Blogging Time Out; Off to East Africa

My rafikis I have read all your comments in my last post Satan's Mind Games , and I appreciate all your kind words. Believe me, my soul is at peace now because of your support; Kiiza, Kandi Kandi, Katureebez, Hodari, Musayidiziz, Mbonyez and R. Nagenda, your emails were unbelievable; and to my Blogger pals I once again send props to you, asante sana.

In just 12 hours the kids and myself will be trekking to East Africa and hoping that the "bisiraani" do not follow us to my mother land. My Canadian born kids are excited to see the land of their ancestors and will be making Kigali their niche for the next 2 years whilst I complete my studies. It seems like a brutal and selfish decision to be taking, but deep in my heart I know that this though hard was the right decision I had to take, if not the last option. One thing is certain, I am gonna miss them soooo much...actually, I am missing them already.


My daughters Prim and Faith.

The most disheartening thing with this trip is the 12 hour transit at Frankfurt airport! We bought the tickets late (very late) and couldn't nail down atleast a reservation with any affordable hotel or motel close to the airport. Now with kids, especially the youngest notorious for running riot, at any slightest opportunity, in malls and shopping centres, I am destined for a looooong and treacherous wait...the right word? Docker! Nevertheless, I have amassed a huge collection of video now cartoons from Treehouse TV and Leapster L-Max Learning Game Systems to help baby sit them, atleast for a while. You can't blame me for having a toddler leash handy too, eh?

Equally important is the realization that I may not be able to blog or even peruse through all your blogs for all that time I'll be away doing rounds at the base. Yes, I know a couple of my cousins and a brother-in-law have direct access to internet and I have heard of the various internet cafes in both cities, but I figure time will be a factor if my planned grass root 'networking' with the "baturagyes" is to hold in such a short time! So please bear with my disorganised agenda.

I hope to be in Kigali for two weeks before flying to Kampala for a week to check out my mama at the Mousa Courts, the grannies, Hopes' family and hook up with Feliste (who has not showed up at McMaster yet!!). I know 24 days aren't enough to enjoy the festive moods of these two countries most especially if one has been away for a while, but shuleni commences early next month...no choice people, no choice!

THINGS I WON'T MISS;

a) North American Sports TV channels. Why would I when what they show lately is baseball, American Football (NFL) and Pocker. Have you folks noticed how pocker is slowly creeping into our pyche as a real sport? I don't get it!

b) My fridge, the freezer, microwave, oven et al. You know where I am going with this folks? Freshly cooked food not frozen and microwaved; real milk; Ecoli free spinach; roasted fresh corn/maize...do I have to go on? I 've never learn't how to cook, so frozen food and vegetables have been high there on my limited food chain, lol. Thats ganna change, count on that.

c) The monotonous and ridiculous music blaring out so often from my kenwood stereo or Much Vibe, BET, MTV et al. I must blame this on maturity or probably having my own kids, but I found myself redefining african taste even to sounds I hated with a passion. Its time to give a deserved recess to my iriver mp3 player.

d) Bottoms up with their bad beer. I can't wait for the wakina Primus, and Bell lager mixed with a iced sprite for a shandy. I can't remember the last time I galloped Fanta orange and Mirinda?


People, I can rant endlessly with this thing. Somebody once said to me; "time is money..." It is high time I commenced sorting out the minor details of the journey before anything tragic happens...like forgetting my passport back home. With this, my dear rafikis I say, thanks for your readership and all the heart warming responses. It won't be long before I am back on blogsphere though, phew...how time rushes! I am out wishing myself a safe and uneventful pilgrimage.