hmmm...

I have become a night owl for some reason and was home at one last night! I am usually in bed by 9 on a good night...and i think i am fatigued:-)
Well I'm sure you've all heard about the senator Craig business by better writters than myself so i wont dwell on that...lol Tony Snow is on C-SPAN talking about the same trash...well trying not to answer questions from the press:-) he's rather cranky... I miss Ari Fleischer...
Oh wait the ADHD kicked in and i lost my train of thought... Oh that's right! On the Sen. Craig thing, why are rich people so dumb? Craig could have driven/flown to Mexico or Canada and found himself a secret "boyfriend" there right? Or even Bill Clinton...why not find a discrete girlfriend in a third world country that preferably doesn't speak english? have security fly them in every now and then and you're all set! It sure beats soliciting in a toilet, or having someone show up with your DNA on their knickers! I am by no way encouraging people to cheat on their spouces...but if i had that kind of money and was tempted to do something as dumb as that... I would be doing a whole lot of travel to south America to see my hot latino Heysus (jesus)!
And what's with gay people always trying to push their gayism on the rest of us? I try to be liberal, but seriously, you can't just go around gropping each other in the hall ways...it gives me heart burn! My bedroom and I have a las vegas policy... "what happens there, stays there" It's private and confidential. Besides I really don't know what colors straight people are supposed to wear, or what day is "straight peoples" day...when do we march???

Moving on. I bought the perfect dress for my friend Angela's wedding. It's in a week so i'll show you pics then...but I can assure you that I'll be looking gorgeous:-) I also finally purchased Carols daughter mangoe souffle...I get home and find out its only for my body and not my face!!! It's a $31.50 body creme...who the heck pays that money for a body lotion??? I paid for it so i could use it on my face... and i'll tell you another thing; I better look like a cross between will smith/ jada pickett and mary j blige because the ad's promise me something like that!!! and Okra..oops, Oprah also sings high praises of the nice smelling lotion. So it better make me look pretty! Oh and Luton don't worry aunty got you a bottle.
I was watching cspan earlier and they had a conference or whatever on 'understanding foreign culture' and they had panelists from Kenya, Brazil, Egypt and Bangladesh. They are all here on a fellowship to American news agencies i guess through an organization called http://www.ourvoicestogether.org and it was very interesting to hear various views regarding how the media portrays things. I liked how the Egyptian Amr Emam said something like "if Islam is the enemy, shouldn't you (Americans) learn more about Islam so you can better understand the enemy?" and the Kenyan Musumo Munene stressed that Kenyan's do not hate Americans, but we're kinda mad about America not acting appropriately after the bombing of the Embassy in Kenya.
Also on a sad note for Zambia, Chafwe Nsofwa the Soccer player died in Isreal. If you don't know of him he's the guy that scored one of the 2 COSAFA game goals. See BBC for rest of the story. Also Madilu system died last week and I should probably write more than this one line about him...but I'm a lazy cow:-) but enjoy my fav song of his... r.i.p king of rhumba!

In Memory...

In memory of my daddy... MHSRIP August 26th 1998

tukachala nabani e, fwebabula abalongo pano calo...fwebo abalongo- fwebo abolongo baliya kuli lesa e. yelele mayo, balongo bena lesa e."

Gambling novice

Woo hoo! I went to my first slots machines type place this weekend. Being the "i have to try most things at least once" type person I am, I was dressed in 2 minutes and out the door when my friend planned this spur of the moment thing last night. The choices were West Virginia and Delaware... I picked Delaware!
I vowed not to use more than $50, but the good news is that I spent $30 and won $50... and the bad news is that I put it all back in the machines:-) I don't get how people get addicted to slots...coz ummm...yah...I don't get it:-) I didn't take any pictures coz i was dressed like a skank :-) well I was only given 2 minutes to get ready and it wasn't planned... and the only tops I had available were skank mama type things.
It was too bright and busy for my liking... i like more quiet activities so that was a tad different. We had a great time any way and we didn't get in till 3 in the morning...and it was quite pretty.
I also got to visit my grandmother's little sister this week in D.C. which was fun because we cooked together and told stories, played barbies with the little girl and just bonded :-)
Well I have to go feed my phone addiction....
ciao:-)

Amnesty International sells out.

