MAN OF STEEL: Superman for a New Generation

I got to see the ‘Man of Steel’ during the Friday afternoon showing of its Premiere. A previous attempt to attend the special opening last week with my twin bro and his wifey didn’t work out because tickets were sold out way in advance.

Anyway, I braved the bad reviews (truth be told, critics don’t usually favourably review B-movies) to watch this new version of Supes; I definitely did heed the warning about how post-processing washed out the colours in this movie in the 3D version, and decided to watch it in traditional 2D.

[Disclaimer: Two super-hero movies that I actually enjoyed (but got panned by critics) will inevitably end up being part of this conversation: Ang Lee’s HULK and Bryan Singer’s SUPERMAN RETURNS. It was to be expected once we ended up in reboot land] 

The film gets off to a good start with an expansion of the world of Krypton. Like one critic had mentioned, a whole other movie could have been based entirely off the visuals presented in the first 20 minutes. I certainly enjoyed the new take on Jor-El.

After that, we dive into the ‘second movie’, with its quite jarring non-linear narrative. Don’t get me wrong, non-linear narratives can be pulled off well. ‘Batman Begins’ (my best movie in that trilogy) did a great job with a non-linear narrative, but that movie was presented as an Origins story. Why it failed in this case is because we have Zack Synder and Co. trying to give us this new version of Superman without giving us a detailed history (…because that’s what causes Origins stories to drag out so long); hence, in essence, we are supposed to believe that this is a totally new take on Superman, but where the production and script fail to give us any guidance and direction we are supposed to recollect upon Superman-lore and fill in the gaps.

This new take on Superman makes him look particularly weak, and nothing exemplifies this more than the ‘Jonathan Kent incident’. By trying to make Pre-Superman Clark more restrained in the use of his powers, they insert one of the most half-hearted attempts at a noble gesture by Jonathan Kent – death by tornado (the traditional heart-attack wasn’t good enough anymore, huh!). Not only was Daddy dearest the wrong person to be risking his life needlessly in that situation (God Complex!), the object of his sacrifice is no less than the family pooch. Don’t get me wrong, I love when animals survive. Why, I just remember that part in INDEPENDENCE DAY when the alien ship is annihilating a bunch of humans on the highway, and Vivica Fox (with child in tow) finds some form of shelter in a tunnel, and their lovely dog races against all odds to find shelter in the same tunnel. Sure it sucks, but seeing animals (dogs in particular) survive is uplifting. Not so much in this movie; by trying to distance Clark from his SMALLVILLE interpretation or anything else currently out there, we are treated to the weakest most impotent version of Superman ever portrayed onscreen. Before Superman could FLY, before he could even LEAP over those tall buildings, he could at least RUN… and RUN VERY FAST he could! Unless running fast seems like a stupid power to show off in this Pre-Justice League Universe that they’re setting up (which includes a hero, THE FLASH, known for just that), there was no reason for that whole scene; it diminished the movie with all its talk of a Superman Unbound with regards to showcasing his powers. All they succeeded in doing here was flipping our notion of Clark’s two fathers: Jor-El is a true warrior in this one, and Jonathan Kent is the troubled overbearing father who gives Clark one heck of an outsider’s complex.

Next up, Lois Lane! Ben, a good friend of mine, reminded me that this is possibly a less stuck up version of Lois who won’t fawn over Superman while mistreating Clark as was the case in the days of old. But nothing in this whole production convinced me that she was a Pulitzer Prize winner. Bryan Singer and Kate Bosworth’s version of Lois may not have been liked, but now, even 7 years after watching it, I can still remember why she was a Pulitzer Prize winner: ‘The World without Superman/Why the world doesn’t need Superman’ story, which was key to the events of SUPERMAN RETURNS. What do Snyder/Nolan/Goyer put out there that makes me believe that this Lois is a laureate besides what she claims? Nothing at all!

The dearth of characterization with regards to Lois seeps into the supposed Superman-Lois chemistry. Let me clarify that there isn’t actually an ADULT Clark Kent in this movie. We get a view of baby Clark through to Teenage Clark, then we skip on over to the ‘drifter/hobo’ characterization in which he uses falsified identities. The only time we kind of get a glimpse of ADULT Clark is when he is with Martha Kent, his adopted Mum. So, going back to the Superman-Lois story, in this movie, Lois only interacts with Superman. She knows nothing about his earthly background, she only knows of his godhood. Hence, by trying to get rid of the Superman-Lois-Clark love triangle, they’ve actually only left us with the Superman fan girl (groupie) version of Lois. I challenge anyone to show me how she can possibly connect with the angst that Superman feels about the great big No No that he commits in this movie. Heck, I can’t even see why she kissed him (unless we're talking about ‘Groupie’ Lois).

Alright, enough Lois-bashing! Back to Supes! Bryan Singer gets a bum rap for SUPERMAN RETURNS (yeah, yeah! Kryptonite and no super baddies to fight it out with), but he showed us something that Superman is really good at doing: Saving people, and saving them in really spectacular ways (from a plummeting plane, from a sunken ship, from falling glass, from the Daily Planet’s Globe, from an explosive gas leak, from Lex’s expanding Island, from gun-toting thugs, etc.). This time around things couldn’t work out this way because of the scope of the movie and its penchant for destruction, but it is certainly insulting to have Superman save a terminal-velocity Lois for the second time and then indulge in kissy-face as if he just won an Oscar. OK, I get that we can’t return to the silliness of having Supes reverse the earth’s rotation or ‘pound on the walls of reality’ to reverse the carnage, but please, don’t try to give saving hapless Lois a gravitas that it does not deserve…unless you’re trying to tell us that the more realistic-darker version of Superman is a sadist. New Supes can’t even save his Mum properly: notice that when he begins to put a pounding to Zod for threatening his Mum, he’s already miles away, but has left his mother in the clutches of 2-equally-murderous super baddies. Luckily for us, the story played out like bad A.I. from a computer game and all the baddies chased after Supes without frying his Mum for her impudence. 

 

Oh the scope of this movie! It got too big for even them to handle. Bigger doesn’t necessarily mean better. Richard Donner must have known that, and thus wisely chose to split this whole Origin-Zod Saga into two complete movies. Even the idea of ‘adding a super baddy to pound the heck out of’ doesn’t necessarily save your movie. Case in point: Ang Lee’s HULK vs the reboot INCREDIBLE HULK. One scene in particular takes the cake – THE DOGFIGHT. The intensity Ang Lee put into that one scene made it a truly visceral experience. That mere dogfight trumped the big (?) Hulk Vs Abomination showdown in the reboot by a mile. Goes to show that you can often do More with Less. I’m not averse to enjoying a good punch-up onscreen (actually been craving a good one for some time), but this movie left me craving the levity and heroics of SUPERMAN RETURNS.

Last gripe, that’s one heck of a bland super suit? Sure, new Superman, no undies on the outside, Darker Supes for the new generation … Yeah! Yeah! Yeah! Okay, I get the Siegel/Shuster court-ruling kinda put a lock on the old design. (DC, just pay up and help redeem the back-story to this whole Superman creation affair). Back to the movie then – I get that the suit is Kryptonian-ish, but why is it Red and Blue? There is no basis for those colours this time around. This time, because there isn’t an Adult Clark-Superman dichotomy, Superman merely wears the suit because Daddy gave it to him (maybe this was a way to explain why the suit is as durable as Supes is without that projecting a ‘protective aura’ explanation). The whole “Mother sewing up the suit/Baby Blanket as Cape/Concealing Identity” angle works far much better.

Superman for the new generation certainly left me feeling a bit marooned. This is not the Superman I know (felt more like Superman from Earth-Two). Actually, no one could really know this Superman because he just isn’t fleshed out. Heck, some producer could just have likely substituted Will Smith’s HANCOCK character for Supes in this movie and we would have had a great HANCOCK 2: BATTLE OF THE GODS. 

 

I recommend that you go watch this movie for the spectacle it is, then go back and watch SUPERMAN RETURNS and appreciate just how much Bryan Singer got right (…and apologize to him if you were mean to him

God Bless.

Crate Searching!

It’s amazing what we tend to take for granted in our daily lives. I’m currently in the process of cataloguing about 450+ of my Dad’s old LPs. My Dad used to be such an audiophile, and was probably one of those people who waited out at record stores to grab the newest releases (I think that culture is struggling in this day and age…thanks to Itunes & P2P sharing).

