Today's pictorial blog. A sister and her children at a feast. It is for Soomaalina, iyadaa cuntada Islii rabto aragtee, though this picture is a bit dated. N. B. The camera shot messed the poor boy's face. He doesn't look like that.

VAlenteenah, thanks, sister. And the family is doing great. Soomaali (is it Dabshid?), meeshaas maalin walba agmaaraaba, saasna ma'aha hadda. Ciyaal jokoraha dump qashinka ee soo qaadan meelaha la dhisaayo at night illegally. Meeshaas dhismo weyn ku socoto, qashinkaas long ago laga qaaday. Yes, meelo saas camal wey jirtaa Islii, meelo qashinka illegally lagu dump gareeyo. By the way, Ushrika goormee kugu dambeysay?

Dadweyne fiyoow degan ma jiro meelahaan la duqeynaayo. Kii ku haray mid waalan ama mid taageero Barbaarta wareersan waaye. Waaka xumahay Xamartaa jeclaa in wali duqeyn ka socoto 20 years later.

Hayeey! Hooyooyinkaan maa Barbaarta lasoo siray u daahaayo. Mayooy!

Peasant, wali sidii iyo si ka daran waaye. Siyaasadii ayaa masaajidada lasoo giliye, inta kaliya ma'ahee waa meel walba Soomaalida joogto toogtaan. _______________ Today's blog: Guryaha ijaarka iyo Islii Dadka see ugu noolyihiin Islii hadba waxee ku xirantahay hadba suu qofka u ladanyahay ama wax soo saarkiisa ganacsi u sareeyo ama sida reerkiisa dadalka Galbeedka ku maqan u biilaan. Guryaha Islii, which are mostly aparment flats and single-floor lodges, ijaarkooda aad iyo aad u qaalisanyahay. Si aadna waa ugu qaalisanyahay guryaha kale Nayroobi ku yaalo ijaarkooda. The newly built apartments waa qaali dadka badanaa u dhawaan karin, thus a single flat that consists of two bedrooms and a living room waxaa lagu deganyahay dadka qaarkood one to three families, some waa iskaabulo, gabdho iyo wiilalba, oo qol qol lagu share gareeyaa. Average newly built apartment goes between 24,000 to 30,000 (around $300 to $400). Marka qof ama reer xataa loo soo diro $500 a month cannot afford to live in comfort of one full apartment alone. To live in full comfort, a family would need no less than $800 per month, as our family spends minimum. And we are not that many and don’t’ have children living with us. We consist shan qof, waalidka, wiil nala joogo iyo gabadha naga caawiso wax karinta. And yet we spend around $800 a month minimum, some months more than $1,000. In a rarity in Islii, we don’t sub-rent our flat, the five of us live in our apartment, with qolka fadhiga ah la seexan oo fadhi yaalo. But that is not the reality for the vast struggling majority in Islii. Some families live in single sub-rented rooms that cost between $100 to $150. Also Kenyaatiga iyo Soomaali islama degano. All apartments and lodges within boundary of Islii Soomaali wada degan. Even if a Kenyaati wants to live, he cannot afford it. Aad iyo aad u yaabaan how expensive and high the rent is markii loo sheego. Ijaarka central Islii wuu ka qaalisanyahay kan ka baxsan outside central Islii. Islii has three official sections, called Section I, Section II and Section III. The then colonial government set this boundary. Most Soomaalis live in Section II. Those famous streets of 6th Street, 7th Street to 12th Street are all within the boundary of Section II. The further you leave from the boundary of Section II on either side, the cheaper the rent gets and the higher insecurity becomes with ghetto xaafado. Because Kenyaatiga xaafadahooda u dhawaanee, tuugo wada miiran ahna. So Soomaalida badankood waxee iskugu tageen to xaafadaha u dhaxeeyo 4th Street to 12th Street maadaama amaankooda ka sareeyo xaafadaha ka baxsan jidadkaan kor ku sheegay. Xaafadaha kuwaa ka baxsan Soomaalida degana habeenkii ma socon karaan, the moment qoraxda dhacdo iyagana wey hoydaan.

Is she Rudy's cousin? Enjiwey, soo dhawoow.

