I'm doing a review this time because Carlo said she was bored by her last one and might not do this one. (I am absolutely sure it is a gazillion times better than the one I am about to do)
I'll start at the beginning.
6.30pm found me there already, as always, with my new book in tow and a cup of coffee in front of me. Donald, a friend of mine, was walking by and I roped him in. He said he would be there only a few minutes although he ended up staying the whole time, either that says we were too interesting for him to tear himself away or we were too weird for him to tear himself away. Miss Tandra was next and I was shocked that someone other than Carlo was the second one there. Guess Tandra wants firsties in real life as well. Not to fear though Carlo was hot on her heels and already before 7.00pm we were already filling a table.
The order in which everyone came after that is a bit messed up in my head so I'm simply going to put down the blogroll of the attendees.
B2B
Carlo
Dante
Donald
Heaven
Lucy
Minega
Raymond
Rev
Robin
Tandra
Did I stutter? You read right, Minega was there, all the way from Rwanda! The rest of you who weren't simply have no excuse.
It was so much fun. Robin, Raymond and Minega were the new guys. It was an evening filled with laughter. We talked about Carlo's breeze, Mrs. B2B and how she needs to turn up, women hiring working girls for their annual fix, getting poked with alcohol and the state of Afghanistan as described in The Kite Runner which had me bawling by the way. Dante was disappointed that anitpop didn't turn up but Heaven showing kinda made up for it.
We then headed for rock night, where I was mistaken for a first year and Heaven was mercilessly hit on by some guy, and were there for like a minute at which point we went home and promised we would turn up next month to do it all over again.
And now it is over (the review, I mean) and I must go back to work.
Friday, May 30, 2008
Monday, May 26, 2008
Wednesday, May 21, 2008
A Tale of Two Cities
“It is a far, far better thing that I do, than I have ever done; it is a far, far better rest that I go to, than I have ever known.”
That is how one of the best ever written books ends. If you haven’t read ‘A Tale of Two Cities’ yet, pick it up immediately. I can’t believe it took me this long to read it. When I started it, I was afraid that I wouldn’t get it of fail to see what everyone went on about and it was a difficult first few pages but then Dickens describes a scene where wine spills on the cobbled streets of France and from then on I was taken in and there was no turning back.
Dickens has a mastery of the English language that is unequalled. He uses even the simplest words, sentences to take any kind of reader on his journey with him. There is no embellishment, the imagery is vivid because he wields his words like a painter would his brush and actually paints you the picture so beautifully and flawlessly that there is no chance you won’t want to go with him. Open any random page of this book and you will see what I mean.
“If it had been possible, Miss Manette, that you could have returned the love of the man you see before you – self-flung away, wasted, drunken, poor creature of misuse as you know him to be – he would have been conscious this day and hour in spite of his happiness, that he would bring you to misery, bring you to sorrow and repentance, blight you, disgrace you, pull you down with him. I know very well that you can have no tenderness for me; I ask for none; I am even thankful that it cannot be.”
Dickens continues to be excellent in the way he connects everything so seamlessly. It might be a tale of two cities but it is basically a tale of one group of people. Everyone you meet in the book is indispensable and somehow connected; there is not one wasted character. Watching the way he weaves the story is breath taking and as you read the excitement mounts as you guess at what might happen, where it might be going and then as you see where it actually goes and how he gets you there, this book is pure genius.
And I haven’t even talked about the plot yet. (I should warn you, there are spoilers ahead.) The book is set in 1775, at the time of the French Revolution. The French people had been oppressed for so long by their monarchy and their church and if there is a story that advocates for the separation of state and church this is it. The people were forced to tend land off of which they could not sustain themselves.
“…in the towers of the churches, where no prayers were said, for the popular revulsion had even traveled that length of self-destruction from years of priestly impostors, plunderers, and profligates…”
“Monseigneur had one truly noble idea of general public business, which was, to let everything go on its own way; of particular public business, Monseigneur had the other truly noble idea that it must all go his way – tend to his own power and pocket. Of his pleasures, general and particular, Monseigneur had the other truly noble idea, that the world was made for them. The text of his order (altered from the original by only a pronoun, which is not much) ran: ‘The Earth and the fullness thereof are mine, saith Monseigneur.”
They paid incredibly high rent and were in turn paid nothing for the work they did and the food they grew was taken by the richer nobles who owned the land they lived on.
“Doctor, they are very proud these nobles; but we common dogs are proud too, sometimes. They plunder us, outrage us, beat us, kill us; but we have a little pride left, sometimes.”
“We were so robbed by that man who stands there, as all we common dogs are by those superior beings – taxed by him without mercy, obliged to work for him without pay, obliged to grind our corn at his mill, obliged to feed scores of his tame birds on our wretched crops, and forbidden for our lives to keep a single tame bird of our own, pillaged and plundered to that degree that when we chanced to have a bit of meat, we ate it in fear, with the door barred and shutters closed, that his people should not see it and take it from us – I say, we were so robbed, hunted and were made so poor, that our father told us it was a dreadful thing to bring a child into the world, and that what we should pray for was that our women might be barren and our miserable race die out!”
“You know, Doctor, that it is among the rights of these nobles to harness us common dogs to carts and drive us. They so harnessed him and drove him. Taken out of harness one day at noon, to feed – if he could find food – he sobbed twelve times, once for every stroke of the bell, and died on her bosom.”
The suffering of the people is evident and the revolution is inevitable but the scale of it is unbelievable. The people and been dehumanized to the extent that taking a life of anyone of noble status and anyone connected with any such person was incredibly easy.
“I know how hard it has grown for me, the wearer of this, to support life in myself; but do you know how easy it has grown for me, the wearer of this, to destroy life in you?”
