on the soul

I thought this was an interesting article

Any weather I can ride in

What is your favorite type of weather?

Shouldn’t be too sunny, too wet or too windy. If I can ride, I can run or hike.

Whenever I am out on a jog or a ride and it starts to rain, I keep going. I never however leave the house in wet weather for any activity. For some reason I have been lucky during my hikes. Never been rained in any of them. But I can’t say this about runs or rides.

What else is there to say about the weather? Only Mark Twain could describe New Mexico weather in ways that would me you laugh. You need to check that description out by the way.

Happy Sunday everyone.

Nothing

What do you wish you could do more every day?

That would lead to ennui.

Unless it is living like i am dying the next moment. That’s the only thing I think we should do more every day. We don’t do enough of it and this is unfortunate.

But having said that, our days should be filled each day with occasions for learning, for being kind to those we meet, for making new connections, for enjoying good food. Especially good food. You saw that article about our gut bacteria and enzymes being related to our moods. So, yes, good food daily and more often. Reading a book.

Last few days, the clouds have opened and Nairobi is getting pounded with heavy showers. Sometimes the whole night. Or during the day. I don’t belong to any gym and I don’t have home equipment so no treadmill running. Or stationary bike. Getting time to squeeze in a run, a ride or a hike.

I would love to spend more time with my loved ones. And some friends. This is one that I would do more everyday. Though occasionally I would have to take a break from them to get air 😀.

So, there we have it.

It is not conceivable

What is one word that describes you?

That one word would describe me. Unlike a golf ball or a cork than can be described as hard, I can’t think of on one word that would describe me. Let’s consider the 16 personality types, as a start, and I bet any of the traits could be applied to me and that person wouldn’t be wrong by much. Maybe the only trait that anyone would least likely associate me with is being an entrepreneur. I don’t even think of myself in those terms.

Having said that, how we see ourselves is way different from what others see. Maybe, it would be best to ask those closest to me to answer this question. I might say that the word that describes me is easy but they would most likely disagree. They may say I am difficult. Complicated. Stubborn. Sometimes irritable. You know, anything but easy. And they could be right.

My colleagues at work or on construction sites may also disagree with me if I said I was easy. Some would think of me as being bossy. And I would disagree. While yet others would have different words or adjectives to describe me and in their view, they would all think themselves right.

While I prefer anonymity, some say I am loud. I know you are wondering how could one whose thoughts are all over the web talk of preferring anonymity. I don’t know the answer too. But that is just how it is.

Maybe, you, my regular audience can tell me what word you think describes your genial host.

sex

What activities do you lose yourself in?

Is that a clickbait title?

Last semester, one of my assignments was on the theory of flow. Until that time, I hadn’t met the concept of flow to mean being lost in an activity.To be in a state of flow is a condition where ability and task are matched in a way that the actor is almost unaware of whatever is happening around them. You are unaware of the passage of time.

I get lost in so many activities. When I am doing long distance rides, there are long moments when I am not aware of the passage of time. I have music in my ears which I am not listening to but to dull the noise from my surrounding. The same happens when I am on a hike or a run. I am in the moment.

Or when I am watching an interesting movie or reading a book that has got my attention. Even standing to go to the Johns becomes a challenge. I glance at my watch and get surprised how late it really is and I should have had lunch eons before or done something else.

Of course if you are having sex and not lost in it, you are either doing it wrong or you are doing it wrong. You should just stop.

Yes

Are you superstitious?

Who isn’t? How do you live your life without some superstition? Where is the joy in that? Being an empiricist from Monday to Monday. No room for some crazy is a sure way to live a boring life. I know you are dying to know some of my superstitious beliefs.

If you wear any item of clothing inside out, it means you are anticipating a good meal in the near foreseeable future. Whether this is true or not is immaterial.

Crossing someone’s shadow will lead to stunted growth. I don’t care how. Everyone believes it. I believe it. So it is true. Coming from a village with witchdoctors, if someone collects your shadow, they can cause you harm. Don’t ask me how they collect shadows. I don’t know. But we know it to be true.

