LONDON 2012 OLYMPICS BUILD UP MEANS A LOT OF THINGS

It is not only animals who are normally on heat. 

Trees too. No, that is a joke.

Cars. Yes, that is true. Cars and machines heat up. And so do big towns.   Since 2005 when London was chosen to host 2012 Olympic Games – the fourth largest city in the world has been on fire. Just a day after the announcement was made in Singapore, terrorists struck London with suicide bombers that left 52 dead. That was July 7^th, 2005. 

The would be suicide bombers caught on police cameras, moments before causing their brutal carnage. Pic courtesy of Martin Frost. Ws

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FATHERS DAY AND THE CHANGING WORLD OF PARENTING…

Last Sunday was father’s day here in the UK and I overheard one of my children lamenting how he feels sorry for some of his friends.

“Why?” I wondered gingerly reading the card the young guys had written. One of the best things about being a father nowadays is the fact that you get written feedback from your kids. Feedback in the sense that the father’s day cards – readily packaged- have humorous lines like “Wear this card to show your position of authority in the family”- plus a badge jeering- “I am the Boss.”

A joke; because that kind of culture is no longer promoted in this part of the world. It’s normal to see males constantly ridiculed in TV adverts.

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UKEKETAJI WA WANAWAKE WAPIGIWA MADEBE UZUNGUNI

Majuma mawili yaliyopita gazeti mashuhuri  na aghali kuzidi yote  Uingereza- The Sunday Times lilitangaza habari moto zilizopeperushwa duniani kuhusu  akina mama zaidi ya laki moja Uingereza wanaodhalilishwa na ukeketaji. Gazeti hili lililoanzishwa mwaka 1821, lilifanya uchunguzi wa kisiri siri   kufichua waganga wa Kiafrika wanaotoza shilingi milioni mbili za hapa kumkeketa mwanamke mmoja. Kwa mujibu wa BBC wanawake husika  wanatoka  Yemen, Somalia, Eritrea na Ethiopia.

Ona mfano hapa...
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THE SILENT AGONY OF WORLD WIDE FEMALE WORLD MUTILATION

Last weekend The Sunday Times headlines screamed about the increasing number of sick immigrant women seeking medical help. “Up to 100,000 women in Britain have undergone brutal sexual mutilations,” the respected paper said following a secret undercover investigation that exposed African doctors offering illegal operations costing £750 per session.

 Around ten years ago a Tanzanian High Commission official in London told me the amount of registered Tanzanian nationals living in the UK was approximately 100,000.

If we statistically agree that immigrants make less than 30 percent of the overall population (roughly 60 million Britons) then 100,000 women is quite a large amount. According to BBC, main communities practising female genital mutilation in the UK are from Yemen, Ethiopia, Somalia and Eritrea.

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WHY ARE HEART ATTACKS KILLING YOUNG PEOPLE SO MUCH TODAY?

 Sport is one of the best expressions of human capacity and failings. Or like famous Greek philosopher, Plato (above)  once wrote: “You can discover more about a person in an hour of play than in a year of conversation.”

Last weekend Italian footballer, Piermario Morosini (pictured below) collapsed on the pitch and died. 

Praised by his team mates at Livorno club, Morosini was a remarkable athlete. Although he was orphaned at 17 (plus a disabled brother who committed suicide) the mid-fielder had a “burning zeal” to succeed. Aged only 25, both parents dead plus two disabled siblings to take care of? That is a lot of stress. 25 years is, however, too early for death; there is a tendency for younger people- especially males to experience heart attacks in our times. <--more--!>

AGE DISRESPECT IN WAZUNGU CULTURE REFLECTED BY WAY WAZEE ARE MISTREATED IN HOSPITALS

 When I first came to Europe I visited a friend in a remote village - somewhere.

 I was shocked by the manner the guy talked to his parents. They argued and spoke in a way that I would never dare communicate with my parents back in Africa. Months later the same friend told me he was borrowing money from his father. This stunned me. Borrow money? I wouldn’t “borrow” money from parents. There was one specific instance where he and the parents were arguing. He would use very direct language that made me cringe.

“Come on stop it, dad!” or “Mum you are such a liar!”

I was equally jolted by how his siblings treated us. Everyone gaped at me when I asked his young nieces and nephews to call me Uncle since I was older than them. Of course I was undergoing what is known as “cultural shock”- the stress of being in a different environment other than what you are used to – ultimate divide among societies. 

  

The primary cultural shock was (for me) in Wazungu culture is a disregard of age difference, except for legal matters. Young people speak whichever way they wish to older people- the use of word “Uncle” and “Auntie” which is a kind of substitute to “Shikamoo” common in Swahili and African custom has a different connotation. 

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THE GENIUS AND HUMILITY OF LIONEL ANDRÉS MESSI

As a thirteen year old his family was given opportunity to move to Europe so that he could receive hormone growth treatment. This was in 2000. Lionel Messi has since surpassed the troubles he had as a tiny kid, too short, too frail; a genius in disguise. For those who do not follow football; it is fair to sum up a few things about Lionel Messi. He plays soccer for European League champions, Barcelona. In his last 100 games he has scored 97 goals- which means on average he nets one in every contest.

 Last week he scored five goals in a match against German’s Leverkusen. This is a record. I am slightly opposed to those who say he is better than Diego Maradona or the great Pele. They are all good and basically are heroes of their circumstances and periods.

 Pele won the World Cup three times...(sometimes the criticism that he isn't the best has racist under currents)

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