EkiraboKyampaire

And no,  I am not gay :) On Valentine's Day, I met a gal. Her name is Esther Arinaitwe. Andrew, Lynn, Esther...the photo could have been infinitely better but the photographer may have had one too many :) Since then, I have gushed about her to anyone who cares to listen. It's odd, I know, but you have to meet this gal to know what I am talking about. She is beautiful, smart, funny, composed, spiritual, exuberant, accomplished...all in one package! It turned out that she is a daughter of one of mom's oldest friends and mom says everything I can gush about Esther being, her mom is five times more. As of February 14th, I had approximately ten friends, 6 guys, 4 gals... Now, I have 5 gals in my corner and am all the gladder. In fact, I have been saying to, again, anyone who cares to listen, that last week's was the best Valentine's Day I have had in all my adult life. Also, following that meeting, I am back to believing in love and holding out for it...no comp...

The news has been awash with death these last couple of weeks...In my own family, the darling daada passed on...he was old and he loved Jesus, so, he really did go home . His laughter and general good cheer will be missed dearly but he leaves behind fond memories which we will hold on to. In the US of A, many families, 26, to be precise had to deal with very difficult goodbyes after a guy walked into a kindergarten and sprayed bullets on children and their teachers before turning the gun on himself. USA should, honestly, deal with amending their gun laws a.s.a.p. The repeat gun massacres in different parts of the country year after year defeat all the talk about the 2nd amendment. This amendment was passed almost 200 years ago when there was some need for people to arm themselves as territories were captured taken and bandits were the norm if one had to travel more than 10km away from his home. How it continues to be the basis on which all and sundry can own whatever type of gun ...

I could not allow to be 'left behind' and not have a post on a day I am never going to experience as when it next comes around, I will be a certified angel; coming down to earth occasionally to lend women a helping hand when they need to punish errant husbands :) It was a particularly hot day. I had to say goodbye, at least for a month, to a friend, who has become pretty dear to me in the last few months. So, in that regard, it was a sad day. I was stoical, but it literally hurt to do the presidential wave- I didn't even get to bid farewell with a hug :( Anyway, I also, got home early- read, 9:00 pm- for the first time in a long time and in a few minutes I will be sound asleep...this I am thankful for. These last three months I have been operating in headless chicken mode. I have put on more weight than I think I am allowed to and today, I made a decision to go back to a proper exercise regime and a 'watch what I eat' programme. I have over 'lounged...

This morning I am thinking of boundary lines. The kind you are thinking of, but also, another kind...a psalmist kind. But, first, the Psalmist kind; Psalm 16:5-6 New International Version (NIV) 5  Lord , you alone are my portion and my cup;      you make my lot secure. 6  The boundary lines have fallen for me in pleasant places;      surely I have a delightful inheritance. I have been looking back at the years past (inevitable as this one comes to an end) and I am so grateful to God, who has been faithful to, especially in the last ten years, take care of us, the Turyatembas and lift us from glory to glory. He is so kind . The boundary lines have fallen for us in pleasant places. I just heard some lovely news from Laura (nkutumiide! lol) and my heart overflows this morning. You have to agree, this is so not funny, yet you can't hold back the laughter! :) Onto the other boundary lines...Well, Bou articulated it ...

The definition of independence in most dictionaries is as bland and vague as, the state of being independent. Thus, I had to look to synonyms of the word, instead, to glean its meaning... Synonyms: self–sufficiency , self-dependence , self-reliance , self-subsistence , self-support   So, while hundreds of Ugandans trooped to Kololo airstrip for the official Independence day (Jubilee) celebrations, I slept in. After all, weekday public holidays are scarce and should be duly utilized lest one seems ungrateful. My housemate is out of the country for work so I went to bed after a lone dinner eaten as I watched Battle in Seattle - classic spinster- style and woke, mid morning to a silent house and was only 'rescued' by my neighbour's daughters who never fail to regale me with all sorts of tales. I am a single, independent woman whose commitment extends only as far as my faith, my nuclear family i.e. mom & siblings and my work. My independence has not come easy...

