THE GREAT TREK

Reverberation with Tranquillity

2012-01-01T22:37:00.000-08:00

(This should have been posted last year)

Its December again,clearly I must be in a festive mood but am rather pensive taking slow stridesto my place not wanting to look back but hard to resist the temptation to besure I am not the only one. That shall be heart wrecking to be lonely in this“crisis”, my mind is in a reverie one that would cringe someone out of theirskin for if given the opportunity I desire, the task shall be carried outexpeditiously.

Am no average serialkiller or even a murderer but this kind of person could deserve being skinnedalive, now that isn’t me thinking but am “possessed” and trust me when I saythis is a “crisis” fortunately as I later find out am not the only one so it’scatastrophic enough to unsettle the velocity an avalanche roars down to aclimbing mountaineer at the foot of the slopes to think again what its about todo to the poor lad in its way. Ok fast forward this is a festive season and nobody should question that unless you are an Ethiopian, Arab or even “unfit” psychologically.So in unison you should think santa claus (not just the kids you spin withstories) and be good, mistletoes, stars aloof, neon lights every where (don’tbe mistaken I still dream about pulling them down) but something is awful wrongabout this one cause am in no festive mood. This festive mood I have replacedwith a dreadful murderous, mean mood which I must confess isn’t my doing butthanks to an examination I had earlier in the day.

AsI drift off to what is about these particular examinations and why they are theetiology of this pathological being of me let me first take a quick squib aboutmyself. I am in my final year of bachelors of medicine and surgery in Ugandawhich means I have been in school for 5+6+7+2 years (ouch!!! I had decrypted thenumerical of the actual number of years involved here). Ok the major point hereis I have been in school long enough to be numb or even complacent to howrudely am treated by examinations yet the track remains that I havepersistently progressed without fault and yet now I want to be Tim Mcveigh,Osama, the jackal all in one. Examinations need no introduction for whoever has had the fortune ofgetting there but when it becomes such that you fail to envision the horizon orshores and all you know is that if you don’t have a smoking gun you are screwedthen you really know what am talking about. Now you must be dreadful to thinkof examinations as good, when they are utter evil (ok those are strong wordsbut they should be close), reminds me of Rowan playing devil and calling outthe permanent residents of his address, he forgot examiners (maybe when Ibecome one).

I wish I was there inthe fight for independence, I think I could have done something worse to thecolonialists, they claim where “ignorance is bliss its folly to be wise” thenthey impose on us there education system which isn’t complete withoutexaminations an act that predates the 19^th century 1818 from someunknown fellow Schrewsbury and then the certificate practice exam by a Mr. T.D. Aclan in oxford (http://rachna-bhushan.sulekha.com/blog/post/2006/05/history-of-examinations.htm).May be those are the individuals I should feel murderous to or sue them at the InternationalCriminal Court (ICC) as it keeps hunting the culprits who wantonly abused therights of those in their care. This should be a strong case for the Gambian andam sure she will have sooner registered her first win at the ICC or else. With all due respect to the wisdom theythought they were employing in instituting this practice, I honestly hold areservation for them being sadists / tormentors of human mind just out ofMerlin, that dude who tortures Gyas to reveal Merlin.

In present day, ourexaminers are of a fantasy (an annoying one) that one fact that a few set ofquestions is surely not enough to claim some one doesn’t understand theprinciple of Archimedes or even Newton when the questions you set were out ofscorn to the poor soul.

Duringthis period we are finalizing with our end of semester examination and I mustconfess a rush of relief gushes over me as I think of the last theory paperalas it is not the same feeling as last year or am I confused this time.. notcertainly an abnormal feeling to be confused. But all is not lost in the livetorment we go through during exams but don’t be mistaken to go through such alone for it’ll be seeing your ghost in the future. So many descriptions havehang over these lustful events for human torture and I am speaking on behalf ofthe future doctors of this world for 10% or less are expected to be in thecountry in the next 10 years. Statements such as lousy, funny, bitchy, bastardcome to mind when I think of certain papers and the way they were set. “I wasthrough in a state of shock and with this I mean toxic shock syndrome”.. “Ohplease God help, this paper was bad and I mean bad, have mercy onto thy personwho set and thee who shall mark it to have mercy onto me”

What happens when we gothrough a tough paper? Certainly we have all had our time there when a paperwas full of “shit” but are we angry, disappointed, in denial, happy (these mustqualify for mania) or at worst suicidal. How do we react and how should takethis grieving period for it is a grieving period and not less. But lose noheart here for you are neither the first nor the last to have such s gruesomeexperience and it shall surely come to be a matter left to be scratched in yourcerebral hemispheres without divulging the particular sulci or gyrus.

