Jambo Kenya Korea Winter Edition 2011 - Get a Free Blog

8
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Restrospect: Why judging a book by its cover is so wrong
I
once thought this certain guy was full of
himself! Honestly, I don’t know why I ever
thought so. He dressed impeccably and wore
some of the best shoes I’ve ever seen men wear!
He was good looking too. This guy though, never
acknowledged my presence. I watched the said
character for some time and still, no change! I
just couldn’t understand! I’m not that bad, if you
know what I mean, yet nothing!
So, my conclusion was that he was full of
himself. As time went by, however, I got to know
him and surprisingly, he was not full of himself
at all! Infact, we’re very good friends now. I
had judged him based on my own assessment,
without even knowing him one bit. We very often
do it. If someone doesn’t fit the description and
definition of right living and right attitude that
we have conjured up in our minds, we ostracize
them.
I was almost caught up in this vicious cycle
again. A new member joined a club I’m actively
involved in. He’s a young man and being
surrounded by equally young and beautiful
young ladies, he was eager to show off his swag.
I detested the way he walked, with his nose high
in the air, and also how he acted; expecting all the
ladies to be all over him and talk to him. (It’s quite
easy to tell just from observing.) Anyway, he is
talented and very good at what he does. #Saving
grace! His attitude nonetheless, kept getting to
me. It got so bad that I could not call him by his
How I miss Christmas festivities back home
Elias Kangogo
Seoul, Korea
Christmas back
at home has
always been a
day worth longing for.
As December rings in
the heads of nearly all
Kenyans, bottle sounds
fill up the roads nearby,
you could feel the mood
of a festive season fast
approaching.
That’s when kids get
filled with excitement
while parents have a hard time balancing their
finances but making sure the day is as special
as it can be.
What we all miss is seeing travelers especially
from western part of Kenya turning up with all
their living room at the bus terminals in the big
cities especially Nairobi.
Everything from chairs, beds, mattresses all
have to be loaded onto the bus before the long
journey across the rift valley begins. And same
when they get back on the New Year after all the
celebrations are done.
Another thing is that just a few days before
the D-day, goats would be signing there will
be lots of bloodshed for some ‘Nyama Choma,
Karanga...” and so forth. A Christmas would not
be a Christmas without some bottles of Sodas,
Chapo and rice. It used to be a time where
I could enjoy a bottle of soda at home unlike
name, but referred to him by what he does, say,
‘The Painter’. The situation was not getting any
better. If anything, it was slowly getting out of
hand. A fellow member, a girl, felt the same way
I did and we found plenty of things that were
‘not right’ with ‘The Painter’ and this worsened
our attitude towards him. At some point, I sat
and thought and realized that how I was acting
was not right, so I confided in someone I trust. A
person who has a neutral stand point.
This friend, whom I talked about earlier,
reminded me of how I initially thought he was
full of himself and how I realized he wasn’t
once I got to know him. I tried to come up with
differences between the two cases, but really,
they were just excuses. After that talk, I decided
to change my attitude towards ‘The Painter’ and
more to that, talk to him.
Within the first five minutes of the conversation,
I realized that my poor attitude towards him,
which was crystal clear and bright as the noon
day, had discouraged him from ever talking to
me. He wasn’t even sure if he should talk to
me then. I sort of scared him with my tyrantlike
attitude. I had to quickly change the game
plan. This was someone new and instead of me
welcoming him making him feel comfortable in
the group, I was busy acting like he should leave.
What that must have made him think of me!
So, first of all, I stopped referring to him as ‘The
Painter’ and called him by his name. That alone
other days where you’ve got to go to the shops
to doso.
During the Christmas day, majority of
Kenyans go to the church in the morning.
Children are all dressed up with lovely, colorful
new clothes making the road to the church all
smelly of new clothes. Service usually starts
with the Sunday school children presenting
some Christmas carols after which they’re given
some presents (plates, cups etc.). The Church
choir too has her own turn for some carols then
the sermon about the birth of Jesus Christ by the
local pastor.
Now comes the testimony session, this is
where anyone with a word he/she wants to
share with the church stands in front that tells.
It’s one precious time where the village drunk
stands up and confesses sins and promises not
to drink again only to find him the next day with
‘kasuku’ It’s a time when some long forgotten
members of church share their stories and offer
advices.
The big feast comes after the church when
families get to their homes to have a grasp on
thefried/roasted steak of the goat slaughtered in
the morning or the previous night. Mixture of
great food and beverages.
This kind of food would go on a day or two
or couple of days depending on the strength of
the family finances. That’s just a brief typical
Christmas day in some parts of Kenya. Merry
Christmas and Happy new year.
made all the difference.
At the end of that
conversation, we both
left smiling.
We always want to
think we’re the best,
always right and are
justified to do whatever
we want when we want,
including treating others
wrong. While we may
feel that they’re the ones
on the wrong, we forget
Opinion/Letter
Martha Wanjiru
Seoul, Korea
that we too could be and at most times are wrong.
We fail to consider what those other people
think of us. We think we’re the only ones with
a say because of our positions, wealth, looks and
whatever else we may have that makes us think
we have an edge over others.
We think we are the good ones, but those others
end up having the same loathing for us because
of how we act. The problem is that so many of us,
as my friend would put it, are riding on our high
horses and it’s time we got off and started treating
others right, with the respect they deserve.
When we find ourselves entangled in such
messes, we should endeavor to come out of them
and when we are inclined to think of others as
villains, we should ask ourselves what they think
of us!
Kidding off the KCK AGM
Now let us report this Nuclear Science
Professor to Dr Mzalendo Kibunjia,
Chairman of the National Cohesion and
Integration Commission and Kenya Vision 2030
Director-General, Mugo Kibati. He incited KCK
members that for Kenya to achieve Vision 2030
we have to be involved in a “movement’ like the
‘Saemaul Undong’ movement that transformed
Korea.
He also said (and I am willing to be witness
no. 12) that we have to change our Attitude…
not cosmetic change but drastic change from the
inside. We have to change the way we feel, the
way we see, the way we do things.
That for real change it must be done
systematically with all on board. He also
incited Kenyans in Korea that we have to invest
in education because we must have a trained
manpower to spearhead our ‘movement’ to
Vision 2030.
He said he had secured training for a few
young Kenyan scientists to train in nuclear
science…in fact 8 of them with full scholarships
and that Kenya could have nuclear power within
3 years…no more blackouts etc…
I almost thought he was campaigning for the
presidency 2012 only that he was Korean….
Wait a minute! Don’t we allow dual citizenship
now? I will tell you his name so that you can talk
‘well’ with him, the Kenyan way: Professor Dr.
Jung Keum Mo, National Social and Economic
Council, Kenya (NESC). Aoko Oketch
Chuncheon, Korea