Amnesty Internationals moto reads : "working to protect human rights." They are supposed to be the voice of the "voiceless" so why have they sold out and opted to approve of abortions? They say it's abortions only for women that were raped and those that have complications...hey while we're at it, lets let mothers that change their minds and don't feel like being mothers any more exercise their reproductive rights by chopping the kids heads off! hey who cares if the child is already 15... you gave birth to her and you have changed your mind...off with her head!

I don't get the whole "when it's in the mother's body it's not really human, it's like a body part of the mother" thing. In utero the zygote (or whatever makes it feel less human to you) is dependant on another human for survival...after birth and for a few more years the child is still dependant on other humans for survival, so what's the difference?

Now forgive me for not seeing it from the point of view of a raped woman that ends up pregnant... or from a pregnant single woman with 5 others kids that now has to make a decision whether to have her sixth child and die... or kill the baby and live to be with her other 5 kids. I understand those are very tough choices...but please call a spade a spade, don't give it a new name to satisfy your conscience. Think about it this way: if you abort the one child today so you can take care of the other children... what happens if on the next day you're hit by a bus and perish?

Life is a maze. What looks like an obvious turn today, may not be so obvious tomorrow. N'est pas?

I am trying to write to Amnesty International to give me back the $2 I donated...:-) I would rather buy a soda than be misrepresented...lolol!

Shamwari!

Hey, how about yesterday in the news this woman in Australia died because the camel that she got for her birthday tried to have sex with her...lol okay it's not funny but it sure cracked me up!!!
in more funny news...the picture at the bottom is circulating in zed world and apparently came from thorn park...!

Then, my friend calls me frantic last night because she receieved a "personalized" letter from this one group that claims they "carefully" selected her, and would show her how to make money and get anything she wants following their method. She she was scared, tried to call her husband nad hears his phone ringing in the house because he left his mobile at home. Poor baby thought a cult was stalking her... i laughed soooo hard when i googled the group because they're scam artists. But i really wish I could have seen her face... it was hillarious!

Also if you would like to send something to Lusaka from the Washington DC, look into Miss Lombe Kasonde's website- http://www.geocities.com/lkasonde/DC_to_LSK_Shipping.html

Why do men have a harder time than women to let go of baggage? I was "conversating" with my friend tonight and we we're discussing this one guy that we know who was hurt by this one girl years ago...and up to now he acts like a wounded buffalo in relations! I was thinking, get over it dude!! really!!! life is too short to die loveless because this one person hurt you years ago. In fact, I have more examples.

And another thing... I'm I the only one that thinks Tyler Perry isn't THAT funny??? Oh and don't you just love the new examiner.com ad's? especially the one with the guy and gal in the elevator and he goes what's up...and she tells him about the stock market and everything else then finally she asks him if he's works in blah blah department, he agrees and she tells him... lay off tomorrow! hahaha!

Sappy movie

hey there!
aaarrrgghh! The weekend is almost over and i sat there watching this one sappy harlequin movie. I LOVE to laugh, so anything that has the potential to amuse me is always welcome :). So any way, in the movie this one lady is looking for a man. So she goes shopping for one online. The guy she finds is really hot, smart and has a job. They go for dinner and the dude starts to talk about his ex and how they dated for 8 years and cheated on him with his best friend...and he burst into tears!!! I laughed so hard!!! WTF??? in a restaurant??? on a first date??? She also meets another guy that stalks her & tries to hit her coz her neighbor is always at her house...psycho! Any way she finally ends up with the scruffy neighbor who is going through a divorce(quite risky!!!). Her business partner is the type that gets engaged on the 4th date andd falls in and out of love instantly... really funny stuff.
Well my friends and i have a standing joke-- if i'm not married with children by 35, I will marry one of my 2 friends- depends on who bids the highest. Well they both need greencards, and they promise to be successful by then. So we'll go to Massachussets- coz they're female. Then I'll go to a sperm bank and pretty much live off my friend and travel the world:-) ey...it's a capitalist world:-)

Yesterday was great. Lots of laughter. I feel too lazy to put up the pictures. Any who i'm off to do my hair :)

I love fridays!!!