When in 2009, I made friends with a man who shared my love for Jazz to the extent that he knew some of the oft, least known, old skool type swing-jazz musicians like Louis Armstrong and Earl Hines, I knew it was the kind of friendship that would last a longtime- a lifetime, if God allowed or I had anything to do with how my life turned out. See, I am persuaded that Jazz is music. It is real music, I dare say because to achieve the huge feat of making instruments 'talk to each other' in a language so harmonious, melodious is a talent that can only be God-given. Thus, to meet someone who loved this music like I did could only mean that he is a special person :) Anyway, last night, I had the singular privilege of being in the audience as Gerald Albright, Marion Meadows and Regina Belle performed at the fifth Nile Gold Jazz Safari. It was, in a word, s.p.e.c.t.a.c.u.l.a.r :) I screamed, I danced, I sang along, I even shed a few emotional- read, joyful - tears. The Diva...

My friend Douglas posted the above picture on his FACEBOOK wall almost six months ago and it got me thinking; hence this post.  Correction, boys, they are not lies , it is code :) So, in this post, in pro bono mode  once again, I am going to engage in decoding for my male friends :)... 1. I'M FINE- this means, 'you better pay attention!'...'I want you to pay attention!' The wisest response when you hear these words is to take her aside or if she on phone to pause and pointedly say, 'I know you are not fine, so please, talk to me, is there anything I can do to help?'...There are times, though, when she is indeed, fine...if you have been around her long enough, you will know when it is alright to move on or when it is time to apply above advice :) 2. I'M NOT JEALOUS- you better believe she is! :)...If she wasn't she would not use the word. She would likely not have to say anything to the event that had you asking if she was jealous or not...

Yesterday, Ghana laid to rest former president, Dr.Atta Mills who they fondly referred to as Father of the nation. Many miles away, in Iraq, in keeping with Islamic custom, a young man named Haidar was laid to rest too.  The ever smiling Dr. Mills Dr. Mills, I never met; but heard from various sources that he was an honourable man, that I would have liked him if I met him. In any case, the state of the country he had led for four years was testament to his able leadership. Haidar Issa Haidar, on the other hand, I met and interacted with albeit briefly. He was one of the participants in the just concluded GIMPA summer school on governance of oi, gas and mining resources. He was cheerful, soft spoken, smoking hot, gentlemanly, passionate about the state of his homeland and the future of his people and humourous- in fact, on the last day of training, he took pictures of the participants and added funny captions to them leaving us all rolling in laughter. This mor...

  http://www.nerve.com/scanner/2010/08/02/italys-miss-chubby-beauty-pageant-embraces-the-plus-size-woman Reading the above article about a Miss Chubby Beauty Pageant in Italy honestly made me sad.  The essence of the contest is to 'reward' the heaviest woman. Have you seen the picture of the winner?- that is not chubby , it is overweight - fat at best! As far as definitions go, I am pretty sure chubby is used in reference to one who is 'somewhat fat' not one who is clearly overweight/ obese! I, really, think a distinction needs to be made. People need to shift their focus away from making an effort to ensure that it is 'okay' to live/ eat irresponsibly (whether this means you eat yourself to obesity or you starve yourself to anorexia) and instead consider how they can effectively live healthy lifestyles. You see, I come from a family with women with fairly 'big bodies'. We are tall, heavy-boned and pack on the weight quite easily. However, it is m...

1) A resume: a profile of jobs you can fit into  2) A savings account: This should amount to 10% of your personal income.  3) A good (well paying, fulfilling) job: that’s what people do when they grow up, work!!  4) At least one good friend: arguably the hardest thing to come by  5) A dream: not the one you have when asleep, the one you have that makes you not want to sleep J  6) A belief that you can achieve whatever you set your heart to: founded on the awareness of your potential  7) A big heart: being charitable doesn’t end at giving materially; it also includes receiving others’ crap  8) A realization that one woman/man is enough: if you have two, you’ll still want one more  9) A sense of pride: pride here is talking about a ‘good feeling’ about your heritage  10) A sense of responsibility: responsibility simply means being accountable for your actions  11) A good hair stylist: the importance of appearance cann...

It is 2011 and  I still cannot figure out why some men cannot keep their things safely tucked away in their pants...I mean, one would think that with the stories of Samson, King David, Bill Clinton and Museveni; men would beware of consequences that come with being too 'hot-panted'...but that's just me, and one would argue that because I am female, I see things in a different light... Well, that notwithstanding, oba men wake up and start behaving, otherwise we just might be the end of them!..