Unprepared

Beloved,
Mbuya used to sing the old girl guide song and quote their motto often 'Be prepared'. She would laugh often when you asked for something and remind you 'be prepared'. That motto has helped me thus far, and made me somewhat of a pack rat. I keep things I am not sure I will ever use, and I find it hard to throw things out in case I need them. I am always a resource for information when people need it. That is what I do.

I however was unprepared for THIS. I am sitting holding a cup of tea I made over an hour ago, but really couldn't drink too much of. Should I curl up in a ball and lay down on the floor? What can I say? Is there anything to say? I have DVDs and books of the subject, but nothing makes sense to me at present.
I am sorry if my response was silence. This was not in my 'life in 2011' hand-book. I did not see this coming.

Claustrophobia. It took me out of my cool house to the hot humidity outside--because there was more air there.
If only I was not too weak. I could probably scream or cry.
I will do anything for you to call me and tell me it was a joke, or that I am asleep right now. Alas! I know 'tis not so.
I could drink my wine. No. Tequila. But the circumstances will remain the same.
Why don't I have Paris Hilton's money? For at least then I would have flown us to Tahiti or something. Some paradise where everything ceases to exist.
I am glad you are still laughing. Thank you for that.
My duties as a friend are being tested as is my strength.

Where for art thou sanity?
"As I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil. For thou art with me..."
The devil is a liar! This too shall come to pass.

Faithfully yours,
Manena

I'm a hustler baybee!

I had the awesomenest weekend ever!!! I know I probably say that all the time...but this time it really was!!! I have been eating free food from Friday to Monday...what's there to complain about???

I went and saw Caramel also known as Sukkar banat (Lebanese), and was as good as I had anticipated. It is a movie directed by Nadine Labaki centered on the day to day lives of some women in Beirut. The director is also the protagonist in the movie-- which probably made her job easier:-). it's about a beautiful sisterhood of women with problems. The main character Layale, is dating a married man who wont leave his wife and takes her through the ringer. Her co-worker and close friend Nisrine is about to get married and her man thinks she's a virgin, when really she's not:-), the other co-worker/ friend Rima is a lesbian-- but i'm not sure if her friends know, though it seemed implied in one of the parts. Jamale an older customer and friend is an ex-actor trying to stay young whose husband has left her for a younger woman. Aunt Rose is the tailor next door who takes care of her older sister Lilly....who is crazzzzzzyyyyyy!!! The woman is like totally demented and sooo funny!!!

Any way, I thought it was a cute story and can not really say more without ruining the good parts for those that want to see it. What was also interesting was the every day lebanese language. It reminds me of how we speak in Zambia using English and any local language just by simple switching in no particular order. It was neat.

Then I was treated to dinner at a Jamaican restaurant on Charles street. The food isn't the best Jamaican I have ever tasted, and there weren't that many people there, so it makes me wonder how they have stayed in business this long. Especially since the state of the toilet was appaling!!! They had tissues stuck in the two available toilets in the ladies room. I was so pressed and disgusted I went into the mens room (no...I am not ashamed!), that was not that much cleaner and had no running water... how disgusting is that???? lucky I had already eaten before making these discoveries! I also indulged in some wine because it was Friday...:-)

Saturday found me in a totally lazy mood. I spent half the day on the phone laughing and acting a fool...okay and partially doing the laundry...and listening to music...and I was already 2 glasses into my wine by the time I arrived at my "date"fashionably late as usual though it was only 5 minutes from my house! I am pathetic sometimes! lol. I had a GREAT evening, (don't worry he's not reading this), but I thought he was super cool. Keep your eyes peeled for more information :-) We spent about 6 hours or so together...which is a record for me, coz that's a long time to be with a non close buddy!

Sunday, I was a big baby and went to my aunts to eat...yes, yes...I know I eat a lot. I am a very healthy looking girl :-). I ate till I almost popped then she made some cocktails and my day was complete:-)

Monday: Ryan got me dinner... the end...lolololol

Tomorrow will be my first day of work since my large pay cut, so I will be quite sour every time I think about it, but there is no room for regret in my life. Totally feeling Nietzche's one quote: 'Amor fati', accept your fate and move on...aka...'get over it!'

I have also come to learn and embrace what biggie meant 'I'm not only the client, I'm the playa president!'...one more chance...baybee...baby give me one more chance....wooo hooo! Life is totally fabulous!

Endita M'kwai...

Absolutely busy week:-)
You know my brother is always going on about how badly my spellings are on this site and I have been trying to explain to him that half the time when I type, I am either on the phone, watching T.V, or doing something else...I really never concentrate which is why I oft appear to have ADHD coz I keep losing track of what I was trying to say...so I really don't have ADHD or ADD or whatever...I just have a silly habit of doing several things at one time.

