Mwangi asked me:

“What advice would you give someone that is coming to Seattle, WA.?”

Well carry an umbrella and a jacket. It rains often. You’ll need it. The weather here changes in a minute and most of the time it changes to rain. I’ve been here 3 years now and I am still not accustomed to how much it rains.

mamamusings

Get your geography right:

Seattle is in Washington State. Not to be confused with Washington DC. DC is in the East. Washington State is the Northwest. Seattle, WA = Northwest.

Get your documentation right

It is important to make sure you visit the necessary government offices as soon as you possible can to get yourself not started on the right path. Get an id card. Get a bank account. Get a social security card if you are allowed to get one. It really is much easier to get a head if you do things legally. Don’t over stay your visa and use your visa for the right purpose i.e don’t come on a visitor visa and then attempt to become a student or worker without getting a permit to do so.

Seattle is somewhat tolerant. But once people know you are not originally from here they ask questions. These questions are usually to find out your intention of being in Seattle and the US. Seattleites know their basic immigration stuff – they know about visas and how they work – they are not afraid to ask how long your visa is for and what you plan on doing next(using the word next is their polite way of saying when it expires) . They are also big on following the law… No easy shortcuts or hookups.

Get your money right:

Understand the value of money. Seattle is not considered a super expensive city, but it is definitely not on the cheap list. It’s very easy to get caught up in the Seattle’s art and culinary scenes. Its easy to spend in small doses here, However those small doses add up when you look at your balance and realize that the ten dollars (plus tip because it is expected and customary here) you spent eating out every week adds up to 100 bucks. Please live within your means. It’s a common problem with African immigrants here in Seattle attempting to show people that they aren’t “poor”. It really isn’t cool because most people can see through the façade. If you can’t afford it, don’ t do it.

Get yourself right:

You need to get in the mind frame of “me, myself and I”. Family isn’t always there to help and even if they are they may not be willing to help you. Friends come and go. So know who you are and where you are going.
You also need to have your emotions in check. Its gets lonely, it gets depressing, it gets hard, people question you and who you are. This is where self confidence comes in. You need to be confident in who you are. You’ll meet people out there who aren’t cool with who you are and the way you look or the way you dress.

Also you need to be happy with what you have at the moment. Always work for better things. But don’t ever let anyone get you down. One has to learn to feel good about themselves and the current position they are in while still working for something better.

Seattle is a huge melting pot when it comes to culture. People are from all over. However one needs to be aware that as much as it is a huge pot. People may not be open to understanding your culture or who you are. As friendly as the Seattle is it is a little cold c. Everyone says “hi” and they are excited to see you the first time around. Don’t be surprised if they meet you on the street next week don’t acknowledge you. Don’t worry though its not you. It’s just how they are. It is known as the “Seattle freeze”

Please don’t be shocked if you find people talking to you like you are inferior. A lot of people here while calling themselves tolerant are not. They will be opening to getting to meet you and having fun with you but its all superficial. They are not interested in what you are about or where you are from. As I said … don’t focus too much on this. It’s not you its just them.

Get to know the city:

Mag3737

You’ve got to learn how to get around. Remember, it’s just you. People can only help you for so long. Fortunately one doesn’t really need to buy a car if you live in proper Seattle. This is because Seattle has one of the best bus systems in the USA. The buses run on a regular schedule and they take you to pretty much any suburb in what is known as King County.

The faster you get to know the city, the faster it will be to get around and get things accomplished. It is especially crucial because people will always be willing to give you directions but they only know directions of places that concern them.

If you opt to get a car. Please do your research!!

My experience in Seattle that you need to know a few main streets ( Pike, Pine , Westlake, Madison, 3rd Ave, and Bell) Navigating through downtown is is a breeze once you know these.

Get your accent right:

Did you say you were from Africa? Great!

Well half of what you say will not be understood, the first few times. They’ll always tell you that they love your accent but it doesn’t mean they are understanding what you are saying. To this day, I’ve been here 3 years, I can’t really order a Hamburger at most restaurants, I have to get a friend to do it for me. Why, you ask? Well apparently the way I say it would be spelt out as “Hambagga”. Same applies for most words that end with “er”. Personally most people delight in the way I say “whatever” and they repeat it endlessly to whoever will listen. Oh and they love the way Kenyans pronounce the letters of the alphabet. Apparently we say “h” differently!

