Monday and Tuesday As far back as 1995 in 1V, I realized that for me, afternoon lessons do not work. Thanks to technology because I cant quite follow this last afternoon session, I am using an audio app to record for future listening. I even bought myself a Hersheys dark chocolate bar to make sure I have motivation to stay awake. It hasnt worked. You have seen my pictures. The boring stuff has set in lol. The meals have matched it. Well the sessions are for the most part fantastic, I feel like going back to Zim to do all sorts of award and Nobel prize winning stuff. Entrepreneurship and financial literacy energizes both economies and me. When I went to Beijing/Zhuhai/Shanghai last November I had the foresight to carry Maputi. They kept me sane on the days our flends flom de east cooked meals like prawn in raspberry sauce mixed with corn on the cob. This time, though it packed some cookies and candy and potato crips; I forgot that I have a national heritage connected to the staple. Maputi IMO is like dried sadza. My dreams are presently comprising colcom pork pies, Zimpac Maputi, and fried eggs. I also have a new appreciation of country style boerwoers and Irvines chicken. So my accommodation pips left. But they were replaced with equally exciting ones at the conference. There are lots of networking opportunities, in fact the meals are designed around that. Ive met a guy from Mali who, in order to save paper, has one card which is printed back to back, one side being the incubator he runs, the other side being his government side. He sounded very impressed with himself. I will google him. Miss Philippines and I have become great friends. We even took selfies. Let me tell you how gracious some people are. She asked me where Zim was. Asked me how long I flew. Then realized that I had, in fact flown longer than her to be there. We met on the streetcar. Sat together yesterday and today lunch. And she brought me her necklace. Insisted that it belongs to me. I said no. She insisted. I insisted too. She laughed. I laughed. We are going to be good friends. We both have one son. Maybe they shall be friends too. She has never been to Africa. I have never been to the Philippines. We might visit each other then. Me first though heheheh. She pronounces my name right. And she has taken it upon herself to introduce me to people. She says this is Kudzai, I am Diane, we both come from the As, Africa and Asia. (I have a praise singer, could it be the hair?) Naturally, daily Im speaking to many Americans. One came up and said, I saw your tweets, I know that hair. (What did I tell you about the hair!). Someone else resident in NOLA confirmed that I truly have $200 sitting on my head. Pity I cant get into the export-import biz. Dai yaisiika I would cash in. Another, a middle aged man; asked for my frank opinion on whether he should allow his 18 year old daughter to have gone for a trip to Uganda with friends. He says the US government says its a top 10 danger spot. He feels Africa may be unsafe. I remind him of the Boston bombing which happened in the same week with this very conference last year, in the same city. And mention the class shootouts. I notice he squirms. My response is that he did the right thing as a parent following instincts about an immature child, but as for safety I can only say we can never know. Why, Katrina was in this very city a coupla years back. Is any place safe? After that he says I notice you have great toys, re: iPad & smartphone; do they work in your country. I opt to hear that in positive light and say yes, we have internet there. We even have our own google.co.zw Breakfast in the hotel, my friends, has become a bland affair of fruit, yoghurt, cereal and pastry. Starbucks coffee, which at one time I was willing to leave Zim for and drink for life haichanaki. Lunch is dejavou. Be warned, New Orleans food is great, but hotels are all the same. They cook boring. Fries - not chips, are becoming my saving grace. I will work it later... At lunch we also sit with some girls in long gowns, they are from Oman. I have a brother dating someone from Oman so we are teasing each other coz I told them you are my Murooras. They introduced me to a black tea thats mixed with spices and cinnamon. It can actually be drunk without sugar. (We wasus want our tea nice and sweet, ungatsvire mahara?!) then there is the small matter of eating salad all by itself. Ndatojaira Hangu. But not to be tried at conferences at home lol, unowana buffet yapera hehehe. I am now chummy with the streetcar drivers. Same route and pips coming and going. I even boarded yesterday though I was slightly short. I was fumbling for the coin and she be like, baby - go ahead an take a seat, I knows you! Ah, the kindness of strangers! Pity we cant reciprocate at home. Try telling that kuna hwindi, unoburutswa DURING hump. Shopping - mmm I wasnt coming to shop Hangu save for a coupla items for 2 of my pregnant dears but haaa this is not shopping territory. Deh are 2 tings involved. Eider you are vacationing or you are shopping. If you are vacationing you are safe. If you are shopping der are 2 tings involved. Eider you are paying top dollar at tourist price, or you are at the Walmart (to me ndoku America kwacho). The Walmart here is in the hood. That tells you something about the choice. A little limited. Else you opt for the CBD boutiques. I have a husband who loves shirts but this time he is not getting one. Hadzisikusimudzikaba. $183? I will buy him one once my employment as PSMAS CEO is confirmed lol #ifyouvictimizemeiwillclaimasylumhere!# Tomorrow is my last full day. Thankfully the afternoon is a business and tech incubator tour, plus a boxed lunch. Then I will sleep and wake up to board a Delta flight (mahwindi achiti yeah yeah lol). I will ask for some extra pretzels to give my son. Because I am Zimbabwean, we are funny like that. We call it kuvigira the direct English being : to bring for!
Posted on: Tue, 20 May 2014 20:45:33 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015