My Mum tells me he had always dreamed of opening his own restaurant, and the music was probably meant to set the right ambience. Judging from the eclectic range of musicians – Coltrane, Steely Dan, Franco, George Benson, Santana, etc – I figure the restaurant was probably meant to host different genres of tastes on successive nights.

I probably share that shame dream he had; but if I were to do it, I’d opt for a Jazz club. 

I remember my Dad playing these LPs mostly in the 80s and the early 90s. Maybe it was that LPs went out of vogue (only to gain more prominence in our current day and age). I remember that he loved playing his Lingala records, which I didn’t really fancy much back in the days. I do wish he had played me more of his jazz records though.

A lot of the stuff that musicians have sampled to make great beats (in the past and even today) came from Jazz records (actually, some of my favourite beats are sampled straight from some of the very LPs I have sitting right next to me). It makes me feel kinda silly to be sitting on this treasure-trove and to have neglected it for so long. Anyway, to make up for lost time, apart from merely cataloguing the LPs, I’d love to have a chance to air them out and give them a whirl…but I figure the old stylus on the record player is probably not working properly (wouldn’t wanna scratch these records ‘cause some are practically collectibles).

Things being as they are currently, I guess I’ll just have to stick to cataloguing (something that would have been easier if I had a working internet connection at home, but hey… old school works just as well; I think I get to appreciate the whole experience this way.

I better start making a Christmas list early just to test the waters and see if my Elder Bro wouldn’t mind rustling me up the parts that I need to get the old LP player working again (…and hopefully get them shipped in time). I never understood my Dad’s passion for the music back then, but I guess I’m kind of ‘turning into my Dad’ as I grow older. I’m sure he would have been proud to see that.

Well, less procrastinating, more working. I’ll probably append that ‘eclectic list’ up here once I’m done.

Have a great day and God Bless.

The Innovators

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Really should have typed this up a while ago, but anyway…bygones!

I had two important things to do in Nairobi this past Monday, but since I wasn't getting in early, I figured I’d arrive in the city about noon, which would allow me to spend my time roaming through the Innovation & Enterprise Expo down at the Kenyatta International Conference Centre (KICC), while I waited for people to get back from their lunch break at the Kenyatta National Hospital (KNH).

Didn’t know what to expect with regards to entrance fees… with me not trying to incur any unnecessary expenses (Thank God it was free!). The stands were arranged in two rings for the sake of convenience (one peripheral and the other central. I started out on the periphery and was quickly impressed by the wide array of projects on display. I’m glad there weren’t too many phone apps on display (…which seems to have gained a ridiculous amount of attention since the advent of M-Pesa), and the science was for the needs of the common mwananchi.

First and foremost, I got to meet Michael Otieno, the guy who is making a name for himself producing gift bags, envelopes and other products using water hyacinth. Fresh off his win at the Enablis Business Plan Competition, I actually got to see the quality of the product that is part of the gist around ‘the Hyacinth Economy’. So just like KICK (Kisumu Innovation Centre Kisumu) and the Carnivore Gardens did in 2006, he showed me that we really are sitting on something valuable with all this free hyacinth.

There were also other people there displaying Hyacinth furniture (which I’ve already seen before). What was particularly new about this project was the cushion covers, which were made of tanned fish skin. I’ll admit, the locally tanned product wasn’t too appealing, but the skins that were tanned with help from KIRDI (Kenya Industrial Research & Development Institute) are certainly something I wouldn’t mind having in my home.

Science Congress Groups (which are specifically High School Presentations) also showed much promise. They had displays of

1. Extraction of Lemon Grass essence for use as a tea, insecticide, etc.
2. Producing Potassium Alum from waste soda cans (at a cheaper price than is available in the market)
3. A Natural UV + filter system for treating Grey water.
4. Production of Biofuel from ‘Arbor vitae’

Other notable displays were:

1. the HIV-EQAS Statistical software fronted by Ireri Mugambi; this was a Master’s project which now doubles as a PhD project and aims to give people a more informed choice when it comes to HIV testing and self-testing (which is soon to become a reality in Kenya)
2. Tami Dye, the natural dye produced from the pungent ubiquitous weed Mexican Marigold. The dyed product on hand looked very beautiful and since I love all things ‘camel’ coloured, I’m partial to the colour of dye produced when Potassium Dichromate is used as a fixative agent.
3. Nile Perch Fish Oil, made from waste fish viscera. It was scent free (thank goodness!) and apparently is just as good as the Cod Liver Oil that we currently have to import at a great cost; and it will also probably be a cheaper alternative to other Omega-3-fatty acid supplements currently in the market.
4. Hydroponics: well they are currently only displaying their hydroponically grown barley…but 8-day old Barley sure did look promising. This group of individuals is growing the product without any visible substrate (fairly uncommon), and I’m not sure whether this will work against them, but I wish them all the best. It did look promising.
5. Solar Tracker; it is quite the wonder that Kenya doesn’t utilize more solar power than it currently does, but perhaps that will change some day. At large production levels, this project perfectly goes hand-in-hand with a solar farm, imitating the behavior of a sunflower to maximize exposure of the solar cells to incident light.
6. Briquettes – a group of students from a technical college were on hand to display their briquettes, which apparently burned cleaner and longer than typical charcoal. The briquettes were made from waste material (charcoal scraps, wood shavings, saw dust, leaf matter) and bound with soil and water. I wish they had shown up with actual Calorimetry data comparing the briquettes to ordinary charcoal, because currently most briquettes tend to release less energy when they burn….meaning they might only be worthwhile to mid-income (and above) level citizens who don’t fully rely on charcoal; NOT, the poor masses who really could do with either an equivalent or BETTER alternative to wood fuel
7. Multi-use chair: the set up for this product was really simple, being built of wood and waste metallic water piping. Its default mode was a typical chair, but by simply pulling down on its back rest, it folded over into what could be used as a mini-ladder (2 steps), or a combo desk-seat for a small child…or it could even double up as a shoe-shiner’s work-stage.

It felt good to see stuff that actually addresses the need in this country. I have been ‘stewing’ ever since our current President made that decision about giving Standard One children laptops. I feel like Kenyans are hoping for a ‘magic bullet’ for our problems to arise from some child prodigies making apps that’ll sell for millions. Could it happen…sure! Is it likely to happen….NO!

Our true strength lies in innovation and the enterprising spirit of a people who maintain hope for a better future, both for themselves and this country as a whole. A re-imagining of our priorities and adequate funding for the projects I saw on hand (which are just an iota of the creativity being mustered in this country) will see us emulate our peers in China, India, Singapore and South Korea….in a Kenyan Style of course. Thus, I remain hopeful that the people whose job it is to steer policy and spending will remember which country they actually live in, and do right by their people.

God Bless

OCD

I dunno whether this is a true instance of OCD or my procrastination merely disguising itself as something new. Perhaps, I just need to be positive and think of this as the inspiration that I've been expecting for such a long time. This post is of course a redux to my previous post about all things Water Hyacinth.

I guess it might be the hopelessness I see in that situation. I didn't mention it last time around, but I remember that trying to conduct independent research was really tedious, which is what you'd probably expect it to be; but, one particular low point was hearing people dismiss my ideas without even seriously considering them.

I got the same exact kind of vibe from the scientist, Dr. William Ojwang', who around the 3:43 mark of the video discourages using water hyacinth for economic ends. I actually did a background check on him and fish (management) is his 'bread and butter', so of course he understands things from a fish economics point of view, and that's fine...BUT that doesn't mean that it's the only right way to achieve the desired goal.
I believe that a lot of the opposition I felt when I was doing my research was from people who were of a similar mind as the scientist, which in retrospect is understandable because it would be useless to sink an already established industry (fishing) for a fledgling field (phytoremediation).

Anyway, that was 6 years ago; but a recent YouTube search saddened me because it brings up stuff like this: Lake Victoria & Water Hyacinth.
6 years down the road, I can't believe we're still stuck in the same mess! There's money to be made off this weed and it's totally a win-win situation. Going through my notes, and from web searches, I can see that there's more people invested in small start-ups that are affiliated to this little venture and who could scale it up to something meaningful in a hurry:

1. The Artisans wish to operate with bulkier volumes of the weed;
2. I learnt of Green World Technologies, a Kenyan company, which produces green charcoal (a solution to sustainable energy needs in a developing economy )
3. Medium & High Density Fiberboard can very well be made from this weed. If that isn't a boon to the construction industry, then I don't know what is.
4. Specialty crafts paper manufacture

* I'm still not sure about water hyacinth with regards to the perfume industry. I found a site speaking about fragrances that have 'notes' of water hyacinth, but I'm inclined to think that it may merely be 'industry-speak', and not really an actual ingredient. (would be worth a try to distill the living daylights out of that massive bloom)

All in all, if we were able to take that massive amount of biomass and readily convert it into rope, fiberboard and green charcoal, it would be a win-win for everybody and every industry involved.

