Wilde Yearnings

• Things that make me go urghhhh!!

  Posted: November 21, 2008, 2:15 pm by Wildeyearnings

  You know everyone's got them: pet hates or those irritating things that make you wanna rip someone's head off and stuff it up their ass... (ahem) If you're a psychopath that is.
  
  Number 1: Traffic in Nairobi.
  Yes I know I whine about this A LOT. And to be honest there's something I can do about it such as stop working, move closer to work maybe, kill all the matatu/bus drivers with instant poisoned gas or just shut up and drive.
  
  But to be honest folks. Traffic in Nairobi's got to be the the worst I've ever experienced. Seriously. And I've lived in New York. We have got to start marketing Nairobi as a man-made 8th wonder of the world.Ok lets just say if you don't have to drive around Nairobi everyday, you're a very lucky person. You are truly blessed. And I hate you.
  
  Number 2: Its KEnya and not KEENya
  This is just really petty of me. And its ok with me if you struggle to pronounce my country's name. Seriously. I still can't say Czechoslovakia without stuttering. Its ok for people not from Kenya to mispronounce it. We can always correct the pronounciation can't we?
  
  What gets to me however is Kenyans who say KEEnya. I'm like dude!!! You can't pronounce the name of your own bloody country??! Like wtf!? I don't know what stops me from hitting them on the head with a blunt object whenever I hear a KEnyan say (in a fake American twang) :"Yar... I'm from KEEnya."
  Must. Restrain. Self. From. Violence.
  
  Number 3: Reality TV Shows
  Just can't stand being 'entertained' by talentless people. No real reason behind this - just urgh!.... ( shivers). Big Brother Africa anyone? No? What about The Apprentice Africa maybe? No? Survivor Africa?...and just like a horror movie- when one's over, you breathe a sigh of relief...only to have another one start. Good thing that 'off' button on the telly works eh?
  
  And in other news....
  
  I love this video by a bunch of British comedians called Idiots of Ants. This one is a sketch of what goes on after a date with a gay man. Yeah.... I know y'all were really curious about this. Its hilarious. This one makes me go LOL...
  
  Two boys
  
  

• I miss..

  Posted: November 17, 2008, 1:57 pm by Wildeyearnings

  talking about sex. I really do.
  
  Don't get me wrong- I don't miss sex, seeing that I'm having lots of it... but I miss blogging about it.
  
  It seems that when I was not having it, I talked about it ALL the time...or at least posted nice lust inducing shots of buff guys on this blog. The irony huh? My paramour is a revelation ( and not only in bed). I find that being with someone who really has a thirst for life really infectious. I like the feeling of being happy all the time for no damn reason. Aint life grand?
  
  Well lets talk sex shall we? And I mean in the most shallow, pleasing and smile- inducing way.And the best thing is that you don't actually have to have it to talk about it. Funny thing, in my country everyone frowns on talking about sex but everyone knows that its going on- in churches,schools,bars, public parking lots (yes Minister- the parking lot) etc...
  
  Like gay sex for example- its illegal here and definitely frowned upon but the weird thing is that when you mention a public figure who is suspected of being gay/bisexual- everyone goes like...'Oh him, yeah he is'. Everyone's really casual about it too...amazing. I like this attitude: Yeah he's having gay sex, so what? I have bigger problems to deal with. Like how to explain to my wife that I wasn't really having sex with the house-maid- I was just checking to see that she was healthy ( by the way, this really happened).
  
  So.....sex? Hmmm? Had any lately? Liked it? Kept it safe? Do share...

• What change?

  Posted: November 10, 2008, 11:52 am by Wildeyearnings

  
  
  
  As people seem to coming down from the high that was last week's electoral result, real life (sometimes mundane) continues.
  
  In the US, as voters elected a black man as president, they also denied the right to marry to a group of citizens on account of sexuality. Gay and lesbian people are feeling rightfully taken aback and angry about the recent election results in California, Arizona, and Florida affirming Proposition 8 that denies the right to marry to gay and lesbian folk. One step forward, two steps back?
  
