How the government intends to make up for the Kyeyo shortfall.

It was with some level of alarm that I read about couples facing jail over SMS. Apparently, SPOUSES risk spending two years in jail if they make abusive calls or send offensive messages to their partners when the Domestic Bill comes in place.

Alternatively, spouses face a fine of sh960, 000 for the offence if the law is passed.

In addition to imprisonment and paying a fine, the court may order perpetuators of domestic violence to compensate the victim more

Now, it is being argued by some that this is a way to curb domestic violence and thereby protect women, girls, boys and even men who might be in violent relationships, which I am all for.

What I am against is taking away the right for me to speak to my partner in whatever fashion I find appropriate. What I am objecting to, is the right to choose, the right to freedom of expression.

Who is to say that when I call my partner ‘honey” I am not being abusive/offensive. He might not find it as an endearing term as many do. What standard shall we use to determine if indeed I am being offensive or not?

Will the government write up this list and therefore put a curfew on what words I can and cannot use?

Will the government go as far as to claim that they are not justified in doing something like taping into private conversations, in the name of “protecting people from domestic violence”?

What happens if the call or text isn’t from an acknowledged partner? Does this make me less of a victim? Does it make it okay for ANYONE to be offensive as long as they are not in a formal relationship with you?

The loop holes in this thing (as reported in the New Vision) are too many to count and I cannot figure out why ANYONE would stand by and advocate for it to be signed. Is this just an attempt to get newspaper space? Is this a way for our representatives to show us that they are INDEED doing work in all those long meetings?

I can’t help but feel skeptical and disappointed at the same time.

The Living Legend Awards 2009: the Tuskegee airmen (New England Chapter), the Honarable Deval L. Patrick, Carol Fulp, Charles Ogletree and Alan Solomont.

I grew up in a society that does not fully appreciate the contributions people of influence make. It might be because these contributions are marred by accusations of corruption, nepotism or by the mere fact that, we just never see their contributions for what they really are, a way to make our society a better one.

It was such a humbling experience sitting with Living Legends and the mood in the room was generally festive as people acknowledged contributions and the change in the nation, the most notable one being President Obama’s election, which most of the honoree’s had contributed to in some way, rallying support right from the beginning to the end.

Gov. Deval and Ogeltree also jokingly (I assume) inferred that they were influential many years ago in getting Obama to run. Ogeltree remembers one conversation in which Barak asked him a question and his reply was “Yes you can”. He says he has never been given credit for that.

As I sat there, I could not help but think how far American’s have come and how far African American’s have come as a people. I could not help but think what Ugandan’s are doing to celebrate our heroes, our history and inevitably our future.

Side note: it was primarily a fundraiser for the Museum of African American History and tickets sold for $250 and no, I didn’t pay for one (in case you are wondering). Imagine raising that much for the Uganda Museum. Does any one ever go?

Interesting story.
My brother went to the Museum with a friend recently in the name of sharing our heritage. He mistakenly (or optimistically) assumed that the Museum would be a great resource. You can therefore imagine his immense mortification when they get to the Museum at 3:00pm to find some lady sweeping away all the dust from, it seemed the last dry season.

After giving them a typical “why are you disturbing me glare” for about 5 minutes, she eventually put away her broom and asked them what they wanted (err, they were in the Museum, that should have been enough), when they were told the price and paid, she typically acted like they had just messed up her life because she didn’t have smaller denominations on her.

I should probably point out that this was just the beginning of he’s shame. The exhibits were covered with dust from season’s past, information lacking and it generally felt neglected. He took it very personally that he did not have a clean, informative source of history to share with his guest.

Brief history:
The Tuskegee Airmen, New England Chapter, represents and honors the nation’s first military black airmen who forged an exemplary record during World War II that eventually led this nation to integrate the armed services. Begun in 1941, as a result of congressional legislation, the original Tuskegee airmen numbered 16,000 men. There are approximately 330 original Tuskegee airmen still living, most in their 80’s and 90’s. On January 20 of this year, 200 of them were proud to attend the inauguration of the first African American President Barack Obama.