Good thing about the way my mind works is that I START WITH NEGATIVES FIRST. So when, for instance, Dr. Ojwang' mentions that harvesting and working the weed would cause it to be spread to other areas, I can see his reasoning. BUT the solution is simple: from watching the video is seems like the portions of the lake shore affected by the weed are for the most part desolate because of the weed's adverse effects. Therefore, why not just build a factory/processing plant right there close to the affected shore. That way, the weed doesn't get tracked to any pristine waters because any adherent seeds can merely be washed off and remain within the affected waters.

Drying, splitting, and collection can also be done rapidly at the processing factory, to yield 4 useful components: Leaves, Stems, Flowers & Roots. These can then be distributed to the relevant parties dealing with them

1. Stems (Artisans, Green Charcoal producers, Fiberboard plant)
2. Leaves (Research lab)
3. Flowers (Essential oils extractor)
4. Roots (Research lab)

Then of course, at the end of the line, we can't forget that the weed makes quite a good soil amendment...so long as it hasn't hyper-accumulated any heavy metals.

So, that's what's on my mind. In closing, I'm reminded of something a Kenyan friend of mine mentioned a while back. He was talking about Kenya's lack of vision and how we needed someone to show us the way, even with regards to implementing projects. He basically said that even if we were given 1 million Shillings (USD 12,500) for a project, we wouldn't know what to do with it.

And of course, this was the first thing that sprung into my mind. I'm not business-savvy, but at least I'd spread this between the parties that have the ability to scale it up. So once I get home, the hit-list will look something like this

1. Kisumu Innovation Centre Kenya (KICK)
2. Green Water Technologies
3. Great Lakes University, Kisumu (GLUK)
4. Jani

*Gonna need to find a Fiberboard and Craft paper manufacturer.

Let the work begin.

Transition and an idea reborn

It is indeed a time of great transition for me. Just graduated from med school this past January, and in three weeks time I'll be headed home to make something useful of myself (finally!) Transition isn't something that I tend to deal well with, but at least I've had this period of downtime to just sort myself out...and not beat myself for my current bit of procrastination

I'm just trying to hold myself to small steps in terms of positive things I can at least achieve before I have to leave; and in this regard I'm allowing myself to wander a tad. Don't get me wrong, medicine is my forte; but there's nothing wrong with having something else on the side that I feel I can do just as well, and achieve some social good in the process (more likely pro bono).

I recently re-read my independent research paper on Water Hyacinth that I wrote quite a while back (finished it in 2006), and ended up surprised that it inspired me to look into those "fledgling" ideas afresh. As a piece of independent research, it felt wasted at the time because I couldn't even get it published back then, but thanks to Academia.edu I have it online and from the site analytics I can tell that it has received quite a few views.

I think what actually makes the paper more relevant at this particular juncture is the fact that the water hyacinth problem never really went away. The embedded video is proof of the extent this natural threat poses for common folk who have to derive their livelihood from Lake Victoria (Kenyan side).

It saddens me that 7 years down the line, people can't really find a decent way to deal with the weed; but I think I'm more surprised that people can't see all the money that can come from exploiting this beautiful resource (...and let it be known that I am probably the least business-inclined individual you'll ever encounter!).

Guess if no one else is pursuing this, I might as well do it myself. The research from the paper is sound, it just needs more players to push it through. Basically going to need to involve a university (Great Lakes University), the Kenya Agricultural Research Institute, the Kisumu Innovation Centre, Kenya (KICK) and to get grant money to start the work.

Knowing what to do is one thing; the logistics is quite the other...and all this while I'll be trying to study for my medical board exams and sort other things out. God willing, things work out. This weed will still be around for some time to come, so maybe it's about time we made bigger moves.

God Bless

Lost Kenyan IDs

I've just gotten back to Wenzhou after my quick trip home for my twin brother's nuptials (...which on its own requires a retrospective blog entry). Was great to finally be in the same room as all four of my siblings for the first time in 13 years, so indeed, it was a blessing.

But part of being cooped up with those guys means that we got to go down old paths and just be as loud as ever (and poke fun at each other). Everyone labeled me the "complainer-in-residence" - aka Pessimist supreme - because apparently all I did since getting home was complain about Kenya; sure, I have done my fair share of complaining (...not like I was the only one complaining), but the rest of the family just seems to think that I can't ever say anything positive about any situation in Kenya.

Maybe sometimes I just expect too much of my country; but then again, it should be noted that about a week before I had jetted into Kenya, the refurbishing of Parliament had taken place; I did not learn of the 'expensive chair debacle' personally (because I have been avoiding political news since "Pre-Election Fever" rolled in); rather, it was a fellow African friend who informed me of how shaming it was for Africa-as-a-whole to have that gross waste of public funds tacked to its image, on top of everything else we already go through.

So, perhaps, we just might not be expecting enough from our leadership and institutions. (just a thought).

My sister once told me

"Someone shouldn't complain about a situation if they haven't taken the effort to do something about it."  

She was not implying that complaining is sinful; rather, that solving problems should be the first option. Focus on progress, and try to save complaining for 'emergency' situation. So, in the interest of what I can do for my country, let me change tact here, basically address a problem I perceive, and offer the solution.

While walking through business premises in Nairobi, I have long noticed the habit of affixing lost ID cards to their service counter windows. I can understand the reasoning behind this: surely, if someone left their ID cards, they can possibly retrace their steps, end up at said business premise, and be reunited with their cards.

This, however, gives the impression that the process of "retracing our steps" is flawless; in my personal experience, it is quite chaotic even if the lost items were merely misplaced in my room; compound the scale of the search area, and I think the chances of finding said lost item are negligible (bordering on 'miraculous').

People might not understand how important ID cards are in Kenya. Kenya is not like the US, where your driver's license might dabble as useful ID. The only other document approaching that level of credibility is a passport (and even less Kenyans have that document). In times past, being caught without an ID by the police was legal grounds for detention; add to that the fact that we have an election scheduled within the next 6 months, and that ever-nagging threat of Al-Shabaab in our midst, I think NOW is not exactly a good time to be missing an ID card (and Lord know how long it will take to get a replacement).

I searched the internet for any centralized solutions that the National Registration Bureau might have implemented to fix the situation, and the results are as follows:

1. National Registration Bureau website is currently offline
2. Secondary sites (Found it & Lost ID) have been set up to pick up the slack
   One could argue that if these sites are obscure, then they are just virtual equivalents of IDs affixed to the service window in some random office.
3. *The sh. 300 surcharge for ID replacement was recently done away with.

So here's my solution.

1. The National Registration Bureau (NRB) needs to open its own equivalent of a 'Lost and Found' site (this is the only one fully guaranteed of being centralized)
2. Businesses should hold on to lost IDs for a maximum of 3-5 days (just in case someone does successfully retrace their steps)
   After that period, they MUST send them to the NRB (unlike the old system, where the card would be sent to the Chief's office, which on many occasions does not correspond to someone's actually area of residence).
3. The NRB needs to work out an arrangement with the post office, such that people can drop/mail a found ID card to the post office free-of-charge. This of course means that the NRB needs to get a 'dedicated' post office box for this exact purpose.
4. The collected cards can then be sent over to Nyayo House, Nairobi where they can be digitally catalogued and stored safely. This also calls for a dedicated working space.
   The beauty of this is that since catalogued info would include the key fields Name and ID Number (two items we are expected to know off-head) for a lost ID, these same key fields would correspond with those listed on an application for an ID replacement, thus effectively bridging the tracking and replacement functions of the website (...why replace something if you already have it within retrieval range?)  
5. Lastly, they just need to regularly update the lost-and-found database, and allow the typical mwananchi access to either by mobile phone or internet

So, there you have. My bit for the day. Wish I had the power to implement it...but until such a time, this will have to do.

God Bless

'Crate Digging' For Music

I really have let myself go when it comes to editing this blog :)
I Apologize; can prolly blame it on the fact that I've spent more time editing my other blog which mainly deals with a hospital website project.

Anyway, just wanted to 'pen' something different for a change. Besides the dastardly humidity which makes being outside something of pain recently, it's been a great week for me, musically speaking. No, I didn't take music lessons, write any songs or learn how to play an instrument; I'm talking about the music I was able to find.

