L’Africaine on T-Day Break Speaks Out
November 22, 2006 lafemmeafrique12
Good blogging takes time and dedication and effort. As I have attempted to do over the last fifty posts, I continue to strive to be what every blogger dreams of, a place one can return to after a while and know that there will be good content for sure.
This goal is not at all aided by the fact that inorder to have a successful blogging career, you must sacrifice your sleep time since the other day to day things( read papers, assignments and drills) must be completed via all means that you may find problable> I am not the first person to go to Uni…granted i feel like a diva at times for accomplishing things that professional students would call child’s play, like reading adequately and widely for a test weeks in advance and completing assignments to the T when you are only asked for an R or an S.
I have been thinking a lot about studying here, and how the woman above me in the picture would respond to my constant attention to the sheer amount of work that we have here, the angst over choice of major, vs choice of career vs how much salary etc. She looks radiant, definitely a product of ;ovely ochre on her hair and skin, her beauty complementing her attire and obscuring the worries that she may have as a wife and a mother. Point is, being here, at school, is a gift. It is a valuable opportunity but it is not by any means at all the reason to want to end life outside the calculations and thesis proposals that you end up writing on and every day basis.
I want every person thinking of coming to live alone as a student for all the years that they will be here in the United States to realise that there are not that many things that can prepare you if you do not have a strong self drive and a hard working persona. I have met my fair share of people who came here as students a long time ago and either finished and went on to greater careers in business, policy making and international diplomacy as well as those who work the lowest paying jobs and play a cat-and-mouse game with the authorities as a result of one too many choices made inappropriately.
When I think of the things that I will be able to do after all this is done, I smile knowing that for the first time in life I will have the tools to help other people make something out of their lives. Obviously, there are needs for stability post education. I want to meet entrepreneurs and join with them to train young people to start and run their own enterprises. I want to donate money to my alma maters both here and back home. I surely want to sustain a small green space somewhere, and if that means the Highlands, so be it.
Given a T-Day like this I choose to speak to some of the many people who have made the journey here very very worthwhile and whose names and memories remain in my heart and mind as I go about my day to day activities knowing that somewhere, you will be very proud of me. Special thanks to Mwarimu, who taught me the catechism that sounded so foreign to my untrained tongue and challenged me to pursue language learning, thanks to my late Gramps, who I hear was a whiz at languages. I would especially like to remember Mrs Louis, who played a part in building Kenya, since her ‘babies’ are doing extremely well from here to Timbuktu. Special cheers to my music teacher Mr njoroge, for showing these nimble fingers the way to sight read and paly the rudiments of music. Overall, I am very very grateful to Mr TK Gaitho, whose early computer classes not only made Tomb Raider my #1 game(that i will learn how to play someday) but whet my appetite for things computer!
Thanks to Dingo, the Rev. Z, DJ Sofa and Momma, whose rendition of Happy Birthday at midnight on my birthday while in a large and crowded hall made the milestone worth every moment.
Last but not least I would like to remember my family, aka la familia esp Chica, Madre,the Pops and the Clan, whose constant love and support are priceless! Cheerio
Entry Filed under: Africa
