Yes, I've finally set one up for our brand new show. You can follow all the details of the show and the topics we're covering and stay in touch with myself and Patrick. You can also listen each and every Tuesday 4pm EST and keep us posted on interesting issues you think is worth discussing. link is below:
http://www.theeastafricashow.blogspot.com/
to listen jus click on the link below when it's Tuesday at 4pm. Hope you'll enjoy it.
http://www.fcac.org/webr/
Wednesday, December 30, 2009
Monday, December 28, 2009
viva new york and the snow family
My long absence can partially be blamed on New York since I had to go there two weekends on a row without any internet access. Then early on last week the internet in my apartment gave up on me and Comcast couldn't come till today so I've been deprived from my humble abode online, sorry folks!
All the nagging aside I had a blissful time there, the seminar was very thought-provoking and enlightening and I met many genuinely nice people. (these type have become a dying breed nowadays). Looking forward to going back there sometime soon hopefully.
So christmas has come and flown by and new years is around the corner. I'm hoping work won't get too hectic and the weather doesn't go ballistic. I'll be busy wrapping up the horn series for VOA Africa and the WEBR show is ready to be put on air every tuesday at 4pm DC time.
More details coming shortly (i.e. when internet decides to grace my apartment again).
Peace
All the nagging aside I had a blissful time there, the seminar was very thought-provoking and enlightening and I met many genuinely nice people. (these type have become a dying breed nowadays). Looking forward to going back there sometime soon hopefully.
So christmas has come and flown by and new years is around the corner. I'm hoping work won't get too hectic and the weather doesn't go ballistic. I'll be busy wrapping up the horn series for VOA Africa and the WEBR show is ready to be put on air every tuesday at 4pm DC time.
More details coming shortly (i.e. when internet decides to grace my apartment again).
Peace
Monday, December 7, 2009
The explosion
The explosion
I was made to detonate
To consume the bodies of the innocent
For their limbs to disperse and evaporate
My purpose is to suffocate
The breathing of the young ones
Who have no voice, on their behalf,
To advocate
I am the might that destroys the mothers, their wombs
Before they give life to unborn others
My powers surround the barren lands
With their melting body parts
Their heads, legs and hands
You see, I only take a second
To produce results
that will take years to reckon
I swear solemn oath and give allegiance
To those whose hearts favour
Unmeasured evil and vengeance
I breathe strength unto their cruel minds
To inflict all levels of evil kinds
How do you stop me for I do not control myself?
I am controlled by those
Who wish you all ill health
My message to you; the suffering is around you
The damage has been done
But their cries are still heard in the skies
Unite yourselves, unlock your fists and respond as one
I was made to detonate
To consume the bodies of the innocent
For their limbs to disperse and evaporate
My purpose is to suffocate
The breathing of the young ones
Who have no voice, on their behalf,
To advocate
I am the might that destroys the mothers, their wombs
Before they give life to unborn others
My powers surround the barren lands
With their melting body parts
Their heads, legs and hands
You see, I only take a second
To produce results
that will take years to reckon
I swear solemn oath and give allegiance
To those whose hearts favour
Unmeasured evil and vengeance
I breathe strength unto their cruel minds
To inflict all levels of evil kinds
How do you stop me for I do not control myself?
I am controlled by those
Who wish you all ill health
My message to you; the suffering is around you
The damage has been done
But their cries are still heard in the skies
Unite yourselves, unlock your fists and respond as one
escapism was overdue..
After a devasting week full of bombings, casualties and strikings of disaster. The biggest explosion to date occurred Thursday morning in Mogadishu at hotel Shamo where a graduation ceremony was being for the graduates of the medical department of Benadir University. The blast killed more than 20 people including ministers, professors, MP's and many medical graduates the country needed. It was indeed the most saddest incident that took place. I was also affected by the blast that occurred in Damascus, Syria as my dad lives there and both the blasts happened on the same morning and were being reported on the news at the same time when I switched the radio on. I thought the world was coming to an end. Subhanallah. I pray for my people, it seems the more steps that are taken towards achieving some normality in the country, the further that aim gets. Have we no heart? Where has humanity gone?
After the shock of a Thursday I was relieved to jump on a plane on Friday to the land of the hippies aka Portland. I loved the city immediately, its wind blowing a cool breath of breeziness. Her bridges flowed over one another and her inhabitants were the friendliest of God's creatures. The atmosphere in the air was filled with just the right level of peacefulness. My travels took me further to Vancouver, Chehalis and Seattle where I enjoyed several fine dishes of Somali cuisine, a craving I was dying to soothe and pleasant companies of close friends and family. I thank everyone for a wonderful weekend.
I'm back in DC only to discover the workload piling up so my head is gearing up to be buried in the land down under. Be good folks. I leave you in peace til next time.
After the shock of a Thursday I was relieved to jump on a plane on Friday to the land of the hippies aka Portland. I loved the city immediately, its wind blowing a cool breath of breeziness. Her bridges flowed over one another and her inhabitants were the friendliest of God's creatures. The atmosphere in the air was filled with just the right level of peacefulness. My travels took me further to Vancouver, Chehalis and Seattle where I enjoyed several fine dishes of Somali cuisine, a craving I was dying to soothe and pleasant companies of close friends and family. I thank everyone for a wonderful weekend.
I'm back in DC only to discover the workload piling up so my head is gearing up to be buried in the land down under. Be good folks. I leave you in peace til next time.
Saturday, November 14, 2009
a slow week
This week went away lazily. It was one of those weeks where nothing significant happened and the days just rolled into each other. But I managed to catch some decent sleep for a few nights, which is rare in my life. I remember I came from work on Thursday, cooked some dinner and by 7pm I was in bed. Didn't wake up till 4am when it was time to go to work again!
I came across an interesting word; smozing. It means to pose whilst you smile, apparently what most uber-trendy high-flying Americans see as a must-do at all times. (how many hiphens did I use? lol)
The weather is changing haphazardly with continous rain that sometimes brings tree-shaking winds. And then it becomes mellow and almost spring-like. This is all in the span of a week. I guess DC is in touch with her female side; can't decide on the weather she wants to wear!
I'm gearing up for Seattle and Portland in a few weeks. I'm looking forward to it since I've been longing to get away for a bit from the mayhem we constantly report. It can drag you down sometimes when the news you report is dominated by people dropping dead or being abducted. If it's not people, it is the destruction of the environment, graves and buildings. What a world we live in.
I came across an interesting word; smozing. It means to pose whilst you smile, apparently what most uber-trendy high-flying Americans see as a must-do at all times. (how many hiphens did I use? lol)
The weather is changing haphazardly with continous rain that sometimes brings tree-shaking winds. And then it becomes mellow and almost spring-like. This is all in the span of a week. I guess DC is in touch with her female side; can't decide on the weather she wants to wear!
I'm gearing up for Seattle and Portland in a few weeks. I'm looking forward to it since I've been longing to get away for a bit from the mayhem we constantly report. It can drag you down sometimes when the news you report is dominated by people dropping dead or being abducted. If it's not people, it is the destruction of the environment, graves and buildings. What a world we live in.
I can see her fading...
Fading deep into the highlands of history leaving fond memories for her previous inheritants to speak about, whilst little effort has been made to keep her alive. Their children grow up smiling with an expressionless face everytime they hear her story, the contribution she made to history, since they struggle to relate. Who am I talking about? The Somali language. The language that has thus far allowed the existence of Somali culture and heritage but whose usage is decreasing by the day. I find solace in the internet world when I scroll through Somali websites written in Somali language and listen to Somali radio but on the streets it's a different story.
Young Somali children are growing up developing a mother-tongue distantly removed from their Somali language. They grow up speaking fluent English, Swedish, Dutch, Norwegian relating to the cultures of the countries that speak those languages. So what happens when the older generation dies and these youngsters become thriving adults who barely speak Somali? Can you see the death of a culture?
I once met an aspiring, talented Somali RnB singer who sang beautiful ballads and funky love songs. I asked him who he felt inspired by. He said he looked up to old-skoolers like Stevie Wonder, Marvin Gaye, Anita Baker and James Brown. He didn't like the 'late-comers', as he called them." They didn't sing from the soul", he said. I asked him if he ever listened to the old-skool Somali singers like Hassan Aden Samatar, Hibo Nura and Omar Dhule. He looked at me with a baffled look. Then the penny dropped; "Oh you mean duqooshinka (meaning old people). My mum listens to them all the time." I was intrigued by the fact that he didn't consider Marvin Gaye or Stevie Wonder old, he considered them legends, role models. This is the reality of today's Somali societies.
Somalis have fled a country torn by civil war to the security of western nations. But as they continue to live and raise their children, the children grow up with a minute knowledge of the Somali language merely spoken at home and an identity dominated by the culture of the country they were brought up in. As a result the world will see the decline of the use of the Somali language and consequently the practice of the Somali culture.
Young Somali children are growing up developing a mother-tongue distantly removed from their Somali language. They grow up speaking fluent English, Swedish, Dutch, Norwegian relating to the cultures of the countries that speak those languages. So what happens when the older generation dies and these youngsters become thriving adults who barely speak Somali? Can you see the death of a culture?
I once met an aspiring, talented Somali RnB singer who sang beautiful ballads and funky love songs. I asked him who he felt inspired by. He said he looked up to old-skoolers like Stevie Wonder, Marvin Gaye, Anita Baker and James Brown. He didn't like the 'late-comers', as he called them." They didn't sing from the soul", he said. I asked him if he ever listened to the old-skool Somali singers like Hassan Aden Samatar, Hibo Nura and Omar Dhule. He looked at me with a baffled look. Then the penny dropped; "Oh you mean duqooshinka (meaning old people). My mum listens to them all the time." I was intrigued by the fact that he didn't consider Marvin Gaye or Stevie Wonder old, he considered them legends, role models. This is the reality of today's Somali societies.
Somalis have fled a country torn by civil war to the security of western nations. But as they continue to live and raise their children, the children grow up with a minute knowledge of the Somali language merely spoken at home and an identity dominated by the culture of the country they were brought up in. As a result the world will see the decline of the use of the Somali language and consequently the practice of the Somali culture.
Saturday, November 7, 2009
proof-vs-perosnal memory
Whenever I watch court cases where people testify as witnesses to their own or other people's ordeals and it gets rejected as insufficient evidence I often wonder how does one proof what happened to them? Take the Serb-Bosnian war for example where Bosnian Muslim women were raped on numerous occassions, some of them according to the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia trial as young as 15. So this 15 year old grows up but is still haunted by the memories of those rapes and decides to get justice when she's in her late twenties. Since then the war has ended, the places where these rapes took place had been demolished and she does not have any clothes for DNA traces to be done. Long story short; she only has her memories. How does she proof what happened to her and subsequently bring the perpretrators to justice?
These type of incidents happen in my homeland all too often. When I went to Somalia some years ago, I got acquainted with a few young ladies who live on the border city of Balanballe, right next to the Ethiopian border. They informed me there is an Ethiopian military base right by the border and many Ethiopian soldiers wander in and out of the city on a frequent basis. Sometimes they take Somali men they claim are planning a terrorist attack on Ethiopia, sometimes they take young women. Some of the ladies I met were amongst those taken. They told me how they would come late at night as the ladies are about to shut their small cafes known there as 'bibito' and tell them they have to come out and meet them at the border, otherwise they will take their male family members such as their fathers, brothers, uncles, husbands etc and kill them. Out of fear these ladies would go to the border and get taken into the Ethiopian compounds. What happens to them in there surpasses the term 'horrific torture'.
Yet these women have to come back to a lawless country where the culture demands women to not speak of gross atrocities such as these, as the women told me. In fact it is frowned upon for women to speak of any form of sexual activity. They have to get on with life as if nothing happened all along whilst carrying this burden.
I felt helpless as I listened to their stories but even when I came back to the West I was still in a position of helplessness. Everytime I watch a court case story on TV where human stories get classified as insufficient evidence or hear stories of physical abuse, I remember these women and ask myself how exactly do you prove you got raped when all you have is your memory.
These type of incidents happen in my homeland all too often. When I went to Somalia some years ago, I got acquainted with a few young ladies who live on the border city of Balanballe, right next to the Ethiopian border. They informed me there is an Ethiopian military base right by the border and many Ethiopian soldiers wander in and out of the city on a frequent basis. Sometimes they take Somali men they claim are planning a terrorist attack on Ethiopia, sometimes they take young women. Some of the ladies I met were amongst those taken. They told me how they would come late at night as the ladies are about to shut their small cafes known there as 'bibito' and tell them they have to come out and meet them at the border, otherwise they will take their male family members such as their fathers, brothers, uncles, husbands etc and kill them. Out of fear these ladies would go to the border and get taken into the Ethiopian compounds. What happens to them in there surpasses the term 'horrific torture'.
Yet these women have to come back to a lawless country where the culture demands women to not speak of gross atrocities such as these, as the women told me. In fact it is frowned upon for women to speak of any form of sexual activity. They have to get on with life as if nothing happened all along whilst carrying this burden.
I felt helpless as I listened to their stories but even when I came back to the West I was still in a position of helplessness. Everytime I watch a court case story on TV where human stories get classified as insufficient evidence or hear stories of physical abuse, I remember these women and ask myself how exactly do you prove you got raped when all you have is your memory.
the similarities among the different
I was watching a report on AlJazeera earlier on about Pol Pot and his party Khmer Rouge that led Cambodja from 1975-1979. As I listened to the communist methods Pol Pot implemented and its totalitarian way of ruling I couldn't help but notice some of the similarities they shared with Somalia's Siad Barre regime. Though the atrocities committed by Khmer Rouge far outweigh the ones people associate with Siyad Barre, he too implemented national rebuilding schemes done by the people. It was called "iskaa wax u qabso" (do it yourself). I remember tales from my grandmother as she told me how people build the schools they would sent their children to, the mosques they would pray in, the farms that would produce the food they ate and police stations that would safeguard their security. The country's social institutions were revived by the very people it would serve. I'm guessing Pot had a similar ambition but instead failed to research the necessary groundwork on how this would manifest.This led me to look into why some countries were drawn by communism but subsequently turned into failed or plagued states such as the case of China. The ruling elite of China rejoice in the name of 'The people's republic of China' but the majority of those whose name is manifested in their country title continue to suffer from lack of basic human needs such as a fair minimum wage and working hours, freedom of speech and what religion to follow. This country thrives as one of the largest if not the largest exporter of toys, cars, technology, games and clothes off the back of the suffering of its people.Communism in the words of its founder Karl Marx refers to a classless, stateless and oppression-free society where decisions on what to produce and what policies to pursue are made democratically, allowing every member of society to participate in the decision-making process in both the political and economic spheres of life. However I have yet to find a country that has adopted communism at some stage be it Somalia, Ethiopia, its father the Soviet Union or any other country that has remained truthful to implementing those policies.
In Somalia for example, though some attemps were made to negate this class based system, the Digil and Mirifle people were considered less than ordinary Somalis in the Siyad Barre regime and consequently didn't have the same rights as everyone else. I have to point out that this was not something Siyad Barre imposed but more a culturally rooted manifestation but I do wonder why the communist policies that were the base of Somali governance at that time weren't implemented to eliminate the existence of this culture.Many say communism has died with the end of the Cold War in 1991 but its influence still lingers around us globally.
So my question is to bring equality and justice into full existence in our world, do we need to reform and revive communism or does the solution lie in the complete eradication of communism?
In Somalia for example, though some attemps were made to negate this class based system, the Digil and Mirifle people were considered less than ordinary Somalis in the Siyad Barre regime and consequently didn't have the same rights as everyone else. I have to point out that this was not something Siyad Barre imposed but more a culturally rooted manifestation but I do wonder why the communist policies that were the base of Somali governance at that time weren't implemented to eliminate the existence of this culture.Many say communism has died with the end of the Cold War in 1991 but its influence still lingers around us globally.
So my question is to bring equality and justice into full existence in our world, do we need to reform and revive communism or does the solution lie in the complete eradication of communism?
