Theodore, Tedd, Ore Oluwa, Zuwadi ya Mungu, Double D, LBW

What's New

Wow!! I think the last time I updated this page was in September 2007. To say a lot has changed since then would be an understatement. I have done some extensive traveling since then (depending on your definition of distance and how you characterize me). I have lost some friends, made new ones, renewed and worked on some old ones.
2008, my goodness time is really going by fast. It seems only like it was yesterday when I greeted 2000. I would never guess nor would I have imagine life would e as it is for me now. But the lesson learned from that is never say never and anything is possible provided you have an open mind and a modicum of faith in a higher power.
Well lets address some of the things that have transpired since the last update.

While the previous paragraph and what is to follow is not exactly new, the format is different. I am experimenting with doing as much of the design without using templates as possible. No I am not writing code (hold your breath on that on okay), but I am hoping by doing some of the design myself instead of using templates I will understand where some of the mistakes are when I try to update the site and have more latitude in making updates and changes.

Travel

Yes I went on another one of my jaunts to East Asia. As always, I was impressed and moved by the wide spectrum or disparity in those who have and those who do not. However, the have nots have a little bit more now thanks to a digital camera I lost and the hundreds or more accurately thousands of dollars spent there.
I recently returned from a short stay in Germany. I had not really been there with the exception for the occasional stop at the Frankfurt Airport in almost 4 years. I stayed in the Mannheim/Heidelberg area the last 6 weeks. What surprised me was that the weather was unusually warm (for winter) most of the time I was there. In fact it feels colder here in Kuwait than it did there. In my eyes, I could see the definite effects of global warming there. When I first went to Germany in 1985, the snow remained on the ground from January until late April. During this visit, I did not encounter a single snow flake. There were some days that were cold but for the most part, it was rainy and grey. Another thing I noticed was the change in people there. The overall mood I perceived was one as grey and cold as the weather. And they is a larger influx of immigrants there. Which brings up the next thing I experienced there; crime. In the 16 plus years I lived there, I had never had anything stolen or been robbed. This time around someone broke into my car and stole from items. That kind of took away a lot of the appeal (what was left of it) of the country. I also noticed that compared to other countries I have visited in recent times, the service sector is sub par. I am not sure if that has to do with the higher wages or labor laws, but there is not the enthusiastic effort to bring customer satisfaction that I have now grown accustomed to.
Not in any way should anything said here be used as the deciding factor in visiting Germany. It is a lovely place very picturesque and you will enjoy driving fast on the highways there and there is a lot to do there. I think for the most part since I have lived there so long, my time and thrill for that area of the world is gone. The most excellent feature of the trip was I did get a chance to visit family and friends there and see my car that is being restored.

Closing Remarks

In the time since the last update on this page, another year came and went. 2007 was a pretty good year. There were some gains and some loses. I lost a good friend to an automobile accident in Nigeria. She died young and in the prime of life. She will be sorely missed and I pray that her soul is finally at rest and she is in a good place. I also happen to have friends in Kenya and given the current situation there, I am praying for them as well that they can soon resume some semblance of a normal life there soon. I am sure many people say this about their own countries but when I visit some of the countries in Europe, the Middle East and Far East, I am often in awe how it is a descendant of slaves came to be in America. There are a lot of US bashers out in the world and probably some US want to be's but I have yet to see any place where there can be as peaceful a transition of government, theoretical equal opportunity, the possibility for change than my country. We are not perfect by no means but for the most part the system works.
As usual, I would like to recognize those people out there that have gotten a little older since my last update.
I have family and friends with birthdays on: 1 December, 15 December, 26 December, 27 December, 30 December and 31 December. In January, there was/is birthdays on the 1st, 2nd, 5th, 6th, 12th, 15th, 16th 20th, 22nd and the 28th. Happy Birthday to you all and many more to come. And in the event I do not update this for another month or three, Happy Valentine's Day, Ground Hog Day, President's Day and Ides of March ( not sure if that is a holiday or not). I will see you all on the far side. Out!