  In Kenya, as it is in most of Africa, the notion that as a gay man can marry the man I love, seems about as realistic as Kenya launching its first space probe. However this doesn't stop me feeling a sense of outrage over the Prop 8 results in solidarity with millions of Americans (both gay and straight) who fought so hard to eliminate some of the last vestiges of discrimination against LGBT people in these States.
  
  This got me thinking. What makes human beings hold one set of values against others as superior? For a long time in colonial Kenya, we had whites lording it over black folk all in the name of racial superiority, now we have Christians lording it over the rest of us all in the name of morality, Muslims lording it over all in the name of religion, men lording it over women in the name of tradition/culture/sexism....on and on.
  
  Seriously when will we get over the sense of our own superiority? What gives me the right to deny someone a fundamental right because he/she thinks his/her position/understanding/race/sex/sexuality is far more superior than the other side's?
  
  Now I understand homophobia. I get it. I really do. I don't like it but its here in Kenya- like it or not. I've lived in a homophobic society for most of my life. I can't be openly out except to close friends and family. Living in a glass closet so to speak. But at times despite my exposure to almost daily homophobia and resultant thick skin, at times it makes me mad, then sad, then really baffled as to why people are so afraid of alternative sexualities. Just because I'm gay doesn't mean YOU'RE gay or will become gay or will morph into a monstrous sometimes gay/sometimes straight creature! My sexuality should not threaten or intimidate you anymore than yours threatens me.
  
  Sometime last week, on a radio breakast show in Nairobi, one of the presenters said something that really hit close to home. He was talking about Obama's election..praising the American people for looking beyond skin colour and then in the same breath expressing his pleasure that majority of voters said no to gay marriage. Which is ok- it's his opinion and all and after all it was put to the vote. But his next comments threw me for a loop. They were full of vitriol and hate and plenty of ignorance about gay men in particular. He went on to describe in detail what he would do to gay men ( nothing that wouldn't be rated for violence and foul language). He finished off his very un-Shakespearean rant by saying lesbians are ok. They should be given the right to marry in Kenya ...wink wink, nudge nugde..thereby reaffirming his masculinity to millions of Nairobi listeners (eye-roll).
  
  My point is though I'm not one to ram my opinions and beliefs down other people's throats, we ought to stand up against discrimination. You don't like gay people? Ok. You're entitled to your dislike. I don't particularly like bigots and racists as well. But when you discriminate against people, or advocate for violence and hate on public radio thus influencing hundreds of thousands of people.....then mate, step back, take a good look at yourself and ask yourself- What the Fuck am I doing!!!???
  
  How is this love? How is this progressive?
  
  21st Century Earth- gay people are still second-class citizens.
  
  21st Century Kenya- gay people are still potential criminals- to be hunted and removed from this moral nation.
  
  21st Century man still has the ever-increasing capacity to be bigoted.
  
  Seriously folks. Where's the love!!??

• Yes He Did!

  Posted: November 5, 2008, 6:05 pm by Wildeyearnings

  
  
  As can be expected, Kenya is all aglow with delight and pride.
  
  I'm not a fan of politicians in general but even I cannot diminish the victory that the American people scored with this election. 1st Black President, one of the younger presidents and 1st time US Senator etc....
  
  After Bush, this must sure feel like heaven. Many, many Kenyans didn't sleep last night waiting for the electoral results. During the night I would periodically hear cheers from outside my window everytime Obama/Biden won a state.
  
  And then our President today announced a public holiday in Kenya tomorrow in honor of Obama's victory. Go figure :) This announcement by our President Kibaki has got many Kenyans bemused. No one really knows the significance nor purpose of this public holiday but I for one am grateful! I really, really needed a break from work. Kudos 'relative' Obama! You've done me a huge favor :)

Blah blah blah

Fish cakes

Alas a fish cake.

Yet more fish cakes

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

The end of the fish cakes