To Great music and Inspired musicians

Have you ever come across a certain musician or group of musicians whose songs always seem to relate exactly to your situation (be it current, past or even future)? Well, I have. And over the last year, there has been one specific band that has been God-sent with tailor-made messages for me :)

I'm pretty sure they have no idea how uplifting and inspired their songs are. But either way, I appreciate the fact they have let God use them to reach people like me.

And so I dedicate this post to appreciate a Godly inspired band... Tenth Avenue North.



Song #1 By your side

The best thing about this song, is that it does not necessarily have to apply to a certain situation. It can work well whenever. But I believe its particularly strong when as a Christian, you feel like your out-of-sorts in your relationship with God. We all seek to be loved and this song addresses that as well. 

Here are God's words to you, beloved child :)

Why are you striving these days
Why are you trying to earn grace
Why are you crying
Let me lift up your face
Just don't turn away

Why are you looking for love
Why are you still searching as if I'm not enough
To where will you go child
Tell me where will you run
To where will you run

Chorus:

'Cause I'll be by your side

Wherever you fall

In the dead of night

Whenever you call

And please don't fight

These hands that are holding you

My hands are holding you

Look at these hands and my side
They swallowed the grave on that night
When I drank the world's sin
So I could carry you in
And give you life
I want to give you life

(Chorus 2x)

Cause I, I love you
I want you to know
That I, I love you
I'll never let you go

(Chorus 2x)

Lyrics taken from http://www.lyricsmode.com/lyrics/t/tenth_avenue_north/by_your_side.html

Song #2 Oh my dear

Now this one is actually one of the first songs that led me to the realization that someone far away, both in time and space, can still be a comfort to you, a complete stranger.

This one is more of a story..

I called you up you were in bed

Could barely make out the words that you said

But you wanted to see me instead, so I got dressed

And I stepped out into the snow,

And walked for a mile or so

Felt the rush of blood come from the cold, in my chest

Well, you finally came to the door

And we talked for an hour or more

Until I asked if you would stay up till four

You said, "That's fine."

But you said, "There something that I have to say,

And I can't because I'm just so afraid."

And so I held you as you started to shake, that night

Oh my dear, 

I will wait for you

Grace tonight, will pull us through

Until the tears, have left your eyes

Until the fears, can sleep at night

Until the demons that you're scared of

Disappear inside

Until this guilt, begins to crack 

And the wait falls from your back

Oh my dear, I'll keep you in my arms tonight

Verses:

You slowly lifted your head from your hands

You said, "I just don't think that you'll understand,

You'll never look at me that way again 

If you knew what I did."

And so your tears fell and melted the snow

You told me secrets nobody has known

But I never loved you more even though

Now I knew what you did

Oh my dear, 

I will wait for you

Grace tonight, will pull us through

Oh, my dear,

I will wait for you

Grace tonight will pull us through

Until the tears, have left your eyes

Until the fears, can sleep at night

Until the demons that you're scared of

Disappear inside

Until this guilt, begins to crack 

And the wait falls from your back

Oh my dear, I'll keep you in my arms tonight

Until the tears, have left your eyes

Until the fears, can sleep at night

Until the demons that you're scared of

Disappear inside

Until this guilt, begins to crack 

And the wait falls from your back

Oh my dear, I'll keep you in my arms tonight

I'll keep you in my arms tonight

I encourage you to look them up on Youtube and be as blessed as I was! :)

We are Broken by Paramore

In honour of a song I've been playing on repeat and an amazing artist I discovered :) 

I am outside
And I've been waiting for the sun
And with my wide eyes
I've seen worlds that don't belong

My mouth is dry
With words I cannot verbalize
Tell me why
We live like this




Keep me safe inside
Your arms like towers
Tower over me

We are broken
What must we to restore
Our innocence
And oh the promise we adored?
Give us life again
'Cause we just wanna be whole

Lock the doors
'Cause I'd like to capture this voice
That came to me tonight
So everyone will have a choice

Under red lights
I'll show myself it wasn't forged
We're at war
We live like this

Keep me safe inside
Your arms like towers
Tower over me, yeah

'Cause we are broken
What must we do to restore
Our innocence 
And oh the promise we adored?
Give us life again
'Cause we just wanna be whole

Tower over me

Tower over me

And I'll take the truth at any cost

'Cause we are broken

What must we do to restore

Our innocence

And oh the promise we adored?

Give us life again

'Cause we just wanna be whole

Photo sources: google pics and Viria13 on deviantart.com

For Praise and Worship teams and lovers of music...

