A Donkey Shows Us How to Live (Author Unknown)

One day a farmer's donkey fell down into a well. The animal cried piteously for hours as the farmer tried to figure out what to do.

Finally the farmer decided the animal was old and the well needed to be covered up anyway.

It just wasn't worth it to retrieve the donkey.

So he invited all his neighbors to come over and help him. They all grabbed a shovel and began to shovel dirt into the well.

At first, the donkey realized what was happening and cried horribly. Then, to everyone's amazement, he quieted down.

A few shovel loads later, the farmer finally looked down the well and was astonished at what he saw.

With every shovel of dirt that hit his back, the donkey was doing something amazing. He would shake it off and take a step up! As the farmer's neighbors continued to shovel dirt on top of the animal, he would shake it off and take a step up.

Pretty soon, everyone was amazed as the donkey stepped up over the edge of the well and trotted off!

Moral: Life is going to shovel dirt on you, all kinds of dirt. The trick to getting out of the well is to shake it off and take a step up. Each of our troubles is a stepping stone. We can get out of the deepest wells just by not stopping, never giving up! Shake it off and take a step up!

Remember the five simple rules to be happy:

1. Free your heart from hatred.
2. Free your mind from worries.
3. Live simply.
4. Give more.
5. Expect less.

"I have always lived violently,eaten too much or not at all, slept around the clock or missed two nights of sleeping," Steinbeck

In the past 30 hours of my life I have only had 3 hours of sleep. Been doing a Public International law exam which did my head  for a wile. Then I started to enjoy it, enjoying the fact that I was learning and wanted to read more and more even when I should have stopped. That's done with now, all I have left for this class is a reaction paper and an oral exam. See you in Law school PIL! 

Cleaned up my room and set my bead-work corner, its been refreshing to remember that I can do bead-work during the time I would have had a job. Tiffany came over, I made fish and rice (the cornmeal I bought from Alpha flopped) She brought up vegetables that were tasty!! Moroccan Carrots and Egyptian Cucumber & Tomato salad. We talked about PIL, Ethiopia and Annie * Kelsy's Halloween Party tomorrow night. This was followed by trying on outfits for tomorrow at Meghan's apartment. We had some good laughs, over clothes and  presenting ourselves as celebrities from BollyWood, PallyWood & NollyWood. Looking forward to the party. I hope it is all fun! I need some so bad, to unleash all this pent up emotion.

Been listening to R Kelly's Happy People song! Its on repeat and still not tired of it.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c8Gmaurug0I

I just had a Steinbeck moment last night, you know the one where  you realize that you are capable of both evil and good.  On my way back from AUC last evening, a trio of Egyptian guys decided to play around with my roommate and I. One of them hit my but with two rocks, I turned around looked him  in the face, "Did you just hit me with a rock? " With all the anger  in me rising. I then got my hard plastic water bottle and hit him so had on the back, with every ounce of energy I could master. I wanted to do more, I wanted to hit him in the groin, I wanted to scratch his face, see him bleed and make him cry out an apology. I wanted to do so many bad things to that guy. The conflict here is that I felt bad hitting him yet I wanted to do more. I felt dirty for having all those feelings and for what had been done to me yet I also do not feel sorry that I did them. The pure conflict of good and evil.

I decided to walk away, wanting to turn back every time until I could not do it. I felt horrible. We stopped by  ISIS to get cheese and some Egyptian customer was being friendly, he was trying to help me open up a shanta for my stuff, I just pulled it away from him in anger. I have concluded that I cannot take any one these men's actions as a good and kind gesture. If they are going to believe all foreign women are prostitutes, I am justified in believing that they are all rogues and scum.

Been elected  and appointed to  the AUC Senate, am not dancing up and down, but am glad that we shall have the outlet to air our views and issues to the President and  Provost. My reasons for applying and sitting the Senate exam were pretty selfish, maybe not really- just one sided. I only did it so that I could get the issues facing  CMRS  to be heard by the university. Hopefully this will happen, for now am being sent messages and emails of Senate meetings, Face book Senate page and beach parties. Sounds like a good plot for fun, yet am immersed in work. Mike thinks am a hardcore student, I think am not doing enough. I have a take home exam tomorrow, have a reaction paper to  write by tonight, have a  40 page paper for International Humanitarian Law, 30 page paper for Human rights in Africa,  and a 25 page paper for Human rights in the Middle East, all to be done in one month. How the heck do I get work done every semester? can the human mind take all this and stay sane? maybe it just gets stronger.

