On this good day, some hours ago, my brother Peter took a bride.
I wish I could have been there, but that was not for me to decide.
I can't wait to hear all the stories about how the day went
But one thing I know is it didn't rain and so the reception venue wasn't wet.
It's funny, when I was much younger I thought people married their siblings and Peter had been my choice. I realised later that the whole sibling thing was not a good idea.
We have always been good friends growing up, I looked up to him for guidance and approval for decisions I made.
I kind of feel cheated not being their to see him take his bride but I know all is well.
Congrats to you Peter, on this your special day.
Nov 30, 2007
Nov 20, 2007
It's not safe anymore
So what have I been up to lately?
Playing scrabble on the Internet, and uhh, playing more scrabble. It's so much fun and very addictive too, before I know it, an hour is gone. Then I have to clean the house, shower, read the news, check mail and it's time to pick Mich up from school.
Mich is a whole story on his own, he has been up to lots of mischief lately, at some points I'm tempted to ask him "do I know you?".
We have had a wonderful time hosting uncle Enoch, Mich loved playing with him and there was lots of laughter and tears ofcourse. It was sad to see him go but he has a family of his own and work and a life... but that will be for another post, for now I want to focus on Mich.
He wakes up the night after uncle Enoch left at around 2am, (maybe two days ago). Knocks on our door saying he couldn't get to sleep and that he was hungry, he wanted to eat bread. Sam told him to pick a slice from the fridge and then go back to bed, he quickly agreed. Then for the next 5 or so minutes I heard drawers opening and closing, loud bangs, anyway lots of nagging noise. I knew at this point it wasn't just about getting a slice of bread. It would subside and start all over again, I decided to check out what was going on.
I found Mich in the kitchen, all the lights in the house were on, he had turned on the microwave fan and the microwave was giving a beeping sound like something was being warmed and had timed out. Turns out the young man was not ready to have just a slice of bread, he had gotten a bowl, poured in some milk and weetabix and was ready to have something substantial. I was speechless, the weetabix is way up in one of the cupboards out of reach, he had to have climbed on the counter to get it (that explains all the loud banging). That he was able to put the stuff in the microwave was one thing, it's out of reach too, the kind that are built above the cooker. He had to have climbed to do that as well, how he managed to press the timer and know which buttons to press, beat me, no wonder lots of other functions were running at the same time.
But I have to give it to him because he didn't spill anything, he got adequate potions of what he needed and warmed it to just the right temperature.
I just thought, after this nothing is safe anymore. I need to be extremely careful what I put where because he can get to it and that is scary. I know he is growing to be independent but with all the ideas in that little head there is no limit to what he will do.
I need to find a balance between giving the freedom to do certain things but keeping him dependent as well. These days if you insist that he doesn't have something, he will go get it himself. I miss the days when I was totally in control, no cookie until I get it for you, kind of thing.
It's not safe.
Playing scrabble on the Internet, and uhh, playing more scrabble. It's so much fun and very addictive too, before I know it, an hour is gone. Then I have to clean the house, shower, read the news, check mail and it's time to pick Mich up from school.
Mich is a whole story on his own, he has been up to lots of mischief lately, at some points I'm tempted to ask him "do I know you?".
We have had a wonderful time hosting uncle Enoch, Mich loved playing with him and there was lots of laughter and tears ofcourse. It was sad to see him go but he has a family of his own and work and a life... but that will be for another post, for now I want to focus on Mich.
He wakes up the night after uncle Enoch left at around 2am, (maybe two days ago). Knocks on our door saying he couldn't get to sleep and that he was hungry, he wanted to eat bread. Sam told him to pick a slice from the fridge and then go back to bed, he quickly agreed. Then for the next 5 or so minutes I heard drawers opening and closing, loud bangs, anyway lots of nagging noise. I knew at this point it wasn't just about getting a slice of bread. It would subside and start all over again, I decided to check out what was going on.
I found Mich in the kitchen, all the lights in the house were on, he had turned on the microwave fan and the microwave was giving a beeping sound like something was being warmed and had timed out. Turns out the young man was not ready to have just a slice of bread, he had gotten a bowl, poured in some milk and weetabix and was ready to have something substantial. I was speechless, the weetabix is way up in one of the cupboards out of reach, he had to have climbed on the counter to get it (that explains all the loud banging). That he was able to put the stuff in the microwave was one thing, it's out of reach too, the kind that are built above the cooker. He had to have climbed to do that as well, how he managed to press the timer and know which buttons to press, beat me, no wonder lots of other functions were running at the same time.
But I have to give it to him because he didn't spill anything, he got adequate potions of what he needed and warmed it to just the right temperature.
I just thought, after this nothing is safe anymore. I need to be extremely careful what I put where because he can get to it and that is scary. I know he is growing to be independent but with all the ideas in that little head there is no limit to what he will do.