When I hear a good song - the kind that you just can't get out of your head - I go into 'crate-digging' mode and seek out the song. Search engines (Google) and Youtube have made this much easier for the vast majority of songs these days, but then, they could just as well frustrate you if you don't have the specific details for the song (Imagine sifting through 20,000 listings for your item!)

Well, in these past weeks, I had three big victories:

• Julie Fowlis  - Tha Mo Ghaol Air Aird a' Chuain
• Mumiy Troll - На перекрестках судьбы (Стань человеком)
• Billy Preston f/ Syreeta - With You I'm Born Again

Pretty eclectic list, huh :) 

Takes searching for them to a whole new level of difficulty. Let me start this in order of difficulty (and duration searching)

With You I'm Born Again

This track was originally sung in 1979 by Billy Preston and Syreeta Wright. My first encounter with the song,  though, was in a 1988 British made-for-TV Cinderella musical  (performed by Cheryl Baker), and later I heard the original on radio. For years, on-and-off I'd searched for the song by basically looking for the British musical (a Google nightmare). Previously I didn't even know what the song was called, nor did I even remember any lyrics. Some things are just bound to be found, and now I have this beautiful gem in my favourites collection. (On Youtube, I found other performances of the song, with the Mariah/John Legend piece appearing to be the biggest in spectacle, but they all pale in comparison to the beauty of the original composition).

На перекрестках судьбы (Стань человеком)

Yes, this is very much a Russian song. Translates into something along the lines of The crossroads of fate (becoming human). This theme is played a few times in the movie "Day Watch". I had searched for it for some time, but failing to find it I figured that the short instrumental piece was only a part of the movie score and a lot of films are not in the habit of releasing their musical scores, so ...dead end! In the past week though, a Youtube search for the "Daywatch ending" led me to the actual song and the band responsible for the composition, and now I can enjoy it in its entirety :)

Tha Mo Ghaol Air Aird a' Chuain

The latest addition to the 'favourites' is this beautiful haunting melody by Julie Fowlis (from her debut album no less). This is sung in Scottish Gaelic - as is most of her music - and is translated as My Love is on The High Seas. A lot of people probably came across this song the same way I did: the Trailer for Disney/Pixar's BRAVE. This song, with all its all encompassing peace and emotion totally defined the final 40 seconds of the 3rd trailer. One would think that this song would be easier to find because the movie is meant to be a huge Hollywood spectacle, but alas, it wasn't; tried to track this one down by checking on the movie's soundtrack, but it wasn't there. Movie trailers have taken a life of their own nowadays, and the trailer ends up being its own standalone work of art :(
Thankfully though, other youtubers recognized the song and pointed me in the right direction, and led me to discover a great artist.

This version of the video is the best, because once you get over the mere chilling beauty of her voice and the setting for this song, you can then enjoy it for the deeper love story, which is a testament to true love.

Thank God for the joy of music.
God Bless

Rain! Rain! ...and more Rain!

Wenzhou weather really seems to be doing a number on us this year. I can't think of a time when it isn't raining around here; the rain is a given no matter what season were in. I'm not sure if El Nino is in effect this year, or perhaps it might even be something else.

On a few days, the rain is most welcome; it's that time of the year when the humidity starts to skyrocket, and make life a bit uncomfortable. It is at times like that that I welcome a large downpour. Not only does it cool things down a tad, it also washes any residual gunk that might be in the sky. I think anyone can attest that the sky looks a bit more bluer and the colors of the vegetation are that much more vivid after a rainstorm. Also, living by these expansive hills, we get to see the usually dry 'rills' running down the face of the hills bring forth water; in addition, the hills have this quaint little effect where it looks like the clouds are steaming from the very rock that lines hills tops .

The little things in life that I took so little time to enjoy before...and now my time in Wenzhou is quickly coming to an end. I guess this means I better find a way to document it really quick. Who knows whether it will look the same in the years to come. One thing has to be said for Chinese construction - they 'totally' change the face of the land as they develop it. Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying what they do is negative; it's just a remainder that the saying 'here today, gone tomorrow' is not a cliché here (hills or valleys are not exempted from their development and might just be leveled).

But, I digress, the rain, with its characteristic Wenzhou pulsing, has finally given way to some calm. Might just dash out and get something before 'Round-2' starts. Have to be on the lookout for 'Magic Bricks' though. 'Magic bricks' is something of a misnomer; remember how the Mario Bros. had their magical bricks, well here they have paving blocks which sometimes come loose and all this rain water ends up pooling under them.  Stepping on those paving stones sometimes triggers an effect similar to a geyser (unbelievable how much water could seep under one tiny block!!!)

Well, just some idle musings for an old soul. Come rain or shine, whatever's in your life right now,

God Bless 

As a Dog to his Master...

Once, circa my time at Messiah College, I remember we had a Priest invited over to give us a discussion on matters of Faith. Seeing as this was about 7 years ago, most of the memory has withered away. I do, however, remember that one part of his conversation focused on the Vatican, the faith of the early church community...and the catacombs for the faithful.

Considering the turbulent years of the Early Church, with the rampant persecution and "brutality-for-sport" that their accusers displayed, Faith certainly was a more tangible thing back then: you either had it, or you didn't...and chances were you would either have to renounce or defend it if challenged.

Thus the catacombs tell one part of this story; they are, of course, the place where the Martyrs were buried, and venerated. Because of their great show of faith in times of trial, traditions celebrating their deeds grew around these early faithful, and people also sought to have the graves of their loved ones sited adjacent to the Martyrs' graves (...perhaps hoping to get a "seat" closer to the throne at Resurrection).

The Priest then elaborated on how the Martyrs were venerated (a subject of contention for some, I realize): with beautiful paintings by their graves, or even graffiti scrolled alongside. The usual Christian symbols featured prominently: the fish, dove, Good Shepherd, the palm, etc. Interestingly, at one grave, the Priest noticed a peculiar symbol drawn: A Dog's Paw Print. 

For an animal considered Man's best friend, and loyal as can be, dogs don't tend to rank as "overt" Christian symbols. To tell you the truth, dog references in the Bible usually tend to be negative; hence, the surprise expressed by the Priest. Later on, the Priest discovered what this little piece of graffiti actually meant:

As a Dog to his Master...I will be Faithful

I'm a dog-person, so it is indeed a fitting reflection of so intimate a relationship between Man & God. Intelligent and gifted as the dog is, it is also capable of great servitude, submission and loyalty. And just as we are gifted, beautifully-made, with eternity imbued in our hearts....even with all that, we pale in comparison to our Maker, and we ought to seek Him out each and every day.

So, that is my little prayer for today,

That as a Dog unto his Master, I too will be Faithful.

God Bless

New Year, New Beginnings, New Internship

It's been a happy start to the year 2012. Well, contrary to the naysayers' dire predictions, the world is still here, resilient as ever; and she isn't skipping a bit, 'cause there certainly is a lot of stuff that needs to get done.

To ring in my New Year (almost literally), which is also my last year of Medical School, I have started my  "internship" (more like an Externship) at our WMC's First Affiliated hospital, and that's going great thus far. The first 2 weeks were spent by my group-mate (Jean) and I in the Emergency Department. This is certainly not a department for a rookie; you constantly feel like you're out of your league. The gist of this department is that most patients who walk in have about 2-3 comorbidities, so it's like being in a sinking ship and you're stuck trying to plug the biggest hole....just so you can get down to sealing the other holes.

I remember one patient we came across. He had a history of hypertension, diabetes, coronary artery disease...and Gout to round things off. With the restricted diet that he'll have to endure, I'm sure life won't be so much of a pleasure...at least he seemed to think so.

Lest you think the hospital is a deluge of patients (let's face it, this is China), we are presented with a rather peculiar Chinese condition - The Chinese Lunar New Year. It is not considered lucky to celebrate the New Year in the confines of the hospital, so people are clearing out of the hospital like 'hot-cakes'. So a lot of departments, even the Emergency Department should see a reduction in patient numbers (Amen!)

This situation is quite the conundrum, because as an Intern, I need the experience and the "sick people" :) Anyway, I think I'll survive. I'm currently in Orthopaedics, and some of the patients today were "seasonal injuries" - meaning they were cleaning the house, slipped and fractured something. The way my mentor talked about it, you'd think it was regular as rain (working here for 16 years, he probably knows best).

Anyway, 2012 is scheduled to be a great year for the Araos. Last year for my mother at Daystar University before she retires (since '87...WOW!), my eldest brother is having his 2nd child, and my other elder brother is getting married, plus this could be the time my elder sister comes back home (wider meaning = "Africa" or "Kenya"); this hardly compares, but I am helping out with my hospital's website during my free time, something I've wanted to do for them ever since they welcomed me warmly in 2009; glad I get to give something back.

