A Day

A DAY...

There are days when prayers is what you need.

Days you need music.

Some days all you need is a long lingering hug with no words.

Then days when you want to dress up and laugh your heart out with your crew over hot coffee or maybe a lemonade and wearing a sunny hat with designer r sunglasses.

And... The day formal takes charge: sleek hair, heels on, matching inner wear, a sharp look and a business appointment. Because nothing leaves you pumped up like a deal struck or your brain challenged, you walk out head high and super charged to change the world!

Some days are heavy. You give your all, do your best, finish the day depleted and yearning for some peace and quiet. Silently wishing for a getaway.

A special day comes when you glam up. A 5-Star Dinner, elegant outfit, make up, you carry with you class and all the proper Etiquette. This day your eyes are set on one person and you let yourself free for love to rule.

And there is the 'Nothing Day'. No description fits the bill. You wake up, get ready, go to work, tick your list, head back home, eat first thing you find, routine winding down and sleep. This day doesn't fit in any box, no feeling... Just a day.

A day comes in many forms. How is your day?

I Celebrate turning 32 with 
#32pointsaboutlifeat32 
(In my words, here are lessons I have learnt some easily & some the hard way)

1. Parents. The love your parents have is absolutely unwavering. Whether you are being awesome or making absolutely stupid mistakes. Their love is not conditional.
2. Remember they  don't stop being your parents even when you get married :-)
3. Family. Your family gets you.
4. Always have gumboots and a towing rope in your car. The need comes in strangest of places and... Adventures just pop up!
5. Accept your calls in life: Yes you are working 9-5 and Wife & Mom 24-7. 
6. Rock at it ;-)
7. Not all your friends will understand your silence/disappearance. No amount of explaining will help either.
8. Record moments you have with friends, family, kids. Watching them later on pumps you up.
9. Nanny drama reminds you your role in the home.
10. When your children are unwell you are weakest and most vulnerable.
11. Do not schedule massage appointments early. Treat the wound while its fresh. When you need a massage have it! (What have I learnt here? When I wait for appointments, I stop needing it as much as I did in the first place).
12. If you don't get a chance to exercise, at least eat healthy.
13. Don't give up trying though, 5 laps in your hood is better than nothing.
14. To do lists on a piece of paper is more relieving, you get to throw away the paper after completing tasks.
15. Whenever you can, engage in things you love I.e. hobby. In fact, make time for your hobbies, you will find it rejuvenates you.
16. Neighbours who become friends are a true blessing.
17. We change as we grow: our preferences, opinions, and personalities could too.
18. And that's ok. 
19. Routine in some things help give order to your life. Also, a little control :-)
20. The little things make a whole load of difference; like a good morning smile, a complement from your boss/stranger, your baby saying 'thank you' without you reminding them to, Facebook memories of 'good-ol-times', and a warm hug from a friend, scratch that, just a good hearty warm hug.
21. Laugh. Find reason to stay happy. 
22. It is ok to be pissed off, just don't stay pissed (refer to no. 21).
23. Dream big. Dream beyond your league. Then find ways to make them realities, one by one. 
24. As a Mom, you need a circle. It can get overwhelming at times.
25. Rich, poor, average, in the end we have 2 things in common: we breathe the same God-given air, we die.
26. Sex. Sex. Sex. :-)
27. In-laws. Having good in-laws is truly a gift from God. I thank God. 
28. You need a 4*4 in your life, you just do:-)
29. Friends. A real friend knows the calling out voice that needs them to drop everything because you need them. They sometimes also know the silence that says you need them.
30. There is a level of maturity needed in marriage called 'marriage maturity'. Really, this is different from just being mature. You have it, you'll be good to go.
31. Business and friendship can go either way, extremely good or terribly bad.
32. You will loose some friends. It will hurt. You will gain some friends. They will bring color to your life.

I am glad we are friends... we would make lousy enemies!