Whenever someone asks me when I started singing, I always respond in the same way.
"I've been singing for as long as I can remember," I respond. After that usually follows stories of how I spent my childhood doing two main things: singing and reading. Whenever I was sent to bed at night, I would always go with a book. And if I was still awake after my parents had turned off the lights, I would sing myself to sleep. In fact, I'm surprised at myself that I've taken this long to blog about me and singing/music.

I remember listening to Shania Twain, Mariah Carey, Celine Dion and Whitney Houston on the radio and trying to imitate them, even when I was as young as five or six years old. I quickly discovered that it took me a shorter time to learn songs than most people; I only had to listen to them twice and that was it. Somehow at that young age, I also knew, without having been told, that I had a nice voice. However, my biggest obstacle was that I was extremely shy. And so all these 'mini performances' would be done in secret, or when I thought no one was listening (hence singing in the middle of night when everyone's asleep). The first time I publicly sang for anyone was when I was in class 8. Even though the audience at the time was just a small group of 14-15 year old friends, I'll never forget it because it was the first time I had ever willingly sang for anyone.
But that's not why I'm writing this post today.

Just to set a proper background, let me explain how I got into praise and worship. My mother constantly looked for opportunities to push me out of my comfort zone and use my talents (remember the shy aspect?). She even signed me up for our church choir, but I never went for practice. My excuse? 

"Mom, they're all so much older than me. What will we talk about?"

I was sixteen. Everyone else in the choir was married with children, probably in their late 20's/early 30's, but you know at sixteen that seems ancient! Mom's justification was that we would be singing, so there's nothing to worry about. Still, I wasn't convinced. So it wasn't until I joined high school that I actually started leading one or two praise and worship songs, learning and understanding the purpose behind it and growing both spiritually and musically.

I must also mention that my father has been a huge musical influence in my life. He's collected music since they used to be in LP's... you know, those huge round plate-shaped things that were played on a record player? Those ones. :) His music collection is expansive and his knowledge quite impressive considering he went to nobody's music school (that's how my mom would put it :) ). He's constantly complaining that worship leaders do not know how to lead songs. Other than being able to sing, he says that its important to pick a key that's comfortable for everyone -both men and women. Also, he believes that the one leading should always sing in melody and not harmony. And you know what? I completely agree with him. I've had issues with worship teams that sing like they're putting on a performance. Key is too high, everyone's harmonizing, leaving the congregation lost. And being a worship leader myself, I'm conscious of not just singing for the sake of singing but serving God and people by creating an avenue to worship Him.

From my observations over the years (and trust me, I've been to many churches), it seems to me that many worship teams are not aware of their purpose in the church. I was discussing this issue with my mom and we noted that this problem seems more prominent in Nairobi than it is in Mombasa. (I grew up in Mombasa and now live in Nairobi) It seems that more emphasis is put on everything being perfect -the voices, the harmony, the instruments, sound. Leaving the aspect of leading the congregation into worship forgotten. It saddens me to think that this is what it has come to, particularly because I am in the music ministry.

I don't remember how, but somehow I came across a post that addressed all the issues I had been asking God and myself about. And because I feel myself beginning to ramble, I'll leave it at this.

Leading praise and worship should ALWAYS all be about leading people into worshiping God through music. The moment that is lost, I'm not sure if it still remains relevant. Now, I don't say this to judge or condemn, but merely to enlighten. Remember, I'm part of a worship team as well. I know all the struggles you go through, all the sacrifices you make and how hard you work at it. Yet, we still have to remember that we are constantly learning. Just as you are learning how to serve God, I am too.

You can find the post I mentioned when you follow this link:
http://forsclavigera.blogspot.com/2012/02/open-letter-to-praise-bands.html

Memoirs of an Amateur model: Part 3

Author's note: I know this last installement is waaay overdue, and I apologise greatly for keeping you waiting. I hope the story's not too stale to be enjoyed though ;)


The Actual Event

The morning of the day we'd all been waiting for found me rushing to the salon to get my hair and fingernails done. I had my fingers crossed the whole time -as we were buying the hair extensions, as my hair was being plaited in lines, as my wonderful hairdresser started sewing the extensions on...it had to look good. And I had to like how it looked. Otherwise I would not have the confidence to pull it off.

Within a couple of hours, my hair was finished and I loved it!! You can decide for yourself if the look worked.

The event was to be held at Pride Centre in Westlands. Since I live in the area, I told our choreographer that I'd find my way there instead of meeting up in school first with the other models. Needless to say, I got there hours before everyone else, although in their defense, it is much harder to get a group of people organised than two or three people. :) I sat and watched the sound team as they finished their set-up, glad that I had the extra time to calm my nerves and run through all the choreographies in my head.