Catherine and I had dinner at Mike's on Saturday night, he made a Tofu Stir fry and baked Banana cake! It was great to  eat after a long day at the New Campus using the library. Friday , I studied with Bianca, she made me a meal of rice and fish with vegetables, that was tasty! Am so glad I have the best friends in the entire world. There are indeed precious people out here. Jazz night last weekend was fun, there were all these bands playing at the Al Qalaa (Citadel), Nada, April and I went twice in the week. It was fun meeting all the African girls, Kafiya, Nada, April, and Adiba. We laughed so hard, kind of helped on the stress levels.

Its winter!!! Its cold, the temperatures suddenly dropped so low without warning. TIA, change is drastic and mostly surprising. I love the winter in Cairo, it gets easier to study, write and just be. It's even more fun hanging out in the winter. Some would beg to defer, this is because we are different people and so am on day two  of my crazy week!

Its been an interesting week, yesterday I spent  moments celebrating my feet, the soles and toes. Its often easy for me to ignore them and focus on what I like the most, yet I realize that the parts of my body I ignore are valuable to me as much, So I guess you can tell I  am into some interesting body focus program. I started the 21 day Meditation challenge with   David G. on Chopra.com and its been going great. Meditating before bedtime puts me into a deep peaceful sleep, and even though it may  5- to 6 hours it is a restful time.

Bianca and I have been working out on schedule every week and its been amazing, I  am starting to feel lighter as my body becomes more flexible. I have often worked out but this time it feels different all because I have gone vegetarian. I have taken meat and chicken off my diet, or any four/ two legged animals. I will eat fish though, I need flesh  to survive, not really but I tell myself that. Its been every Thursday working at it at the gym, Bianca is a no joker, she  makes us do Cardio for an hour and another 1-2 hours is real exercise. I have a trainer for the first time in my life and its working out pretty good!!!! 

This morning Mike and I walked at 9am on our way to Alpha market to get groceries, its lovely to walk in Cairo when there is no traffic or people on the streets, its Friday! I love Fridays, every one in Cairo seems peaceful.  Walked to Garden City where am at now, studying with Bianca and hoping to get so much done... Its great to change scenery. I have finally written to Ida, for some reason I did not know how to tell her what has been going on in my life and I hope she does not worry... for now I will see how the day goes....

A fear passed on, a brave heart embraced

I was born at a time when fear pervaded and invaded every aspect of life, a fear State, over the greatest dictator that ruled Uganda. This fear and tension filled not just the state but my parents and their home. I know my dad is fearless, he has a deep faith that keeps him holding on and hoping whatever comes his way, my Mother does too, yet am sure any mother would worry if her husband worked for Idi Amin, worked in his office as a personal secretary and adviser on religious issues,. My dad did not only work at the President’s office, he also run an underground church at our Tank Hill home, on one of the major hills in Kampala. At a time when Idi Amin had banned Christianity and all other faiths, one wonders why he would want my dad of all people a Christian to be his religious adviser and secretary. Am sure my mother was fearful, carrying me in her womb and having four children already, she must have wondered what would happen if my father disappeared. After all by then he had received several death threats from Idi Amin but miraculously survived them.

My dad often wondered why I was such a fearful child, am not surprised he has always wondered because going through Idi Amin’s regime and several others, I think his generation has had to tame emotions, otherwise they would probably all be mentally messed up people. Today after I told my roommate my story seeing as we were reading about Idi Amin for class, I reflected on that time, her shock made me realize that in some way my mother must have been afraid most or all of the nine months she was expecting me. After all that is when David’s dad had been killed, Stephen’s dad and my friend Dorcas from Shimoni. There was death around, she was fearful. That fear pervaded me too, and now I know where it comes from. After over 30 years I know where my fear comes from. It is such a relief.

Today I will embrace this fear, hold it and release it. Today I will remember that my mother was afraid for us, and what life would be for her alone if my father were to disappear forever. But he did not, and will live for a long time because he hoped beyond hope, and kept going fearless. Today I will let go of my mother’s fear and embrace my dad’s Faith and Bravery.

The ultimate weakness of violence is that it is a descending spiral, begetting the very thing it seeks to destroy. Instead of diminishing evil, it multiplies it. Through violence you may murder the liar, but you cannot murder the lie, nor establish the truth. Through violence you may murder the hater, but you do not murder hate.

In fact, violence merely increases hate. So it goes. Returning violence for violence multiplies violence,adding deeper darkness to a night already devoid of stars.Darkness cannot drive out darkness: only light can do that.
Hate cannot drive out hate:... only love can do that.

Martin Luther King Jr.

I Know My Soul Claude McKay

I plucked my soul out of its secret place,
And held it to the mirror of my eye,
To see it like a star against the sky,
A twitching body quivering in space,
A spark of passion shining on my face.
And I explored it to determine why
This awful key to my infinity
Conspires to rob me of
sweet joy and grace.
And if the sign may not be fully read,
If I can comprehend but not control,
I need not gloom my days
with futile dread,
Because I see a part and not the whole.
Contemplating the strange, I'm comforted
By this narcotic thought: I know my soul.

