It is another Friday. It is another day for random thoughts.Yesterday was my birthday. My wife took me out to dinner and the waiters at Applebee’s threw me a party with “embarrassing” singing. I am bit private, so I really didn’t want everyone in the restaurant to know that it was my birthday.
I could have sensed the waiters were planning something, because I saw my wife whispering something to the waiter assigned to our table. Man, how did I miss that? She couldn’t have possibly been asking silently for extra salt. Duh!
I had a good time though.
And speaking of birthdays, I just couldn’t help but randomly think: If you were born on February 29, does that mean you only celebrate your birthday once every four years?
Just curious….
Enjoy your weekend.
17 comments:
Happy Birthday Mkuu!That february thing, I would love to get an answer from somebody!
Happy B.D Metty. If Feb 29 was my B.D I would celebrate it every 29th day counting those 29 days from the first day of february
happy birthday dude
Happy Birthday Metty.May you live longer and never stop blogging.
A belated happy birthday Metty!
As for someone born on the 29th of February, I guess one would celebrate on either the 29th of Feb or on the 1st of March.
Wish you a happy moment on this occasion..
However I would like to share this interesting talk about Africa given by Former Nigerian Finance MinisterNgozi Okonjo-Iweala,
About the Talk
Negative images of Africa dominate the news: famine and disease, conflict and corruption. But Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, the former Finance Minister of Nigeria, says there's a less-told story unfolding in many African nations: one of reform, economic growth and business opportunity. Cracking down on corruption and the perception of corruption will be the key to its success She tells how high-ranking Nigerian officials taking money illicitly have been jailed, and how citizens and prospective business partners are getting at least a partial picture now of where money flows.
http://www.ted. com/talks/ view/id/127
By Mchangiaji
Another interesting Talk,
I noted this words, told by Finance Minister of China, What Africa's Doing Wrong, What he actually told her, You need four Things to prosper, Infrastructure, Infrastructure, Infrastructure, and Discipline
Talks Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala: Let's have a deeper discussion on aid
http://www.ted.com/index.php/talks/view/id/152
By Mchangiaji
je, una umri gani?
Let me guess wayne... he just turned either 35 or 34
@All,
Thank you all very much. Hopefully, as I continue celebrating more birthdays, I will grow also in wisdom.
About the Feb 29 birthday, I have no answer. I guess I'll have to find someone born on that date to find out what they do. But this is definitely one of those curious things in life that we hardly stop to think about...
@Wayne
Anony 11:53Am got very close...this was my 36th birthday (can't believe that). So don't book a place for in me in the retirement home yet...still got more years to build the social security fund.
well, since I am mzee, I can call you kijana. Hope you have a great long weekend (for the bongolanders - today, Monday, 3rd, Sept. is a US holiday - hakuna kazi)
Wayne, It seems like you are pretty good at kiSwahili.
@Metty, You may be too young to remember but back in the days we had makazi ya wazee equivalent to USA's nursing home do you know what happened to them?
How about the issue of NSSF and whatever the other retirement fund is. It seem like they in financial services business and at times they look like they real estate company, trump kinda thing, is that how they are supposed to operate??
Happy Birth day Jaduong. Wayne I bet you know you know what Jaduong means, don't you?
@Maricha,
I honestly don't recall makazi ya wazee . It must have been one those things - good concepts that failed to be sustained.
About NSSF and other retirement funds - the reason they get into real estate is two folds - 1)there are vast opportunities and high profit margins in real estate in Tanzania. There have been comparative studies that have concluded that renting an office space in Dar is more expensive than any other city in EA 2) there are no other "secure" investment avenues. In my line of work, I come across investment books of insurance companies (including life companies that also offer retirement products). These companies invest mainly in government and municipal bonds (partly due to insurance industry regulation), but mainly because income from government are tax free. But that is in the US.
Since we don't have municipal bonds in Tanzania - which could have high yields - NSSF and the rest of the "social security funds" have only two choices - Treasury bills and real estate.
There have been talks in Tanzania about allowing municipalities to issue bonds. That would not only allow municipals to fund projects through internal sources (there are plenty of internal fund sources in Tanzania - watu binafsi, insurance companies, banks, etc), but also to speed up development of various capital projects that are currently lagging, mpaka wafadhili watoe hela .
@Maricha,
najua kiswahili kidogo tu. I lived & worked in Masasi (Mtwara Region) for 6 years, so I used Kiswahili + I TRIED to learn a little Kimakua (kigumu sana!!)I taught Bible and other religious related courses in our Taasisi ya Uongozi ya Kikristo ya Masasi, connected to our churches in the District.
I do not know the meaning of Jaduong - perhaps you can enlighten me on the meaning? Or perhaps Metty will reveal that to me?
@Wayne,
Maricha is actually trying to pull a fast on you :). Since you lived in Masasi and Jaduong is not a Swahili word, there is no way you'd know that.
I hail from Shirati, Mara, where there are two predominant ethnic languages - Luo and Kurya (in its various forms). Jaduong is a Luo term for mzee. Since, in your own words regard yourself as a mzee, then we can call you Jaduong Wayne.
@Metty,
I knew Jaduong is not Kiswahili (couldn't even find it in my kamusi) - so I figured he was setting me up for a little utani - no P mawn (the one kiingereza phrase that all waswahili know - :-)))
happy birthday to you.Hi to your familly
KAribu kijiweni
Post a Comment