Everything seemed set by the time the other models and our choreographer arrived. Everything, that is, except the most important thing. The runway.

The first problem was the runway was not as wide as we'd expected it to be. That posed a big issue because all our choreographies required space, enough space for at least 4 models standing side-by-side. Yet the one they had set up for us was only wide enough for two people.

Then as though to add salt to injury, there were no steps leading up to the runway. And this runway was about knee-high for the shortest models, meaning that stepping onto it required taking a huge step.

You can imagine therefore, the panic that ensued when the other models saw the runway.
         
 "We can't fit on this runway! Look! Even passing each other is going to be a problem." said one as she demonstrated walking past another model on the runway.
         
    "And some of us even have props! How are we going to pass each other without hitting each other?"
 
          "Where's Nelly? Has she seen this?"

We started looking for Nelly, our choreographer, to show her the mess of a runway in front of us. When I think of it now, its funny how we were all showing her the runway...its like we were children who had witnessed a sibling make a mess of something and were telling on them. Anyway, thanks to Nelly's quick thinking, we quickly re-ordered the choreography and started practising, despite the absence of steps. By the time we had gone through all four choreographies, all the female models were complaining of paining thighs, myself included. You would be too, if you had to take a huge step onto a platform with 4-6 inch heels!

Typically of most Kenyan events (unfortunately) the Triple 'B' awards started late, forcing us to run around feeling rushed and harrased from the moment we had our dinner. The event had been coined "Triple 'B' awards" because it was a combination of the Student of the Year awards and Mr and Miss Daystar. Hence the three B's to represent Brilliance, Beauty and Brains.

 The school had organised for only one lady to do our make-up, who only realised that she could not handle all 8 models plus the female MC all by herself after she started on the first model. *sigh* Thank God there was another lady in the dressing rooms who just happened to have an extra make-up kit and the knowledge of applying to go. So I sat down on the chair, dressed in the 'introduction' outfits, draped myself in a leso to avoid spills and got ready to have my face powdered and 'made-up'. I was eager and nervous to get my make-up done, particularly because this was going to be the first time in my life. Now I wish I was not as eager about the make-up.

The 'helper lady' took one look at my face and said, "Why didn't you do your eyebrows? Oh my gosh, they're so thick, I'm not sure the eye shadow will be seen!"
   
In my defense, I did not 'do' my eyebrows because I was afraid of getting a botched-up job. Have you ever seen a woman with no eyebrows? Or one whose eyebrows have been cut so thin she looks weird? I didn't want to end up looking like that! And there was no one to recommend a good 'eyebrow person' so I just let it be. However, listening to that lady remark about how 'bushy' my eyebrows were really made me start reconsidering whether I had made the right decision. She looked and asked around for a razor blade or a pair of tweezers, before she changed her mind saying she did not even know how to do it. So I thought that was that, and she would just try her best to work my make-up around that. Oh I could not have been more wrong! Yes she started powdering my face and all, but the whole time she kept pointing out how 'bushy' my eyebrows were and how she was not sure the eyeshadow would be seen and why hadn't I just gotten them done, and...and..and. By the time she was done with my make-up, my self-esteem had been pushed down several notches down. To make matters worse, there was no mirror nearby where I could check my reflection to see if things really were as bad as she was putting it. I asked my close friend who was helping me get into my outfits how the make-up looked and she said, "Okay." That did not help. But what was I to do? It was just a few minutes to the start of the pageant. So I just had to believe I looked good enough.

The good thing is that the moment I stepped out from behind the curtain and into the blinding lights, my senses were dulled and adrenaline took over. I smiled, swayed my hips and walked like we'd been taught to, feeding my energy from all the cheers and screams (Oh, they finally put some steps for us btw). Although I could tell who was more popular with the audience from the different levels of screams and cheers, I paid no attention to that. I knew my parents were rooting for me from the audience and my boyfriend was backstage,   cheering me on, and that's all I really needed. The rest of the night felt like such an out-of-body experience that I had no time to feel cold or tired until the very end.

The 'introductory' outfits, sponsered by Orange -Telkom Kenya

After every outfit showcase, I ran back into the dressing room to get changed into my next outfit. In fact, it turned out that for the rest of the night, Cherelle and I were always the first girls to finished getting dressed.

For casual wear, this is the dress I picked out:

For dinner wear, here's how my partner and I looked:

Traditional wear was a solo affair ;) (see what I did there?)

And finally, to honour my love for music, my creative outfit!

