I just came back to my apartment after I went to get some snacks from downstairs and I overheard the most strangest convo between a woman and a man whom I rode the lift with. I caught the convo halfway through but they were talking about some man who cheated on his wife with her best friend. Now if you've been watching Jerry Springer back when he was still funny to watch, you would know this is a commonly practiced activity amongst American couples.
Funnily enough the man was defending the woman criticising the husband for his infidelity, especially since the dude crossed the boundary of the 'best friend scenario'. The woman hit back at the man's criticism screaming "he should've cheated on her a long time ago. She aint worth a tickle or a tease, that disease-ridden bike of a wife!!!!!!
Disease ridden bike of a wife! How deep did she dig to come out with a comment like that?! Plus she's not worth a 'tickle or a tease'!
And she was so serious when she said that, like the woman infected her with some leudly transmitted disease.
I almost choked to death from laughing.
Friday, March 13, 2009
working round the clock!
Hey peeps I apologise for my long absense from the blogosphere reason being the above title. It's been a non-stop back-to-back working schedule for the past week. I attended the Somali conference at the CSIS on Tuesday which proved to be very interesting (though some Somalis couldn't help but put their spoiling suit on by attempting to talk!). Dr Samatar was there too who I've become to admire. He's well screwed on and highly articulate.
On Wednesday I went to a senate hearing about the recruitment of young Somali-Americans by Al-Shabab for possible terrorist activities. So far approximately 20 youngsters are believed to have disappeared from America and are now reecruited by Al-Shabab. (By the way the same issue is affecting Britain too with the Somali boy from Ealing, London going to Somalia and committing terrorist activities).
The FBI has made an official statement recognising Shirwa as the first Somali-American who last October went to Somalia to blow himself up and a representative of the FBI was one of the witnesses at the hearing. There were also two Somalis given testimonies, one of them represented the Somali families that were affected by this ordeal. The other was a youth worker who worked and went to school with some of these youngsters.
I recorded the hearing to prepare a 5 and half mins package. I'll probably cover this further as it now has become breaking news surfacing the front pages of most newspapers and other media sources.
On a personal note if I can add my two cents to this issue, there seems to be a fundemental part that is somewhat disregarded by folks. Many of them are accusing external sources of kidnapping these youngsters and manipulating them into deciding to go to Somalia making it look like they're two year olds with no real conscious who've been dragged to Somalia when in fact they're grown men who have actively taken steps towards that decision.
There might have been some radicalisation that took place but nevertheless the key point is that these boys went voluntarily. So the real issue is what made them decide to leave a peaceful country to go fight and possibly kill themselves in a wartorn country where the only applicable method is survival of the fittest. They left their families, their friends, their schools, their whole life literally and figuratively. They weren't criminals or drop-outs, in fact many of them were university students studying to become the nation's next doctors, lawyers and engineers. Therefore I think it is key to dig deeper than the surface rather than taking the easy way out and dismissing the issue as a simple manipulation of the mind. I'm willing to believe there might have been forms of radicalisation and brainwashing that have taken place but I refuse to believe conscious, grown men have decided to end their lives simply because someone told them to. Investigators should therefore research what factors contributed alongside the radicalisations that made these boys choose suicide bombings over a peaceful living.
Moving on I'm also doing the press review regularly with my partner in crime Hussein. Thoroughly enjoyable feature which comes on air every Friday around 9.40am DC time.
I'm glad the weekend is here though, I could do with some TLC.
On Wednesday I went to a senate hearing about the recruitment of young Somali-Americans by Al-Shabab for possible terrorist activities. So far approximately 20 youngsters are believed to have disappeared from America and are now reecruited by Al-Shabab. (By the way the same issue is affecting Britain too with the Somali boy from Ealing, London going to Somalia and committing terrorist activities).
The FBI has made an official statement recognising Shirwa as the first Somali-American who last October went to Somalia to blow himself up and a representative of the FBI was one of the witnesses at the hearing. There were also two Somalis given testimonies, one of them represented the Somali families that were affected by this ordeal. The other was a youth worker who worked and went to school with some of these youngsters.
I recorded the hearing to prepare a 5 and half mins package. I'll probably cover this further as it now has become breaking news surfacing the front pages of most newspapers and other media sources.
On a personal note if I can add my two cents to this issue, there seems to be a fundemental part that is somewhat disregarded by folks. Many of them are accusing external sources of kidnapping these youngsters and manipulating them into deciding to go to Somalia making it look like they're two year olds with no real conscious who've been dragged to Somalia when in fact they're grown men who have actively taken steps towards that decision.