Well, just a short intro of what's in store.
God Bless us all, come what may.

Memories (2)

Lately, I've displayed a particular tenacity towards dealing with some things that have really troubled my mind..the kind of all-out tenaciousness that just makes you drop everything and commit to the fact that either you or the offending matter will be put to rest once and for all.

Recently, a friend asked me what drives me, especially when I show passion for a task that in all likelihood is thankless and something most people are already ambivalent about. Truth be told, I didn't have a smart answer...no answer at all for that matter; but the thing about people is that they are a sum total of their reactions to all their experiences in life (past & present).

That brings me to the core of the story, this gem from times past. Recently, I recalled my first trip to Messiah College. The journey was a whole bunch of firsts for me: first time leaving home, being on my own, leaving the country, getting to the States, seeing a 5 pm sunset on arriving at Chicago O'hare etc. I was totally out of my element. I don't know about you, but when I get to a new place, I am totally hopeless; a fish-out-of-water. 

At the end of all that, finally made it to Harrisburg Airport. Unless things have changed lately, Harrisburg Airport must still be really small; that only served to accentuate the fact that outside lay a complex world that I definitely wasn't equipped to handle. At that moment, I noticed from a side glance that two people who were looking at me. I had been in correspondence with the school so I was hoping they kept their promise to meet me at the airport. Sure enough, Irwin and Elaine were there for me. (They must have been told to look out for the "most-lost" looking individual)...they came looking for a "Robert" though, but I won't hold that against them :-)

And that was my first experience with Messiah College (stateside), and words can't capture what it meant to me. Now, some of my friends might say that since I went to a private college it was the kind of mommy-coddling they had to do because their fees are higher than public universities. But I'd argue that there's only so much that money can buy you.

As I write this out, I'm reminded of someone else who reached out to me in a big way: Stephanie Phillips. While I was back home making the transition to get to Messiah, she answered all my emails and gave me a heads up on what to expect. (...that first email I sent her would be fun to look at now, in retrospect; I was so scared when I wrote it). And she even showed me the ropes when I got to Messiah and was a great friend of mine, a fellow member of ISA/MK. Pity I haven't gotten to talk to her since she graduated.

Putting all these tangents together, they are some of the reasons why I get passionate about some things. A lot of people made great impressions on my life, but sadly I never got the chance to pay them back; I'm speaking of course of a "token" payback, because you never really can pay someone back for an act of kindness. However, you can "pay things forward'...if anything, at least in a manner that a predecessor already showed you, and as time goes by, you can learn more ways to show off the kindness in your heart, birthed from a Benevelonce above.

My sister told me recently,

all these material things you accumulate can be taken away from you at any moment. But the way you make someone feel, what you do for them in their time of need, no one will ever be able to take that from you

So I guess I'll keep her words in mind when I'm being passionate about doing what I do.

Thank God for a little pure passion, no matter how it's inspired within us.

Mark Schultz - Closer to You

From time to time, I love to just peruse the internet looking for the sentiments other people express concerning a song that I like. I haven't been able to find much in the way of comments relating to Mark Schultz's "Closer to you" from his Stories and Songs  CD. One other track in particular stood out from this album: "He will carry me"; it was used to accompany an especially well-performed ballet at Acclamation 2004/5 (Messiah College), and thus I was introduced to the work of Mark Schultz; coincidentally, my full introduction occurred when my elder brother played me the track when I was back home in Kenya.

Anyway, only this year did I fully listen to his whole CD; "He Will Carry Me" still carries the same poignant message that made it appeal to so many people, but practically tucked away at the end of the CD is the song "Closer to you". I remember someone describing it as someone recommitting their life to God, but at its core this song is the tale of someone who's transitioning to Eternity, and a most elegant portrayal of it in fact.

At the outset, we can tell that the person is in the firm grip of infirmity, and that their spirit is weary; NOT the kind of weariness that gives rise to hopelessness and desperation, but the kind that reminds us of the short-lived mist that every precious human lifetime really is; drawing us closer to the Ultimate Source of our strength and hope.

Closer to me, I'm tired and I'm weak.
And every breath within me is longing just to be
Closer to you, so I face the road ahead
'Cause I know there's no comparing
To what's waiting at the end.
So let the rain start falling where it will, and I will run through this valley, just to climb to that hill, and if they ask why I'm smiling, after all I've been through...it's 'cause I'm just a day closer to you

An adept storyteller, Mr. Schultz uses the third line in his chorus - which is the only varying element in each chorus - to shift us steadily through time, and through the deterioration of the person's life (smiling though weary - acceptance, dancing in the thick of things - ultimate trust, singing through to the end - embracing eternity)

Closer to me, I hear you whisper on the wind
You say although my life is fading, a new one will begin
Closer to you, and I know I'm not alone
'Cause I can hear you in the distance, saying you are nearly home
So let the rain start falling where it will, and I will run through this valley, just to climb to that hill, and if they ask why I'm dancing, though my days may be few...it's 'cause I'm just a day closer to you

No doubt most of us have lived this song with one of our loved ones, and the last verse is a testament to this. Even in the face of our weakness and limitation, we reach out to each other, affirming the reason for the hope that we have; and this act of mercy is never wasted.

Closer to me, you're in the laughter and the tears
Of the ones I leave behind me, who have prayed me through the years
Closer to you, and I know it won't be long
Till you're running down the path way, to come take me in your arms
So let the rain start falling where it will, and I will run through this valley, just to climb to that hill, and if they ask why I'm singing, though my life's almost through...it's 'cause I'm just a day closer to you , I'm just a day closer, 

I'm just a day closer to you

I lived out this whole experience with my Father, and I don't quite remember at which point it happened, but he found a deep semblance of peace, and that peace prevailed till the end. So for me, personally, this song is a celebration of my Father, the beautiful life he lived, and his strong finish despite all the things life may bring.

I'm reminded of something I read once regarding human weakness. It goes thus

Pain is a gift. Humanity without pain, would know neither fear nor pity. Without fear, there could be no humility, and every man would be a monster. The recognition of pain and fear in others gives rise in us to pity, and in our pity is our humanity, our redemption. (Dean Koontz, VELOCITY)

Thank you Mr. Schultz for celebrating the weakness which no person can run from, and in turn celebrating that which makes us most brave and brings about our redemption, reminding us to look to someone Greater for our hope and sustenance.

To God be the Glory.
Amen.

Holiday!

Well, after an unusually tedious round of exams, it's time to say hello to the long summer holiday. Coming from me this time around, "holiday" is a somewhat paradoxical term because I intend to do anything but rest.

This semester, more than other, taught me that perhaps I've become too polarized in my approach to life. Putting all my eggs in one basket, hoping that mere attention to study would make things better. What I'm finding is that everyone needs to inject their "eccentricities" into the work that they do....y'know, "being the best you that you can be", even in a field that might not precisely call for those idiosyncrasies (medicine anyone).

I'm finding that my love for plants, my new-found respect for web design (and Search Engine Optimization, SEO) and video-editing are really not polar opposites to me reading at all. It's just hard to do most of these things when you have to devote your time to studies. So for me, this holiday finds me doing probably more work than I was expected to over the semester.

I can honestly say that opportunities that didn't exist a while back have suddenly opened up for me; and seeds that were sown more than 2 years ago now find a friendly environment and I can explore those ideas more fully. And the company of like-minded individuals full of initiative and humble at heart - who've inspired me throughout my time here - will certainly make the process much easier.

So in the course of traveling, working and just generally socializing, this is bound to be one fascinating summer. I'll keep you posted on how things go.

Apologetics

Well, here we go again. Another Christian (maybe well-meaning and of sound mind) has gone and declared the "end of the world" and gotten the world all riled up; not to be outdone once the prophecy failed to occur, he's gone and post-dated the 'event' to October, citing the initial date as one of spiritual judgment (bloggers claim that he forgot to "carry the one" and messed up his arithmetic).

