Superbowl Sunday

This won't be a replay of the game coz I didn't watch it but heard the Indianapolis Colts won. I just needed a catchy title:) I rarely watch tv, but I'm into Nigerian movies.

So I got through 2 swimming lessons last week. It's fun so far! Even though the water is cold ( thought the pool would be heated), you feel really great afterwards. I can hardly wait for warm weather.

School has started off quite well. Maybe I'm a nerd, but I really like school! Last sem was tougher coz of making the transition back to the academic world, but now I'm more comfortable and can find my way around. Plus, I'm taking some fun classes (in addition to swimming). One is a humanities class where we read lots of interesting books (including Things Fall Apart and The Brideprice). If I could get college credit for all the books I've read, maybe I could graduate sooner! The professor for this class is also quite a character. The class was packed on the first day (good sign) and when he was talking about his expectations, he'd say "I don't give a shit about..." He's very laid back and well-travelled, including to several countries on "the continent of Africa." I like that he's very knowledgable about non-Western cultures. It irritates me to hear people say "I went to Africa" as though it's one town. Please be specific, it's a huge continent, with so much variation and I've only seen a small portion of it.

On the other hand, there are also people in Kenya who don't seem to realize that the U.S. is a huge country! Some states are bigger than our country. Some people at home were asking me about their kids 'n relaz as though we're all neighbors. I rarely even see some neighbors and buddies are scattered in different places. If there's a major event, like the upcoming Rugby 7's, that's when most of us meet. When I went to apply for an ID, the dude there was asking me if I knew his nephew in Wisconsin (or Wyoming). I've never been to either one of those places. Furthermore, we all come from the same populous tribe with huge extended families. I barely know some of my own relaz so what's the probability of me knowing some random dude in Wisconsin?

It doesn't hurt to ask though, coz improbable things do happen. Like running into an old schoolmate you haven't seen in almost 10yrs on the streets of Nairobi. Yup, it happened to me. It was one of the few days that I was there, exploring the small section of the city that I know just coz it's close to my Uncle's office. I was so happy to reconnect with her. It's an amazing feeling to be somewhere where you have a history. It's a great feeling to belong and not have to constantly explain yourself. Home was different because most of my friends had left the country about the same time I did. And didn't stay in touch with others. So I know very few people around my age there. I was also on holiday after most people visiting had already left. It's too bad that I missed the KBW meetup. When you interact with people online, you start to guess what they're like in person. I read Half'n'half's post about why she missed the meetup and I can see where she's coming from. Although, unlike her, I think that my chances of already knowing anybody in KBW are slim to none. I'd enjoy meeting a number of KBWers in person. I'm a little shy with groups so I do better one-on-one. It's a funny thing, but sometimes it's easier to be more honest and real with strangers coz they don't have a preconceived idea of who you are and have nothing to gain or lose from your actions. If you do something that people who know you don't expect, they can get shocked. Does that mean that they didn't know you that well to begin with? Or they just don't know this side of you?