Recreation in USA!

Bicycle ride towards Holden City, Massachusetts, USA

Riding my Peugeot!

Road holding is good. I challenge Lance Armstrong.I betcha I ride faster than him!

Near Worcester Water Reservoir built around 1910!

Ride-xercising!

The bar!

Forge ahead and forgive. What better way!

I listened to this song on a pure moods album III called; Land of Anaka. It is a collaboration by Geoffrey Oryema/Brian Eno. In it they are singing of hope after so much anarchy and destruction. It is a song of hope and courage. It speaks of realized dreams that can come one’s way, when four things occur: change, belief, resolve and starting again. By change we decide to move away from where we are persecuted and stymied in our paths of progress. Because of belief and if we do not cease to believe in ourselves, we can therefore prompt ourselves in seeking a better life. By resolve we are steadfast in our plans. We engage in activities that continue affirming our ideas, creating reality from our dreams. This consistence brings fruits and is part of the discipline paths we take.

 I want to be a very great person. I want to be able to, one day, be able to make change in the world. I have seen poverty in our communities. It is dressed in so many ways. It appears as; a small 12 feet by 20 feet house made of mud with mud floor serving as the home of a family of 7 people. It is also dressed in form of communities extracting sustenance from lands that have been stripped of nutrients and are just brown soils held together as crusts! Poverty is also dressed as a culture of greed, fear and selfishness. Those who have are empowered to take even the little that those who have less can call their own food.  In all these situations there are ways to cause contentedness and security for all. Those with much will have security and those with less will get contentment. I know am going to be part of that agenda. There is no blaming anyone, in this situation we shall start blaming those who are against empowering others to seek contentment and those who will disturb peace and order for others.

I know a little bit about betrayal and pain as a result of having what you thought was the world around, to be shattered by people close to you. I know what it means to live side by side with people who eventually become your inner circle, only to end up realizing they are actually using you as a stepping stone and later abandoned you. I know being in need and knocked on doors of people you thought would help, but only to be shooed away! I do know pain. But, most of all I do know that I am able to overcome all the negative forces and forge on. I know the sweetness of forgiving and avoiding petty-minded persons who tend to look at life in a very narrow way. They usually have lost hope and we tend to be empathetic. We make these kinds of people our friends only to be pulled back by their fears. By the time we realize we had neglected our own issues, most of the time it is regrettable.

In Oryema’s song, I realized I was one of those who had given so much to others and neglected my own dreams and hopes. I now can sit back and listen to music, hear the words and reflect upon them deeply. I can give myself quality time and do in-depth studies in various professional fields. I have re-discovered myself.  If, a long time ago, I thought I was building up something for myself it is now that I see I had not done anything for me. I used to take sorrowful journeys but ended up pained more than they aggrieved. This realization that I have bottomless sources of hope, courage and wisdom gave me a galvanizing companionship and showed me all was not lost. One day I shall be a great person.

Africa's intellectuals!

http://www.theeastafrican.co.ke/OpEd/comment/Africa-enslaved-intellectuals-to-be-pitied-or-despised/-/434750/1740998/-/item/1/-/12oqs98/-/index.html

Grateful for Life and grateful to be in USA

I am an African, recently moved to USA. I know I save money by making sure I continue meeting my scheduled medical check-ups. It is advisable to have atleast one health check a year or once every 12 months.  A medical/health check-up is a thorough physical exam including a variety of tests depending on presented complaint, age, sex and health of a person. A medical check-up has its advantage: it helps find problems before they start; help find problems earlier when the chances for treatment bring early cures; it helps one keep a healthier and longer life.

We all need to schedule appointments for medical check-ups. The following areas are opportunities for us to know about our bodies:

1.       Breast and Cervical  Cancer Early Detection

2.       Cholesterol

3.       Colorectal Cancer Screening

4.       Diabetes

5.       High Blood Pressure

6.       Immunizations

7.       Oral Health

8.       Prostate Cancer

9.       Skin Cancer

10.   Endocrine-diseases

11.   Cardio-Vascular diseases

12.   Lung

13.   weight check

14.   Ear, Neck and Eyes

15.   Bones

16.   HIV

17.   Viral Hepatitis
18. Neurological illnesses

Do not take things for granted. Schedule a time and tell your employee or people at home about your health check up at the nearest hospital. Make your life count by going for these check-ups.

My friends in need and indeed

I am so glad I did meet these friends.

I like going out to meet people. The other day,I wanted to have my hair done in styles I see in Hollywood movies. I mean, that afro that seems to stand smug straight on the head without a single hair falling out of position. My black hair. I want to grow it longer and may be later do the corn-rows. But, I wonder if that will not make me more like Samson of the Bible.

Where was I? Yes, my friends. The Dominican serves in a neighborhood Mac ( McDonald).I happened to have jogged a mile and wanted to rest because out of nowhere, it had started to snow. I then proceeded to look at the menu but got lost in all that culinary-mouth-wetting names-only Mac knows how to label and coin. This girl comes forward to help me. I asked too talk slowly, that way I could actually comprehend what she was saying. She must have made me as African. We became friends and she taught me how to order for things in a Mac!

The Kenyans remind me of religion. Somehow that is how they factor in my life in USA.

The Nigerians. They showed me the main streets.I became street-wiser!

The Liberian and Ghanaian. They did support in my earlier days in USA. I was made firmer in my resolve to do something, to engage myself in work because of them.

Ugandan Community. I do thank the Ugandan community for being examples of livelihood in USA.

Hang in their.

Wait, wait. What you can do to help a person living with HIV

Yesterday,I got thinking. We do and have done so much to fight HIV. Are you aware the trick is to have people living with HIV on ARVs in order to help them suppress the viral load. This way, they do not succumb to opportunistic infections (OI's). Support positive clubs, support clinics providing ARVs, support the health workers so that they remain motivated, support caregivers at home encourage those in their care adhere.

Help some one keep taking their ARV's

ARV's help in suppressing viral load. It helps one have defend against infections. How you can help: support a friend living with HIV take ARV's, support them have proper nutrition and exercise. Support the health workers coming into interface with persons living with HIV daily. Support the caregivers at home who take care of bed-ridden or house-bound persons. Give voice to the problems faced by people living with HIV.