“It was nothing to her that an innocent man was to die for the sins of his forefathers; she saw, not him, but them. It was nothing to her that his wife was to be made a widow and his daughter an orphan; that was insufficient punishment, because they were her natural enemies and her prey, and as such had no right to live. To appeal to her was made hopeless by her having no sense of pity, even for herself. If she had been laid low in the streets, in any of the many encounters in which she had been engaged, she would not have pitied herself; nor, if she had been ordered to the axe tomorrow, would she have gone to it with any softer feeling than a fierce desire to change places with the man who sent her there.”
But more than all of this, it is a story about love; the love of a father for his daughter and of his daughter for him, the love of a husband and a wife which takes them through births, deaths, two possible executions and dark secrets, the love of a man for a woman who can never love him back and most of all the love of freedom, of liberty, of equality and of fraternity.
I will say again, if you haven’t yet read this book, buy it, borrow my copy but whatever you do, read it.
That is how one of the best ever written books ends. If you haven’t read ‘A Tale of Two Cities’ yet, pick it up immediately. I can’t believe it took me this long to read it. When I started it, I was afraid that I wouldn’t get it of fail to see what everyone went on about and it was a difficult first few pages but then Dickens describes a scene where wine spills on the cobbled streets of France and from then on I was taken in and there was no turning back.
Dickens has a mastery of the English language that is unequalled. He uses even the simplest words, sentences to take any kind of reader on his journey with him. There is no embellishment, the imagery is vivid because he wields his words like a painter would his brush and actually paints you the picture so beautifully and flawlessly that there is no chance you won’t want to go with him. Open any random page of this book and you will see what I mean.
“If it had been possible, Miss Manette, that you could have returned the love of the man you see before you – self-flung away, wasted, drunken, poor creature of misuse as you know him to be – he would have been conscious this day and hour in spite of his happiness, that he would bring you to misery, bring you to sorrow and repentance, blight you, disgrace you, pull you down with him. I know very well that you can have no tenderness for me; I ask for none; I am even thankful that it cannot be.”
Dickens continues to be excellent in the way he connects everything so seamlessly. It might be a tale of two cities but it is basically a tale of one group of people. Everyone you meet in the book is indispensable and somehow connected; there is not one wasted character. Watching the way he weaves the story is breath taking and as you read the excitement mounts as you guess at what might happen, where it might be going and then as you see where it actually goes and how he gets you there, this book is pure genius.
And I haven’t even talked about the plot yet. (I should warn you, there are spoilers ahead.) The book is set in 1775, at the time of the French Revolution. The French people had been oppressed for so long by their monarchy and their church and if there is a story that advocates for the separation of state and church this is it. The people were forced to tend land off of which they could not sustain themselves.
“…in the towers of the churches, where no prayers were said, for the popular revulsion had even traveled that length of self-destruction from years of priestly impostors, plunderers, and profligates…”
“Monseigneur had one truly noble idea of general public business, which was, to let everything go on its own way; of particular public business, Monseigneur had the other truly noble idea that it must all go his way – tend to his own power and pocket. Of his pleasures, general and particular, Monseigneur had the other truly noble idea, that the world was made for them. The text of his order (altered from the original by only a pronoun, which is not much) ran: ‘The Earth and the fullness thereof are mine, saith Monseigneur.”
They paid incredibly high rent and were in turn paid nothing for the work they did and the food they grew was taken by the richer nobles who owned the land they lived on.
“Doctor, they are very proud these nobles; but we common dogs are proud too, sometimes. They plunder us, outrage us, beat us, kill us; but we have a little pride left, sometimes.”
“We were so robbed by that man who stands there, as all we common dogs are by those superior beings – taxed by him without mercy, obliged to work for him without pay, obliged to grind our corn at his mill, obliged to feed scores of his tame birds on our wretched crops, and forbidden for our lives to keep a single tame bird of our own, pillaged and plundered to that degree that when we chanced to have a bit of meat, we ate it in fear, with the door barred and shutters closed, that his people should not see it and take it from us – I say, we were so robbed, hunted and were made so poor, that our father told us it was a dreadful thing to bring a child into the world, and that what we should pray for was that our women might be barren and our miserable race die out!”
“You know, Doctor, that it is among the rights of these nobles to harness us common dogs to carts and drive us. They so harnessed him and drove him. Taken out of harness one day at noon, to feed – if he could find food – he sobbed twelve times, once for every stroke of the bell, and died on her bosom.”
The suffering of the people is evident and the revolution is inevitable but the scale of it is unbelievable. The people and been dehumanized to the extent that taking a life of anyone of noble status and anyone connected with any such person was incredibly easy.
“I know how hard it has grown for me, the wearer of this, to support life in myself; but do you know how easy it has grown for me, the wearer of this, to destroy life in you?”
“It was nothing to her that an innocent man was to die for the sins of his forefathers; she saw, not him, but them. It was nothing to her that his wife was to be made a widow and his daughter an orphan; that was insufficient punishment, because they were her natural enemies and her prey, and as such had no right to live. To appeal to her was made hopeless by her having no sense of pity, even for herself. If she had been laid low in the streets, in any of the many encounters in which she had been engaged, she would not have pitied herself; nor, if she had been ordered to the axe tomorrow, would she have gone to it with any softer feeling than a fierce desire to change places with the man who sent her there.”
But more than all of this, it is a story about love; the love of a father for his daughter and of his daughter for him, the love of a husband and a wife which takes them through births, deaths, two possible executions and dark secrets, the love of a man for a woman who can never love him back and most of all the love of freedom, of liberty, of equality and of fraternity.
I will say again, if you haven’t yet read this book, buy it, borrow my copy but whatever you do, read it.