Another model and I

Walking down the runway

I'm also glad we all managed to look good together. We got the synchornised part, eventually!

My partner was awesome :)

When it got to the Q&A section, everyone was prepared for application questions, because that's what we had agreed with our choreographer. It so happened that the judges either did not get the message, or just decided to surprise us. So instead of application questions, we got 'general knowledge' questions on the university. Thankfully, I knew the answers to the questions I got, but some of the other models were not so lucky. When we got off stage, they protested loudly and asked to have another round of questions. I tried to tell anyone who would listen that it would only make us look worse, but apparently, no one heard me. So they called us out again and asked us all the same question.

"If you were crowned Mr/Miss Daystar, what would you do for the school?"

Now, when you're all asked the same question one after the other, first thing that happens is you quickly run out of answers because everyone is basically saying the same thing. But at least this way, everyone had some time to fabricate an appropriate answer.

By this time, it was almost midnight and the judges still had to deliberate over who to crown winners. Everyone was tired, and when I say everyone, I mean the guests and the models alike. We waited anxiously outside as the judges took what felt like an extra hour to make a decision. By that time all I really wanted was to lay down and sleep; I did not even care if I had won or not. That quickly changed when we were called back to hear the results. The MC called for drum rolls. They came on and suddenly, my heart was racing, my palms were sweaty and I had knives turning in my stomach.

Second runners-up was announced: Lena Adhiambo
"Okay," I thought to myself. "There's still first runners-up"

First runners-up : Cherelle Ouko, my 'changing' buddy. Then I started wondering if it was possible that I had won. My stomach was really causing havoc on me at that point in time. I could hardly breathe.
   "And the winner of Miss Daystar is.... Eva Wagaki!"

My heart fell. I had not won. As I applauded numbly and watched Eva overcome her shock, I just wanted to get off stage, go pack up my stuff and go home. My parents had even gone to the car the moment the winner was announced. I did not realise just how disappointed until my boyfriend hugged me backstage and told me I was a winner to him. That's when I started crying.
I had put in my all and believed I actually had a chance at winning, only to end up disappointed.

It was only days later that I finally came to appreciate all I had learned from that experience. My self-esteem ended up being boosted because I understood that I was beautiful, and did not need anyone to tell me so. Also I got to meet new people, some of whom became friends. Ultimately, I had gotten the experience of a lifetime. Something I was sure I would not be able to replace with anything.

Memoirs of An Amateur model: The training (Part 2)

It was 6am. I had just woken up and seen my phone flashing, signalling I had a text message, so I picked it up to check.

Good evening, I'm pleased to inform you that you are amongst the finalists for Mr and Miss Daystar Nairobi. #VeryWellDone
Kindly avail yourself tomorrow for a briefing at Allen Open Space at 4p.m. Sleep well and congratulations once again. 


I thought I was dreaming as I read the text message a second time. The time stamp on the text read 11:35pm. That meant it'd been sent after I'd gone to bed. It said I was a finalist. But I'd been given information that said the opposite. And I trusted my source, not just because she's a close friend, but also because she was on the organizing committee. There was no reason for her to lie to me.

On the other hand, here was this text. And it was from someone who would have the authority to announce the finalists. I decided I'd just show up anyway and if it was a prank, well, they'd have gotten me.

As it turned out, it wasn't a practical joke. When I got the venue of our debrief, I saw one of the ladies who had auditioned us waiting there. Seeing her sort of confirmed everything, because I knew she was also a former model. It was no surprise then when she said that she would be our choreographer for the pageant.

Rehearsals

First matter of business was to be paired up. The first 'stranger' I spoke to on our de-brief was a freshman. We'd made small talk as we waited for the other models to show up and found out we'd both auditioned on a whim. So when our choreographer asked us to pair ourselves up, he and I automatically turned to each other. I was so glad I didn't have to go through the 'awkward phase' with my partner!

Our choreographer showed us how to walk, and we started on practise that same Monday. She gave us a run-down of the three categories we needed to dress up for: casual wear, dinner wear, traditional/African wear and creative wear. Everyone was stumped on what 'creative wear' meant.
"Just think of something creative," said our choreographer. She gave a hint though that was pretty helpful. She said we should think of things we like and translate that into an outfit. That's what led to my inspired outfit (which you'll see soon).

The intended date for the pageant had been set for Friday, the 5th of April, meaning we only had two weeks to prepare. For the first week, we worked hard at the choreography, learning how to turn, when to turn, which way to turn. If you were there here are the things you would have heard:

"Ladies, catwalk, catwalk!"
"Lift your legs!"