 

First a toast to 9 or 8 years of a great friendship!  Wah! Tunazeeka. 

by Glam for miss G

Just another day we met in Daystar, May 2006, PAC  court, Grace looking all mature and classy and me with my rural swag all ready to have a great time in campus (which we sure did) and get Degrees, (of course which we also did -with no single referrals.) *things not to take for granted*

Any who am excited and off course honoured to be the first guest blogger on this very random blog. (Actually am surprised she agreed to this, but then again she doesn’t say no often, at least not to me)
lets gets started, with a disclaimer, am no writer, well at least not a social writer so be sure you will not bump into a joke in this post. In my works we are all about strategic objectives and impact *a moment to worry about all the proposal deadlines staring at me fiercely*.  I digress (there will be lots of those instances, so buckle up)
Oh. Pardon my PR (daktari hajitibu) My name is Glam and if we were 12-13 or there about, Miss G would be my best friend and we would have those BFF pendant chains:) 

(Stella, Mwendwa, Ed Gicovi, Grace Kelley, Francis, Sakayo if you are reading this, let us sort out this during the next sleepover, which I will not be attending, am too Lil Kim for that) Did I digress again already? Back to Glam. Before you ask what kind of creature refers to herself as...ok bla bla bla my official name is Joyce (Joy Ce I prefer) and this is just a cruise down memory lane of the lives and times (plagiarism nayo) of G & J; as friends, good friends and business partners. Can we try out a list of fun, random things we have done together-in our early 20s? Or better still a table (inside joke- never mind)

1. Taking a very random 3 day road trip to Arusha on a very tight budget. (5k to be precise) what were we thinking? But that was fun and random. Ruth is quite the life of the party & I want your small sister’s wardrobe.
2. Spending all our cash on Galitos or Java chocolate fudge cake then calling Sakayo (such a darling) to bail us out cause we are stuck in town. Again, what were we thinking.
3.  Taking one hour to get to the library then spend another 1.5 working on a to do list another 30 minutes of Miss G summarizing the to do list then we realize it 10pm and the library has to close down!  But we are pretty smart we still managed to get the 3.+GPAs, most times, sometimes ok. Tmi.
4. Walking door to door Hurlingham looking for internships. I remember this is when we conceptualized Lime Etiquette - Royal Etiquette. Oh sweet Lime!
5. Ice skating, having conversations that no one else would understand …

Before we go all PUI (inside joke 2) here is my grand conclusion. *Server loading* *server error* take 2. In conclusion, Miss G. Cutie/ queen of summaries and  'Glam stop texting in short hand' speaking of which it shocks me that even when you were a teenager you still, used T9 (how now) I digress. Grace is an inspiring, beautiful lady, grounded, with some insane positive attitude in life I don't know you manage that, always smiling and infecting people with the good cheer.  You are simply amazing. Always taking life easy. Never getting angry. Grounded in her Christianity. Fun. Fun. Waits. Lets capitalize that and probably bold it. FUN! 

Oh no! I owe Grace cake for her 21st birthday. Auuuwi (vernacular scream - you can take the girl out of the village but the village is deep within me) cake. Haya. Added to my 2014 list. Now if only we would start planning the wedding. Your man is God sent. Francis, Salut!  Reminds me of my situation … Glam husband applications open (sema free advertising)

Keep smiling, keep shining
Knowing you can always count on me, for sure
That's what friends are for
For good times and bad times
I'll be on your side forever more
That's what friends are for

-Dione Warwick's song

 Remember we have our 2014 'to-do-list' do not summarize it please (inside joke 3)

Much love, 

Glam

The Samburu-Maralal Saga - Part IV (final)

Here is the last adventure... (written 2 days after the journey back)

Over, but not over yet...

So the adventure only begins when it ends. This adventure is not so much the experience at the trip but what happens to the person...

My heart was changed. All the stories touched my heart to a point of tears, learning that the marginalized communities are really suppressed: they don't feel like they are part of the country and many live in constant fear due to tribal clashes which are a norm & don’t get me started on the development! It is almost @ zero percent, unless at the towns...

There is always the few who are privileged. 

