hope for the week : standard gauge railway commence

Photo | Courtesy

 It’s just tomorrow, then one more moon after that. That is how long we have to wait for the commencement date of the Kenyan Standard gauge railway. Kenyans have peculiar calling habits we have been told and even more peculiar is our knack to forget the most important of things. Enter the search phrase “Kenyans forget fast” and be prepared to meet over a million results with the phrase embed somewhere in there. The flame was started with a flicker from the sparks of Hon. Alfred Keter who questioned the inflation of prices, the procedure followed to award the tender and the lack of an Environmental Impact Assessment report prior to applying for the tender. 

Launch of SGR project: Photo | Courtesy

Launch of SGR project: Photo | Courtesy

It raged on and on with the debate taking a political tone as is the case with all else in this nation. For all the noise made, we all lost the scope and the relevance of what the argument was. It became an ad hominem where principles of debate were thrown out. Well the signing took place, so did the launch and if all goes well 1^st October marks the beginning of better accessibility, network and possibly maintenance of the transport sector in this nation. I remain optimistic, of the numerous job opportunities that will be created, the increase in price of land, the need to setup businesses and overall the better travel our children and their children will be ushered into. If you have nothing else to be happy about this coming week then be pleased with the starting of work on the standard gauge railway. Hoping it will actually start.   

 #100daysofblogging #Day13

writing was hard today

photo|courtesy

Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication

-Leornado da Vinci

To write today was hard

The topics came and went by so fast

In verity they were just bad

Trying out haikus. Just words strung together really.

#100daysofblogging #day10

train journeys

I love the sitting arrangement

I get to stare directly at a complete stranger

At least until another stranger stands in line of sight

Staring daggers

Sending chills and shivers

To a person I barely recognize

Oh yes It does

I see them squirm in their seats

And, albeit momentarily, well in my heart it sits

It is enjoyable

Seeking yourself in others

Making up stories of who they may be

And where they could be off to so early

The preacher that shouts more than they preach

Maybe they are compensating for what they cant do at home

A part of a sermon that call for assertion

Or simply a tool of the trade

Of the lady that pouts

Has been pouting it is three days in a row

What can keep one sulking that long

There are stubborn passengers at the front

Or is it back

They would rather squeeze at the entrance

Than find their way to the center

Crammed like screws and wires in a socket

No one remembers the pickpockets

Yet it’s all I thought of from the onset

A congregation of different folk

All with the intent to get to town

All looking outside but no one seeing things the same

A dog lies by the side of the tracks

Blank stares

A drunken man trying to make his way out of a ditch

Blank stares

A couple tearing each other apart

BLANK STARES!

Few grimaces, winces and guffaws though

Little elicits reaction

Even fewer warrant it judging by looks

It is a trained look

Harnessed and perfected over time

Sour grapes and lime

That is the life of constantly looking for the next dime

I try

I try very hard to look at the life that goes on for others

To look at the world from my 200 meter squared frame

In a different way

I force myself to look at something and make a positive

I see a makeshift tin shack

I will cost you 5 shillings = 0.06 dollars

To shower here

Right beside the tracks it must be thrilling

In my naiveté I want to be allowed to think it is

It is easy to get lost in all that is bad

Easy to find where to cast blame

It is easy to find alternate ways to get to the city

But despite the strong concoction of human scents

The lifeless stares that are shared

And the momentary lapse of superpowers over my opposite seating neighbor

I am loving the train journeys by the day

*and I hope the Matatu Strikes continue 

I am just kidding

Taking a photo; Making a photo. The difference

Making photographs as opposed to taking photographs. There is a difference in this two. Good photographs are taken, great photographs are made. With all the melee and excitement directed at a final image few people ever wonder what it takes to produce the moment. However, there are photos that when taken are just as good as those made. The following images show the steps and journey to the creation of a masterpiece. It started out well with the event ongoing and led to the conception of a great idea. 

Arrived midway through the event

Had to look for a way through the crowds

Shot of the ceremony and graduation square from a vantage point

End of ceremony; distinguished guests arrive

Graduands milling around while the ceremony was going on

Guests, parents and business men and women were at work.

The exodus

While we waited to create the shot we worked shooting various people and scenes

We waited

people took their time leaving

but the guests were seemingly busy and filed out fast

still we waited....

and got pissed waiting

but we did some pro bono work for few friendly faces

we made friends

and met and shot a band doing what they do

then the shoot started

trying out various poses

and clumsy antics

when the coast was clear prepping started

the location was not perfect but it was ideal

we had to scout for something that suited the intended desire

makeup and clothes were models own hahaha

Perfecto!!

find here the final masterpiece

after we scouted alternate spots

and created mementos of a lifetime

it is befitting to say the lens and the model were in-sync

and the day ended on a high.

It took hours of waiting, a great set of eyes and a determined lot to pull this off. It may look like the Job was simple but it was not. When they think they can pull off what you did in a lesser time then you have done a good job. This was poetry with the lens look out for more images of delight.