Thursday, November 5, 2009
a note taken
One of the things I've noticed since living by myself here in DC are all the things I rarely had to take care of. My washbasin has been blocked for two days now and I went to my apartment building's office to get maintenance to take care of this but they have yet to show up. These are the days I particularly admire my mother as she took care of all these little hiccups that come up in the house. I don't remember ever any of our washbasins or sinks being blocked for 2 days straight. Even when I lived in London I was blessed to have decent landlords who would frequently stop by and check up on things in the house and fix whatever that needed some fixing, even when all of us who lived there were out. All we worried about was taking care of the bills. Here every so often something needs fixing (during summer my apartment was freezing but maintenance took forever to adjust the temperature) and it waits for me to sort it out. Dear Lord I say.
Ten months on and I'm still adjusting to the early work schedule, I still struggle to get out of bed at 4am to get to work for 5am. I'm dreading winter as it gets ridiculously cold here, it's not even funny. Inauguration was one tough time to be outside in DC's Capitol Hill. To top it all my desk area at work is right underneath the main AC in the ceiling and it keeps blowing cold air regardless of how many times it gets adjusted. I feel like cold follows my scent whether I'm at home or in the office! I've found a solution though; a small portable heater which I bought not too long ago and plan on taking it to the office as soon as winter time hits hard (I'm not joking).
On the upside DC has also given me resourceful times on my hands from the mind-broadening books I have access to to the programs I produce at work. My workload has piled up over the months but it is progressive and I feel I am developing my skills every day. I come home feeling tired due to the early rising but I'd still be buzzing with creative ideas to implement the next day.
So far DC has hastened me to grow up. Every morning she screams at me "wake up, dress up and show up!" I don't get away with the excuses I had back home; DC does not know what a sick day means! But she gave me a platform to bloom, realise my ambitions and bring out my
A-game and for that I remain happy I moved here.
Ten months on and I'm still adjusting to the early work schedule, I still struggle to get out of bed at 4am to get to work for 5am. I'm dreading winter as it gets ridiculously cold here, it's not even funny. Inauguration was one tough time to be outside in DC's Capitol Hill. To top it all my desk area at work is right underneath the main AC in the ceiling and it keeps blowing cold air regardless of how many times it gets adjusted. I feel like cold follows my scent whether I'm at home or in the office! I've found a solution though; a small portable heater which I bought not too long ago and plan on taking it to the office as soon as winter time hits hard (I'm not joking).
On the upside DC has also given me resourceful times on my hands from the mind-broadening books I have access to to the programs I produce at work. My workload has piled up over the months but it is progressive and I feel I am developing my skills every day. I come home feeling tired due to the early rising but I'd still be buzzing with creative ideas to implement the next day.
So far DC has hastened me to grow up. Every morning she screams at me "wake up, dress up and show up!" I don't get away with the excuses I had back home; DC does not know what a sick day means! But she gave me a platform to bloom, realise my ambitions and bring out my
A-game and for that I remain happy I moved here.
I ponder..
on why Somalis feel the need to argue/debate every single moment they get the tiniest chance? From politics and how to govern Somalia to getting into a car when there is several of them, they will spend ridiculous amount of time arguing who will sit where and who should go in first or sit at the front. In politics they will argue about silly things like should president Sharif shake Hillary Clinton's hand! Meanwhile children are starving of malnutrition, malaria, diarrhea and all sorts of preventable deseases. The women are struggling to make ends meet to feed their families because their men are either too busy debating on pointless issues or fighting pointless wars.
Fast forward to the Daispora and similar issues are taking place; they will spend however long to argue outside of Starbucks and point the finger at xildhibaan (MP) so and so. A few days ago I went to get some food at this restaurant in Virginia and stumbled upon two Somalis debating whether this Somali guy who was apparently interviewed on the BBC's speech would've been better if he didn't 'uhm' so much!!! One was passionately arguing this guy sounded unprofessional and lacked knowledge because of his 'uhms'! I pray for these people. Why should this matter? Isn't the content of his peech more important to pay attention to?
The world wonders why Somalia is in such turmoil when her people are too blind to acknowledge what they are doing to themselves but yet pay particular attention to the style of one's conversation.
Anyway now that my rant is out of the way, my past two weeks have been productive, particularly my weekends. I spent the weekend before last at the library and at Dupont Circle reading and buying books. The library has become my little sanctuary ever since I moved here but unfortunately I haven't had much time to spend there lately due to crazy work commitments so I was happy to have that weekend to spend there. I fell in love with one particular book; notes from the hyena's belly written by an Ethiopian author called Nega Mezlekia. The book is so vividly written, I feel like I know the streets of Jigjiga though I've never been there. Admirable piece of work.
Whilst in Dupont I went to a gathering organised by the Young African Professionals with Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, one of my favourite authors. The woman breathes life into African literature with her work and is even more captivating in real life. The gathering was so huge, people were standing and seated on the floor! There were so many different people there representing the whole continent from Ethiopia and Zambia to South Africa, Namibia, Nigeria and Senegal (I think I was the only one that repped for Somalia though). I had a great time.
During the working week my rested body was put to good use; I was working back to back covering the Africom event at the State Department and the Africare memorial dinner (which was a blast by the way as we had the pleasure of being entertained by John Legend who received the humanitarian award and Angelique Kidjo) on top of the usual running around in the office chasing news. Finally my body gave in yesterday after I came from work and I slept from 4pm to 3am! Woke up this morning totally rejuvenated though lol.
What saddened me at work last week though was this young Somali lady who was impregnated by one of the AMISOM peacekeeping forces from Uganda and then had to put up with the curse that is sometimes Somali culture. The lady never intended to marry this man but he made this an ultimatum to cure her sick father as he was in an AMISOM hospital where this soldier worked as one of the doctors. As she complied, she was shunned and harrassed by her own family when they found out. She was moved to Uganda by the Ugandan officials and the soldier was sentenced to 18months in prison as he broke international peacekeeping laws. However the lady was left with a baby to take care of, no regular income and no support from her community. Furthermore she found out he wasn't a Muslim and the marriage ceremony was done the Islamic way. We interviewed her and as she shared with us her story, she couldn't help but weep every so often. I couldn't help being moved.
I'm wondering if it is just me or is time really going faster than ever. I can't believe we're in November already. I was made to realise this point as I was doing my grocery shopping earlier on and Christmas stuff was already out. I'm trying to stay with the times though having done all my interviews and recorded audio material for my Horn series, which is in the editing stage right now so look out for it in your google alerts sometime in the near future!
Fast forward to the Daispora and similar issues are taking place; they will spend however long to argue outside of Starbucks and point the finger at xildhibaan (MP) so and so. A few days ago I went to get some food at this restaurant in Virginia and stumbled upon two Somalis debating whether this Somali guy who was apparently interviewed on the BBC's speech would've been better if he didn't 'uhm' so much!!! One was passionately arguing this guy sounded unprofessional and lacked knowledge because of his 'uhms'! I pray for these people. Why should this matter? Isn't the content of his peech more important to pay attention to?
The world wonders why Somalia is in such turmoil when her people are too blind to acknowledge what they are doing to themselves but yet pay particular attention to the style of one's conversation.
Anyway now that my rant is out of the way, my past two weeks have been productive, particularly my weekends. I spent the weekend before last at the library and at Dupont Circle reading and buying books. The library has become my little sanctuary ever since I moved here but unfortunately I haven't had much time to spend there lately due to crazy work commitments so I was happy to have that weekend to spend there. I fell in love with one particular book; notes from the hyena's belly written by an Ethiopian author called Nega Mezlekia. The book is so vividly written, I feel like I know the streets of Jigjiga though I've never been there. Admirable piece of work.
Whilst in Dupont I went to a gathering organised by the Young African Professionals with Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, one of my favourite authors. The woman breathes life into African literature with her work and is even more captivating in real life. The gathering was so huge, people were standing and seated on the floor! There were so many different people there representing the whole continent from Ethiopia and Zambia to South Africa, Namibia, Nigeria and Senegal (I think I was the only one that repped for Somalia though). I had a great time.
During the working week my rested body was put to good use; I was working back to back covering the Africom event at the State Department and the Africare memorial dinner (which was a blast by the way as we had the pleasure of being entertained by John Legend who received the humanitarian award and Angelique Kidjo) on top of the usual running around in the office chasing news. Finally my body gave in yesterday after I came from work and I slept from 4pm to 3am! Woke up this morning totally rejuvenated though lol.
What saddened me at work last week though was this young Somali lady who was impregnated by one of the AMISOM peacekeeping forces from Uganda and then had to put up with the curse that is sometimes Somali culture. The lady never intended to marry this man but he made this an ultimatum to cure her sick father as he was in an AMISOM hospital where this soldier worked as one of the doctors. As she complied, she was shunned and harrassed by her own family when they found out. She was moved to Uganda by the Ugandan officials and the soldier was sentenced to 18months in prison as he broke international peacekeeping laws. However the lady was left with a baby to take care of, no regular income and no support from her community. Furthermore she found out he wasn't a Muslim and the marriage ceremony was done the Islamic way. We interviewed her and as she shared with us her story, she couldn't help but weep every so often. I couldn't help being moved.
I'm wondering if it is just me or is time really going faster than ever. I can't believe we're in November already. I was made to realise this point as I was doing my grocery shopping earlier on and Christmas stuff was already out. I'm trying to stay with the times though having done all my interviews and recorded audio material for my Horn series, which is in the editing stage right now so look out for it in your google alerts sometime in the near future!
Friday, October 23, 2009
when controversy meets violate
The recruitment taking place in the Somali refugee camps in Dadaab, Northeastern Kenya has stirred some controversial outbursts by many in and outside the region. However what I am particularly bewildered with is the stand-point of the Kenyan government. I did an investigative report on this issue earlier on at work where the defense minister of Kenya firmly claimed Kenya had not given permission for this recruitment to take place.Meanwhile witnesses and human rights activists are recording and documenting evidence of these youngsters being put in Kenyan military trucks and driven to Kenyan military training bases.
Many of these youngsters are taken under false pretence and the promise of regular salary and a stable job with a UN/EU/AU backed military project.In reality they are being recruited to go and fight in the very war they fled from and had turned them into refugees. Many of these young refugees are reported to be underage and taken without their parents' consent. It also violated their international human right as refugees according to the recently released Human Rights Watch press release, because refugees are meant to be kept in civilian conditions.It seems that the stance of the Kenyan government is an elusive one to temporarily shed light away from the recruitment process itself and onto them and then follow it up when recruitment rush is finished with a stance indicating that they have indeed solved that problem and everything is back to normal and thus the region can go back to supporting Somalia in its rebuilding mission.
What I fear however is that the gross human rights violations taking place will not be addressed and if the history of the 2007 Kenyan elections teaches a lesson, these could be violations Kenya will take a greusome long time to address.
Many of these youngsters are taken under false pretence and the promise of regular salary and a stable job with a UN/EU/AU backed military project.In reality they are being recruited to go and fight in the very war they fled from and had turned them into refugees. Many of these young refugees are reported to be underage and taken without their parents' consent. It also violated their international human right as refugees according to the recently released Human Rights Watch press release, because refugees are meant to be kept in civilian conditions.It seems that the stance of the Kenyan government is an elusive one to temporarily shed light away from the recruitment process itself and onto them and then follow it up when recruitment rush is finished with a stance indicating that they have indeed solved that problem and everything is back to normal and thus the region can go back to supporting Somalia in its rebuilding mission.
What I fear however is that the gross human rights violations taking place will not be addressed and if the history of the 2007 Kenyan elections teaches a lesson, these could be violations Kenya will take a greusome long time to address.
Thursday, October 22, 2009
Oh Media, how useful art thou..
For giving the BNP a platform into the mainstream audience! This was the most controversial and hype creating move the BBC has made in a long time. Question Time has granted been watched by 50 times the average audience just by having Nick Griffins as part of the panel but it does make you wonder was it worth it? the mass protest had been going on on the streets of London, particularly West London where the BBC Television studios are based, for days at times blocking the movement of traffic and causing casualties!
People were appalled and disgusted by the mere thought that a far-right fascist racist party would get the opportunity to air their thoughts on prime time TV. Some have gone as far as accusing the BNP of poisoning politics.
But this is where I see beauty in the way the media works sometimes because whether people like it or not the BNP is a recognised political party in the UK that has a large following but more to the point their followers are largely misguided people or folks who are unhappy with the leading parties and the BNP tapped into their vulnerability. And when you put someone like Nick Griffins on a show like Question Time, not only will the BBC fulfil their responsibility to include minority as well as majority tax payers but they also expose the party for what they truly stand for which is solely based on hatred of immigrants and white supremacy, not the well-scripted promos that they show when they're on the campaign trail.
And that point was hit right on the head. Griffins was confronted with racists remarks and comments that he made on numerous different newspapers and radio shows and he couldn't put two words together stumbling all over his sentences. What makes the show that bit more delightful is the engagement that is allowed to the regular public, who get to ask their questions and make their comments directly to all the panelists, which this time included Jack Straw of Labour, David Huhne from Lib Dem and Baroness Warsi from the Tories amongst others (you should've seen the face she pulled when Nick Griffins was asked whether he thought Muslims were repulsive and he said yes! She is a Muslim by the way).
This then generates a heated debate across all the panelists because they're all vying to sell their parties' policies and justify whatever actions they took that they've been criticized for. This is where oratory skills come in handy. Nick Griffins couldn't get passed his shaky nerves and this was made worse by the public who couldn't hold themselves back hurling abuse at him from left, right and centre! I did wish they would allow him to speak more though just so that he could contribute to his own embarrassment rather than allowing him to sit back and sqeale out some nervous laughters whenever a difficult questions is raised. LOVED IT!! Brilliant telly.
Back on this side of the Atlantic I am working on full speed with a heavy workload and the side projects coming to realisation. I'm half-way through collecting interivews and audio for the English to Africa horn series which by the way I'm getting excited about as the series develop.
WEBR's training classes are also coming to an end this Saturday and we've already started the pre-planning and shaping of the radio show. It will be East Africa mayhem all over the airwaves and I can't wait!
People were appalled and disgusted by the mere thought that a far-right fascist racist party would get the opportunity to air their thoughts on prime time TV. Some have gone as far as accusing the BNP of poisoning politics.
But this is where I see beauty in the way the media works sometimes because whether people like it or not the BNP is a recognised political party in the UK that has a large following but more to the point their followers are largely misguided people or folks who are unhappy with the leading parties and the BNP tapped into their vulnerability. And when you put someone like Nick Griffins on a show like Question Time, not only will the BBC fulfil their responsibility to include minority as well as majority tax payers but they also expose the party for what they truly stand for which is solely based on hatred of immigrants and white supremacy, not the well-scripted promos that they show when they're on the campaign trail.
And that point was hit right on the head. Griffins was confronted with racists remarks and comments that he made on numerous different newspapers and radio shows and he couldn't put two words together stumbling all over his sentences. What makes the show that bit more delightful is the engagement that is allowed to the regular public, who get to ask their questions and make their comments directly to all the panelists, which this time included Jack Straw of Labour, David Huhne from Lib Dem and Baroness Warsi from the Tories amongst others (you should've seen the face she pulled when Nick Griffins was asked whether he thought Muslims were repulsive and he said yes! She is a Muslim by the way).
This then generates a heated debate across all the panelists because they're all vying to sell their parties' policies and justify whatever actions they took that they've been criticized for. This is where oratory skills come in handy. Nick Griffins couldn't get passed his shaky nerves and this was made worse by the public who couldn't hold themselves back hurling abuse at him from left, right and centre! I did wish they would allow him to speak more though just so that he could contribute to his own embarrassment rather than allowing him to sit back and sqeale out some nervous laughters whenever a difficult questions is raised. LOVED IT!! Brilliant telly.
Back on this side of the Atlantic I am working on full speed with a heavy workload and the side projects coming to realisation. I'm half-way through collecting interivews and audio for the English to Africa horn series which by the way I'm getting excited about as the series develop.
WEBR's training classes are also coming to an end this Saturday and we've already started the pre-planning and shaping of the radio show. It will be East Africa mayhem all over the airwaves and I can't wait!
Monday, October 12, 2009
Osman the American...
