothing else that he would do until he had his walk.
    By that point in time, I was at the end of my wits, so I gave up and let Leo stay out that day and enjoy his freedom. I blame the guy who usually handles Leo…he didn’t stick to the initial obedience training. Well, it's obviously too late now, the damage is done. And I've learnt you truly can’t teach an old dog new tricks. 
    Even if the dog’s just 4 years old.