A Stellar Woman's World

There is this somewhat insulting quote by Malcom X casually thrown around that goes; 'If you want to hide something from a black/african man, put it in a book 😬.' We read it with a pinch of bitterness because it holds some truth to it. However, in this era where multiple forms of media are on our faces each waking day, I feel that the unwillingness to pick up a physical book goes down to an individual's choice. These other sources of media are still as educative as print media, so to each their own. I subscribe to all media forms at my disposal  and occasionally pick up physical books. My resolution this year with regards books was to read 6 books ( See review of the other 5 HERE ). I am thrilled to have hit my target for the year, a notable personal achievement 😊.  Here's a kienyeji review of my 6th read of the year: "My First Time by Janet Mbugua" Book cost:  KES. 1,750/- Store:  Prestige Bookshop, Mama Ngina street, CBD Nairobi. My rating (x/5):   ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐...

My favorite Kenyan writer and blogger of all time (now author), Jackson Biko of Bikozulu succinctly puts it that everything is a story. He says some are beautifully told; with good beginnings and happy endings, others with sad or complicated endings. Others are told and the audience laughs, others the audience shake their head in angst. 'The reactions of the audience notwithstanding, these stories have to be told.' ~ Bikozulu. Usually when I tell my story to any audience there's one consistent major player who's part in the story cannot be missed. I point with contentment it's contribution in my life. I tell of how they took a chance on me and many others when all seemed lost and transformed our lives.  Hanne Howard Fund - Lenana  was my home for a decade+. As a young girl in their exceptional care, I learnt the power an empowered girl holds in the society. Hanne Howard ( founder ) herself, together with our program manager, Lucy being at the forefront showing us ...

'Character is the ability to carry out a good resolution long after the excitement of the moment has passed.' ~ Cavett Robert. Developing a reading culture is easier said than done. Passion to read comes and goes with seasons, just like it does for other hobbies. The good thing about life though is that you can pick, drop and get back to hobbies any time you like.  Three months. I haven't read anything to write about for that duration of time. The excitement to pick a book kinda went for vacation in Bali but recently came back so there's a high chance I'll meet my 6 books by end of year resolution, maybe even more than the intended target, who knows? The leg  injury  I had over this period largely contributed to my lack of morale to hop back into the reading train. I was in a very weird head space I pushed it aside for a minute. In the interest of refining this habit in attempt to make it part and parcel of my character, I used that time to regroup. My recovery...

(Part II): Recovery time The environment, not necessarily physical, that you spend a lot of time in can be a powerful modifier of your development, habits and/or behaviors. There are some things we do now as adults that result from how we see things being done in the environment that we are either currently live in, or the one we lived in before. I am finding it easy, as I get older, to note habits I developed from the environment I lived in as a child and teenager that have molded how I approach things. I lived in a children's home ( HHFL ) for some years and I think there are things I do to date that I picked from that environment. U ntil about 3 years ago I used to say that HHFL was situated in a  ghetto  but now that I know what a real ghetto looks like,   Lenana  in general isn't even a  ghetto ghetto  if you ask me,  hehe.  When an orphaned kid in a children's home gets into trouble while playing and maybe breaks a bone, her first ...

(Part I): Metatarsal Fracture I like to be identified as a storyteller but sometimes I don't have stories to tell. Other times I have plenty to tell and write but they are too personal to put on here. I know this is known to be a 'personal blog' but everything I write here is accessible to everyone and maybe there's folk that get entertained reading them, or perhaps some inspiration; I'd like to imagine that I somehow inspire someone out there😇. Lakini I'm very open hapa and some of my posts are very raw and I like that because real & raw's become quite scarce nowadays.  Who do I write for anyway? I  write for the few of us who still think bloggers and blogging hasn't become extinct. I write for the people who still feel there's some good untold stories that are 'carelessly' told in blogs that are not too popular. I write for the group of individuals who like coming across kienyeji stories that are full of typos but still make sense. ...

After having a rough time reading a memoir by a neurosurgeon 😖 (book 3) and had my head almost explode, I had to ‘reward’ myself with an easy fun read that maybe took me a week to finish? I love a simple written high school set up story. Many times when I just want to lay down and surf through Netflix on a lazy boring Saturday afternoon, I go for simple comedy/drama films like, To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before, Sex Education, Ginny and Georgia, among others. This one here was so interesting, felt like I was watching one of those silly films where teenagers figure our life in high school, in preparation for college. A girl, Jessie Holmes, tells the story of how the sudden death of her mom (cancer) brought about life changes that she found hard to deal with. Her dad remarries and they have to move to another state, a posh and more polished state, she says  - LA, and leave all she knew behind, her best friends, etc. She’s moved into a new school, making friends is tough on her,...

Q: Has a homeless/street person ever refused food you've offered them? If so, did they provide an explanation? Well, well, well, ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, my fellow repeat readers or repeat clients, if you may! Today I have a short story to bless your eyes and ears. Will it blow your mind? Maybe. Will it give you reason to come back here and check out more stories? Definitely!  I assume that most of you my readers are Nairobi residents and if not, you've been here at one point in your life. This is a notably great city with beautiful people, a people with a culture so rich everyone outside it wants to come have a taste. It is a hub of 'unity', or so they say. It's here that the assorted bunch of the various tribes come to link up, all forty two of them. Our relatives from the rurals are fascinated by this city, no wonder they gather around to hear tales of its craziness every time  Nairobians visit home for Christmas. The streets, as usual, are ever buz...