FAVOURITE QUOTES

Some quotes are forever new. The folowing are among my favourites:

1. If it is not broken, do not fix it (Unknown). "Our doctor would never really operate unless it was necessary. He was just that way. If he din't need the money, he wouldn't lay a hand on you." Herb Shriner.
2. Decay starts when growth stops (Our Daily Bread)
3. It is not about what your country can give you. It is about what you can give your country (JFK)
4. To be different is not to be defficient(Unknown)
5. To teach is to learn twice (Unknown)
6. The used key is always bright (Benjamin Franklin)
7. Now go, write it before them in a table, and not in a book (Isaih 30: 8)
8. By indirections find directions out (William Shakespear)
9. Have no friends not equal to yourself (Confucius)
10. I never forget a face, but in your case I will make an exception (Julius Henry)
11. To err is human, to forgive divine (Alexandar Pope)
12. There is always room at the top (Daniel Webster)
13. A good symbol is the best arguement, and is a missionary to persuade thousands (Ralph Waldo Emerson)
14. I could never make out what those damned dots meant (Winston Churchill)
15. The historian is a prophet in reverse (Frederick Shlegel)
16."The 'expectation' in a gamble is the value of the prize multiplied by the probability of winning the prize. According to Pascal, the value of eternal happiness is infinite. He reasoned that even if the probability of winning eternal happiness by leading a religious life is very small indeed, nevertheless, since the expectation is infinite (any finite fraction of infiniy is itself infinite)) it will pay anyone leading such a life (E.T. Bell, Men of Mathematics)

A visit from James by David Kitz (March 19)

I was blessed by David Kitz's one man show at my local church today. David performed the book of James by reciting scripture verses as recorded by James- the brother of Jesus Christ. I was reminded that James believed in the Lord after the resurrection when the Lord appeared to him. Before the resurrection, the gospels record that James did not believe. In fact James and other family memebers thought that their brother, the trvelling evangelist was a lunatic! What an impact the resurrection made! Please plan to tell the resurrection story to someone this easter.

In his performance, David opens by writing greetings to the churches. He then goes into the meaty stuff: faith and works, prayer, caring for one another etc. The desription of the mouth as an organ of evil caught my attention more than the other parts. With the mouth, one can set the whole world on fire! Yet, it is with the mouth that we also sing priases to God. What a testimonythe mouth carries before our living God!

David did another performance called the "The Centurion's experince". He gives a perspective on the dearth and resurrection of Jesus from the Roman soldier's perspective- the centurion. The Centurion's experience has a good ending. At the end of his experience, (he led the band of killers that nailed Jesus to the cross) he confesses that he was ignorant of what he did and begs for forgiveness.

David has CDs and a book which was the number one seller a few years ago in the Ottawa area.

MY BEST READERS

A number of books have left a lasting impression on me. The chief ones are:

1. The Bible
This classic is renowned as the best world seller. It has remained my number 1 reader, year in and year out. Here is why I go back to it so often:
-It has a very rich variety of styles. A number of books from the Old Testament are historical, while some are full of wisdom andyet others are poetic. Then we have prophesy and in the new testament, we find books that are easy to read (the four gospels of Mathew, Mark Luke and John present the story of Jesus or the good news) while the remainder of the new testament contains letters that were sent to churches or specific individuals. These letters describe how to relate with one another.
-I always find something new each time I re-read what I read a few years ago. Very few books have had this impact on me.
-I am amazed at the wisdom and scientific detail that is presented in the Bible. Modern knowledge, it would appear, is not new after all!
-The book claims to be the word of God and I am convinced it is.

2. The Diary of a Nobody - by George and Weedon Grossmith
This book is out of print but one can get a copy at any local library (at least in North America and Europe). The setting is England around 1600. It is basically a catalogue of daily entries of routine things including drinking English tea at 2pm! What drew me to the book was the thought or question that I had. Would somebody's life be so exciting or boring that they would want to share it with the whole world? Apparently, life is never boring if you can see the big picture.

3. Pio na Vera- by Stephen Mpashi
I picked up a reprint of this book at the University of Zambia book store in 2005. The book describes the courtship of a couple in a Copper Belt town of Ndola. It is written in a Zambian local language (Bemba). The man, Pio is a school teacher while Vera is an apprenntice of some sort. The description of the social life in a Zambian compound is quite breath taking especially for those who are now detached from home.

4. The Trials of Brother Jero- by Wole Soyinka
The author is a nobel prize winner for literature. The play is set in Nigeria. Christianity, politics and business mingle at the beach, the setting of the play. Soyinka has a way of letting you see the characters without watching the performance.

New Conservative Government elected in Canada

Canada went to the polls on January 23, 2006. Victory went to the Conservative Party who won by a small majority. This was after 13 years of being in opposition to the Liberal Party. The new government was sworn in on February 6. The new Prime Minister is Mr Stephen Harper and comes from Calgary, Alberta (western Canada). The Conservative party is strongest in western Canada but a number of seats were won in eastern Canada as well, including Quebec where separatist ideas are held high by some people. The Conservative party won the majority of their seats in rural ridings mostly.

