Monday, November 3, 2008

Raila should be main suspect in Waki list, say Rift Valley MPs

Four Rift Valley MPs are not mincing their words over Waki’s secret envelope.

The legislators yesterday said should the Waki list be forwarded to the Hague Prime Minister Raila Odinga should be the main suspect.

They said Raila, who is the ODM leader, called for mass action to protest the disputed presidential results, which degenerated into violence.

Led by Konoin MP Dr Julius Kones, the MPs wondered why the Waki Report did not talk about people who led calls for mass action.

"Raila chaired the meetings calling for mass action countrywide and we wonder why he is not mentioned in the Waki Report," Kones said.

Speaking in Ainamoi constituency during a funds drive, Kones said theywould not allow their leaders to be implicated in the "fabricated" report.

Kones said of 525 pages of the report, 25 focused on Rift Valley and yet the removal of the Kenya-Uganda Railway in Kibera was not mentioned.

Meanwhile, Finance Assistant Minister Oburu Odinga wants President Kibaki to compel Justice Philip Waki to hand over names in the controversial sealed envelope.

Oburu said the names of suspected perpetrators of post-election violence presented to former UN Secretary General Kofi Annan should be given to Kibaki.

The Bondo MP disagreed with colleagues from Central Province who demanded the Government gets back the names from Annan.

WHY GO ABROAD

"We don’t need to go abroad for the names. Waki has a copy," he said.

Oburu was addressing mourners during the burial of Kariobangi ward councillor Japheth Orony Bonyo at Wagusu village in Bondo District, at the weekend.Nairobi Metropolitan Assistant minister Elizabeth Ongoro attended the burial. Oburu and Ongoro urged the ODM MPs to speak with one voice.

"The purpose of Waki commission was to identify the cause of the violence with the view of helping the country to heal," said Ongoro.

Ongoro said it was wrong for some leaders to demand that suspected leaders who funded the violence should be tried at The Hague.

Sunday, October 26, 2008

Ridiculous break up lines people use

By Clara Nyamu

One of my favourite things to do during my free time is hanging out with guy friends and talking about relationships. During these times, I can tap into their brains to find out what they do and don’t do in relationships. It is like being in PNU and getting secrets from an insider from ODM. I always end up learning a thing or two about the man versus woman dynamic.

To ensure that they do not hold back, I try to join such tribunals when there is a football game coming up. There is just something about sports and beer that makes men feel excited and relaxed.

This being football season in the U.S., I got a chance to put that strategy into practice when a friend and her boyfriend invited a bunch of men and women for an afternoon of nyama choma and football. (And yes, there are Kenyan women who can unleash sports statistics better than many men I know). The game was starting in the evening, leaving enough time for snacks and a lot of pre-game banter.

Weather

The discussion started on the regular safe topics such as the weather. The more the guys downed kinywajis, the more risquÈ the talks got. Before long, the discussion had turned to an interesting topic: Breakup lines people have used to get out of relationships. Who knew that Homo sapiens can get so creative when they want to dump someone in a cowardly way?

In between laughing and trying to keep my jaws from dropping, I was able to compile my favourite top five, which feature four lines from guys and one from a woman. Without further ado, let’s get started, shall we?

I want to stop sinning (read dating) and focus on God: Talk about using God’s name in vain. One of the guys actually claimed he told a woman that with a straight face. Did I mention the person who used this line was downing the biggest glass of Vodka? Obviously, pleasing God is no longer a priority for him.

I am moving to India: Nothing like a voyage to another country to make a woman agree to break up with you. I gave this guy credit for not making it more dramatic like the guy above. He could have chosen to say he was moving to neighboring Tibet to start a quest for spirituality with the Dalai Lama, but he opted to go low key and use India.

I have decided to stop having sex and practice abstinence: This would have been believable coming from a woman. But when a guy who is known for chasing skirt wearers tells you that he wants to suddenly practice abstinence, be very afraid, woman. What he means is he wants you out of his bed so that he can have access to many, many more skirts.

Hilarious

Wife in Kenya: Another masterpiece. This guy who used this one knows that women enter relationships with an endpoint in sight. If she finds out that getting that coveted bling on her finger is not an option, she is outta there. It does not take that long to convince them to stay. That said, this can backfire on you. There are women who can tell you "She’s in Kenya, I’m here, so let us make it work."

