February 2006 – Page 3

tagged by irena…

Eehh…I’ve been tagged by Irena, so here ya’ go:

1. Favourite Kenyan Food

– Mandaazi with Cardamon
– Githeri

2. Favourite Kenyan Drink

– Stoney / Tangawizi (Kenyan?)
– Tusker (of course)

3. Favourite Kenyan TV Programme

Those charming ladies over at KBC are just perfect :-)

4. Top 3 Kenyan Hangouts

Any kantini with reasonable prices, nyama choma, cold beer and good music. Think global, drink local. And when I say ANY, i mean ANY! The whole range…though….I think I feel more comfortable with those joints that are somewhere deep down in a kijiji. I hate those spoiled places in Westlands & downtown where you only find Children of the BlueBandGeneration showing off…

5. Top Holiday Kenyan Destination

– Takawiri Island
– alone/with friends on Safari somewhere
– Coast: Tiwi Beach

6. 3 Kenyan phrases you use a lot (ati, nini, nani and bilaz DO NOT count)!
– aterere…
– eeehh…
– ama?…

7. Three things about Kenya/Kenyans that make you go ‘hmmm’

– many ppl are waiting for something to happen, ignoring the fact that they themselves have to start first.
– the "learn & repeat" educational system that offers no chances for creative students (remember this guy from Western Kenya who wanted to build his own "aeroplani"? Crazy dude, but brilliant thinking. I like that).
– class thinking: "I am a driver, I do not work in the kitchen or the garden." Irene says that’s the Colonial heritage….

8. Three things non-Kenyans say about Kenya/Kenyans that make you go ‘hmmm’

– why are there so many ppl on the streets?
– why do Kenyan men hold hands when they like each other? are they gay or somethin’?
– what’s that small footpath next to any street? don’t they have sidewalks?

9. Three things about Kenya/Kenyans which non-Kenyans ought to know

– Kenya is a beautiful country with very intelligent, capable, interested and friendly people.
– Kenya is more than what tourists get to see like the National Parks, the Coast, etc. It’s the whole picture with all those happy people that might suffer from something but still have the inner happiness to enjoy life the way it comes.
– the history of the country / area did not start with colonial rule…

10. Complete this sentence: I am Kenyan because……

…because it is part of my world – Kiku’s realm. :-)

And finally – list 3 members (~~of the Kenyan Blog Ring~~) you would like to see complete this quiz

Mzeecedric
Mwendemoja
WhiteAfrican

(since Lady Mbuzimoja doesn’t have her own blog as of yet, I am expecting her answer in the comments section OR alternatively as a private email….honey, now you’re in for it :-)

Das Sprachexperiment

Liebe Freunde,

wenn so einer wie ich, der jahrelang von der religiösen Verwandtschaft mit gut gemeinten, frommen Sprüchen zugetextet wurde (und sich dann frug, wo die darauf folgende Handlung blieb), vom scheinbar fast schon fanatischen und intoleranten missionarischen Eifer einiger Besserwisser in Afrika sichtlich genervt wurde, dem (finanziellen) Zwang der Institution Kirche schon vor Jahren den Rücken gekehrt hat, öfter gerne mal einen sarkastischen Witz im TITANIC-Stil über die religiösen Führer dieser Welt macht und dann höchstens aus diplomatischen Beweggründen heraus nicht öffentlich darüber lacht – wenn so einer, der zu Hause auch mindestens zwei Bibelübersetzungen stehen hat und weiß, wo diese auch online in den verschiedensten Ausführungen zu finden sind, den Inhalt der Bibel aber nie so wörtlich genommen und das Ganze eher als Sinnbild verstanden hat, einige Wochen lang auf seine Amazon Bestellung der Volxbibel in der 2. Auflage wartet und sich dann so RICHTIG über das NT in dieser modernen Übersetzung (Leseprobe) freut und öffentlich zu einer Aussage wie: "Die Volxbibel find ich richtig geil!" verleiten lässt — ich glaube dann ist das ein sehr schönes Kompliment und Anreiz für alle Beteiligten, diesen Weg weiter zu gehen.

"Tatsächlich geht es darum, eine Beziehung mit Gott zu haben. Das ist das Einzige, worauf es ankommt." (S.566, VB)

@CG: viel Erfolg beim Wiki!
@Mbuzi: come and fetch your copy! :-)

P.S.: Sicherlich kann man zum Thema VB & JF noch viel viel mehr schreiben, und sicherlich gibt es da diesen starken Kontrast zwischen 100pro Befürwortern und Gegnern, diese Himmel & Hölle Aufteilung (wtf?!), etc….mir alles soooo egal!
Ich freue mich einfach über die Erkenntnis, dass sich Sprache mit der Zeit verändert und dementsprechend auch Bücher, die von Menschen für Menschen geschrieben wurden und eine Botschaft (welcher Art auch immer) verständlich machen wollen, neu geschrieben werden müssen. Oder anders gefragt: wieso eigentlich nicht? Ist es nicht gerade die Veränderung, die als Einziges Bestand hat?