That is the name of the recent Al-Amriki wannabe who wanted to join Al-Shabab in Somalia. Osman, an American with apparently no last name was held up at the Kenya-Somalia border where Kenyan officials put him in custody. This is the joke that is dubbed the 'jihad war' in Somalia!
On a lighter note I enjoyed doing my Diaspora program today where I covered the lives and plights of the Somali refugees living in the Dadaab camps in Kenya. I was moved by the conditions those people lived in and how couragous they were to still engage in various activities and try to live somewhat of a normal life. I spoke with this lady, who has a mentally disturbed child and is surrounded by single mothers with different types of disabilities including blindness but still manage to raise their children without the fathers being around. She shared with me how they support each other through this women's organisation they set up where they get together and sow quilts and handmade fans to then sell to the public. They also support each other physically, the ones with sight helping those who are blind and the ones with limbs helping those without. This lady is also a profound poet and she gave me a few precious minutes of a poem she wrote detailing the harsh conditions of their lives in Kenya. I was so moved.
By the way why do Somalis butcher English names so horribly?!! And they insist on being experts on how to pronounce these names going to the extend of claiming 'they know so-and-so personally'. For heaven's sake; we're broadcasters, get the names right before going on air!!
On a lighter note I enjoyed doing my Diaspora program today where I covered the lives and plights of the Somali refugees living in the Dadaab camps in Kenya. I was moved by the conditions those people lived in and how couragous they were to still engage in various activities and try to live somewhat of a normal life. I spoke with this lady, who has a mentally disturbed child and is surrounded by single mothers with different types of disabilities including blindness but still manage to raise their children without the fathers being around. She shared with me how they support each other through this women's organisation they set up where they get together and sow quilts and handmade fans to then sell to the public. They also support each other physically, the ones with sight helping those who are blind and the ones with limbs helping those without. This lady is also a profound poet and she gave me a few precious minutes of a poem she wrote detailing the harsh conditions of their lives in Kenya. I was so moved.
By the way why do Somalis butcher English names so horribly?!! And they insist on being experts on how to pronounce these names going to the extend of claiming 'they know so-and-so personally'. For heaven's sake; we're broadcasters, get the names right before going on air!!
Tuesday, September 29, 2009
no rest for the curious..
also known as journalists! I particularly enjoyed working on a humanitarian report today on Zanzibari refugees living in Mogadishu of all places! I came across that story some time ago but didn't get a chance to pursue it until today. There's about 85 of them who live in the building where the previous department of water used to be based. They're political refugees who fled their country after being pursued for holding anti government demonstrations just after elections took place in Zanzibar in 2000 where the head of state was re-elected. The irony is that these people had fled their country and Kenya in fear for their lives and have chosen Somalia over them, which is completely unstable and in a state of anarchy but ironically they do not fear for their lives there. Instead they suffer from lack of food and ill-health especially since most of them are children and elders. Most of the men have already integrated into the city and have married Somali women. They have been living there for 8 years now but surprisingly are considered secondary residents by local and international charities and therefore do not receive any assistance since the charities can barely assist the primary residents; the Somalis. I was moved by their plight given the fact that they are affected by the constant fighting in the city but have no source of income whatsoever, no members of the Zanzibari diaspora reaching out for them and no government providing any support. In fact the government is likely to jail them if they decide to return home.
I also enjoyed working on my Diaspora program due to air later on today. It looks at the experiences of Somali students who are currently studying at American universities and those who have graduated. I was especially happy to hear the out of class life skills they felt they attained such as meeting deadlines, building social networks, researching and on a more personal note paying bills on time and doing their own cooking and cleaning! This will inevitably help them progress through their careers and lives.
I've started working on another 5 part series for Africa News Tonight on VOA's English to Africa, this time looking at issues in the horn of Africa. Ethiopia will be on the forefront since elections are coming up next year but I'm trying to not focus too much on the political issues in the region though this is somewhat unavoidable. Instead I'm looking to highlight issues that are of concern to the region but that the three countries also have in common. One area I'm looking to explore is the war on terror saga led by the US. I want to pay attention to how this war is interpreted by the three countries and the actions each of them is taking that they consider to be a fight to eliminate terrorism from the region. Anyone with any bright ideas that can be helpful is encouraged to hit me up.
Life outside of VOA is just as busy, I've started my production training for Fairfax public access to start hosting a radio show there, which will take up all my weekends from now until end of October but it is highly exciting. At the end I'll get to prepare, produce, edit and host a weekly 1hour show where I'll be focusing on affairs and social issues concerning East Africa. Details of this will be blasted all over facebook, twitter etc so look out for it in the near future.
So I guess it's fair to say I'm back to having no life but I'll spare my blog from complaining and hold out for when I'm swamped and in desperate need of a serious virtual rant! Hopefully that won't be anytime soon as I get to escape to Vegas for a long weekend in November with my gal Goly. Looking forward to a good old catch-up and a serious hair let-down !
P.S. if anyone has been to Vegas and can recommend a few places to hit, do drop me a line...
I also enjoyed working on my Diaspora program due to air later on today. It looks at the experiences of Somali students who are currently studying at American universities and those who have graduated. I was especially happy to hear the out of class life skills they felt they attained such as meeting deadlines, building social networks, researching and on a more personal note paying bills on time and doing their own cooking and cleaning! This will inevitably help them progress through their careers and lives.
I've started working on another 5 part series for Africa News Tonight on VOA's English to Africa, this time looking at issues in the horn of Africa. Ethiopia will be on the forefront since elections are coming up next year but I'm trying to not focus too much on the political issues in the region though this is somewhat unavoidable. Instead I'm looking to highlight issues that are of concern to the region but that the three countries also have in common. One area I'm looking to explore is the war on terror saga led by the US. I want to pay attention to how this war is interpreted by the three countries and the actions each of them is taking that they consider to be a fight to eliminate terrorism from the region. Anyone with any bright ideas that can be helpful is encouraged to hit me up.
Life outside of VOA is just as busy, I've started my production training for Fairfax public access to start hosting a radio show there, which will take up all my weekends from now until end of October but it is highly exciting. At the end I'll get to prepare, produce, edit and host a weekly 1hour show where I'll be focusing on affairs and social issues concerning East Africa. Details of this will be blasted all over facebook, twitter etc so look out for it in the near future.
So I guess it's fair to say I'm back to having no life but I'll spare my blog from complaining and hold out for when I'm swamped and in desperate need of a serious virtual rant! Hopefully that won't be anytime soon as I get to escape to Vegas for a long weekend in November with my gal Goly. Looking forward to a good old catch-up and a serious hair let-down !
P.S. if anyone has been to Vegas and can recommend a few places to hit, do drop me a line...
Thursday, September 24, 2009
floating across the streets of DC again
Yes I am back safe and sound though somewhat sad. My holiday was way too short but I had the best of times and more importantly a much needed rest. I didn't realise how much I had missed British TV till I switched it on and ended up being glued to it ever since lol!
Ramadan went past by ever so quick and Eid came and went but it was a good time for family gatherings and spiritual reflections. I was glad to be around for that. My sisters and I went shopping for most of the morning and then we had a massive family get-together at my grandma's where I got a chance to catch up with many aunts, uncles, cousins, nieces and nephews, some of them I hadn't seen for years! The second day we all went bowling and then round my aunt's who by the way cooks the best Somali food anyone has ever tasted, hands down! Leading up to Eid there've been family invites and dinner invitations galore to the point where I was having second dinners and lunches lol but a blast nevertheless.
In between family catch ups I managed to squeeze in a few interviews for a long report I am doing on the UK prison system and their Somali inhabitants. I also caught up with a great up and coming Somali entertainer by the name of Que. In short I didn't totally zoom out of work mode! The funny thing is, I discovered how much I had missed the trains and the tubes in London, particularly the Vic line! They are extremely efficient and convenient especially when you have DC's public transport to compare it to (constant delays, accidents, you name it DC is suffering from it!).
As I hopped on one tube after another I kept on getting flashbacks taking me down memory lane of the good old days. Days when public transport was the most reliable form of transport for everywhere one wanted to go. I actually went past Farringdon where I used to get off when I was working for the Guardian. For a minute silly me, I thought of getting off and taking pictures but then realised how naff that sounded (oh well). I need to get a life or better yet start driving!
So I am back in the midst of all things international, political, radical etc but looking forward to squeezing in time to put together the prison report.
Monday, September 14, 2009
greetings from my beloved
Yes I am back in the land of fish and chips and miserable weather but goodness it feel real good to be back surrounded by familiarity. I'm in the midst of family, good food, people practicing their faith during the blessed month of ramadan. I cannot be any happier, it's surreal. Don't know how I stayed away for so long and even more to the point I don't know how I'll go back!!
The flight took forever though, it was 8 hours in real time but it seemed like it was in the air forever. The girl next to me fainted for half an hour or so. The stewardesses had to get their first aid kit out and get her breathing back to normal. Of course when the girl was back to normal folks wouldn't stop asking how she's doing and how she fainted yadiyadiya etc. Basically it took a long time to fall asleep or watch a movie or do anything afterwards. But the journey was smooth and train ride was lovely. I got to see the countryside and smell the emergence of autumn.
I spent most of the weekend recuperating as my bodyclock was five hours behind and thus in a state of confusion but have also had time to play footie with my siblings and cook iftar and dinner with my mum. So far I'm having a marvelous time. We're cooking lots of food to share with our neighbours and local mosque. I'm trying to get some work material recorded but so far I'm not getting past the livingroom! will keep you posted!
The flight took forever though, it was 8 hours in real time but it seemed like it was in the air forever. The girl next to me fainted for half an hour or so. The stewardesses had to get their first aid kit out and get her breathing back to normal. Of course when the girl was back to normal folks wouldn't stop asking how she's doing and how she fainted yadiyadiya etc. Basically it took a long time to fall asleep or watch a movie or do anything afterwards. But the journey was smooth and train ride was lovely. I got to see the countryside and smell the emergence of autumn.
I spent most of the weekend recuperating as my bodyclock was five hours behind and thus in a state of confusion but have also had time to play footie with my siblings and cook iftar and dinner with my mum. So far I'm having a marvelous time. We're cooking lots of food to share with our neighbours and local mosque. I'm trying to get some work material recorded but so far I'm not getting past the livingroom! will keep you posted!
Thursday, September 3, 2009
a quick update
Unfortunately I do not have any 'groundbreaking' news as such although Al-Shabab has expanded its verbal attack base as far as Somaliland calling them herdsmen for Ethiopia! But I'm exceptionally excited about going back home! September tenth to be precise for 13 days coming back on the 23d. I get to spend the last week or so of Ramadan as well as Eid with the family, which should be time well spent indeed.
I'm looking to gather some audio for a piece I want to put together on the prison system in the UK and the young Somali inmates held there. I'll probably end up collecting material for Diaspora as well. Anyone with any bright ideas, they're most welcome!
I'm looking to gather some audio for a piece I want to put together on the prison system in the UK and the young Somali inmates held there. I'll probably end up collecting material for Diaspora as well. Anyone with any bright ideas, they're most welcome!
Sunday, August 30, 2009
diving back into the virtual side of things...
after being away for a while but I have been busy in the real world, especially that of broadcasting. My Somalia series have been finalised and are now posted on the VOA website as well as shared across all the Africa services. It will also be aired on the Africa service's main daily show Africa News Tonight the whole of next week. I am stoked! The links to the stories for those of you who would like to listen to it/read it are below.
-Somali traditional healers
http://www.voanews.com/english/Africa/2009-08-17-voa48.cfm
-Somalia's telecomms industryhttp://www.voanews.com/english/Africa/2009-08-06voa33.cfm
-Somalia's street childrenhttp://www.voanews.com/english/Africa/2009-08-18-voa45.cfm
-Somalia's Islamists change wedding celebrations
http://www.voanews.com/english/Africa/2009-08-17-voa37.cfm
-NGO cannot access Mogadishu
http://www.voanews.com/english/Africa/2009-08-13-voa43.cfm
I was also on Inquiry a few times, the latest discussion was on witchcraft in Africa! Yep, go figure. It was hilarious though, lighthearted as usual and plenty of laughs to go round! link is below if one feels like being amused lol!
http://www.voanews.com/english/africa/inquiry.cfm
I also managed to stumble onto TV to Africa's In Focus where I appeared to discuss Muslims in America with them. I enjoyed that one. It was an issue that has been on my conscious for a while and was hoping a platform would appear where I can contribute to somehow trying to tackle the misperception Americans have of Muslims and the Islam faith. Check out the interview below.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z515IFnjiwc
On a personal note I can honestly say I don't know where to draw the line between work and life anymore as I seem to be always doing something work related. Fortunately I get to be off from the 10th of September for two weeks when I'll go back home to unwind and switch off from the world of politics.
-Somali traditional healers
http://www.voanews.com/english/Africa/2009-08-17-voa48.cfm
-Somalia's telecomms industryhttp://www.voanews.com/english/Africa/2009-08-06voa33.cfm
-Somalia's street childrenhttp://www.voanews.com/english/Africa/2009-08-18-voa45.cfm
-Somalia's Islamists change wedding celebrations
http://www.voanews.com/english/Africa/2009-08-17-voa37.cfm
-NGO cannot access Mogadishu
http://www.voanews.com/english/Africa/2009-08-13-voa43.cfm
I was also on Inquiry a few times, the latest discussion was on witchcraft in Africa! Yep, go figure. It was hilarious though, lighthearted as usual and plenty of laughs to go round! link is below if one feels like being amused lol!
http://www.voanews.com/english/africa/inquiry.cfm
I also managed to stumble onto TV to Africa's In Focus where I appeared to discuss Muslims in America with them. I enjoyed that one. It was an issue that has been on my conscious for a while and was hoping a platform would appear where I can contribute to somehow trying to tackle the misperception Americans have of Muslims and the Islam faith. Check out the interview below.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z515IFnjiwc
On a personal note I can honestly say I don't know where to draw the line between work and life anymore as I seem to be always doing something work related. Fortunately I get to be off from the 10th of September for two weeks when I'll go back home to unwind and switch off from the world of politics.
Monday, August 17, 2009
viva Las VOA
It was showtime in here last friday with one of our journalist showcasing a theatre play telling the tale of a friendship between two Siera Leonian men, one who's the chief's son and other is a poor foreigner from another village. The play captured the essence and atmosphere of Africa. It was a pleasure to watch. It's called 'friendship in Sierra Leone' by David Vandy, in case it ever hits your town don't miss it.
Insomnia has yet again greeted me with her presence I am falling off my desk chair as we speak. Anyway all hell is close to breaking loose in Somalia with Ahlu Sunna wal Jama'a gaining more ground in the Gedo region and Al-shabab being pushed back along with their allies Hisbul Islam. However since these territorial power grips change all the time, we live to see who will be in control of the same region tomorrow. Mind you rumour has it Kenyan troops might forge an alliance with Ahlu Sunna and that could boost Ahlu Sunna's power...
I miss the earlier days when I was full of energy and I could go to uni, work and still have energy in abundance to go out and paint the town red. Now all I can think of after a day's work is my friggin bed! Is ageism getting to me already?...
Insomnia has yet again greeted me with her presence I am falling off my desk chair as we speak. Anyway all hell is close to breaking loose in Somalia with Ahlu Sunna wal Jama'a gaining more ground in the Gedo region and Al-shabab being pushed back along with their allies Hisbul Islam. However since these territorial power grips change all the time, we live to see who will be in control of the same region tomorrow. Mind you rumour has it Kenyan troops might forge an alliance with Ahlu Sunna and that could boost Ahlu Sunna's power...
I miss the earlier days when I was full of energy and I could go to uni, work and still have energy in abundance to go out and paint the town red. Now all I can think of after a day's work is my friggin bed! Is ageism getting to me already?...
Saturday, August 15, 2009
airtime on the loose
So we went on air this afternoon with me gasping for air whilst reading the news and the producer and the engineer having a complete breakdown of communication. The problem started with the producer not having all his material in the right order and then continued without communicating all the necessary information to the engineer who essentially puts the recorded material on air. Long story short, we the presenters were trailing one thing and the engineer was playing something else. Fortunately we were able to salvage the playback.
