International Relations,

 In our institutions of higher learning, international relations is a course that is available to many across the country. Nonetheless, not many whom consider the important facet this holds for us in our modern society. In school, we learn on how to make deals internationally, and also on how to maintain them, basically, one is taught to become a diplomat. It was yesterday as I was listening to some genge tone track that talked on Generation Z's. To say the truth, I was perplexed at this thought. Here at home, that is in Kenya, we do not have platforms where such is discussed, hence the need for the international relations subject. In the West however, this is even studied in classrooms where the knowledge base is surged unlike in Kenya, where we learn about Gen Z's through genge tone music. Question really begs, is the education system in the country fair to the future generations of this country, leave alone the continent. It is by a far a knowledge that the Western education system would teach and test an occurrence that happened the previous day or even week. Here, in Africa, all we will ever learn is the struggle and scramble for Africa. In my country Kenya, we have the new Curriculum Based Competency (CBC) that engages the immediate environment of the learning individual; thus, here maybe we could learn of social additives such as societal paradigms such as the millennials and the Gen Z's. 

Mummar Gaddafi was on a quest for a united Africa, which was a plausible effort on his side as a leader in West Africa. Nonetheless, he would leave out education and forge for economic prowess instead. Thinking of how he would make a single currency for the whole of Africa, one to resemble the united States dollar or even the pound in the United Kingdom. See, this is international relation playing its role here, Gaddafi wished Africa to resemble Western States, and at the back of his mind, he thought Africa would be like these civilized societies not regarding the centuries it took to forge their foundations. I would say colonialism wiped out African heritage to say the least. Could this be the reason we are so entangled in their education system? For instance, before the introduction of the CBC, Kenya sourced its educational framework based on their colonizers ways of educating the then Kenyans before we gained an independence. International relations I tell you. 

So, how would we forge again to be the great motherland of all times? We could follow the anthology of His Great Emperor Haile Selassie, the Ethiopian mogul thought to be Jamaica's saviour in their religion Rasta. Or even we could hold a consortium of all the countries in the continent, with each of the states bringing forward their thought heroes, we would have over 100 African Legends (I should write about this) being discussed in one University hall. believe me, this would do great for the continent as compared to Gaddafi's tire for a united economy with the mind of beating the West. Diplomatic relations in the continent would forge into something stronger as we would now understand the different strengths and weaknesses of the African people. Truth be told, the West came to Africa to enlighten us, and if we were much brighter than them, then we would be a third-world continent. Leaving alone the massive raw materials they used from Africa during the Industrial Revolution. It is with these, that education remains a key in the unification process of Africa, and as of current affairs, everyone has their own educational template. 

In conclusion, we should not learn societal fronts via genge tone artists, we should have a robust education system that uses the internet with sources not older than four years in our curriculum. Then, and only then would we get to see the Alberts' and Nikolas' bearing the Kenyan flag. Call it international relation modular!

Playing Games

 It is by a common knowledge that all work without play makes Jack a dull boy. Well it has been a while since I have written an article, a couple of months maybe. It was an odd stature seeing my other writer colleagues having succeeded in the academic field; thus, they harness more credibility; and I did not have any credentials. Nonetheless, as per Mark Manson's footprint in his famed book the Subtle Art, I went back to college. So, it has been a long six months since I wrote a literary piece. And since it has been a long six-month semester, there has been no room for much play. I enrolled to a coding program, where apparently and most surprisingly, I am learning  new languages, this time in binary, object, and source codes. It is quite a spectacle that even in technology, there is in deed literature, and I hold this as my own claim. So, I have been a little dull for the first half of the year, it is time for a rigidly literary adventure. 

When we were small, be it the 90's, 80's or even after the new millennium. We would look up to adults and with our faces straight to the sky. We would not see the top of the vehicles our parents owned. Leave alone sit in an arm chair with our feet touching the ground, it was during these days that we played games for hours and if one got boring, then there was another in queue. In my time, we used to play with marbles where we would dig a small hole at the center of the ground and crack marbles with our fingers all aiming for the hole. On Saturdays, especially, after school of course, we used to play with such and ride bikes all after noon long. These days are still memorable to date. there was an aura of peace and control when we played games and won. Today, there are more indoor games kids play, which are not bad to say the least. It would seem as if they are on the other side of the rope, but evolution is taking place, and to add, we are the age of the Internet of Things, which I would mention make electronic sports worth the try. 

When I was a kid, I used to mimic almost everything I saw on screen.  There were shows on KTN that we were really into. There was Charmed, Conan, and even the famed Robocop. Out of the three shows, there was a game designed to fit the screenplay, the screenplay which was a must-watch  by everyone the previous night . With Conan, I remember shaping a piece of wood into the shape of the character's iconic sword piece, and using it to fight my other six friends.  With Robocop, we pretended to be robots and even talked like them, what a fun it was. The screenplay from Charmed made us play as if there were a portion we drank (water), which gave us special powers. Fumy enough we believed in these beliefs and darkness would find us in our houses tired, hungry, and sleepy. I cannot forget these days.

Games as the scholar who came up with Jack's quote on being dull, primarily because of work, has made me think of Mark Manson and the life he lived before writing his book, 'The Subtle Art.' This is actually the life I could be in right now, and I am looking  to the after events of my 1st Edition of my debut book 'The African Powerhouse.' Could be the same, and maybe  I could become. or even we could become bright folks. End!