Just got off work and I'm knackered!!! but NOTHING can piss me off on friday's. I refuse to let anything get my knickers in a twist on fridays! I got home and immediately threw a bottle of pouilly-fuisse in the fridge and i am eager for it to get to the right temperature:-)

This song always makes me want to dance... it played at work today and i got up and had to remind myself that i was at work and not in a dance hall. Wait a minute my wine is ready, i'll be right back:-)...oh my God... it tastes sooo good!

LOLOL! i just had a good laugh with my friends yesterday, they told me they missed me tremendously... one kept sending me text messages during the month and she says i blew her off... she's so funny. I really didn't notice that she was only trying to get my attention! seriously i am a really dense person... i don't do "sign" language. The general consensus is that I have had too many "manena" days and i have been neglecting the "circle". So i have been summoned to sushi night next week and no excuses!!!

I have a craving for pastry of some kind... with cream or something... i am not sure exactly what, but when i go to a pastry shop tomorrow i will certainly figure it out! I have a house warming in the afternoon, then i'll have another 'manena' day... then back to work.

Oh miss P. Nsamwa Lungu, thanks for your response. You helped me prove my point:-)

So really...

I had this moment today when i was thinking what's the point of praying when God already has a plan for you? okay like if he's already determined that you're never going to be rich, is there a reason to pray to become rich?
Then it clicked that Jesus himself said "father take this cup of suffering from me, but never the less, let your will be done." Okay the issue is, I was praying and praying for something... then i started to ask myself questions coz father Matt is gone now... then lucky for me a good response came:-) It reminds me of a hymn we used to sing in my Zambian church.."I believe in the sun, even when it isn't shinning. I believe in love, even there's no one there. I believe in God even when he is silent" Well God really needs to work with me for a little bit here. Okay this is me just talking to myself...so please no wanna be theologians responding with verbiage that I will not understand...comprende?

Oh and I finally had the balls to watch 'Blood diamond'...ahhhh... there are some things in life which are better left to the imagination because it's too painful when you can not do anything about them. Faith is tested again when Danny Archer says "God left Africa a long time ago"...very profound.


Oppsy!...it's bedtime...taataa:-)

Economic monsters

I'm I the only one a little scared about the economy right now? A lot of people seem to be very relaxed about things... but really I don't believe Bernanke... it's his job to say all is well.
We all know a lot of states are having finacial difficulties, and the housing market is kinda crazy, and credit card companies i.e capital one are raising interest rates, gas prices are high, electric prices went up in Maryland this year yet my salary has stayed the same. That don't sound too good!!!

Big companies are closing down, meaning a lot of people will be jobless. A lot of those people have houses...meaning they might default on their loans... so houses will become cheaper... but what will those people do?

How much damage to struggling private economies will this do? can i still be able to afford sushi and good wine? where's Greenspan any way??? He and I need to talk man to woman!

Reunion

I have spent nights in 5 different beds this week... don't ask! So for that reason, I gave myself 4 days off this week to bond with my house:-)
Any way, I had a great time this weekend and saw my cousin who for logistical reasons I haven't seen in about 10 years!

We also sat and chatted and watched family videos that were done 20 or so years ago! I was such a cute child...and it seems Half the people in the videos are dead now, but it was pretty cool to see them all having fun at the popular family parties we used to have. My dad is on one of the videos singing songs and i hadn't seen any moving footage of my dad since his death...so that was pretty neat!
I got to cook some nshima after a zambian bridal shower...


The little girl made us some dessert... her own creation. Yum!

Tipping...

I was reading MSN articles today ( i know right? how bored I'm I?) any way, it says that the new tipping % is 20!!! It also gives these guidelines:-
Waiter/waitress
15% to 20% of pre-tax bill

Bartender
$1 to $2 per round or 15% to 20% of tab

Wine steward
15% of bottle's cost (less as price rises), clearly earmarked on bill

Room service
15% to 20% of pre-tax bill (if not already included)

Valet parking
$2 to $3 when car is returned

Taxi driver
15% plus $1 to $2 per bag

Hotel doorman
$1 to $2 to hail cab; $1 to $2 per bag for help with luggage

Hotel bellhop
$1 to $2 per bag

Hotel maid
$2 per night, paid daily, clearly marked 'Housekeeping'

