Canada Day!

At 6:00PM local time today the iPhone debuts in stores stateside. Lucky Americans! There’s no official word as to when it’ll become available in Canada, although rumours are Rogers will have it just in time for Christmas I probably won’t be getting the iPhone but I’m all the same very excited about its release – so excited that I’m taking a trip down south this weekend just so I can touch it.

Paul lost his phone last Wednesday; he’d been using an HTC Prophet for a little over a year.

I guess we’re in the minority that loves Windows Mobile devices; I like my devices tweakable, and there’s a wealth of resource on changes, tweaks, ad-ons and modifications.

Paul decided he wanted another PC Phone (for “work purposes” he claimed), we called the other Paul and he suggested the HTC Touch; we ordered it and it came three days later.

I’m not a mean spirited or jealous person by nature but Paul’s new phone has me wishing he’d get abducted by aliens just so that I can inherit his phone.

Yes, the phone is that cool!

The Touch is by far the sleekest, cutest and smoothest Pocket PC device ever! And with its Touchflo interface you’d want to play with it forever. It makes my Prophet look like a contraption from the 19^th century.

So how does it rate performance wise?

Not bad. It has a larger screen flush mounted to the frame of the device; I believe a first for a WM device. The Touchflo response is pretty sharp, beyond that and it’s stylish looks, it’s just another pocket PC phone.

As a phone it’s easier to use than most of its sister devices.

It lacks 3G and runs on a 201MHz processor which makes it lag a little, applications are a little slow to respond. It takes just ok pictures with its 2 mega pixels camera, as long as it’s not taken in poor lighting conditions. The web browser again is like all other WM devices but you can always download Opera mini.

It shipped with a 1GB MicroSD card, it required minor surgery to get that and the SIM card into their slots.

But it’s incredibly gorgeous and soft to touch, easier to use (IMHO) and most importantly, you can pile on a ton of 3^rd party software for more functionality and productivity – if you’re into that kind of thing.

It’s not available in the US (or Canada for that matter), but it’s GSM and unlocked so you could always get one if you really wanted from sources like the other Paul.

Technorati Tags: iPhone, HTC Touch

After months of worrying, whining, hyperventilating, not training and almost debilitating self-doubt, I ran a half marathon last Sunday.

I’d like to think that it’s my most physically enduring undertaking ever but it wasn’t. That’s not to say it wasn’t hard, at one point I thought I was going to pass out.

It was pissing rain throughout the run, I’m talking a mini thunderstorm here… just my luck eh?

The feeling of being a part of over 3000 runners was exhilarating!

What impressed me most was how well behaved and orderly we were; unlike those 5K & 10K runs where people literally trample you to get to the start line, here we walked in an organized manner towards the start line till there was enough room to run.

So how did I do?

I did it in two hours and six seconds (my chip time, my gun time was 2:07) and came in 2087^th, meaning I beat 1263 people. I could have done better but I’m so damn proud of myself, I could hardly care.

I’m oddly reminded of something my father told me a long time ago on a hot sunny African morning.

He said me he feared mediocrity for me. He said I had a natural ability to be good at everything I tried “You have to understand that it’s never enough. Do it best; can you imagine the greatness you’d accomplish by working hard and applying yourself? You’d excel beyond your wildest imagination”,

I haven’t thought about that in years…because… well, it’s advice from my father, the same guy who didn’t come home one night because he “got lost and spent all night driving around the M25”

But that’s a story for another day.

I met someone (winner of last year’s race) who’ll help me train, I want to do a ten mile in October and walk the Seattle Marathon a month later then maybe run a marathon next year.

The London Marathon if I can get in.

Technorati Tags: Scotiabank Vancouver Half-Marathon

Outdooring Ceremony

The outdooring ceremony is observed by almost all the ethic groups of the country. Although the observance may differ slightly in procedure from region to region, the substance and concept backing it remain the same. Outdooring takes place very early in the morning and is observed on the eight day of the birth of a child. It is the belief of the all Ghanaians that the baby remains attached to its spirit world for the first seven days. So babies are kept indoors and are not allowed to the yard of the house, during the first week. The baby is believed to have become a human being on the eighth day. In fact, if the child should pass away before the seventh day, there is no mourning for that child.

Early in the morning about 5 o’clock, the child to be named is brought to the yard of the house for the first time by its mother and placed on the ground below the eaves. After a while he is taken indoors and the naming ceremony begins. The baby is placed on the lap of the person after whom it is to named, if he is alive, or an elder male member of the father’s family. Libation, generally of gin or schnapps, is poured to invoke the blessing of family ancestors on behalf of the newly-born baby.

The officiating member then pronounces the name of the baby by addressing it in the manner: “Kofi, your name is Okae. May God give you long life and make you great. Your grandfather did great things. He was truthful, honest and kind. May you grow to be like him.” With a finger he then puts three drops of water into the baby’s mouth. Followed by three drops of wine, and in the process addresses the child as follows: “learn to recognize water as such and as distinct from wine. You have come to stay and not merely to make a brief appearance. Do not come to show yourself fancifully and then fly away. May God bless you to live to a grand old age.” The ceremony of water and wine symbolizes that the child should be guided by truth in all his future undertakings.

It is usual at this stage for the father to give to give a golden-ring to be put on the baby’s finger and to offer gifts to both his wife and the child. Gifts are also presented by relatives and guests. Refreshments are then served. The ceremony is rounded of by the guests standing to shake hands with the husband and his wife, saying. Mo tiri nkwaa oo! (May God bless you). The child is also introduced to the community, because the child does not just belong to one person, the child is part of the community. The community is instructed that this is their child and that they must look out for and help raise the child. At the same time, the child is told what is expected of him or her. …susubiribi.com

I’ve never attended a proper outdooring (baby naming) ceremony before.

This weekend I attended an outdooring party – which is a modern times appendage to the ceremony.

It’s normally held a few months after birth and more about partying than rituals.

This was the couple’s fifth and only son. I remember two of their other babies (girls) birth; I don’t’ recall being invited to celebrate their birth. I’m sure there would have been a huge celebration also if it were the other way around.

That said it was a very beautiful party. Our village has a new “son”.

Technorati Tags: Ghana, outdooring, baby naming ceremonies

I feel unbalanced. I’ve been out of sorts lately.

I’ve been getting these surges of anticipation even though I have no great prospects. It’s making me edgy.

Summer has come a little early this year and it’s full of promise.

I’m running a half marathon later this month; my first ever…!

I haven’t been training; in fact I’ve outright stopped running because I can’t go as far anymore.

The worse that could happen is that I don’t get a “finisher” t-shirt because I drop out halfway through the race.

I’m a little sad because this isn’t how I pictured my first half marathon – I figured I’d be well trained, healthy and enthused.

Instead I can’t seem to shake this defeatist mindset.

Technorati Tags: Scotiabank Vancouver Half-Marathon