Surprise!

Africa

Just recently I met in Kraków with dr Jadzia Żyłka, the doctor in charge of Kiabakari health center in 2008-2010. She had a surprise gift for me - a new album of Leszek Możdżer - 'Polska' - an autographed copy! What a gem. Thank you, Jadzia, for your consideration and for taking pains to get this copy to artists. I appreciate it very very much.

Here is the proof:

And the circled track in the album - 'Africa' - is this one. Enjoy!

Dusk Hour

Echoes In The Solitary Confinement

As I have planned these few days since today till next Thursday, I have started executing the plan. Confined in solitary space, I am tuned and focused to do the job I want to do. In this environment of solitude, outside silence and extreme push of mental power, there are only echoes of a misfit music tune from Green Day on my laptop. Suddenly, I find myself empowered to do my best and to finish the task with all I got in me through this song. It simply keeps pumping tons of adrenaline in me, urging me to go beyond my capacity and ability and to kill the task with a powerful blast of strong will.

I am surprised to find myself finishing the preparatory job planned for three days - in one day. The earnest and sincere humble prayer for the blessing in this work combined with a powerful tune and lyrics of the song that accompanies me today sprinkled with a drop of Wisemen Tea at the end of the massive effort - made wonders.

Out Of Range

Through with the hectic day, as Saturdays in Kiabakari tend to be. Falling into subdued mode of reflecting upon the Gospel of tomorrow's Solemnity of Corpus Christi and Gospel read at four altars. I've just finished putting cosmetic changes to my homily I will preach on Thursday during the Holy Mass of handover of the Jubilee Cross at Butiama parochial church, coming to Kiabakari for 17-day journey through our Small Christian Communities in Kiabakari and all outstations. As my mind went into mental journey itself for the past three or four hours thinking, praying and rethinking what flowed into my soul during that mediation, I traveled throughout the whole world, beginning right here in our area and covering all continents, oceans, seas and sky...

Lifeline

I have a confession to make. Owing to Maja (a friend of mine from London), I came to know and admire the creative, inspiring and touching music of one of the best female composers and singers the world has been graced with in the human history. Imogen Heap. I come back to her time and again, never tired of the ever fresh music and lyrics. Thank you, Majeczka! Thank you, Imogen! As I look for a way out of malaria, getting back to normal, this is another Imogen's masterpiece to start a new day...

Learning To Fly

Same airport, same city. So many times, so many times deja vu, so many times. And always at the starting point, and always learning to fly, literally and metaphorically... Learning to fly, conquering again and again and again fear of the well known unknown... I feel sad this morning, I feel tense and apprehensive, knowing where I am heading, heading back to where I belong (really?) to continue what is elevating me and killing at the same time... I have no words to explain, I don't even try... just listening to the long forgotten music I once was so fond of which came back suddenly at this particular point of time.... yes, learning to fly. Will I ever succeed? Or is it simply a momentary lapse of reason?

What I Ever Wanted...

Riding on the wave of yesterday events and amazing meetings in silence of this peaceful morning, grateful so much for being blessed with new amazing friendships, true gems of humanity which graced my life on many levels, I'm working on educational adoption program at the moment, finalizing dossiers of children under the scheme, ready to be dispatched to their respective sponsors...

Feeling Blue

Evening falling over Dar es Salaam...and along with it a reflective, bit melancholic mood creeping in my soul. Far from Kiabakari and its permanent troubles, challenges and stresses, looking at my life in retrospect with mixed feelings, yet the prevailing amazement is the leading tone... I found this song of Peter Gabriel's a suiting background for my mental travels over hilltops and valleys' floors... It took him a long time to perfect it and deliver as a finished project... same as it takes me so long, too long sometimes, to accomplish anything in my life and most of those are nothing but unfinished projects or projects that are permanently underway...

Scratching The Surface

That is exactly how I see it. Just scratching the surface of a little yet known world to me. The world of human ingenuity, charisma, talents, skills, passions and desires that drive people from the very young age to excel... Since I have arrived to Canada, this is what I've been doing...more rather by chance, by accident, that by a methodical process or approach. Scratching the surface of the world of talents, passions, charismas, dreams, notions, desires and lifetime goals in Polish diaspora in Montreal mainly, as I have been spending most of my time in this city...But I am absolutely certain that in Toronto and elsewhere in Canada, the picture is just the same...

Going To The West

Setting out this morning on a - hopefully - lovely and memorable trip to the western part of Poland - Poznań, Zielona Góra, Wrocław and elsewhere...Such a beautiful weather, let it stay this way all the way till the end of the week. Feeling in a mood to sing along with Connie Dover...

Chief Ihunyo

Yesterday, apart from WAWATA feast celebration in my mission, I also went to Zanaki Parish, the mother parish of Kiabakari,  for the third and last time - substituting for the parish priest, who is away for holidays. Right after finishing the first Mass in Kiabakari, I drove to Magorombe (the place where Zanaki Parish mission is located) for the Holy Mass. And then, after that Mass, to the Chief Ihunyo Girls' Secondary School for my third Mass. It was my third time there at Chief Ihunyo and the thing that particularly pleased me while celebrating the Holy Mass for Catholic girls studying in this educational facility )who are not allowed to attend Masses in the parochial church due to various reasons which I won't dig in), built by our Member of Parliament, Hon. Nimrod Mkono, who shows in deeds and not only in words, how much he cares for the education of new generations, with emphasis on the education of girls, which is crucial taking under consideration the negative bias of many parents - preferring to focus on the education of boys rather than girls. This problem is particularly acute in our Region, and Zanaki area, including Kiabakari, is leading in sad statistics....

Panacea

The cure for every condition, the wonder-medicine to lift me up, to calm me down, to console and cheer up, to stay with me when everyone is gone, to make me happy or reflective, to help me refocus and recharge, to cure my moods, to enhance clarity of mind and boost my imagination, to ease off pain and stand up firm, to be with me wherever I need it...true panacea...