Peasant, adaa mudan, xaaji. _______________ Today's pictorial blog: Masaajidada Islii Islii waxaa ku yaalo shan masaajido waa weyn iyo kuwa badan oo xisaab ku jirin oo yar yar, including kuwa ku dhex yaalo hoteelada dhexdooda. Shanta u waa weyn soo sawiray maanta, and here they are, so enjoy. Masaajidka 6ka. Masaajidka 8ka. Masaajidka 12ka. Masaajidka Alxaq. Masaajidka Hidaaya. Little info: Masaajidada 6ka iyo 8ka waa oldest masaajido in Islii. Kuwa kale waa cusubyihiin. Also kan 8ka, 12ka iyo Alxaq 'Suufiyo' maamulo, meesha kuwa 6ka iyo Hidaaya ka maamulaan 'Gardheeriyaal.' Dadka masaajidadaas qaar ku xiranyihiin, oo mid kale kuma tukanaayaan, habeenkii xaley tagay. Masaajidadii ayaa siyaasad laga wada dhigtay, had iyo jeerna waala isku dacaayadeeyaa, midba midka kale dacaayad raqiis ka sheegaa qudbooyinka Jimcaha. Kan Hidaayo la dhaho waxaaba congregate gareeyo you-know-who, yacni kuwa qaska ka wado dalkeena. So it wasn't easy to take its picture, very risky maadaama inta wada joogaan you-know-who suppoters. Kan xataa 6ka ku yaalo iyagaa u badan, so it was risky as well, marka sawirada fast ku qaaday, oo hal mar ah bas ee haddee qalooc qaloocyihiin ogaada saas.

at Soomaalina.

Eebba ha u raxmado sheekha, reerkiisana samir iyo iimaan.

Adigana maxaa u shaqeysaa, Mr. Goosashadoon? Ain't it Xabashi interest in dalkeena la kala gooyo, which you advocate yourself. Adiga isarag intaadan dad kale fiirinin.

Telefashinka Qaranka Soomaaliyeed.

It looks, sounds, functions like a true dowlad. Ka naxoo nafta ha isku qarxin. Maan, Farmaajo and his administration, especially wasiirkiisa gaashaandhigga, keeps impressing me. Rabi ha u garabgalo.

Soomaalina, haye, waxaan aan aamisanahay maa soo wadaa. Mayooy iga dheh hee.

Peasant, sawirada Nayroobi waa qaadaa but badanaa dad kale ku jiro, so I don't want to put others pictures online, but mid aniga ku jiro oo central town ah iskaga qaaday the other day ku tusinaa and here it is. Taken on last week. This one was taken on last year. That is downtown Nayroobi I am looking at. And the park I am at is Uhuru Park, the very park I saw at naagtii caddeed diraca wadatay on the weekend. N. B. I will try soo sawiro magaalada hoose, though this blog is about Islii.

LoL at Malika. Soomaalina, gabadha ila socotay aad u yaabtayba. Aad iyo aad, aniga saas uma yaabin because Toronto ayaa dhif dhif ku arki jiray dad kale hiddaha iyo dhaqanka Soomaalida iska wato. Xataa duqdaas timaha qeyb wey u tidcaneyd. Yaab iga dheh.

Solid? That I don't know, but Soomaali waa iska taqaan and here being Kenya after all, only lacagtaada ayaa kaa xigto, not laws or wax kale. Wey isku dhex wadaan Soomaalidaan wax dhisanaayo, wixii legal ah iyo wax kale ma kala garaneysid. _______________ Today's blog: An amazing sight I was at Nayroobi's downtown's Uhuru Park (kinda like New York's Central Park) on the weekend. Just enjoying and strolling with qof kale when we saw an amazing and unexpected sight. Naag caddaan oo around 55-year-old camal ah oo wada xiran beautiful green-flowered dirac, with matching garbasaar and goorgorad. Unbelievable. She just walked by. Xaafadaha caddaanka deganyihiin that park u dhow ayee ka timid filaa. Inaa salaamo rabay, oo sii wareysto. Xataa kaamirada waa watay oo sawir kasii qaado rabay, then isiri amee naxdaa oo tuug ku moodaa or something oo faraha ka qaaday. But that was beautiful, and I kinda felt proud islaan caddaan diraceena iyo garbasaartiisa iyo goorgoradiisa xiran si caadi ah. She even looked like qof had iyo jeer gishto dharkaas because diraca kor ayee u qaatay oo dhex gilisay to show goorgorada. Very professional. We will go back on next weekend, Rabi ha idmee and I hope to see her again.

