Reflections...

I had an awesome day today, I just spoke to my mom which always leaves me feeling extremely elated and excited...then spent my afternoon at the mall, shopping again with Mr. Mulefu which was fun, Teddy Geiger was at the mall actually but the line of lil screaming teenage girls was too much so we just leaned over the railing upstairs and got a pretty good look at him, my friend ofcourse being as country as he is leaned back and asked me to zoom in so that he could have a picture with a celebrity, haha, kiddin...we then later went out for dinner courtesy of another friend which was really nice...I had this scrumptious, really filling meal, a chicken wrap with ceaser salad to be exact and it was yummy, food always seems to taste so different at fancy restaurants...anyway, it's been such a blast hanging out with all these Ugandans, it's totally lifted my spirits...I'd been so homesick the past lil while but I honestly now feel a tad renewed, at least culturally for sure...we talked about the weirdest of things, too, from omuramba, kasese, lira-lira, all these being local undistilled brews from Uganda to Bells, Uganda Waragi, Pilsner, Chairmans and Tuskers, beers and spirits from Uganda again, we could so pass as "drunkos" I know but no, it was all in the name of reminiscing...we were also laughing at the first time we all came abroad, which reminds me of Savage's "Coming to America" posts, hilarious but oh so true...right from the plane ride to escalators, ATM's and all those cool things we didn't know 'bout back in the motherland then...anyway, I'm so tired after such a long day, been visiting the citay too much, lol...I need me some fresh country air tomorrow and this heat is becoming unbearable, I'ma need one of those portable fans real soon, peace & love y'all...

A lil inspiration...

Comfort!!
God is my guide, my comfort, and my strength.
A wise woman once offered this comfort: Imagine your life as a staircase--each step is a part of your journey. Some steps are smooth and unobstructed. Some steps have cracks or loose stones. Now picture a strong and secure handrail alongside each step of the staircase; that handrail represents the strength and security we have in God.
Along our journey through life, God is with us. We meet each day with assurance because God is ever present as our guide, our comfort, and our strength in every situation. We are supported by God's assuring presence throughout our journey in life. God never fails us. No matter what the circumstance may be, God is within us--guiding, comforting, and strengthening us. God is surrounding us--uplifting and steadying us.

"On the day I called, you answered me, you increased my strength of soul."
--Psalm 138:3

Posted by Kanyana at 11:08 PM | Permalink | Comments

Today was HOTTTT, I'm sure we hit a record high, for a moment there I thought I'd have a heat stroke, I was even forced to put on sunscreen which I usually refuse to put on in defense that I am black and we don't use that stuff in Africa, lol...anyway, so my whole day was pretty much spent in and by the pool, Ninsy don't laugh, I can touch the bottom so I don't have to technically swim, I was floating on a ka mat, lol...anyway, today was very uneventful to start, oh I was actually thinking of how I need to stop procrastinating, I still have to show that Invisible Children slideshow at my church and some other churches but have been putting it off which is terrible...now that I've written it here again though I'm going to be forced to do it sooner than later...it's pretty sad how easily desensitised we can become to situations after awhile, I was so passionate about this project that I couldn't sleep but then as usual my own life got a little busy and psst, it got forgotten...I'm the same person who was adamantly saying we cannot forget our brothers and sisters in the north and yet I'm here slacking off, I'm so ashamed but I promise to get back on track, I don't know why I'm proclaiming this on here but I hope this confession pushes me to do what I gotta do...

In the spirit of confessing, I had a really emotional chat with someone today and I was a lil pertubed by some of the things that we were talking about so I had no peace all afternoon until I read my daily devotional which really gave me some much needed strength to keep on keeping on!! It wasn't the conversation per se that made me feel so lost but it sparked off a chain reaction that kinda got to me...thankfully, my ka sweet sister Ninsy was there for me to provide the much needed ear to listen to all I had to say so thanks again kawalz, ur so very dear to me, love ya!! K, thought I'd share the devotional, peace & love y'all!!

Inner Peace...
Peace fills my soul as I center myself in the love of God.
The peace that comes from knowing the love of God is not passive. It is a powerful force for good.
We center ourselves in the love of God, the peace of God. We can bring peace where there seems to be discord in our world--as Jesus did when He spoke the words, "Peace! Be still!" to a stormy sea.
Peace radiates forth from within us, from our very souls as we hold to the truth that God is always with us and we are enfolded in God's love.
Let every breath we breathe and every word we speak express God's peace. As peace flourishes in our hearts and minds, all whom we touch will feel the power of this gift from God through us.

