Of family and royalty

My thoughts when the death of the Duke of Edinburgh was announced were:

Prince Philip was 2 months short of 100 years . That is oooold! As in I cannot begin to comprehend OLD.

He gave up 70 years of his life for Elizabeth. 

He was an outsider who married a Princess but ended up with a Queen. 

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It is funny how life turns out. Here was a man who was born a Greek and Danish Prince, got exiled at less than two years old and then lived in poverty and constant moving around as a child after his family was ruined.

At 18 he joined the Royal Navy and started a correspondence with 13 year old Elizabeth. The Navy and Elizabeth were his true loves and tough as it may have been at 31 he gave up the Navy to devote his life to Ellizabeth.

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My thoughts after watching the funeral service of Prince Philip:

You gotta feel for the Queen. Burying someone who you have known for 80 years is tough. She looked her age. 

The simplicity and straightforwardness of the funeral service was goals. No frills. No speeches.

He must have enjoyed organizing his own funeral as a final piece of his own rebellion and independence from the Monarchy.

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Prince Philip was reported by most accounts to be a man who did not suffer fools gladly and who had little time for ceremony. That was the British understated way of saying he was nasty and a racist.

While now the racists have to be politically correct in his day racism was the norm and he was just doing, saying what was expected of his class.

Additionally, I reckon being the Consort was hard. Yes, he loved Elizabeth and he willingly gave up his role as head of the family but as a man I am sure it was tough and the rudeness, callousness was him lashing out. And no that does not excuse his behaviour in any way.

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My thoughts on The Queen, Prince Philip, the Monarchy and colonialism: 

I am sure The Queen, Prince Philip and the monarchy are being bashed online and it is fashionable to hate them. 

Black or white and being so sure of one’s rightness is the luxury of the young who are loudest. When you grow up and do life you realize that there is a lot of grey. Personally opt for the humane and hope Queen finds peace and strength.

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As my friend pointed out, given his age Prince Philip was part of the colonialists. Not an abstract reference in the history books but a living breathing colonizer.

As a student of history, I am keenly aware that the colonialists were brutal and sadists and the British Empire which was built on the plunder from colonies should pay for its crimes.  

I cannot condone what the Brits did in Kenya, Africa and other parts of the Commonwealth. But to not have the grace to extend compassion to a grieving widow is to be as base and savage as the colonialists were.

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Musings after the Meghan and Harry TV interview with Oprah: 

Is Megan a replacement for Diana? Harry lost a mother, rebelled as a youngin’ and has now married a mother-figure?

To please Megan he has loudly, openly disowned his family and even aired their dirty linen globally. What happens when Harry awakes from what appears to be a trance? Will he resent Megan? 

I watched Meghan on Suits. She’s a good actress but ain’t invested in her.  

I and a lot of guys my age had a huge crush on Diana. Probably it is why I am still invested in her and her family. Probably Di did some things wrong but for me my narrative is, I don’t like Charles, hate Camila, cheer for William and Harry. 

So I get how Meghan (new Di) is flavour of the millenials who wholeheartedly buy her narrative and support her. 

Bottom line is families are messy.

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Further musings based on history:

History does repeat itself. Leave alone Prince Harry who is so far removed from the line of succession. In the 1930s, King Edward give up the throne for American Wallis Simpson who had two living ex-husbands. 

George took over the throne from his brother Edward but he died young and his daughter Elizabeth became Queen. 

Wallis, Diana, Meghan. In the last three generations some of the men in that family have married strong, different women. 

The women have in their own ways changed the family internally and to the world. 

The only thing is the family always wins due to centuries of survival. Yes it evolves, adapts but never breaks. 

Unfortunately the women and their partners break because of the huge toll of the fight. Sadly. 

Wallis was banished to an Island. Diana reportedly started dating a Muslim and died in a weird car crash. Fingers crossed third time is a charm for Meghan.

Just like the Mafia, it’s not personal just business.  

Regular family drama but on steroids.

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A couple of days after Prince Philip’s death during one of walks I happened to overhear a discussion by group of roadside mechanics.

They were discussing the Royal family and someone who thought that public popularity (Harry) instead of line of succession (Charles then William) played a part in who becomes the Monarch was swiftly corrected.

The question of whether Charles should let his son William succeed Queen Elizabeth was also brought about.

**

Got me thinking that it is wrong to presume just because the men were roadside mechanics the scope of their political talk would be restricted to the banality of Kenyan politics.

Hate it or love it there is something about the monarchy that resonates on a human level globally. Maybe it is the fact that despite the titles and trappings of power the royal family is at the most basic a family complete with all the corresponding drama.  

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So the world awaits the next episode of the soap opera or is it reality show from Windsor.

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(All photos are courtesy of Google)

Sinking Jahazi

It is 1.21am on a Thursday night, you are at a gents at an uptown local and life is coming at you at a frightening speed.

You have just barely managed to pay the bill and you have no extra money in your wallet.

You had previously okoa-d jahazi and not paid it back.

You have zero credit on your phone, zero on MPESA, and your bundles have run out.

So getting an uber never mind the mechanics of paying for it becomes a matter of rocket science.

This is when you stare at your phone and wonder who you can call to help.

As you realize that it is true a friend is someone who you can call at 1am and they pick up and help. And that despite the overflowing phone book you have very few friends.

Getting here may seem far-fetched and I can hear you wonder how a grown man can be so irresponsible.

Let’s back track.

Man has not seen his friend who happens to be a woman for awhile. So man asks woman friend for a meet and chat. Woman is hanging out with her friend who is a mutual acquaintance and she asks if she can come with the acquaintance and man innocently says yes.

Drinks are enjoyed. Meat is ordered.

Then the acquaintance invites over a cousin who partakes of his drink and the meat and leaves.

Then the acquaintance has a phone chat with her best friend who happens to be in the vicinity and she comes over and also enjoys her drinks.

Shortly, the best friend of the acquaintance calls over her boyfriend who orders for drinks.

Then the woman friend, remember her, leaves.

All this time, the bills were piling up and the man is left with a hefty bar bill that no-one  is interested in paying.

Fast-forward.

Man who has just about paid the bill asks one of the wait staff to sambaza credit and man is able to hail an uber which gets him to an ATM thus enabling him to pay for ride home.

Questions:

How often are men in such situations and they are left crying in the toilet?

Do women have a responsibility to also pick their share of the bill in joint company?

In polite company, should all those who have partaken of drinks and meal on a table share the bill?

If invited to a meet-up, as a lady, is it really polite to tag along your entire crew?

Learnings:

To get loaned credit – Okoa Jahazi – *131#

To get loaned bundles – Okoa Bundles – *544#

It is important to have emergency money in M-Shwari for a rainy day.

Consolation:

Man-up. You are not alone. A huge number of men have found themselves in a similar situation. Chalk it up as a scar of war. Pick the lesson and be cleverer next time.

GOD BLESS KENYA!