I need to find a balance between giving the freedom to do certain things but keeping him dependent as well. These days if you insist that he doesn't have something, he will go get it himself. I miss the days when I was totally in control, no cookie until I get it for you, kind of thing.
It's not safe.
Nov 10, 2007
Birthday Parties
October had lots of birthday parties for Mich to attend, looks like many kids we know were born in this month.
One thing that amazed me about these birthdays is that Mich always came home with presents. Wait a minute, isn't it supposed to be the other way round, it's some one's birthday, so you take them a present?. My friend Andrew used to say, your birthday should be the day you buy all your friends presents, and when I asked him why he said, because we have put up with you for so long, I found that funny.
Back home, birthday time?!, we get ready to busk in endless numbers of gifts and hope that many people come because that means more presents. I'm talking about the kids here, but then again half the time all the kids are thinking about is playing and eating cake and sweets.
I don't think this whole giving presents thing would work for adults because, eh! it can be very tricky.
Anyway, I'm thinking this is an American thing (for kids) where the celebrant's parents buy little presents for all the kids that have been invited, so that every one goes home happy. It certainly works otherwise we would have Mich and Co. fighting for peoples presents. It has been a pleasant experience seeing him light up when he is handed his own little gift, that is apart from the times when his face is literally in the cake trying to blow out someone elses' candles.
I'm certainly looking forward to more invitations, that way he is able to get some of the presents he has been dreaming about.
But ... what happens when it's his birthday?? should we celebrate it in a quiet way or what? quite honestly this business of buying your guests presents is a high calling on my pocket but I certainly like the idea.
One thing that amazed me about these birthdays is that Mich always came home with presents. Wait a minute, isn't it supposed to be the other way round, it's some one's birthday, so you take them a present?. My friend Andrew used to say, your birthday should be the day you buy all your friends presents, and when I asked him why he said, because we have put up with you for so long, I found that funny.
Back home, birthday time?!, we get ready to busk in endless numbers of gifts and hope that many people come because that means more presents. I'm talking about the kids here, but then again half the time all the kids are thinking about is playing and eating cake and sweets.
I don't think this whole giving presents thing would work for adults because, eh! it can be very tricky.
Anyway, I'm thinking this is an American thing (for kids) where the celebrant's parents buy little presents for all the kids that have been invited, so that every one goes home happy. It certainly works otherwise we would have Mich and Co. fighting for peoples presents. It has been a pleasant experience seeing him light up when he is handed his own little gift, that is apart from the times when his face is literally in the cake trying to blow out someone elses' candles.
I'm certainly looking forward to more invitations, that way he is able to get some of the presents he has been dreaming about.
But ... what happens when it's his birthday?? should we celebrate it in a quiet way or what? quite honestly this business of buying your guests presents is a high calling on my pocket but I certainly like the idea.
Nov 1, 2007
Madea
So, after all that crazy stuff, I'm moving around with sullen eyes, pouted mouth and all, feeling sorry for myself. I go to the library and I find just the book I needed to cheer me up, this must have been a divine appointment. "Don't make a black woman take off her earrings" by tylerperry, my my! I had some good belly laughs.
Madea is something else I tell you. She is one of the main characters in many of Perry's works. She is an elderly lady, in simple terms a granny who speaks her mind and is often full of drama. I just found out that Madea is short for 'Mother dear'. She had some really good advice.
She said, it's not good to be stressed out, there is always something to laugh about, for example when you turn on the TV and you see the President of US of A, that in itself is funny.
Here are some excerpts from the book and advice from Madea herself.
MADEA on being natural.
"Have you been to a pool party where a whole bunch of black women are standing around looking cute? At the pool they put their fit in and their legs in, but not their heads. Then, if they get into to water, their hair will never get wet. Now, I understand that. Of course you want to look your best. Black women ain't going to get their hair done, and then have to go right back to the hair dresser. It ain't like a white woman, who can just wash it and get up and shake it and go out the door. No, it takes preparation and chemicals and glue and saturation and hours and hours to get that hair lay down and look like it does. There ain't nothing wrong with it. I’m proud of it if that is what you want to do.
But what I don’t understand is this hair-weave thing. They take this strip of hair from a horse or something and put it in the head. They glue it and they try to blend in their hair with the horse hair. Nine times out of ten, their hair is rougher and more coarse than the horse hair they done put in. So what you get is a really rough spot at the top, and the further down it goes, the longer and the smoother it gets. Now that’s crazy as hell.
My thing is “be natural”. If you want to get it permed, go get it permed. If it’s hair that’s an inch off your head and you want to perm it, perm it. But it’s something else when you go and put all that other stuff on".
