New Attitude

These white folk on Telly always seem to be remarking on the remarkable warmth and friendliness of Kenyans but every time I hear this I can't help but wonder what in the hell they are going on about.

Here are a few things that have happened to me that make me think I am the last of a rapidly dying breed.

1.
Location: An elevator.
I was in the said elevator with one other person of the opposite sex. I was going to the 12th floor and she was going to the 10th. There was no elevator music and so I decided to have a go at having some palaver with this human being who shared this metal cage with me albeit for a short while. "Hi" I said, "So what is on the 10th floor?"
She looked at me as if I was something stuck under her shoe. I decided to shut-up. When she left the elevator, she looked back at me as you would a fly swimming in your soup.

2.
Location: A matatu.
It was a cool evening after a hard day at the office. After sitting myself in the mat, this lady come in and sat next to me. She was carrying a small baby in her arms. This baby was brand new, not older than two weeks. I decided to congratulate her. "Hi" I said, "So, what is his/her name?"
She didn't even look at me. So I asked again but a little louder. She turned slowly to face me. I mean really slowly. Ships must turn faster at the ports even without tugboats helping them. She didn't say a word. She then performed the same manouver but in the other direction. Thoroughly chastened, I said a short prayer for the child and left it at that.

3.
Location: A watering hole.
It was a cloudless Friday. After a long week I decided to treat myself and go have some drinks. I was having a whale of a time and so I decided to spread the cheer. I called the waiter and told him to go to Table 6 and give them one each of whatever they are drinking. Feeling happy with myself, I continued doing my thing. Five minutes later, A gentleman came to my table and said the following:
"Hi, I'm . I am at Table 6. The waiter has informed me that you are the one that ordered beer for us. Is it that you don't think I can afford alcohol. Or maybe the lady is yours. You know what, I'm leaving. You can have her."
Just as I was beginning to understand what had happened, a lady walked up to me and said
"Thanks alot!' and walked away.

Friendly? I don't think so. Neurotic? Maybe.

So, one day I was relaxing, nibbling on a sausage, at a restaurant after eating a whole grilled chicken. I was in that blissful state Tolkien calls "Filling in the corners". As it happened, this lady came in and sat at my table. I thought of talking to her but my recent experiences had left me decidedly reticent about reaching out to strangers. So she sat there and ordered her meal and began eating it. My mission at the restaurant accomplished, I stood up and left. Later on that night, unknown to her, due to those remarkable coincidences, I found myself sitting behind her in a matatu. She was waxing lyrical to her friend about this extremely rude guy who wouldn’t even pass her the salt at a table in a restaurant she was in earlier that day.

Damned if you do, damned if you don’t. She hadn’t even asked for the damned salt.

Free Speech, Assholes

Nasty concept when you really think about it. Wikipedia describes it as the ability to speak without censorship. It goes further to state that the Freedom of speech is guaranteed under international law. This freedom is not always absolute but may be limited for various, obvious, reasons.

The internet was a boon to free speech since it's inception and many great men are constantly fighting the powers that be to ensure that the internet remains unregulated. This is good even though most of the net consists of pornography.

In recent years, bloggers have become a great source of information about what is happening in a particular region. Read chinese blogs to find out what is happening in China. They are actually more reliable than mainstream media. It is my personal opinion that blogging has become popular because it provides one of the last ways in which a person can speak on any issue without any fear of any sort of stigma. The anonymity just enforces it.

Voltaire once said "I disapprove of what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it"

A blogger is the last person I would expect to say something that he doesn't mean (On his blog). A blogger, due to his anonymity and the fact that he/she has undertaken to blog, can be expected to speak his damn mind on any issue of his/her fancy. It's the unwritten promise behind what we do. Why visit a blog that is dishonest? It just makes no sense. The moment a blogger puts up a page that is a lie, then he/she has sold out. If you can't speak your mind on a blog, then why start blogging?

That having been said, every blogger is absolutely responsible for what appears on his/her site. This responsibilty cannot be transferred, shared or diluted in any way whatsoever. If you, as a blogger, believes this, then you should always stand by what you say. Do not fear! This is the LAST place where you can speak your mind. Some people may not like what you say. So what! Not everybody loved Tolkien what makes you any different?

"The price of freedom is eternal diligence"

If you fail in being diligent, then enslavement is the consequence and your just reward. You must always look out for things that will either now or in the future stifle your freedom or you will end up like the Americans and their Patriot Act.
The same applies to bloggers. I am talking to you Kenyan bloggers out there.
Bloggers are supposed to be just about as individualistic as one can get. This is why I was so surprised by the fact that most of you decided to join that KBW thing. Don't get me wrong, trying to get young Kenyans to exchange ideas is very noble but the second someone get's kicked off for saying that Tz's president is a "dumb bitch" then KBW have crossed the line.

No doubt insulting the president of our Neighbour is a reprehensible thing but hey, as long as he thinks so then he has every right to say so. I may not agree with what he said, in fact I don't, but I am not going to stop him from saying what he thinks.
I have read some arguments that go that KBW is a private thing and as such they have rules that every member must obey. That is entirely true! But so did the Third Reich. KBW have shown that they have a 'company line' of sorts and that they will only allow certain views. This, again, is fine but you cannot then say that they allow absolute free speech and this in my opinion cuts diametrically across what I think blogging is.

If a blogger can't call Kikwete a 'dumb bitch' on his blog without KBW kicking him off, then I think you should all quit KBW in protest.

Can you tell the next thing KBW are going to be against?