Monday, May 05, 2008
Bed of Roses
Bed Of Roses
Sitting here wasted and wounded
At this old piano
Trying hard to capture
The moment this morning I don't know
'Cause a bottle of vodka
Is still lodged in my head
And some blond gave me nightmares
I think that she's still in my bed
As I dream about movies
They won't make of me when I'm dead
With an ironclad fist I wake up and
French kiss the morning
While some marching band keeps
Its own beat in my head
While we're talking
About all of the things that I long to believe
About love and the truth and
What you mean to me
And the truth is baby you're all that I need
I want to lay you down in a bed of roses
For tonight I sleep on a bed of nails
I want to be just as close as the Holy Ghost is
And lay you down on a bed of roses
Well I'm so far away
That each step that I take is on my way home
A king's ransom in dimes I'd given each night
Just to see through this payphone
Still I run out of time
Or it's hard to get through
Till the bird on the wire flies me back to you
I'll just close my eyes and whisper,
Baby blind love is true
I want to lay you down in a bed of roses
For tonight I sleep on a bed of nails
I want to be just as close as the Holy Ghost is
And lay you down on a bed of roses
The hotel bar hangover whiskey's gone dry
The barkeeper's wig's crooked
And she's giving me the eye
I might have said yeah
But I laughed so hard I think I died
Now as you close your eyes
Know I'll be thinking about you
While my mistress she calls me
To stand in her spotlight again
Tonight I won't be alone
But you know that don't
Mean I'm not lonely
I've got nothing to prove
For it's you that I'd die to defend
I want to lay you down in a bed of roses
For tonight I sleep on a bed of nails
I want to be just as close as the Holy Ghost is
And lay you down on a bed of roses
This was the first rock song I ever heard. I remember it like it was yesterday, it was actually 1993. The video was on TV and I was in the room and this song comes on and I knew immediately that I would forever love this man's voice. I went to the living to watch the video and it kinda helped that Bon Jovi is pretty good looking. Seriously though, it just spoke to me and took me with it. I remember simply standing in front of the Tv 'til it ended and there was no turning back. I have been a rock fan since and I have loved Bon Jovi from that day. My favourite line is "A king ransom's in dime I'd give each night to see through this pay phone"
Do you remember the song that did it for you?
Sitting here wasted and wounded
At this old piano
Trying hard to capture
The moment this morning I don't know
'Cause a bottle of vodka
Is still lodged in my head
And some blond gave me nightmares
I think that she's still in my bed
As I dream about movies
They won't make of me when I'm dead
With an ironclad fist I wake up and
French kiss the morning
While some marching band keeps
Its own beat in my head
While we're talking
About all of the things that I long to believe
About love and the truth and
What you mean to me
And the truth is baby you're all that I need
I want to lay you down in a bed of roses
For tonight I sleep on a bed of nails
I want to be just as close as the Holy Ghost is
And lay you down on a bed of roses
Well I'm so far away
That each step that I take is on my way home
A king's ransom in dimes I'd given each night
Just to see through this payphone
Still I run out of time
Or it's hard to get through
Till the bird on the wire flies me back to you
I'll just close my eyes and whisper,
Baby blind love is true
I want to lay you down in a bed of roses
For tonight I sleep on a bed of nails
I want to be just as close as the Holy Ghost is
And lay you down on a bed of roses
The hotel bar hangover whiskey's gone dry
The barkeeper's wig's crooked
And she's giving me the eye
I might have said yeah
But I laughed so hard I think I died
Now as you close your eyes
Know I'll be thinking about you
While my mistress she calls me
To stand in her spotlight again
Tonight I won't be alone
But you know that don't
Mean I'm not lonely
I've got nothing to prove
For it's you that I'd die to defend
I want to lay you down in a bed of roses
For tonight I sleep on a bed of nails
I want to be just as close as the Holy Ghost is
And lay you down on a bed of roses
This was the first rock song I ever heard. I remember it like it was yesterday, it was actually 1993. The video was on TV and I was in the room and this song comes on and I knew immediately that I would forever love this man's voice. I went to the living to watch the video and it kinda helped that Bon Jovi is pretty good looking. Seriously though, it just spoke to me and took me with it. I remember simply standing in front of the Tv 'til it ended and there was no turning back. I have been a rock fan since and I have loved Bon Jovi from that day. My favourite line is "A king ransom's in dime I'd give each night to see through this pay phone"
Do you remember the song that did it for you?
Sunday, April 20, 2008
Finally getting around to answering the Tag
Four Jobs I Have Worked
- Personal Assistant for a Proffessor in the History Dept. of MUK
- Hostess for an Events Organiser
- Personal Assistant for the Plant Manager of SBI
- Call Centre Agent for UTL
Four Movies I Would Watch Over and Over
- Fight Club
- How to Kill Your Neighbour's Dog
- Interstate 60
- Usual Suspects
Four Places I Have Lived
- Somewhere in Buganda Road till I was 2 years old
- Bukoto from then till I was 22
- A hall on campus (does that count?)
- Semawata Road in Ntinda.
Four TV Shows I love
- 30 Rock
- Friends
- House
- How I Met Your Mother
- Scrubs
- CSI (all of them)
Four Places I Have Been On Vacation
- Ndaija, Rwampara, Mbarara
- Rugoma, Kebisoni, Rukungiri
- Ssese Islands
- Jinja
Four of My Favourite Foods
- Sweet Potatoes and Eshabwe
- Stir Fried Pork and Xiangzhou rice
- Club Sandwich
- Bagel Sandwich with Egg Salad
Four Places I Would Rather Be Now
- In bed
- In a swimming pool
- On the set of 30 Rock
- In South Africa watching my best friend graduate
Tuesday, April 01, 2008
Wonder Years.