"What was that? Is that what I showed you?"

"Okay, let's do the intro again. Until we get it right."

That's how synchronised we were meant to look 

We had to learn four different kinds of choreography for the four different outfits. In the first week, we ladies were excused from wearing heels (thankfully!) so all we needed to worry about was getting the routine right! And by the time we were three days from the D-day, all 10 of us had the routines pat down. The models turned out to be a batch of fast learners, if I may say so ;)

I got so wrapped up in rehearsing the routines and perfecting my catwalk that my studies began to suffer. I simply could not concentrate on both! Especially not when I had to think about what to do with my hair, what outfits to get, the jewellery and shoes to go with the outfits....it was driving me insane. I even remember recording in my journal,

"I don't think I've ever second-guessed myself like I've done over the past couple of days because of Mr and Miss Daystar." 

You see, my style is pretty simple. I prefer my hair done up in braids because I find it more manageable that way. Also when it comes to dressing, I'll dress to the occasion but comfort always comes first.

By the first week of rehearsals, I knew I needed advice. I ran to one of my girlfriends, Mercy, the fashion expert and what she told me was what I was hoping not to hear.
     
"I think you should put a weave," she told me.

I've always been the kind of girl who swore I would never put on a weave. I'd even join my family in laughing at women with four-month old weaves, hitting their heads hard 'cause they couldn't scratch their itchy scalps.

But here was a pageant with 20,000 Kenya shs. and much more at stake. I needed to do all I could to win. When I mentioned to my mom and inner circle of friends that I was considering putting on a weave, they all opposed the suggestion strongly. I started getting frustrated because I didn't know who to listen to; my loved ones or the experts.

The other issue was my eyesight. I was the only model out of the other girls who wore spectacles and I knew that would work against me. But then again, my eyesight is so poor, I couldn't risk going on the runway without them. That meant doing something else I'd never tried before... wearing contact lenses.

I went to an optician who prescribed temporary lenses for me. Getting the lenses into my eyes took 3 gruelling hours at the end of which I was worn out from the frustration. And because my eyesight is so bad, there aren't any temporary lenses that cater to me. So I had to make do with what I had, squinting in the sun trying to get used to things in my eyes. These are the times you start wishing God made our eyes in such a way that they could accept some foreign objects! After 4 hours of trying not to rub my eyes and blinking furiously to get the dust out, I was at my wits end!

Just when I thought it could not possibly get any worse, a double disaster struck. The event was moved up a whole week. I was totally pissed off when I found out because my whole schedule had been fashioned around the pageant taking place that weekend. Now I had to re arrange everything all over again.
The ball of string unravelled further when my partner told me he was dropping out of the competition. He too had banked on the pageant being that weekend and had already made plans for the following weekend. I couldn't believe I'd have to create chemistry with a new partner and make sure our walk matched.

Fortunately enough, it all worked out. I spoke to my hairdresser and he assured me that I could still have my hair styled and maybe add pieces of the weave to give it body. That way, it would look more natural and I wouldn't feel as fake.

When the 13th of April arrived, I was ready for my transformation.

Transformation, here I am! 

For the last installment of 'Memoirs of An Amateur model' keep checking the blog!

Memoirs of an amateur model (Part 1)

"I'll never dharau a model again!"

I started making this statement in the first week of training. I said it repeatedly over the next two weeks, and even after the pageant was over. I still say it now when someone asks me how it was running for the position of Miss Daystar, because that was the biggest realization I had from the whole experience.

Thinking about it now, I almost agree with all the people who said, "I didn't think you could do something like that!" or "I never knew you were into that kind of thing." They're half-right. Not because I'm incapable in anyway of being in a beauty pageant. But because it honestly was something out of my comfort zone.

YOLO has quickly become a sort of mantra for me this year. You could call it being hasty, radical or even reckless, but like a close friend said to me recently, its like having an epiphany. One that lasts longer than a moment. And that's what it felt like when I walked into the auditions of Mr and Miss Daystar. I was panicking, asking myself what I was doing there, but at the same time I kept saying to myself, "Why not?"

For some reason, on the day of the audition, harldy anyone was lined up outside the specified room. In fact, I was the first person to audition. I started out feeling extremely nervous, trying to calm myself as I answered the questions thrown at me. Then they asked me to catwalk and I thought to myself smugly, "Hmm...this should be easy."
Before you start getting confused, I should probably explain that I was in a fashion show many years ago. It wasn't a competition. In fact, we were doing it as a favour for my aunty who needed to showcase some outfits. I could not have been older than 11 years.