THE BEGINNINGS

2011-01-15T09:13:00.001-08:00

live it

Being oriented to live once is quite disturbing to those adventurous souls especially when you have not booked your place in heaven or at least we get to think so or otherwise told; for every beginning there is an end and for the ending well; “all that begins well………” and the other excuse should be “a bad beginning …………”

So what would be the rationale of living once and not completing all your intended projects: for the youths it’s a sad story for there is a lot to live for and for the elderly it should be remorseful if you haven’t lived your life quite as expected but any way what happened to the world; it’s the elderly becoming multi millionaires (look at the Forbes list of the richest and their ages) . This makes it even more confusing when you start pondering what they are going to use their money for? (Book tickets?).

In this case Am impressed with a few young souls thinking hard to get rich but may be their only fault is to get rich quickly and retire (and who would fault them when their comrades are being KO on earth at such tender ages). With such procedures they usually do it the wrong way. Be patient.

So the question is do you get to live once fully or twice in bits? Reality check, just in case you were spurred by the moment with me, not even the latest scientific advancements can make a human being live at least twice unless you are part of a movie cast (I have not watched one with that theme yet; I skipped that telenovela) and in a coma (we could consider you almost gone).

Now that we have cleared that up, there isn’t a second chance and we are promised better lives in heaven but we cannot confirm that too so you should work harder (and use at least 10% of your cortex) to improve your livelihood in the right way (the right way is what is conceived by your society but even your cortex should be able to know that when your society is going astray; that of robbers. A little shame may be of help for those disciples of the greedy robbers.)

To get back on track, we the youth have a lot to live for and give to our futures. To see a fellow throwing that away recklessly as if one is assured of putting right whatever they are doing wrong in their second lives is quite disturbing (this isn’t meant to distance ourselves from fun but 10% of your cortex can be conjured to know the limits and stay safe). Some of the youths have mastered the art of earning a lot and live their lives completely, so what is your excuse (most of the money is in the elderly) so find ways to get a share of that by working and mostly think of how you are going to work.

Being a copy cat isn’t the worst thing that happened to the human race, so I guess the first way we are going to extract ourselves from the drenching poverty and unalienable act of begging (depends on guardian, parent of even sympathizer) is to copy how the richest started; biographies are a good start (get what works for you), being practical is always the best for theories would remain in your cortex and on paper and that would be all. Thinking of an idea and working out the feasibility of your idea is always good to give you a sense of direction and then planning (as it dates as far back as the human race) ; even if it’s a cliché you have no choice if you still want to do the ultimate extraction. So get a paper and plan and act out that plan and if it fails you would not be the first failure but you can be among the few who brushed themselves off and forced the success their way (and they lived once).

Now if you are the kind that takes only original stuff, think of something interesting, productive and commercial (like the stories say about Bill Gates) but don’t be wasted like so many of your kind There is a lot of potential in every youth today and the earlier we gun for what the world awaits the better, for those youths of the follow up generation will not judge us with sympathy when we are the elders of their day. And you wouldn’t blame them for you had your golden opportunity and squandered it, so you will be a 75yr old still chasing to live his/her dream (guess that will find you in heaven or hell or whichever you choose as your actions today and tomorrow may clear your path).

We are labeled as gen X; dot.com generation, the serious oldies label us lazy (which is not an utterly wrong analysis) but whatever the label is the future of the world depends on this generation and as long as everyone is aware that what you make of yourself today, may determine what your offspring will go through (God bless the unborn souls with what awaits them).

Fate usually has its humor if you look at it closely, it has never been an ally to the human race (Rome would still be supreme, Alexander would still look down and cherish his empire, a commoner; Cromwell, wouldn’t think of dethroning the king of England; now that if fate for you). My point, we always summon fate and it hits right back at us with the biggest gusto it can use and then laugh at us. If you think fate has made everything ok for you Alexander may be ancient story but am sure your place once had a used to be rich guy and now the children are paupers.

So as we spend our days, we get to choose when to start thinking outside the box and how we do it but we should always remember its now on or never or you can go to the monastery, convent, become a religious cleric to forge another path but even then you can surely live an honest and better live if you follow the simple steps of getting your life better (our world dictates, this starts with dimes but don’t sell your soul to the devil).

