Thursday, May 29, 2008

Africa...the land of my birth..going back to my roots

Zee's Notes: Four weeks to go - it's a strange feeling thinking of going back to the land I last saw as a 12 year old. For those in my generation, though we are steeply rooted in our adopted homeland - Canada, we can never forget the time of our childhood that was spent in the Continent of Promise. Many have told me not to have very high expectations of what Africa is today - they say not much has changed and in some cases things are not better than in the early 1970's. So I have promised myself to go with an open mind and go with the flow - something many of us should do in life - otherwise we miss the the real gift of Allah - life itself. But I gotta say that the atmosphere of meeting my fellow Ismailis from all over the world promises one week that no one who will be in Narobi will ever forget. The games will be played with vigor and competition will be intense - there will be arguments and debates - but at the end of the day some 1,000 plus athletes and thousands more who will be there as spectators will emerge as a family - a family that will remain united forever and for a generation we will talk of the 'week that was' in Nairobi. So in keeping with the theme of all my previous GJG posts here is a video - a little different as it showcases different cities in Africa - so have a look and see if you recognize the city of your childhood - Nairobi, Kampala, Dar-es-salaam, Mombasa, Kinshasa, Durban, Accra, Lagos etc...