And so my sister and I were unceremoniously recruited and although I can vaguely recall the experience, the 'catwalk' always stayed with me.

Sure enough, after our trainer demonstrated how I was meant to walk, I confidently stepped forward and swayed my hips to the beat. In that moment, I forgot I was nervous. I was having so much fun, I couldn't help but smile. And when I looked at the people seated behind the long, narrow table, I saw them smile too. For the first time since I'd walked in, by the way.

I had it!

Walking out of that room was easier than walking in. Although I still worried about whether my body passed all qualifications in its current state, I knew I had caught their attention.

And so the waiting began.

As Kenyans, I think we've all done enough waiting in this year to last us the rest of our lives. So you can imagine how impatient I was. They decided the turnout for the first audition wasn't good enough. So they held another audition, the next week. That meant I had to wait a whole week, and then another couple of days (don't remember the exact number now) to find out if I'd gone through. Luckily, my close friend was part of the organising team. She came with news. It wasn't good news.

"I'm sorry Sheena. You didn't go through," she told me.
"Why?" I asked. I was shocked. I thought I'd wowed them with my walk. Wasn't I beautiful enough? Was I too short? What was my disqualifier?

"They thought...they thought you did not portray confidence," said my friend. She looked like she did not want to be the one giving me the news. I didn't understand. How did they come to that conclusion?

"They said it was the way you were standing. With your arms held behind your back and in front of you," she told me.

Huh? I thought that portrayed humility. Or respect. I mean, I wasn't going to stand with my arms crossed. And it didn't feel right having them hanging by my sides. So I picked the next best thing. Turns out I was awfully wrong.

I was disappointed, sure. I pretended it didn't bother me. But it did. I kept thinking to myself, "Not confident enough? How could they think that?!" After a while though I just brushed it off. "At least I tried," I thought to myself.

A few days later,

I got a text that changed everything...

And the 4th President is...

My maiden voyage as a virgin voter began at 5 am on Monday morning, the 4th of March. You know, its funny that all this terminologies describing a first-time voter all refer to the women. (I didn't come up with them by the way..)
Anywho, it was my first time to vote and be part of such an important event in our country. So you can only imagine my excitement! :D

My mother and I cleverly picked a polling station that was a stone throw away from home, only to discover that Monday morning that we weren't so clever after all. It was still dark when we walked out of the gate, but we could already see cars parked by the side of the road and an unusually large number of people for that time of the morning.

We got to the gate of our local primary school and the queue that was there, at 5:50am was unbelievable!! It snaked all the way down School lane, turned left onto Karuna road and up Lower Kabete road. Searching for the end of the line was like looking for the pot of gold at the end of a rainbow. It seemed to be running away from us! Even the people in the queue felt sorry for us.

"Msijali, mko karibu kufika!" said one of them.

"Iko mpaka Westgate, tembeeni tu!" came another word of 'encouragement'.

Now, if you don't know where Westgate is from Westlands Primary, its about 1.2km away. That's like a 15-20 minute walk. That's how far the queue stretched. People were literally running to get to the end of it. Dawn had even broken by the time we took our positions at the end of the line.

At first, standing in line and laughing at those who came after us was all the fun we needed. They all wore such shocked expressions at how far the back of the line was, that it was impossible not to laugh. Those who drove by rolled down their car windows to ask, "Is this for Westlands Primary?" and we'd give a huge smile and say, "Yes!" Oh the joy of being ahead of many tens of people!! It was enough to forget there were hundreds more ahead of you.

It got even better when after a few hours, we removed flasks of tea, styrafoam cups and slices of cake, to have our breakfast on the road. One lady ahead of us eyed our goods enviously and said, "You guys even carried breakfast?" Yup. Scouts' motto: Always be prepared.

Stretching down Karuna Rd

After two more hours of standing in one place, moving a few metres, chatting on and off with random Kenyans, even a first-time enthusiastic voter like me was starting to get tired and discouraged. By the time the sun was beating on our backs, we'd only gotten to the beginning of School Lane.
Finally, after 3 and a half hours, what had seemed impossible, happened! We were at the gate of Westlands Primary aka the polling station! :) Little did we know, the queue was just as long inside the school compound!

Inside Westlands Primary

Then came the confusion of being lined up alphabetically. The clerk who looked at my ID didn't seem to be able to decipher my name. "Sheena Mpungu," he read. I nodded. He frowned quizically, and asked," So which one is your first name?"

Really? Doesn't the first name appear first on all IDs?
The good thing though is that after he'd figured out my first name was Sheena, I was separated from my people and sent to 'Stream 10'. Luckily enough for me, Stream 10 was among the shortest queues outside a polling room! Apparently not many people have names starting with 'R' and 'S'. Or maybe its just the people in Westlands constituency.