Which leads me to announce I have started to present the shows regularly and having a good time with it. Mind you I do get annoyed when people bring their introductions and news items too late for me to have time to read it or rewrite so I have to correct it whilst on air. What's more frustrating is that it can be prepared in advance but folks just love leaving things till last minute and rushing it at the very end. It feels like the place is filled with sheeple! (That was my rant for the week).
Staying on the presenting of shows, I have met with the lady of fairfax public access TV and Radio station where I get to have my own hour long radio show on Monday. She was ever so lovely and got me even more excited. I am very much looking forward to it, October cannot come soon enough!
This week has been another hectic one but glad the weekend is here. I'm toying with some ideas for projects to dig into. One of them is to set up workshops to inform and demonstrate to young journalist wannabes what the ethics of journalism are and examples of how to build a successful career in journalism. I have particular interest in grooming young African students/ upcoming journalists since there is not enough of them. Anyway I'll keep on brainstorming, for now I'm off to put my feet up and fall into a deep sleepathon.
Which leads me to announce I have started to present the shows regularly and having a good time with it. Mind you I do get annoyed when people bring their introductions and news items too late for me to have time to read it or rewrite so I have to correct it whilst on air. What's more frustrating is that it can be prepared in advance but folks just love leaving things till last minute and rushing it at the very end. It feels like the place is filled with sheeple! (That was my rant for the week).
Staying on the presenting of shows, I have met with the lady of fairfax public access TV and Radio station where I get to have my own hour long radio show on Monday. She was ever so lovely and got me even more excited. I am very much looking forward to it, October cannot come soon enough!
This week has been another hectic one but glad the weekend is here. I'm toying with some ideas for projects to dig into. One of them is to set up workshops to inform and demonstrate to young journalist wannabes what the ethics of journalism are and examples of how to build a successful career in journalism. I have particular interest in grooming young African students/ upcoming journalists since there is not enough of them. Anyway I'll keep on brainstorming, for now I'm off to put my feet up and fall into a deep sleepathon.
Thursday, August 6, 2009
delayed reaction..
towards my poor blog. I have been inundated with floods of work. It is 10pm now and I've been at the office working back to back since 6.30am this morning and going home isn't on the horizon anytime soon. The weekend cannot come soon enough. I've actually started daydreaming about trivial things like reading books in bed, cooking, going to the park, watching TV (see I'm getting carried away again!).
I was covering a youth event over the weekend in Virginia where plenty of youngsters gathered to connect and exchange knowledge and information. Very well organised, with experts of all fields in abundance. Sadly some of the typical old Somali men decided to tag along and managed to shift the focus away from the event's purpose and tweak it towards.. you've guessed it, SOMALI POLITICS! In particular when professor Ahmed Samatar (who's highly intellectual but known for being controversial) was doing his speech. They started reciting flipping poetry from 1879 and 1764 arguing with him over irrelevant subjects like Al-Shabab, each fighting for the microphone so that we can all 'have the privilege of benefiting from their elaborate intellect'! The average age of the audience was between 13-18. How these men expect the kids to comprehend and benefit from whatever palaver they were banging on about is beyond me. On top of that they were wasting time that could've been utilised towards a much more productive activity (like actually allowing the guests that were invited to speak, speak!)
Apart from that it was a great success and I really hope they'll organise more of them since there is a clear need for them.
I also had a good opportunity to take advantage of the experts that attended so I ended up gathering audio for two programs on top of covering the event. All in all, though I've disappeared from the blogosphere I had a productive weekend.
Back to work and all the news is happening in Kenya! Clinton has started her tour around the African countries America is planning to help there but has met with president Sharif on the sideline. What's amazing is that the plight of Somalia and the core issues the country is facing has been overshadowed by Clinton and Sharif's hand shaking. Go figure.
Living up to my job title, I am now off to record a discussion between two Islamic scholars about whether women and men shaking hands is allowed or not... drums please.
I was covering a youth event over the weekend in Virginia where plenty of youngsters gathered to connect and exchange knowledge and information. Very well organised, with experts of all fields in abundance. Sadly some of the typical old Somali men decided to tag along and managed to shift the focus away from the event's purpose and tweak it towards.. you've guessed it, SOMALI POLITICS! In particular when professor Ahmed Samatar (who's highly intellectual but known for being controversial) was doing his speech. They started reciting flipping poetry from 1879 and 1764 arguing with him over irrelevant subjects like Al-Shabab, each fighting for the microphone so that we can all 'have the privilege of benefiting from their elaborate intellect'! The average age of the audience was between 13-18. How these men expect the kids to comprehend and benefit from whatever palaver they were banging on about is beyond me. On top of that they were wasting time that could've been utilised towards a much more productive activity (like actually allowing the guests that were invited to speak, speak!)
Apart from that it was a great success and I really hope they'll organise more of them since there is a clear need for them.
I also had a good opportunity to take advantage of the experts that attended so I ended up gathering audio for two programs on top of covering the event. All in all, though I've disappeared from the blogosphere I had a productive weekend.
Back to work and all the news is happening in Kenya! Clinton has started her tour around the African countries America is planning to help there but has met with president Sharif on the sideline. What's amazing is that the plight of Somalia and the core issues the country is facing has been overshadowed by Clinton and Sharif's hand shaking. Go figure.
Living up to my job title, I am now off to record a discussion between two Islamic scholars about whether women and men shaking hands is allowed or not... drums please.
Tuesday, July 28, 2009
broadening horizons
I always get uber-excited when I discover something new and useful. A friend of mine who also works at the VOA told me about a local TV and radio channel where people and journalists can volunteer to host their own shows. You get to do the whole nine yards from hosting the show to being the engineer, the reporter and the producer. So watch out for Idil's very own radio show and I'll be able to stream it online so I'll be putting it on my blog!
I've just recorded the material for tomorrow's edition of my Diaspora program and I was speaking to a Somali gentleman who's had polio from the age of 5. He's been on crutches almost all his life but the spirit this man has is equal to none. I was very moved. He runs a small taxi company and still works as a taxi driver. He's worked for various different companies but has never had any diability allowances or thoughts of letting the government take care of him. He runs a disability organisation in Arizona where he tries to gather support for disabled Somalis back in Somalia and get them materials such as weelchairs, crutches etc.
Very inspirational.
This Friday I'll be covering an upcoming Somali youth conference in Virginia, a first of its kind. The youngsters who organised it are trying to rally the Somali youth together to encourage and inspire one another so that they can support each other to deal with any issues they come across. I think it is an admirable effort and I look forward to the event.
On a personal note I had my little nephew stay with me from Seattle over the weekend. He came to attend a dental conference as he aspires to go to dental school. We had a great time exploring the sightseeing sides of DC (I particularly enjoyed the sightseeing since I'm still a tourist!). I managed to catch 'The Ugly Truth ' at the cinema with Katherine Heigl and Gerard Butler. Hilarious, absolutely hilarious. Anyone that hasn't seen it yet, I highly recommended.
I've just recorded the material for tomorrow's edition of my Diaspora program and I was speaking to a Somali gentleman who's had polio from the age of 5. He's been on crutches almost all his life but the spirit this man has is equal to none. I was very moved. He runs a small taxi company and still works as a taxi driver. He's worked for various different companies but has never had any diability allowances or thoughts of letting the government take care of him. He runs a disability organisation in Arizona where he tries to gather support for disabled Somalis back in Somalia and get them materials such as weelchairs, crutches etc.
Very inspirational.
This Friday I'll be covering an upcoming Somali youth conference in Virginia, a first of its kind. The youngsters who organised it are trying to rally the Somali youth together to encourage and inspire one another so that they can support each other to deal with any issues they come across. I think it is an admirable effort and I look forward to the event.
On a personal note I had my little nephew stay with me from Seattle over the weekend. He came to attend a dental conference as he aspires to go to dental school. We had a great time exploring the sightseeing sides of DC (I particularly enjoyed the sightseeing since I'm still a tourist!). I managed to catch 'The Ugly Truth ' at the cinema with Katherine Heigl and Gerard Butler. Hilarious, absolutely hilarious. Anyone that hasn't seen it yet, I highly recommended.
Sunday, July 19, 2009
movin on with the beat..
beat drums of the VOA that is! I'm on a creative roll but the trouble with that is I can't seem to look anywhere else but work! Go figure. I'm glued to my office desk.
I am having a ball though, work is tremendously busy with breaking news comin in literally by the hour. Friday alone I did a 16 hour stint working on the afternoon and evening edition and then on a surviving journalist's report for the breakfast show as well as my weekly review program. In between I squeezed in news recap of the week for Nightline Africa and the final feature for my Africa News Tonight Somalia series which will air next week. It will also be available online. I came home not being able to find my bed quick enough! I wanted my brain to shut down completely and it did, for the following 12 hours. I woke up on Saturday, fixed some lunch and took myself and one of my dust collecting books to the pool downstairs. Instead of reading though I couldn't shake off the thought of the journalist whose story I was covering. He had escaped an attempted assassination by a group of armed men for the sole reason of him doing his job. Ever since 2007 there has been this rampage of Islamist militias hunting Somali journalists to wipe them off the face of Somalia. They have killed more than 15 so far and many of them still live in fear of losing their lives receiving death threats almost on a daily basis. It is undescribable what is going on in Somalia these days. Life has become unworthy.
Another story that has been keeping us busy is the two Frenchmen that have been kidnapped in Mogadishu last Tuesday. They were apparently invited by the government to help train the Somali security forces. What I'm baffled about is why on earth they would go to Mogadishu knowing very well the conditions on the ground there. They are now in the hands of Al-Shabab who are getting ready to try them in their so-called sharia courts but this is the joke; they are planning to fine them rather than cut off their limbs! could it be that Al-Shabab is running out of money?? Another relevant piece to this unravelling puzzle is the involvement of the Somali pirates who claim they have orchestrated the organising of the kidnap. I'm leaning towards believing that they are involved and that maybe they have forged an underground alliance with Al-Shabab especially since Al-Shabab is now asking for money rather than plucking out their eyeballs or something. They'll probably ask for a million for each one and then split it with the pirates. Watch this space!
My weekend has been restful to me but more than likely boring to others. I've caught my apartment up on some much needed cleaning and my eyes on re-runs of Waiting to Exhale and the Jacksons. I got all excited when I bumped into BBC America screening Graham Norton! You tend to look forward to the smallest things like watching TV and doing the laundry when you don't get to do it as often as regular folks do!
Next week is looking to be as hectic as the one that has just ended but I'm looking forward to it as I'll get another go at putting my creativity to good use.
I am having a ball though, work is tremendously busy with breaking news comin in literally by the hour. Friday alone I did a 16 hour stint working on the afternoon and evening edition and then on a surviving journalist's report for the breakfast show as well as my weekly review program. In between I squeezed in news recap of the week for Nightline Africa and the final feature for my Africa News Tonight Somalia series which will air next week. It will also be available online. I came home not being able to find my bed quick enough! I wanted my brain to shut down completely and it did, for the following 12 hours. I woke up on Saturday, fixed some lunch and took myself and one of my dust collecting books to the pool downstairs. Instead of reading though I couldn't shake off the thought of the journalist whose story I was covering. He had escaped an attempted assassination by a group of armed men for the sole reason of him doing his job. Ever since 2007 there has been this rampage of Islamist militias hunting Somali journalists to wipe them off the face of Somalia. They have killed more than 15 so far and many of them still live in fear of losing their lives receiving death threats almost on a daily basis. It is undescribable what is going on in Somalia these days. Life has become unworthy.
Another story that has been keeping us busy is the two Frenchmen that have been kidnapped in Mogadishu last Tuesday. They were apparently invited by the government to help train the Somali security forces. What I'm baffled about is why on earth they would go to Mogadishu knowing very well the conditions on the ground there. They are now in the hands of Al-Shabab who are getting ready to try them in their so-called sharia courts but this is the joke; they are planning to fine them rather than cut off their limbs! could it be that Al-Shabab is running out of money?? Another relevant piece to this unravelling puzzle is the involvement of the Somali pirates who claim they have orchestrated the organising of the kidnap. I'm leaning towards believing that they are involved and that maybe they have forged an underground alliance with Al-Shabab especially since Al-Shabab is now asking for money rather than plucking out their eyeballs or something. They'll probably ask for a million for each one and then split it with the pirates. Watch this space!
My weekend has been restful to me but more than likely boring to others. I've caught my apartment up on some much needed cleaning and my eyes on re-runs of Waiting to Exhale and the Jacksons. I got all excited when I bumped into BBC America screening Graham Norton! You tend to look forward to the smallest things like watching TV and doing the laundry when you don't get to do it as often as regular folks do!
Next week is looking to be as hectic as the one that has just ended but I'm looking forward to it as I'll get another go at putting my creativity to good use.
Sunday, July 12, 2009
Thank God for the weekend
I have had the most restful weekend ever. I slept from 6pm Friday til 1pm Saturday with a brief interruption for the need to eat. I spent most of the day reading books, swimming and watching movies and went back to bed as early as 10pm! I woke up this morning totally refreshed and rejuvenated like I can take on the world.
Work has been particularly busy for the past week with the government forces still in a fierce battle with the opposing Islamist groups. Nothing seems to be changing in the dynamics of Somali politics and state of affairs and the civilians continue to drop.
The biggest story on this side of the Atlantic I suppose was president Obama's speech to the African world. He delivered a speech from Ghana's capital Accra where he remained for around 24hours. During this time he visited hospitals as well as the historical Cape Coast. I remember when I went there and the amount of emotions this place evokes in one who can relate to the plight of the slave trade. Obama being half African must have been moved deeply.
On a more domestic level one of the Somali American boys who were allegedly recruited by Al-Shabab has died in the recent wave of violence in Mogadishu. This has caused a huge stir amongst the Somali community but more within the national security agencies such as the FBI. A friend of mine just told me actually Somalis in Minnesota have created a code name for the FBI; Fatima Bashir Ismail! Genius! You hear them conversing with each other referring to how much of a bug-a-boo 'Fatima' has turned out to be! lol I was in stitches.
I'm getting itchy feet again to go on holiday. I think I'm geared by mum and the kids being in Spain and Jen's newly found mobility in Barbados (which means she can drive me around the whole island!). Should I go for a quick weekend break to bim... If only Al-Shabab went on holiday and gave us a break from reporting!
Work has been particularly busy for the past week with the government forces still in a fierce battle with the opposing Islamist groups. Nothing seems to be changing in the dynamics of Somali politics and state of affairs and the civilians continue to drop.
The biggest story on this side of the Atlantic I suppose was president Obama's speech to the African world. He delivered a speech from Ghana's capital Accra where he remained for around 24hours. During this time he visited hospitals as well as the historical Cape Coast. I remember when I went there and the amount of emotions this place evokes in one who can relate to the plight of the slave trade. Obama being half African must have been moved deeply.
On a more domestic level one of the Somali American boys who were allegedly recruited by Al-Shabab has died in the recent wave of violence in Mogadishu. This has caused a huge stir amongst the Somali community but more within the national security agencies such as the FBI. A friend of mine just told me actually Somalis in Minnesota have created a code name for the FBI; Fatima Bashir Ismail! Genius! You hear them conversing with each other referring to how much of a bug-a-boo 'Fatima' has turned out to be! lol I was in stitches.
I'm getting itchy feet again to go on holiday. I think I'm geared by mum and the kids being in Spain and Jen's newly found mobility in Barbados (which means she can drive me around the whole island!). Should I go for a quick weekend break to bim... If only Al-Shabab went on holiday and gave us a break from reporting!
Saturday, July 4, 2009
an early daydream occurred
I just came back from the office and as I laid my head down against my pillow, my mind went back to 1998 when I went to visit my maternal grandmother in Galgadud, Somalia. During my stay there I went to the rural areas to see some of my paternal grandmothers (note; most Somalis will tell you they have more than one grandmother, who aren't their parents' mothers but the mothers of their parents' siblings.)
One of them, a very charming old-fashioned typical Somali grandmother, used to tell me tales of foregone history and past traditions. This was the first time I learned the history of the clan system. She had a hard time pronouncing some of the names of the Somali clans so she created nicknames that she associated with the pronounciations of the names. One particular day she was telling me the story of how my father's sisters got married.