Two days later and I have already finished 'The Family Way' and dearly paying for it. Why, you might ask. I'll tell you. I was up till 2.00am last night reading it and I had to be up by 4.00am because I had to be in the office by 5.00am. Just know I am dying of sleep, I have no idea how I am going to make it through the rest of the day.
You know what killed me about these photos? The 'fros. They were awesome weren't they?
In other news, I found some old baby pictures of myself and I really wanted to put them up but we have no scanner or if we do, I have never seen it so I did the next best thing and took pictures of the pictures. Wasn't I the cutest?
You know what killed me about these photos? The 'fros. They were awesome weren't they?I love the way my mother looks all regal with her head held up high and I just look confused. I remember I loved that outfit and only finally gave it away when I was 16 or so.
What can I say? The 80's were not the best time for high fashion. That's my dad, by the way, in the Malaachi (the shoes) he loved so and made us where for about 3 years of our lives. (My siblings and I.)
Another confused looking picture of me. I really wonder what it was I was staring at? Was I attracted to the camera from so young an age?
This is my favourite. I'm positive my Mom was off to the side making sure my head was turned to the camera by dangling some shiny something. I can almost remember it.
I thought these would be apt seeing as its my birthday on Thursday. Send me hugs and presents on Facebook.
Sunday, March 30, 2008
African Reading Challenge
I said I would enter the reading challenge and I have but I don't have a list of books. I have decided to read the books then add them to the list.
I just finished A Long Way Gone by Ishmael Beah and like he said it is worth the read. It is told in a very matter of fact way, no embellishments, no style but it gets the message across. I don't know if I would have been able to read it if it hadn't been written like it is. It is a harrowing story, a 12 year old boy slitting someone's throat with a bayonet is hard enough to comprehend without it being written in language that evokes the images vividly, so I am kind of glad it is not very well written. It is a very sad reality where these boys are taken from their families and recruited into the army (the army, not the rebel forces, the bloody army.) I am inspired to find out more.
Read this but I emaphasize, the writing is lacklustre at best.
I am going to take a break now and read the only Tony Parson's book I haven't yet read, The Family Way.
I just finished A Long Way Gone by Ishmael Beah and like he said it is worth the read. It is told in a very matter of fact way, no embellishments, no style but it gets the message across. I don't know if I would have been able to read it if it hadn't been written like it is. It is a harrowing story, a 12 year old boy slitting someone's throat with a bayonet is hard enough to comprehend without it being written in language that evokes the images vividly, so I am kind of glad it is not very well written. It is a very sad reality where these boys are taken from their families and recruited into the army (the army, not the rebel forces, the bloody army.) I am inspired to find out more.
Read this but I emaphasize, the writing is lacklustre at best.
I am going to take a break now and read the only Tony Parson's book I haven't yet read, The Family Way.
Thursday, March 20, 2008
Snooze: A work story
You all know I work in a call centre for a telecommunications company that will remain unnamed, right? You also probably know that we hear some of the funniest things.
Some guy called in and talked to someone else but this story was the funniest thing I had ever heard. I will write it out in Luganda and translate it after.
(phone rings)
Agent: Good morning, (agent) speaking, how can I help you?
Sub: Gyebale ko nyabo. Nafunye mu obuzibu zibu mu ssimu yange. Osobola kunyamba ko?
Agent: Buzibu ki Ssebo?
Sub: Waliwo ennamba enkubila bulikanaku ku sawa zezimu naye essimu bwenjikwata, omuntu tayogela. Ono'musajja asumbwa nyo. Anzukusa ku sawa kuminabili ate natayogela kintu kyona. Nina kyensobola okukola o'kyilekelawo?
Agent: Ssebo, eyo nambe ki?
Sub: Enamba sijilaba, naye elinya ndilaba.
Agent: Bwoba olaba elinya, kitageza nti enamba mweli mu ssimu yo.
Sub: Neda, enambe telimu, najinonyeza nga sijilaba
Agent: Kale, mbulila elinya
Sub: Bamuyita SNOOZE!
Translation.
(phone rings)
Agent: Good morning, (agent) speaking, how may I help you?
Sub: Good morning. I am having a problem with my phone, can you help me?
Agent: What is the problem, sir?
Sub: There is a number that keeps calling me but when I pick the phone up no one speaks. It calls me everyday at the same time and it is getting very annoying. It calls at 6.00am and wakes me up and this person does not answer me, is there anyway I can stop this?
Agent: What is the number?
Sub: I don't know the number but I know the name. It shows on my phone.
Agent: If you see the name, that must mean the number is in your phone.
Sub: The number is not in my phone, I checked and it is not there.
Agent: Ok, tell me the name you see.
Sub: That person is called SNOOZE!
Some guy called in and talked to someone else but this story was the funniest thing I had ever heard. I will write it out in Luganda and translate it after.
(phone rings)
Agent: Good morning, (agent) speaking, how can I help you?
Sub: Gyebale ko nyabo. Nafunye mu obuzibu zibu mu ssimu yange. Osobola kunyamba ko?
Agent: Buzibu ki Ssebo?
Sub: Waliwo ennamba enkubila bulikanaku ku sawa zezimu naye essimu bwenjikwata, omuntu tayogela. Ono'musajja asumbwa nyo. Anzukusa ku sawa kuminabili ate natayogela kintu kyona. Nina kyensobola okukola o'kyilekelawo?
Agent: Ssebo, eyo nambe ki?
Sub: Enamba sijilaba, naye elinya ndilaba.
Agent: Bwoba olaba elinya, kitageza nti enamba mweli mu ssimu yo.