And half an hour later, my finger print had been scanned, my name crossed out in that large book and I had somehow figured out how to use those humongous, numerous ballot papers. I'm not surprised there are so many spoilt votes. Even an educated, well-read citizen like myself got confused when I started looking at all those names and pictures on the ballot papers! And I'd even read on the whole voting procedure the day before in preparation!

my proud pinkie!

Now as all other Kenyans sit in front their Tvs anxiously watching numbers change, I'm not really bothered. I mean, we've all voted for who we wanted to vote for. So now, all we can do is wait. We can't change the results, however hard we may want to try. So let's just wait peacefully and patiently and be willing to accept the leader who wins.

Chagua Kenya.

In Anticipation

Make it stop, bring it all to an end,

Make it better, walk me towards the mend,

Help me rise, that I may walk again,

Let me soar and not have to tread this ground again.

I wait for You, for what You've promised,

Its not easy but I keep on waiting.

Joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer

That's me

The Amazing Race: Fourteen Falls edition

If you love reality shows, especially reality game shows, then I'm sure you've heard of the Amazing Race. If you haven't, then you're missing out! 'The Amazing Race' is simply a competition that couples sign up for; it could be friends, spouses, partners, siblings, or parent and child. A location in the world is picked and the game requires the two people to work as a team and travel around that location with the aim of getting to their destination before the other teams do.

Well, I had my own taste of 'The Amazing Race' when I visited Fourteen Falls near Thika yesterday. I'd been dying (okay, not really) but reaally yearning to go to Fourteen Falls, particularly with my boyfriend. So you can imagine my joy when he surprised me with yesterday's trip! I was elated!  Now, keep in mind we really weren't 100% sure of how to get there but we were up for the adventure...and that's exactly what we got!

We took a matatu from Nairobi's CBD headed to Thika which took us about half an hour. From Thika town, we had to ask for directions, so we decided to ask one of the matatu drivers standing nearby. I've always loved how Kenyans give directions :) so helpful. When we asked the driver where we can get matatus going to Fourteen Falls, he asked us, "Mnajua Yushop?". My boyfriend and I looked at each other quizically and said, "Ati?"
         "Yushop! Hamjui?"
 When we replied in the negative, the driver then embarked on giving us directions, Kenyan-style, with lots of   pointing and gesturing and help from his tout.
       
        "Mchukue ile barabara..main road na muendelee nayo, for about 100m, mpaka mfike round-a-bout kubwa. Mpite iyo round-a-bout alafu mtapata bumps mbili alafu mtaona petrol station inaitwa Kenol. Hapo kwa petrol station, hapo Kenol, mtaona magari."

And so after stifling our smiles and offering our thanks, we took to the kind man's directions, and after what seemed like a long stretch on Thika's 'Kenyatta highway', we got to the round-a-bout and from there we could see the Kenol petrol station. Thank goodness for good directions!

The matatu stop had a board with its destinations written on it. I still can't get over how they'd written Fourteen Falls :D
      "F4 Falls"
Should have taken a photo! Anyway...

We got one a mat that was almost leaving but still had empty seats. Fare was 100kshs per person so we figured Fourteen Falls must be quite a distance away from Thika town. It turned out to be just as far as we imagined it to be, though the distance may have been a little exaggerated by the rickety, overcrowded 14-seater matatu with heavy goods on its already sagging roof. And do you know we ended up coming back in the same matatu? But let me not get ahead of myself.

Eventually, we got to the entrance of Fourteen Falls and squeezed out of the matatu. What we saw before us was like a scene from a western...three buildings, all deserted but in good condition, and one woman, sitting alone just outside one of the buildings. My boyfriend went to speak to her and thankfully, she was another helpful citizen. When he came back I asked him what she said and he told me,"She said we follow this dirt road until we hear a mighty rushing sound. Then we follow that sound and we'll be there." We were amused by choice of words, 'mighty, rushing sound' but understood them the instance we heard it for ourselves. Just like it is with many water bodies, you hear them before you see them. The falls are no exception.