One of them got married to a guy from the Murursade tribe but she couldn't pronouce that name so she called them 'xooggane' or 'xooganayaasha' because 'murur' has a close sound to 'muruq' which means muscle in Somali and 'xooggane' means 'the strong one.' As she explained how the ceremony of giving my aunt away occurred she kept refferring to them as 'the strong ones' and the funny thing is she isn't saying this particular tribe is stronger than the other tribes but rather she is using the phrase as a reference to help her remember who her daughter's in-laws were.
I wish we could go back to the days of my grandma when clans were solely used for the purpose it was created for; a way to know where you come from, to know your ancestors, your family, your forefathers and to have a sense of community.
With that picture in my mind I cannot comprehend how history has evolved into using that system for people of the same breed and background to belittle each other. I was having a conversation with one of my friends earlier on today. He told me how a group of people of the same immediate family chose to alienate one family member simply because of the person he chose to spend his life with. They do not know their nieces and their nephews and they are living in the same city! It is unbelievable.
I think of how some families are separated due to wars, displacement and political asylum in some instances and what they would give to see their families again and how short life generally is. What is the essence of life if you cannot spend it with your family, if you do not share your joys and moments of sorrow with them?
It baffles me that after the experience of the civil war that most Somalis either immediately experienced or were affected by it in some way, some people still have the audacity to alienate their family members when they have been lucky enough to survive and be united!
One of them, a very charming old-fashioned typical Somali grandmother, used to tell me tales of foregone history and past traditions. This was the first time I learned the history of the clan system. She had a hard time pronouncing some of the names of the Somali clans so she created nicknames that she associated with the pronounciations of the names. One particular day she was telling me the story of how my father's sisters got married.
One of them got married to a guy from the Murursade tribe but she couldn't pronouce that name so she called them 'xooggane' or 'xooganayaasha' because 'murur' has a close sound to 'muruq' which means muscle in Somali and 'xooggane' means 'the strong one.' As she explained how the ceremony of giving my aunt away occurred she kept refferring to them as 'the strong ones' and the funny thing is she isn't saying this particular tribe is stronger than the other tribes but rather she is using the phrase as a reference to help her remember who her daughter's in-laws were.
I wish we could go back to the days of my grandma when clans were solely used for the purpose it was created for; a way to know where you come from, to know your ancestors, your family, your forefathers and to have a sense of community.
With that picture in my mind I cannot comprehend how history has evolved into using that system for people of the same breed and background to belittle each other. I was having a conversation with one of my friends earlier on today. He told me how a group of people of the same immediate family chose to alienate one family member simply because of the person he chose to spend his life with. They do not know their nieces and their nephews and they are living in the same city! It is unbelievable.
I think of how some families are separated due to wars, displacement and political asylum in some instances and what they would give to see their families again and how short life generally is. What is the essence of life if you cannot spend it with your family, if you do not share your joys and moments of sorrow with them?
It baffles me that after the experience of the civil war that most Somalis either immediately experienced or were affected by it in some way, some people still have the audacity to alienate their family members when they have been lucky enough to survive and be united!
Wednesday, July 1, 2009
a legal alien...
is what I feel like from time to time. I find myself being amazed at little discoveries such as overweight squirrels, mice and street cats that truly reflect the society they live among. I keep making a fool out of myself since I still can't tell the difference between a pregnant woman and an overweight one even after being here for 6 months. I offended a lady in my apartment building today as she rode the lift with me. I congratuled her on her pregnancy and followed that up with 'when are you due to give birth, madam?' She sternly replied "I AINT PREGNANT, I'M VOLUPTOUS!" I couldn't get out of the lift quick enough...
So today is Somalia's independence day, when we gained independence from the colonisers. But we seem to be far worse off today than those days we fought for our freedom. Today we are our own colonisers holding each other captive in a constant wave of violence, torture and killing. When will this stop? When can the innocent civilians rest their heads safely against their pillows without fearing if they will survive another day, if they can quiten their chirping stomaches, if they can dodge another bullet? when can young children be just that, children? Why do they have to fight the battles caused by their ignorant elders and why do they have to take the responsibilities of raising their younger siblings, a responsibility neglected by the adults around them?
I truly fear Somalia is doomed for a destination in the pages of history, an ancient tale to tell the children of the future. A tale told by witnesses of the global world, historians and outlandish Somali-somethings who will be the produce of the Somali Diaspora. I keep asking myself where are we headed and what are we striving for?
So today is Somalia's independence day, when we gained independence from the colonisers. But we seem to be far worse off today than those days we fought for our freedom. Today we are our own colonisers holding each other captive in a constant wave of violence, torture and killing. When will this stop? When can the innocent civilians rest their heads safely against their pillows without fearing if they will survive another day, if they can quiten their chirping stomaches, if they can dodge another bullet? when can young children be just that, children? Why do they have to fight the battles caused by their ignorant elders and why do they have to take the responsibilities of raising their younger siblings, a responsibility neglected by the adults around them?
I truly fear Somalia is doomed for a destination in the pages of history, an ancient tale to tell the children of the future. A tale told by witnesses of the global world, historians and outlandish Somali-somethings who will be the produce of the Somali Diaspora. I keep asking myself where are we headed and what are we striving for?
Monday, June 29, 2009
a writer monkey on the loose!
I seem to be engaged in continuous writing assignments from my phrasebook that has been sent back for second stage editing to the Somalia features I'm doing for Africa News Tonight and more recently an article on the crisis in Somalia and its impact on the civilians for Common Ground news so I'm working almost an average of a 24 hour cycle! But I'm thoroughly enjoying it. I feel I'm getting more productive by the day and I have something to stick my creative teeth into. Last week was another hectic week at work. Apart from the hearing I was working on the Crossfire everyday as well as taking part in the coordination of the shows and producing my progams.
I particularly enjoyed doing Friday's Crossfire where I got two guys from Djibouti to debate whether light-skinned women who bleach their skin look better and should continue to bleach their skins or whether they should pay attention to the harmful consequences that arise from it and should therefore stick with their natural skin colours. They went to war, literally they were at each other's throat and it was hilarious!
My weekly review had a special focus on MJ's death this week with a selection of one of his songs. It's amazing, I still can't believe he is dead but I suppose C'est la vie!
Not that I have had much personal time to myself but I have developed a strong liking towards Ethiopian music as of late, both their male and female singers have tremendous voices that you can feel even if you're an outsider like myself who doesn't understand the language!
I particularly enjoyed doing Friday's Crossfire where I got two guys from Djibouti to debate whether light-skinned women who bleach their skin look better and should continue to bleach their skins or whether they should pay attention to the harmful consequences that arise from it and should therefore stick with their natural skin colours. They went to war, literally they were at each other's throat and it was hilarious!
My weekly review had a special focus on MJ's death this week with a selection of one of his songs. It's amazing, I still can't believe he is dead but I suppose C'est la vie!
Not that I have had much personal time to myself but I have developed a strong liking towards Ethiopian music as of late, both their male and female singers have tremendous voices that you can feel even if you're an outsider like myself who doesn't understand the language!
Saturday, June 27, 2009
a much delayed greeting from down under
No, not Australia but burried under the overwhelming news that I'm frantically trying to keep up with. From Iran's volatile elections, refugee camps being flooded by Somalis to Michael Jackson's death and Somalia topping the list of failed states. I was covering a hearing on Thursday where Somali officials and experts briefed foreign commitee members on the state of affairs in Somalia. Though extremely long-winded and some people liking the sound of their voice a bit too much, it was an enlightening and to some a rude awakening of a hearing. I particularly liked UN special envoy Ahmedou Ould Abdallah's part that focused on the people's suffering and their plight whilst politicians, warlords and extremists keep fighting amongst each other for more power and wealth. There are more than 130,000 Somalis displaced within the country and millions are in need of food and water. The amount of orphans and street children that have nowhere to turn are on the increase. The death toll is rising by the minute. If something isn't done soon, Somalis might become a lost generation only known through history.
Summertime has officially started in DC which means my spirits are lifted. Looking forward to all the festivals and concerts due to take place over the summer. On a more personal note I have developed a serious liking towards Ethiopian music, I'm downloading them, buying their CDs, it seems I can't get enough though I don't understand a single word! Does that even make sense lol?
Summertime has officially started in DC which means my spirits are lifted. Looking forward to all the festivals and concerts due to take place over the summer. On a more personal note I have developed a serious liking towards Ethiopian music, I'm downloading them, buying their CDs, it seems I can't get enough though I don't understand a single word! Does that even make sense lol?
Thursday, June 18, 2009
where did the week go?
Seriously this week just flew by but I'm not complaining, weekend is here! I'm particularly looking forward to this weekend as Africa month has started at the AFI cinema and I've missed several good films already. So Ill be making up this weekend. I'll also get to catch up with my books, which I have neglected for a bit. Oh guess what, I've finally bought a slick new phone, the samsung flip to be precise. I can now actually rejoin the world of texting and receiving phonecalls normally! I'm all giddied up :).
I'm homesick again,this time I'm not just missing my family but really missing England in general, you know the culture, daily life, social scene even my previous gym lol! But I'm making do with mashed potatoe, gravy and battered cod fish for dinner and Amy Winehouse! Guess that'll have to hold me till September. I cannot wait!
At work things are all up in the air. Attacks and severe violence have become common practice in Mogadishu. Today alone the Somali security minister died amongst many others in a targeted bomb attack fired by Al-Shabab. Displaced families including women and children are on the increase and there is hardly enough aid to even get close to covering their needs. It is really horrible.
On the other hand Iran's elections have sparked a blast of a riot amongst supporters of Mousavi, the main opposition leader and presidential candidate against Ahmedinejad. The counted votes indicated Ahmedinejad was re-elected but Mousavi claims the votes were rigged. We're watching how this unfolds but a recount should be due.
I'll be producing a new feature as of July called Diaspora instead of Science and Technology. It airs twice a week on top of the weekly review that airs Saturdays so I'm getting more fish to fry. God help my overworked soul! Looking forward to shaking things up though and getting really creative with it. Diaspora is such a vast pool of areas and angles to cover. It will allow the folks back home to get a good picture of how Somalis abroad really live instead of this myth they have in their head that we all live a life of luxury draining money from the walls!
I'm homesick again,this time I'm not just missing my family but really missing England in general, you know the culture, daily life, social scene even my previous gym lol! But I'm making do with mashed potatoe, gravy and battered cod fish for dinner and Amy Winehouse! Guess that'll have to hold me till September. I cannot wait!
At work things are all up in the air. Attacks and severe violence have become common practice in Mogadishu. Today alone the Somali security minister died amongst many others in a targeted bomb attack fired by Al-Shabab. Displaced families including women and children are on the increase and there is hardly enough aid to even get close to covering their needs. It is really horrible.
On the other hand Iran's elections have sparked a blast of a riot amongst supporters of Mousavi, the main opposition leader and presidential candidate against Ahmedinejad. The counted votes indicated Ahmedinejad was re-elected but Mousavi claims the votes were rigged. We're watching how this unfolds but a recount should be due.
I'll be producing a new feature as of July called Diaspora instead of Science and Technology. It airs twice a week on top of the weekly review that airs Saturdays so I'm getting more fish to fry. God help my overworked soul! Looking forward to shaking things up though and getting really creative with it. Diaspora is such a vast pool of areas and angles to cover. It will allow the folks back home to get a good picture of how Somalis abroad really live instead of this myth they have in their head that we all live a life of luxury draining money from the walls!
Sunday, June 14, 2009
post birthday shenanigans
I had a jam-packed blast of a week. I was covering events, coordinating programs, producing features but still managed to squeeze in splashes of birthday celebrations. My colleagues took me to lunch and my friends took me for strolls to explore the city.
Come Friday I was brain-drained and ready to drop into a sleepathon of a weekend. But my week has been highly productive. I woke up Saturday refreshed and rejuvenated and went to the office to finish off some scripts. I was listening to the broadcasts only to hear that the report I did on the last event had an MC intro of the previous event! I was at the top of my raging tiger game, I could not believe what I was hearing. The intro and the report had nothing to do with each other!! Sh## happens as they say but this was uncalled for.
To shake it off I went to see Hangover at the cinema and boy was that a good idea! My stomach muscles are still aching from laughing so much. I thought Friday was the most funniest film I had seen but this one topped it by far.
The highlight of my Sunday so far is a goofy new word that I have learned from a snickers bar lol; Nougatocity, which means 'a heightened yet fleeting state of accomplishment that makes you realise how unbelievably unmotivated you normally are.' Chocolate is trying to educate us, another great excuse to indulge with our hips' best friend.
Come Friday I was brain-drained and ready to drop into a sleepathon of a weekend. But my week has been highly productive. I woke up Saturday refreshed and rejuvenated and went to the office to finish off some scripts. I was listening to the broadcasts only to hear that the report I did on the last event had an MC intro of the previous event! I was at the top of my raging tiger game, I could not believe what I was hearing. The intro and the report had nothing to do with each other!! Sh## happens as they say but this was uncalled for.
To shake it off I went to see Hangover at the cinema and boy was that a good idea! My stomach muscles are still aching from laughing so much. I thought Friday was the most funniest film I had seen but this one topped it by far.
The highlight of my Sunday so far is a goofy new word that I have learned from a snickers bar lol; Nougatocity, which means 'a heightened yet fleeting state of accomplishment that makes you realise how unbelievably unmotivated you normally are.' Chocolate is trying to educate us, another great excuse to indulge with our hips' best friend.
Monday, June 8, 2009
inspiration strikes..
Since I've found my heaven on earth i.e. the local library, I've been reacquainted with my love for reading and as a result my fondness for writing has been rekindled. I was moved by a collection of 18th/19th century letters that literary people and slaves who were torn apart from their loved ones wrote to each other. It's amazing how technology has evolved and correspondence is much more instant nowadays but the decline of letter writing has somewhat removed the emotional effort that goes into human correspondence.
Though I'm not necessarily writing a collection emotional letters, I am however dabbling with my book again, which has been abandoned for donkeys'!
The poem below is a prelude to the first chapter, where the protagonist goes back to Africa to trace her East African roots. You might notice she has lost her mother...
'Hooyo'
As I close my eyes allowing memories of old to bring forth your presence
a euphoric feeling absorbs my soul
Your name is signed across my heart
Mother, my gracious mother
Your beauty is unforgettable
Your spirit is entwined with mine guiding me as I trace back to our native soil
I can smell her essence
Like a spread of pollen on a summer breeze
exhaling the fragrance of joy to the world
I can feel your hand holding my hand leading me to her warm embrace
She will welcome me with songs of praise and I will dance to the rhythms of Dhanto and Goobilo
We will enjoy feasts of fine rice and anjelo with delicious meat together
Somalia rejoices in my arrival like how you rejoiced in her arrival
I can hear you calling mother
Through her we shall be together once more
Though I'm not necessarily writing a collection emotional letters, I am however dabbling with my book again, which has been abandoned for donkeys'!
The poem below is a prelude to the first chapter, where the protagonist goes back to Africa to trace her East African roots. You might notice she has lost her mother...
'Hooyo'
As I close my eyes allowing memories of old to bring forth your presence
a euphoric feeling absorbs my soul
Your name is signed across my heart
Mother, my gracious mother
Your beauty is unforgettable
Your spirit is entwined with mine guiding me as I trace back to our native soil
I can smell her essence
Like a spread of pollen on a summer breeze
exhaling the fragrance of joy to the world
I can feel your hand holding my hand leading me to her warm embrace
She will welcome me with songs of praise and I will dance to the rhythms of Dhanto and Goobilo
We will enjoy feasts of fine rice and anjelo with delicious meat together
Somalia rejoices in my arrival like how you rejoiced in her arrival
I can hear you calling mother
Through her we shall be together once more
my friendly ghosts are back on the scene
The ones that open the lifts on my floor that is. I walked towards the lifts this morning and sure enough before I pressed to call for the lift, it pushed itself open!