"How precious is your steadfast love, O God! All people may take refuge in the shadow of your wings."
--Psalm 36:7

Posted by Kanyana at 10:02 PM | Permalink | Comments

So I came down to the "citay" yesterday to visit with some cousins and friends of mine, yep, country galo is in the big Vancity, the Couve, lol...I live in a little remote town on the outskirts of the city so being this close to all the lights, traffic and action, not forgetting the sickening smog is insane but I'm not complaining really coz it's such a nice break from my usual borin routine...nyway, so I took the 3 or so buses and skytrain down yesterday and went directly to the mall to meet up with these guys...I hadn't seen two of these people in a really long time so I was ecstatic to see them. It was really great and it's funny the connection you can have with certain people where no matter how long it's been since you last saw each other, it's always easy to start where you left off kinda thing and that's exactly how it was with these two...so, we walked around the mall, did some shopping...my girlfriend and I did some catching up immediately, it's a girl thing, lol, we went right into it all which was nice...then we all headed home and continued with the bonding and catching up which was awesome...we later went out to this club which was okay, not classy, not too dingy and the music was alright...being a wednesday night, all that was playing was reggae which I had no problem with and the dj did do a good job of keeping us on our feet...well, it's kinda hard to go wrong with such good company nyway so it was a blast...oh and we met up with this other dude that I kinda knew but not well and he's just crazy, like downright mad but in a good way...well, I guess that description pretty much sums up the whole crew, lol...it was a night full of laughter and the greatest part was being around all these people from home at one go, laughing at each other, okay mostly at me, they kept dissing me coz I live in the country and I guess I was just an easy target, the nerve of them, lol but it was all good fun...we were speaking in my mother tongue, to, just too much fun...we ended up coming home, talking till the wee hours of the morning ofcourse and yet we had to be up in an hour or two, crazy people...today, we then met up with my friend's brother and then hit the mall again, walked around downtown, I hurt my foot on the bus which wasn't fun, limping around all day at the mall...then we met up with Mr. Mulefu again who played "tapo" stunts at work today of going in to say hi and bye, like dude, how unserious, lol...also had a quick chat with my darlingi Nakamatte whom I badly wished was here, aww, don't have nugu sweetie, u were seriously here with us in spirit coz no 2 seconds passed without ur 'boyfriend that never was', lol talking about u...:) U know we really missed that extra topping and icing of locality, lol...we also missed this international hip-hop concert tonite so we're probably going to stay up a little more, talk and then sleep...well, that's my exciting visit to the citay...I wish I had some photos to share but don't..peace & love!! Blessings!

P:S Read ur blog Pea and think ur headed home soon, have a safe trip my dear, enyyyyoo, take curr & God Bless u!!!

Posted by Kanyana at 12:17 AM | Permalink | Comments

A Father and a Dad Are Not the Same.

A father and a dad are not the same,
One can be a dad and not a father,
Or one can be a father and not bother,
To earn through love the more endearing name.
Some find fatherhood a bit too tame,
Leaving all the details to the mother,
Or dumping the sweet burden on another,
with just a passing twinge of shame.
You have been our dad so many years,
That you've become the landscape that is home,
The mountain that we look to from afar.
No matter where we are, we're not alone,
For you remain within to still our fears
And be the word that tells us who we are.

~Dimitri Shostakovich~

Thank you for being more than just a dad but a father that's very dear!
You've been everything to me: a father,Teacher, playmate, model, conscience, friend.
Sometimes I know I haven't been the child I should,
Far from it, and I really can't say why.
But I guess in the real world sometimes things go awry.
I want you to know though that underneath all those actions
Is only love, gratitude, respect, and admiration.
Sometimes I don't know what I'm thinking,
But I thank God you're in for the duration.
I'm sorry for the things I sometimes do,
But please believe I truly cherish Mom and you.
The things you taught me I will always know.
How could I not? The roots have sunk so deep.
All lessons of the heart that I will keep no matter who I am or where I go.
Kids learn from what their parents are, and so you've been my guidance in life,
The thoughts I reap, only in your arms do I quiet sleep,
Under my words your voice sings soft and slow.
From you I learned the rules of right and wrong,
Against which I at times did rebel,
Though with regret I carry with me still.
How lucky I am to have been loved so well,
Even as I pushed against your will,
Relying on a father fair and strong.
Thank you daddy for always being there...
I love you, I love you, I love you...