The entry point where you're charged 

Once you're in and you've sweet-talked your way out of the ridiculous camera charge, your first view is a big rushing river and people gathered in groups, enjoying themselves or looking for customers/guides. My boyfriend and I stood looking at the river, wondering what to do next, but we didn't wonder too long. A local guide approached us and asked us if we wanted to do 'the adventure'. When we asked him what that was, he said it entailed crossing the river on foot, going down to the falls where he would dive for us, then leave us to picnic. After weighing the risks of drowning, slipping on the rocks, dying young...yadidadidada, we decided YOLO right? ;)

That's River Athi...rushing River Athi

Crossing that river was no easy feat! We all had to hold hands, go very slowly, step carefully and imitate the guide's footholds. Most times the rocks underwater were slippery with moss and we almost fell a couple of times. At some points the river was knee-deep, at others, thigh-deep. I was the one in the middle of the two men, Bahati (our guide) and my boyfriend so Bahati kept telling me, "Madame, onyesha mister pahali pa kunyanga." Whenever I'd slip he'd say, "Wee! Madame, usituangushe!"
     Occasionally, he'd remark,"Madame! Usimwache mister!" and I'd reply, "Sitamwacha!"

The group ahead of us, taking the daring river crossing!

It was sooo much fun but it needed a lot of teamwork. I was constantly warning my sweetheart when the rocks were slippery, telling him to step where my foot is even if it meant he would step on my toes. It's amazing we had time to take photos!

Us and our guide, Bahati

Finally, we saw what we'd journeyed all that way for...the Fourteen Falls. I'm not sure what hits you first; the sight of the water or the sound of it. It's one of the most beautiful things I've ever seen and if I may blow my own trumpet, I've seen a lot for someone my age. There's big black rocks everywhere and the closer you get to the falls, the more you feel the fine mist in the air. Amazing.

THE 14 (sometimes 20+ ) FALLS

Elated :D

Our guide asked us to count the falls and tell him how many we thought they were. I counted 15, my boyfriend counted 16. Bahati (the guide) told us there were more than 20! He said that often happens when it has rained and there's lots of water. It's during the dry season that they reduce and remain 14. There's your 'Did you know?' for the day!

Side view of the falls

All in all, I thoroughly enjoyed the whole experience, despite the long journey there and back (in the same rickety matatu I might add!), walking on hot rocks barefoot, the heat and the dust. I would definitely do it all again, in a heartbeat.
That's why I would advise you all to go see the Fourteen Falls. You don't have to take 'the adventure' if you don't want to, but please do try and go out of your comfort zone, even if it's just a little. You can take a boat ride or carry your costume and swim. I promise you, it'll be fun!!

Just a piece of advice...ladies, dress in something you won't mind getting wet, dirty or torn. So leave the dresses, skirts, jumpsuits, heels, dressy sandals and other unnecessary, uncomfortable paraphanelia for another day.

Men, this is a perfect excuse to hold the hand of the one you love as you help her navigate those rocky paths! ;) Also, there's something about nature that just calms you and gives you peace of mind..the perfect recipe for romance. ;) So why waste what God has freely given us?

A guide doing a back flip into the water

 Go to the Fourteen Falls! Don't take any unnecessary risks. Enjoy nature, keep healthy as you do it and stay happy!!


   

View from the boat

And we stumble on...with Your help

For the first few years of our lives, we don't get to decide on most issues concerning ourselves.
We're dressed, bathed, told when to eat, what to eat, what not to eat, what to wear, where to go, how to walk and talk. We're shown the good spots to 'hang out', warned against friends who are 'bad influences' and pushed towards those who are 'good influences'.
Then slowly, we're given over to our own devices...for some, it takes longer than others, but it always happens eventually.
Finally, we can pick our friends, pick what to wear, where to go, when we can go. No longer do we have to give a detailed description of our day. We can just say," It was really great!" and then close up again.

The thing is, I doubt we really understand how to make these choices for ourselves. After having had them made for you for so long, I don't understand how they expect us to just take over and be right all the time.

It takes a lot of trial and error, stumbles and scrapes but eventually we get there. We're faced with a hurdle, manage to jump over it successfully and feel so proud of ourselves that we look around to see if everyone noticed. We look around, no one was watching; no one noticed. Disappointed, we go on with life, feeling like nothing big has happened, because that's exactly how the world regarded it.

We like to tell ourselves that we're different, but really, we're all the same. We all face the same issues, go about tackling them the same way. All of us human beings came from the soil, and we'll all go back to the same soil. The things that differentiate us also identify us and we definitely should embrace our unique qualities.

We all go through the same motions; we're born, raised, or in some cases, raise ourselves, gain our independence, fall in love, get hurt and/or hurt others, eventually settle down. Then comes engagement, then pregnancy (for us women) and your status changes. You're now a husband or a wife. That's not always the order, but it follows through, one way or another.

If all goes well, and you've found true love, you live a long life together, raise your family and probably die within a few years of each other.

And then what?