It's the type of thing that gives Christians a beating in all spheres of life. Mind you, I'm not one who expects Christianity to conform to the ways of this world; let's face it, Christians are called to believe some things that aren't exactly easy to prove (though, to be fair, the empirical standard demanded of Christianity is a tad much higher than some of the "accepted" scientific explanations we have out there; for example - HIV arose from the crossing over of an animal virus due to humans - ahem, Africans - having sex with chimpanzees)

But I digress, some of this belief stems from what happens when an infinite unfathomable being makes contact with a finite fallible creature. They are unexplainable. But I once heard a phrase that I believe summarizes our notion of God in relation to nature:

God is not unrealistic; He is beyond Reality

This is a grounding perspective, for though the Christian is called upon to be a 'peculiar creature' in this world, this peculiarity is never meant to approach the degree of making him unrealistic and irrelevant to this world. This world cries out for intelligence, especially from the Christian; service to the Creator does not shield us from learning and appreciating the vast knowledge and delicate handiwork that went into making and sustaining this world.

I make this emphasis on Reality, because it appears a large amount of Christian teaching/evangelism is devolving into either the Fire and Brimstone or Prosperity Gospel avenues. It takes the minimal amount of brain power to teach these two. Judgment theology has been around for a very long long time; it accentuates the view of God as a Mighty and frighteningly Just Judge - squaring each and every account. Of course, Jesus came to show us that God was something else above all these things: MERCIFUL.

I'm tired of all apocalyptic literature being tied to excesses of weather (floods and drought), natural disasters (Ring of Fire, anyone), Wars, shifting world powers (China), etc. If anyone knows world history, the would know that these are pretty common occurrences. Truth be told, I believe all these things are actually bad for disbelief, because nothing drives a human faster into the embrace of Faith than when they finally realize how feeble they are in this world; that there is something much bigger than all that we see.

I'm personally more prone towards thinking of Jesus coming in the "thief-in-the-night" fashion. As a race, we still haven't risen above most of our prejudices, despite technological advances. There will be no $8 million billboard campaign when He comes through. We will be doing just what it is that we've always been doing - living our lives. He will come to find the habits that we've fostered in our own lives. - loving/stealing/forgiving/exploiting/caring/abandoning/edifying/bullying..... He's not coming for the one-off chance that we'll be doing the right thing at that moment in time [we can only be so lucky]

[aside: a friend of mine showed me a clip on apocalyptic prophecy where some consummate professional was being interviewed about the "signs of the times". The interviewer kept shifting things towards the role the USA was supposed to play as a good guy, and the oil reserves of non-Christian nations].  

Jesus had it right in Matthew 6 - we shouldn't worry. Chasing after these worldly things only makes us out to be the same as everyone else (...despite any pastor's remixed phrase of "Divine chasing"). Be right with God, and help those who need help. The widows, the orphans, the alienated, the disenfranchised... Let Jesus come and find you trying to finish this "unfinishable task", and He will embrace you as the loving faithful child that you are.

God Bless

Messiah College's Community Covenant

Lately, the spotlight has been on Messiah's community covenant as a result of an openly gay student's decision to leave the school stemming from incidences of harassment. For a while there, it was the first Google news entry concerning Messiah College (though to be fair, Messiah does have it's share of weird stories from time to time), but I only got to know about this because there's an actual petition going out asking Messiah to strike the "homosexual" clause from its community covenant.

We've come far as a society, and we've learned to tolerate and embrace a lot, 'cause as the human race we just have a suicidal tendency to seek out the smallest things that can divide us. In all this time, I believe that we've learned that we can get along with people, without necessarily agreeing with them or supporting them.

I empathize with the student who had to face that kind of discrimination. No one deserves to have death threats or any unbecoming behavior strewn their way - whether it be from peers or even teachers. What I do take issue with is this disordered desire for people to erase one injustice using another. A school is more than just the bricks and mortar that are used to put its buildings together; it is mainly the community and the tenets that bind that community that are the true heart and soul of the school.

Messiah is by its own admission a Christian school, and it's tried to base its principles on that (whether they succeed or fail is another matter altogether...but then again Christ never expected us to be perfect, but rather to work out our faith with a view towards being Ipse Christe - same as Christ.)


One friend of mine wrote that we Christians fail when we tolerate a porn-addicted pastor, but scoff away at people from the LBGT community. This reminds me of a friend from High School who once talked with me at length about the story of Jesus and the Adultress. My friend's take home message from the whole thing was that we are not supposed to judge people no matter what they do, and we should just 'live and let be'.
But there is an addition to that whole lesson: Jesus didn't condemn that woman, but He certainly didn't commend/condone what she was doing either. He extended mercy out to her, but He also enlightened her... He didn't set the bar lower so that the hooligans wouldn't have an excuse to execute the poor woman!!!

Seeing as the Community Covenant is in-line with Christian teaching, there is no need to change it. What does need to change is the hooligans who choose to take out their wrath on people they view as different. The school Provost admitted that the school does not screen students to find out whether they are homosexual or not. I'm guessing the school doesn't screen for hooligans, bigots, smokers, drunkards, philanderers, sluggard or a host of behaviors spanning the gamut of human failings either - that would be a logistical nightmare.

But they do have principles by which to proscribe this behavior, and hopefully remain relevant as Christians in a world where people are either deserting their Christianity or resorting to some trends that bear only a superficial resemblance to Christianity.
Apart from the whole discriminatory incidents, was the gay student really expecting a traditional Christian school to support him in his openly-gay demeanor? (Messiah is not Episcopalian, last time I checked).

This reminds me of a quote from that oft-misunderstood social commentary - the Boondocks:

"Not every [black person] that gets arrested is Nelson Mandela"

And so too with this case, the "LGBT query" is not the last unanswered wrong that humanity has not righted. We are called upon to be tolerant, but we don't have to condone. And I certainly would never condone this being used as an excuse to change a Community Covenant that is not the source of the problem. People will always find reasons to hate, but our moral compass always needs to hold true.

God Bless.

Toughest place to be a ...

 

I just finished watching the BBC show "Toughest place to be a ...", which, I guess was done as a special feature - only 3 episodes were made. The basic premise consists of taking a bunch of consummate professionals from the UK (bus driver, paramedic, midwife), and giving them an analogous work experience in a different part of the world, obviously minus a lot of amenities that they've grown accustomed to. (watch for the culture shock)

I believe the characters were well chosen because they espouse a certain humility and good work ethic (the BBC could very easily have ruined this experience by courting from among the roster of characters that plague various reality TV shows), and this brings out the humanity in all the situations that they go through - both humorous and heartbreaking.

It's very easy for a program like this to be misunderstood, because despite the real human dilemmas it tries to highlight, there's a chance that it could merely become a shock-fest of things from third world poverty. It reminds me of an experience during chapel-time at Messiah College. This student got up on stage to talk about his time spent doing mission work at the Kibera Slums in Kenya. He then proceeded to get emotional on stage and obviously alienate a whole contingent of international students who were in attendance that morning. I have nothing against the guy personally, this just requires a short accompanying factoid

• Despite hosting a large number of people, the residence of former President Moi at Kabernet Gardens sits a few kilometers from Kibera
• The student spent his entire summer break - 2 or so months - in the slum  

I actually know about Kibera, and I wouldn't be happy spending more time than I had to around there...and I'm not even talking about the slum portion of it. Everybody has that kind of part around where they live or at least somewhere in their country - it's what we like to call "The wrong side of the tracks". And c'mon, even if you see the worst-of-the-worst, it needs to be balanced with a view of what else exists out there, at least even at the middle class level, and maybe even get a taste of the opulent. You've got the massive Nairobi National Park close by (maybe just a few hundred yards away if you're in the right part of the slum!)....but I digress.

I'm not trying to defend my country blindly here, 'cause true to the matter, we have one heck of a record-breaking slum. But getting the full picture helps people understand that the disparity is sometimes based on policies that need to be changed. Josh West (the bus driver) highlighted this perfectly when he got to see the village area that his host Rogelio hailed from. The coastal town was truly beautiful and an obvious step up from the squalor that he faced in the city, but the search for employment drove him to the city.
This is a lesson that perhaps we shouldn't just concentrate on turning our cities into 'havens" of employment to the detriment of the countryside, but concentrate on investing in those same fringe areas, and at the same time decongesting the cities and returning them to a semblance of health.

Again, I thank BBC for a job well done. Rather than putting people on the offensive, it reminds us of things that sometimes we overlook, or never thought about. To cherish those gifts that we have, some of which we've worked for, and others which our parents toiled for. And I believe all those involved were affected positively.
There are no real happy endings here because a lot of the poverty that was seen is institutionalized, and needs the concerted effort of decent politicians working with the people to get things changed. But the friendships made and the shared experience are a step in the right direction. I hope that this is the kind of change I'll be able to bring when it's called upon on my part.

May God be with us all.

Hope

Someone once asked me what it was that I wanted to do with my life over the course of a semester. Basically, if I could use my life to do one thing, what would it be?

