Sunday, June 11, 2017

5 phrases you should drop this month

Mambo ni mengi


 I hate the above phrase. what does it even mean? Things are many? Is that even correct grammer?
Whenever someone says - mambo ni mengi- to me I don't exactly get an urge to punch them, but the feeling is close to that. I get annoyed. If you don't want to tell me you problems, don't, honestly I don't care that much.
 Just tell me you don't want to, I'll be happy not knowing.
But, mambo ni mengi makes me feel like you want me to probe,
you want me to beg you tell me what is wrong
 you want me to stop what I'm doing and engage you in small talk, as I try to find out which things are many.
That is why I walk away, then you say sinanga mzigo. Of course I won't carry unnecessary burdens.
 In fact I will avoid any burdens I don't have to carry, things are many for me too.
 So, things are many are yours. I don't want to hear.

Tunang'ang'ana

 Who is not? Life is hard as it is. We are all trying very hard to find where the 90 bob soko ugali is left. Where they
 don't ask us to pay 5 bob for the plastic bag. Yes, we are all ng'ang'anaing. All of us, not just here in Kenya. In Tanzania,
 in Oman, in DRC, in Zanzibar and everywere else Kiswahili is spoken.
 When I ask how you are and you say you are wrestling. I want to ask you what are you are wrestling exactly. It brings to mind WWF
 which we used to watch on Sundays after church. I'm wondering if what you are wrestling looks like The Rock or Bret Hit man Hart.
You are wrestling and you still can afford to eat pizza once a week. Ama that's because unga ya ugali imepotea sana?
When you say unag'ang'ana. I think that maybe you have a chronic illness we can't talk about right now. Or maybe you have
 an Equity loan you have been paying back and now your salary is only good enough for rent.


Tunahustle tu

Is a phrase that is only separated from the above by a consideration of the demographics.
People born between 1983-1990 use this phrase.  1982 and in to the 70's are the ones who are perpetially wrestling. But these hustlers,they are always hustling or they have a side hustle.
 Their job is a hustle, getting into town is a hustle, making time to  chill out with friend is a hustle, unless it is to discuss what next hustle might bring in some cash.
Kuhustle, is okay, it shows you are occupied, you get respected for being busy.


Umepotea
 When someone calls and says to me 'umepotea' that becomes the end of the conversation. I am lost. Okay. So shall we start a sing song game?
 No, it's you who is lost
 No No, it's you
Aaai,,, me I'm not lost
Even me I'm not lost, you are one who is lost.
Give me a few minutes to sob, if this goes on I'll die. I will.


You know, if you calculate the life expectancy of a Kenyan female and consider that I have lived over three decades,
 you will realise there is a lot more we could talk about instead of this lost and found push and pull I'd rather not participate.
 We could talk about the impressive size of the Monarch butterfly's brain in relation to the
 miles it covers in migration. Then maybe we shall stop worrying about who is lost. A monarch butterfly's life might be in danger at this moment
 and here we are speeding the dial of my life expectancy. Do you realise if I had a child now the likelihood of seeing him graduate from high school is 37%.

Hello my friend, I haven't seen you in a  while. What is different in the world you live in?


Kunyeshewa nayo....


I was opening some social media accounts for a client. He was concerned about the type of traffic we could attract to the site.
"You have to be selective about the people you invite,sio watu wa kunyeshewa nayo.." he said.
He is  a Trump supporter and not a man to tell jokes so work came to a stop, it was just the perfect explanation for how content should be package. If you are gonna say something, please, put a little thought in it will you? I wonder how many people I would cross out of my social media
accounts if  I ever used the stated criteria.

This nayo.. phrase is too saturated in Nairobians' vocabulary. It only sounds like a real statement when Cess  Mutungi says it. Cess can say anything without sounding like an idiot.

Two Nairobians meet by accident at Kencom. They have not met in the last one year. Let us listen in on their catching up speech:

Umepotea?
Mambo ni mengi
Kunyeshewa nayo..
Kung'ang'ana tu
Enyewe tunahustle.
both of you, go home already okay?



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