These old men tell fascinating stories to be quite honest. I once had the privilage to be give access to talk to few among over 50 of them, who are now sheltered in the Seamen missionary located in Poplar, London. Amazing stories of intriguing experiences they tell. Some of the older few even lived long enough to have come as early as mid-1920s. There is a photo essay called Somali Elders that contains useful information about their life experiences.

Lazygal, thanks to you, I met the brother in the videos while attending a talk in Queen Mary uni in London. The brother is a cool cat - I was quite intrigued when I told 'where are the big glasses, man?' Lol. He was pleased that his videos have reached many thanks. I told him there is a certain girl you have to thank for my seeing of your videos . Here is a picture of him without the glasses: PS: By the way, to you guys who commented on his name, if I can recall it, he had a Somali name - something along Maxamed Yusuf and Cawaale as a surname. PSS: Lazy, again, thanks for this topic. I have gotten to know other guys too as a result.

(Some of the participants at Queen Mary Uni) Notice: Images hosted in Flickr.

Welcome yaa Dabshid. Lagu miss garee - dabkaad noo shidi jirtey een aan qabowga ka diirsan jirnay bakhtii inadeer . Good to have you back lad.

^^The bloody mullah killed 8 members of my great-grandfathers' family and only my grandfather and his brother survived. The former ended up in Bay iyo Bakool and the latter in Qandala, who's offsprings are now called ilma Qandalaawi. Having said that, I cannot bring myself to deny what the man stood for. To do so would be a futile exercise. Simply put, he was one heck of a mobilizing nationalistic force to be engraved in the history of the nation. Allow kuu naxariiso.

MMA I basically think you are there but let me add few more words that I think could be useful. Restrictions = xanibaad (blockade?)/xakimaad Compliance = addeecid/addeecis/ Waafaqsan Organisation = urur/ hay'ad Qualification = aqoonsi/shardi/xaddidid/ khibrad Confidential = qarsoodi ah/sir ah/ dihan Observation = indha indheyn/ u kuur gelid Recommendation = talo / Hindsight = dib ka ogaansho / garwaaqsi? Discovery = soosaaris / daah-furin (like Xiin's) Foe = cadow (enemy) / col Search = baadigoob/raadin Injection = durid/mudid/ tallaal Infrastructure = aasaas/ kaabe (like Xiin's) Coincidence = isku aadid aan la fileynin/ wada-kulanto Shock = naxdin/ nax Terror = argagax Invasion = dal gelid/dal qabsasho/ duullaan Manipulation = si xirfad u xukumid/ ? Optimism = wanaagfilid/ yididiillo? Extract = ka saarid/ka miirid/ ka soocid Romance = qiso jaceyl/ Enhancement = wanaajin/ Compatible = isku dhigma/ is qaadan kara Cultivation = Cararog/ falliin Instant = isla markiiba/islamar/durba Friendly = saaxiibtinimo leh Continuous = socda/xiriir ah Corruption = Masuqmaasuq Dazzlement = Indhadaraandarid [dazzle = indhadaraandar]/ cawirid Ban = Joojin/mamnuuc [banned = joojis/mamnuucid] (Koley mamnuuc waa Afcarabi.)

Willamina, now I feel sorry for you. You have 1 minute to get the hell out of there . Have a good evening dear... Lily... thanks but no thanks ... I'd rather listen to The age of Aquarius . Let the sunshine in .... oh let it shineee..... Listen to the lyrics... 'When the moon is in the Seventh House And Jupiter aligns with Mars Then peace will guide the planets And love will steer the stars This is the dawning of the Age of Aquarius The Age of Aquarius Aquarius! Aquarius! Harmony and understanding Sympathy and trust abounding Golden living dreams of visions No more falsehoods or derisions Mystic crystal revelation And the mind's true liberation Aquarius! Aquarius! When the moon is in the Seventh House And Jupiter aligns with Mars Then peace will guide the planets And love will steer the stars ....'

Its called 'gut instinct' which basically involves thinking with other parts of the body other than the brain. Men are mostly logical and rely less on it but women? Oh thats a whole lotta different ball game. There is no logic to them mostly and when their intuitive or instinctive feelings lands them in hot water, they ofcourse have another thing at their disposal: sobbing . All these things are tied to each other, you see. So never try to analyse one of them because you might find yourself wandering in no 'man's' lands far from home! Overall though, instincts can be decisive; especially when two options appear equally strong in logical terms and you are looking for something to tip the balance . There you go girls. Use instincts to your advantage but not to our disadvantage too.

^^ [edit] NGONGE, its not that bad ninyow. Adigana ha isii tiqaantiqinin. C'mon Ngonge, its alright to admit the blues. Its not so bad. So join me So Ghanima, what do you suggest? Finding a dancing partner, and dance like this ? For your info. I use to dance to Billie Jean and I can still dance - thank you very much! Now, how about you? Can you even lift your hind-leg in tandem with the rythme? Oh now don't go heelo on me - much like that old lady in goodness gracious me with her traditional indian folk dance Dahia, thanks dear. That I would try... I was already getting into my elvis outfit when you posted the second comment ..

Dahia, lool. OK, Dahia. I will take your advice but what if I am listening to this ---> naftu doqonsanaa, damac waalanaa. A sad song . a display name, oh thanks. I sense that you are trying to make a sad man feel better by telling him he has hope in writing. Its working, I can feel it . Which writer were you reminded of? As for the essay, what is it about? Willamina, good to hear that . It makes me feel better. In fact things are looking up again. Thanks to you. I would've prefered if she (Lily) wasn't that happy today though. Well, what the hell. Lily, may you get splashed with water by a speeding pensioner's case. Amen .