Sub: Neda, enambe telimu, najinonyeza nga sijilaba
Agent: Kale, mbulila elinya
Sub: Bamuyita SNOOZE!
Translation.
(phone rings)
Agent: Good morning, (agent) speaking, how may I help you?
Sub: Good morning. I am having a problem with my phone, can you help me?
Agent: What is the problem, sir?
Sub: There is a number that keeps calling me but when I pick the phone up no one speaks. It calls me everyday at the same time and it is getting very annoying. It calls at 6.00am and wakes me up and this person does not answer me, is there anyway I can stop this?
Agent: What is the number?
Sub: I don't know the number but I know the name. It shows on my phone.
Agent: If you see the name, that must mean the number is in your phone.
Sub: The number is not in my phone, I checked and it is not there.
Agent: Ok, tell me the name you see.
Sub: That person is called SNOOZE!
Tuesday, March 18, 2008
Love
Love
Love will come find you
Just to remind you
Of who you are
Hold on
It will forsake you
Threaten to break you
Take what you got
Everybody laughs
Everybody cries
Sure it could hurt you baby
But give it a lil try
See that's the thing about love
Friends
Sometimes will blind you
Sneak up behind you
You cant give enough
Then life
It will embrace you
Totally amaze you
So you don't give up
Everybody laughs
Everybody cries
Sure it could hurt you baby
But give it a lil try
See that's the thing about love
Don't tell me that I’m not the only that's going thru it all
Ohhh sometimes I feel like I’m the only that's going thru it all
But its time
Oh its time
For me to shine
HeyIts my time
Oh its time
For me to shine
Its my time
Said its my time
For me to shine
Its my time
Its bout time
For me to shine
Everybody laughs
Everybody cries
Sure it could hurt u baby
But give it a lil try
That's the thing about love
That's the thing about love
That's the thing about
That's the thing about love
**Lyrics The Thing About Love - Alicia Keys
Sunday, March 09, 2008
Billy Blues
I had been to Billy Blues before it was cool and the only cool thing about it then was the pictures they had up of Blues legends like Elvis (does he count?) and other greats whose names I can't remember right now. Other than that, it (excuse the terrible pun) gave me the blues so I decided not to go back until recently it was all I could hear about from my more outgoing family and friends (read my younger sisters, all my friends these days are old.)
Eventually, on Friday, I ended up there after a fun filled night. (I only got two pics so deal with it.) First I went to Carlo's and then we went to Arirang (where the pictures were taken) with Brenda (Chan, jealous much?) and Bren's family and friends.
Eventually, on Friday, I ended up there after a fun filled night. (I only got two pics so deal with it.) First I went to Carlo's and then we went to Arirang (where the pictures were taken) with Brenda (Chan, jealous much?) and Bren's family and friends.
We then went to the Pyramids casino and I am now seriously berating myself for not taking any pictures because y'all need to see this casino. It is tiny and the minute you walk in, you feel like you have entered one of those Mob-movies and you start looking for the Italians. You know those basement-shit-load-of-money-buy-in for only certain people, that's what it feels like except it's well lit.
We then headed to Mayfair Casino which looks nice (again, what was I thinking and where was my camera except for on my phone?) It looks and feels like a train terminal complete with ticket booths and the announcer on the speaker thingies (in this case announcing Bingo numbers.) What I didn't like was that on the slot machines, there was no noise from the coins clanging onto the tray because you don't get coins. You sit on the machine and the man with the key comes and puts for you the amount of money you want to spend and when you're done he comes back and pays you in cash, no clanky coins in this train terminal.
We decide to leave and go to Billy Blues after I was up 10,000 and Carlo was up 20,000. We walk down to get a cab and I see this (I remembered I had a camera for this.) I was so amused but it makes sense, no? I guess this guy doesn't want to have to carry this stool home everyday but would also not like to see it stolen. It's things like these that make me love walking around at night.
So, we get to Billy Blues and its like I am seeing my long lost relatives. You know those friends you make at the bar and you only ever see at the bar? I had so many of those friends, let's face it, I used to go out quite a bit. Anyway, Friday was a chance to catch up. I saw so many people I hadn't seen in forever and we talked about everything from the race for the US Democrat candidate to the credit crash in the UK to what all this has to do with China. It was a really fun night but I am not planning to do it agan anytime soon. I was tired, the music was loud, along with the people I was glad to see, there were like 3 fold those I didn't and I can't think of the other thing but it was there.
All in all, fun night, not doing it again soon.
We then headed to Mayfair Casino which looks nice (again, what was I thinking and where was my camera except for on my phone?) It looks and feels like a train terminal complete with ticket booths and the announcer on the speaker thingies (in this case announcing Bingo numbers.) What I didn't like was that on the slot machines, there was no noise from the coins clanging onto the tray because you don't get coins. You sit on the machine and the man with the key comes and puts for you the amount of money you want to spend and when you're done he comes back and pays you in cash, no clanky coins in this train terminal.
We decide to leave and go to Billy Blues after I was up 10,000 and Carlo was up 20,000. We walk down to get a cab and I see this (I remembered I had a camera for this.) I was so amused but it makes sense, no? I guess this guy doesn't want to have to carry this stool home everyday but would also not like to see it stolen. It's things like these that make me love walking around at night.
So, we get to Billy Blues and its like I am seeing my long lost relatives. You know those friends you make at the bar and you only ever see at the bar? I had so many of those friends, let's face it, I used to go out quite a bit. Anyway, Friday was a chance to catch up. I saw so many people I hadn't seen in forever and we talked about everything from the race for the US Democrat candidate to the credit crash in the UK to what all this has to do with China. It was a really fun night but I am not planning to do it agan anytime soon. I was tired, the music was loud, along with the people I was glad to see, there were like 3 fold those I didn't and I can't think of the other thing but it was there.All in all, fun night, not doing it again soon.
