SNAKE IN A POT

On December 1, 2020 (exactly 14 days after I first showed symptoms of Covid-19) a sample was picked from me and results returned the following day with that magic word   ‘NEGATIVE’.   This post is a follow up on my earlier one (MY COVID-19 experience, which covered the two weeks of 17 th -30 th November 2020).     I continue to publicly share this experience because of what I hear and I have learnt.    There are two things I keep repeating and I will do again: ·       Not all information about Covid-19 on social media is correct.    Most of it is rubbish and only a bit of it is useful. ·       Don’t speculate or panic about your condition because it is obvious that everybody responds differently to this disease.   I have always been a firm believer in science, but the last 21 days have taught me over and over again, that we should believe our medical professionals.    ...

Tuesday, 17th November 2020 was like any other day in my ever-hectic life. Two days before I had completed a 48km run as part of my training for the forthcoming 50km Challenge that was due in 2 weeks.   Although I felt some minor joint pains as I woke up, I didn’t give it much thought and put it down to the usual post run fatigue.  Nevertheless, it was still strange that this kind of niggling pain was setting in more than 24 hours after a run.  At 6.00 pm later that day, I went out for a 10km run (most runner call it the recovery run – usually slow but enjoyable) which I completed but with a lot of struggle! Still recovering from the 48km run, I thought!   I decided that I would go home and take a much-needed break.  However, I noticed later in the night that the joint pains were becoming much severe and my temperature had started going up.  By 2 am in the morning, I had developed a slight dry irritating cough.    On Wednesday ...

Let’s put one thing out of the way from the onset.    I AM AN ARCHITECT.    With that most important fact out of the way, I will now argue why it is a very big mistake to avoid architects when contemplating starting a building project.    I have heard many reasons advanced by those who avoid or are planning to sidestep architects for their building projects.    “ Architects are expensive”.    “Architects aren’t better than me when it comes to design”.    “I would rather use a draftsman – they give me the same or even better at a tenth of what the architect would charge” .    And so on and so forth.    If you are looking for more from a building than just it’s shape and finished exterior surfaces, then you absolutely want the services of an experienced architect and this is why:   1.      Design Despite what most people think or know, an architect brings more than just the visible bea...

In the last three months, I have wanted to write about something but couldn’t find a subject that is not COVID-19 related.  Everyone is writing about the pandemic and there is simply too much information and news. In some cases, information has been contradicted by the very people who released it in the first place.  In my house, one of us was designated the official Corona Virus expert.  She kept us updated and I completely stopped reading anything COVID-19 related.    If you are used to being engaged in current affairs and find yourself disinterested in the trending topic you become very bored and lonely.  I found myself very bored in the last three months. Every newspaper, television and radio was a source of depressing news about the pandemic. I got sick and tired of it all. God must have heard about my frustration and lamen tation. Some white police officer in the US with no misgivings about killing another h...

Like most of my most treasured habits and traits, I attribute the love for my culture and language to my mother.  Growing up with a single working parent, my mother- she always shipped me off to my grandmother’s home in the village at every opportunity.  In the 1970s, Kireka where I lived with my mother, was not that much of a town but it was better than Kiwanga a mere 5km away along Jinja Road. The house in Kiwanga had no power, there was neither radio nor tv. We woke up every morning to go to till the gardens using a handheld hoe and used firewood to cook. This was certainly not the kind of life that would be cherished by a young man growing up.  The food was cooked as is – straight from the garden, with no spice or oil and it had a bland taste, but we never went hungry.  It was there in plenty and most importantly it was organic.  Bread was only eaten during the Christian festivities of Christmas or Easter, not that we used to eat it...

In the small hours of Friday 29 th November 2019, one of my closest friends, a friend that I had known and been close to for over 30 years passed away suddenly and shockingly.   In the past few years, I have lost friends and relatives and as a very emotional person, I usually write about the departed souls instantaneously.  For Fred, I chose to grieve first and write later.  As the person who was generally in-charge of all the ceremonies that saw off my friend, I never had a chance to eulogize my friend.  This is my opportunity.  I started writing this the night a week after interment, and have been refining it ever since.  After losing a number of good friends in the last two years, I thought I was now quite experienced when it comes to dealing with emotions and being strong.  I always lock myself away grieve privately and put down the things I can quickly remember about them.  While I managed to lock ...