A bruised reed he will not break, and a smouldering wick he will not snuff out... (Isaiah 42:3a NIV)
Sunday, November 14, 2010
Facebook meets my needs
I haven't been blogging.
The thing is, although I love sharing, I also love receiving feedback - I like to know people's reactions to what I post or write
And I think I've found this on Facebook.
And so I bid adieu to this blog. If you are on old friend, who is passing through to see if there are any updates, thank you
If you just stumbled across this blog, sorry I ran out of things to say here
God bless you
Saturday, April 24, 2010
Rugby at Wembley
In my first year at University, I made friends with Paul, the captain of the University Rugby Team, the Impis. He was a 5th year medical student, and it was pretty cool to be seen with him and the rugby team - hunks-all of them. Whenever they were going for a game, they would come first in their coach to Box (my student hall) to pick me up. Paul said I was good for the morale of the team. Owing to my exceedingly loud and piercing voice, I am a natural cheer leader. I was also very good at rounding up some of the girls from Box to come for the games. We didn't know the rules, but our enthusiastic shouts of 'Go Impis" always got a good reaction from the boys. I even had a (very) brief fling with one of them. Paul soon put an end to that by giving the guy a Serious Talk along the lines of "Stop messing with my little sister". The guy gave me a "It's not you, it's me' speech, which broke my heart.
My broken heart didn't stop my love for rugby though. Or rather should I say.... rugby players. They are sooo HOT! Those big chests and shoulders, tapered waists, big arms and legs. SOLID! Real Men! Recently during Rugby World Cup, I was going on to Yati about how much I loved and supported the England Rugby team. She commented wryly "It's not the England team you support, really, its Jonny Wilkinson"
I don't really follow national rugby, but Rugby World Cup, Six Nations, Rugby Sevens, I am THERE, glued to the TV set, yelling on my own, in my living room. I was quite pleased that my neighbour Jon is keen on his rugby. He even has a Season ticket for local rugby club, The Saracens. Last weekend, we went to the new Wembley stadium to watch a Saracens versus Harlequins game. The atmosphere was great. Before the game, there was entertainment including 'Right Said Fred' who wrote the song for the Saracens called 'Stand Up'. There were cheerleaders gyrating in front of him- British cheerleaders have a long way to go compared to their American counterparts who are wayyyy superior. I mean do they not watch films like Bring it On?
More entertainment came in the way of a big brass band, acrobats and then a tight rope walker
Saracens Won! Absolutely 'slaughtered' the Harlequins! You know, I just might become a Sarries fan - I like their strip - black with red, and little Fez hats and the whole north African thing going on there.... yeah... I think I'll officially declare myself a Sarries fan!
STAND UP!!
My broken heart didn't stop my love for rugby though. Or rather should I say.... rugby players. They are sooo HOT! Those big chests and shoulders, tapered waists, big arms and legs. SOLID! Real Men! Recently during Rugby World Cup, I was going on to Yati about how much I loved and supported the England Rugby team. She commented wryly "It's not the England team you support, really, its Jonny Wilkinson"
I don't really follow national rugby, but Rugby World Cup, Six Nations, Rugby Sevens, I am THERE, glued to the TV set, yelling on my own, in my living room. I was quite pleased that my neighbour Jon is keen on his rugby. He even has a Season ticket for local rugby club, The Saracens. Last weekend, we went to the new Wembley stadium to watch a Saracens versus Harlequins game. The atmosphere was great. Before the game, there was entertainment including 'Right Said Fred' who wrote the song for the Saracens called 'Stand Up'. There were cheerleaders gyrating in front of him- British cheerleaders have a long way to go compared to their American counterparts who are wayyyy superior. I mean do they not watch films like Bring it On?
More entertainment came in the way of a big brass band, acrobats and then a tight rope walker
Saracens Won! Absolutely 'slaughtered' the Harlequins! You know, I just might become a Sarries fan - I like their strip - black with red, and little Fez hats and the whole north African thing going on there.... yeah... I think I'll officially declare myself a Sarries fan!
STAND UP!!
Friday, April 09, 2010
Simple Economics
In the March 2010 issue of Internal Auditing magazine, there’s an article about South Africa’s competition watchdog investigating domestic airline operators for alleged price fixing to exploit travellers during the football World Cup.
I couldn’t help the involuntary snort. Here in the UK, it is generally accepted that airlines, trains and tour companies push prices up to EXPLOIT travellers during peak periods.
It’s simple economics. If demand is high and resources limited– prices will go up!
In early February when booking a trip to visit my sister in Scotland for the Easter weekend, I found that all the train fares were astronomical!! This was a whole TWO MONTHS before I was due to travel. And all the train companies were charging the same exorbitant prices –price fixing?