My answer to that was that above all things, I wanted to give people "Hope". It's just one of those things that gives life its spice. Nothing diminishes the human spirit more than despair, nothing weakens us more than hopes being crushed.

There is no substitute for hope. I've seen people try to plug the deficit with money, with their unbridled passions, or perhaps revert to an impervious form of cynicism. All of these attempts will at best render someone 'functional' in this cruel world, but they never quite live that life that the Lord aimed for us to have (I come that you might have life, and have it in abundance - John 10:10)

I've heard people say that life is short, but you never really get time to think about it while you're going through the motions. But if you live through life without any hope, every day lived is an eternity; your passions which are meant to make you so wholly attuned and at peace with this world will only make things worse. Devoid of a driving force, pleasure fades from things once enjoyable, and I think numbness would probably be a more pleasant respite [than living with the memory of what it once felt like to be 'normal'].

Back to that matter at hand - preserving/restoring/renewing another person's hope. Hope is a tricky thing to start with. I'd err on the side of caution and try to preserve it simply because there is no exact remedy for bringing it back. In this world "when it rains, it pours"; a tender crushed heart is just primed for another speedy beating.
Another reason I advocate preservation is because it's something that's relatively easy to do. Acknowledgment of another's presence, a kind word of encouragement, bearing another's burden, a loving smile, showing patience and letting a slight against you slide, forgiving the unforgivable, being there to listen...

Humans have progressed a lot in these past centuries, but in spite of that progress we might still overlook the very basic potent power inherent in every human being, the mystery that we've been so well put-together since the beginning; so well put-together, in fact, that we're supposed to heal this world and those around us if they need it. And of course, it's the small details about our interactions that count the most.

I realize my penchant for going on tangents, but allow this one: my mind gravitates towards one lyric in love songs I always heard growing up - "I'd swim the seven seas for you" [pretty dated, I know].
Pretty bold statement for a man to make, but I always wondered whether that same man would be prepared to put up with his lady's insecurities, annoying habits and other idiosyncrasies...or even take her shoe-shopping?
And the same thing applies to life: it's not about giving up the "now" for the 'promise of the infinite', but rather living a full expression of the "now" in preparation for the infinite.

So if hope be that potion that assures you abundant life, guarantee that it steadily increases within your life. And by all means, SHARE IT!

God Bless

Memories

My mind is currently on a long hiatus - prefers the comfort of spacing out to waxing philosophical and stuff. Must be the effect of a dreary winter and a fickle spring. Can't wait till Autumn finally comes thru' later this year (...that's when I shine).

Anyhow, lately my mind just gravitates towards an early memory from my first year at Messiah College, which just happened to be my first brush with a REAL winter. My two future roommates (and best friends) Collins and Luke took me to the Lottie (School Cafeteria) for a spot of breakfast, and they especially made sure I took a load of sausages;

You shoulda seen the glee on their faces when I bit into those things. I'm not knocking American culture or cuisine, but those sausages were nasty (strange considering how their other delightful meats turned me into the Carnivore that I am nowadays). And those two practical jokers got to pull a fast one on me - priceless.

Dunno why the memory came at me so strong recently. Maybe 'cause of Deja vu with Chinese sausages (香肠 which translates to "Flavoured Intestine"...and boy do they taste like it!!!!), or maybe it's cause Collins has a date with destiny (impending wedding)...or might be that it's been 5 years since I've seen a lot of the friends that I had in College.
Whatever the case may be, I'm thankful to God for all the experiences, and like a friend of mine (Janice) reminded me I gotta stay in touch with my people.

So, in this the year of the Rabbit 2011, while of sound judgment and reasonably better financial status than other years, expect to hear and see more from me, my dear friends.

God Bless

And God speed with the wedding plans Collins

The Music of Pat Metheny – The Way Up

This song brings back dear memories to mind. It is my FIRST actual PMG recording purchase. I didn’t know much about it before it was released, but I played the heck out of the little snippet that they had available on his website, and I knew then that I had to have it. I had only just graduated from college that May of ’05, so this song forever stands as a hallmark of my coming of age.

Listening to it was something else altogether different. The Way Up has certainly polarized PMG fans; some do not like his new direction neither do they appreciate the fact that the typical PMG humming that they’ve come to love is only restricted to a mere 2 minutes in Part 3. A lot of his fans would describe this as his Magnus Opus. Judging from the complexity of just listening to the piece in its entirety, without having listened to his entire discography, I was already convinced that it was a masterpiece.

In the Opening, the Group goes all “space-age”, racing through a whole bunch of motifs and key changes. It literally starts off sounding like the cacophony from an oncoming train. It is a good introduction to the new line up and the vast array of sounds that they are capable of producing. (Until I watched the DVD version of this concert, it was nigh well impossible for me to know which instrument was producing which sound. The Ghostly whimpering from Cuong Vu’s trumpet is beautiful, and Metheny’s use of an E-Bow was a new experience for me).

Part I, starts off with the main theme (the first 4 minutes was the website snippet released to the public), played out in its simplistic beauty. A standout performance from Antonio Sanchez, his drum work sets this piece apart. Remaining as a force, ever present to guide the work through all its changes, and managing to keep it technical, but so very musical to even an untrained ear like mine.
This is the longest portion, but probably also the easiest for a person to digest first time around.

Part II - well, the crescendo about 2 minutes into it - presents us with a snippet of yet another theme, which is eventually fully elucidated in Part III. The Piano work of Lyle Mays is at its most beautiful and haunting within the relative stillness allowed in Part II. The PMG definitely “throws down” in Part II, guided first by Cuong Vu’s trumpeting, and then by the PMG lineup’s most unique inclusion - Greg Maret’s Harmonica. (Truthfully though, percussionist Nana Vasconcelo's "instrument" from Farmer's Trust, definitely takes the cake as strangest inclusion)

Part III begins with a deep resounding bass line and then settles into a full exploration of the aforementioned theme drawn from Part II. And towards the end, the wordless humming of the PMG draws us through to a beautiful climax: the main theme played out in beautiful artistic contemplation, each instrument adding its own nuance. Personally, hearing it lifts my soul each and every time: it is the crowning moment of a job well done. So much hope is imbued in the beautiful exploration of such a minute section.

I can certainly say that the first listen wasn’t easy …but this is not one of those pieces that you have to be trained to appreciate – the appreciation comes on its own. I once heard the expression,

Everytime you ought to rewind, you find there’s more to find

This work typifies that expression. It is so densely packed with planned nuances and little touches that are a joy to discover anytime you peruse through it. I have the joy of discovering each of these little jewels at my own pace, but I have to respect the genius who within a limited span of time planned for the pacing of it all, and the unity of the composition.

The Way Up, of late, has become something else to me – a source of hope. I recently listened to one of the PMG’s earlier recordings, where a nascent inkling of The Way Up’s main theme can distinctly be heard. This earlier recording predates the current release by about 30 years. To think that someone can be inspired so deeply, act on that inspiration, and not being satisfied retain that inspiration in his mind (allowing it to ruminate), and come back 30 years later and concoct a masterpiece…now that is certainly divine.

It gives me hope to think that perhaps the wisdom born of my mind and the yearning of my soul is indeed useful. I need to note down the vision, but I also have to be wary of what changes may come, and I might need some help clearing the vision up. I suspect that is what Lyle Mays is to Pat Metheny – a soundboard who understands what Pat’s vision is when everyone else might think he’s out of sorts.

5 years later, 5 years out of college, this masterpiece is always one I turn to, even while still discovering his earlier impressive discography that shows me what led up to the Magnus Opus.

Being back home, and the Referendum

It feels great to be back home after two years spent in Wenzhou, China.
Seems like nothing much has changed around here since I left. I’m just glad culture shock isn’t such a big deal after you’ve gone through it more than once. Yeah, right, I know….it’s China – which in some circles is still considered “developing” – but if you’ve been there recently, you’d know just how far ahead of the game China is. My favourite city, Shanghai, literally gives New York a run for its money.

Strangest thing I had happen to me this week was that I had to make a call to a Chinese teacher to sort some stuff out at school. I guess in the course of that conversation I must have dropped a few Chinese words or two. In any case, soon as I was done with the call, a Kenyan right next to me broke out in fluent Chinese (tongue-in-cheek) asking me whether I spoke Chinese. I’d have to meet, it was the most random place I ever expected to have a conversation in Chinese, but it shows me that perhaps there are more of us out there than I usually assume, and mayhaps it was a good decision to go to China.