Friday, March 07, 2008
Two Words : Hot Steps
Have you seen that show? It is the most hilarious thing ever to come out of Uganda. For those of you not in the know, Hot Steps is a TV show much in the vein of Pop Idol and Star Search except they are looking for dancers. If that premise isn't funny enough for you, imagine please, the way people suck at singing in the first episodes of such shows, imagine how much funnier dancing would be. It doesn't disappoint, it is hilarious. People are either delusional or blind, nothing else explains their willingness to completely embarrass themselves on national TV.
The judges are Ronnie of Obsessions and Michael, formerly of Obsessions, now of Kombat. Michael seems to be trying really hard to be mean but the looks on Ronnie's face. I suggest that at the end of each show, there be a montage of the looks on Ronnie's face because they are priceless.
Back to the dancers. On Thursday's show, there was a contestant called Pophia and there is no way I can tell it to make as funny as it was. She is rod-thin with absolutely no ass to speak of but she kept turning her back to the judges and tapping the top of her thighs (read ass) and the judges were cracking up because she had this come hither look on her face that frankly was very scary. This was in Entebbe.
The show in Jinja has this 4o-something old man decided to show case his lingala skills and what ensued looked like a middle aged chicken on speed.
I am out of time so my parting words are, try to catch this on NTV on Thursday sometime after 8.00pm.
The judges are Ronnie of Obsessions and Michael, formerly of Obsessions, now of Kombat. Michael seems to be trying really hard to be mean but the looks on Ronnie's face. I suggest that at the end of each show, there be a montage of the looks on Ronnie's face because they are priceless.
Back to the dancers. On Thursday's show, there was a contestant called Pophia and there is no way I can tell it to make as funny as it was. She is rod-thin with absolutely no ass to speak of but she kept turning her back to the judges and tapping the top of her thighs (read ass) and the judges were cracking up because she had this come hither look on her face that frankly was very scary. This was in Entebbe.
The show in Jinja has this 4o-something old man decided to show case his lingala skills and what ensued looked like a middle aged chicken on speed.
I am out of time so my parting words are, try to catch this on NTV on Thursday sometime after 8.00pm.
Sunday, March 02, 2008
Weekday Blogging, Haarnk, Haarnk
I have noticed that very few of you blog on weekends. Go ahead, report yourselves, it's because you be abusing your office internet, right? Honestly, who am I to speak? I only blog on Sunday because I work on Sunday.
So, I was at Nandos at around 11.30pm last night and I ran into an old teacher of mine. After saying hello and all, he says to me, "What are you doing out at this time? Where is your gate pass?" Talk about a Haarnk Haarnk moment.
I thought I would put up a picture of me with the weight I have gained. This was taken at the end of our Customer Appreciation Week. We had to go to work dressed in traditional attire and I picked a Sari. I like it, so what do you think. Does it make me look fat?
As is evident, I have nothing to say. Nothing at all. I'll take my leave now.
Bye my friends.
Wednesday, February 27, 2008
Tagistis.
The disease is back and I have been tagged and tagged and tagged again. There is something about rules but that will come later. As of now, I will regale you once again with tales of myself or better yet 6 random facts you may or may not know about me.
Let's see:
First:
I am increasing in girth and as such have been mistaken for pregnant by many people. It all started when my sister told me she had heard at school that I had given birth, of course she knew it was bull because she lives with me but the people at her school, my old one, were convinced. Then I was out one night and some guy I went to school with very briefly was standing with me at a bar and he tells me congratulations while staring at my belly, I corrected him obviously but was not very happy about it and then the last straw was when last week my very good friend whom I hadn't seen in a while calls me. I will transcribe part of the conversation below.
Let's see:
First:
I am increasing in girth and as such have been mistaken for pregnant by many people. It all started when my sister told me she had heard at school that I had given birth, of course she knew it was bull because she lives with me but the people at her school, my old one, were convinced. Then I was out one night and some guy I went to school with very briefly was standing with me at a bar and he tells me congratulations while staring at my belly, I corrected him obviously but was not very happy about it and then the last straw was when last week my very good friend whom I hadn't seen in a while calls me. I will transcribe part of the conversation below.
Her: Is there something you want to say before I quarrel?
Me: Uhh, I'm sorry, I don't know what you're talking about?
Her: Should I be congratulating you?
Me: On my not so recent promotion at work?
Her: No, on your five months pregnancy
Me: WHAT???!!!!!!
Her: I just heard that you were with child. I was berated for being a bad friend for not knowing.
Suffice it to say I was shocked, I knew I was growing a potbelly but I had no idea it was this bad. So I have embarked (in my mind) on a rigorous diet to reverse these effects.
Second:
I have a very strange relationship with my period. I can't stand it, I hate being in so much pain with nothing I can do about it. I hate the fact of it, the way it makes me feel eugh and the way I have been having it every month since I was 10. On the other hand, I am so freaked when it is even one day late, even when I have no reason to be afraid, I can barely sleep for worry. Talk about love-hate.
Three:
I found out two days ago that I like Jazz. How crazy is that? I have always been firm in my dislike for jazz mainly because people who do like jazz are music snobs and also I'm just not that into it, or so I thought until I found out that Big Band and Swing which I love are actually categorized as Jazz and so now I grudgingly admit that I do like Jazz although I am quick to add exactly what I mean by that.
Four:
You know how you create labels for your posts, I didn't think I would ever need to use the labels on this post again but I guess I was wrong as I (rarely) am sometimes. I just had that random thought and decided to include it in here since I am struggling with things to write.