Overused lines

Regaining virginity: This I have to say is my personal favourite. One of the girls once told a man she was dating that she wants to stop being sexually involved because she wants to take a break and save herself for the man she was going to marry. It would have been commendable if it were true, but it was not. She knew that the moment she withdrew from sex, the guy would run like the wind. And he did.

The football game started, and the talks had to be nixed.

As we sat there watching fast, burly men scuttle across the field, I thought of other lines people use during breakups. They include overused ones such as: It’s not you, it’s me. I want to focus on my career. I want to spend more time with myself and blah blah blah. There was even a tale of a woman who told a guy she is a lesbian after he pursued her relentlessly. He tucked his tail between his legs, took off and never came back.

I have said this before in this column and I will say it again: People, tell the truth during breakups. And if you absolutely have to use a line to protect someone’s feelings, try to use something more believable — and less hilarious.

Saturday, October 25, 2008

A church split by the dead

Fridays have lately become important and sombre days in Kisii town. This follows a ban on burials on Sundays by Seventh Day Adventist Church on the grounds that it forces faithful to work on Saturday, which is a day for rest. The leadership says holding funerals on Sunday overshadows the Sabbath (Saturday), contrary to the church’s teachings.

The move has not gone down well with some clergy and faithful who say the decision is not backed by the doctrine.

The debate has moved beyond the scriptures and drawn parallels between traditional and Christian practices.

Traditionally, the dead are supposed to be accorded respect, especially during burial. It is deemed disrespectful to miss the burial of a kin. This is the reason faithful prefer to bury the dead on Sunday. Besides, it affords those living far time to travel and pay their last respects.

Former Karachuonyo MP and staunch SDA member Phoebe Asiyo fired the first salvo at a Friday burial of Pastor Mathayo Wandiga recently.

"We know our traditions and beliefs as SDAs. Attempts to change rules to hold burials on Fridays or Mondays is like forcing the flock to recognise Sunday as a holy day, which is against our teachings regarding the Sabbath,’’ said Asiyo.

By criticising the policy, which the church says was adopted in 2003 at the General Conference, Asiyo voiced concerns of many faithful who feel the move was autocratic.

Adherence to rule

So far, only top church officials — pastors, deacons and deaconesses — adhere to the rule. Most faithful engage the services of church elders when pastors fail to show up for burials. The directive has also ignited a silent campaign from other churches, particularly the Catholics, urging their faithful not to bury their dead on Saturdays.

Father Joseph Obanyi of Catholic Diocese of Kisii says the church’s faithful have been urged to be considerate while planning burials.

"We have a mutual understanding locally for the sake of our Adventist brothers that no burials should be conducted on Saturdays," said Obanyi.

Obanyi, who is also the Vicar General, says it is also against the church’s policy to bury on Sundays.

"This issue can be brought to rest if our Adventist brothers acted in good faith as we have done," says Obanyi, who is the second in command in the diocese after Bishop Mairura Okemwa.

Former Gor Mahia chairman Erastus Okul says burying the dead on weekdays would bar many people who are employed or in business from attending.

This view is dispelled by the SDA hierarchy, which maintains that followers must bury their dead on weekdays to avoid breaking the Sabbath law.

The Executive Director of Kenya Lake Field, the Adventist umbrella body in Nyanza, Pastor Duncan Mumbo, says Sunday burials desecrate the Sabbath because the bereaved are forced to prepare on Saturday.

"People would be forced to move bodies from the mortuary on Saturday and work on that day as they prepare to bury the next day," says Mumbo.

The seventh day of the week (Saturday), he says, is a gift and privilege that believers must welcome with joy and gratitude and "our own pleasure, words, business, thoughts and endeavours’’ should find no place in the observance of the Lord’s day.

Pastor Tom Ogal, who is in charge of public communications and media relations in Nyanza, says families are free to choose days when they bury their dead as long as it does not interfere with the Sabbath.

"The thing is, we will not miss heaven because we hold burials on Sunday. But we will miss it if we disobey the Sabbath. If funerals were held on Sunday, many faithful would miss church the previous day. This attracts a disciplinary action, including ex-communication," says Ogal.

Burial manual

He says pastors have been given a manual and advised not to attend burials on Saturday or even preside over those that take place on Sunday if they are convinced the relatives worked on Saturday.

