I need a Friend

It is said you are lucky to even have one friend in your lifetime.

I scream “I need a friend”

What for you may ask?
To laugh with
To tell dirty little secrets



I had a friend once
I cried on her shoulders when I discovered I had serpents for friends
We laughed at stupid jokes
We partied together
Made stupid mistakes (not about to tell)
We hanyed without cash and enjoyed thoroughly
Distance did our friendship damage
Life put us on different paths!
I called her last night

When I wasn’t there she missed me
When she wasn’t there I missed her
All before the advent of the mobile technology
We wrote notes then

That’s why I say I need a friend
JUST ONE
I once thought I had a friend
But then,
I didn’t
She was like my sister
Or she wanted me to believe
Damn you, may you rot in hot hell
For what you did to me

I need a friend
To understand the complex being I am
Just to accept the faulty person that I am
I know I am not perfect
And I don’t want to be
All I want is a good friend

For the love of soaps

I had solemnly swore to soap abstinence.

That is hardly a promise i can keep. And i have learnt how to watch two soaps



1 Look for the soap that starts early enough. In my case Secreto starts earlier than Cuandos.

2. Commercials come in handy. At least they don't have commercial breaks at the same time.

3. Keep the remote nearest for any boring conversation that you particularly don't like;

4.It works like fire and kerosene put together.

Never miss a soap!



These Latin American Soaps, as they range from Spanish speaking countries to Portuguese ones have same storylines. Just don't know whats the addiction.

Pretty Maids-Now if only your brothers had access to this pretty things in small dresses.

Mixture of squalor and splendor. Powerful Families & Rich ones, then there are the destitutes.

Evil wives- "I am going to destroy her!" is but a cliche'

Man falls in love with maid- Of course the maids are pretty.Wife finds out and threaten to eliminate her from the face of the earth.

Same old story Man marries maid at the end of the soap.


And Yippee, next soap please.

Who wants to save?

I have been seriously shopping for a Bank because the account i have with Co-operative Bank of Kenya is a student account.Not that i am complaining about it considering

NO LEDGER FEES

So what is my problem. My bank (Co-operative Bank of Kenya)has this habit of letting me down anytime i am in serious need of money. Their ATMS are a disaster sometimes. And that sometimes is when i need my money most!.I have talked to ATM'S,prayed by their sides,asked God why He has decided to abandon me and quite frankly, I am tired!

So in my shopping i went around calling the Banks stating my current Employer's name to ensure i got first hand information.

Standard Chartered Bank
Safari Account
More than 10M- 5.5% interest
Below 100,000(which is where i squarely belong)- 2.5%
I felt a sense of loss.

Savings Account
A minimum balance of Ksh.30,000
For less than 50k- ledger fee of Ksh 350
Below 30k-Ksh. 450
Below 10k- Ksh.650

Barclays
Savings Account
Minimum Balance of Ksh.50,000
The ledger fees were something on the up of Ksh. 600 per month (which i won't pay)

Those were the only banks i was shopping for. I am a disappointed customer to be of the major banks in Kenya.The rest of the banks (Equity, KCB et al) won't help me as i am sure they are worse than what i already have.

I have however found a very interesting profitable way to save (I am a Kikuyu) and my money has to earn interest not several deductions. Why should i put Ksh. 50,000 in a bank to give me 2.5%? And when they lend me their money they charge me obscene figures like (38%)?

Banks in Kenya do not even appreciate Symbiosis as a principle of life. You scratch my back,i scratch yours harder. You give me 12% and above, i might just borrow at 14%. They truth is they won't.

I then started shopping around for mutual funds. I tell you ignorance is not bliss my dear friends.

Zimele Asset Management is currently giving a 8.5% for their Money Market. You can even save from Ksh.2,000

African Alliance (their lack of website bothers me a lot) is yielding basically the sameinterest for their shilling fund around (8%)They have funds ranging from 10,000 to Ksh. 100,000.

Old Mutual has different rates for persons who have invested in their funds depending on the period of time.
Though their minimum investment is Ksh. 500,000, they also have a different arrangement for persons who can afford at least Ksh. 5,000 bob every month to build up to half a million bob.

Madison Insurance have a policy called SMART INVESTOR to which they give interest of 12.5% and above. Premiums range from Ksh. 3,000 bob for a month and the policy is quite flexible.

So why does a bank think i will save with them. I have decided to maintain my free student account (for expenditure purposes) and save wisely.

Read The Richest Man in Babylon-George S. Clanson
My friend Wangu gave it to me to read; it is a classic! I was even considering giving it a review. Tiny but worth it.