~Re-mixed poem~

Posted by Kanyana at 10:50 AM | Permalink | Comments

Why do we always have to remember God only when we need Him the most? Why do bad things have to happen first before we can truly appreciate the good? Why is it so easy to forget about God when everything is going well and then always run to Him first when it's not? Why is there always this empty feeling in my life when I don't pray or haven't been to church in awhile? Why do I sometimes feel like I'm living this monotonous dream? Incomplete, guilt-ridden, unhappy...When will we fully learn it in our hearts, minds and souls that God is KING and He reigns, and that truly every knee shall bow and every tongue confess that He is King of Kings and Lord of Lords...I pray that that day be soon, I need deliverance, we all need deliverance...God Bless! Shalom!

Posted by Kanyana at 11:51 PM | Permalink | Comments

So I've been away on "holiday", in reality I was just house-sitting for a friend but boy did it ever feel like one, having the house all to myself was great, I absolutely loved it, the only downside though was not having internet access which really sucked but turned out to be a blessing in disguise, my Internet addict self really needed to just chill and have a break from it all...this looks like it's going to be another one of those no full-stop postings, country boyi u got me hooked onto that "writing style" man, lol...and thank u Ms. Ninsy for the update in my absentia, thank God it wasn't one of the "blazameni, sista galo" stunts coz that wudda been real madness, lol...ur a doll!!!

Anyway, so I really enjoyed the time by myself, lots to meditate on, pray, dream about, the silence at times got a tad loud, if you know what I'm sayin but I slowly learned to deal with it, curb my boredom, in fact I'm proud to announce my newly accquired skills- professional solitaire, hearts and freecell player, webcam expert photographer, Ninsy gurl u my witness, u saw the pure "malo" proof of that eh, haha...I'd have indulged y'all but I'm shy, sorry...lol, it was all a blast nyway but damn, I missed the internet, it was crazy, I almost went mad, which reminds me, you'll never believe how desperate I was to find an internet connection...so I tried to see If I could "thug" one from the neighbours by searching for the right spots around the house, first, the bathroom upstairs coz I thought maybe the closer I was to the neighbours, the higher the chance of getting a connection but that didn't work, then the laundry room downstairs which was right next to the neighbour on the other side but wapi, then the garage but all to no avail so I very "brilliantly" decided to go outside in the backyard, this time more hopeful that I'd at least find a random connection somewhere in the area...I was quite the sight I tell you and then as if it couldn't get any worse, it begun to drizzle but I was really desperate to see whether it wud work or not, so there I was sitting on the deck, no shoes, my computer plugged in, the woods right behind me so lots of trees, like really fresh bait for lightning, which by the way I'm deathly afraid of and yet had a storm suddenly come by, I was sure game, wonder what I was thinking, well apparently I wasn't but anyway, guess that's the extent I was willing to go for the sake of a damn connection, please belive me when I tell you the internet is a deadly "drug", lol, crazy addiction man...I even dreamt about google the other nite, yup, GOOGLE, I'm not kiddin, I was like doing all these people searches and it brought up all this detailed information about em, like everything, from the toothpaste they used to the colour of the nail polish they were wearing, it was hilarious and yet at the same time very scary coz it showed all this detail and some of it was quite extreme, creepy, pretty sure that might be a reality one day though with the way technology is going, if it already isn't but that's a story for another day...

Anyway, it's great to have the internet back, I did a marathon read thru all the usual blogs tryna catch up and it felt good to be back, I'd really missed y'all...JKB, I hope the above was a valid excuse for my absence and hope ur good, :) Ninsy, I just read ur blog, happy anniversary to us eh, you're a ka special one you, and that FOS determination is out of this world. Baura, I hope ur doing fine, long time, hope u got my belated birthday message, okay, this suddenly turned into a shout out message, too much excitement, wonder how many words I've written this time without a full stop, country boyi, I'll be waiting, too lazy to count, lol, peace & love y'all!!

God Bless!

Posted by Kanyana at 6:54 PM | Permalink | Comments