South Kenya SDA Conference Executive Secretary Pastor Jonathan Mangi says the church has no policy on the day of burial.

He notes that attending burials on Saturdays is a personal choice.

"We believe in total rest on Sabbath and this is a policy issue," Mangi, who is custodian of church policy, told The Standard on Saturday.

He accuses Sunday worshippers of being antagonistic in their approach to the issue of which day to hold burials saying they are out on a revenge mission.

"They have no scriptures to back their arguments yet ours is Biblically supported," he says.

Without formal talks between the two religious bodies in Kisii to resolve the issue and give respective faithful the way forward, the controversy is not likely to end any time soon.

Friday, October 24, 2008

Rot in prisons exposed

A deep and rich hearty laughter booms from the pool table at a far corner of a cosy bar in Naivasha town.Nearby, men and women enjoy their drinks as they converse watching the pool game.

Standing at the pool table holding a stick is a clean shaven stocky man wearing a short, designer sandals and a white T-shirt. He is Fai Amario, a controversial Naivasha businessman who was recently freed from prison.

He is enjoying the freedom he missed for the four years he was behind bars.

Donning a gold watch and a matching chain hanging from his neck, the Starehe Boy’s Centre alumnus relishes the moment.

It is barely a year since he walked out of jail. But he says he is still traumatised by his experience in jail.

Amario was jailed on August 28, 2004, following charges of robbery and being in possession of stolen vehicles. He was set free on December 13, last year on presidential pardon.

Jail term

Amario had been jailed for nine years on the first charge and three and half years for the second charge. "I appealed and won against the nine year jail term. The man who claimed that I had stolen his car didn’t have any documents of ownership," he explains.

Though he was set free, he is still proceeding with an appeal on the second case to clean his criminal record. Reflecting on his suffering in prison, Amario shakes his head and says: " This is one place where anyone should avoid if they can."

Amario says life in Kenyan jails is the worst life that any human being can be subjected to. He says Kenyan jails are the breeding grounds for hardened criminals, mainly among poor inmates.

"The biggest mistake ever done by the prison management is to mix petty offenders with hardcore criminals," he explains. He says for one to survive in Kenyan prisons, one only needs to have money.

"Our prisons are the most corrupt places. One can get literally anything from cigarettes, bhang and even illicit brews if you have money," he adds.

He considers himself lucky that he had money when he went to jail. Amario confesses that he spent Sh10,000 per week on food and other needs in prison as he could not rely on prison’s food.

"Low quality flour is used, beans are openly sold and getting sugar in the prison is a dream.Warders collude with the cooks and the inmates in charge of blocks to sell them and keep the cash," he says.

He says this has been a business venture for some inmates adding some ‘industrious’ one’s leave jail rich with money earned from selling food to inmates.

"The warders select hardcore criminals who know how to go about the business of fleecing fellow inmates as in charge of blocks," he says.

Amario says wives of some of the inmates in the ‘kitchen department’ visit the prisons every week to collect cash from their husbands for school fees and food for their families.

"So huge are these collections that once released, some inmates in the kitchen break the law deliberately so that they are returned to jail. They make more money while in jail than they can make when out," he says.

Amario says a stick of Rooster cigarette goes for Sh5. To buy a piece of meat, he says, one needs three pieces of the cigarette.

"Beer, bhang and cigarettes are sneaked in by warders who get a commission from the inmates," he says.

Despite the congestion in jail, Amario says, cooking in the cells is common.

He says inmates use anything from plastic buckets to papers and even coils to cook.

It, therefore, demands that one keeps money at all times so as to get quality food and access to mobile phones. But where do they keep this cash?

"One has to have two to three ‘banks’ where you can withdraw the cash anytime you need it," he says.

"The ‘bank’ refers to hiring trusted inmates who keep the money in their anal canals. If the notes are many one requires many ‘banks’," he adds.

Amario says homosexuality is rife in jail. However, he says it affects only those willing to participate.

He says it is mainly practiced by those inmates in charge of blocks since they have access to money, the best food and even private cells.

"The fresh and young inmates are picked up on the first day and taken to the worst cells which have crazy people," he says.

Frightened and in desperation, the ‘in charge’ approaches them the following day and offers them the best food, blankets and clean water, he says. After some days of lavish treatment, he adds, the inmates are told that nothing is free and they have to reciprocate.