Why shouldn’t domestic airlines in South Africa make a buck out of a situation that is to their advantage? It is what we expect. Which is why as soon as England qualified to play in the World Cup there was a stampede by fans to buy tickets before the fares went up.
But just because something is generally accepted, it doesn’t mean that it is a good thing. I am all for Fair trade and protecting consumers. If a company can convince me that the prices that they set are fair, then I have no problem paying for them. After all it’s a business and they need to survive. I do respect businesses that see opportunities and make the most of them, but cannot reconcile this with deliberate exploitation just for greed.
Perhaps our UK Competition Commission should take a leaf out of South Africa’s book and start looking into the train companies
I couldn’t help the involuntary snort. Here in the UK, it is generally accepted that airlines, trains and tour companies push prices up to EXPLOIT travellers during peak periods.
It’s simple economics. If demand is high and resources limited– prices will go up!
In early February when booking a trip to visit my sister in Scotland for the Easter weekend, I found that all the train fares were astronomical!! This was a whole TWO MONTHS before I was due to travel. And all the train companies were charging the same exorbitant prices –price fixing?
Why shouldn’t domestic airlines in South Africa make a buck out of a situation that is to their advantage? It is what we expect. Which is why as soon as England qualified to play in the World Cup there was a stampede by fans to buy tickets before the fares went up.
But just because something is generally accepted, it doesn’t mean that it is a good thing. I am all for Fair trade and protecting consumers. If a company can convince me that the prices that they set are fair, then I have no problem paying for them. After all it’s a business and they need to survive. I do respect businesses that see opportunities and make the most of them, but cannot reconcile this with deliberate exploitation just for greed.
Perhaps our UK Competition Commission should take a leaf out of South Africa’s book and start looking into the train companies
Tuesday, February 09, 2010
Wheat and Alcohol Free
I'm not a current affairs type of person, so won't talk about all those topics I mentioned in my previous post. I think I was trying to be cleverer than I really am - but really I am quite a shallow person. So I'll concentrate on a topic where I have some expertise.... me
I may have mentioned that as part of my New Years Resolutions I would be giving up alcohol and wheat products.
Giving up alcohol is not a challenge as I am not much of a drinker. Thanks to the credit crunch I was already in the habit of ordering sparkling water or a lime and tonic (L&T) whenever I went out. I’m not cutting alcohol out completely – just restricting my intake to very expensive wine – as a guideline a bottle must cost at least £50 – so chances of me ever drinking again are quite slim. I completely forgot about the bottle of Baileys that my sister bought me for Christmas. It sits there taunting me every time I open the door to my fridge- it goes so well in coffee- great for an after meal drink – must r e s i s t
Going wheat free on the other hand is another matter. I’m drawing a lot of inspiration from my own culture in Uganda where wheat does not feature much in the diet. It wouldn’t - wheat does not grow well in our climate. The wheat products you would find are processed foods made from imported wheat flour like cakes, biscuits. The Indians brought us ‘chapatis’ (flat bread) which has become a national staple. But in a normal Bunyoro village, people will eat wheat on average once every 2 months.
Wheat-free in Uganda no problem but in London – major challenge!
The ingredients for a wheat-free diet are expensive. My grocery bill has doubled. Wheat products abound in the market place and are cheap. I’m talking pasta, pizza, couscous, bread, pastries, and desserts. I miss Panini!
My core diet now is rice, potatoes and maize meal which can be a bit boring so I experiment with different recipes to vary it and make it exciting. I made sushi the other day. I also bought some wheat-free flour (a blend of rice, tapioca and potato flour) which wasn’t a good flour substitute as my scones came out rock hard and chapattis brittle.
Snacking foods are almost non- existent. Most chocolate and (potato) crisps contain wheat. I had taken to eating carrots but my body has decided it doesn’t want that anymore – and chick peas too. The only crisps I can eat are Doritos made from corn flour and Sensations Sweet chilli crisps. Nuts too – but they have a high calorie count and are not filling.
Eating out is a real pain. In restaurants I feel terrible having to go through menus with the waiting staff to establish which dishes are wheat free. The other week in Chinatown the waiter kept dashing back and forth to the kitchen to consult with the chef. What was so comical is that instead of taking the menu with him, (thus doing it all at once) he kept on going back each time to ask about each dish. Friends have to think twice before inviting you over for dinner. I know because I used to be one of those friends. I’ve never invited my friend Stuart to dinner because he has a nut allergy. And when I invited Claudine I was on tenterhooks for fear that she would have a horrible allergic reaction to my food – she is allergic to dairy, fruit, and nuts – pretty much everything. My coping strategy is to eat before I go out, or bring my own food – then I pick at salad or soup – it’s the only way.
But it’s so worth it. So far, since the year begain I’ve lost 10 lbs – with minimal exercise. The clothes feel looser. I’m now starting Phase 2 which is to introduce exercise – Salsa and Pilates. Hopefully by Easter I’ll have achieved my goal of dropping a dress size.