My weekend has been a blast and a half. I spent most of Friday in the office getting the weekly review ready but had a brief moment to escape to go shopping. Saturday I cruised the town with a few friends in tow starting at 9th and U and moving on to the DC waterfront. After dinner we went to jam with a live band playing blues and jazz in the Mount Pleasant area. Still packed with energy we moved onto a club in Adams Morgan, where the craziest thing happened; I bumped into an old university friend of mine. How small is this world??!! It was good to see a familiar face (and to hear the good old North London accent!) though.
My Sunday was uber-chillaxed, spending most of it in bed and at the water-fountain park around my area. I did get a chance to go see my Greek ruin at the Gallery place cinema, which was hilarious. Couldn't have wished for a better birthday weekend.
I was knocked back down to reality from happyville at 3am this morning with my military alarm clock telling me to go work! the vicious cycle of the news continues.
My weekend has been a blast and a half. I spent most of Friday in the office getting the weekly review ready but had a brief moment to escape to go shopping. Saturday I cruised the town with a few friends in tow starting at 9th and U and moving on to the DC waterfront. After dinner we went to jam with a live band playing blues and jazz in the Mount Pleasant area. Still packed with energy we moved onto a club in Adams Morgan, where the craziest thing happened; I bumped into an old university friend of mine. How small is this world??!! It was good to see a familiar face (and to hear the good old North London accent!) though.
My Sunday was uber-chillaxed, spending most of it in bed and at the water-fountain park around my area. I did get a chance to go see my Greek ruin at the Gallery place cinema, which was hilarious. Couldn't have wished for a better birthday weekend.
I was knocked back down to reality from happyville at 3am this morning with my military alarm clock telling me to go work! the vicious cycle of the news continues.
Thursday, June 4, 2009
research is never finished...
and therefore shouldn't be abandoned. It's amazing what one can stumble upon if a bit of virtual digging and frequent library visits cross borders. My local library back home in London was called the Marcus Garvey library, which I used to go to on a regular basis. However it never occurred to me to wonder who Marcus Garvey was until now. I met up with Howard's professor a few days ago and as we discussed African conflicts, literature and history, the name Marcus Garvey frequently came up in our conversation after which (as I do) I googled his name. I am baffled that I haven't come across Garvey much sooner given that I've always been interested in pan-Africanism and African history in general. From him I've stumbled onto Hubert Harrison and Duse Mohamed Ali hence research should never be abandoned! I continue to be intrigued..
moderate movers vs extremists
Who can come out on top in Islam? Is this what it has come down to? I am saddened to see this division when Islam strives to unify people to bring greater sense of peace and humanity to all mankind. Individual interpretation and activities have led to represent a whole religion that people all over the world follow.
I just watched a very interesting edition of CNN's common ground, where Ayan Hersi Ali and Minnesota congressman Keith Ellison had a hefty debate about whether moderate Muslims can defeat extremists or not. The truth of the matter is that most Muslims are ordinary, peaceful people who believe in humanity and kindness and strive to live their lives with those pillars in mind. These acts of extremism such as 9/11 and 7/7 in London are acts of a few misguided, negative individuals who are misusing the name of Islam. The prophet (saw) was a prime example of how humans should live and function in the communities they live in and by no means was suicide bombing or the killing of innocent people tolerated at that time nor is it tolerated today in the holy Koran.
Now that I got that off my chest, life is otherwise pretty good lately. I've finally dragged myself to the stationary department of CVS today to organise my paperwork mountain of a desk, filed everything in a findable order. Go me!
Have I mentioned I'm loving my new (isolated) desk area?
I'm seriously admiring my energy today. I spent most of last night at a friend's farewell gathering who was going back to West Africa. A good time and great conversations, to my detriment, led to me getting home at 1am and having to be at work for 6am. Surprisingly I haven't felt the need to fall off the rails yet!
I just watched a very interesting edition of CNN's common ground, where Ayan Hersi Ali and Minnesota congressman Keith Ellison had a hefty debate about whether moderate Muslims can defeat extremists or not. The truth of the matter is that most Muslims are ordinary, peaceful people who believe in humanity and kindness and strive to live their lives with those pillars in mind. These acts of extremism such as 9/11 and 7/7 in London are acts of a few misguided, negative individuals who are misusing the name of Islam. The prophet (saw) was a prime example of how humans should live and function in the communities they live in and by no means was suicide bombing or the killing of innocent people tolerated at that time nor is it tolerated today in the holy Koran.
Now that I got that off my chest, life is otherwise pretty good lately. I've finally dragged myself to the stationary department of CVS today to organise my paperwork mountain of a desk, filed everything in a findable order. Go me!
Have I mentioned I'm loving my new (isolated) desk area?
I'm seriously admiring my energy today. I spent most of last night at a friend's farewell gathering who was going back to West Africa. A good time and great conversations, to my detriment, led to me getting home at 1am and having to be at work for 6am. Surprisingly I haven't felt the need to fall off the rails yet!
Wednesday, June 3, 2009
scratching Ohio' surface
My weekend has been mostly spent on the road to and from Columbus, Ohio aka little Mogadishu! Somalis literally gather there like ants. To top it all I went on a day when they had a gathering at one of the local conference centres to discuss 'how to bring peace and stability' to Somalia. Go figure!
The highlight of the trip surprisingly was the trip itself, as in getting there and coming back. I forgot how much fun roadtrips were, especially when there's music and everyone is cracking jokes and generally just being silly. More of a personal highlight was the opportunity to see my father, who I hadn't seen for about 2 years and my uncles and cousins from my mum's side of the family. I hadn't seen them since 2003, which was the last time I visited Ohio.
I came back to DC and went straight to work, which has been ever-occurrent since then! I've managed to squeeze a French language course into my schedule. I was all giddied up when I saw the course on audio in my local library and they had all sorts of levels. I needed an intermediate one to build my level to a more advanced level so since then I've been doing the course at home and it is so much fun. It got to the point where I actually choose going home over socialising with my friends.
But my birthday weekend is around the corner though, so I suppose I'll have to peek out of my petit hole at some point!
The highlight of the trip surprisingly was the trip itself, as in getting there and coming back. I forgot how much fun roadtrips were, especially when there's music and everyone is cracking jokes and generally just being silly. More of a personal highlight was the opportunity to see my father, who I hadn't seen for about 2 years and my uncles and cousins from my mum's side of the family. I hadn't seen them since 2003, which was the last time I visited Ohio.
I came back to DC and went straight to work, which has been ever-occurrent since then! I've managed to squeeze a French language course into my schedule. I was all giddied up when I saw the course on audio in my local library and they had all sorts of levels. I needed an intermediate one to build my level to a more advanced level so since then I've been doing the course at home and it is so much fun. It got to the point where I actually choose going home over socialising with my friends.
But my birthday weekend is around the corner though, so I suppose I'll have to peek out of my petit hole at some point!
Thursday, May 28, 2009
The horn..
is the focus of a new book exploring different approaches to making sense of conflict. It's actually a follow up to an earlier edition that came out in 2004 called 'hot spot horn of Africa'. I am particularly drawn to it because it is a compilation of academic peace studies and it analyses current violent conflicts on a local, regional, national and international as well as between societies. There is a lot of scope of debate and you can gain an insight into similar conflicts from different angles. I was discussing the book with one of the editors at English to Africa and I think some of the materials can inspire some really good features on radio. I'm on a brainstorming mission!
My amnesia prone/slightly bipolar uncle cracked me up earlier on. (Bless his soul) He has been visited by some 'out of this world' beings who've been cooking in his kitchen, making spicy food to be exact. (he insisted he actually heard them say 'have u added the basbaas and xawaaji?)!
He consulted with one of the 'highly respected sheikhs' of where he comes from who informed him the non-human population in America is actually much larger than human beings. They dwell the roads and invade our houses at night. My uncle goes "Aha, that is why there is so much traffic on the road at night! They must be driving since we humans are all asleep!"
P.S. What are the chances the sheikh himself is suffering from a similar condition as uncle?
My amnesia prone/slightly bipolar uncle cracked me up earlier on. (Bless his soul) He has been visited by some 'out of this world' beings who've been cooking in his kitchen, making spicy food to be exact. (he insisted he actually heard them say 'have u added the basbaas and xawaaji?)!
He consulted with one of the 'highly respected sheikhs' of where he comes from who informed him the non-human population in America is actually much larger than human beings. They dwell the roads and invade our houses at night. My uncle goes "Aha, that is why there is so much traffic on the road at night! They must be driving since we humans are all asleep!"
P.S. What are the chances the sheikh himself is suffering from a similar condition as uncle?
Friday, May 22, 2009
clap your hands
Our Service has been praised! According to the analysts in charge of conducting the review, we produce programs that have 'technical, presentation and production excellence'! As much as I'm ecstatic with these results, I'm not sure if that would work in favour of the service, in fact I actually think it might have an adverse effect since there is only a handful of people that actually do the work and the rest tend to stick to what they're most brilliant at; 'making love' to the paper they read the news from!
On a more personal note, I'm reaching the end of my tether with the nosyness that goes on around here. I can't write my own friggin blog without 14 pairs of eyes staring over my shoulder. I fee like writing 'Go stare at your own screen nosy old cow' whilst they're reading my stuff!!!!
After that rant, I did a very interesting interview the other day with one of the Shabab people (unfortunately it wasn't used cos we got hold of a bigger dog). I asked him how much damage has Shabab endured during the recent violence. He goes none. "we haven't had any damage whatsoever"! So I asked him again hasn't anyone died or been injured or perhaps some of your houses have been damaged? He goes "No, there is nothing considered damage that happens to us." I paused for a minute and I realised if I wanted to get information out of these people, I had to speak their language. So I rephrased my question and asked: "How many mujahideen have died for the sake of Allah in the recent violence? (imisa mujjahidiin ayaa idinka shihiiddey?)" He replied " By Allah's grace fourteen so far, may Allah rest their souls in peace."
On a more personal note, I'm reaching the end of my tether with the nosyness that goes on around here. I can't write my own friggin blog without 14 pairs of eyes staring over my shoulder. I fee like writing 'Go stare at your own screen nosy old cow' whilst they're reading my stuff!!!!
After that rant, I did a very interesting interview the other day with one of the Shabab people (unfortunately it wasn't used cos we got hold of a bigger dog). I asked him how much damage has Shabab endured during the recent violence. He goes none. "we haven't had any damage whatsoever"! So I asked him again hasn't anyone died or been injured or perhaps some of your houses have been damaged? He goes "No, there is nothing considered damage that happens to us." I paused for a minute and I realised if I wanted to get information out of these people, I had to speak their language. So I rephrased my question and asked: "How many mujahideen have died for the sake of Allah in the recent violence? (imisa mujjahidiin ayaa idinka shihiiddey?)" He replied " By Allah's grace fourteen so far, may Allah rest their souls in peace."
Monday, May 18, 2009
news recap of the week
I enjoyed doing the recap of the news surrounding the African continent this week with colleague Douglas. It is yet again dominated by Somalia. If you have missed the news this week or wish to have a quick recap check out the link below.
http://www.voanews.com/english/africa/nightline.cfm
http://www.voanews.com/english/africa/nightline.cfm
a moment of laughter..
Earlier on I was listening to Inquiry, one of the programs on VOA English to Africa which I am a frequent guest on and we were discussing the wearing of miniskirts. A lady from Ghana was telling us about how the wearing of miniskirts is viewed upon there. She tells us they even have terms for it; Apush-keleke and jesus mindtrick! Apush-keleke refers to miniskirts and tight shorts (known to us as 'battyriders!') but it was juses mindtrick that made me laugh out loud. It refers to the long skirts that have the huge slit on both sides so it's basically saying that the skirt is playing tricks on jesus as it appears that the legs are covered, but really they're not. Having spent some time in Ghana I know that most Ghanaian people are churchgoers and therefore their culture and use of terminology is very much intertwined with Christianity. Mind you I doubt they would wear those skirts to church!
To hear the discussion in full check out http://www.voanews.com/english/africa/inquiry.cfm
To hear the discussion in full check out http://www.voanews.com/english/africa/inquiry.cfm
Saturday, May 16, 2009
clubbin scene is gettin too rough...
for my liking, that is. I just witnessed a woman climb on top of a man's back rough-ride him right down to the floor and they were both mahoosive! It was like watching live soft porn obesity style! I am no fan of a dry dancefloor but that just took things to a whole new level. To top it off I felt like I was stuck in the Stone Age as everyone seemed to be jammin with it!
I must admit though since I have become more familiar with the social scene of DC, life is somewhat sweeter than it already was. The metro (DC's tube) has become my best friend!
Prior to the club I went to an Ethiopian restaurant called Dukem on U street, where I had so much tibs I'm still full. The live entertainment was very enjoyable but a scene in the ladies' sort of caught me off guard. This lady came out of one of the cubicles ranting about their lack of space; "I'm telling you, these cubicles do not cater for us tall girls!" I nodded and gave a wry smile, thinking she's headed for the exit but the woman turns around, stands right in front of my face, swings her hair and goes "And you are too cute, my dear!" I had to stop and think for a moment, 'is she hitting on me?' I didn't know whether to smile or shout "and too straight!!" Needless to say I politely rushed to the exit.
So Mogadishu is burning left, right and centre, IDP's are on the increase and Al-Shabab is chopping limbs like they're having a feast. It seems the past 18 years haven't left any remorse within some of us. Instead we continue to shed our own blood.
How someone can rejoice in brutally killing their own people over and over again is simply beyond my comprehension.
I went to cover an event at the ICAR centre at George Mason university about the growth of Islamist militant groups a few days ago. Though the topic was a common ground discussion, it was refreshing to hear that some people shared my view that these Islamists groups do not understand democracy and peaceful negotiations. The only language they understand is an AK47 and therefore the only way to free Somalia is to use that language against them and wipe them off the grounds of our country. Earlier on today I spoke to a friend of mine whose cousin went to Baidoa a few weeks ago to visit his mother only to be slaughtered by the 'sheikhs' in control of the city. His crime was living in a western country.
Moving on I am looking forward to an entertaining weekend. Tomorrow I have a date with a gaming centre in Laurel, Maryland where I can exercise my bowling skills. Going to bootcamp first though as I've been given a bollocking earlier on by a gym buddy who 'hasn't seen me' for a while. Blame the news, I say.
I must admit though since I have become more familiar with the social scene of DC, life is somewhat sweeter than it already was. The metro (DC's tube) has become my best friend!
Prior to the club I went to an Ethiopian restaurant called Dukem on U street, where I had so much tibs I'm still full. The live entertainment was very enjoyable but a scene in the ladies' sort of caught me off guard. This lady came out of one of the cubicles ranting about their lack of space; "I'm telling you, these cubicles do not cater for us tall girls!" I nodded and gave a wry smile, thinking she's headed for the exit but the woman turns around, stands right in front of my face, swings her hair and goes "And you are too cute, my dear!" I had to stop and think for a moment, 'is she hitting on me?' I didn't know whether to smile or shout "and too straight!!" Needless to say I politely rushed to the exit.
So Mogadishu is burning left, right and centre, IDP's are on the increase and Al-Shabab is chopping limbs like they're having a feast. It seems the past 18 years haven't left any remorse within some of us. Instead we continue to shed our own blood.
How someone can rejoice in brutally killing their own people over and over again is simply beyond my comprehension.
I went to cover an event at the ICAR centre at George Mason university about the growth of Islamist militant groups a few days ago. Though the topic was a common ground discussion, it was refreshing to hear that some people shared my view that these Islamists groups do not understand democracy and peaceful negotiations. The only language they understand is an AK47 and therefore the only way to free Somalia is to use that language against them and wipe them off the grounds of our country. Earlier on today I spoke to a friend of mine whose cousin went to Baidoa a few weeks ago to visit his mother only to be slaughtered by the 'sheikhs' in control of the city. His crime was living in a western country.
Moving on I am looking forward to an entertaining weekend. Tomorrow I have a date with a gaming centre in Laurel, Maryland where I can exercise my bowling skills. Going to bootcamp first though as I've been given a bollocking earlier on by a gym buddy who 'hasn't seen me' for a while. Blame the news, I say.