Get comp savvy:

Seattle is after all home to Microsoft and Amazon! Google and Adobe also have huge offices here. So please… don’t walk around seattle and not know how to use a computer. Or what a CPU is? It would be good too if u knew that C+ and Java are programs too because a good number of people you meet will be in IT professions.

]]> http://mochalicious.wordpress.com/2008/11/16/mama-2008-cast-your-vote/ Sun, 16 Nov 2008 14:46:24 -0500 http://mochalicious.wordpress.com/2008/11/16/mama-2008-cast-your-vote/ Mocha! ]]> http://wherehermadnessresides.blogspot.com/2008/11/silver-lining-emergence-of-intra-africa.html Sun, 16 Nov 2008 14:13:00 -0500 http://wherehermadnessresides.blogspot.com/2008/11/silver-lining-emergence-of-intra-africa.html
The year began with a who’s who list of African leaders shuttling in and out of Nairobi in a bid to broker peace in the wake of the flawed elections and the violence that followed.

Then Thabo Mbeki who has seemed in the past to drag his feet with regard to bringing his influence to bear on the situation in Zimbabwe suddenly seemed to be galvanised by some realisation or other and he began to push for a comprehensive political solution Mugabe controversially won the election there.

Now Olesegun Obasanjo is mediator in the DRC between President Kabila and the rebel leader Nkunda.

I really wish all these situations that made this kind of diplomacy necessary hadn’t wouldn’t didn’t happened in the first instance. But, I’m also glad that we’re beginning to develop intra Africa diplomacy mechanisms.It's my window, but I don't own the view. ]]> http://www.pazasauti.com/2008/11/miro-jungu-or-chut-samosa-festival.html Sun, 16 Nov 2008 14:00:00 -0500 http://www.pazasauti.com/2008/11/miro-jungu-or-chut-samosa-festival.html
I attended the Samosa Festival today and I am very glad I did. The spoken word performance “Oceans Apart” by Shane Solanki and Yusra Warsama was a performance I think I will remember for much of the rest of my life. A beautiful blend of drama and poetry. Humorous...but it left a lot of questions in my mind (and I am sure that that is what they wanted to happen).

Who are we as Kenyans? Are we really an integrated society? Are we a society? I remember a few comments by one of my political science lecturers... I think the unit was “ The Politics of Post Independence Africa” He said that Kenyans after independence failed to form a sense of nationhood. He said that the people are so culturally and ideologically diverse that a sense of “ Kenyanness” does not quite exist...this was way back in 2001 come 2008 and those words rang true in the happenings after the elections.

Now forget about the Kenyan mwafrika with all the complications of ukabila...add the Kenyan Indian and Mzungu and it gets ever so complicated. The big question of integration comes to mind...Its really difficult to look at each other as members of one society...Its like seperate continents in one country...limited or no contact...superficial interaction only what is necessary for survival ....anything to avoid the discomfort....and remember this is forty plus years after independence.

Probably out there in the diaspora Kenyans feel that sense of Kenyanness. I can remember this from my own experience while on a student exchange programme as a child.Our party was on a stop over in London. A waiter served us at a table and happened to hear us speaking Kiswahili. He introduced himself in Kiswahili and instantly we knew he was Kenyan. We were so happy to have someone speak to us in Kiswahili in a strangers country. I don't think we noticed at that point that he was Muhindi we were just happy that he was Kenyan


Anyway thats just my thoughts rolling again bravo to the organisers of the SAMOSA festival.

To read more visit www.samosafestival.com

p.s I havn't edited this for spelling or grammer so just take it as it is ]]> http://wherehermadnessresides.blogspot.com/2008/11/kenyan-politics-this-weeks-edition.html Sun, 16 Nov 2008 13:52:00 -0500 http://wherehermadnessresides.blogspot.com/2008/11/kenyan-politics-this-weeks-edition.html
First, the debate rages on about whether or not to implement the Waki Report on the post election violence. This may very well be the page on which ODM comes unglued: Raila, Kosgey and Musalia have taken a pro Waki Report implementation stance while William Ruto and the rest of the ODM Rift Valley Caucus are taking a vehemently anti Waki Report stance.

(By way of an almost but not quite detour: speaking to Julie Gichuru on Citizen’s Sunday Live, Martha Karua called those who are suggesting that the only reason that she’s supporting the implementation is because it’ll eliminate some of those who stand in the way of her presidential aspirations in 2012 ‘Crybabies,’ wondering whether she made those whose names are on the Waki list commit the acts they did. When Martha Karua is in her element, she cracks me up, she really does.)