Five:
Almost done. I like taking pictures. Not only of myself but of everything as is evidenced in my previous post with the pictures of sidewalks and stuff. I can't wait to own my own camera which I am in the process of acquiring. I do feel for all of you whom I will subject to my pictures all the time, it will be my artistic outlet.
Six:
I have girl crushes. Do the rest of you girls? I just know some women I would just love to be or have been. Like, they're all independent and smart and funny and have their own individual sense of style and I hope that is how I come off. You hope you are looking into a mirror when you see them or are with them.
I hereby tag Tumwi, Kissyfur, Duksey, Dante, Inktus and B2B.
If you've been tagged before, tough shit.
Oh! Rules;
Link back to your tagger.
Post these rules in your submission.
Share six things/habits/quirks/whatever about you in your submission.
Tag six [random] people at the end of it.
Tell each taggee via comments that he/she done been tagged.
Sunday, February 24, 2008
Shutter Happy
Don't ask me why there is a blow dryer in the living room.
Mbu, I was sleeping, safely tucked under my mosquio net.
This is the book I am reading now, Hippopotamus by Stephen Fry. This page is of no particular importance, just happened to be the one I was on when I decided to take the pic.
I like this picture, the sidewalk just looked so pretty with the shadow of the tree and everything.
I liked it so much, I took it twice.Friday, February 15, 2008
The Beautyful Ones Are Not Yet Born
This is my attempt at a proper book review.
This book is beautiful, I realize I say that about a lot of books but I mean it all the time. There is something about books where the protagonist remains unnamed; there is a way one relates to characters that are nameless that is different from those that are named. You don’t assume anything and every little description helps you form an opinion as to what kind of person this character is.
The main character in this book, the man as he is referred to, is trying not to be corrupt in a country riddled with corruption. His family chastises him for not wanting to advance and make them happy when all their friends around them are doing so well. What is so sad is that he knows it is wrong and that he is doing the right thing but he feels guilty for not doing the wrong thing? Do any of us even know what that is like anymore in an age where everyone is so preoccupied with their own fiscal satisfaction, where we step on the little man to get to the top of the ladder, especially here where nothing can get done without a few hands getting greased? Even sadder is the fact that even in the knowledge that the man is doing the right thing does not help ease the futility of his life. The man feels that all there is to life is living it by not complaining about his station in it, going to work, going back home and then going back to work. The author masterfully describes everything in this book, there is a scene where the man takes a lunch break with no lunch to eat and decides to take a walk that leads him to cross some railway tracks and I swear you can see this man, you are there with him, as hungry as he is and totally worn out but glad for the fresh air and sunshine. There is a line that stayed with me, “His breath reeked with the rich stench of rotten menstrual blood”. Who but the most awesome writer can pull a line like that off?
If you can read this masterpiece and let it change your life.
The reason I hate writing reviews is that I will never ever write as beautifully as the authors of the books I am writing about and as such can never convey to you just how beautiful the writing is. Just trust me because even though I can’t write, I sure can read.
This book is beautiful, I realize I say that about a lot of books but I mean it all the time. There is something about books where the protagonist remains unnamed; there is a way one relates to characters that are nameless that is different from those that are named. You don’t assume anything and every little description helps you form an opinion as to what kind of person this character is.
The main character in this book, the man as he is referred to, is trying not to be corrupt in a country riddled with corruption. His family chastises him for not wanting to advance and make them happy when all their friends around them are doing so well. What is so sad is that he knows it is wrong and that he is doing the right thing but he feels guilty for not doing the wrong thing? Do any of us even know what that is like anymore in an age where everyone is so preoccupied with their own fiscal satisfaction, where we step on the little man to get to the top of the ladder, especially here where nothing can get done without a few hands getting greased? Even sadder is the fact that even in the knowledge that the man is doing the right thing does not help ease the futility of his life. The man feels that all there is to life is living it by not complaining about his station in it, going to work, going back home and then going back to work. The author masterfully describes everything in this book, there is a scene where the man takes a lunch break with no lunch to eat and decides to take a walk that leads him to cross some railway tracks and I swear you can see this man, you are there with him, as hungry as he is and totally worn out but glad for the fresh air and sunshine. There is a line that stayed with me, “His breath reeked with the rich stench of rotten menstrual blood”. Who but the most awesome writer can pull a line like that off?
If you can read this masterpiece and let it change your life.
The reason I hate writing reviews is that I will never ever write as beautifully as the authors of the books I am writing about and as such can never convey to you just how beautiful the writing is. Just trust me because even though I can’t write, I sure can read.
Kwanjula
I have written this solely to kwanjula my new blog friend who has only been blogging three days but already has three posts up. (How I wish I could do that.) Anyway, I present to you,
Sunday, February 10, 2008
Nothing Doing
Can you believe there is not a place on Kampala Road that sells coffee at 7:00am on Sunday? Shouldn't there be a coffee bar that is open all the time? I woke up at an ungodly hour to be at work and all I needed was a quick fix but neyvah to be any help. Nandos was open but with a dead coffee machine, Cafe Pap was open but only for cleaning as for Dominoes, the doors were even closed. Now I am here dozing at my workstation and starting to find voices in my ear. Life is hard.
So, I was reading through my blog and it seems like I used to lead a very interesting life compared to the one I am leading now evidenced by all the partying I used to do and Dante is on my case constantly that I am growing old but I disagree. I might not blog a whole lot but I am really happy right now. Happier than I have been (I was going to say in a long time but I don't usually be sad) almost ever. Just because I don't blog does not mean I am old and boring, does it?