Thursday, May 7, 2009
murses, moobs and mags
The distinction between men and women is getting narrower by the day. I walked in to our office today to find the security guys discussing designer mags also known as man-bags, their man-bags to be precise. They contemplated on which shape and colour suited them best and their preferred places to shop for mags. These are straight men by the way. I am seriously confused as to if I'm actually living in the right century or whether I got left behind. There is also an increasing number of men doing traditionally female roles and vise versa. My personal favourite is the murse, the male nurse (preferrably tall, dark and handsome!). Metrosexuality is on the up with straight men taking more space for their toiletries than their girlfriends and more brands coming out specifically aimed at metro-happy men.
With this in mind, though I'm not complaining, I can't help but wonder if the sexes continue to blend like this, will we be able to differentiate between one another in the future?
With this in mind, though I'm not complaining, I can't help but wonder if the sexes continue to blend like this, will we be able to differentiate between one another in the future?
Wednesday, May 6, 2009
roti, doubles and the sweet sound of chutney...
is what one's guaranteed to enjoy in Trinidad. Doubles and roti are sold on the side of almost every road so you'll never go hungry and chutney music is so chilled you'll never be stressed. In other words I had a great time in Trinidad. Getting there however was a mission and a half. My first flight from DC decided to leave without me, changed gates whilst I was sitting right there! I kept waiting for boarding time that never came. So they put me on the next available flight but that obviously made me miss my connection flight in Miami to Port of Spain. I had to wait an excruciatingly painful 10 hours for the next flight. Didn't check in to my hotel til midnight! Whilst at the airport breezing through my newly acquired state of boredom, I made the mistake of encouraging a conversation the ginger man next to me started about Mark Twain, the surrealism of satan's ideology and human inferiority. He must've been waiting to get that off his chest for decades! I felt my brain close shop almost immediately. So I made some sort of excuse to escape only to go to the boarding queue to find another weirdo, this time in the shape of the female species. This woman was queuing behind me and granted the line was slow moving, but she kept rubbing herself against me for what seemed like forever all happening whilst kissing her teeth and huffing and puffing! I move away for her to follow me, being uncomfortable would be a severe understatement!
I was relieved more than anything else once I got to the hotel. What I almost immediately observed was trinidadians' hospitality. People were so welcoming.
As the days went by Jen and I cruised the island's streets, restaurants, beaches, volcanoes and plantations. I noticed the vast diversity amongst Trini's. They are a blend of South Asians(mostly Indians), blacks and white dating back to integration that occured and continued since slavery days. Ironically some of them actually look like Somalis. What was interesting to see was that the further south you travelled, the darker the population became. Most of those that live in the south are primarily fishermen spending most of their time by the coast, which is where the sun is at its hottest. The nightlife was superb, far more chilled than the party scene in the UK or US. People would be limin' outside on the streets blazing music and having cool conversations. Nobody shows up to the club til after 1.30am. The only thing that was somewhat disappointing was folks standing on the corners of the dancefloor rather than dancing on the dancefloor. I was told it is 'a posing ting'. Interesting. Anyway all in all I had a blast, made some great friends and will definitely be going back.
Coming back to DC was hardly something to look forward to afterwards, especially since I came home at 1am only to be at work for 6am! It was good to be back in familiar surroundings though. I have a friendly stalker who works at the construction site in between my workplace and my apartment building. Everytime I come passed he would have something to entertain with ready, a hymn, a poem, a joke. lol As weird as he is, he does make me laugh. Americans are made up of all sorts of folks I suppose.
Speaking of weirdness the lift on my floor has taken a habit of opening its doors without being called for everytime I approach. I can't really complain but it freaks the living daylight out of me!
Moving along today at work was diversity day, celebrating the diversity among the VOA. Several keynote speakers such as the head of CNN and VOA were there as well as folklore dancing and cultural exhibitions. The head of CNN made a particularly interesting point, where she explained how language used can be a contributing factor to the lack of women in upper level positions. Ofcourse other contributing factors are lack of experience, qualifications etc but she said when women are given recommendations by their bosses, they are usually referred to as hardworking, loyal, dependable whereas men are portrayed as having leadership potential and managerial skills. Interesting food for thought.
She was followed by a Haitian man that played the flute whilst his story was narrated by a Mexican lady. He had the audience clapping and enjoying themselves until the narrator disclosed his passion for 'blonde women' upon which most of the audience walked out to the exhibitons instead. You guessed most of the audience were angry black women right lol!
The artefacts displayed at the exhibition were breathtaking, especially since they represented so many different parts of the world from Japan, China to Africa, the Caribbean and Latin America.
I was relieved more than anything else once I got to the hotel. What I almost immediately observed was trinidadians' hospitality. People were so welcoming.
As the days went by Jen and I cruised the island's streets, restaurants, beaches, volcanoes and plantations. I noticed the vast diversity amongst Trini's. They are a blend of South Asians(mostly Indians), blacks and white dating back to integration that occured and continued since slavery days. Ironically some of them actually look like Somalis. What was interesting to see was that the further south you travelled, the darker the population became. Most of those that live in the south are primarily fishermen spending most of their time by the coast, which is where the sun is at its hottest. The nightlife was superb, far more chilled than the party scene in the UK or US. People would be limin' outside on the streets blazing music and having cool conversations. Nobody shows up to the club til after 1.30am. The only thing that was somewhat disappointing was folks standing on the corners of the dancefloor rather than dancing on the dancefloor. I was told it is 'a posing ting'. Interesting. Anyway all in all I had a blast, made some great friends and will definitely be going back.
Coming back to DC was hardly something to look forward to afterwards, especially since I came home at 1am only to be at work for 6am! It was good to be back in familiar surroundings though. I have a friendly stalker who works at the construction site in between my workplace and my apartment building. Everytime I come passed he would have something to entertain with ready, a hymn, a poem, a joke. lol As weird as he is, he does make me laugh. Americans are made up of all sorts of folks I suppose.
Speaking of weirdness the lift on my floor has taken a habit of opening its doors without being called for everytime I approach. I can't really complain but it freaks the living daylight out of me!
Moving along today at work was diversity day, celebrating the diversity among the VOA. Several keynote speakers such as the head of CNN and VOA were there as well as folklore dancing and cultural exhibitions. The head of CNN made a particularly interesting point, where she explained how language used can be a contributing factor to the lack of women in upper level positions. Ofcourse other contributing factors are lack of experience, qualifications etc but she said when women are given recommendations by their bosses, they are usually referred to as hardworking, loyal, dependable whereas men are portrayed as having leadership potential and managerial skills. Interesting food for thought.
She was followed by a Haitian man that played the flute whilst his story was narrated by a Mexican lady. He had the audience clapping and enjoying themselves until the narrator disclosed his passion for 'blonde women' upon which most of the audience walked out to the exhibitons instead. You guessed most of the audience were angry black women right lol!
The artefacts displayed at the exhibition were breathtaking, especially since they represented so many different parts of the world from Japan, China to Africa, the Caribbean and Latin America.
Tuesday, April 28, 2009
feelin eclectic!
Ok so the weather in DC is brilliant, going on holiday tomorrow morning, work is finished for the day, can I ask for more? Mind you I am slightly running around like a headless chicken armed with a list of things to do. I keep forgetting to do small chores like I'll write the check to pay my rent but walk past the apartment building office or I'll buy lunch but forget to pick up cutlery, sauces etc. I also got lost in Silver Spring yesterday for more than an hour! I was walking in the complete opposite direction to the one I was given. I have an uncle who works with me and suffers from a combination symptom I call bypolamnesia. I think he might be rubbing off on me.
Whilst I was running my errands though I noticed Americans are their own 'make-me-feel-good' drug. They shower each other with compliments even when there isn't a grain of truth in it. Like this woman who bumped into some folks I gathered were old acquantances and they were cheering and saying hi to each other. One of them tells her 'you look good though ,girl. real nice' and then you hear the other lot humming and nodding like background singers 'uhuh, aint she, aint she?' when this woman looks like the backside of a dog gave her the kiss of death! Honest! I had to do a double take, are these people serious?!?!
Another peculiar observation; A republican senator, Arlen Specter, who served as a Pennsylvania republican for almost 30 years announced today he's switching parties. He wants to be a democrat! politicans never seize to amaze me, did he trip and hit his head?
Speaking of tripping and hitting one's head, I've found a karate club that practises shotokan as well. This is good because Americans are much more into the other styles or a different type of martial arts. So I'm off to check them out, perhaps even join, today. God knows when I'm supposed to pack and get ready to fly. pff!Greetings from a bypolamnesia sufferer(in silence).
Whilst I was running my errands though I noticed Americans are their own 'make-me-feel-good' drug. They shower each other with compliments even when there isn't a grain of truth in it. Like this woman who bumped into some folks I gathered were old acquantances and they were cheering and saying hi to each other. One of them tells her 'you look good though ,girl. real nice' and then you hear the other lot humming and nodding like background singers 'uhuh, aint she, aint she?' when this woman looks like the backside of a dog gave her the kiss of death! Honest! I had to do a double take, are these people serious?!?!
Another peculiar observation; A republican senator, Arlen Specter, who served as a Pennsylvania republican for almost 30 years announced today he's switching parties. He wants to be a democrat! politicans never seize to amaze me, did he trip and hit his head?
Speaking of tripping and hitting one's head, I've found a karate club that practises shotokan as well. This is good because Americans are much more into the other styles or a different type of martial arts. So I'm off to check them out, perhaps even join, today. God knows when I'm supposed to pack and get ready to fly. pff!Greetings from a bypolamnesia sufferer(in silence).
Monday, April 27, 2009
jump and wave!
Though still in pain I'm trying to liven up my spirits for TnT. I come into work with a smile on my face humming chirpy bird songs only to find out one of our main correspondents in Baidoa got captured by Al-Shabab and put in prison, the radio station he worked for got shut down. To top that we have health officials warning people to wear masks due to the swine flu sweeping the nation and the rest of the world!
I sincerely hope I can switch off my news gathering antenna or I'll just spend my entire holiday in a depressed state.
I spent most of my weekend indoors to recuperate but I did drift off to Adams Morgan on Saturday eve to check out this Mexican place. It was not too bad a treat, the food was well-cooked and bearably spicy. But the area was just buzzing with hungry men and women wearing cum-get-me outfits!! Jaw dropping I tell ya modesty has gone out of the window! And everyone was fair game, they were out in full force ready to pull regardless! I hurried my alien self home after I felt like my skin was peeled off my body with their hungry eyes.
It is a lively area with tons of clubs and restaurants to check out but the only way you'll survive there is to go with the FBI as your bodyguards!
Countdown to TnT continues... only 1 day to go!
I sincerely hope I can switch off my news gathering antenna or I'll just spend my entire holiday in a depressed state.
I spent most of my weekend indoors to recuperate but I did drift off to Adams Morgan on Saturday eve to check out this Mexican place. It was not too bad a treat, the food was well-cooked and bearably spicy. But the area was just buzzing with hungry men and women wearing cum-get-me outfits!! Jaw dropping I tell ya modesty has gone out of the window! And everyone was fair game, they were out in full force ready to pull regardless! I hurried my alien self home after I felt like my skin was peeled off my body with their hungry eyes.
It is a lively area with tons of clubs and restaurants to check out but the only way you'll survive there is to go with the FBI as your bodyguards!
Countdown to TnT continues... only 1 day to go!
Friday, April 24, 2009
take me home now!
I am exhausted. I been at work from 7am yesterday morning til 1am this morning only to go home and come back at 5am and I'm still here! Just finished doing the news recap. Being knackered is an understatement. But I am happy my crossfire discussions and the report I did for the CSI event last night are done and dusted. Somalia has become a permanent fixture in the world news lately. It's frustrating to hear all these issues constantly being discussed with nobody coming up with any real solutions.
On a lighthearted note at work, I was a guest again at Inquiry today where we discussed miniskirts! lool. How do Africans view wearing miniskirts? Go figure!
I am ready to go home and recuperate. I'm thinking of going to the cinema to make up for a horrible film I saw last Saturday.
A dreadful piece of film to watch, I was literally looking forward to the credits. The actresses were weirdly boring. Imagine old tapioca eating minnesotan women who had a culture clash with some redneck Texans! Blah!
On a lighthearted note at work, I was a guest again at Inquiry today where we discussed miniskirts! lool. How do Africans view wearing miniskirts? Go figure!
I am ready to go home and recuperate. I'm thinking of going to the cinema to make up for a horrible film I saw last Saturday.
A dreadful piece of film to watch, I was literally looking forward to the credits. The actresses were weirdly boring. Imagine old tapioca eating minnesotan women who had a culture clash with some redneck Texans! Blah!
Wednesday, April 22, 2009
a day of nothingness
Today has been literally a time wasted. Not on purpose as I planned to cover an event I was sent to but it turned out to be tomorrow instead. And I didn't go to the office this morning as I was meant to be working through the night. I went all the way to the venue only to be told 'sorry it is not until tomorrow evening'. Pff. I don't like it when my day's not productive. For some reason it has put me out of my usual sense of good spirit.
At work this week I was assigned to cover the 'crossfire', a daily discussion program that hosts two people with differing views on a particular topic. I actually enjoyed it. I'll be working on my last one for the week, which will cover integration issues concerning Somalis living in the Diaspora.
Over the weekend I managed to do my shopping in preparation for my TnT trip and I also finally bought some lamps for my living and bedroom. I can stop reading in the hallway now lol.
If nothing drastic comes up I'm planning on going home in August. I can't wait. I miss home so much. If it wasn't for work DC would be a lonely/boring place.
At work this week I was assigned to cover the 'crossfire', a daily discussion program that hosts two people with differing views on a particular topic. I actually enjoyed it. I'll be working on my last one for the week, which will cover integration issues concerning Somalis living in the Diaspora.
Over the weekend I managed to do my shopping in preparation for my TnT trip and I also finally bought some lamps for my living and bedroom. I can stop reading in the hallway now lol.
If nothing drastic comes up I'm planning on going home in August. I can't wait. I miss home so much. If it wasn't for work DC would be a lonely/boring place.
Sunday, April 19, 2009
countdown to TnT has started!
I'm really excited about Trini; sun, sea and gorgeous beaches to unwind on, especially after the week I've had. Piracymania all the way, if I'm not preparing a report, interview or news item on piracy I was being interviewed for TV and radio on piracy. And even when I do clock off at work I still need to stay glued to the radio, TV and my google alerts just in case there was any breaking news on the matter. Phew! It looks like we haven't reached the end though as the plight continues on the shores of my country. The highlights of the week were when I was interviewed on VOA's In Focus, which is the TV section of VOA Africa, and when I interviewed Ahmedou Ould-Abdalla, the UN's special envoy to Somalia, both dealt with piracy.
What gets a bit on my nerves is that nobody is addressing the problem of which piracy is a symptom, the lawlessness of my country. The underlying problem of what has now become a worldwide phenomenon has been going on for many years and people were simply ignoring it but now that some Somalis have taken matters in to their own hand and businesses ferried by sea have been affected, everyone is all ears. Where was the world's media when international ships were illegally dumping biochemical, nuclear and biological waste on the shores of Somalia? Where were they when they were cleanig our coast from all its fish, leaving nothing for the local fishermen to live on? How were they expected to cope and feed their families with no government supporting them and no law defending their rights to survival? Were they expected to continue starving in silence? Piracy is an offspring of this problem and therefore the only solution lies inland, by bringing stability and security back to the streets of Somalia. The world can send as many warships as it desires, it will not solve the problem until the root cause is addressed. I do not support piracy by any means, whether it is off the coast of Somalia or Indonesia but I do condemn the world for watching people starve in silence and only come running when their livelihood is in danger. The local fishermen who have not turned to piracy are still being severely being affected by this crisis and ships continue to dump their toxic waste on the Somali shores, killing thousands along the way. Who's speaking on behalf of them? Yet pirates kidnap one American life and the world's focus shifts on him, like his life is more important than the thousands that die everyday on the coast of Somalia. They killed three pirates to free captain Richard Phillips and the surviving one is now destined to be tried in New York. Whilst the family of the captain has captured the world's sympathy and affection, no one is blinking an eyelid to the families who are mourning their sons' deaths whilst living in severely poor conditions. They did not send their sons to commit piracy activities and are suffereing just like any other family would suffer the death of a family member. Furthermore those boys, by the way, had little other choice but to turn to the path they chose as they lived in a country where there is no governing law or security and hasn't been over 18 years. There are no job opportunities, no education, no safety, no healthcare, nothing of the everyday things we take for granted. They are alien to a functioning country. Their lives were at risk everyday as the gun is the only rule of law that demands respect in Somalia. Keeping that in your mind, imagine what you would do if someone offered you a few hundred dollars to merely kidnap an unarmed ship when your yearly income is below that?