"Unakalia uchumi (you are sitting on economy), is the key word and with time they give in," he explains.

Homosexuality

"Some people live like a wife and a husband. The ‘wives’ get literally everything they need from the ‘husbands’," he says.

In prison, one can also get the best lawyers who draft appeals for fellow inmates at a cost.

Amario, who has served in six jails in the country, terms King’ong’o Prison as the worst and Shimo la Tewa the most humane.He says the officer in charge at Shimo la Tewa, Wanini Keriri, who once served in Lang’ata is the only prison boss who understands the inmates’ needs.

"I have never spoken to her but during my time in Shimo la Tewa prison, I saw a lot of difference from her unlike in other prisons," he says.

He has served in Naivasha, Kamiti, Industrial area and Nakuru prisons.

Amario sums up the prison life as a "living hell". He says prisons are no longer places of shaping wrong doers but a breeding ground for criminals.

Wednesday, October 22, 2008

The matatu owner who still pushes a handcart

He was thrown out of a relative’s house at 3am six years ago, but Andrew Oyori was not bitter about it.The incident humbled him so much that he resolved to be independent and he now ‘drives’ a mkokoteni (handcart) despite owning a number of matatus.

His entrepreneurial journey began immediately after the ejection. With no work and a stomach to fill, he built his first handcart from scrap metal and hit the road. Since then, the 32-year-old has worked without taking a break. ‘Sijawahi kwenda leave (I have never taken leave)," he says.

With his first cart, he relocated from Nairobi’s Embakasi Estate to Kayole where there was great demand for transport services. "There was a lot of construction work in progress and people needed carts to ferry water and building materials," he explains.

Oyori was contracted to ferry water, cement and iron bars. In a day, he could transport over 60 bags of cement, iron bars, timber and 70 100-litre cans of water to the site. He saw the construction of a five story residential flat from the foundation to the rooftop.

Then he undertook a similar assignment at another construction site. The work took about a year, and when it was over, he had saved a tidy sum of money.

A friend advised him to venture into the matatu business. He bought his first minibus for slightly over Sh150,000.

A servant

Even as the vehicle plied the Kayole route, he did not abandon his handcart business.

"I knew I had to work even harder because with a vehicle, you never know. It can break down any time,’ he says.

With that kind of uncertainty in the matatu industry, the father of two has stuck to his trade despite adding more vehicles to his stable, which go under the name Bogesango Enterprises.

He says the handcarts act as insurance to his matatus. "When one of my vehicles breaks down, I use money from the carts to repair it," explains the teetotaller.

He has expanded his transport business that currently offers employment to about 10 people.

His day begins at 4am and ends at 10pm. He starts by ferrying groceries for traders who venture early from Gikomba Market and continues throughout the day. He has such a tight schedule that when I managed to get an interview with him, he had to interrupt thrice to answer his client’s calls.

Oyori serves his clients with such zeal and humility that he has won their hearts. "Wapi Andrew?" (Where is Andrew?)," a woman in need of his services disappointedly asks when she misses him at his hangout.

Besides his clients and the uncertainty in the matatu industry, Oyori says that he was not born a "boss", another reason he gives for not quitting his trade.

"I would not wish to sit and order people around," he explains. "I prefer receiving orders. It makes me feel I am a servant," he says.

But some people pester him that he is too ‘big’ to push a cart, a lowly job. Some chide him, but Oyori says he is in it to stay.

"Pushing a cart is not a mean job," he explains. "It pays as much as working in an office."

However, like any other occupation, it is not free of risks. "You must eat well since the job demands a lot of energy," he advises.

Dishonest clients

Besides that, at times he incurs heavy losses when a person hires a cart only to disappear with it. He says with about Sh2,000, one can own a cart, but to win clients’ confidence, one needs three things: honesty, honesty and honesty.

"Why would you run away with their luggage? he poses in reference to some cart pushers who make away with customers’ luggage if not accompanied.

In each stride he has made, Oyori sees the hand of God. He says if presented with a cart and a vehicle, he would go for the former a thousand times.