10.10.10

My roommate and I have just had a long conversation, probably the longest we have had since we started living together. We talked about Israel & Palestine, an issue we have both run away from because of the complexities it presents. After spending three hours in a class on International Humanitarian law, discussing occupation and civilian protection.

I am continually drawn to Israel and Palestine issues as I read more about it, I do not know what the best solution is, yet I also do not believe that Israel will ever yield to a two state solution, if at all they did which is improbable, it would take another 100 or so year for Palestinians to be included into that constitution or to have any adequate rights. Right now my mind goes to the children and impoverished people struggling to live in a strip, the congestion and dire conditions- I think the best option today is resettlement. As 'Palestinian refugees", UNRWA could emphasize resettling 'Palestinian refugees' to states in the world that can take them. The actions on both sides have become too irrational, my roommate believes that the longer a conflict takes, the more irrational and unthought the actions. The wall for one thing, is creating pockets of Palestinian settlements; with the aim of isolation. This is itself is a clear depiction of a humanitarian conflict, where International Humanitarian law should apply, it is in a sense weakening the forces of the state of Palestine and rendering them weak and unable to exercise any form of resistance.

Yet Israel claims this is not an occupation; basing this argument on the Geneva convention that states, 'that a conflict can only exist when the two parties are higher contracting parties to the convention (b)when the territory of conflict belongs to a higher contracting part.' Israel claims it is the Contracting party in the conflict, therefore this is not an occupation but an administered territory. The ICJ has recently refuted this claim and urged Israel not to use such political claims and exercise law as it is.

Am not sure why am going on at this point, the day is almost done and am awed at how much saga is going on in the world, I want to rest and smile, yet the world is in such a mess. But heh, this is not my business. I might as well accept things the way they are, embrace it and do the best I can, being the best I can be. After all I have gotten to live in a time such as this where the numbers all correspond it's 10.10. 10.

Skyped with my precious sisters, Phoebe & Carol, we reminisced on growing up in Uganda and the amazing childhood ryhmes we sang and played palmsies (this is my concoction) to (amina-mina, Oranges & lemons, Oh little playmate, and the list goes on! Feeling very nostalgic today....

Charles Dickens, A Tale of Two Cities

It was the best of times, it was the worst of times,

it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness,

it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity,

it was the season of Light, it was the season of Darkness,

it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair,

we had everything before us, we had nothing before us,

we were all going direct to heaven, we were all doing direct the other way –

in short,

the period was so far like the present period, that some of its noisiest authorities insisted on its being received, for good or for evil, in the superlative degree of comparison only.

Matogo's Musings

...and to those who purposely wish to mess up my day. Please, feel free to call me: My cell is conveniently off! Yep, I'm as unavailable as Mona Lisa's frown. And apparently, so is your good sense.Crystal morning, my head is as clear as a bell. It was a nice evening: a little lewd, crude and rude...the way I like it. Good night everyone. My Friday night is audibly mute, for once. Really, I’m literally covering my ears because of the deafeningly loud thud of a certain pin drop... Okay, I am going to say something that might shock and upset some of you: I am tuning on Big Brother, the highlight show is on in a few moments! If a lizard is following you, has it 'put a tail on you'? It's been ages since I gave a public speech to an audience that didn't solely comprise the howling dogs in the hood on a beer-washed night. Still, applause rippled through the audience. Yep, it's kick ass Friday!! A FB friend request from someone you don't know or recall that lacks a profile pic or any info to go with it....is like a word without letters. Seriously. I am wondering: Do I look dumb? Am I naive? Or do I have a declarative sign on my forehead saying: 'Vacant'? I ask because folks keep taking me for the kind of rides that are fit for an idiot. Honestly. After a bad experience, cynicism lingers like an unwanted guest. And a hearty pat on its back driving it door ward just doesn't work because you can't just shoo away pain. So you just have to take the bad with the good and keep going.... Lord Acton. He's the dude who brought you 'Power tends to corrupt, absolute power tends to corrupt absolutely' truism. Well, he has another: 'Great Men are almost always Bad Men'. 

What do you think of that? I'm done with alcohol. This time, it's final. These days booze gives me more lows than highs. I shall, from today, be an unswerving teetotaler. But sorry: I can't shake my lunacy. My madness is not a habit but a condition. And that's that. Another fine mess: My hard-drinking Russian pal is back in town this evening. And this time, he won't take 'nyet' for an answer... I love Fridays for being the only days of the week which begin at the end. I'm talking Friday night...make some noise y'all! That's it! No more horrors for me until I have made absolutely sure that there is nobody hiding in the shadows underneath my bed. 

