Circumspecte

[Something I've been working on. I intended to use it for something else, but I feel like I'd rather share it with you guys! Everything in it's own time. Dedicated to YOWLI 08ers! Thoughts appreciated. Enjoy!!] -- Amsatou detested it. Not the weight of the aluminum bucket on her head after it was filled, or the fact that they’d been walking for hours in search of  water. No. Those she could handle. Those were part of life.  What she could not tolerate was the feeling of guilt that nibbled at her conscience every time they reached a station, only to be told there was no water available for sale that day. And here it was playing itself out again.  Amsatou loosened her orange and blue tie-dye cloth from her waist, grabbed a corner of it, and raised it to her sweaty, round face. “Oh, uncle. Even this small bucket? Won’t you give us water for this small one? Me pa wo kyew.” Amsatou looked up towards the partly blue, party grey metal gate with peeling oi...

Sweat trickling down her brow Skin pulsating as blood rushes through her veins Fluorescent light overhead; blinding, but all she can do is stare Somewhere in the distance, voices chattering "Is she okay?" "Breathe" "It won't be long now" This is what death must feel like. Seconds later, in impressions of eternity The pain slashes at her heart and her very core That portion of her that none but few hath the pleasure of knowing Angel of Death, pray come take me and end this misery Nothing. Huffing and puffing, if only she could blow that house down! "Almost there" "Keep going" "Almost there" Ah! If almost there, wouldn't she have arrived by now A scream retches the air. Hers. From whence it came, she knoweth not Blood rushing, skin pulsating and then searing pain Correction, this is what HELL must feel like. Plastic touching her brow, cold wet cloth offering little respite Earth shattering. The very core of her hurle...

Oh the joys of motherhood. My baby Blanche de Castille (hp dv 6000 laptop) is ill and even as I type this, I might be pushing it. But hopefully, "safe mode" is exactly what it says it is. Safe. So a couple of weeks ago, someone accidentally spilled some liquid on Blanche, and like any true baby who's exposed to the elements, Blanche has gone through a series of ailments. First her keys were sticky and the quickplay buttons wouldn't work. I didn't really mind that, don't really use them much anyway --except for the mute button. Then the mousepad was acting iffy. To rectify that, I switched the primary mouse from the left to the right. Thing is, whenever I switch her on, it alternates between the two. So I can never tell which my primary mouse is, unless I remember what it was the last time. Sigh. That I could handle as well. Next, the battery wouldn't charge. It got up to 1% battery power left, and anytime I accidentally unplugged the power cord, every...

When will Haiti get a break? In the midst of extreme poverty from tsunamis to floods to earthquakes, these people have endured more than some of us can ever imagine. My heart breaks for Haiti . Not because it's poor, but rather because these people's efforts at rebuilding their lives are continuously thwarted. Some people don't understand what the fuss about Haiti is. After all, earthquakes are nothing new. A so-called evangelist, Pat Robertson - who apparently ran for the U.S. Presidency?! -  went as far as saying that the earthquake is a result of a "pact" Haiti made with Satan . Seriously, give Haiti a break. Haiti Profile  I heard about the earthquake during a Young Professionals in Foreign Policy event I was covering for work Tuesday night, when the Brazilian representative mentioned it. Brazil and many other countries have a strong presence in the Caribbean nation as they strive to help it get on its feet. This country which was once a beacon of ...

I'd suggest watching the video full screen, especially for the demo part. Also, please note, the address is www.blogger.com -- made a typo in the recap section.

Dear Descendant, If my projections are accurate, you should be reading this letter in the year 2100; by which time I have probably become part of Mother Earth --or what's left of her. The present year is 2010, on the ninth day of January. The time is approximately 7:53pm ET and the location is Washington, D.C. Why all these details? I don't know. I just thought that maybe some of these details would interest you -- especially considering your world must be very different from what mine is. And given the fact that humanity must be on the verge of extinction. Extinction?! Humanity on the verge of extinction in 2100? I fervently hope that projection is inaccurate. Even writing it feels ridiculous. I mean how? The most advanced of all of Earth's species extinct? Mais, c'est pas possible! Well, according to Lucy's story on Earth 2100, it is very probable. Especially if we don't wake up and act soon. And what's worse, it's our own negligent actions that...

Salut Tout le Monde, Here are my responses to the "Ask Me Anything: Q&A session" . Interestingly enough, most of the questions and suggestions I got are development based. And frankly, I think it's time I got back on development anyhow. So, keep an eye out for more blogs on development-related issues (corruption, education, investment etc). The question below came from Mash via Facebook. He sent me some very relevant questions, which deserve an entire post each, so instead of a short answer, I'm going to go in depth with each response. I'm interested in seeing what you peeps think about what he asks, whether you agree with me, or disagree and all of that. Do leave your own opinions and thoughts after reading. Q: What in your opinion is the greater impediment to development in Africa? Poor leadership or harsh conditionalities by donor organizations? A: Both poor leadership and harsh conditionalities make navigating the development trail  hard for Afri...

I am so excited to present Myne Whitman to you guys! Not only is she a fellow blogger, she's an active Circumspector! Plus, she just came out with her debut novel A Heart to Mend , which she self-published! Yep, that's right! Self-published! So if you're interested in finding out how to get involved in her interactive blogsville or what the 411 on how to self-publish, go right ahead and read the amazing interview with Myne! -- Circumspect: Tell us a bit about yourself. Who is Myne Whitman? Myne Whitman (M.W.):  I am a Nigerian writer/blogger. Myne Whitman is a name I coined myself when I began to write seriously while in secondary school. The pseudonym is a play on the transliterated words of my maiden name, Nkem Okotcha. Most of the books I read were in English, and since I was writing in English too, I decided my name would be the same.  Personality-wise, I am quiet and laid-back, but do like a good, loud debate sometimes. In three words, I will...

Welcome to A New DECADE! Happy New Year!!! I know, I know, I've been saying "happy new year" for the past two weeks or so, but isn't it just amazing?! Despite the struggles, the dark hours, the stress, and everything, we made it! Not only to a new year, but to a new decade!! If tonight is anything to go by, my 2010 will be spontaneous. There, I've declared it into existence. Growth, change and spontaneity, inshAllah! Hmm, What To Do For The Countdown? So I'd been making plans to be in N.Y. for a while, and then made other plans to be in D.C. instead, which ended up falling through. So I was like, really, what am I going to do for new year's? Anywho. I went on a limb, got online, and got a ticket to N.Y. So right this moment, I'm on the Bolt Bus, blogging away  and chugging along to spend new year's with some of the most amazing people I know. And no, the ball drop is not on my agenda. Did that last year and ended up on some random street shout...