LET 2011 BEGIN

2011-01-03T04:09:00.000-08:00

It’s the 3rd January, 2010 which literally means that last year is just 3 days back. Surely a lot has happened but this being on the 3rd of 2011, you are yet to encounter and adrenaline involving situation. You braced yourself for the 1st January, 2011 to come and yet it came and went. Celebrations went into the wee hours of the morning for just a day, a day that would mark the end of tumultuous year 2010.

2010, another year gone by, another 365 days elapsed. I’ll not go through the pains of taking the whole journey of what was 2010 for now so let’s just say bonjour 2011. Like any new year, this too warrants resolutions so this year the I’ll respect the old tradition and hope not to repeat the mistakes of the past years but to see myself progress in all spheres of my life and I hope and pray it is the same for every one of you reading and I should also add that adhering to that resolution is most tasking like all those resolutions that have come before it.

I have made plans to make this year one of the most adventurous of my articles to come. So guys; Ladies and gentlemen I hope we all in 2011 leave alone the Arabic calendar and all other calendars that have different dates.

“HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERY ONE”

here at makerere

2010-12-03T22:37:00.001-08:00

I have recently learnt that goons are not only in politics but also in the world of academia. This goes a long way from not being able to renovate the dilapidated structures that were left I believe in condition by the white man and instead channeling the funds to meaningless structures in names of barbed wires to make fences. If they had good teachers they should have been told that wisdom should come before knowledge and common sense should be applied before technical sense but alas this eluded their ill devised minds.

The latest in their sleeves is to steal the government students' faculty allowance popularly known as FA or “FATTY ACIDS". In their advisement they believe that students have been "misusing" the cash so they want to devise means to stop the errant behavior of the students by buying the students the materials they need. Now this is funny at the same time disheartening to hear.

For long government students have been getting an annual allowance that they use to get any material they need to complete the academic year successfully and if am correct these "goons" benefited from the same token. Now to turn around and say this is misused is ill advised, vile and repugnant. Being a government student doesn’t mean all is free to you, it doesn’t mean that when a hand out is to be photocopied you are going to get it free, to print your course work will be free because you are government student, you are subjected to food that even prisoners in developed countries cannot eat, you walk in a bookshop and walk away with a book without paying for it, you enter a computer shop and walk away with a laptop which you do need for your academic excellence without paying, you go to a tailor and walk away with a new clinical coat because the one you have is old. All these and more have been bought by all students including government students. To claim that government students misuse these paltry monies is nonsense, what about the private students who don’t get, are they going to be exempt from these “materials” they goons wish to buy for the government students.

Our colleagues in other government institutions receive these monies without being subjected to this nonsense and yet Makerere University which admits the crcrème de la crème of the country at all university intakes now claims that they made a mistake at these intakes and that now these bright students can’t buy themselves books which the university doesn’t have, photocopies, laptops or less expensive reading aids?

We all know this is ploy to steal this money (corruption seems to have spread its tentacles in even student affairs); it’s a pity that from making noise in the press about NIC they turn around and do what NIC has been doing to them. May be as students we should also turn to the press or go straight to the president who authorizes all monies from the government. My appeal is to the Makerere University administration, that is Prof Baryamureba and his henchmen not to be “funny” if they ever wanted to take this money let them just take without politicizing the issue with laughable agendas like buying for the government student scholastic materials. They should shut up about it and buy new sleek vehicles or whatever they need for themselves at the expense of government students. May be tomorrow when they are gone they will leave this university further decimated.

Is it all about love?

2009-11-03T10:55:00.000-08:00

This morning I was posed with the question “do you believe in love?” by a group of friends. Quiet frankly I was ambushed by this question but since they were having an argument I first let them give their views before I took any sides (almost told them to refer to my blog but that would bias my answer at the time)
Now what do we understand by the term “love”? Love as agreed by so many scholars has too many definitions that I particularly don’t want to divulge into. It is also the most widely used lame excuse to any bizarre occurrence especially where man is concerned (don’t get me wrong, Am not a love wreck and neither am I a love freak, I just like facts in reality).
Okay, I have had so many derails here about this topic and it’s shady. Now, love and it’s infinities; do people marry for love? Do they stay together for love? In my previous article mentioned the idea people love instead of the lotion.
Judgment: Am no perfect judge to say this thing doesn’t exist in it’s the entirety. May be it’s the care, commitment, integrity and so many other factors joined together. If there is a better judge out there, am sure you have your own notion, for now love as a word surely exists, as an act (read between the lines).
To be continued………

THE MYSTERY LIES BENEATH

2009-10-25T15:11:00.000-07:00

There is a catch to that phrase I just don’t get and Am not sure I’ll ever get it. The mystery I write about today is that of “death.” Yeah death, grim as it sounds is the biggest mystery not even science will ever uncover. It robs us of our loved ones, friends, and acquaintances and for those it robs, it robs them of their families, the futures they dreamt of having and time to share with those they love.