AOB: Editors "open your arms"

map-o-rama

(click on image to enlarge)

"Maplecroft maps is a highly visual web-based resource which contains detailed country information for over 200 states and maps key social, economic, environmental and political issues and their significance to business and society.

The interactive map enables users to view an issue individually or in combination with other issues in order to illustrate the relationship between two or more associated topics.

This innovative tool is designed to raise awareness amongst corporations, government and non governmental organisations, academics and students of how an organisation’s operations interact with wider society, and how the risks and opportunities generated can be responsibly managed through stakeholder engagement and partnership.

For each specific issue, the map features:

In-depth analysis – emphasising its impacts and significance to business and society in general, as well as providing a framework for action;

Country shading – illustrating the pervasiveness and risk ranking of the issue being mapped;

Traffic light system – applied to indicate whether the indicators relevant to the issue have increased, decreased or remained the same as in previous years;

Hotspots – specific areas are identified that are currently severely affected by the issue;

Case studies – positive and negative examples of how companies have managed the challenges that they have faced, in particular with respect to the interface between business and civil society.

The interactive map tool itself will be regularly updated with new features to make it easier and more enjoyable to use. New issues will be added to the tool at regular intervals, as well as enhancements and updates to existing issues, adding depth by incorporating new research, data, case studies and policy developments as they become available."
(source: http://maps.maplecroft.com/)

This is SUCH a great tool – in fact, I’ve been planing to do something like this (a web-based GIS overlay map) for the internet but these Maplecroft maps already contain all I ever needed. Great!!

[hat tip Black Looks!]

En attendant Godot, part 2

All you can eat for 500/- Kshs. (~ 5.70 EUR) @ Pizza Inn, Nairobi, Kenya. Offer valid 12-2 pm every day till February 3rd.
[Picture courtesy of Mbuzimoja].

"In order to negotiate our complex lives, Nairobi people have learned to have dual personalities. We move from one language to another, from one identity to another, navigating different worlds, some of which never meet." (Binyavanga Wainaina)

Nordmende Globetrotter Amateur & Co.

Yesterday evening, while preparing some auctions for eBay, I took a closer look at this old Nordmende Globetrotter Amateur world receiver my father had bought in 1960something…..Uhh…selling this one on eBay would generate something like EUR 20,- and I wanted to sell it because I thought it’s broken….

Well, it isn’t. I do repair these things from time to time and somehow I must have forgotten that I had recently repaired it, that is, it just works. It works perfectly! All those DX-stations like BFBS here in Germany are easy to tune into (nice filters!!) and the best thing about this radio is that it comes with a really huge loudspeaker that produces a very clear sound. Mmmhhh….a reception like that is pure pleasure!
My 0.1-2059 MHz W-FM/N-FM/AM/LSB/USB Commtel 610 radio handscanner is nothing compared to this old, but goooooood radio!
Kudos to the radio engineers of Nordmende who designed this awesome gadgetimoja back in those days!

More geekstuff? Here you go:

Look at this old UHER 4000 Report-L magnetic tape recorder. Remember those old (german) Derrick episodes on Kenyan Television? Yep, they were using a machine like this one to record the testimonies. Old, but good! This one is almost 40 years old, but still running fine. Changed a few rubber belts and adjusted the head inside last month et voilà, hakuna shida! Spare parts? OF COURSE!

Kikuwear™

Two friends of mine recently told me on different occasions that german tourists in the US could be easily identified on their EASTPAK® backpacks. They also told me they dislike EASTPAK® stuff for that particular reason.

Ati?? Me I don’t want to look like a tourist!! Kûrita nî kûru….I had to do something with that EASTPAK® label on my messenger bag:

I wonder if there’s any difference on that tourist image now….

think, world

cyberNomads

“..is an online community for the international black Diaspora with focus Black Europe coming together to recover and document their own social, artistic and academic history establishing the “mothership” databank.

Our goals are:

academic information to tackle stereotypes and racism
decrease the social isolation by networking the community and its supporters
cultural and political change through technology”

I wasn’t sure whether I should broach the issue of this on my blog – however, Sokari’s recent thoughts on racism over at Black Looks reminded me that there IS a need to talk about these things.

When I lived in Nairobi, Kenya, East Africa – it never occured to me that I should associate with other WHITE people in order to explain Kenyans that stereotypes like white people = rich aren’t really true. As a heterosexual person, it also never occured to me that I should join other heterosexuals to support and explain my sexual orientation to others.

Sure, those are different situations & circumstances and just as it’s good to see people networking and helping each other, it is sad (for me!) to see that there’s an actual need for such groupings.
Why can’t the world just be tolerant enough to accept and respect others – without making a big fuss about it?

Why should I be regarded a stranger when I go to Kenya and apply for a job with e.g. dayliff.com as a water engineer just because I am a Mzungu? Why are people crying foul when I openly turn this subject around and ask a counter question of why there’s still a difference between skin colours & origin?

As for me, there’s no difference. Neither in Kenya nor in Germany.
But what about the other people?