The Honarable Deval L. Patrick
In November 2006, Gov. Deval became the second African American elected governer in the United States and the first African American Governor of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.
Having experience his own ground breaking campaign, he went on to serve as Campaign Co-chair for Barack’s Obama’s historic Presidential bid, stumping for the President in almost every battleground state from New Hampshire to Florida.

Carol Fulp
Is Vice president of Community Relations, Sponsorship and Event Marketing at John Hancock Financial and leads John Hancock’s $12 million philanthropic initiatives to establish state of the art programming for those most in need.

Fulp, recipient of the distinguished Eleanor Roosevelt Award and a vice president at John Hancock Financial, raised $300,000 for the Obama campaign. She went on to lead the Massachusetts Women for Obama and raised an additional $200,000.

Ogletree, Harvard Law School Jesse Climenko Professor of Law, author and founding and executive director of the Charles Hamilton Houston Institute for Race and Justice, has served as a mentor for first lady Michelle Obama. He traveled the country during much of 2008 participating in voter protection training, and promoting Obama to be the first black president.

Solomont, a philanthropist, political activist and health-care entrepreneur, helped build a broad and innovative network of post-acute elder care services as founder and CEO of the ADS Group. Chairing the Obama for America New England Steering Committee, Solomont helped Massachusetts raise more money per capita for Obama than any other state.

Pictures

So, some one asked for pictures and quiet frankly, i am in just too lazy a mood to actually write something. So a few pictures i have amassed this last week. ( and yes, i didnt have an actual camera, so bear with the quality)

Im guessing they were going for “Sybella” or as some affectionately call her “Sai-bella”.

there i was walking around and i discovered i live pretty close to a river. Considering learning how to sail although since i tend to NOT like water, i dont know how that will work out.

Double entered the Sabella. OOO well…

the rest are just scenic idle shots

I walked out of my people and landed on these people. My first thought was.. did the Ugandan Army ever have Horses? And do they just walk around Kampala displaying their wares? Answer.. No

(i know, unrelated, just go with the flow)

Happy New week!

BHH

Yes, we also have BHH. Almost a week ago to the day, i met up with KK and we spent the day wondering the lovely streets. (Man, i just killed all the kB like some one i know). Ahem (clears throught and arranges to tell tales…)).

We met up at about 2.00pm and since i was moving that day, KK (begrudgingly) offered to “help” me out. (did i say thank you? thank you). He wanted to ride the train, something he doesn’t get to do all the time. If we could switch lives, I would trade riding the train ANY DAY.

We packed up the car and left for lands unknown. (okay, not true) we went to the Museum of Science to watch the greatest places on earth, which if you ask me, weren’t that great.

The awesome thing: In the Mugar Omni Theater, the world’s largest film format is projected onto a five-story-tall IMAX® Dome screen. It wraps audiences in larger-than-life images of flora, fauna, and faraway places. A state-of-the-art digital sound system completes the immersion effect.

Let me break that down for you: Imagine that the image spans past what your eye can actually see. we are talking the image “wrapping” itself around you and you are actually part of the image.

Awesome, i tell you! Awesome!!

Any one coming down, look me up… its a must see!!!

Then, we headed over to faneuil Hall (which is also known as Quinicy market) to get something to eat. I have always wondered WHY they named the hall that but well… since i wasnt consulted through the naming process, what can i say? we ended up at Dick’s Last resort, which actually makes it into “broke in Boston’s” guide book. ( I think i should point out that cheap is relative). After a sumptuous meal of Chicky chicken and steak something (that had a lot of salad) we headed over to Newbury street. KK’s having the salad made me think that maybe he was telling me something…….

Boston is apparently walking city so we did a really slow walk to Newbury, which is also one of those landmark streets. Has all those awesome shops that you shyly glance at and keep walking. Fun times, i tell you… fun times.

We sipped on Vanilla bean coffee’s (or whatever they are called) and caught up on life. I hadn’t seen him since some time in November, i think. we spoke about Migingo, children,dreams (or lack there of), taking up running… and everything in between.