I may have mentioned that as part of my New Years Resolutions I would be giving up alcohol and wheat products.
Giving up alcohol is not a challenge as I am not much of a drinker. Thanks to the credit crunch I was already in the habit of ordering sparkling water or a lime and tonic (L&T) whenever I went out. I’m not cutting alcohol out completely – just restricting my intake to very expensive wine – as a guideline a bottle must cost at least £50 – so chances of me ever drinking again are quite slim. I completely forgot about the bottle of Baileys that my sister bought me for Christmas. It sits there taunting me every time I open the door to my fridge- it goes so well in coffee- great for an after meal drink – must r e s i s t
Going wheat free on the other hand is another matter. I’m drawing a lot of inspiration from my own culture in Uganda where wheat does not feature much in the diet. It wouldn’t - wheat does not grow well in our climate. The wheat products you would find are processed foods made from imported wheat flour like cakes, biscuits. The Indians brought us ‘chapatis’ (flat bread) which has become a national staple. But in a normal Bunyoro village, people will eat wheat on average once every 2 months.
Wheat-free in Uganda no problem but in London – major challenge!
The ingredients for a wheat-free diet are expensive. My grocery bill has doubled. Wheat products abound in the market place and are cheap. I’m talking pasta, pizza, couscous, bread, pastries, and desserts. I miss Panini!
My core diet now is rice, potatoes and maize meal which can be a bit boring so I experiment with different recipes to vary it and make it exciting. I made sushi the other day. I also bought some wheat-free flour (a blend of rice, tapioca and potato flour) which wasn’t a good flour substitute as my scones came out rock hard and chapattis brittle.
Snacking foods are almost non- existent. Most chocolate and (potato) crisps contain wheat. I had taken to eating carrots but my body has decided it doesn’t want that anymore – and chick peas too. The only crisps I can eat are Doritos made from corn flour and Sensations Sweet chilli crisps. Nuts too – but they have a high calorie count and are not filling.
Eating out is a real pain. In restaurants I feel terrible having to go through menus with the waiting staff to establish which dishes are wheat free. The other week in Chinatown the waiter kept dashing back and forth to the kitchen to consult with the chef. What was so comical is that instead of taking the menu with him, (thus doing it all at once) he kept on going back each time to ask about each dish. Friends have to think twice before inviting you over for dinner. I know because I used to be one of those friends. I’ve never invited my friend Stuart to dinner because he has a nut allergy. And when I invited Claudine I was on tenterhooks for fear that she would have a horrible allergic reaction to my food – she is allergic to dairy, fruit, and nuts – pretty much everything. My coping strategy is to eat before I go out, or bring my own food – then I pick at salad or soup – it’s the only way.
But it’s so worth it. So far, since the year begain I’ve lost 10 lbs – with minimal exercise. The clothes feel looser. I’m now starting Phase 2 which is to introduce exercise – Salsa and Pilates. Hopefully by Easter I’ll have achieved my goal of dropping a dress size.
Friday, January 29, 2010
Writers Block
I have so many things buzzing through my head but for some reason I can't write anything substantial about them
Things like: -
All these things BUZZING!
Things like: -
- Tiger Woods debacle - and an African's take on it - no big deal in our polygamous society
- The latest weapon in the fight against teen pregnancy in UK - a 'morning after pill' that works after 5 days
- The Iraq Enquiry - and Tony Blair's performance at it - smooth, as slippery as an eel - which leads me on to my views on politicians in general - particularly my MP who is NOT getting my vote in May
- The Californian transvestite who is pregnant! And just how weird that looks
- The 'Tory's and their social engineering agenda - with the proposed marriage tax breaks
- The SNOW storms we had in the UK - I've lived here 11 years and have never seen it this bad!
All these things BUZZING!
Saturday, January 23, 2010
Flying the nest...
Gosh, I've been super busy and have had no time to blog. Plus have been exchanging several messages with my penpals.
My younger sister has finally left for Glasgow, Scotland.
It wouldn't be my first choice - in all the weather forecasts I see, extreme weather in UK seems to be concentrated there. Plus it takes about 8 hours to get there by coach! But it's got Scots - who can be very good - IF they like you, and horrible if they don't. What I appreciate about them is that they are very upfront - they tell you exactly what they think of you. The English on the other hand....
Still. I'm happy she's gone. I felt I was turning into the mom of a moody teenager (even though she is 26) She kept things from me, sulked most of the time, left most of the housework to me. So I won't miss her in that regard.
On the other hand, when she communicated she could be quite fun and interesting. I'll miss dancing together in front of the living room mirror
I've decided to keep her room - spare. No more lodgers. Perhaps I'll get me a cat - typical spinster companion
Oh well got to go. Have to start redecorating my new spare room/walk in wardrobe/study.