Anyway, I was at Garden City the other day with Carlo having coffee and killing the hours till I was to watch American Gangster with the lover when I got stalked. It wasn't as bad as it sounded but it was kinda freaky. So there we are at the NYK when this guy sits down opposite us right in my line of sight and he just keeps staring at me. He buys just a water and then he walks outside to our table to use the tissues passing on the way another perfectly ok set of tissues. I thought that was the extent of it, I am kinda used to being stared at so I thought no big deal. We walk away after paying our bill and enter some saloon to get Carlo's ears pierced and what do you know SD (Stalker Dude) walks right in there behind us and aks how much a hair cut is and then again sits right opposite us. We decided to leave the saloon and walk over to the ATM for Carlo and again he follows us. At this point it is just getting irritating because he is all sweaty and smelly and ukempt, his shirt is half untucked and he is not cute. If you are going to stalk someone, atleast, have the decency to look good while doing it. So, Carlo leaves because it is time for me to go get the tickets and I walk up to the cinema. I meet an old friend and go over to say hello and from where I am standing at Tutti Frutti I see SD looking a bit like he has lost someone he is trying to find. I get the tickets but I have to wait before we can get in the cinema so I sit on these chairs they let you sit on as you wait and who walks up and sits opposite me? You guessed it. I start to think he is dumb because does he think I am not seeing him, why doesn't he say anything but he walks up to the concession stand and starts asking about the prices of things. Thankfully the lover finally shows up and I practically run to him and hug him because this was getting weird.
Anyway we saw American Gangster and I must say, Denzel has excellent teeth and his acting isn't so bad either. The whole time I was thinking Frank Lucas had him some brass balls and also even though he was a drug dealer you've got to give it up for him, the man was intent on being rich and poweful and I don't know if it just the movie but it looked so easy.Even us we sell pure heroine and be rich, right?
So, I was reading through my blog and it seems like I used to lead a very interesting life compared to the one I am leading now evidenced by all the partying I used to do and Dante is on my case constantly that I am growing old but I disagree. I might not blog a whole lot but I am really happy right now. Happier than I have been (I was going to say in a long time but I don't usually be sad) almost ever. Just because I don't blog does not mean I am old and boring, does it?
Anyway, I was at Garden City the other day with Carlo having coffee and killing the hours till I was to watch American Gangster with the lover when I got stalked. It wasn't as bad as it sounded but it was kinda freaky. So there we are at the NYK when this guy sits down opposite us right in my line of sight and he just keeps staring at me. He buys just a water and then he walks outside to our table to use the tissues passing on the way another perfectly ok set of tissues. I thought that was the extent of it, I am kinda used to being stared at so I thought no big deal. We walk away after paying our bill and enter some saloon to get Carlo's ears pierced and what do you know SD (Stalker Dude) walks right in there behind us and aks how much a hair cut is and then again sits right opposite us. We decided to leave the saloon and walk over to the ATM for Carlo and again he follows us. At this point it is just getting irritating because he is all sweaty and smelly and ukempt, his shirt is half untucked and he is not cute. If you are going to stalk someone, atleast, have the decency to look good while doing it. So, Carlo leaves because it is time for me to go get the tickets and I walk up to the cinema. I meet an old friend and go over to say hello and from where I am standing at Tutti Frutti I see SD looking a bit like he has lost someone he is trying to find. I get the tickets but I have to wait before we can get in the cinema so I sit on these chairs they let you sit on as you wait and who walks up and sits opposite me? You guessed it. I start to think he is dumb because does he think I am not seeing him, why doesn't he say anything but he walks up to the concession stand and starts asking about the prices of things. Thankfully the lover finally shows up and I practically run to him and hug him because this was getting weird.
Anyway we saw American Gangster and I must say, Denzel has excellent teeth and his acting isn't so bad either. The whole time I was thinking Frank Lucas had him some brass balls and also even though he was a drug dealer you've got to give it up for him, the man was intent on being rich and poweful and I don't know if it just the movie but it looked so easy.Even us we sell pure heroine and be rich, right?
Monday, January 28, 2008
Uganda Best of Blog Awards.
The polls are finally up on The Kampalan so go on over there and vote for your favourite blogs. Voting ends on 27th February so see you in the winners' circle.
Friday, January 25, 2008
BHH Recap
And so it was, BHH I mean and it rocked. I was the first one there as I usually am only because I work so close to Mateos and finish work at 4 so I am basically idle till 6. I wasn't there long and who comes along but the blushing bride-to-be Be Silent herself. We talked about Tandra's latest post which reads like a Hollywood rom-com with none of the rom or com just the tears. We weren't there long when Carlo came with Pesh who despite not having a blog reads them religiously. Ivan was next, fresh from his gig on the radio (Vision Voice 94.8 they had better pay me for this) discussing which one in the couple should declare their wealth to the other, the man or the woman. Does this mean they are not allowed to talk about same sex couples?
Rachel was next and she was shortly followed by Mr. Back to Basics himself, Edmund with Tandra. Kissyfur came soon after and we had a newbie, Lucy decided to deign us with her presence. We introduced Pesh to her as Keitetsi and it was not pretty. Did I forget to mention Peter had been there for ages by this time? Flora came last but not too late and she invited someone along. Brian knows his series so he was fun. The whole night in general was a good one. We didn't get into the whole 'I am not my tribe' debate as we thought we would but we did get to see Ivan show off his Zune and Peter show off his Iphone. (But also boys!) The nomination sheets were handed out and the list will be out later on today. The night was soon over and we were all out of there by 9.30pm.
P.S There was no Guinness!
Friday, January 11, 2008
Blogger's Happy Hour
It is January so it is time for yet another BHH go here for details and an update on the 2007 Uganda Best of Blog Awards.
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