Finally jumped back on the train to go back to the car, which i imagine was KK’s highlight of the day. His account is here

I am now looking for age appropriate plot. I realized that hanging with kiddies wasnt helping me much. (i know, i been talking abt that for a long). I am definitely looking forward to the Scooper Bowl, which is some thingy where u pay an entrance fee and eat as much ice cream as you want. Who wants in?

Randomzies!

1.I went on a Samuel Adams brewery tour. One of the kids i work wth (n when i say kid, i really mean kid.. okay no, he’s about 21.. nanti here u r only allowed to drink past 21) works with some grp that was meeting up to go, so i went a long in the name of honouring invites coz really beer aint my thing. So,we did a walk around tour for about 20 minutes, they explained the process then proceeded to make us drunk . Okay, not entirely true, they give u tasters, kinda. we tasted 3 of their beers, which was interesting.

I met up with the peoplez there and decided that i have changed a lot since i came here. well not necessarily changed but because of the things i have been exposed to, certain things dont seem as strange. like i met the leader of the grp and for some odd reason assumed he was gay (turns out he wasnt)… but then they kept talking about GLAD which i later found out is Gay & Lesbian Advocates and Defenders which toooootally made sense that i’d assume he was gay according to me.

then i was talking to some chic who runs a LGBT group supposedly linking people of color in Boston. before i confuse u even further LGBT means Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender. Sometimes a Q is added for Queer or Questioning.

So we are talking and i was thinking, does this chic think i qualify for this group????? well… i wld like to join her group, since im trying to expand my network and get out of chilling at home and school but the LGBT thing bez scaring me off, i dont want people to propose nga me i only wanted people to hang with, u know…

2. I was talking to my friend who apparently got to meet some guy coz he’s brother is convinced they should get married. So me friend was saying she cant get married/date the guy coz the just dont click. One major set back was he doesnt watch movies. I know..not that major but he didnt understand why Wolverine was such a big deal.. Major NO-NO and he only watches football in his free time.

As if things werent interesting enough he drives what my friend describes as an “OLD starlet”.. like the very FIRST starlets to hit Kla. I keep telling her that atleast he has a car so thats a plus. She keeps saying she cant be dating such people.

Now apparently she still kinda has a thing for her ex. so when we were talking about it and about how he (ex) doesnt return her calls and stuff and the one she doesnt like keeps calling and texting, she says she keeps Luther playing over and over in her head.

The gist of the song is “If you cant be with the one you love, go on and love the one you are with“.

I totally loled.

How’s your day going?

Aha!

So last night I am innocently lying on my bed waiting for sleep to do its thing. My room mate walks in and says… “U okay?”
Me: “Yes”
L: What you doing?
M: its 11pm. what do u think?
L: You know, i know you are depressed. its okay to be depressed.
M (totally taken aback but figuring she must know something i dont): And how do u know this?
L: I know you are and its really okay.
M (seeing that this wasnt going anywhere fast): oooo okay.

Now I ask…. what am i doing for someone to conclude that i am depressed. I mean, I finally touched midly depressed but a few months ago and even then i didnt share. (sharing with my roomie is like sharing with the world.. or more importantly the landlord who happens to be her best friend. that child CANNOT shut up.. which comes in handy when i want to prep the Landlord for bad news (evil grin))

I guess my not sharing doesnt help matters any so she tends to make assumptions and jump to such erroneous conclusions that i most times dont have the will power to correct. Actually truth is, i am just too lazy to correct her. If she wants to go around believing she knows everything about me, let her have fun. what could it hurt, right?

In other news, I went a visiting two weeks ago. In that one weekend, i managed to convince myself (and subsequently confirm) that indeed money does not grow on trees. I now sit wondering how I am going to complete all those marvelous plans percolating in my head. I am hopeful that some light will shine down and miraculously resolved everything.

So lets see what did i do while i was visiting…
1. Walked across the Brooklyn Bridge which was awesome but as none of us had a camera, I dont have any pictures. It also kinda helped that we walked over the bridge in the dark. That thing is 5,989 feet (1825 m) long and 85feet wide (i figure its more than that) and carries pedestrians, cyclists and motor vehicles. Please note ( i havent been able to find out just how high above the water it is) but you are walking across this thing above the cars and above the East River. Anything can happen people. ANYTHING.