Somalina;699585 wrote: MMA, bilahan danbe oo dhan ayaa qabiil magacyadiisa la soo qorqoraaye, marka walaalow si fiican indhaha u fur. Dad badan ayaa u baahan a reminder. Ee waa ogtahay inaanan si toos u joogin, oo waxaa arko lee arkaa aniga. Qaarkood waa i dhaafi karaan, ee haddaa aragtid naga caawi oo na tusi, si private waa noogu soo diri kartaa ama si kale. It is not possible for me to view every single post and thread.

Maaddeey;699716 wrote: ^^calanka waxaan ka soo deynsaday sxbkey MMA oo signature'kiisa wax ka qaldanaayeen oon anigu isku aaddiyey 'out of curiousity' Waxba kama qaldaneen ee the new SOL does not allow animated images as a signature. It was my old signature.

In other words dagaalada waxaa gilineynaa, oo ku leyneynaa caruur iyo ciyaal masaakiin aan soo aruurinay at the same time kuweyga ku raaxeysanayaan Eritareeya iyo Masar. No?

Maaddeey;699549 wrote: ^You missed jiirow Bakaal's comment. Ninaan shaqadiisa aqoonin iga dheh! Waa arkaa ee waa u dhaafay, lest some think inaa dhibsaday camal if I edit. Waxaas caay haddee ka tahay dad ayuuba amaanooyaa.

Masaakiintaas barbaarta waxba ogeyn xasuuqooda loo wadaa. Maalin hore inta ciyaal ee soo sireen oo laga wada laaye ayaa ku filnaan weysay filaa.

Hilowloow, dhowr jeer magacyo qabiil inta kusoo qortay adoo la socotid inaan laga ogoleyn meeshaan magacaabida qabiilada ee jooji, baliis.

Today's blog: Buufiska iyo Islii Buufisnimo Islii koley kuma cusbo, and in fact, I believe the very word buufis was re-interpreted from its original meaning right here in Islii sometime in ‘90s. Of course Soomaalis being Soomaalis, wali wey socdaan, especially bug ku socdaan qaarkood, laakiin it is getting harder and harder to get into Yurub illegally. Thus qiimaha lagu baxaayo each time hundreds of dollars iskaga darsanto. Demand and supply economics in reverse. The harder it gets to get into Yurub, the more expensive it is to pay a muqalas. The price range these days is $23,000 to 27,000 depending the destination, particular time and how well you or your family know the muqalas. On rare times, it is even $30,000. Before your jaw-dropping reaction, know this: Reer Islii waxba lama aha waxaas, especially dad buufis si xun u haayo and it is not lacag ee shaqeysteen badanaa. Ehelkooda usoo diree, kusoo rafaadee. Haddaa ku dhahdid maa lacagta iskaga shaqeysatid, waaba laguugu qoslaa, laguuna jawaabaa waa gartaa adiga beri meeshaan busteeda waaka noqoneysaa, adigaba maad joogtid, maxaa ugu carareysaa lagu leeyahay.

Wyre, kuwaas warkooda laga maqlo warbaahinta laba sano kahor ugu dambeysay. Eber laga dhigay, wax la dilay iyo wax la wada xiray noqdeen filaa. Laakiin kuwa iyaga camal Soomaali ah Islii ka bilaabooyo sheeko dadka inay dilaan, xaley ugu dambeysay wiil ayee jugta ka saareen, si xun u jirdileen. Nabadadaye, isqabqabashadii dadka la qabanaaye wey dhamaatay, tii waliba askartii tuugada ahayd oo dhar caadi qabtay dadka iska qabsan jiray habeenkii kuwaas waa hore dhamaaday warkooda. Isqabasho waxee jirtaa kaliya markuu official raaf jiro bas. Umul wuu joogaa filaa oo Koonfur Afrika kasoo noqday, laakiin aniga kama heli ninkaas. Dadkuu kicin jiray, oo dhiiragelin jiray ka buuxo Barbaarta kuwa la baxay Soomaaliya ka dagaalamooyo maanta oo nafta u keenay ummadda. Maxaana ula yaabee gabdhaha imaado wiilashiiba iyaga xataa wey imaanoyaan. Waayeel, da'yar iyo barbaarba wey wada imaanoyaan meeshaan. Saa'id loo imaanooyaa, Soomaali meel kale ee tagto malahee. Eebboow dhulkeena noo nabadee -- aamiin.

Naf lacaari ayaa heyso.