Death humbles anyone let alone those who impose it onto others, they shriek more than anyone else. Now death isn’t my niche to talk about or even discuss for it’s a sad topic but I would rather talk about the causes and to be particular “road accidents”.

Road accidents, the mention of it causes a lamentation from me about the state of roads in Uganda. Granted, anyone who has been to the beautiful country , Uganda will be well acquainted with the roads and these are probably the worst in the world and to that attribute the road carnage ranks highly in the Uganda relative to the other countries in the world and it’s surely about to take anyone.

I also believe road accidents are worse than HIV/AIDS and malaria added together; when it is a road accident, death is on speed dial and it sure responds on time even before the hard good byes. It’s fast and furious and on rampage.

If it doesn’t kill you, it breaks you or even leave you incapacitated for a long time to come and worse robs you of a wonderful future, it changes destiny. It’s actions are crude and also give a rude awakening to anyone (“you don’t need to speed dial it to come, it’s just next to you”). I do believe what doesn’t kill you shouldn’t break you, now I have to revise that statement, it shouldn’t break your will or else my belief would not make any sense.

Even when we know what is causing death, it does happen, hardly stopped if it has to happen. For the roads we attribute it to the bad roads and road users (a combination of a bad workman with bad tools) and yet a mystery lies beneath when it occurs. Why now? So fast and so shocking! The knowledge that you will never see these people again, or even hear from them makes us hope there is a place beyond where we will meet one day. This piece of knowledge is known to everyone (I leave out those with growing brain or dysfunction of the brain).

What do we have to do? Do we sit back and wait patiently for our turn to come, do we abandon the roads (there are cases when cars have rammed into houses, so that to is not a viable option). Surely there are many ideas that have been tested and proved inefficient or lacking for we still have death staring at us on roads everyday. Unlike HIV/AIDS and malaria where abstinence, being faithful or even using a condom or mosquito nets (for malaria) could save someone, road carnages have no such measures and the timing is ill predictable too.

Because of the effects it leaves behind the mystery leaves me shaken all the time ( I do not know about anyone else but sure do hope it does lest I think you need help). On Saturday 24th oct, 2009, a friend almost lost his life in a tragic road accident that claimed the life of the other occupant (Kisamba Isaac RIP). Kimuli Pius survived and still is out of ICU, more prayers for him as he recovers and more support in any way!

Pius, I do pray you recover not only physically but emotionally and psychologically (will need a concerted effort from all those who care about you) to get back to pursuing your dream. When you do get to read to this, I hope you do realize a lot of people cared about you. And for the family of the late, I hope you get through these hard times. May His Soul Rest in Peace!!

I THINK AM IN LOVE

2009-10-20T04:11:00.000-07:00

When I look at her, my heart goes beep beep… when I get near her I am filled with ecstasy. "When I talk to her I melt, I have fallen for her and fallen hard this time. I am in love!!!!!"
Well for those who have been in that state understand what I am talking about, for the ladies substitute the “her” for him and you will surely be part for the equation or the story. Is 1+1=2, mathematically it should, any other way it can 1, 2, 3...etc. Give it your take whenever you can, it may not always be.. ok, Am derailing, what was I saying, Am in love so I need to do something about it, best way get to talk but how can I do that she is fly and am just.. Well never mind?
The question should be Am I really in love or am in love with the idea, which is which? She is a bomb? Don’t ask what that means I am borrowing someone else language so am in no way liable to that word. Back to what I was saying, this love thing and the confusion it goes with. whether I am in love or not, I should give it try, if not for fun at least I’ll look back at the moment and be proud of myself, whatever the result of my approaching her, I really don’t care am a man (or beautiful woman).
Such scenarios have been depicted a lot in the movies, like hitch where you get help but despite the philosophy of the word love everyone should have their say and how they go about it. What do you think? I think you should go for it, cherish the memories after and move on (now that is another huge word “move on” but we shall get to it later) all the best!