I've relaxed somewhat re the Waki Report. Somebody, somewhere will implement it. It may be a Kenyan tribunal, it may be the Hague. I had rather it be the former, but I'll take the latter over nothing.

Second, our erstwhile Members of Parliament have gone and done it again. They’ve quashed an attempt to tax their benefits because of course once we’ve elected them and they’re back in the House, they suddenly become more special than we, their constituents. So now, if they have their way, they will be consuming public services alongside the rest of us but, despite their hefty paychecks and allowances, we will have to foot their bill.

You've got to hand it to Kenyan politicians for their consistency in one regard: They will always choose the most self-serving option on the menu. Seriously, this is always a no-brainer.It's my window, but I don't own the view. ]]> http://wherehermadnessresides.blogspot.com/2008/11/cheesy-filmstakes.html Sun, 16 Nov 2008 09:51:00 -0500 http://wherehermadnessresides.blogspot.com/2008/11/cheesy-filmstakes.html
I went to watch Mama Mia with the girlfriends the other night. Easily the cheesiest film I've watched recently. Seriously, the plot is so thin you'll have to exercise some ultra faith to believe it even exists.

Still, there's something to be envied about reaching that point in your career when you're confident enough to throw your considerable talent at a script like this with just the right amount of tongue-in-cheek-ness. Bravo Meryl Streep and Pierce Brosnan. You've earned the right to be frivolous and you get no grief from me about this particular, um, adventure?

And, in the end, it was impossible to resist the ABBA nostalgia. I'm now the sheepish owner of the Mama Mia soundtrack.

I know. It can hardly get cheesier than that.It's my window, but I don't own the view. ]]> http://wherehermadnessresides.blogspot.com/2008/11/when-cable-comes.html Sun, 16 Nov 2008 09:50:00 -0500 http://wherehermadnessresides.blogspot.com/2008/11/when-cable-comes.html
The infrastructure is coming, what do we do when the infrastructure comes?

So, I and circa 300 Kenyans attended Tandaa ’08, the Kenya Content Conference, which, according to Paul Kukubo of the ICT board, was about getting the conversation on content going.
There were some interesting speakers on the programme.

Ken Njoroge of Cellulant is a particular favourite of mine. As usual, he threw a spanner in the works first by not having an elaborate powerpoint presentation prepared as did most of the other speakers, and second, by wondering what we’re on about, waiting for the Cable(s) to come when the mobile phone is the new revolutionary platform and it is here with us. (somebody ring a bell, already.)

Paul Kukubo gave what I thought was a good pep talk as well and it was interesting to hear Ian Fernandes speak about the Nation Media Group’s new media strategy, although I don’t think the new, recently revamped site in any way communicates that they understand how news delivered online differs from news in print.

Anyhoo. Maybe they’re going to get there.

Someday.

In the not so distant future.

Interesting remark Ian made, by the way, about how the Daily Nation editors use their online pages to test which stories are resonating with their readers and consequently to decide which ones to give pride of place on their pages the next day. Or something like it.

Oh, and an honourable mention to Aly Khan Satchu. He scratched where my itch was, that one.

But what about the bloggers, where were the bloggers? Multiple speakers acknowledged the important role Kenyan bloggers now play in generating and distributing Kenyan content. One of them,(I think it was Ian Fernandes) even suggested that Kenyan bloggers have become as important as mainstream media in projecting Kenya's image to the world. This was never more true than during the Post Election Violence at the beginning of the year.

I would have thought, then, that the organisers of Tandaa '08 would have invited someone like Bankelele who I think has been one of the most successful Kenyan bloggers in terms of identifying a niche and narrowcasting relevant and compelling content to speak about his experience.

No?

There were some umm.. let's call them... hiccups. Inadequate power cabling for starters, which created challenges for the laptop-carrying brigade of maybe-perhaps-couldbe bloggers, all ready to cover the conference in realtime. Also, the wireless internet connection was on again off again and decidedly dodgy all day.

But hey. We. Made. Do. (As Kenyans often have to. )

Update: I hear that, after I’d left, Kenyan Poet who was slated for a performance gave a blogging-related talk. Sounds to me rather like last minute improvisation. My sentiments as expressed above remain.It's my window, but I don't own the view. ]]> http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/blacklooks/mUCi/~3/454873226/transgender_101.html Sun, 16 Nov 2008 06:54:58 -0500 http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/blacklooks/mUCi/~3/454873226/transgender_101.html Mia Nikasimo