Being touched however is not enough, it takes a Christian who has accepted their call to let themselves be used of God fully to His will & to let themselves be guided on what they can do.

I had to give myself to be used & I have. Wherever the Lord takes me I will go.

On a light touch: how do I forget the physical effect the trip had on me? I got me some bedbug bites from their hotels! Which I took a whole week treating!!!

What an ending, more like the beginning! Of following God's leading & treating bedbug bites...

 Miss G 

Until next time...

Be safe & happy, make a difference, love more & learn from every experience.

Miss G

The Samburu-Maralal saga - Part III

After Dawn...

Here I was thinking we are done. Sweet sleep woke up to view the last hour of nature before leaving the region, then bam! Mud!... muddy mud. We find the muddiest section ever! 

First we pass a stuck lorry, they were using spades to scoop out mud & create a path, then ahead of us one bus & another lorry blocking the way. So we wait for one of them to find an escape. Lady passengers from the bus were so freaked out they got out of the bus, the sliding, skidding, tilting, for a split second I thought the bus would topple. So we watched & waited from a distance hoping will not have to find an alternative route & we didn’t! Thankfully…

So long mud! Or so I though.

We skidded a few more times passed some river that with all honesty seemed like it would sweep us out! Rushing water & the 4×4 had to pass through it & guess where there is a path & avoid the potholes.

Just before I got used to the unpredictable terrain I was told, 'welcome to Kenya' :-) finally! A tarmac road!

No mud, no skidding, & best part, I won’t have to worry about pushing the 4×4!

Grand!

What caught my attention was the statement ‘welcome to Kenya’ which to them was a common statement; they live in Samburu and visit Kenya occasionally. No comment.

So I arrive to my destination but it seems my trip's adventure is not over!

Arrmmm, in other words, my adventure hasn’t ended.

The Samburu-Maralal Saga - Part II

Here is the story of my morning adventure...

Darkest Before Dawn

The dark adventures

No photos to show this thrill, just my words...

 We depart before dawn & adventure begins right outside the gate. At first I thought the 2KM distance I walked 4days ago seemed far. Wondering to myself 'how come we aren’t getting to the main road?' I go silent assuming maybe the darkness is making us move slowly although I very well knew the speed wasn’t that slow.

 My suspicion finally gets confirmed after my fellow adventure mates (AM) realized I had been too silent: They were speaking a language I do not understand so I couldn’t quite tell how they all realized at the same time that I was quiet. 

I was informed that we had used a different route (phew! Was getting worried @ this rate we shall take 6hrs on the road) but he hadn’t finished the statement, we used a different route in the forest!!! oh boy! Should I be worried? Are there warriors? Or just those insecurities? *ignorant thoughts here*

Well, I dared not ask lest I jinx it.

 Now that my heart was @ peace I could start noticing other things around me like the Christmas song playing on the radio, which was suddenly disrupted by my adrenaline rush caused by the skidding. I had already pictured us all out pushing a 4×4 & by that I mean 2 ladies seated back seat & one gentleman, an important person (title wise).

We however managed to swerve & get out of it. There were quite some more of that swerving as we climbed the hill. When we got to hilltop I breathed a sigh of relief 'one challenge down' let’s see what’s ahead before dawn. 

I just kept hoping some light will start creeping from the skies & I could feel less blind & more aware of my surrounding, but for now we could only trust our driver knew what he was up to.

Finally we begun journey down the hill, rough rugged, rocky, you name it! There was no sliding this time which was great but on an un-existing road, it can’t be all roses… we tilted to points of almost rolling... the end seemed closer yet so far!

About 15mins down the slope with some places not exactly having roads (so we went creating our own paths) we were out of the forest. 

 Back on the highway! haha main road, smoother main road, well not exactly, it is a rough road just not comparable to the hill encounter which was in no man's definition smooth, but the few worthwhile encounters of seeing a stream of zebras passing & spotting the mobile satellite from the hill made a difference.

Back to the smoother rough-road highway-main road, 

I can relax... I slept on the smooth rough road!

Good morning :-) its sunrise!