Tag: updates on this life

Updates on Social Distancing, life, writing and everything in between

August 24th, 2020
It’s exactly 159 days, 21 hours and some odd minutes since the Kenyan government called for the need for us to stay away from public gatherings and essentially #stayathome.

In that time I have:
- Published a book: Zuri: The Chronicler of Enzi
- Written a shortie short story/ novella: In the Quiet
- Traveled back to my area of work to see to the construction of 4 classrooms , 2-per community school
- Gained weight
- Started, quit, started, forgot about, started working out.
- Consumed at least 3 cups of tea a day/ some days at least 4 cups of coffee
- Drank more water
- Slept in (and I love sleeping in on Saturdays)
- Signed up for online classes: I just quit the one for African Leadership Institution because with over 1,000 participants and the never ending telegram messages, I missed out on signing in and with 5 error messages- I was done!
- Got accepted into the New Heights Leadership Program: a 3-month online intensive session that merges both Christian Faith and Leading with Integrity in the modern world.
On reading: I just finished reading Honest to Greatness by Peter Kozodoy and he explores how transparency is key to sustaining organizations, companies and our interactions not just with people but also with what we create.

“To get the most out of your people, you must tell them why they matter.”

Status Check: A friend asked me yesterday, on a scale of zero to one hundred, how pissed off are you with the corruption in the Kenyan government? I shot him a look and he simply said “that pissed off?” See, people have been displaced, lost their jobs, their loved ones, our health care workers are at the frontline yet they’re unpaid, without PPE kits and it doesn’t help that the body set in place to regulate all this is busy trading with kits that could save lives. Wouldn’t you lose it if someone was stealing billions meant to ensure your access to health care which you are over taxed for?

On this new WordPress Editor: Yes, I’m learning that free is expensive, because I don’t like it one bit and switching to the Classic Editor means installing it and yes…I’ve got to be on a paid plan to do that. Or maybe I’m just sleepy- who knows, I will look into it when I can, if I hate it…it’s always good to explore options I guess.

I’m looking forward to September! Who knew we’d be this close to ending 2020 when we started out in January?

Have an awesome week. Stay safe. Stay hydrated. Above all choose kindness, we need it.
Updates on Social Distancing, work, life and everything in between

June 26th, 2020

Friday’s here and I for one would love to sit down by the lake shore and take in the breeze. However that’s not going to happen today, it may tomorrow, but today, I have some work to do and more cups of coffee to consume.

In Kenya, it’s been 100 days plus more since the first COVID-19 case was reported and what’s followed has been the never ending updates from the Ministry of Health that often starts with ‘fellow Kenyans’ and involves the three aspects of their reporting: numbers tested, positive cases, deaths and sometimes…if we are lucky enough we hear the number of those who have recovered.

I resumed my duties at work- and actively started on field duties this first week of June and it’s beautiful to see what’s coming to be. In one of the schools, the foundation of 2 new classrooms has been laid and I cannot wait to see how it’ll turn out in the next month.

On writing: I published Zuri: The Chronicler of Enzi on both Kindle and printed out paperback copies for sale here in Kenya. So far, it’s been a thrill getting feedback on this book.

I am currently working on the next title: In The Quiet and it should be out next month, fingers crossed!

On physical distancing: Let’s say I was the Queen of Space long before Corona took over, and now I enjoy sitting in my house and listening to music- and there’s something beautiful about Deejay Mixes that mean I can listen for hours on end.

Books I am looking forward to reading this weekend and next week:

I am looking forward to the weekend and if there is one thing I have come to learn during this re-evaluation time is that indeed the little things count. Who knew something as simple as washing hands or keeping clean would be one of the measures we’d have to adhere to in order to keep a disease at bay?

Now more than ever, I am also learning to take good care of my mental health because this mind of mine could ideally lead me into some deep trenches that I would barely come out of. When it’s necessary, I spend hours out taking a stroll along the lake or even listening to music and steering clear of social media.

What scares me and also challenges me is the Ministry of Education’s call that when schools resume in September and the recommendation that each class hold 15-20 students- we’ll have another crisis. As it is infrastructure in public schools is lacking- and a class holds up to 75-100 students. Like most Kenyans, I find myself questioning how prepared my government is when it comes to handling a resurgence of this virus when schools resume.

I look forward to reading this weekend and sleeping in- or maybe taking a stroll along the lake later on in the evening.

Stay safe wherever you are and above all…I hope you stay sane.

Have a great weekend.
Updates on this life

December 7th, 2018
Well, hello Friday! So, if you’ve been keeping up with my words then you are probably wondering where the next installment of 10 Reasons Why is, and you are right. You’ll read about Joyce and Javans’ adventure tomorrow-I for one, would love to know what will happen in Kereita forest.

However, let’s take a look at my week and the events leading up to this weekend.
- I finally had my tooth extracted and what a joy it is to finally sleep without taking painkillers every four hours!
- I am currently working on this years “Christmas” Edition of Nilichoandika magazine and while at it, I am learning that there is a lot more that I could do to produce quality content.
On reading: I cannot wait to read these titles this weekend:
On writing: I have not done much save for 10 Reasons Why and even as I write it, it’s not lost on me that I am yet to reach out to my mentor and work on a couple of drafts. Writing the final chapter of Sifuna has also been a chore because for some reason- a character that I find futile keeps making it to the end and it scares me not being able to write her off without killing the story’s flow.

This year has seen me listen to various albums and my go to “go get ’em” album is Kamikaze by Eminem and after watching the movie Venom six times, let’s just say that my ringtone had Grumpy asking questions with his eyebrows. I have also had Hillsong’s “There is More” on replay, often starting my day by listening to “Valentine” and “So Will I (100 Billion X)”- and then there’s this group, Why Don’t We, and being a hopeless romantic, I happened to listen to “Hard” and I have never looked anywhere else for a #thathurts kinda feeling, you feel me?
What albums have you listened to this month or this year that you keep turning to?

On my truth: I am learning that it is okay to let go of what hurts me, to look within and be gentle with myself when things do not go as I planned.

I am learning that my kind of love is uniquely my own and to label it, or try and fashion it into what other people expect it to be, is to slowly dim my spark.

I am learning that not everyone will find me successful because they’ll measure my success based on their standards- and my, what a score I’ll get, and how exhausted I’ll be if I keep trying to meet their standards.

Have a wonderful weekend and I hope you’ll drop by tomorrow to catch up with Joyce and Javans’ fun with nature challenge at Kereita forest!