Besides if you all read my declaration when I first got started you will clearly see that English is of course my second language, so I don't care too much to speak it correctly. I still haven't a clue what my first language is... but I will be sure to let you know when I figure that out.

So feel free to edit what I write in your heads, because I certainly don't have time to look for typo's and wrong words on my blog before I post them and I haven't the patience for spell check. I am not a writer by profession...I am a lover...lololol!

At the same time, I have little respect for native English speakers that speak and write worse than I do...E.G. confusing there & their, whether & weather... peeves me out!

Any way: the week was quite eventful. I went to see 3 of my mums Thursday... and most of the guests have flown back to their respective countries.


Then Friday I worked and then went for sushi, then had people over at my house for wine because I have a lot of bottles left over from the holidays.
Then Saturday, I went to Cheswa's house for lunch. She did a major presentation of Nshima, beans, okra, and 2 types of chicken for Vicky and I.


I had a great time playing with the kids...I haven't seen Gabriella since she was 3 months old. I fancied myself a mum for a few minutes while holding her, then she burped on me...and that was enough birth control incentive..lol


and miss Khanyisile a.k.a lexie doodles can not stop smiling:-) She's too adorable


I had my hair all up in Vicky's face because I am selfish with pictures:-)


Later in the evening...I was of course running on African time and was late for Melisa's party:-) The girl's weren't too amused coz they had to wait for me. I ate too much at Cheswa's lunch because I assumed the party was only going to have cheesy finger food like pizza, turkey and ham sandwiches... you know the usual white people food...:-) So I was shocked when I ascended the stairs and found table after table, of absolutely delicious food! They had shrimp wrapped in bacon, quiches, salmon, tuna, chicken varieties, spring rolls, empanadas, several types of dip, some potato pierogi like things...brownies, pumpkin something wheels, eclairs, muffins and other things I don't know... all this stuff was home made...from scratch! I was like daaang mama! It was very impressive. They also had a football game going on... and I thought I was sooo Jessica Simpson when it comes to the game but Wagner is sooo much worse that I am! I had to explain to her who Peyton and Eli Manning were and some other "how did you know that Manena?" trivia.
I however concluded that Melisa's husband needs to be cloned...while we're at at we can clone Annalisa's husband too. Melissa's husband went all out for her 30Th birthday, and he in addition will be flying her and a few friends to Las Vegas!! He also has a limo ready and all sorts of stuff. Oh did I mention he's a bar tender and the drinks were over flowing?

I could have danced all night...

I had a lovely weekend as usual... I had cause to celebrate on friday and so i did. Went with the girls for sushi, and had a really nice time. I have been threatening them for a while that I'm going to find new friends coz they rarely like to do anything but wine related activities! They suggested a hike near harpers ferry for saturday, but friday was sooooo flipping cold, I vetoed that idea quick, fast and on the double! Then I woke up saturday morning only to find that it was a really nice warm day:-) oppsy!

Any way, I took advantage of the weather and went to my aunts, then we drove to Leesburg Virginia for some shopping. I guess we got carried away with the sales coz we were very late getting to the airport to pick my other aunt up who flew in from Holland. She promised us a lecture for being tardy, but after a glass of wine and dinner... the party was on! I danced like it was 1999 and my legs ache today:-)

My work mates also had a party saturday, and i feel bad that i didn;t go, but really I have a policy "never drink with the people you work with", you know separation of work and play... tha-sort-o'fing... They are a great bunch... but I am just borderline anti social! Okay so i wouldn't really say antisocial, I guess i was just spoilt by the large number of cousins available to hang out with me when i was younger that i didn't develop the skills to make new friends. My cousins were in my classes at school, and at home, so what more did I need?. Yep. That's it. Lets blame this on my family:-) At the time time, I have known 2 of my closest friends since...forever! Those ho's know a lot of my secrets. I'll have to put them in a box and mail them to Uzbekistan when I run for president:-)

Talking about presidents. Don't you think Gordon Brown's boycotting of the Afro-E.U lets-pretend-we're-working talks was rather silly? For one thing, I think he's making Mugabe think he's more powerful than he really is, and 2. boycotting the talks does nothing for the Zimbabwean people and 3. the talks were about more than just a crazy power hungry old man and his country. I mean if you don't want to listen just tune the dude out! It's easy.

I wouldn't las a day in my job if i didn't have extra thick skin and the ability to tune people out when they are spewing too much verbal diarrhea.

Oh and another loser picks up a gun and shoots people in the mall to be famous!!! Famous? in another 2 years or even months, the only people that will remember his crazy ass will be the families of the people he killed! what is the dar gon world coming to?
Oh wow! Look what I just popped out of the oven? I haven't made lasagna in a while so i am verry impressed at this:-)

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:-)