Are we there yet?

2009-10-16T02:17:00.000-07:00

I was watching race to witch mountain recently and this alien kid asks the the cab driver "Are we there yet" and the cab driver laughed, this seemed a question only humans ask and yet the alien kid was asking this question!

Well as much this may seem a little over the top or equivocal but we do ask ourselves that question so many times! "Are we there yet?" is a metaphorical question that we use in so many situations from the arrival of a baby, to completing a task! this question is always asked but how many times do we have the answer the right answer to the question?

Its an anticipatory question which usually requires a positive response but in so many ways we don't even know the route we are using to answer the question? This is to reflect on our lives and how far we have gone, so take a second and ask, Am there yet? then you ll have to ask yourself again "where?"

Really

2009-09-27T11:52:00.001-07:00

I keep thinking of things; things like do we learn or are we just educated; things that make me hate the people I should love; things that make me think that the whole world is going crazy and almost every one is losing it.

I have always had intellectual discussions with so many people and it gets me to think that "are we for real?"

If you were me

2009-09-20T15:01:00.000-07:00

Well this seems a little overtly ambitious of both of us but lets try to think about it, just in case it so happens. who would you be to allow you to be me. First I should take you through my world: I am incredibly nice, its hard to believe I could stone you without asking your name, I am kind ( I could kick you out of my house if you showed up at the door), A good leader (I use every opportunity presented to me with utmost precision, the Swiss would envy me while making their watches and for that you would be sure to be in the right place; bluntly arrogant and proud (that's an added twist for I wouldn't listen to whatever advice you would give me at any one time, in fact if you tried I would make sure I hit in the groin if you had one).
Your only quest is to know who I am and should be able to change what you can lest 1 has to survive. To do that you have to an eye for what is around you, an ear for those you are in contact with and a mouth to heal wounds, surely all those come from a heart made of Gold.
Well after seeing such features, am not sure there is a soul who wants to be me for I deserve the best treatment because I am me and you are.... no one.
Don't be surprised at this we shall make it but am not sure when cause even you are not perfect, am just more imperfect.
I had forgotten one thing, I love to love but I don't know so you should be able to have that too. That's me and that should be you!
How many times do we wish other people to be in our shoes, worse think of ourselves in other people. How different would we react to so many challenging situations that keep arising; 90% created by man. There is so much we criticize other people for but a self check is always the best to start then do the rest!!
yours kismae

what happens when we grow up?

2009-09-10T04:21:00.000-07:00

This is true, atleast for the most part I think. Do we loose our identity, innocence, ignorance, what really happens to most us. I know for most people the way anyone used to react to the environment changed along since one became an adult.

When I was a kid I hated dentists, still do pretty much but not with the same loathe I once harbored especially on those visits to the dentist, I had to run from some of them only to have a couple old men chasing after me. Thats why I never returned to such places in a long time now look at what happened, I had to go to get a tooth removed after a long time of uncomfort in my mouth. Being a kid meant that whatever slight pain in the mouth would mean I go to the dentist even if I hated them, now I keep away and pay the price.

I guess though age is wisdom, the most part dictates that kids handle themselves better.

when we call it quits

2007-07-26T12:06:00.000-07:00

Quiting is not a new word in our vocabulary. We started quiting from the day we were conceived and we are not about to stop it until we quit ourselves unless......... When we call it quits our minds do the same, "they quit" and when they quit we face doom cause we can't do anything without thinking.
A perpetual quitter will even quit his/ her life. some times we just need to give it an extra mile to stay alive and thus successful for being alive is everyone is most important success. "what a world we live in"

why it's so?

2007-06-06T13:23:00.000-07:00

Why do we the things we do? why do we suffer? why? What drives a human being to act the way so many act and so few cannot act. The question is wide and probably you already have the answer; each one has their own perspective and I believe as humans we are entitled to our own opinions of whatever comes our way but do you ever think of how your decision is going to affect you, your loved ones and those you don't love but care enough not to see them get hurt.
So much happens today and you wonder are we really all humans or are some people just not that, does someone ever get to appreciate the very existence of diversity or they are willing to destroy just for their own to be alone or survive, will themselves survive forever?
Shall someone ever be in a place when everyone is a human not just an animal? I don't know yet but surely it looks unlikely!!