Skycap
$1 to $2 per bag, $2 minimum, in addition to any fee

Hairdresser
15% to 20%

Manicurist
15% to 20%

Spa services
15% to 20%

Food delivery
10% to 15% with $2 minimum

Golf caddy
$20 or 50% of the caddy fee, whichever is greater

My issue is that I believe you should only tip for service above and beyond! why can't restaurants pay their workers minimum wage? if i am paying the hair dresser 20%, what is the other $150 for? why is the maid in the hotel paid the $2 by me? surely the hotel is responsible for that fee! if i am responsible for tips, do i have a choice to say I will order my own food from the chef and pick it up from the kitchen myself and get my own wine from the fridge--to save on the tip fee right? After all, the reason I go to the restaurant is for the food and not for someone to walk that food to my table coz i can do that myself!!! How about tipping cab drivers who 70% of the time have no clue how to get to where i want to go? shouldn't they tip me for knowing directions? c'mon now!

You can not call something a TIP if i am REQUIRED to pay it, and you have given me guidelines on how to do it.

I really think American businesses have a crazy way of doing stuff. Why aren't taxes already included in merchandize we buy? if we already know that there is a 5% sales tax on all products in Maryland... why isn't it calculated into the price before you get to the counter so that you know exactly how much something costs before you get there??? why aren't the waiters fee's calculated into the entrees?

Aren't you misrepresenting the product price if you are telling me an entree costs $30, when in actual fact I have to add $6 for the tip and $1.50 for taxes, so it's really $37.50 and not $30 correct?

I know you'll argue that they can't precalculate the amount because they don't know how much you're going to order and it's actually 20% of the final bill... blah blah blah... but how does it work in England? or even poor little Zambia?

If Tipping is the norm du jour (gosh I''m so creative!), why aren't we allowed to tip health care professionals?

Ithaca, N.Y.

So I am back from my little trip to Ithaca...rather nice actually! The city itself is nice and small...population 30 000 or so, and apparently-- well according to out guide, Ithaca has many wonderful wineries and Cornell pretty much owns most of Ithaca. Our guide was a really nice young man who is getting married in 2 weeks. He is sooo lucky my brother was with me coz i would have made him forget her for me...lolol, that's a joke people...really I'm not in the habit of man snatching, i have my own market..okay?

Any way, we ended up going by train then bus. We went to New York City first (Finally), but i didn't take any pictures there because we had bags, and we weere walking very fast and it was hot...but I think the parts we visited reminded me of London.
We also went through Delaware (which by the way has a big Barclays bank...exciting!), then we went through Philly and New Jersey...and it was pretty cool coz the train goes through town, so you get to see a lot more. There were more boarded up houses than i imagined there to be... but i also saw beautiful houses on the path.

I also think I have an annoyingly friendly face... i just had all these weirdos wanting to chit-chat with me and offering me things...hmmm, okay so i took to the magazines...and the candy bar (which i threw out because i am paranoid about eating things from strangers even if they are wrapped).
The road to Ithaca though is rather green I must say. It reminded me somewhat of Zambia...not sure how to explain it, but it was quite nostalgic.

Oh and my brother supposedly lives 15 minutes from the University, but it's uphill...and I have not exercised in ages. We met an old foreign white man (ithaca is full of foreigners!) and it was so funny because we told him we were looking for the Law school and he goes... "oh you're criminals, it's on the left..." we laughed so hard! His English was quite bad coz he sent us in the wrong direction...so did the otherr loser we asked for direction. So at some point, I stood at the intersection of some roads that I can't remember and declared I wasn't walking any more and I was calling cab!

I saw many people crying at the station on my return. As i was almost approaching home a lady got on the bus crying while 8 of her family members stood bawling on the platform...I too burst into tears! You would have cried too! She had about 5 kids an older woman and two men standing there and they were in tears... and I just got an Oprah moment and cried!

Well maybe i was crying coz i knew I would be lonely at home now that my bro's gone. It's so funny how we quickly get used to people being around us. The neighbors definately knew that I had guests over... I was more friendly towards them than usual :)
Well we're back to the real world now. Things will somewhat be back to normal.