There might have been some radicalisation that took place but nevertheless the key point is that these boys went voluntarily. So the real issue is what made them decide to leave a peaceful country to go fight and possibly kill themselves in a wartorn country where the only applicable method is survival of the fittest. They left their families, their friends, their schools, their whole life literally and figuratively. They weren't criminals or drop-outs, in fact many of them were university students studying to become the nation's next doctors, lawyers and engineers. Therefore I think it is key to dig deeper than the surface rather than taking the easy way out and dismissing the issue as a simple manipulation of the mind. I'm willing to believe there might have been forms of radicalisation and brainwashing that have taken place but I refuse to believe conscious, grown men have decided to end their lives simply because someone told them to. Investigators should therefore research what factors contributed alongside the radicalisations that made these boys choose suicide bombings over a peaceful living.
Moving on I'm also doing the press review regularly with my partner in crime Hussein. Thoroughly enjoyable feature which comes on air every Friday around 9.40am DC time.
I'm glad the weekend is here though, I could do with some TLC.
Sunday, March 8, 2009
a pleasant change
of scenery. The weather has dramatically improved in DC and the city just looks like the fabolous four have given it a revamp. I'm lovin it! It's the type of weather that makes you want to take long walks along the river, bring a picnic basket and a blanket and escape from the big city mayhem for a little while.
I'm particularly havin fun at work. Since my undertanding of how the service works has deepened, my desire to participate in the programme making has really gone up a notch. Last Thursday I went to the Kenya: elections Aftermath at the Centre for Strategy and International Studies where many intellectuals gathered to discuss the aftermath of the horrific Kenya elections in 2007 and what the coalition government has accomplished thus far. I was assigned to record the seminar and prepare a 5 min correspondence package of it. The seminar and the mingling afterwards finished around 6pm, I grabbed a quick bite to eat and went straight back to the office. I didn't finish work til 1am only to go home and get back up for work at 4am! But I must admit I had the greatest satisfaction when my package was played in the morning programme. I also did, with one of my colleagues, the press review, which is a 6-10min feature we do every Friday reviewing what the newspapers of the world have written about Somalia. I particularly enjoyed that as I am an avid reader of newspapers and stories they write about global affairs. It allows me to stay abreast of what's current and the views of the different newspapers.
This Tuesday there is another seminar happening at the same CSIS centre where the topic this time is about Somalia and the challenges ahead. I'm also looking forward to a hearing the homeland security committee is conducting on Wednesday about the Somali boys who left Minnesota to commit suicide attacks in Somalia. It has become a very disturbing issue in the Somali community.
Post work I've managed to have a very restful weekend. On Friday I took a few friends along with my boss and work colleagues out to dinner as a small token of appreciation for their help and support so far. Afterwards some of us went to a shisha bar in Crystal City conversing the night away. I managed to get some household shopping done on Saturday and continued my chillaxing for the weekend at my uncle's place where quite a few of us gathered to catch up and ponder over pointless yet hilarious stories. Today I went to U Street to an Ethiopian restaurant that served a very delicious anjera with lamb and beef stew and coincidentally discovered where the African American memorial museum is. Made a mental note of that, definitely going round there.
The clocks have been changed last night so I have an extra hour to lie in bed. I get to get up at 5am now (wat a joy pff ).
I'm particularly havin fun at work. Since my undertanding of how the service works has deepened, my desire to participate in the programme making has really gone up a notch. Last Thursday I went to the Kenya: elections Aftermath at the Centre for Strategy and International Studies where many intellectuals gathered to discuss the aftermath of the horrific Kenya elections in 2007 and what the coalition government has accomplished thus far. I was assigned to record the seminar and prepare a 5 min correspondence package of it. The seminar and the mingling afterwards finished around 6pm, I grabbed a quick bite to eat and went straight back to the office. I didn't finish work til 1am only to go home and get back up for work at 4am! But I must admit I had the greatest satisfaction when my package was played in the morning programme. I also did, with one of my colleagues, the press review, which is a 6-10min feature we do every Friday reviewing what the newspapers of the world have written about Somalia. I particularly enjoyed that as I am an avid reader of newspapers and stories they write about global affairs. It allows me to stay abreast of what's current and the views of the different newspapers.
This Tuesday there is another seminar happening at the same CSIS centre where the topic this time is about Somalia and the challenges ahead. I'm also looking forward to a hearing the homeland security committee is conducting on Wednesday about the Somali boys who left Minnesota to commit suicide attacks in Somalia. It has become a very disturbing issue in the Somali community.
Post work I've managed to have a very restful weekend. On Friday I took a few friends along with my boss and work colleagues out to dinner as a small token of appreciation for their help and support so far. Afterwards some of us went to a shisha bar in Crystal City conversing the night away. I managed to get some household shopping done on Saturday and continued my chillaxing for the weekend at my uncle's place where quite a few of us gathered to catch up and ponder over pointless yet hilarious stories. Today I went to U Street to an Ethiopian restaurant that served a very delicious anjera with lamb and beef stew and coincidentally discovered where the African American memorial museum is. Made a mental note of that, definitely going round there.