Anyway moving on to more harmonous topics, I just came back from a good run around my area and for some reason that has lifted my spirits. I look forward to a hectic week ahead and even more to the week following as I fly off to soak in some long-awaited sunshine and a dip in the seas of Trinidad. A break from piracmania! (Obama is there at the moment, wonder if I can catch him there lol.)
What gets a bit on my nerves is that nobody is addressing the problem of which piracy is a symptom, the lawlessness of my country. The underlying problem of what has now become a worldwide phenomenon has been going on for many years and people were simply ignoring it but now that some Somalis have taken matters in to their own hand and businesses ferried by sea have been affected, everyone is all ears. Where was the world's media when international ships were illegally dumping biochemical, nuclear and biological waste on the shores of Somalia? Where were they when they were cleanig our coast from all its fish, leaving nothing for the local fishermen to live on? How were they expected to cope and feed their families with no government supporting them and no law defending their rights to survival? Were they expected to continue starving in silence? Piracy is an offspring of this problem and therefore the only solution lies inland, by bringing stability and security back to the streets of Somalia. The world can send as many warships as it desires, it will not solve the problem until the root cause is addressed. I do not support piracy by any means, whether it is off the coast of Somalia or Indonesia but I do condemn the world for watching people starve in silence and only come running when their livelihood is in danger. The local fishermen who have not turned to piracy are still being severely being affected by this crisis and ships continue to dump their toxic waste on the Somali shores, killing thousands along the way. Who's speaking on behalf of them? Yet pirates kidnap one American life and the world's focus shifts on him, like his life is more important than the thousands that die everyday on the coast of Somalia. They killed three pirates to free captain Richard Phillips and the surviving one is now destined to be tried in New York. Whilst the family of the captain has captured the world's sympathy and affection, no one is blinking an eyelid to the families who are mourning their sons' deaths whilst living in severely poor conditions. They did not send their sons to commit piracy activities and are suffereing just like any other family would suffer the death of a family member. Furthermore those boys, by the way, had little other choice but to turn to the path they chose as they lived in a country where there is no governing law or security and hasn't been over 18 years. There are no job opportunities, no education, no safety, no healthcare, nothing of the everyday things we take for granted. They are alien to a functioning country. Their lives were at risk everyday as the gun is the only rule of law that demands respect in Somalia. Keeping that in your mind, imagine what you would do if someone offered you a few hundred dollars to merely kidnap an unarmed ship when your yearly income is below that?
Anyway moving on to more harmonous topics, I just came back from a good run around my area and for some reason that has lifted my spirits. I look forward to a hectic week ahead and even more to the week following as I fly off to soak in some long-awaited sunshine and a dip in the seas of Trinidad. A break from piracmania! (Obama is there at the moment, wonder if I can catch him there lol.)
Saturday, April 11, 2009
to share a thought
I just watched a documentary on the National Geography channel on Lesotho's national park. I learned some fascinating details whilst watching; Lesotho is actually a separate kingdom entirely surrounded by South Africa and had gained its independence in the 60's from Great Britain.
The guy who was doing the documentary had to drive 20 miles up the steepest and most bumpiest roads starting from South Africa's border with Lesotho to the heart of Lesotho. On the way he faced a breakdown of the car and had to change two of the wheels twice all whilst driving through hot sunshine that drastically changed for misty frostbite. But when he got to the top and walked through the national park, the view was simply breathtaking. The mountains and landscape were so vast and picturesque. It must be one of the very few naturally preserved parks in the world that highlights the African beauty.
The guy who was doing the documentary had to drive 20 miles up the steepest and most bumpiest roads starting from South Africa's border with Lesotho to the heart of Lesotho. On the way he faced a breakdown of the car and had to change two of the wheels twice all whilst driving through hot sunshine that drastically changed for misty frostbite. But when he got to the top and walked through the national park, the view was simply breathtaking. The mountains and landscape were so vast and picturesque. It must be one of the very few naturally preserved parks in the world that highlights the African beauty.
a wee bit homesick
I've had a very restful Saturday where I spent most of the day with my books, diary and thoughts. My thoughts wandered past the Atlantic, via London and into Leicester. I miss home. I miss mum's cuddles and playfights with me teeny siblings. I realised how much I used to rely on my family's presence in my life as I picked up the phone or jumped on the train whenever they crossed my line of thoughts. It brought me a great deal of peace and joyful tranquility.
Maybe the universe is telling me to buckle up and face the world, adult! I guess I have to hold my own hand as I strive through the suppressing of my need to relinquish and look at the bigger picture that lies ahead.
Maybe the universe is telling me to buckle up and face the world, adult! I guess I have to hold my own hand as I strive through the suppressing of my need to relinquish and look at the bigger picture that lies ahead.
Friday, April 10, 2009
ready to embrace a sleepathon weekend
Although I've been struggling to fall asleep for a while now, last night took the mick. I could not drift away at all. Needless to say I spent the rest of this morning functioning like a zombie on prozac! Mind I also had tummyache that didn't help.
I did go back to the office this afternoon to do the news recap but came straight home looking forward to spending a quality weekend with my beloved bed.
Though having said I might end up going in as I've started working on a 5 part series on the state of Somalis and Somalia for Africa News Tonight. The aim is to get it ready for air week commencing 20th of April. Each part will examine a different angle of Somalia's social developments. My first piece looks at the growth of the telecommunications industry in Somalia despite its long state of lawlessness.
This week has been dramatically interesting in the world of global affairs. The Somali pirates that hijacked the Danish-owned, American operated ship are still holding the captain of the ship (Richard Phillips) captive, asking a ransom payment in exchange for the captain. The fact that these pirates are still capable of hijacking a ship despite the international gathering of warships and militaries patrolling the area indicates they are adapting and are far more competent and capable than assumed. The complications of international law and each concerned country's laws is furthermore working in the pirates' favour.
I've recently been feeling the academic itch and I've started looking into beginning my PhD at some point next year hopefully in African Studies and conflict resolution (or something along those lines). I'm hoping the phrasebook will be done and published by then.
I'm not venturing outside of DC so if anyone has any recommendations on courses taught or universities in the DC area, do get in touch. Also get in touch if anyone knows of financial support, scholarships and fellowships providers.
I did go back to the office this afternoon to do the news recap but came straight home looking forward to spending a quality weekend with my beloved bed.
Though having said I might end up going in as I've started working on a 5 part series on the state of Somalis and Somalia for Africa News Tonight. The aim is to get it ready for air week commencing 20th of April. Each part will examine a different angle of Somalia's social developments. My first piece looks at the growth of the telecommunications industry in Somalia despite its long state of lawlessness.
This week has been dramatically interesting in the world of global affairs. The Somali pirates that hijacked the Danish-owned, American operated ship are still holding the captain of the ship (Richard Phillips) captive, asking a ransom payment in exchange for the captain. The fact that these pirates are still capable of hijacking a ship despite the international gathering of warships and militaries patrolling the area indicates they are adapting and are far more competent and capable than assumed. The complications of international law and each concerned country's laws is furthermore working in the pirates' favour.
I've recently been feeling the academic itch and I've started looking into beginning my PhD at some point next year hopefully in African Studies and conflict resolution (or something along those lines). I'm hoping the phrasebook will be done and published by then.
I'm not venturing outside of DC so if anyone has any recommendations on courses taught or universities in the DC area, do get in touch. Also get in touch if anyone knows of financial support, scholarships and fellowships providers.
Saturday, April 4, 2009
the sky is the limit
I'm happy to notice that I am making significant improvement at work. Apart from the regular interviews and correspondence reporting I do for the Somali service, I am also doing interviews and reports for the English to Africa service and I'll be doing the news of the week recap slot for the Nightline Africa programme that airs every Saturday and Sunday. My first news reading went live today. I'm generally really enjoying doing the work that I've been passionate about ever since I can remember and that my talent and experience is being appreciated and put to good use. I'm having a ball of a time. I feel like my hard work over the past 8 years is starting to pay off.
On a more specifically work related note the G20 summit in London, Madonna's attempt to adopt yet another child from Malawi and professor Gandhi meeting with the French defense and foreign ministers to ask for help with strengthening the Somali military have been dominating the news. Now as you know Madonna's attempt has been rejected as the Malawi supreme court required her to be a resident in the country for at least 18 months. Apparently that is the general rule and this was bent the first time she adopted a child, David. Action Aid actually campaigned against her plans to adopt again and are still campaigning as her lawyers get ready to appeal against the court ruling.
I jus can't help but wonder if she genuinely wants to help poor African children or if she is trying to wipe the 'Vogue' image she created from her earlier days as a pop queen and at the same time deviate media attention from her failed marriage. She and along with 'Brangelina' seem to be on a rampage to become the next humanitarian gods of the earth. If they really want to help why don't they fund the hundreds of orphanage camps set up in many African countries and help the children to have a healthy upbringing whilst staying within their own cultures. Instead they're picking these children up from the most random places and just get ready to pose to appear in the front cover of the next editions of People, Hello and OK! magazines.
Moving on I have another rant regarding our 'still in learning mode' defense minister Gandhi. Him along with president Sharif can't help but beg for foreign aid but aren't doing bugger all themselves. They hop from country to country to swap one 5star hotel room for another. It's been a few months since the establishment of this government but Al-Shabab is still fiercely dominating massive chunks of the country and piracy continues to be a thriving business. Innocent people including women and children are dying every day from preventable illnesses, famine, lack of water, droughts and general lawlessness.
It helps when one can say I have done this so far, this is what we're working towards, what can you do to help us along? I suppose a statement like that would be difficult to make as the whole government is based on clan division and keeping warlords quiet rather than collective experience and knowledge to govern a country.
I had an interesting discussion with a friend of mine not too long ago. We know Somalia got introduced to civilisation as the world knows today such as democracy and rule of law fairly recently. The first government was only established after independence in 1960. The Somali language for example was only written in 1973. Before we could really get accustomed to that form of governing the civil war occurred and we've been a dispersed society ever since. So how can we expect this current government whose members have had a brief brush with civilisation but mostly stem from a nomadic background to produce a functioning government based on democracy and rule of law?
Moving on from work I am getting ready for my first holiday since the Middle Ages! Seriously it feels like I haven't been away for a very long time so I'm excited. I'm going to Trinidad with my girl Jen in tow ready to get sunburnt and tear the place down. We're going from 29th of April to around the 3d of May. It won't be as long as I would like but a few days is better than none.
On a more specifically work related note the G20 summit in London, Madonna's attempt to adopt yet another child from Malawi and professor Gandhi meeting with the French defense and foreign ministers to ask for help with strengthening the Somali military have been dominating the news. Now as you know Madonna's attempt has been rejected as the Malawi supreme court required her to be a resident in the country for at least 18 months. Apparently that is the general rule and this was bent the first time she adopted a child, David. Action Aid actually campaigned against her plans to adopt again and are still campaigning as her lawyers get ready to appeal against the court ruling.
I jus can't help but wonder if she genuinely wants to help poor African children or if she is trying to wipe the 'Vogue' image she created from her earlier days as a pop queen and at the same time deviate media attention from her failed marriage. She and along with 'Brangelina' seem to be on a rampage to become the next humanitarian gods of the earth. If they really want to help why don't they fund the hundreds of orphanage camps set up in many African countries and help the children to have a healthy upbringing whilst staying within their own cultures. Instead they're picking these children up from the most random places and just get ready to pose to appear in the front cover of the next editions of People, Hello and OK! magazines.
Moving on I have another rant regarding our 'still in learning mode' defense minister Gandhi. Him along with president Sharif can't help but beg for foreign aid but aren't doing bugger all themselves. They hop from country to country to swap one 5star hotel room for another. It's been a few months since the establishment of this government but Al-Shabab is still fiercely dominating massive chunks of the country and piracy continues to be a thriving business. Innocent people including women and children are dying every day from preventable illnesses, famine, lack of water, droughts and general lawlessness.
It helps when one can say I have done this so far, this is what we're working towards, what can you do to help us along? I suppose a statement like that would be difficult to make as the whole government is based on clan division and keeping warlords quiet rather than collective experience and knowledge to govern a country.
I had an interesting discussion with a friend of mine not too long ago. We know Somalia got introduced to civilisation as the world knows today such as democracy and rule of law fairly recently. The first government was only established after independence in 1960. The Somali language for example was only written in 1973. Before we could really get accustomed to that form of governing the civil war occurred and we've been a dispersed society ever since. So how can we expect this current government whose members have had a brief brush with civilisation but mostly stem from a nomadic background to produce a functioning government based on democracy and rule of law?
Moving on from work I am getting ready for my first holiday since the Middle Ages! Seriously it feels like I haven't been away for a very long time so I'm excited. I'm going to Trinidad with my girl Jen in tow ready to get sunburnt and tear the place down. We're going from 29th of April to around the 3d of May. It won't be as long as I would like but a few days is better than none.
Tuesday, March 31, 2009
happy spirits
My weekend has been exceptionally good. My friend Goly came to visit me from Seattle, Washington. I hadn't seen her seen uni days 3 years ago so we had a good old catch up and painted the town red from Nema restaurant on U street to club Pure and all-in-one entertainment hub Babylon.
Coming in to work on Monday after a great weekend like that was a medal-worthy task!
I picked it up though, I've done my first program for the science and technology feature that has recently been assigned to me. It will go out every Tuesday. In today's program I looked into the impact global warming has had on Somali farmers. I'm also looking to explore the boom of the telecommunications industry in Somalia and the rise in internet crime. So if anyone has any ideas or useful advice, it is all welcome.
I was listening to a life coach on Tyra's ANTM who was giving advice on career choices to aspiring models. She spoke of two twins that particularly left a resounding memory with me. These twins were identical but very different in personality and character. One wished to be America's next supermodel and had a sincere passion for it whilst the other was toying with the idea. The difference was the passionate one had to try astonisingly hard to get a somewhat decent picture and appeared clumsy and stiff in her walk, the other didn't even bother and got a perfect shot. The life coach emphasized on the importance of choosing a career path that you're passionate about but are good at and have a talent for. Neither of the two models made it into the industry, simply because one had the natural talent but lacked the passion and the other lacked the talent but had the drive.
On a more chillaxed note I now enjoy the comfort of having an actual home with all the amenities one's home needs so I'm off to experience an afternoon of channel flippin!
Coming in to work on Monday after a great weekend like that was a medal-worthy task!
I picked it up though, I've done my first program for the science and technology feature that has recently been assigned to me. It will go out every Tuesday. In today's program I looked into the impact global warming has had on Somali farmers. I'm also looking to explore the boom of the telecommunications industry in Somalia and the rise in internet crime. So if anyone has any ideas or useful advice, it is all welcome.
I was listening to a life coach on Tyra's ANTM who was giving advice on career choices to aspiring models. She spoke of two twins that particularly left a resounding memory with me. These twins were identical but very different in personality and character. One wished to be America's next supermodel and had a sincere passion for it whilst the other was toying with the idea. The difference was the passionate one had to try astonisingly hard to get a somewhat decent picture and appeared clumsy and stiff in her walk, the other didn't even bother and got a perfect shot. The life coach emphasized on the importance of choosing a career path that you're passionate about but are good at and have a talent for. Neither of the two models made it into the industry, simply because one had the natural talent but lacked the passion and the other lacked the talent but had the drive.
On a more chillaxed note I now enjoy the comfort of having an actual home with all the amenities one's home needs so I'm off to experience an afternoon of channel flippin!
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