2. Bought a fake perfume that only lasts about 5 minutes.( You cannot put a price on fleeting happiness, my friends)

3. Drunk melted chocolate… (awesome! But not as nice as some chocolate shake thing at Spurs. I swear its like melted Sneakers or Mars bars. that thing… u needs to try out!)

4. Discovered that some posh neighbourhood’s only carry Master card and do not accept Visa.

5. Pumped myself with enough cold medicines to start a pharmacy. (I was trying to be fit enough to do some gig. I havent been paid, by the by).

6. Went to a bridal registry. That was fun. My supposed inlaw wasnt very pleased with me when she asked if i wanted to scan a few items onto her registry thingy and I informed her that I didnt work for UPS or fedex and so didnt go around scanning things.
I am pretty sure she didnt see the humour in that.

7.There is a big possibility that all Ugandans/Africans here use the same bank.

8. Almost met up with Emi. Princess: Hey!!!

9.Bought a scandalously short skirt (by UG standards anyway)

10. Had brunch with a friend at a place called “Dinia” (i fink). We had burito’s. I know…. not very exciting but it was a posh place. Also had a “screwdriver” and Trust me, the name was the only exciting thing about that drink!

11.Went into the salon to have my hair “shapped” and met up with a no.2 blade. Apparently i presently look like a “Real AFRICAN”… whatever that means.

Oooo before i forget. There’s this guy i chat with on occassion. So he was recently giving me some silent treatment and what not. I was like “oba u dont want, leka yo!” Oba he thinks he’s the only bean in my soup, simanyi!

Anyhu, he disappears last week (i thinK) and sends me an email basically asking how i hadnt written him and how i wasnt a good friend.

I am kind enough to reply and tell him (AGAIN FOR THE MILLIONTH TIME) that I am not good at email and i dont even write to my best friend so he’d beta take a chill pill. this was he’s reply

“T,
Its now crystal clear AM JUST ANOTHER USED TO BE Sis you lead one of the most boring life am sure i could not fit in your shoes for once in a day, who in the world would loves someone who can not drop friends mail. Not me Well just because you don’t send mail to your friends it doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t am not your friend am either more or nothing. And its because of this that i deserve more. YES More for me you will make a reservation WRITE MAIL even if it is the last thing you have to do before your death. Promise.
It doesn’t cost you much does it???????????????????.“

This was my reply
“From your email, i am meant to understand that (1) i have a boring life and (2)I am not loveable because i dont write emails. Waiit more accurately NO ONE could love me because I dont write emails.

Well since we got that cleared, let me make something clear.

I dont appreciate the fact that you would think you could badger me into writing to u basing on some warped perception you obviously feel so passionately about.

I am therefore going to stick with the few who love me and dont measure our relationships based on how many email’s I write.

Its been real and I wish you only success.”

Over reacted? Me thinks NOT

time check

7.04 PM.
I sit in this office wondering why I am still sitting here and yet knowing that if i intend to sleep in tomorrow morning, I must sit here until the job is done.

My feet hurt. I have been walking around and standing around for about 3 hours.

Will I be paid for this? No. Will it in some way make me miraculously loose 30 pounds? No.. and so I ask myself if it is really worth it.

7.06
Nothing much has changed. My eyes hurt. I slept at 1 am after my body decided it didnt want to rest. I woke up briefly at 4.00am. I wondered why. “Random waking up” is what I like to call it. I woke up again at 8.26am. I was supposed to be at work at 9.00am.
I live a minimum of 22minutes away from main downtown. There was no way I was going to make 9.00am.

9.39pm
I am finally leaving. feets tired. Eyes even tired-er. I suspect I shall be a very energetic bunny by the time i finally get home.

Sleeping in tomorrow. Well assuming not having to leave the house by 8.10am counts for sleeping in. I will have to come in tomorrow again.

I am harboring unfriendly feelings towards a particular colleague of mine. I think its coz i believe she cant be very “selfish” about how she does things and not being her patient person aint helping our relationship any.

Please note. I am the only one giving the matter any thought.