Are you a xidiga-tiris? A star gazer whose eyes pierce beyond the thin layered mists of November clouds? Are you? Oh no? Well, I guess you aren't. Not much news there. I am though, a star gazer - a xidiga-tiris - and I have been found guilty of this as early as the 9th year of my long life. The dugsi teacher didn't like me solely because of this - he actually feared me for some reason and retorted that I have haunting eyes. But I don't, and according to many objective people , they think there is nothing out of the ordinary with my eyes. Anyway, my dugsi teacher suffered chills when I look at him. 'Bacawyahow maxaad sidaa iigu fiirin' he use to complain. Nor was the dugsi kabiir a friendlier character. I remember how he once cained all over my skin leaving a blood-shot mark on my left eye. Until today, I think it was a conspiracy brewed by the sheikh dugsi. Anyway, I digress. The object of this topic is to, quite pointlessly, rant in a way I haven't before. My hope is that the exercise would prove to be therapeautic and it would allw me to off-load my blues on others. Its like C02 emission, sell more blues to those who've got less blues emission. Its selfish, I know, but quite frankly I don't care. Today, its all about me, me and me. Talking about me, today I have been gazing at those grey clouds hanging over London, and I was hoping the sun would somehow show, if not its face, its a!se to the depressed population of this Island. Even spotting the sun's arrse would do for now. I have to stop myself now...this is pathetic...

^Lol. Hey, we are told to have the little b!stards because we can, regardless of how they turn out to be. So we might as well make ourselves feel good about the project - do the deed first, and only then, deal with the end product. And in that case, I'd like to convince myself that they'll turn out fairy princes and princesses! The Noble lie . PS: I have to be fooled, you know. Otherwise I wont sleep-walk into some scenarios

Originally posted by a display name: i'm a female which creates the possibility of the creation of the most useless children in human history. imagine brats worse than paris hilton and miss teen america combined . Learn Some Love, jacayl baro. Lol. That made the grey day over here a little more better. You humour me, a display name . Anyway, are you sure about that? On whose authority, erm, consultation, have you learnt of this possibility? Now c'mon, we're in late-Modernity and the individuality of your future (possible) off-springs is less likely be an issue - we are told by scholars such as your countryman - Foucault, the philosopher of continuation - that all identities will shift and never form a coherent image in the future. So maybe today's brats would pass for the great generation that once was. Who knows? In a queer turn of event, you could become a Xaawo Taako in future Human (Somali) history .

^^Reer Maakhirland soo iyaga irsaaqad Eeba ugu talagalay ma laha? Mar unbay calafkooda hanan doonaan sxb. I must agree on the kid scenario, balse schoolka iyo hospitalkaba waa waxa kuwa hardamaya u diiddan yihiin ninyow.

^^Reer Maakhirland soo iyaga irsaaqad Eeba ugu talagalay ma laha? Mar unbay calafkooda hanan doonaan sxb. I must agree on the kid scenario, balse schoolka iyo hospitalkaba waa waxa kuwa hardamaya u diiddan yihiin ninyow.

^^Lol Red Sea, is it? Must be my sleepy eyes. Let me wash my face then . PS: Misna the time to make consoliatory comments is yet to come in this thread? Well, I tried at least, haven't I?

A positive development I must say. Any prospect of assisting a Somali land (wherever that may be) in capacity building is always a welcome news in my books. Kudos to Somalilanders.

A positive development I must say. Any prospect of assisting a Somali land (wherever that may be) in capacity building is always a welcome news in my books. Kudos to Somalilanders.

Gentlemen (Baashi, Gediid and Faarax Brown), all your facts, save few accusatory points, are technically rightly stated. It is only that you are all singing from different hym sheets. Thats all. I think what would greatly help is if we all base our factual priorities in concentration on the bigger bigger, especially the consequences policies (inspired directly or indirectly by Ethiopia), might have on the welfare of the general Somali populace wherever in the region they inhabit. To be quite honest, after undergoing some thorough soul-searching in the past few days, I have come to the political of compromising in my ideas to give dialogue a chance. I don't know how an acceptable dialogue between the different rivaling Somali entities and groups can be initiated, but considering the scale of suffering prevalent in our lands, I believe that forsaking dialogue is no longer a wise thing to do. Can we start over again? At least between us here on these boards. PS: A comment from J.11, sleepless in London.

Try bal!

The peculiar thing is I sometimes get into character purely to pronounce English distastefully. This is because lately I have been talking to (rather interpreting/translating in courts for) more Somalis than ever and I am picking up few nice words. Like when asked 'where did you first stay when you came to the UK' and they reply Toonkaliif Huteel as in 'Thorncliff Hotel' or 'Shafiil' as in 'Shefield'..and many more. Laakiin, ogow for most of these folks the basics of their education isn't built for further studies - heck that is if they even had a basic education. So I see men/women even younger than me unable to speak the language and I am not so surprised they can't.

^^Lol@quit shiishaing - waryaa you don't have to write it in far waawayn you know? Chubaka, I'll train for anything as long as it can manipulate the human brain. Sometimes for good and most time very evil. Mwahahahaha

Yes, let it all out. Its healthy.