Anyways, the gist of my entry is about the referendum that’s sets Kenyans abuzz with such euphoria lately. That people are so excited about something this meagre is partly confusing and a little embarrassing to me personally. Let me qualify my statement with the fact that recently a companion described me as being very “dismissive”.
A bit harsh of a classification I think (but I guess I’ll accept that characterization nonetheless).

Lord knows this country needs a good constitution and people have been neglected in the past. In that same vein of thought, a Good constitution would safeguard all the rights of the citizen, correct?
(At this point, Batman’s nemesis – the Joker – would poignantly ask “Then why so sad?”)

I’m not focusing on what the constitution says, good as it may be; rather, I’m focusing on the actors who are meant to implement the constitution’s requirements. As was commonly said in times past, “80% of the previous constitution was good; 20% was bad”
What we witnessed, however, was blatant snubbing of even the good part of that very same constitution. Bottom line is that without changing the “actors” or their “mindsets”, things are still bound to go down the same road no matter what constitution we choose.

In a related event, people have been complaining of our educational system, 8-4-4, claiming that it demands too much of our students, saddles them with too much technical knowledge. I would think the same of this referendum; for people to expect the common man to browse through tonnes of legal lingo (in their own free time for no fee), and come to the right decision is expecting too much. To help us out, they could at least have whittled the thing down to the 20% which is actually CONTENTIOUS.

And here is the reason why I am embarrassed – our legislators are actually paid tonnes of money to work out such matters. And ideally, this is boring work, which we pay them to do, so that we don’t have to deal with it (We salute a long list of professionals who we pay to deal with our mundane tasks, so that we don’t have to: Lawyers, Accountants, Auditors, Historians, Anthropologists, Geologists, etc)
Far be it from the MPs to even attempt to understand what they are doing, but they drum up a whole circus of festivities, trying to excite the common man about things mundane, and gain political mileage at the same time. And, adding insult to injury, they peddle their confusion to the gullible masses, so that as the Lord would say,
“…they take away the keys to knowledge; themselves not entering, and hindering those who wish to enter (the kingdom)…”

Most embarrassing of all is how they even got the church embroiled in this whole mess. I’m Catholic and fully pro-life, but the stupidity contained in the Church’s arguments leaves me shocked. As a future medical professional who’s done his bit on philosophy and ethics of care-giving, and reading the same constitution, I don’t know where they came up with the idea that the new constitution allows for anyone in an allied medical field (even physiotherapy or even Morgue attendants) to prescribe an abortion.

I’m embarrassed as a Christian, a future medic and as a human being that such lies are being peddled by “respectable” religious personalities. If they know they are lying, God will deal with them. If they are honestly ignorant, it only further proves the point that they are dabbling in matters for which they are not properly equipped; it obviously isn’t their calling.

So I’ll just sit out this little referendum, and hope people keep their heads despite everything. The proof is in the pudding for me – the implementation.
Shame on you legislators for failing your country yet again; for stirring up emotions where none were required at all; for gross dereliction of duty and for misleading your people yet again.

May God and this great land of Kenya forgive you for your failure.

Early one morning...

I was walking through one of the dorm kitchens early this morning and I came across the beautiful moth. Gone are the days when it was assumed that butterflies relegated their "cousins" to the ugly heap.

This particular beauty (hoping I got my classification right) should be a (Male) Luna Moth - Actias luna. Since these guys only last about one week in their adult life, I figure he's probably not got much time left. But even with finite and fragile aspects of life, God's creativity shines forth.

He actually freaked out one of my friends, but he's harmless. No mouth parts on him apparently, all his feeding was done when he was younger. Hence, despite the 4.5 inch wing span, short of flying at you, there really is nothing harmful he can really do to you.

For more info on other interesting moth species, you can follow the link below:
World's weirdest moths,

...and for a twist of something that's beautiful but deadly, check out the Asp Caterpillar

(Pics courtesy of Neha Drivya)

Lessons from the World Cup!

This has got to be the most arduous balancing act I've ever had to pull off to enjoy a World Cup. For the whole schedule to so perfectly coincide with my exam period here in Medical school means every moment spent watching a game has to be weighed against the missed studying time.

All things considered, it's been an enjoyable experience. Seems like karma's been putting things right with this World Cup (England-Germany disputed match of '66, France-Ireland qualification debacle, Italian win through questionable means in 2006...);

The exit of some big names early on in the tournament is proving something to most people (one point especially that my Mum always emphasized) - the fundamentals are very important, and no team, no matter how great it is can get by unless it is DISCIPLINED. There's no discounting the odd bad luck that may befall a team (preview Ghana vs. Uruguay), but lack of Discipline is a guaranteed faux pas. The dissension among the ranks in the English and French teams proves this.

Striking at the World Cup? The team that had the dubious distinction of pulling that move off in 2006 was Angola, and didn't the world breath a sigh of relief when that team didn't progress any further.
If I were to wax philosophical, I would say,

And over all these skills put on DISCIPLINE, which binds them all together in perfect unity.

I say this with particularly heavy-hearted emphasis on my own country Kenya's football aspirations. Plagued by chaos stemming from a Top-Down lack of recognition of what it takes to make a great team, we've always been disappointed in international competition. Not for lack of talent, nor opportunity, but a basic failure to inculcate discipline into our own ranks.

I think it is very telling that Nigeria would go so far as to suspend their National team from international competition for 2 years of basic rebuilding. Granted, not everyone might be able to pull this off, nor would it bode well for FIFA's planning if every country under the sun were just to up and take a 'sabbatical'...
...but, for my country's sake, maybe that's just what we need; breathing room to step back and gain a sense that the ultimate prize here is not individual fame and fortune, but the respect and honour that it brings to your Mother-Country. I can't think of a time when people are more united as when they cheer for the same team. All differences put aside, all hopes and prayers raised towards one end. That's the way I'd like to see my national team unite the country.

...And, having just watched the Ghana-Uruguay match, I would love it if we also had the chance to carry the continent's aspirations.
Unfortunately, lesson number 2, short and pithy as it is, comes from that same game,

Sometimes it's the lucky team that prevails

Contrary to pundit previews, Ghana was the better of the two teams today (hands down!!!). I guess the question then is whether you'd rather be "Good" or "Lucky"?

Anyhow, back to the old studies. Enjoy your World Cup, whichever team you support (GERMANY)

God Bless

The Medical Lecture Series

As a medical student, sometimes we cannot help but lose sight of what our finals goals are in the medical field, particularly because of the vast (and varied) scope of material that we are expected to cover within class. “Where does it all fit in? ...is it really of any use?”

Thus, it was rather timely that this semester has witnessed a fledgling effort by SIS students to bring more medical professionals from the WMC’s affiliated hospitals to the Chashan campus to give us a kind of ‘practical medical orientation’. The inaugural event consisted of a lecture held by Dr. Teng Hong Lin (’96), a spinal surgeon, and it covered Bone degeneration disease. The most recent lecture, held on April 29th at the Xu Guang Hall, featured Dr. Zheng Xiao Feng (’87), a general surgeon, who presented a case study on Perforation of the Ascending Colon, interspersed with video displays of laparoscopic surgery.

Truthfully speaking, the lectures were well-thought out and presented, and introduced us to the complexity of the DDx - ‘differential diagnosis’. In addition, it presented us with a tangible example of what the “finished product” of a fine medical education should look like – the elegance and poise that comes from the dedication to detail, with a resultant display of ‘Excellence, Honour, and Compassion’ in caring for any patient

Students who have had the chance to visit the 1st affiliated hospital for “Doctor-shadowing” during the last summer and winter holidays can attest to their familiarity with these two alumnae; and for the rest of the students, it was a wonderful chance for them to become acquainted with both the Dean and Vice-Dean of surgery at the hospital. Similarly, the doctors were enthusiastic about the response shown by the students in attendance and have agreed to work with the students towards broadening the scope of subsequent lectures by entrenching a ‘lecture series’ as a staple of the semester’s calendar.
(An immediate fruit of this was the invitation extended to all students to attend the surgical demonstration by Ohio State University’s Bradley J. Needleman, MD. this past Sunday - May 16th 2010 - at the 1st Affiliated Hospital’s Medical Center)

.......A heartfelt vote of thanks goes out to the doctors of WMC for availing themselves to remind us why we are proud to be part of the WMC family. (Also deserving noteworthy mention are Navin Chutturghoon and Mohamed AlHalwachi, two students whose antecedent efforts paved the way for the rapport between the perennially busy doctors and the underclassmen).

[Photography by Usman Asaf]