Wilde Yearnings

• Black, White, Grey?

  Posted: October 8, 2008, 8:03 pm by Wildeyearnings

  Forgive me if I bore you with this post and go on about a really tedious topic. However you see I am ticked off. Well just a little bit quite honestly. My sunny disposition :) however doesn’t allow me to stay ticked off for longer than 5 minutes.
  
  I’ve just had a conversation with some guy who’s stuck in 1939. You see I refer to myself as black, because that’s what I think I am- culturally and my heritage as well. And damn proud of it. Now the 1930’s guy took offence…on behalf of ‘black people’ ( I didn’t know there was an association- Black People’s Association (BPA) and informed me in no uncertain terms that I cannot ,CANNOT call myself black because I’m most certainly not and therefore cannot identify with the BPA.
  
  Now I think that everyone has the right to classify themselves as they choose, Obama identifies (or is identified) as a black man, Mariah Carey says she’s black as does Lewis Hamilton. Ryan Giggs has referred to himself in the past as being proud of his black roots, but then other people have called him white. On the other hand, Wentworth Miller refers to himself as white with some ‘African’ heritage etc…
  
  Point is…are we who we say we are? Who determines who or what we identify with? Ourselves? Other people? One of my sisters refers to herself as ‘multi-racial’ only- neither black nor white but both and she has a right to do so. She takes pride and identifies with the two, both ethnically and culturally. The rest of us (brother and sisters) all say we are black- although we might not all look it.
  
  I don’t believe in classifying people according to skin colour otherwise I’d probably be called grey- (black +white = grey). But for me black is a cultural identity which defines me. Or maybe to be politically correct- African….but what about Caucasian Africans (white Africans to be less PC?)
  
  So to end this unbelievably pointless post, I’m black because I say I am.:)
  And to borrow a leaf from GUG’s book I finish with a poem I love from a Caribbean source….
  
  Excuse me
  standing on one leg
  I’m half-caste.
  
  Explain yuself
  wha yu mean
  when yu say half-caste
  yu mean when Picasso
  mix red an green
  is a half-caste canvas?
  explain yuself
  wha yu mean
  when yu say half-caste
  yu mean when light an shadow
  mix in de sky
  is a half-caste weather?
  well in dat case
  england weather
  nearly always half-caste
  in fact some o dem cloud
  half-caste till dem overcast
  so spiteful dem don’t want de sun pass
  ah rass?
  explain yuself
  wha yu mean
  when yu say half-caste
  yu mean tchaikovsky
  sit down at dah piano
  an mix a black key
  wid a white key
  is a half-caste symphony?
  
  Explain yuself
  wha yu mean
  Ah listening to yu wid de keen
  half of mih ear
  Ah looking at yu wid de keen
  half of mih eye
  an when I’m introduced to yu
  I’m sure you’ll understand
  why I offer yu half-a-hand
  an when I sleep at night
  I close half-a-eye
  consequently when I dream
  I dream half-a-dream
  an when moon begin to glow
  I half-caste human being
  cast half-a-shadow
  but yu must come back tomorrow
  wid de whole of yu eye
  an de whole of yu ear
  an de whole of yu mind.
  
  an I will tell yu
  de other half
  of my story.

• Things what I've been doing....

  Posted: October 6, 2008, 7:37 pm by Wildeyearnings

  Its been ages since I blogged. So a little update on what’s been going on with me….
  
  First off, everyone who’s read my previous posts knows how much I love this crazy, beautiful country, Kenya. But in the last couple of weeks, Kenya’s coolness factor has just skyrocketed. Why? Because we have pirates. Yes indeed, your run of the mill, sea-faring pirates, argggh!
  
  Well ok... maybe the pirates are not Kenyan (they are Somali) but they are operating off Kenya’s coast. Pirates of Mogadishu we call 'em. And get this, they are kidnapping ships and holding them ransom. Classic Captain Jack Sparrow…and a bottle of rum. There’s been a bit of a brou ha ha this week coz they captured a Ukrainan ship headed for Kenya carrying Kenyan military equipment. This saga has got me hooked because quite possibly we are the only country in the world with our very own pirates? My friends abroad now want to come visit Kenya- piracy as a tourist attraction in Kenya. Who would’ve thought?
  
  On a slightly more serious note….work’s been keeping me busy- that time of the year when things hectic I guess. Which has worked out very well for me. Keeping busy is cathartic to the soul. Nico (my best friend) got married last month and he’s happy. I’m happy. I don’t sound convincing enough…? LOL. No comment.
  
  I’ve been to Kampala (hey GUG!) for a few days. Lovely city. Always enjoy myself there. The night life’s amazing. Ugandans really know how to have a good time. (And boy can they drink! I was out-drunk by some chap – never thought that would happen).
  
  The eye-candy’s situation in Nairobi is getting a bit ridiculous. Where are all these hot men springing up from? I call them ‘loin teasers’…if you catch my drift. It’s a conspiracy I tell you! Its like an invasion from a supermodel planet or something. Help!
  
  On a brighter more hopeful note, out of the horde of these crotch botherers, I did meet someone who’s good to hang out with, no strings attached and all that stuff. And very easy on the eyes as well (yes I’m occasionally shallow).
  
  All in all, this post was all over the place but just to let you know I’m back and will be blogging more regularly.

Blah blah blah

Fish cakes

Alas a fish cake.

Yet more fish cakes

Guess what ... yeah ... fish cakes.

The end of the fish cakes