She was not feeling well so she left me to tussle it out. I can relate. Being sick SUX big time. This is the problem, I might hustle it and she wont even do anything to help me with my part of the work and she will come out smelling like a rose.

DId i mention that my boss decided I wasnt going to be here for the next 4 months so she offered her (she’s actually traveling) a gig. I am like “what am i? chopped African?”… Okay, that’s not fair.. the boss and other workmate are African just like me…so er… yeah…

Maybe i should casually mention that I actually will be around….

Eh, this is turning into a mini rant.

Lemme go

Thanchu senkyu Mwebale

OKay, so first step is done… next i shall hold a web unveiling paaaaaaaaaaaaarty! or web something amajig.

In other news, banange nkoye (i am tired). To night, i shall sleep. Hopefully. You know how it is, you look forward to the “grand event” and things just dont want to work the way they should.

In other ooooooooooother news, lemme see what things have been happening around me.

1. I got to wear my bubu the other day (some as if free flowing dress). I was sooooooooooooo happy with myself until i went shopping in some relatively young people shopping zone, looked at the mirror and finally figured out why every one was looking at me funny. ( that’s open to interpretation )

2. Things always happen when i aint around! Kati the other day i got a new roomie, it wlda been exciting except for the fact that she was only moving in for a week. I was like..”well child, good luck with that!”.
So madam moves in on friday morning (those things of 2 am, me was dead to the world). I meet her like at 5 the next day.. pretty interesting person.
I figure we were friends coz at the time she only knew 2 other people but who was i not to enjoy short lived friendship, right? so she and her buddy (a guy) want to hang out and stuff.. I am like.. “chick, all i do is …. i am the most boring peep, i can prolly tell u where to go, if you like..”

which is how i ended up watching “state of play” or is it “play of state” either way… like 6 minutes into the movie i wanted to scream “Awa MONEY!”. man, i dont know i got through that movie, gawsh!

Anyhu, fast forward to Sunday morning. I must say, there must have been a reason why things were working against me that Sunday. First i woke up in time to catch the bus, but didnt coz i took too long a shower. When that was done, I ran out of the house (seriously) and got more than half way and realized that I hadnt carried my wallet. So i stroll back to the house where my current roomie had just come in from church. Do some small time talking and off i go (at this point, new roomie hadnt surfaced and buddy was still asleep on the couch).

I come back, 2 and a half hrs later to a suspiciously silent house. On inquiry apparently new roomie had been kicked out. ( I mean how much harm can u do asleep, right?)

Turns out she’d changed a few thing terms on her lease that dear old landlord did not agree with.

They had one of those “why did u change this”… “YOU cant tell me what to do, u aint my daddy” arguments. sigh.

Where were current roomie and buddy? standing right in the middle of the arguement (we live in relatively close quarters).

Where was i? Off being a good christian.. I tell u, these things of missing drama, shall not be allowed.

3. I met an aunt of mine the other day. She’s actually my mum’s cousin, which should make us pretty close relations. That was the 2nd time in my entire life i was meeting her. Usual KB’s of “why havent u called me?” blah blah.
In my head i was like “and we talk about what exactly?”

Didnt say it ofcos.

This is my “weird” aunt. Her and her husband (the last time they were at another aunts house) apparently carried their scale to weigh/count how many calories were in the food they were being served.

The family is still in shock over that.

4. Labour day… what it is????

website update

Things aint going well at mine but well… King of the Solomon fame or Solomon of the King fame or whatevs!

if you could look at my work in progress and make comments..especially what u hate (and yes, not all the links work) send me an email or drop comments… let me know… i kinda need to know in the next few hrs as it is …err.. due

OOo what its about; its supposed to be like the first stop for information on Uganda so tell me what you think, what you would expect.. was it easy to navigate… shd i have changed my headings? what else should i change…

lemme stop suggesting, u will stop thinking about it…

In otherwords, did you visiting the site make you think??

http://speakugandan.com/Final/Pages/

Thank you!

I swear!

I will be your friend for ALWAYS if you figure out why my website wont work!

I am working on a deadline so like… work your magic…

I swear..best friend even.. incase u need one