"ku e'nyaanul neh Yallaak diw."

All things happen by God's permission; that's my belief. But, though your blessing, acknowledging someone through whom you're blessed is not ruling out the fact that it came from God, it's gratitude. So, saying "it is because of God and so-and-so" is not blasphemous, say it! Olof Njie neh: "ku e'nyaanul neh Yallaak diw."

truth is powerful.

It's natural to feel disappointed that someone so close to you, or one who pretends to know you can go all Judas against you, accepting every awful thing being said about you as the truth - just like that, and particularly where this person's expected to defend your honour.

But while feeling all disappointed is granted, it will be so unhealthy and unyieldly to give up as beyond hope of vindication and in the allegiance of man. Rest assured in knowing that in the end, the truth about you that is being caused to be called into question will always have the upper hand, because truth is powerful.

Some people are just likeable...

Some people are naturally easy to like. If you want to be as likeable, don't hate; just try and be as sweet, simple!

Saying defamatory stuff about them, speaking ill of them, trying to put them down, belittling them through speech, or driving a wedge between them and the people they vibe with wouldn't change what people feel about them. Well, except for the naive, and not for long.

One more thing: because theirs is an innately kind disposition, know that whatever you say about them will more than likely be passed on to them.

Distrust...

'Olof Njie nayna, ku dai sa fowukai, dehloufa nala teh.' (He who poops at his playground is only making his return so difficult). So before forming your beliefs, have proof. Don't just base your reaction(s) on hearsay. It can be very dangerous.

In fact, it creates distrust, and where there's distrust there's doubt, where there's doubt there's suspicion, where there's suspicion there's fear, where there's fear there's anxiety, where there's anxiety there's self-defence, usually against threats that do not even exist.

And if you allow your ego to win by failing to talk about the cause of the distrust, with a view to resolving it that is, swear down you will end up embracing the enemy whilst shunning your true friends... I joke a lot but I hardly talk nonsense. I have seen a lot.

Pray for Sierra Leone...

Wonderful prayer from the Catholic Relief Services and I dedicate it to the beautiful people of Sierra Leone

"Compassionate Lord, we pray for those who have been devastated by recent natural disasters. We remember those who have lost their lives so suddenly. We hold in our hearts the families forever changed by grief and loss. Bring them consolation and comfort.

Surround them with our prayers for strength. Bless those who have survived and heal their memories of trauma and devastation. May they have the courage to face the long road of rebuilding ahead.

We ask your blessing on all those who have lost their homes, their livelihoods, their security and their hope. Bless the work of relief agencies and those providing emergency assistance. May their work be guided by the grace and strength that comes from You alone.

Help us to respond with generosity in prayer, in assistance, in aid to the best of our abilities. Keep our hearts focused on the needs of those affected, even after the crisis is over. We ask this in your name,

Amen."

Tukki (travel)...

"We think too small, like the frog at the bottom of the well. He thinks the sky is only as big as the top of the well. If he surfaced, he would have an entirely different view." - Mao Zedong

Where I come from, it is said that: "Ku yaaga tukki, yaaga gis" (he who travels for a long time sees a lot), because travelling gives experience. Like I was told and I believed that our airport was one of the best around the world; that was before I had that escalator fail at some airport in '09.

"Professionals" ayard...

Perhaps they also feel the same about me, but really, some of these Gambian "professionals" bore me; so nitpicking that besides theirs or some babylonian consultant's, nothing that someone else does is ever good enough for them - you know, each be tryna justify his credentials until you're like: 'maneh, yen forlen tojj?'

Bring them together to criticise some work and all they'll do is "creaticise" (create faults to find). Ask them to rectify it, they'll cause a total malfunction, "wrecktify" I call it; so not conducive to progress.

At a certain validation workshop, one suggested that entrepreneurship be made a "core" skill. Another was like: I would rather "key" than core, then the rest of the day saw twenty-ten other synonyms. 'Abeh ning sembo' that you wonder if a workshop or war zone was what it was. Saddest thing is, the thing will get validated, either for 'ha' or for 'hanni.' Now come two years later to assess impact and all you'll get is finger-pointing. 'N'tol teh taa!'