MADEA on Jheri Curl
"When a white man begins to go bald, they freak out. They call the Hair Club for men. I understand that but let nature take it’s course, because those comb overs look like hell. But don’t blame them for trying, because they don’t necessarily look right without their hair.
But black men in the same situation, they just say, “oh well”, and they cut it all off. When the hair line starts to go back and it’s looking funny, they just shave it all off and they walk around bald. I like that. ….
Some men ain’t going bald but they have what we call ‘waves’. They wear these do-rags. The problem I have with do-rags is that they have the audacity to wear them out in public. I’m so sick of seeing these do-rags. It’s today's version of that plastic bag that men and women had with the jheri curls. You know that plastic bag? There would be steam coming off the top of their heads when they’d take it off. They’d be walking around in public with that thing on. Take that off your damned head!
Speaking of plastic bags, lets talk about the Jheri curl for a minute. I have lived with all kinds of devastation in my life. I’ve lived through a man who had a perm in the ‘50s, Afro in the ‘70s, and Jheri curls in the ‘80s. Hazardous! Just like asbestos is killing a whole bunch of people- and they just found out-you just wait until they find out the effects of Jheri curl".
The miracle of Vaseline
"Vaseline. I could write a book about Vaseline alone….
Vaseline is a miracle. Vaseline petroleum Jelly was created by God for black people. People waste all that money on all that stuff to tighten their skin and firm it, lift it and separate it. All you need is some Vaseline…"
I can only relay so much, other wise I would have to just copy the whole book, it's really funny stuff. It would be nice if you got to read the book or watch Tyler Perry's shows and movies. There is a lot to laugh about and a lot to learn.
Madea is something else I tell you. She is one of the main characters in many of Perry's works. She is an elderly lady, in simple terms a granny who speaks her mind and is often full of drama. I just found out that Madea is short for 'Mother dear'. She had some really good advice.
She said, it's not good to be stressed out, there is always something to laugh about, for example when you turn on the TV and you see the President of US of A, that in itself is funny.
Here are some excerpts from the book and advice from Madea herself.
MADEA on being natural.
"Have you been to a pool party where a whole bunch of black women are standing around looking cute? At the pool they put their fit in and their legs in, but not their heads. Then, if they get into to water, their hair will never get wet. Now, I understand that. Of course you want to look your best. Black women ain't going to get their hair done, and then have to go right back to the hair dresser. It ain't like a white woman, who can just wash it and get up and shake it and go out the door. No, it takes preparation and chemicals and glue and saturation and hours and hours to get that hair lay down and look like it does. There ain't nothing wrong with it. I’m proud of it if that is what you want to do.
But what I don’t understand is this hair-weave thing. They take this strip of hair from a horse or something and put it in the head. They glue it and they try to blend in their hair with the horse hair. Nine times out of ten, their hair is rougher and more coarse than the horse hair they done put in. So what you get is a really rough spot at the top, and the further down it goes, the longer and the smoother it gets. Now that’s crazy as hell.
My thing is “be natural”. If you want to get it permed, go get it permed. If it’s hair that’s an inch off your head and you want to perm it, perm it. But it’s something else when you go and put all that other stuff on".
MADEA on Jheri Curl
"When a white man begins to go bald, they freak out. They call the Hair Club for men. I understand that but let nature take it’s course, because those comb overs look like hell. But don’t blame them for trying, because they don’t necessarily look right without their hair.
But black men in the same situation, they just say, “oh well”, and they cut it all off. When the hair line starts to go back and it’s looking funny, they just shave it all off and they walk around bald. I like that. ….
Some men ain’t going bald but they have what we call ‘waves’. They wear these do-rags. The problem I have with do-rags is that they have the audacity to wear them out in public. I’m so sick of seeing these do-rags. It’s today's version of that plastic bag that men and women had with the jheri curls. You know that plastic bag? There would be steam coming off the top of their heads when they’d take it off. They’d be walking around in public with that thing on. Take that off your damned head!
Speaking of plastic bags, lets talk about the Jheri curl for a minute. I have lived with all kinds of devastation in my life. I’ve lived through a man who had a perm in the ‘50s, Afro in the ‘70s, and Jheri curls in the ‘80s. Hazardous! Just like asbestos is killing a whole bunch of people- and they just found out-you just wait until they find out the effects of Jheri curl".
The miracle of Vaseline
"Vaseline. I could write a book about Vaseline alone….
Vaseline is a miracle. Vaseline petroleum Jelly was created by God for black people. People waste all that money on all that stuff to tighten their skin and firm it, lift it and separate it. All you need is some Vaseline…"
I can only relay so much, other wise I would have to just copy the whole book, it's really funny stuff. It would be nice if you got to read the book or watch Tyler Perry's shows and movies. There is a lot to laugh about and a lot to learn.
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