The God Father: A cult classic that bred a global cultural consciousness that being a gangster was glamorous. With this movie even the virtue of blade-wielding gangs carried the force of myth. It had a unique soundtrack too that 'was a mournful trumpet theme slowly swelling with orchestration...' I gotta watch this movie, this evening. TURISTAS: This movie was scary and blood-curdling. A kind of horror that you would wish on your worst enemy. I didn't finish it because I was watching it alone. And I could have sworn that I heard the standard orchestral horror music in the room: frantic violin shrieks and an unsettling three note piano melody that made me think that Freddie and Jason were co-watching. A good attitude has a moral pulse. And it keeps you sun-drenched in a sea of night and darkness. Ain’t a preacher, a teacher or a politician...just The Man with the key to your ignition? (Funky beat in the background, Uh!) Unsolved mysteries: Remember Wile E Coyote? He would chase the road runner from one cliff to the next. Then part way across, he would realize that he was suspended in midair between two cliffs, look down and crash to the canyon floor; smashed into an accordion! Why would Coyote look down? And where did he always get t...hat little sign saying 'So Long' from? Hmmm. 

If you give lip service to kicking ass, you might end up kissing ass. This phone of mine goes missing so much that I'm starting to think that it's taking its 'Mobile' name way too seriously. I wish it took its alias 'Cell' just as seriously.... so it could make like a prison and Freeze! I'm reading something on 'How the mentally ill changed the world'. It is intriguing. And makes me view my own strait jacket as the last word on fashion. Uh Huh. Saturday I must hit the party trail. Days like this I can't be sober...I prefer to be Philip! Okay, my Friday died and went to Friday hell! Someone Please uncork the happy times! In a bar, beauty is in the eye of the beer-holder---Anon (or some very drunk, super horny guy) Seriously, has Anyone actually ever seen a ghost with their naked eye? is enjoying the lullaby of a moonless, silent night. Is money equal to class? Whenever I put up a front, I feel like I have stabbed myself in the back. is home safe and sound after going up against the elements of a manic Monday. I Phil real good about myself today. 

A colleague of mine just called me. This guy intrigues me. He is so unlucky in love. All the ladies he asks out seem to have a twisted Barrack Obama complex: they have the Audacity of endlessly saying...Nope! After a 3-day long weekend, its back to reality. Whoever said 'life is short' must have been high on something other than truth serum because today is gonna be a Looooong day! Chinese proverb: Before you embark on a journey of revenge, you first dig two graves. RIP the dead of 9/11. These attacks had nothing to do with religion (300 Moslems died that day). But everything to do with the evil that inhabits the human breast. In honor of the fallen, let us not get engulfed in the abysses of hate and revenge. But accept that mankind was born of love and diversity. 

Okay, I'm not kidding anymore: where the heck is the party??? Yep, it's a public holiday today. So whoever has beef with me, chill it. Better yet, grill it... for today's BBQ! Religion is Not a weapon of hate but is an instrument of Love. Happy EID to All believers in God. is turning in. Good night folks. Now, where's the party at? I think I could be losing it...if I ever had it to start with! If life came with a warranty then the best things in life would come with a steep price tag. You age less when you love more. Whether by design or default...Enjoy your day folks!! I'm really trying my best to rage against the dying of the Sunday light.... What a slow day. It's going at a Dead snail's pace. I hereby baptize tonight: The A-bomb! I am officially high and happy! I stole this insult from a friend's status, Classic: He couldn't tell which way an elevator was going if he had two guesses! Attitude is destiny. But on a Friday night... altitude is destiny...Cheers!! 

I've been strumming the wrong tune all day...like a musician expecting applause in the muted grounds of a cemetery! Mama told me that there would be days like this. I'm not violent. It's just that I believe in stomping my footprints on the rear of my fear. Self-knowledge is key. It's a light bulb in the darkness of doubt. And the sky that de-limits our potential. It's also the cracks in our feet of clay, however. So we need to embrace who we are, good or bad...because that gives us power. Papa Smurf said it best: He is stupid and he knows he is stupid...and that almost makes him smart!! ‎'I am about to---or I am going to---die: Either expression is correct'.-- Famous last words of Dominique Bouhours, Great French Grammarian. Died 1702. is reading the world's most boring book with his eyes wide shut! Psst...I'm offering free advice that might save and soothe your life. It's in three parts: 1. Don't ever play the same tune in your head as a close friend/family person. Especially if it's a rap or rock tune. 2. When someone 'jokingly' asks 'knock, knock'...answer: who's asking? (Exception: Answer 'who's there?' only i...f your name is Ida.) 3. When you have the hiccups: blow gently upon your bare chest or breast.