I have been debating with myself whether I should believe in ghosts. Human life figures with goat legs and can go through walls. I am just waiting for some evidence to come through of a ghost spotting then I will include this in my beliefs.

Anyway, I kid. I know there could be some irrational beliefs that I have, bordering on the superstitious but I can’t think of any at the moment.

What are your superstitions?

The pictures

This gallery contains 20 photos.

in a big shop

Where would you go on a shopping spree?

where they sell good looks, youth, fitness, good health, friendship, peace of mind and I don’t know what else.

Many other things bore you the moment you get them. When in the market for a new gadget, one thinks this has the elixir for happiness. Once I get this new phone, laptop or car or for the Americans AR15, I will be happy and complete only to discover that now you need a missile launcher, a cooker, oven or something in reverse order. But maybe you are an Indian guru and have conquered desire. You are at peace with yourself and the world. You have gained the capacity to look at gold and a mound of ash with indifference. I don’t want to get here. Not yet.

That’s me. What about you, my good readers?

one day Mt. Kenya hike

Heeeyyy!

Today I want to tell you a story. Not a long story though. I like to be economical with my words and considerate of your time. I read somewhere that our attention span has been reduced to only take sound bites. So I will try and make this a soundbite. But I am already taking space. Look at that.

The hike begins with a drive to Naro Moru centre for breakfast at any one of the cafes that can be found within that almost sleepy town. The turn off to the gate is 14km from Naro Moru town on the Isiolo- Nairobi road. From the turn, you drive for forever on a tarmac road till a right turn on a dirt road that will take you to the gate. The dirt road is well done so even a Suzuki Alto can be driven up to the gate. Gate fees is Kes 430. Car fees Kes 300. Remember to carry enough water for the hike and no single use plastic bottles. The guards will not allow past the gate with these. From the gate, one can opt to hike or drive the 10 or so km to the Met Station which is the base camp for Mt Kenya hike.

Now that I have brought you to the Met Station, let the hike begin. The first 2km up the bamboo forest are paved. I think there was a need to access some other station along the road so it was made accessible for motorbike or a 4×4. Beyond the bamboo forest, one gets to the moorland and there, one meets the last signs of beauty on this trail. The Naro Moru- Mackinders route is the least scenic route to the summit. There is nothing to see. Nothing interesting, I mean. It is marshland. Stones. Mountain vegetation and that’s it. The 10km trek is not hard, if you are fit. I have seen some blogs where people have written that one must be very fit to do it, I doubt it. If you start early, say at 7, and pace yourself well, the 1214m elevation change is not too daunting. Always dress warmly for the mountain. It can get cold. Wet. Windy. Or a combination of all.

One should be at the main gate by 6pm. I was back at the gate by 4 having hiked crazy fast. Took me 5hrs for the 20km hike. Climbing 1244m and descending 1246m. And that friends, is the long story of my one day hike. I will try and share the pictures in the next post. I didn’t take many. The landscape looks like one of the worst mountain scenes nature put together. If it has any competition anywhere, that landscape must be really dull.

Have a good weekend everyone.

on divorce

This is a very short post. Actually it is a question.

There is a matter in our high court on divorce where the lawyers and a rights are seeking a change in legislation that allows couples willing to divorce to do so without having to air their linen, dirty or otherwise, in public trying to find who bears the biggest responsibility for things coming to a head. They suggest that a consent should be filed in court and parties go their separate ways. From what I have read in the papers, the AG and MPs are opposed to the proposed change on two main fronts:- that they are seeking a law change through the courts instead of parliament and secondly allowing such a law would make marriage trial and error (which I think it is generally except the duration of the trials are different for different couples). So that’s the gist of the case and the opposition to it.

What are your thoughts? Should divorce be complex and hard to get or should there be an alternative to going separate ways?