What does the conservative party win for the ordinary person mean? The answer depends on who you ask and how you define the ordinary person. Issues that the new government ought to be judged on from a visible minority point of view include inclusiveness and poverty. The offshoots of these problems can be observed in gang violence in our cities, under-employment etc. Hopefully, the climate of change that the Conservative leaders campaigned on will be translated into action.

WORDS OF WISDOM

Wise saying may be conveyed as proverbs, chants etc. They are used to drive home ideas, issues, arguments, inspirations and so on, in the day-to-day life of an African. Wise saying are an integral part of the life and culture of an African. These philosophical words of wisdom have been preserved from generation to generation and are always handed over from parents to children as an inheritance. No matter how great an orator you are, or how eloquent you are, your speech is regarded as incomplete without proverbs which serve as ingredients for the speech. Africans hold proverbs in the highest esteem, and an African is regarded incomplete without the mastery of proverbs. Here are a few from Zambia:

A child who never travels beyond his village grows up thinking that his mother is the best book in the whole world ( from Zambia)

The hands of the porridge owner can never be dirty (from Zambia)

The man who refused to take advice from his friends arrived with feaces on his suit at his wedding (from Zambia)

It is not unusual for a cockrel to break its wing before adulthood (from Zambia

Saskatchewan Changes Immigration Rules for Family Members

My readers might be interested in knowing that the Sask Provincial government has made changes to immigration of family members of those residing in Sask (permanent residents) or citizens of Canada. The text below is a 'copy and paste' policy change for your information. The document has relevant links if anybody wants to explore the issue further.
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SINP — Family Members Category
WHO IS ELIGIBLE?People living in another country that have family members who are Canadian citizens or permanent residents living in Saskatchewan may qualify. This includes:
mother/father;
daughter/son;
brother/sister;
niece/nephew;
aunt/uncle;
grandchild;
grandfather/grandmother;
first cousin; or
step-relative or in-law of the same level
ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA To be eligible under the Family Members category you must:
Have a signed affidavit of support from one or more family members in Saskatchewan that indicates they will provide settlement assistance to you and your family. This may include financial support.
Be between the ages of 18-49;
Have completed at least one year of post-secondary education, training or apprenticeship;
Have at least one year of work experience in your field of education/training;
Have sufficient language capability to be employable in Saskatchewan that is verified by an employer affidavit or by education and language testing;
Have a fulltime permanent job offer from an employer in Saskatchewan or, intend to find work in Saskatchewan and have adequate funds to live in the province after arrival ($10,000 for principal applicant and $2,000 for each additional accompanying family member). The funds may be from you or your supporting family members.
For useful information about looking for employment in Saskatchewan please refer to the employer opportunities in our links section of this website.
Applicants who intend to work in an occupation requiring licensing or certification in Saskatchewan must contact the applicable provincial, national and/or industry regulatory association prior to applying for nomination to verify that they will be able to meet licensing or certification requirements. Before nomination the SINP will contact the appropriate regulatory body to ensure they have no objections to SINP nomination.
Applicants who intend to work in a medical profession requiring licensing or certification must apply under the SINP Health Professionals category.
For information on regulated and non-regulated occupations in Saskatchewan and Canada contact the Canadian Information Center for International Credentials at http://www.cicic.ca/ or Services Canada Work Destinations at http://www.workdestinations.org/.
Obtaining provincial or federal licensing or accreditation in your intended occupation does not guarantee you will be able to find employment in your field in Saskatchewan.
WHO IS ELIGIBLE TO BE A SUPPORTING FAMILY MEMBER? Supporting family members can include:
parents;
sister/brother;
daughter/son;
aunt/uncle;
niece/nephew;
grandparents;
first cousin; or
step-family member
CRITERIA FOR SUPPORTING FAMILY MEMBERS To be eligible as a supporting family member you must be:
A Canadian citizen or permanent resident of Canada who has lived in Saskatchewan for the past year; and
Financially self-supporting. You are not eligible to be a supporting family member if you have received financial support through the Saskatchewan Assistance Plan, Employment Insurance, or the Resettlement Assistance Program within the last six months.
APPLYINGApplicants must complete and send the following forms to SINP :
SINP-100-22: Family Members Category Application Form This form must be completed by the applicant.
SINP 500-8 Affidavit of English Language Ability This may be completed by the employer to support the language ability of the applicant.
IMM-0008: Application for Permanent Residence in Canada This form must be completed by the applicant.
Schedule 1: Background / DeclarationThis form must be completed by the applicant and (if applicable): his or her spouse or common-law partner; and all dependant children aged 18 years or older listed in the application for permanent residence.
Schedule 4: Economic Classes—Provincial NomineesThis form must be completed by the applicant.
IMM-5406: Additional Family InformationThis form must be completed by the applicant and (if applicable): his or her spouse or common-law partner; and all dependant children aged 18 years or older listed in the application for permanent residence.
The applicant may complete one or both of the following forms, if applicable: (a) Use this form to designate an authorized representative to handle your file: IMM-5476 — Use of a Representative. This form also authorizes CIC and Saskatchewan to release info rmation to and deal with your representative on matters pertaining to your file. (b) Use this form if you wish to have your application info rmation sent to a designated individual other than your representative: IMM 5475 — Authority to Release Personal Information to a Designated Individual.
For more information: Instructions on using a representative (PDF file).
Documentation:
Birth certificate for applicant and immediate family-members that list both parents, marriage certificate, divorce, custody and maintenance documents.
A police report (original only) from the last country where an applicant and accompanying family members over the age of 18 have lived for more than six months.
Valid passport (photocopy only). In order to ensure successful immigration processing, it is recommended that passports have an expiry date no less than two years from the date of your SINP application. Each family member must obtain an individual passport.
Documents required to verify eligibility:
Bank confirmation of personal funds.
Education/training credentials.
Letter of reference from previous employers to prove work experience or other proof of employment.
Regulatory or licensing credentials (if applicable)
Proof of language competency (English or French, if applicable). If the applicant does not have an offer of employment, educational documents or language testing results must be submitted to demonstrate their English language capability.
Letter of offer of permanent employment from the Saskatchewan employer stating position, wage, benefits and company contact information. (if applicable)
Proof of family relationship living in Saskatchewan as a Canadian citizen or permanent resident.
Supporting family members must complete and send the following form to SINP
SINP 500-22: Family Members Category Affidavit of Support
All documents submitted must be original or certified/notarized copies unless otherwise specified. Where documents are not in English, an original translation by a certified translator must be provided with the original or certified/notarized copy of the document. All forms must be original.