Monday, October 20, 2008

Kenyatta Day

Its some minute to nine in the morning and i am walking in the streets of Nairobi, of course cursing why i have to go to work on such great day as this - Kenyatta Day! anyway am greeted by beautifully coloured building of patriotic Kenyans with proud kenyan flag coloured banners.... looking good though!
By the way i think i am late for work, was supposed to be in by 8, but no worries coz probably the boss is some place trying to figure out how to enjoy this day.......... so i get to job and here i am writing this...........................................
Now, holidays are great days especially when they fall on weekdays, days when you are supposed to be going to job but wont go because it is a holiday... todays Kenyatta day luckily fell on a good day, Monday - the worst day of the week. making the weekend even longer... so why celebrate this day, many may ask, Check this!

Today is Kenyatta Day in Kenya. This national holiday celebrates Mzee Jomo Kenyatta (1889-1978) and all the heroes who died fighting for Kenya's independence. Kenyatta is regarded as the founding father of Kenya.

He served as the first prime minister and president of the new nation for about 15 years. Recently there was a discussion to move Kenyatta Day from Kenyatta's birthday, Oct. 20, to the anniversary of his death, Aug. 22, since Moi Day, established to commemorate his successor Daniel Toroitich arap Moi, falls on Oct. 10 and the two holidays are too close to keep both.


other..........

Jomo Kenyatta , 1893?-1978, African political leader, first president of Kenya (1964-78). A Kikuyu, he was one of the earliest and best-known African nationalist leaders. As secretary of his tribal association (1928), he campaigned for land reform and African political rights. In England he collaborated with other African nationalist students and founded (1946), with Kwame Nkrumah, the Pan-African Federation. Returning (1946) to Kenya, he became president of the Kenya African Union. In 1953, during the Mau Mau uprising, Kenyatta was imprisoned by the British as one of its instigators, then sent to internal exile (1959). Kenyatta was elected president of the newly founded (1960) Kenya African National Union while in exile. Released in 1961, he participated in negotiations with the British to write a new constitution for Kenya, which became independent in 1963. Kenya became a republic in 1964 with Kenyatta as president. Influential throughout Africa, Kenyatta was intolerant of dissent in Kenya, outlawing some opposition parties in 1969 and establishing a one-party state in 1974. The stability resulting from his leadership attracted foreign investment. He followed a nonaligned foreign policy and died in office. He wrote Facing Mount Kenya (1938) and Suffering without Bitterness (1968).

Saturday, October 18, 2008

Curtain falls on Kamangu

The pair of brown shoes he might have worn when shot into national limelight lay desolate on the green roof.

The late James Kamangu’s brother Robert Gachie is restrained by family members from attacking the widow Beatrice Mbaire at their home in Gachie on Wednesday after an argument over circumstances of his death. Kamangu died at Kenyatta National Hospital on Tuesday night.

They appear to be waiting for their wearer to return home. But the owner, James Ndimu Kamangu, passed on Wednesday, ending a sensational chapter that dragged him into controversial and hilarious national attention.

Kamangu kicked off one of the most heated debates, in 2006, when he claimed he was husband to Bishop Margaret Wanjiru.

And controversy seems to have followed him in death as his family is now embroiled in a feud over how he died.

Screams by his anguished mother announced to Kabubu villagers in Gachie location, Kiambu District, the death of a man who put their village in the news.

James Ndimu Kamangu attends mention of his case against Bishop Margaret Wanjiru at the Nairobi Law Courts.

As she wailed, shell-shocked neighbours discussed in low tones Kamangu’s fate.

As Kamangu’s wife Beatrice Mbaire, tearfully recounted her last moments with the deceased, a commotion erupted.

"You must tell us what you did to him. He was fine until on Wednesday. Now Jimmy is no more. We demand to know what you have done," charged an enraged brother David Gachie.

Restrained

As David was restrained by villagers from attacking Mbaire, Kamangu’s son, Steve Ndimu, 15, grabbed a metal bar to defend his mother.

Such was the rowdy manner in which Kamangu’s death was received when word went round he was no more.

Initially, there was talk of foul play but some relatives told The Standard Kamangu had complained of a stomach upset and was vomiting before he was taken to a nearby hospital.

He was then transferred to Kiambu District Hospital and finally to Kenyatta National Hospital.

Kamangu with his lawyers

Photos: Boniface Okendo/Standard

"I left him at KNH at midnight, yesterday. When we took him there, I was instructed to buy some drugs from Nairobi Hospital, which were administered to him by the doctor," Kamangu’s sister Jane Nyanjega said.