The clocks have been changed last night so I have an extra hour to lie in bed. I get to get up at 5am now (wat a joy pff ).
Wednesday, March 4, 2009
all work and no play turns Idil into a moody bag
The past few have seemed to have gone by in a split second. Friday was quite entertaining though I was still stuck in zombieville but I went to the K'naan concert which was short but very enjoyable. Afterwards me and a few friends of mine went to the hip downtown Somali restaurant Nema and actually had the energy to go clubbing after that (don't ask where I got it from). I came home at 4am and dropped like a log. Spent the rest of the weekend recuperating.
Since then it's been all work and no play so haven't got anything interesting to add, except a tiny rant about the ever-changing mood of this city's weather, can you believe it is back to frostbite again with all the roads turned into slippery slopes?! not fun, there is no need for it. pfff!
Since then it's been all work and no play so haven't got anything interesting to add, except a tiny rant about the ever-changing mood of this city's weather, can you believe it is back to frostbite again with all the roads turned into slippery slopes?! not fun, there is no need for it. pfff!
Thursday, February 26, 2009
an observation occurred...
I'm still amazed at the American people's sheer friendliness. Everyone is extremely polite, one would simply not pass you by without asking how you're doing. I always used to wonder whether that person knew me or something (or if they were a bit disturbed in the head) but they really seem to be just a bunch of friendly people.
Apart from the international folks who work in the VOA building, they just stare at you and mumble something in their language. Some of them seem to have caught the back end of the American-English language, beginning their conversations with sentences like 'ivribodhy and theerr birother is hassling me'! (Can I get away with laughing at them? lol).
I've officially entered zombie mode, as of 9pm last night. Though I had 4 hours worth of sleep I'm still dazed, that 16 hour shift yesterday took a serious toll on me. I need to tune down my uber-excitedness that has crept up on me since I've started getting to grips with work. I'm like happy-go-lucky with all things broadcast!
So I shall take myself home and crawl into the comfort of my beloved bed.
Adieu
Apart from the international folks who work in the VOA building, they just stare at you and mumble something in their language. Some of them seem to have caught the back end of the American-English language, beginning their conversations with sentences like 'ivribodhy and theerr birother is hassling me'! (Can I get away with laughing at them? lol).
I've officially entered zombie mode, as of 9pm last night. Though I had 4 hours worth of sleep I'm still dazed, that 16 hour shift yesterday took a serious toll on me. I need to tune down my uber-excitedness that has crept up on me since I've started getting to grips with work. I'm like happy-go-lucky with all things broadcast!
So I shall take myself home and crawl into the comfort of my beloved bed.
Adieu
Tuesday, February 24, 2009
in a bay of slight dismay
I'm starting to reach the end of my tether in regards to my patience with the American government. I haven't been paid since I've arrived all due to silly federal beaurocracies and a gazillion paperwork that never seem to come to an end. Furthermore everything seems to hold up everything as they're all tangled up together; I can't open up a bank account cos I don't have a social security number which holds up the registering of my details with the company, can't get a social security number cos homeland security needs to verify me, homeland security finally verifies me and dudes at social security office send me a social security number only for silly Postman Pat to lose it. Bottomline; Americans are awkwardly backwards and work according to the 'baby steps method'. Can you believe I've only opened a bank account and received my social security number just yesterday??!!
Now that I've got that rant off my chest, I am looking forward to this weekend, namely Friday. K'naan is performing at the Kennedy Centre for free! How exciting, my wallet in particular is in a celebratory mood.
Now that I've got that rant off my chest, I am looking forward to this weekend, namely Friday. K'naan is performing at the Kennedy Centre for free! How exciting, my wallet in particular is in a celebratory mood.
Friday, February 20, 2009
stuck in between..
work and home, which is highly frustrating as I cannot linger in between anymore. Most of my colleagues and I have been on stand-by for the past half an hour waiting for our weekly Friday meeting to take place so that we can all nod, mumble and go home! Being tired is an understatement, I've been up since 4am with no nap. It's a pain in the backside.
In xildhibaanland the ministers of the newly formed Somali government have been announced today. An old uncle of mine, who's a family friend, has been picked as the defense minister. I don't quite understand how this whole selection of who' s appropriate for which position is done. This family friend uncle is a known professor of geology, who's spent most of his life researching and publishing material in this field. How he's suddenly the best man for the defence of our nation baffles me tremendously.
I guess we live to see the fruits of this government though...
In xildhibaanland the ministers of the newly formed Somali government have been announced today. An old uncle of mine, who's a family friend, has been picked as the defense minister. I don't quite understand how this whole selection of who' s appropriate for which position is done. This family friend uncle is a known professor of geology, who's spent most of his life researching and publishing material in this field. How he's suddenly the best man for the defence of our nation baffles me tremendously.
I guess we live to see the fruits of this government though...
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