My visit to Zambia in October 2005

I travelled to Zambia at short notice to attend my mom's funeral. The following were the most impressionable things after being away from home for about 4 years:

1. Mobile Phones- Be it at the market, road side or shop, the incidence of mobile phone booths was unmistakable. Why was everyone glued on the cell-phone? I asked myself. Communication is certainly essential but is this useful technology? I asked myself these questions because I saw people who were prepared to buy a scratch card (minute top up) at all costs, even at the expense of forgoing other basic needs. The question going in my mind was, “Do people have their priorities right?” Almost all my numerous young relatives asked me how I could help them get a cell phone. I once read about the Chicago fire and a guy I met in Montreal told me that the fire extinguisher was invented after the Chicago fire. It turned out that major inventions were made out of necessity. Connection to the cell phone? Well, I couldn’t see the urgency of the cell phone when so many people were hungry, naked and sick. I just wondered why we have never come up with an invention to tackle these ills.

2. The Tent churches. I am always fascinated by physical buildings that human beings erect as centres of worship and fellowship. Solomon of the bible was no exception. He built the most elegant temple that made people wonder! I found tent churches so common everywhere I went in the capital city (Lusaka) and the Copperbelt towns. I asked brothers and sisters at a bible study why this was so. I was told that there is a lot of religion that has sprang up in recent years, most of it with a cultic tilt. Some groups are genuinely expanding and need extra space. The tent is the temporary solution to space requirements. I took pictures of a tent church in Kaunda SQ and the Cathedral of the Holly Cross along Church road. I must say that I was greatly fascinated by the purple colours of the Jacaranda trees along Church road.

3. Orphanages/Day cares. Due to the growing number of orphans and street kids, a lot of orphanages have come on the scene. Someone remarked that orphanages were the fastest growing industry in Zambia. I walked from Evelyn Hone College to Great East Road to catch a bus. I saw quite a few orphanages in that area. While many orphanages are genuinely there to give a helping hand, I heard stories of some that are charging unreasonable fees for non-existant services.

4. Transport. I found significant improvements in public transport. Timeliness, luggage care and proper loading appeared to be followed. In situations were overloading or time wasting occurred, there was quick response from the public. In one incident at Kulima Tower, passengers grabbed the keys of the driver and handed them to a police officer. This was in protest for not taking passengers to the main station from Kafue. The driver got a scare and drove us to the main station. I also took a long distance bus from Lusaka to Luapula via the so called Tuta road. The ride was comfortable. Passengers were glued to what looked like West African soaps that the crew played all the way. I did not pay much attention to them since I am generally not a television or movie person. I enjoy reading a good book on along trip. I was however stealing bits and pieces and what caught my attention in the soaps was the strong African culture and especially the witchcraft twist in the movies. I thought sharing African culture in this manner was a big plus. Around Kapriri-Mposhi, I really wanted to sleep and asked one of the crew to reduce the volume since my seat was just next to one of the speakers. I was told that this was actually not loud enough but he asked me to trade a seat which I obliged.

5. Foreign goods. Brand names of pretty much any item were common place. I figured out that it is probably not necessary to take along bulky gifts to relatives since these can easily be bought in Zambia. Obviously local manufacturing has suffered and at the same time it has created a lot of ingenuity for survival. A relative in some manufacturing business told that he has diversified so much that he wondered why he didn’t think of that earlier.

6. The Gulf between haves and have nots was ever present wherever I went. It reminded me of a book that was quite popular at UNZA during my time called “Narrowing the Gaps.” My impression this time was that the gaps were getting wider than before. Basics were everywhere but not affordable but not affordable by most people. I was particularly amazed that I saw very few ordinary people (the masses from the compounds) trouping out of SPAR or Shoprite.