Mbaire says her husband was taken ill on Tuesday morning after he started vomiting and complained of a stomach upset.

"I assisted him to walk to the clinic but we had to go to Kiambu," she said.

When confronted by her in-laws about the death, Mbaire said she had done nothing wrong, saying she had personally taken him to hospital.

Disputed claims

Gachie location chief Peter Ndung’u Kibandi disputed allegations Kamangu wanted a separation from Mbaire.

He said Kamangu differed with her for brewing traditional liquor.

"I intervened and Kamangu stopped her brewing the liquor. I remember such a case was brought to me," he said, on Wednesday.

At Kamangu’s house, relatives and neighbours started streaming in to console the family.

Bishop’s picture

Inside his house, quite unexpectedly, there was a wall calendar with a picture of Bishop Wanjiru celebrating her election as Starehe MP.

There is also his picture as a child with his late father Stephen Ndimu and his mother Jedidah Wairimu.

Celeb status

Kamangu died before a case he filed against Bishop Wanjiru contesting her planned marriage to her South African suitor was concluded.

He gained national stardom after filing the case and was frequently invited to entertainment joints.

From a frail-looking and haggard man at the onset of the dramatic case, Kamangu transformed into a suave figure, turning out in different pressed suits at each court mention.

Some local FM radio stations marketed Kamangu as a brand and soon he became one of the so-called ‘celebs.’

He was later associated with the fledgling Maendeleo ya Wanaume, an organisation fronting for men’s rights.

During his recent homecoming in Mathira, local MP Ephraim Maina recognised Kamangu’s presence in an occasion attended by several politicians.

Media attention

On Wednesday, villagers marvelled at the huge media attention at Kamangu’s homestead. Distraught relatives and neighbours were interviewed until they could take no more questions.

But Kamangu, according to his friends, was an ordinary man who lived an extra-ordinary life, despite coming from a humble background.

He lives behind a widow Mbaire, two sons and a daughter.

Arsenal - The Gunners



What is your club? that a question i always get from most new friends..... new coz old ones know which club i belong to. anyway i never used to be a English premier fanatic but with everyone being one, why not me.
So, i decided to shift my loyalties from my two favourites team, Gor Mahia and Oserian Fastac to the interesting playing Arsenal Fc...... by the way i dont know what just happened and all of a sudden Kenyan football diminished. i remember those old good days when we used to seat down, our greatwall Tv on an KBC radio on for Kiswahili commentary and it felt good to watch and enjoy local football.................. all the boys talk was local football and all but a few were alien to Arsenal, Man U and the likes.....

Anyway time is changing too bad to the worst for most part of our lovely country...... was walking back at home and it was sad seeing how things are getting worse.......the shopping centers, railway lines, street lighting - a story for another time.

Back to football, soccer brother! Honestly i had a rough and hard time choosing what team to support.... coz i felt most were doing well and almost all my buddies had different clubs, of course this is made it even more interesting when it came to arguing and debating and watching........

Brief Intro

Yap! This is me, Chege Martin aka Martoh also Martkid. Born in 1986, May 30 to Mr & Mrs Chege Benard on a small town central of Kenya called Sabasaba which can easily be located somewhere on your way to Murang'a from the Capital i.e Nairobi.

I did my studies from the same place, Sabasaba i.e my primary school education in a small nice school called Maganjo Primary....... then later on failed to attain the best mark for a nicer school than Gaichanjiru Boys! wanted to do my high school from Njiiri coz most of my buddies in primary school were admitted there, anyway God knows what is best for all of us. Life in high was not the best though that a story for another time.

Later on, like four years i finally cleared high school here too did do very well as usual -jk! and would not get admission to the best of our Public University to take my dream course so after 8 months rest i relocated to Uganda, yes! UGANDA, Kampala...................................... to be continued

.......... so where was i????? oh relocating to Uganda, land of matoke and G nut, ya!where Museveni rules for ever and ever...... so on the August of 2004 i shifted base to Kampala - Kampala International University, where a long story now starts........................................


First Blog

Hi all!

Am just starting to do my blogs, and will be writing posts regularly so please check out.
Anyway i hope you will enjoy and at the same time give me some feed back. About the articles and stuff to expect is about my past, i mean life in University and what is happening to me and people around me.