My younger sister has finally left for Glasgow, Scotland.
It wouldn't be my first choice - in all the weather forecasts I see, extreme weather in UK seems to be concentrated there. Plus it takes about 8 hours to get there by coach! But it's got Scots - who can be very good - IF they like you, and horrible if they don't. What I appreciate about them is that they are very upfront - they tell you exactly what they think of you. The English on the other hand....
Still. I'm happy she's gone. I felt I was turning into the mom of a moody teenager (even though she is 26) She kept things from me, sulked most of the time, left most of the housework to me. So I won't miss her in that regard.
On the other hand, when she communicated she could be quite fun and interesting. I'll miss dancing together in front of the living room mirror
I've decided to keep her room - spare. No more lodgers. Perhaps I'll get me a cat - typical spinster companion
Oh well got to go. Have to start redecorating my new spare room/walk in wardrobe/study.
Saturday, January 02, 2010
A year in review
TV this time of the year can be a bit repetitive. The programmes have titles like
100 best songs of the noughties
100 best movie moments...
100 funniest comedy moments..
20 top TV moments...
What is it about this time of the year that makes us pause to think on what is gone. It's like as if it has some bearing on our future plans.
2009 has been interesting - not the most interesting year in my life
I've put on a dress size - yeah the diet and exercise slipped by the way side. This fact was brought home to me while I was getting ready for New Years Eve masquerade ball and none of my evening dresses fit.
Let's see what's happened this past year. It might help me with my new year resolutions...
So looking ahead to 2010
My priority is to drop that dress size I picked up in 2009. Figured the only way to do this for me is to cut out all snacky food like biscuits, cakes, crisps, pastries etc.... and take up Pilates
I am going to visit South Africa, Morocco and Jordan this year - so not my beloved Italy... hmm... that might be difficult... maybe if Ryanair is doing a REALLY good deal - I'll do a weekend in Roma
100 best songs of the noughties
100 best movie moments...
100 funniest comedy moments..
20 top TV moments...
What is it about this time of the year that makes us pause to think on what is gone. It's like as if it has some bearing on our future plans.
2009 has been interesting - not the most interesting year in my life
I've put on a dress size - yeah the diet and exercise slipped by the way side. This fact was brought home to me while I was getting ready for New Years Eve masquerade ball and none of my evening dresses fit.
Let's see what's happened this past year. It might help me with my new year resolutions...
- Started a new job in Central London in January. Mucked it up in December and my fate is to be decided in 2010
- Started my professional Internal Audit exams - really not me, but hey I've got to do it because of work
- Bought an ANNUAL season travel ticket - it feels great not to worry about 'topping' up the Oyster card, or having enough credit on it to travel
- Thanks to my Cineworld Unlimited card, I watched more films than I'd care to admit - wait a minute - I have admitted it. The winners this year were the 'Indie' films like '500 Days of Summer' and the bromance 'I Love You Man'. Worst films of the year 'GI Joe' and 'The Invention of Lying' Drivel!
- My little sister moved in with me. It's been ... challenging. Mainly because we are soooooo different
- New neighbours Ros and Jon. They've been such a blessing to me.
- One of my closest friends, Sheila, got married
- Briefly dated an Indian - it ended when I discovered that he meant it to be a clandestine relationship - this doesn't sit very well with my personality (plus he was a lousy dancer)
- Through the Hospitality Club, I met Urska and Lea from Slovenia and through Black Travels I met Brian from New York. Through Yati, Ellen and her family from Sweden/France/USA. I love meeting people from other countries, cultures
- I reconnected with an old childhood friend from 22 years ago.
- I made 2 new penpals. Eva - German lady who lives in Washington State and Denis from Russia. Probably the reason why I have been so slack on this blog - cos writing regularly to them has provided me with the outlet to express myself.
- I met the Archbishop of Uganda, Henry Orombi when he visited my church. I actually hugged the guy
- I seem to have now lost interest in any real life men. I'm not a lesbian which leaves me with 'Asexual'. Although I have fantasies about Jesse L Martin, Jeremy Northam and Jude Law - what do they have in common - gorgeous cheek bones.
- Received a weird marriage proposal from a total stranger
- 2009 has been my most challenging year in terms of finances - the lack of them. In spite of this, I have been blessed with new furniture, an all expenses paid for holiday in Sardinia, a car to drive on weekends...
So looking ahead to 2010
My priority is to drop that dress size I picked up in 2009. Figured the only way to do this for me is to cut out all snacky food like biscuits, cakes, crisps, pastries etc.... and take up Pilates
I am going to visit South Africa, Morocco and Jordan this year - so not my beloved Italy... hmm... that might be difficult... maybe if Ryanair is doing a REALLY good deal - I'll do a weekend in Roma
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